AFL Record Round 16, 2023

2023 INDUCTEES

MICHAEL AISH ◆ JIMMY BARTEL ◆ COREY ENRIGHT ◆ TOM LEAHY ◆ SAM MITCHELL ◆ BRUCE McAVANEY ◆ MARK WILLIAMS

WEEK’S COVERS

ONE WEEK TIME

News from in and around the AFL

BIG WATCH OUT IN THE WEST

ASHLEY BROWNE

The most scrutinised and anticipated game this weekend will be late Sunday afternoon at Optus Stadium, where the beleaguered West Coast Eagles host St Kilda.

West Coast’s 171-point loss to Sydney last weekend was the equal fourth heaviest in League history and was the nadir for a club that has steadily spiralled downwards since winning the 2018 premiership.

The Eagles have won one game for the season and lost four of their past eight by more than 100 points.

Their percentage after 14 games is 47.35, nearly five points below that of Fitzroy in 1996 when the Lions were playing out their final season and were considered to be the least competitive team in League history.

The Eagles are the opposite of that.

They are the richest club in the AFL and virtually the best supported.

But they are paying the price for years of poor decision-making and, dare it be said, complacency.

Coach Adam Simpson is safe, but significant change is coming, most likely at the end of the season.

Nevertheless, the Eagles will head into Sunday mindful of these words from club chairman Paul Fitzpatrick in a letter to members last Sunday.

EDITOR’S LETTER MICHAEL LOVETT

u There is no better celebration in the game than the annual Australian Football Hall of Fame ceremony, which was held in Melbourne this week for the second successive year after the COVID-interrupted 2020-21.

The 2023 inductees covered a fascinating mix of recently retired stars, three greats from South Australia and a legend of the media and broadcasting industry.

Former Cats Jimmy Bartel and Corey Enright were walk-up inductees from a Geelong premiership dynasty, as was Sam Mitchell, a respected and feared opponent from Hawthorn.

The Cats and Hawks are fierce rivals and it’s fitting a trio at the coalface of those battles have been recognised.

SA fans will also be applauding the addition of a

star from yesteryear in Ted Leahy, a giant of the game in every sense.

“We cannot tolerate performances of that nature and we expect a strong response against St Kilda …”

Which is why the entire competition will be watching.

With the bye period over, it is back to nine games each weekend and the run to the finals is officially underway.

Only two of 12 teams so far have had wins coming off their bye, so supporters of Richmond, GWS Giants, the Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Carlton will be watching with trepidation this week.

Richmond heads to the Gabba on Thursday night to face the Lions, whose top four hopes were boosted by an important win over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium last Friday.

The Lions are unbeaten at home this year, while the Tigers started to find some form before the break.

revered figure at Port Adelaide at SANFL and AFL level.

He played for West Adelaide and North Adelaide, was a premiership player for both clubs, won a Magarey Medal, coached Norwood to two flags and played an incredible 31 state games for SA.

Mark Williams left his imprint as a player and coach in SA and Victoria and is a

Michael Aish was another SA star, a running machine idolised at Norwood who could hold his own against the best in the country at state level.

And last, but by no means least, came another highly respected South Australian in Bruce McAvaney, who joins a select group in the media section of the Hall of Fame.

Watching it back, it was obviously a clear free kick

CROW REILLY O’BRIEN ON THE MISSED FREE KICK TO SKIPPER JORDAN DAWSON LAST SUNDAY

Their (Eagles) percentage is nearly five points below that of Fitzroy in 1996

HIDING TO NOTHING: Adam Simpson’s injury-riddled West Coast is in danger of claiming the record of the least competitive team in League history.

u WHO’S IN PLAY

They’ll miss injured midfielder Dion Prestia, one of the barometers of the team.

Port Adelaide would probably have been happy to keep playing after 11 straight wins.

Essendon at the MCG on Saturday night will be tricky to navigate, with the Bombers back in Victoria likely to be far more competitive than they were away to Fremantle last week.

And at some stage, you would think the Power will drop a game.

The Giants travel to Alice Springs for Melbourne’s annual game.

With back-to-back wins, including a 70-point hammering of Fremantle, before their bye, the Giants might also have liked to keep playing.

Bits and pieces of the ‘Orange Tsunami’ are starting to reappear, with a few added tweaks under new coach Adam Kingsley.

The Demons were blown away in the final term by Geelong last week and star midfielder Clayton Oliver, who hasn’t played since round 10, is still injured.

The Demons are a game and healthy percentage clear in the top four but have some work to do.

The Western Bulldogs meet the Dockers for the second time this year, this time at Marvel Stadium.

Their 49-point win over Fremantle in round six was clearly their best win of the year, but on that night the Dockers seemed most intent on roughing up ex-teammate Rory Lobb.

If they stick to the footy on Saturday afternoon, they can get the win that might put them back in the eight.

Blues fans spent their free weekend wondering whether the

AFL Rising Star

ANGUS SHELDRICK SYDNEY SWANS

Sydney has picked up some handy players from Western Australia in recent years.

Chad Warner is a star. Logan McDonald is shaping nicely. And here comes Angus Sheldrick.

The 178cm inside midfielder had 29 disposals, 12 contested possessions, 12 score involvements and a goal in Sydney’s crushing win over West Coast last Saturday, earning the round 15 AFL Rising Star nomination.

Sheldrick was taken with the 18th overall selection by the Swans in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft after an excellent season at Colts level for Claremont in the WAFL that

culminated with 27 disposals and two goals in the Grand Final.

He made his debut for the Swans in the opening game of 2022 but his season was curtailed after two appearances because of a knee injury. He has played five games this season and was in good form leading into last weekend with 19 disposals against St Kilda (round 13) and Brisbane Lions (round 14).

Sheldrick, who played his junior football for Mosman Park, is Sydney’s first Rising Star nomination for 2023.

ASHLEY BROWNE

59-point pre-bye win over Gold Coast that snapped their six-game losing streak was an aberration or the start of a hair-raising run to the finals.

They meet Hawthorn at the MCG and should win again.

There is a significant gap between Hawthorn’s best and worst that usually depends on the availability of skipper James Sicily.

Geelong’s barnstorming final quarter against Melbourne sets up a big Friday night clash with the Sydney Swans, fresh off their belting of the Eagles.

With 81 and 93-point wins over the Swans in their past two encounters, the Cats will travel to the SCG with plenty of confidence.

They can end Sydney’s season once and for all and get themselves back into the eight with a win.

Port Adelaide would probably have been happy to keep playing

MOST

SUNS’ CHANCE TO SHINE ON BIG STAGE

LAURENCE ROSEN

With just nine rounds remaining in the 2023 premiership season, the race for the eight remains as tight as ever as a host of teams continue to jostle for a spot in September.

One of those is Gold Coast, which put its season-worst performance against Carlton a fortnight ago behind it to bounce back and record a resounding 67-point win over Hawthorn at Heritage Bank Stadium in the final game of round 15.

As the Suns eye off their maiden finals berth, coach Stuart Dew implored his team – which sits just percentage out of the eight – to seize the moment ahead of this weekend’s blockbuster clash against Collingwood.

“We’ve just got to keep fronting up, we were really pleased to get back to Heritage Bank Stadium and put on a good show for our fans that have obviously waited a while, it was a good crowd that turned up,” he said post-match last Sunday night.

“(We’re) really excited by next week (against Collingwood), we think big numbers will come for that and the atmosphere will be great, so (we’re) definitely keeping our eyes pretty low for the next opponent, obviously the biggest challenge of all, Collingwood.”

Ironically, it was also in round 16 and against the same opponent in 2014 where Gold Coast’s finals hopes came crashing down after

Gary Ablett’s now infamous shoulder injury.

While the Suns may have won that game and looked likely to play finals, they went on to lose six of their last seven matches to slide well outside the eight.

That match was played in front of a club record home crowd of 24,032 in 2014 and nine years later, the Suns are expected to go close to eclipsing that mark given a lot of Magpie fans will be heading north to escape Melbourne’s cold weather during school holidays.

It will be a feast of big-time football in Queensland this week with a big crowd also expected for the Brisbane Lions v Richmond clash at the Gabba on Thursday night.

games played list.

Set to play his 264th match, drawing level with Jim Stynes for the most games by an Irish player.

SUNS RISING?: Gold Coast players were all smiles after thrashing Hawthorn, but they need to back it up and banish the ghosts of Gary Ablett’s shoulder injury against Collingwood (right) in this round nine years ago to keep pushing towards a maiden finals berth.

This year’s Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees represent different and unique generations of our game.

Former Geelong stars JIMMY BARTEL and COREY ENRIGHT are bonded by a special era for the Cats; TOM LEAHY, MICHAEL AISH and MARK WILLIAMS were giants of South Australian football (and the AFL/VFL in Williams’ case); SAM MITCHELL is a feel-good story for any young player thought to be too small and too slow; and BRUCE Mc AVANEY was one of the great football broadcasters of our time.

MICHAEL AISH REDLEG ROYALTY

on a Tuesday night at Football Park, was huge.

Father Peter stressed the development of skills, by working over and over again, and how you played the game was equally important.

Coached by legendary cricket writer (and diehard Norwood fan) Mike Coward as a schoolboy at Pulteney Grammar, Aish was always the standout and a key member of the first 18 from Year 10, starring against players two and three years older.

Schoolboy footy and learning the game – and testing his limits remains a great memory and Pulteney still holds a special place in his heart alongside Norwood, largely because of the memories of his parents watching him play.

FACT FILE

Club: Norwood

Born: February 21, 1961

Recruited from: Pulteney Grammar

Playing career: 1979-93

Games: 307

Goals: 449

Player honours: Magarey Medal 1981; best and fairest

1981, 1983, 1984, 1992; All-Australian 1983, 1984, 1986; captain 1987-89; premierships 1982, 1984; 15 games for SA (captain 1986, 1989); Fos Williams Medal 1983; Norwood Hall of Fame Legend; South Australian Football Hall of Fame.

The Aish name is royalty at The Parade in South Australia, home of the Norwood Football Club.

Patriarch Peter captained the club in the 1960s, then taught the game to his sons Andrew and Michael, who were both premiership players in the 1980s.

Late in life, Peter had the pleasure of seeing grandsons Jesse and James (now with Fremantle) also wear the red and blue colours as SANFL players, with James setting the mark as the youngest SANFL premiership player in history.

When Michael – an official club Legend and the first of just three Redlegs in the club’s 145-year history to reach 300 games during his stellar career – received the news in March from AFL Commission chair Richard Goyder that he would be inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, his mind went straight to his late father, who died just over two years ago.

“I was called by Richard and I was emotional straight away,” Aish said.

“It’s an incredible honour to be deemed as worthy to be in the Hall of Fame, and I thought immediately of my dad, who was my hero.”

Aish’s CV at Norwood is glittering as a great of the 1980s in the golden age of the SANFL – four best and fairests among 300-plus games, two premierships, a Magarey Medal, regular state player, multiple All-Australian and Croweater captain in an era when State of Origin footy, particularly

“Andrew was the academic and my plan was just to play footy,” he said.

“Mum and Dad spent a lot on my education, and I had a great time at Pulteney as an outstanding school, but I was thinking about footy all the time and how much I loved playing.”

Aish the teenager stood behind the goals at the southern end of Football Park in September 1978 when Norwood claimed an unlikely premiership in its centenary year.

Reed-thin at barely 67kg with a shock of curly hair, he still finds it extraordinary to think he was training with those premiership players six weeks later and playing with them early the following year.

Aish says at the time he barely acknowledged his incredible trajectory into league footy in SA – rookie of the year in 1979, dominant finals performer in 1980 and Magarey medallist and dual premiership player by his early 20s.

“As a youngster, you don’t think too much about it, I was just playing. You go and get the ball and don’t think about anything else,” he said.

Norwood lost a host of senior players after Aish’s debut year of 1979 due to retirements and end-of-season departures caused by unhappiness with some senior players around the appointment of a new coach – Neil Balme.

Aish, a Tiger fan, was fearful of what may be asked of him by his new coach, but found a mentor who was wanting to give youth a chance

and who would guide him to be his very best.

“When Neil was appointed, I was a big Richmond fan and I knew how he played,” Aish said.

“To be honest, he played like a big thug and I was wondering how this was going to work with him as the new coach, because Dad always told me to be fair and play the ball.

“Some older players were whispering in the changerooms about if this was a good move, but I was a young guy and didn’t take any notice, because I’d only been there five minutes and I didn’t have the right to have an opinion on the coach.

“It turned out that Neil trusted his players to play to their strengths. He gave me chances to shine and we just did the work and away we went.”

Away they went indeed.

In the first five years under Balme, Norwood finished second, third, first, third and first with Aish claiming three best and fairests in that period and being central in the 1982 and 1984 premierships.

The 1982 flag was claimed with a run of power football that saw just one loss in the last three months of the year, while the 1984 flag was the first won in SANFL history by a team from fifth position.

A key arrival at the start of 1982 was Neville Roberts, a former teammate of Balme’s at Richmond who was looking for his own success, and his impact on Aish was immeasurable.

They spent hours every week obsessively kicking balls at each other from close range to improve their reactions, before then battling one-on-one in marking contests.

“Neville is still one of my best friends today and he was an unbelievable recruit for us that improved my game,” Aish said.

“He was the best I’ve seen in taking the ball out in front and after every Thursday night training we’d spend time smashing the ball at each other to improve our hands.

“We would then get someone to kick out to us from the goalsquare and compete for the mark and he made me so much better.”

Nicknamed ‘Rowdy’ for barely speaking a word in his early years, Aish was obsessive in trying to be the best, and to be respectful of the game.

His weekly opponents of the time rank among the greatest single batch of talent in the state’s history in that golden SANFL era – Craig Bradley, John Platten, Stephen Kernahan, Andrew and Darren Jarman, Peter Motley, Tony McGuinness, Mark Naley and Chris McDermott to name but a few of the all-time greats he shared his Saturdays with.

Garry McIntosh – a fellow club Legend – was at his side for a decade, as was Keith Thomas – the key trio of youth entrusted by Balme to lead the club to success.

As his mentors in his early years before Roberts, he had Michael Taylor and John Wynne – pivotal figures in the history of the Redlegs.

“John Wynne educated me about the game and would talk to me every week about what I could do to impact the team, while Michael Taylor was a role model on how to train,” he said.

Chased hard at various times by five Victorian clubs for a move to the VFL, but mostly by Richmond, he never made the move across the border, and was content to play in Adelaide and test himself at state level several times a year, as well as joining a tour to Ireland.

“I probably have some regrets that I didn’t go to Victoria, but I was a quiet guy from Adelaide and I just couldn’t see how I would go with changing my whole life,” he said.

“I can say it now, but I couldn’t say it then, but I had massive anxiety about leaving Adelaide and I tried to cover that up. I liked living in Adelaide. I was quiet, and I had my family, and that was who I was.”

He added a fourth club best and fairest, lifted his state games tally into double figures and pushed on to become the first Redleg to 300 games, but team success eluded him across the last decade of his playing days.

But there were no major regrets.

“We got to something like four prelims after 1984 and we lost them all,” he said.

“But when I look back, I’m grateful that I got to play at a club that my dad played at and captained. I got to play with my brother and we got a flag together.

“I still love watching Norwood play because I played with that club. My son played and my nephew is the youngest ever premiership player in the history of the SANFL.

“I get great pride from that.”

Three decades after his last game, he’s now a grandfather, still reed-thin but without the curly hair, and thankful to all in his family who helped him fulfil the dream to play the game.

“When I first found out, I told my wife (Pam), daughter (Georgia) and brother (Andrew) straight away because they’ve done so much for me,” he said.

“Then I got the boys together (Karl, Jesse and Joel) all at once to tell them a few days later. So many people help you, and I’m going to thank them all, but your family do so much for you.”

The Aish name has been represented in more than 600 SANFL senior games, and now sits in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

PATRICK KEANE

JIMMY BARTEL BIG-GAME SUPERSTAR

FACT FILE

Club: Geelong Born: December 4, 1983

Recruited from: Bell Park (Vic)/ Geelong U18

Playing career: 2002-16

Games: 305

Goals: 202

Player honours: Brownlow Medal 2007; All-Australian 2007, 2008; Norm Smith Medal 2001; premierships 2007, 2009, 2011.

When compared with nearly all of those he now stands alongside in the Hall of Fame, Jimmy Bartel was a late starter to football.

Further, if mother Dianne had said yes to a sliding doors opportunity when she took young Jimmy and elder sisters Olivia and Emma to the United States for a year when he was 10 as part of a teaching exchange, he might be being recognised now as a great of American football, rather than the Australian game.

While most start kicking a footy before five, Bartel had never played a competitive game when the family headed to the States.

He immediately took to the American game, as well as soccer and basketball, to the extent a local family suggested he stay on in the US for a sporting pathway through high school and college.

Dianne wasn’t about to leave her youngest child in the US, despite his talents, and the young man started his path to becoming a triple premiership champion for Geelong upon his return, thanks especially to the contribution of his mother and sisters.

“I’d never played footy until I came home from the States, but

I was always a very active kid with lots of cricket, basketball, other sports,” Bartel recalled.

“I used to ride my bike to watch my sisters play netball and I got asked to fill in for a game one day at the local footy ground (Bell Park) where my sisters would play.

“It all started from there, when I was 11, which was older than most other kids when they start, but playing so much sport as a kid built the greatest bonding experience with my mum over those years through my teens.

“Any kid who comes from regional Australia knows that you spend a lot of hours in the car and for me it was with mum.

“To get the call about the Hall of Fame is a huge honour and I immediately told (partner) Amelia and then wanted to share it with mum, Olivia and Emma, because it’s their news too for everything they did for me.”

At his peak, Bartel was tough, highly skilled, could see the game unfold before most and was an exceptional mark for his size.

He did the common things uncommonly well and, in wet conditions, the sight of the Geelong No. 3 in long sleeves would immediately cheer Cats fans, such was his record in poor weather.

As a sports-mad kid, Bartel spent his teens happily rolling from footy season into basketball and then cricket, without thinking too much of the future, until his bottom-age year with the Geelong Falcons.

Then, only he and fellow 16-year-old Luke Hodge would get a regular game in a strong outfit alongside their elders hoping for higher honours.

“I was a bit oblivious to my footy development, because I was also playing cricket with the Victorian under-17s, but it then became a very real idea a year later once (Cats recruiting manager) Stephen Wells and (coach Mark) ‘Bomber’ Thompson came to chat to me a couple of times,” he said.

“When I look back now, I’m just so grateful I got to be taken by Geelong at a time of transition, and be able to be part of such a great club.”

In the drafts before 2001, the Cats had started their refresh by selecting the likes of Joel Corey, Cameron Ling, Corey Enright and Paul Chapman, while it’s footy folklore now that their extraordinary 2001 haul yielded them not just Bartel,

but James Kelly, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett.

That group was the core to end a 44-year premiership drought and secure three flags between 2007-11, with Bartel front and centre in all three.

“The Cats were a very good club, but they were trying to be great, and that’s very hard to achieve,” he said.

“The story of how it was done, led by (president) Frank Costa, (CEO) Brian Cook and Bomber, is well known these days, but to be part of that is still such a great thrill for when I look back on my time in footy.

“When I see former teammates these days, it’s great to be able to explain who they are to my boys (Aston and Henley), who are starting to ask about the game, and to be able to say that I played with that guy.”

In the breakthrough 2007 premiership year, Bartel claimed the Brownlow Medal despite missing the last two home and away games, and then had 28 touches and kicked two goals on the last Saturday in September.

In the 2009 Grand Final, an all-time classic against St Kilda, Bartel first contained and then eclipsed the brilliant Lenny Hayes, while in the 2011 premiership, he claimed the Norm Smith Medal with 26 touches and three goals.

In the latter part of the premiership period, two more greats in Tom Hawkins and Harry Taylor cemented themselves as pillars of the spine, while the coaching changeover from Thompson to Chris Scott only served to drive the players on to ensure they achieved all they could.

“I always wanted to be the man in the arena, trying to strive and win, and that was absolutely what all the senior players felt –and Chris drove exactly the same message from the time he arrived,” Bartel said.

To be in the Hall of Fame, and one day explaining what that means to Aston, Henley and newborn Paloma, drew a wide smile.

“When my kids are older, they will know that dad was OK at something,” he said with a laugh.

“You can’t hope or expect you will get this, and it’s an incredible honour.”

Of that Geelong team, Bartel joins Matthew Scarlett in the Hall of Fame and the former full-back

is one of three who stands apart in Bartel’s mind of all his teammates.

“I played with so many great players people always ask about, but to play with Scarlett, Ablett and (Joel) Selwood was a privilege.

“Scarlett is a player who helped revolutionise the game as a full-back ... (he) would regularly have 25 touches and be so attacking.

“‘Gazza’ and I played underage footy and he was just awesome. I still can’t believe some of the things he did.

“Joel had the drive from day one to be the best. I was so happy with Grand Final day last year because everyone got to see what we already all knew at Geelong.

“The broader football world could all see why we loved him.”

PATRICK KEANE

When my kids are older, they will know that dad was OK at something

JIMMY BARTEL ON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE HALL OF FAME

COREY ENRIGHT FROM KIMBA TO KARDINIA

teams – under-12s, under-16s and seniors, so for much of his time, he was playing against older boys and, later on, men.

“It probably held me in reasonable stead even though I wasn’t getting the opportunity to perform against the best talent of my age group, which other people had,” he said.

Enright knew nothing of Geelong when he first got there. He had barely been to Adelaide to watch any footy, so Kardinia Park might as well have been on another planet.

“I thought Geelong was a suburb of Melbourne,” he said.

He spent his first 12 months at the club in the VFL.

FACT FILE

Club: Geelong

Born: September 14, 1981

Recruited from: Kimba (SA)/Port Adelaide (SANFL)

Playing career: 2001-16

Games: 332

Goals: 66

Player honours: best and fairest 2009 (equal), 2011; All-Australian 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016; premierships 2007, 2009, 2011.

Corey Enright likes to joke that it is not that easy for a promising footballer from Kimba (population 629) to be discovered.

It’s about a five-hour drive from Adelaide. You can make the short hop by plane across the Spencer Gulf to Port Lincoln, but it takes another two hours from there to drive to the tiny town, located at the top of the Eyre Peninsula.

But given he was playing senior football for the Kimba Tigers at 15, one or two recruiters did make the trip to satisfy their curiosity.

“They weren’t coming back again once they did,” he said with a laugh.

But the Port Adelaide Magpies saw enough to bring him to Adelaide to play a handful of SANFL under-19s games and, once there, legendary Geelong talent spotter Stephen Wells saw enough to select him with the 47th selection at what became a magical 1999 National Draft haul for the Cats, with champions such as Joel Corey, Cameron Ling and Paul Chapman also making their way to the club.

The pick Geelong used to select Enright with was received from North Melbourne as part of the deal that sent then captain Leigh Colbert from the Cats to Arden St.

For Enright, it was a sliding doors moment in a journey that has taken him all the way to the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

He learned his footy the hard way. At Kimba, there were three

The jump from bush footy, while doing year 12 in a class with just four others, to the AFL system was massive.

“I was paddling just to keep my head above water and understanding what AFL footy was all about and it wasn’t until I had a really good conversation with (then assistant coach) Brendan McCartney, who was a big influencer of mine, that put a few things in place that made it a little bit easier for me and probably realign me and give me the best opportunity,” he said.

Enright played 17 matches in 2001 and was on his way to a career of 332 games, three flags, six All-Australian blazers and two best and fairests, both in premiership years.

He was soon a fan favourite at the Cats, both durable and reliable, primarily across half-back.

There were brighter stars at Geelong throughout his time there, but they were a poorer team the relatively few times his name didn’t feature on the team sheet.

“I think my ability to assess and make decisions probably was the thing that sort of made it easier for me to play,” he said when asked for some self-scouting.

“I wasn’t blessed with any physical attributes like strength or power or speed or anything like that.

“I could run and I had OK endurance, but I think it was more my ability to understand and assess situations, read the play, anticipate, and then obviously make good decisions on the rebound.”

Enright was fortunate to have just two coaches at Geelong.

He broke in under Mark Thompson, and then at the mid-point of his career, Chris Scott came along with a fresh outlook and a change of thinking at probably just the right time in his career.

He praised Thompson as a man manager and for his innate understanding of “when to give me a cuddle and when to kick me up the backside”.

“He understood me and what made me tick. His ability to teach young men to play the game of football was just at the high level and he taught us all so really, really well,” he said.

Enright played in the 2007 and 2009 flags under Thompson.

“Up until then we were probably happy playing footy and enjoying ourselves on the weekend and the win-loss stuff probably didn’t bother us as much as what it should have – and a few of the senior players probably were leading that charge,” Enright said.

“Then they sort of flipped the script and got down to business and got down to work.

“We had the talent but we didn’t always make the hard choices, so I’m forever grateful for his (Thompson’s) wisdom and understanding.”

The 2007 Grand Final was the most one-sided in League history, a 119-point canter over Port Adelaide to end the Cats’ 44-year premiership drought.

Two years later against St Kilda, it was an entirely different story.

“Yeah, the 2009 game was the hardest game that I’d ever played in,” he said.

“Every contest, every decision was just that and obviously it came down to the last couple of moments of the game.”

It is not a game he talks about all that often, especially at work.

Since 2022, he has been an assistant coach at the Saints.

“It’s a bit of a hard one for them,” he said.

Scott took over from Thompson in 2011 and immediately won another flag.

“Again, it was his ability to manage the group and get the group to believe and buy in and get us on a plan that gave us the best chance to win. And he did that year,” he said.

Enright still pinches himself at his good fortune at arriving at

Geelong just as the club was on the cusp of an era of greatness.

It was a group without much hierarchy, where flair and flamboyance weren’t just tolerated but embraced as long as they contributed to team success.

“There’s lots of things that make a good club and obviously it probably comes down to the people really,” he said.

“If you have got good people and you have got good systems in place, most of the time good things follow and happen.

“Our group was such a great group and, obviously one of the benefits of being in Geelong, we did spend a lot of time together, not only at the footy club but outside the footy club, and we had really great relationships and friendships.

“When you care for someone, when you respect someone and when you spend so much time together, you want to do the best for them and you don’t want to let them down.”

Enright never did let anyone down and went into his final few seasons thinking each would be his last.

Indeed, he went out in a blaze of glory in 2016, his last as a player, with yet another All-Australian selection at the age of 34.

He threw himself into coaching thereafter, so the opportunities to sit back and reflect on his career have been few and far between.

The Hall of Fame festivities were one such occasion.

ASHLEY BROWNE

TOM LEAHY GIANT OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

years and four months old when chosen by West Adelaide to make his debut on May 27, 1905, against Port Adelaide.

In that first season, he was able to fit five league games around his commitments with the school first 18, but still rated a mention in The Register ’s end-of-season review as already one of the best followers in the competition.

In 1906, he played all 12 club matches and won the best and fairest, as well making his state debut and starting an unrivalled career at that level.

In Leahy’s era, he played 31 of a possible 32 state games (missing only one for a family commitment), while guiding West Adelaide up the ladder.

From a winless season in 1906, his influence saw West Adelaide as premier by 1908, as well as Champion of Australia, defeating Carlton at Adelaide Oval by 19 points the week after both clubs took part in their respective Grand Finals.

Leahy was SA’s star in the first Australian Football Carnival of 1908, which took place in Melbourne, recognised by the judges of the time as the key player for his team.

FACT FILE

Club: West Adelaide, North Adelaide

Born: January 13, 1888

Recruited from: Christian Brothers College

Playing career: 1905-21

Games: 169 (West Adel 58, 1905-09; North Adel 111, 1910-15, 1919-21)

Goals: 78 (West Adel 18; North Adel 60)

Player honours: Magarey Medal 1913; North Adel best and fairest 1911, 1914, 1919; West Adel premierships 1908, 1909, North Adel premiership 1920; North Adel captain 1915, 1919-21; 31 games for SA; South Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Coaching record: Norwood 1922-24 (premierships 1922, 1923).

The big men of football command a special lore in the history of the game. From the days of ‘Polly’ Farmer and John Nicholls and their epic battles at state level through to the modern greats such as Simon Madden and Dean Cox, a dominant ruckman will always be the centrepiece of a team, taking control in the middle from the very start of a game.

For those blessed with height and power beyond their playing peers, a ruckman’s craft, his build, his leadership or his aggression and skill will provide both inspiration and intimidation in equal measure.

The induction of Tom Leahy into the Australian Football Hall of Fame recognises the man seen as the great ruckman of the early part of the 20th century – a dominant figure in the SANFL and a powerhouse at state level when that was the pinnacle of the game.

He is still adjudged by historians in South Australia as the best ruckman produced in the state – a long overdue acknowledgement from his era of shorter seasons and a full working life from Monday to Friday.

A schoolboy prodigy at Christian Brothers College, he was just 17

“T. Leahy, the most solid ruckman the state has seen for a long time, used as much brains as strength,” according to a report in The Evening Journal on June 28.

Leahy led Westies to back-to-back premierships in 1909 before the pinnacle for SA state football in 1911 – the only national carnival won in its history – a competition invariably dominated by Victoria despite being rotated every three to four seasons around the football map of Australia.

While SA teams in the 1980s and 1990s were crowned as national champions in that era of Tuesday night state games, only the 1911 Croweater team found ultimate success through the heavy workload of four or five games against all other competing states in a 10-to-12-day period.

Leahy featured high in the state’s best players in all four of its wins and was singled out for special mention by captain Bert Renfrey after the historic victory over Victoria in the final.

“l reckon our win was due more than anything to the ruckwork of Tom Leahy … of course, both our rucks beat their opponents,” Renfrey said in The Register on August 8, 1911.

In 1913, after finishing runner-up three times in the Magarey Medal, he finally claimed the competition’s highest individual award while leading North Adelaide into the Grand Final against eventual premier Port Adelaide.

World War I saw football cease for Leahy for three years in the prime of his career, before the SANFL resumed in 1919 and he was immediately named captain of North Adelaide.

After a tight loss in that year’s Grand Final to Sturt, his work in the ruck saw redemption the following year in 1920, with his performance again being one of the key reasons for the Roosters’ success, and the third premiership of Leahy’s career.

“T. Leahy was the hero of the match. He has seldom played better football. The more the need for good work, the better he is. He captained his team well,” the Express and Telegraph reported on September 23.

As captain, he led SA to a rare MCG win over Victoria in 1920 and was also skipper for the trip to Perth in 1921 (his fourth selection in a Carnival team).

While big and strong, he was known as unfailingly fair, but some targeting off the ball in the 1921 Carnival game against Victoria left him battered and bruised, knowing he was coming to the end of a stellar career.

Upon retirement before the start of the 1922 season, he accepted the offer to coach Norwood and immediately led his new club to back-to-back flags in 1922-23, before standing down at the end of 1924 due to health reasons.

Post football, his contribution to the game was just as significant through the next four decades. He served on the Tribunal, helped form the Past Players and Officials Association and worked at Football House for two decades.

At his death on May 7, 1964, Leahy had given the best part of 60 years to the game.

More than a decade after his death, in August 1976, Advertiser football writers Mike Coward and Geoff Kingston listed the best 40 footballers to play in South Australia to that point.

Leahy was at No. 5, with only multiple Margarey medallists Barrie Robran, Russell Ebert, Len Fitzgerald and Dan Moriarty ahead of him.

NICK HAINES

BRUCE McAVANEY THE VOICE OF SPORT

long-time co-commentator Dennis Cometti in 2020.

And it is the latest in a series of major honours. He received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2002, the same year he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

In 2019, it was the Melbourne Press Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2022, he became just the second broadcaster inducted into the TV Week Logies Hall of Fame.

His is a burgeoning trophy cabinet.

“I’m not going to compare it and say this one’s better,” he said.

“All I will say is I’m going into the Hall of Fame for the most popular sport in Australia.

“And to think that with a very, very small list of media that are currently in there, it’s like a cricket team basically, and I feel like that adds more weight to it.”

While he is reluctant to share how he feels about each of the sports he has covered, his passion for calling football and what makes it so unique comes quickly.

“For a start, it’s a great game to call,” he said.

FACT FILE

Born: June 22, 1953

Media career: Started at Channel Seven in Adelaide in 1978; lead SANFL caller 1981-83; Network Ten 1983-89; Channel Seven 1989-2020, called more than 1000 AFL games, including 20 Grand Finals; Brownlow Medal host and network major host for all key AFL/industry events.

Awards/

achievements: AFL Life Member, Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), Melbourne Press Club Lifetime Achievement Award, TV Week Logie Hall of Fame.

Bruce McAvaney’s voice was and still is the soundtrack for countless great Australian sporting moments.

Cathy Freeman’s 400 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics; countless Melbourne Cups, be they calling the race or the key moments before and after.

He was behind the mic for many Australian Open tennis finals as well. Golf, rugby, swimming and cricket … the list of big-time sport he has broadcast with distinction is endless.

But calling the footy? That is something else.

McAvaney’s swansong from AFL broadcasting was the 2020 Richmond-Geelong Grand Final, yet as he said, “Ninety per cent of the conversations I would have with people when they see me out and about is about football.

“Football has dominated my relationship with the punter so to speak.

“It’s been football-centric and you certainly are well aware of just what it means to so many Australians and how important it is.”

McAvaney is just the 11th inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in the media category and the first since his

“It’s a magnificent game and I love it. I was brought up on it, so I understood the game.

“I played it at a reasonable level, so it was part and parcel of my life and I always felt at home.

“I didn’t feel like I was looking at something I didn't know.”

He also enjoyed calling as part of a team and was lavish in his praise of co-callers over the years such as Cometti, Brian Taylor, Sandy Roberts and Ian Robertson, and champions of the game such as Malcolm Blight, Leigh Matthews, Cameron Ling and Wayne Carey, who offered special comments, to name just a few.

Cometti and Carey were enormous figures in his AFL calling career.

McAvaney called more than 1000 AFL games in his time, including 20 Grand Finals.

When asked if there was one game he cherished above them all, he nominated the 2016 Western Bulldogs-Sydney Grand Final, the last game before Cometti retired.

“We had this connection and it was a fairytale finish,” he said.

“I felt like he went out in a blaze of glory and he was at his best.

“It felt so rich from the beginning of the day until the end.

“And when we walked out of the studio together, we knew it was a magnificent game of football.

“I think it was that day because of my relationship with Dennis and because I thought it was a great Grand Final. And I thought I called well and I thought he had just the right finale.”

As for Carey, he stands out among the countless champions he has broadcast.

“Well, I didn’t call Leigh Matthews, but it’s still a very big field, so I won’t go through them all,” he said.

“But Wayne could make a difference as much as anyone I’ve seen.”

McAvaney’s football broadcasting career very much followed the modern evolution of the sport.

He started calling SANFL games for Channel Seven in the late 1970s at grounds such Norwood Oval and Thebarton Oval, where the media facilities were rudimentary, to say the least.

When he started calling AFL games for Seven in 1990 – after several years with Channel Ten primarily on racing and Olympics duties – the commentary boxes at grounds such as Victoria Park and Moorabbin weren’t much better.

“They were just wonderful to be at because you felt how much those clubs meant to those people,” he said.

“It was quite raw as you’d imagine. There was an edge to it that you don’t get at the bigger grounds.”

Compared with those old grounds, the MCG, Marvel Stadium, Optus Stadium and Adelaide Oval of today are veritable spaceships.

Apart from better facilities, it was the growth of Friday night football and the use of statistics and data to enhance the broadcasts that were the big changes he saw in his time as a broadcaster.

It was Carey and his regular heroics for North Melbourne that helped elevate the prime-time games and, when Seven regained the AFL broadcasting rights in 2007 after a five-year absence, he said the broadcasts changed from pure sport to entertainment.

“When I started, we used to go and call a football match that would take two-and-a-half hours with maybe five minutes at the start and five minutes at the end,” he said.

“At half-time you’d go and have a pie. When I finished, it was a four-hour show.

“And then, the really sophisticated statistical help we got when we came back into it was so different to when we started.

“We (Seven) developed Friday night footy very strongly, but it did go to another level (when Channel Nine held the rights) and probably a harder edge when we got it back. It was newsier and it was a big show.”

Back living in Adelaide these days, McAvaney doesn’t see as much football as he would like.

He hosts Seven’s racing coverage most Saturdays, so it is Sundays on the couch when he becomes a fan.

McAvaney is humbled at his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

More so, as someone who was on the selection panel between 2012 and 2020, he understands the company he is joining and, perhaps more so, those who might still be waiting their turn.

“It’s pretty hard to get your head around it to feel like you belong,” he said.

“But it is an incredible recognition, one that I hope I enjoy for the rest of my life because I think it is the most popular and most important game in the country. It’s the national game.

“Can it get any better than to be a part of its Hall of Fame?

I don’t think so.”

SAM MITCHELL

MODERN-DAY GREAT

ASHLEY BROWNE

FACT FILE

Club: Hawthorn/ West Coast

Born: October 12, 1982

Recruited from: Mooroolbark/ Eastern U18/ Box Hill (VFL)

Playing career: 2002-17 (Haw 200216; WCE 2017)

Games: 329 (Haw 307; WCE 22)

Goals: 71 (Haw 67; WCE 4)

Player honours: Brownlow Medal 2012 (equal); Haw best and fairest 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016; All-Australian 2011, 2013, 2015; AFL Rising Star 2003; VFL Liston Medal 2002; Haw premierships 2008 (capt), 2013, 2014, 2015; Haw captain 2008-10.

Coaching record: Hawthorn 2022-

It is said it takes a village to raise a child.

Sam Mitchell will tell you an elite athlete will not bloom without a supportive family and can’t possibly be their best without the dedication of a partner.

Mitchell enters the Australian Football Hall of Fame at the first possible opportunity with one of the great football CVs of the modern AFL era – four premierships, five Crimmins Medals, three All-Australian blazers and a Brownlow Medal. Famous for a minimum of words, a small rear-vision mirror on life and a clinical, perfunctory approach to excellence, induction into the Hall of Fame causes him to reflect on 20 years in the game that has rushed by, and to give particular thanks to wife Lyndall and his wider family.

“I’m not an overly emotional type, but you think about all the people who help you get there. Your wife, your coaches, friends, parents …” he said.

“Lyndall and I have been together for nearly 20 years and so much of our life has been filled up by the AFL, so to be acknowledged and to say your service is appreciated by others is very special.”

The mind’s eye when remembering Mitchell the player is one who was

constantly in the right place, won his overwhelming share of contests, always delivered to a teammate and made his team better with the speed of his thought and his clean skills on both sides of his body.

Three of his four premierships came after 30, as did most of his best and fairests, hence the thanks to Lyndall, and the delight in sharing the honour with children Smith, Emmy and Scarlett and the wider family.

Before he’d even got to Hawthorn, the path trod to AFL level was not garlanded with roses – he wasn’t selected at the National Draft despite winning two best and fairests as a junior at the Eastern Ranges.

“One of the things that happened was the Draft Camp invitations came out with about eight-10 rounds to go in my last year of junior footy, and I wasn’t one of them,” he said.

“At that point you know you are not getting drafted when you’ve been under their eyes for that long.”

The young Mitchell was a footballer, not an athlete, but he could win the ball and he had to quickly decide what he wanted to do next – be a top-class suburban footballer and be reasonably well paid or find a different way into the AFL and continue chasing his dream to be his best.

Rather than head to the SANFL or WAFL to try to be noticed, the partnership between Hawthorn and Box Hill had just started and he headed there to play under Donald McDonald.

“I thought playing against AFL players in the VFL was the best way to show I could play,” he said.

“My era of that draft period was about looking at athletes, but I was a footballer. I was short and slow, but clearances were my one-wood.

“My belief in myself didn’t waver, but the thought of whether I would get there as an AFL player certainly took a hit.”

McDonald backed him and remains one of the first people Mitchell credits for achieving his goals, along with David Parkin, Richie Vandenberg, Daniel Chick and Shane Crawford.

“Donald was a huge advocate for me and he played me in key roles, ahead of older AFL guys trying to continue their careers, while ‘Parko’ was someone in my corner, and then so were guys like Richie, Daniel Chick and ‘Crawf’,” he said.

“That fight for my opportunity must have been significant behind the scenes, but Donald did that

in pushing me forward and at the end of the year I was drafted by the Hawks.”

Even then, second time around at the draft, it was still a close-run thing – Mitchell learned later in his career that Hawthorn had agonised on whether to select him or Leigh Montagna.

The Hawks asked for extra time on pick 36 and eventually plumped for their winner of the Liston Medal.

Moments later St Kilda didn’t hesitate for a second and couldn’t call Montagna’s name fast enough at No. 37.

Parkin both backed Mitchell and hectored him on how to improve, while the player himself felt he could belong after a run of four games at the end of his debut season, including polling his first Brownlow Medal vote in the last game of 2002 against Geelong.

The arrival of Alastair Clarkson in 2005 turned the club upside down and set a group of highly-talented individuals –yet to achieve any significant success – on their way to building a dynasty.

“There was a Hawthorn way we did things, because it had been successful for so long, but ‘Clarko’ came along and changed everything,” Mitchell said.

“He just drove the professionalism and what would be best for the players to achieve success, and he had such incredible belief in a new way to play and a new way to defend.”

Mitchell was captain of the 2008 premiership team against the odds over a brilliant Geelong outfit.

Clarkson famously believed his Hawks could win with system, whereby they were the first to zone the entire ground with a full-team defence, and the Cats – a team of sharks that always needed to go forward – lost their way in a full-ground net.

At this time, Smith and twins Emmy and Scarlett arrived within a year and life was incredibly full, hence the thanks to Lyndall and those around him who provided constant support.

Mark Evans, then Hawthorn football manager and now CEO at Gold Coast, was a pivotal figure alongside Lyndall for Mitchell to be the footballer he could be.

“It’s very tough to be trying to play top-class sport with three very young babies and Lyndall was doing so much in a very tough period,” he said.

“When I turned 30, we had one premiership, had lost one to the Swans (in 2012), we were in danger of not justifying our potential and I’d cost us a key big game in a preliminary final (2011) with something I did to give away a key late free kick. So I had a lot to drive me.

“At that time, we began six years of top footy and won three premierships, but I never looked back and enjoyed it when I was in the middle of it.”

A Hall of Fame interview can’t be complete without defining the greats he played with and against. The answers come in a flash.

“Gary Ablett was awesome,” he said. “He was so complete. He could kick goals, had a great engine, had great power and great speed. He could break tackles and he could nail tackles. He had everything.

“He was the best player of my generation.

“As a teammate, Lance (Franklin) was just so commanding in everything he did. It’s not hard to pick those two out.”

PATRICK KEANE

I never looked back and enjoyed it when I was in the middle of it

SAM MITCHELL NOW REFLECTING ON HIS CAREER

MARK WILLIAMS

DRIVEN TO SUCCEED

Driven to improve. Driven searching for the next challenge and innovation. It’s how Mark Williams describes himself, and how he remembers every part of his involvement with footy.

Self-motivated, he has devoted a lifetime seeking to improve, to learn, to confront the next task and to keep looking to the horizon for possibilities, from his first days as a child learning the game.

Having made his SANFL debut as a precocious 17-year-old in 1976, his journey in the game stretches across the past 47 years of elite-level involvement variously with the SANFL, VFL and AFL through four states and sees him become part of just the third fatherson combination in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

The fortune to be born the son of Fos, a nine-time Port Adelaide premiership coach, meant he, elder sister Jenny and brothers Anthony and Stephen had an early education in the game that most could never imagine.

FACT FILE

Club: West Adelaide, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, Brisbane

Born: August 21, 1958

Recruited from: West Adelaide

Playing career: 1976-92

Games: Games: 377 (West Adel 65, 1976-78; Port Adel 111, 1979-80, 1990-92; Coll 135, 1981-86; Bris 66, 1987-90); also six QAFL games for Windsor-Zillmere 1988

Goals: 377 (West Adel 37; Port Adel 104; Coll 178; Bris 58) Player honours: Coll best and fairest 1981, 1985; Coll leading goalkicker 1984; Port Adel (SANFL) premierships 1979, 1980, 1990, 1992; Windsor-Zillmere (QAFL) premiership 1988; Coll captain 1983-86; All-Australian 1980; 8 games for SA, 1 game for Vic, 1 game for Qld.

Coaching record: Glenelg 1993-94 (45 games, 22 wins, 22 losses, 1 draw); Port Adelaide (AFL) 1999-2010 (273 games, 150 wins, 121 losses, 2 draws, premiership 2004; also held senior assistant roles Essendon (1995-96), Port Adelaide (1997-98), GWS (2011-12), Richmond (2013-16), Melbourne (2020-); also coached AFL Dream Team 2008, Ajax (VAFA) 2017-18, Werribee (VFL) 2019-20

Other: SA Hall of Fame; AFL, SANFL, Port Adelaide, Collingwood life member.

And as a child Williams’ days at the footy were the full Port Adelaide experience, dressed head-to-toe in the black and white match-day kit.

“My childhood hero was John Cahill. I always had 14 on the back, which was his number,” Williams said.

Fos Williams, as a playing coach, engineered six flags at Alberton before Mark was born, stepping away at the end of 1958, before returning to coach the club for a further three flags from nine grand finals between 1962-73.

From the time he was at primary school, it was apparent Mark was a serious talent and Fos and mum Von encouraged their children to be all they could be and not leave any stone unturned.

“Mum and Dad never smoked or drank, and they said if I wanted to be my best, I shouldn’t do it, so I didn’t smoke or drink as a result –forever!” he said.

By the time Mark was ready for SANFL ranks, the family was living in the West Adelaide zone with Fos in the third year of a five-year contract to try and lift the struggling Wolves up the ladder – a club that had lost five Grand Finals to his Port Adelaide teams.

“Dad wanted us to play juniors at West, because we lived in the area, and he wanted to be able to

keep an eye on us to make sure we kept developing,” he said.

“All the kids at school played with Westies, but I couldn’t believe I had to play there at the start –I was a full-on Port man, through and through.”

The headstrong Williams played three years under his legendary coach/father and they had words from time to time because their internal drive was the same.

“Dad had it written into our contracts that we could go to Port Adelaide the moment he finished up at Westies and we looked forward to that day,” he said.

When Fos finished his extraordinary 577-game coaching stint at the end of 1978, all three boys promptly moved to Alberton, with Mark slotting straight into the centre, while Anthony and Stephen had to work harder for their senior careers.

His childhood hero Cahill was now his coach – another Hall of Famer – and his later career saw him coached by or work with other Hall of Famers in Tom Hafey, Leigh Matthews and Kevin Sheedy.

Port was not the best team of the 1979 season, but it was clearly the best team of that year’s finals and won the flag.

It was truly dominant in 1980, taking all before it with just two losses for the year before Williams claimed All-Australian selection at the post-season carnival.

The VFL beckoned and he went across the border at just 22, something unheard of at the time.

Williams was an instant star in Victoria, a dual best and fairest as he captained Collingwood.

His Victoria Park experience is remembered with great affection, but was the full gamut from on-field highlights to constant off-field turmoil.

“We’d play huge games in front of huge crowds, played in big finals and it was an amazing football experience,” he said.

“I made great friends for life, but it was total mayhem off the field with four CEOs, five coaches and three presidents just in the time I was there.”

As captain of the club, Williams was in the group which took a 20 per cent pay cut to help its finances, unimaginable now at such a powerful outfit.

At this time, he was frustrated with how his contract was being negotiated – a catalyst to look for a new challenge.

He was the first signing for new club the Brisbane Bears and led from the front as they tried to establish themselves.

History repeated twice more later in his career when he was there at the start for Port Adelaide’s entry into the AFL (as assistant to Cahill) and at the start for the GWS Giants’ entry into the AFL (as assistant to Sheedy).

The tragic early death of twin brother Anthony in 1988 remains a deep pain for each of the Williams siblings and, by 1990, with his VFL career starting to wind down, he started to consider a return to Alberton to close out his playing days alongside youngest brother Stephen.

Mark was the first SANFL player to play 200 games in the VFL and, on return to Adelaide, elected to change his number from 21 to nine, so that when he notched his century of games with Port Adelaide, his name would sit beneath Anthony’s on the nine locker.

“His death broke my heart, my families’ hearts, and we all miss him every day,” Williams said.

Williams was done by the end of 1992, a premiership he shared with a young Nathan Buckley, while a teenage Gavin Wanganeen was part of the 1990 team.

Within a week of his last game in black and white, Williams was SANFL coach of arch rival Glenelg in his first senior role – and the two years was a huge learning experience, largely with a fan base that didn’t want to accept him.

He wrote to every AFL club at the end of 1994, knowing he would not be retained at Glenelg, and asking for the chance to prove himself as an assistant.

Only Essendon and Sheedy wrote back, and he got the gig coaching youngsters Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Justin Blumfield and Blake Caracella through 1995 and 1996.

Port came knocking in 1996 when it won its AFL licence and Williams was at a second start-up club, serving two years under Cahill before taking the senior job outright in 1999.

The Power were a serious on-field power from 2001, but didn’t claim the flag until 2004 after several near misses.

Williams acknowledges the talk around what could have been with some dispiriting finals losses, but argues passionately for better recognition of that start-up group.

After the premiership, famously greeted with Williams holding his tie above his head, most of the senior staff left within the next 18 months, feeling the mountain had been climbed.

Williams was ready for the climb again – always the drive –but it ended for him at Port a few years later.

The challenge sent him next to be part of his third start-up at the GWS Giants, and has led him to significant development roles across the past decade at Richmond and Melbourne, where premiership success has come to both outfits after long eras without success.

The Williams family has been involved in 22 premierships at Port Adelaide since the 1950s.

The Mark Williams story started with his family and it remains about family, led by wife Pauline and their five children.

Mark and Fos Williams now sit alongside Haydn Bunton snr (Legend) and Hayden Bunton jnr (coach) and Jack McMurray snr and Jack McMurray jnr (both umpires) as the only three families with two members in the Hall of Fame –truly an outstanding achievement.

PATRICK KEANE

It was total mayhem off the field

MARK WILLIAMS ON HIS ‘AMAZING EXPERIENCE‘ AT COLLINGWOOD

WHO’S FLYING

Each week throughout the 2023 season we will present Who’s Flying, a series of stories which will encapsulate everything that is good about our great game. It could be a star player, a coach who has inspired his men or a team that is – pardon the pun – flying. This week BRENDAN RHODES examines the mental fortitude of enigmatic Geelong forward Gary Rohan.

Ga ry Rohan was fighting back tears last Thursday night.

Having just knocked his forward line teammate Jeremy Cameron out cold with a misdirected hip and shoulder as they attacked a contest from different directions, he cut a distraught figure as other Cats players tried to comfort him in the near 10-minute delay while Cameron was receiving treatment.

There were two ways the rest of the night could have gone against an in-form Melbourne at GMHBA Stadium.

He could have let it affect him long term and Geelong may have slumped to a second home loss of the season, or it could have galvanised him into playing one of his best games of the season to lift the Cats to a crucial win over a top-four team.

It’s the mark of the footballer that the latter came true, with Rohan kicking his team’s next goal and being involved in all four secondquarter scores to keep Geelong within a point at half-time.

His second goal briefly gave them the lead in the third quarter and his third came midway through the six-goal blitz in the last that secured the crucial 15-point win.

Rohan ended with a season-best 16 disposals and seven marks to go with his 3.2 and laid four tackles, had four inside-50s, four intercepts, nine score involvements and 317m gained to be one of the most influential players in the game.

It means he heads to Sydney this week to take on his former team in dangerous form – he kicked three goals against Port Adelaide the week before and has 16.6 for the season with at least one in every game and eight in his past three.

The second of the Grand Final rematches has everything riding on it – they are on track to having both grand finalists miss the finals for the first time since 1963.

The Swans will be keen to carry on their record-breaking form from round 15’s 171-point annihilation of West Coast and the Cats desperate to squash their opponents for the third time in a row after the 81- and 93-point smackings in the Grand Final and round six this year.

FOOTY FUN FACTS

The first overseas destination for an AFL home and away game was Wellington, New Zealand, for St Kilda v Sydney in 2013.

MENTAL STRENGTH: Gary Rohan overcame the distress of the sickening clash with Jeremy Cameron to lead the Cats to a vital victory.

HARRIS ANDREWS

ST KILDA v BRISBANE LIONS

Marvel Stadium, June 23

u The intercept defender has become a serious weapon in the modern game.

Coaches often set up their defensive structure around one or two players who are experts in reading the flight of the ball, taking intercept marks and turning defence into attack.

More often than not, Brisbane Lions co-captain Harris Andrews performs that role perfectly for Chris Fagan.

In last Friday’s 28-point victory over St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, Andrews was dominant for the Lions, both in the air and at ground level.

He constantly denied forward forays from the Saints, finishing with 14 marks (including nine intercepts) – one shy of the record held by eight other players.

He also equalled the club record of intercept marks, joining Daniel Merrett and current teammate Marcus Adams on nine.

Andrews, 26, also chimed in with 21 disposals, including 18 kicks, and went at 95 per cent efficiency.

Add in 298 metres gained, 14 intercept possessions, 14 one percenters, four contested marks, three score involvements and one goal assist and it was a performance for the ages.

Andrews has been building nicely this season and after 14 matches is averaging 14.8 disposals, 7.9 marks and 3.5 rebound 50s.

He sits equal third in the AFL for total marks (110) and eighth competition-wide for intercepts (104).

ANDREW SLEVISON

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2023 TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON

ROUND 13

Thursday, June 8

Syd 9.12 (66) v StK 12.8 (80) (SCG) (N)

Friday, June 9

WB 13.7 (85) v PA 16.11 (107) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, June 10

Haw 15.8 (98) v BL 11.7 (73) (MCG)

Adel 27.12 (174) v WCE 8.4 (52) (AO) (T)

Frem 10.10 (70) v Rich 12.13 (85) (OS) (T)

Sunday, June 11

NM 11.9 (75) v GWS 15.13 (103) (BA)

Carl 6.16 (52) v Ess 13.8 (86) (MCG) (N)

Monday, June 12

Melb 8.18 (66) v Coll 9.8 (62) (MCG)

Byes: Geelong Cats, Gold Coast Suns

ROUND 14

Thursday, June 15

PA 16.14 (110) v Geel 11.6 (72) (AO) (N)

Friday, June 16

BL 13.19 (97) v Syd 12.9 (81) (G) (N)

Saturday, June 17

GWS 16.10 (106) v Frem 5.6 (36) (GS) (T)

Rich 13.12 (90) v StK 11.4 (70) (MCG) (N)

Sunday, June 18

Carl 18.12 (120) v GCS 8.13 (61) (MCG)

NM 13.6 (84) v WB 15.15 (105) (MRVL) (T)

Byes: Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne, West Coast Eagles

ROUND 15

Thursday, June 22

Geel 11.12 (78) v Melb 8.15 (63) (GMHBA) (N)

Friday, June 23

StK 8.8 (56) v BL 12.12 (84) (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, June 24

Syd 31.19 (205) v WCE 5.4 (34) (SCG) (T)

Frem 14.9 (93) v Ess 9.7 (61) (OS) (T)

Sunday, June 25

Coll 12.10 (82) v Adel 11.14 (80) (MCG)

GCS 14.17 (101) v Haw 5.4 (34) (HBS) (T)

Byes: Carlton, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Western Bulldogs

ROUND 16

Thursday, June 29

Brisbane Lions v Richmond (G) (N)

Friday, June 30

Sydney Swans v Geelong Cats (SCG) (N)

Saturday, July 1

Western Bulldogs v Fremantle (MRVL) (N)

Adelaide Crows v North Melbourne (AO)

Gold Coast Suns v Collingwood (HBS) (T)

Essendon v Port Adelaide (MCG) (N)

Sunday, July 2

Hawthorn v Carlton (MCG)

Melbourne v GWS Giants (TIO)

West Coast Eagles v St Kilda (OS)

ROUND 17

Thursday, July 6

Richmond v Sydney Swans (MCG) (N)

Friday, July 7

Western Bulldogs v Collingwood (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, July 8

Brisbane Lions v West Coast Eagles (Gabba)

GWS Giants v Hawthorn (GS)

St Kilda v Melbourne (MRVL) (N)

Port Adelaide v Gold Coast Suns (AO) (N)

Sunday, July 9

Geelong Cats v North Melbourne (GMHBA)

Essendon v Adelaide Crows (MRVL)

Fremantle v Carlton (OS) (T)

ROUND 18

Thursday, July 13

Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs (SCG) (N)

Friday, July 14

Melbourne v Brisbane Lions (MCG) (N)

Saturday, July 15

Collingwood v Fremantle (MCG)

Gold Coast Suns v St Kilda (HBS)

Carlton v Port Adelaide (MRVL) (T)

Geelong Cats v Essendon (GMHBA) (N)

Adelaide Crows v GWS Giants (AO) (N)

ROUND 19

Friday, July 21

Essendon v Western Bulldogs (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, July 22

Richmond v Hawthorn (MCG)

Carlton v West Coast Eagles (MRVL)

Brisbane Lions v Geelong Cats (G) (T)

Port Adelaide v Collingwood (AO) (N)

Fremantle v Sydney Swans (OS) (N)

Sunday, July 23

GWS Giants v Gold Coast Suns (MO)

Melbourne v Adelaide Crows (MCG)

St Kilda v North Melbourne (MRVL) (T)

ROUND 20

Friday, July 28

Collingwood v Carlton (MCG) (N)

Saturday, July 29

Geelong Cats v Fremantle (GMHBA)

Western Bulldogs v GWS Giants (MARS)

Gold Coast Suns v Brisbane Lions (HBS) (T)

Essendon v Sydney Swans (MRVL) (N)

Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide (AO) (N)

Sunday, July 30

Hawthorn v St Kilda (MRVL)

Richmond v Melbourne (MCG)

West Coast Eagles v North Melbourne (OS) (T)

ROUND 21

Friday, August 4

Western Bulldogs v Richmond (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, August 5

Essendon v West Coast Eagles (MRVL)

Adelaide Crows v Gold Coast Suns (AO)

Hawthorn v Collingwood (MCG) (T)

Geelong Cats v Port Adelaide (GMHBA) (N)

GWS Giants v Sydney Swans (GS) (N)

Sunday, August 6

North Melbourne v Melbourne (BA)

St Kilda v Carlton (MRVL)

Fremantle v Brisbane Lions (OS) (T)

ROUND 22

Friday, August 11

Collingwood v Geelong Cats (MCG) (N)

Saturday, August 12

North Melbourne v Essendon (MRVL)

Sydney Swans v Gold Coast Suns (SCG)

Brisbane Lions v Adelaide Crows (G) (T)

Carlton v Melbourne (MCG) (N)

West Coast Eagles v Fremantle (OS) (N)

Sunday, August 13

Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs (UTAS)

St Kilda v Richmond (MRVL)

Port Adelaide v GWS Giants (AO) (T) ROUND 23

Friday, August 18

Collingwood v Brisbane Lions (MRVL) (N)

Saturday, August 19

Richmond v North Melbourne (MCG)

Gold Coast Suns v Carlton (HBS)

GWS Giants v Essendon (GS) (T)

St Kilda v Geelong Cats (MRVL) (N)

Adelaide Crows v Sydney Swans (AO) (N)

Sunday, August 20

Western Bulldogs v West Coast Eagles (MRVL)

Melbourne v Hawthorn (MCG)

Fremantle v Port Adelaide (OS) (T)

ROUND 24

Round starts Friday, August 25*

Brisbane Lions v St Kilda (G)

Carlton v GWS Giants (MRVL)

Essendon v Collingwood (MCG)

Geelong Cats v Western Bulldogs (GMHBA)

Hawthorn v Fremantle (MCG)

North Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns (BA)

Port Adelaide v Richmond (AO)

Sydney Swans v Melbourne (SCG)

West Coast Eagles v Adelaide Crows (OS)

2023 TOYOTA AFL FINALS SERIES

Date TBC

Week One – Qualifying & Elimination Finals (4)

Date TBC

Week Two – Semi-Finals (2)

Date TBC

Week Three – Preliminary Finals (2)

Date TBC

Byes: Brisbane Lions, Fremantle, St Kilda, Sydney Swans

Sunday, July 16

North Melbourne v Hawthorn (MRVL)

West Coast Eagles v Richmond (OS) (T)

Week Four – Toyota AFL Grand Final

*Matches in round 24 are listed alphabetically with timeslots to be determined at a later date.

SCOREBOARD – ROUND 15

Geelong 3.4 4.7 5.10 11.12 (78)

Melbourne 2 .1 4.8 6.11 8.15 (63)

BEST: Geelong – Stewart, Close, Bruhn, Rohan, Duncan, De Koning. Melbourne – Petracca, Viney, Salem, Brayshaw, Lever.

GOALS: Geelong – Rohan 3, Bruhn 2, Stengle, Hawkins, O. Henry, Z. Guthrie, Blicavs, Duncan. Melbourne – Pickett 2, Smith 2, Fritsch 2, van Rooyen, Petracca.

Substitutes: Geelong – Bowes (replaced Cameron); Melbourne – Spargo (replaced Jordon).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Rohan (Geel), 6 Stewart (Geel), 5 Petracca (Melb), 5 Close (Geel), 3 Viney (Melb), 1 Lever (Melb).

Umpires: N. Foot, D. Johanson, B. Rosebury, N. Williamson.

Crowd: 19,617 at GMHBA Stadium.

Brisbane Lions 3.4 5.8 9.8 12.12 (84)

St Kilda 1.0 2 .3 6.5 8.8 (56)

BEST: Brisbane Lions – Andrews, Hipwood, Neale, Dunkley, Berry, Rayner. St Kilda – Sinclair, Wood, Wanganeen-Milera, Battle, Hill, Higgins.

GOALS: Brisbane Lions – Hipwood 4, Daniher 2, Rayner, Dunkley, K. Coleman, Cameron, Berry, Bailey. St Kilda – Wanganeen-Milera, Sinclair, Hill, Higgins, Gresham, Caminiti, Byrnes, Butler.

Substitutes: St Kilda – Sharman (replaced Byrnes); Brisbane Lions – Fort (replaced Kai Lohmann).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Andrews (BL), 8 Hipwood (BL), 6 Neale (BL), 3 Sinclair (StK), 3 McInerney (BL).

Umpires: J. Broadbent, A. Gianfagna, M. Nicholls, J. Power.

Crowd: 28,985 at Marvel Stadium.

Sydney Swans 9.4 14.9 2 5.14 31.19 (205)

West Coast Eagles 1.0 4.1 4.3 5.4 (34)

BEST: Sydney Swans – Parker, Campbell, Heeney, Hickey, Rowbottom, Gulden. West Coast Eagles – Shuey, Kelly, Yeo.

GOALS: Sydney Swans – Heeney 5, McDonald 4, Amartey 4, McLean 3, McInerney 3, Gulden 3, Warner 2, Parker 2, Clarke 2, Sheldrick, Papley, Fox. West Coast Eagles – Darling 2, Allen 2, Kelly.

Substitutes: Sydney Swans – Fox (replaced Mills); West Coast Eagles – Chesser (replaced Williams).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Gulden (Syd), 8 Chad Warner (Syd), 6 Heeney (Syd), 2 Rowbottom (Syd), 2 Parker (Syd), 2 Hickey (Syd).

Umpires: C. Dore, L. Haussen, R. O’Gorman, B. Wallace.

Crowd: 31,367 at the SCG.

Fremantle 3.3 8.7 12.8 14.9 (93)

Essendon 2 .3 5.3 6.5 9.7 (61)

BEST: Fremantle – Serong, Jackson, Pearce, Brayshaw, Henry, Johnson. Essendon – Merrett, Martin, Hobbs, Parish, Ridley.

GOALS: Fremantle – Jackson 3, Amiss 2, Walters 2, Frederick 2, Brayshaw, Johnson, Schultz, Serong, Switkowski. Essendon – Caldwell, Guelfi, Hobbs, Langford, Martin, Menzie, Merrett, Parish, Stringer.

Substitutes: Fremantle – Sturt (replaced Pearce); Essendon – Menzie (replaced Bryan).

AFL Coaches Votes: 10 Serong (Frem), 8 Jackson (Frem), 6 Henry (Frem), 3 Ryan (Frem), 2 Brayshaw (Frem), 1 Ridley (Ess).

Umpires: C. Deboy, C. Donlon, R. Findlay, J. Mollison.

Crowd: 43,063 at the Optus Stadium.

COATES TALENT LEAGUE – ROUND 11

GWV Rebels 3.9 4.10 7.15 8.16 (64)

Dandenong Stingrays 2 .0 4.0 5.0 5.1 (31)

Best: GWV Rebels – Stevens, Freijah, L. Charleson, Gawith, Faull, Hannaford. Dandenong Stingrays – Demattia, Langford, Hynes, Payne, Wood.

Goals: GWV Rebels – Faull 2, Freijah 2, L. Charleson, Lloyd, Unwin, Wright.

Dandenong Stingrays – Frangalas, Nannup, Nelson, Rigg, Toledo-Glasman.

Sandringham Dragons 3.1 6.2 8.6 15.9 (99)

Gippsland Power 3.2 5.4 8.10 9.10 (64)

Best: Sandringham Dragons – Nish, Lloyd, May, Dear, Goonewardene.

Gippsland Power – Reid, Amoroso, Duursma, Lindsay, Jiath, Ward.

Goals: Sandringham Dragons – Lloyd 4, May 4, Dear 3, Goonewardene 3, Tyrer. Gippsland Power – Reid 4, Amoroso 2, C. Brown (Longwarry), Duursma, Serong.

Calder Cannons 3.3 7.6 14.8 17.10 (112)

Eastern Ranges 5.2 8.3 9.5 11.9 (75)

Best: Calder Cannons – Croft, Hollow, Scott, Naim, Urbon, Goodman. Eastern Ranges – Sruk, Hider, Moraes, Spencer, Galstians, Tanzimat.

Goals: Calder Cannons – Naim 4, Croft 3, Hollow 2, Mueller 2, Bolmat, Garcia, Kako, Nguyen, Taha. Eastern Ranges – Tanzimat 3, Cantwell 2, Weatherill 2, Hider, Horlock, Laplanche, Sruk.

Western Jets 1.1 4.3 9.4

Murray Bushrangers 6.1 8.4 9.7

BEST: Collingwood – N. Daicos, J. Daicos, Mitchell, Pendlebury, Quaynor, Howe, Maynard. Adelaide Crows – Dawson, Walker, Keays, Hinge, Laird, Jones.

GOALS: Collingwood – Elliott 2, Cox 2, Mitchell, Johnson, Hoskin-Elliott, Hill, Harrison, N. Daicos, J. Daicos, Adams. Adelaide Crows – Walker 5, Thilthorpe, Soligo, Rankine, Pedlar, Murphy, Fogarty.

Substitutes: Collingwood – McCreery (Johnson); Adelaide Crows – McHenry (replaced Murray).

AFL Coaches Votes: 9 N. Daicos (Coll), 9 Dawson (Adel), 6 J. Daicos (Coll), 4 Walker (Adel), 1 Noble (Coll), 1 Pendlebury (Coll).

Umpires: H. Gavine, B. Hosking, S. Meredith, M. Stevic.

Crowd: 65,930 at the MCG.

Gold Coast Suns 2 .0 4.8 9.12 14.17 (101)

Hawthorn 3.1 3.4 5.4 5.4 (34)

BEST: Gold Coast Suns – N. Anderson, Fiorini, Ainsworth, Powell, Flanders, Rowell. Hawthorn – Day, Hardwick, Impey, Worpel.

GOALS: Gold Coast Suns – Rosas 3, King 2, Lukosius 2, N. Anderson 2, Witts, Swallow, Holman, Ellis, Ainsworth. Hawthorn – Breust 2, Lewis 2, Moore.

Substitutes: Gold Coast Suns – Atkins (replaced Weller); Hawthorn – Butler (replaced Meek).

AFL Coaches Votes: 8 N. Anderson (GCS), 8 Ainsworth (GCS), 8 Fiorini (GCS), 3 Powell (GCS), 2 Witts (GCS), 1 Flanders (GCS). Umpires: A. Adair, R. Chamberlain, A. Heffernan, A. Stephens.

Crowd: 14,242 at Heritage Bank Stadium.

BYE : Carlton, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond, Western Bulldogs.

OOOOHHHH ERROL: The silky left foot of Swan Errol Gulden was on full display in Sydney’s annihilation of West Coast,earning him 10 coaches votes.

AFLCA Champion Player of the Year

Brisbane Lions

52 Noah Anderson Gold Coast Suns

52 Toby Greene GWS Giants

52 Zach Merrett Essendon

52 Jack Sinclair St Kilda

LEADING GOALKICKERS

13.8 (86)

10.10 (70)

Best: Western Jets – Raso, Impey, Freeman, McArthur, Morris, Kovacevic. Murray Bushrangers – Darcy Wilson, O’Sullivan, Gothard, McCarthy, Hewitt, Murray.

Goals: Western Jets – Morris 4, McArthur 3, Freeman 2, Raso 2, Grego, Smith. Murray Bushrangers – Cooper 2, Gothard 2, Darcy Wilson 2, Hewitt, Laverty, Murphy, Murray. Northern

Best: Northern Knights – Ferronato, Caddy, Green, Logan, Heatley, Farrar. Bendigo Pioneers – Reid, Day-Wicks, Gordon, O’Shannessy, Nihill, Byrne.

Goals: Northern Knights – Caddy 6, Johnson 2, McKenzie 2, Wallace 2, Cameron, Ferronato, Ormerod, Riley, Sims, Tsitsis. Bendigo Pioneers – Reid 4, Day-Wicks 3, Cain.

Best: Tasmania Devils – McKercher, Leake, Beaumont, Barrow, Vandam, Schoenmaker. Geelong Falcons – Pierson, Hughes, Jones, Murray, Sanders, Butcher.

Goals: Tasmania Devils – Leake 3, McKercher 2, Bennett, Dolliver, Harper, L. Ling, Nash, Ollington. Geelong Falcons – Jones 2, McInnes 2, Burke, Davey, Hanley, Hughes, McLachlan, Rudd, Sanders.

LADDER: Tasmania 28 (146.9%), Calder Cannons 24 (203.2), Northern Knights 24 (139.7), Sandringham (24 (123.7), Geelong 20 (131.4), Dandenong 20 (109.5), GWV Rebels 20 (98.8), Western Jets 16 (106.2), Eastern Ranges 16 (100.7), Bendigo 12 (101.2), Gippsland 12 (92.7), Swans Academy 8 (92.2), Suns Academy 8 (91.3) Murray 8 (91.2), Oakleigh 8 (82.2), Lions Academy 0 (58.5), Giants Academy 0 (37.7), Thunder Academy 0 (21.2).

SANFL – ROUND 10, PART 2

Best: Glenelg – McGree, Bell, Gerloff, Allen, Turner. West Adelaide – Morrish, Mattingly, Park, K. Ryan, Stevens.

Goals: Glenelg – Hosie 3, Reynolds 3, McBean 2, Chandler, Gerloff, Holder, Proud. West Adelaide – Stevens 2, Delahunty, Ellem, Maguire, Morrish, K. Ryan.

Best: Adelaide – Hately, Crouch, Schoenberg, Nankervis, Gollant. South Adelaide – Clavarino, Broadbent, Sampson.

Goals: Adelaide – Hately 2, McAdam 2, Brown, Cook, Gollant, Schoenberg, Sharrad, Smithson, Strachan. South Adelaide – Wilkinson 2, Birt, Brooksby, Fitt, Gibbs.

SPLIT ROUND: Last Week: Central District 6.7 (43) def Woodville-West Torrens 4.2 (26); Norwood 8.12 (60) def Port Adelaide 8.5 (53); Sturt 9.13 (67) def North Adelaide 7.9 (51).

LADDER: Glenelg 18 (61.1%), Sturt 18 (52.7%), Adelaide 14 (60.6%), Central District 10 (49.1%), Woodville-West Torrens 8 (49.7%), Port Adelaide 8 (47.5%), North Adelaide 8 (45.9%), West Adelaide 6 (45.9%), South Adelaide 6 (43.7%), Norwood 4 (42.0%).

* The SANFL only awards two points for a win, while percentage is calculated by points scored by a team divided by total points scored in the match.

VFL –ROUND14

Casey Demons 4.3 8.8 8.9 11.14 (80)

Geelong 1.3 2 .4 4.9 5.10 (40)

Best: Casey Demons – Harmes, Bowey, Spargo, Melksham, Turner, Tomlinson.

Geelong – Dempsey, Parfitt, Christie, Mullin, Capiron, van de Heuvel.

Goals: Casey Demons – Melksham 4, Brown 2, Schache 2, White 2, Laurie.

Geelong – Byrne 2, Dempsey, Neale, Quick.

Collingwood 4.4 6.6

Best: Collingwood – Bianco, Hustwaite, Ryan, Begg, T. Wilson snr, Ruscoe. Sydney – Gould, Stephens, Warner, Grace, Rankin, Buller.

Goals: Collingwood – McInnes 2, Steene 2, T. Wilson snr 2, T.G. Wilson 2, Carmichael, Ginnivan, Hustwaite, Kreuger, Murley, Richards. Sydney – Buller 3, Grace 2, Gould, Longmire, Morrison, Warner.

Sandringham 3.2 6.4 12.6 12.7 (79) Brisbane Lions 1.0 6.6 8.7 11.13 (79)

Best: Sandringham – Cordy, Billings, Campbell, Bytel, Peris, Milne. Brisbane Lions – Lyons, Ah Chee, Answerth, Sharp, Joyce, Dunkley.

Goals: Sandringham – Billings 3, Bytel 2, Peris 2, Connolly, Harms, Hotton, Lowe, Zagari. Brisbane Lions – Ah Chee 2, Buzza 2, Answerth, Brain, Cockatoo, Fullarton, Joyce, McDowell-White, Prior.

Southport 5.3 6.6 7.9 15.12 (102)

Coburg 1.2 4.5 8.7 9.8 (62)

Best: Southport – Dawson, Woodcock, Sexton, Doran, Molloy, Charlesworth. Coburg – Corigliano, Mason, Clarke, McKenzie, B. Jepson, Weightman.

Goals: Southport – Crossley 3, J. Joyce 2, Sexton 2, Thurlow 2, Bowman, Fields, Finch, Law, McQueen, Woodcock. Coburg – McKenzie 3, Clarke 2, D’Intinosante, Johnston, Mason, Weightman.

QAFL –ROUND13

Best: Wilston Grange – Martyn, Fazldeen, Fidler, Bowles, McFadyen, Gordon. Noosa – Fitzpatrick, Ladner, R. Buntain, T. Buntain, Wilson, C. Crisp.

Goals: Wilston Grange – Fazldeen 5, Fidler 4, McFadyen 2, Westerberg 2, B. Gordon, Hewett, Martyn. Noosa – Fitzpatrick 4, Laskey 2, R. Buntain, Mills, Niddrie, Ogden, Wilson.

Best: Maroochydore – Robinson, McLachlan, Fleming, McKenzie, Wagner, Thomas. Mt Gravatt – Licht, Grose, Carbone, Halkias, Stewart, Hollier.

Goals: Maroochydore – McLachlan 5, Scholard 3, Gallop 2, Thomas 2, Fleming, Kangur, Keleher, Malthouse, Robinson, Stone. Mt Gravatt – Licht 3, D. Smith 3, Macdonald, Milford, Pearce. Aspley

Morningside

Best: Aspley – Brown, Toye, Craven, Henderson, Rayner, Wasley-Black. Morningside – Dwyer, Barry, Godwin, Dadds, Hille, O’Toole.

Goals: Aspley – Stackelberg 4, Watson 2, Batchelor, Dodge, Harker, O’Dwyer, Toye. Morningside – O’Toole 3, Dadds, Downie, Griffiths.

Redland-Victoria

Best: Redland-Victoria Point – Hammelmann, Franks, Huddy, Miller, Stallard, O’Sullivan. Sherwood – Gejas, Fletcher, Mitchell, Edwards, Easton, Collins.

TSL – ROUND 12

STATE LEAGUE

North Launceston 8.2 10.10 15.15 17.21 (123)

North Hobart 0.2 1.2 6.3 9.4 (58)

Best: North Launceston – Lee, Cox-Goodyer, Avent, Mansell, Roney, Chugg. North Hobart – McGinniss, Norton, Payne, Hastie, Campbell, White.

Goals: North Launceston – Cox-Goodyer 6, Griffiths 3, Leary 3, Aherne 2, Mansell 2, Manshanden. North Hobart – Bingham 2, Jackson 2, Groom, McCulloch, McGinniss, Monks, White.

Launceston 2 .1 3.3 6.7 7.9 (51)

Glenorchy 2 .1 3.1 5.3 7.6 (48)

Best: Launceston – Palfreyman, Jake Hinds, Foley, Madden, B. Gillow, Wheeler. Glenorchy – Waight, Arnold, Thompson, Brown, Wright, Blowfield.

Goals: Launceston – Jake Hinds 2, Hyatt 2, Canny, Jones, McCormack. Glenorchy – Blowfield 2, Bester, Dilger, Jenkins, Nicholson, Thompson.

Best: Gold Coast – Day, Farrar, Moyle, McLaughlin, Tsitas, Chol. Box Hill Hawks – Ward, Stephens, Grainger-Barras, Serong, Long, Hustwaite.

Goals: Gold Coast – McLaughlin 5, Chol 4, Day 4, Sexton 4, Sharp 2, Blakely, Eckersley, Graham, Hollands, Tsitas. Box Hill Hawks – Greene 3, Thorpe 2, Bennetts, Grainger-Barras, Mascitti, Rule, Ryan, Stephens, Ward.

Best: Port Melbourne – Rosman, Anastasio, Green, Clarke, Hooper, Gasper. Essendon – McDonald-Tipungwuti, Baldwin, Voss, Hind, D’Ambrosio, Fitzgerald.

Goals: Port Melbourne – A. Manton 3, Flockart 2, Signorello 2, Viccars 2, Curry, Gaspar, Hird, Holmes. Essendon – Voss 2, Archard, Cootee, Munkara.

BYE: Carlton, Footscray, Frankston, GWS, North Melbourne, Northern Bullants, Richmond, Werribee, Williamstown.

LADDER: Gold Coast 44 (176.1%), Brisbane Lions 42 (162.5%), Werribee 36 (143.7%), Box Hill Hawks 32 (132.9%), Williamstown 32 (124.4%), Casey Demons 32 (121.9%), North Melbourne 32 (120.3%), GWS 28 (96.0%), Richmond 26 (98.4%), Southport 24 (116.4%), Carlton 24 (107.3%), Collingwood 24 (105.4%), Geelong 22 (73.6%), Footscray 20 (94.8%), Port Melbourne 20 (92.3%), Sandringham 14 (85.0%), Frankston 12 (79.5%), Essendon 8 (79.8%), Northern Bullants 8 (57.8%), Sydney 4 (60.6%), Coburg 0 (50.5%).

WAFL –ROUND10

Best: Claremont – Bolton, Miles, Mountford, Eastland, Western, England. West Coast – Nelson, Trew, Burke, Edwards, Mercer, Hansen.

Goals: Claremont – Treacy 4, Delacey 4, Smallwood 3, England 2, Elliott 2, Manuel 2, Mainwaring 2, O’Connor, Western, Mumme. West Coast – Burke 3, Nitschke 2, Barnett, Nelson, Lucassen.

Best: East Perth – Brayshaw, Crowden, Ameduri, Scott, Robertson. Perth – Thompson, Stubbs, Clarke, Evans.

Goals: East Perth – Crowden 3, Schumacher 2, Randall 2, Medhat 2, North 2, Brayshaw 2, Tedesco 2, Raykos 2, Van Diemen, Hille, Wright, Schofield, Watts, Pearce. Perth – Sinclair, Cary, Stubbs, Davis, Evans.

Best: Swan Districts – Lynch, Clarke, Riley, Pina, Blakely. West Perth – Rotham, Hobley, Guadagnin, Alexandre, Johnson.

Goals: Swan Districts – Noble 3, Edwards 2, Blakely 2, Chipper, Clarke, Ottaviano, Ehlers. West Perth – Black 2, Moulton, Alexandre, Knott, Lynch, Peirce, Keitel.

BYE: East Fremantle, Peel Thunder, South Fremantle, Subiaco.

LADDER: Claremont 32 (152.2%), East Perth 28 (140.1%), Subiaco 32 (136.2%), Peel Thunder 28 (138.1%), East Fremantle 24 (121.5%), West Perth 20 (115.0%), Swan Districts 16 (102.1%), South Fremantle 8 (99.7%), Perth 8 (65.4%), West Coast 0 (32.3%).

AFL SYDNEY – ROUND 11

Goals: Redland-Victoria Point – Hammelmann 8, Huddy 4, Franks 2, Brown, Christensen, Ross. Sherwood – Bulley 3, Fletcher 2, Baker, Mitchell, Ryan.

Surfers

Best: Surfers Paradise – Beardsell, Fraser, Topping, Hall, Corbett, Millane. Labrador – Wright, Brown, McEldrew, Riddle, Robinson, Hughes.

Goals: Surfers Paradise – Hall 4, Foster 2, Beardsell, Ford, Fraser, Smith, Woodburn. Labrador – Wright 4, Brown 2, Nicholls 2, Cecchin, Howell, Kempe, Lake.

Best: Broadbeach – Dawson, Jellyman-Turner, Boakye, Townsend, Nicholas, Schoenmaker. Palm Beach-Currumbin – Lys, Dawson, Thynne, Skalij, Frawley, White.

Goals: Broadbeach – Erickson 2, Lockett 2, O’Neill 2, Townsend 2, Chadwick, Dempsey-Ceh, Filippone, Finn, Huppatz, Lower, McInnes, Nicholas, Semmler. Palm Beach-Currumbin – Nicholson 2, Beaman, Buykx-Smith, Cuffe, Dumans, O’Leary, Skalij.

LADDER: Aspley 46 (230.3%), Redland-Victoria Point 40 (165.7%), Broadbeach 34 (134.6%), Wilston Grange 32 (112.5%), Surfers Paradise 28 (108.1%), Palm Beach-Currumbin 24 (84.1%), Labrador 20 (84.3%), Morningside 20 (77.8%), Maroochydore 16 (99.9%), Mt Gravatt 16 (85.7%), Noosa 12 (73.1%), Sherwood 0 (51.3%).

Best: Manly-Warringah – Laws, Wright, O’Connor, Youlten, Le Jeune, Stubbs. Inner West – Zoppo, McCormack, Klemke, Rule, Ciscato, Evans.

Manly-Warringah – Youlten 6, Laws 5, Wright 2, Creighton, Lugsdin, Smith, Stubbs, Wearne. Inner West – Zoppo 3, Evans, Jamieson, Rauter, Tiziani.

Best: North Shore – Edmunds, Barkley, Law, Netting, Dillon, Crisafulli. Pennant Hills – Boag, Blow, Carroll, Mitchell, Maguire, C. Matthews. Goals: North Shore – Law 6, Loone 3, Meacham 2, Roach 2, Brewer, Campbell, Chalmers, Edmunds, Hill, McKenzie, Rayner. Pennant Hills – Blow 2, Maguire 2, Kunigiskis.

Best: UNSW-Eastern Suburbs – Romensky, Williamson, Turner, Jack, Rouse, O’Callaghan. East Coast – Brown, Harding, Bradley, Gauci, Elbourne, Johns.

Goals: UNSW-Eastern Suburbs – Emery 9, Robin 2, Jack, K. Kilpatrick, Tricks, Williamson. East Coast – Bradley 2, Brown, Gauci, Sutherland.

Best: St George – Coenen, Flanagan, Hodgson, Kenny, Saunders, Tegg. UTS – Edwards, Calabro, Gillingham, Borrillo, Bowler, Dyson.

Goals: St George – Kenny 4, P. Tegg 3, Hodgson 2, Saunders 2, Coenen, Lycakis, Maher, Mills-Vasas. UTS – Stanlan-Velt 2, Boyd, Callahan, Fischer, Lee.

BYE: Sydney University.

Kingborough 6.3 11.5 14.9 19.10 (124)

Clarence 4.2 4.4 5.6 7.7 (49)

Best: Kingborough – Reardon, L. Clifford, Webb, Tomkinson, Donnelly, Zeitzen. Clarence – Ryan, Bealey, Anderton, Howlett, Preshaw, Norton.

Goals: Kingborough – Carter 5, Tomkinson 3, Zeitzen 3, Collidge 2, Williams 2, Gardner, Lovell, Reardon, Webb. Clarence – Norton 3, Holmes, Ryan, Tremayne, Whitelaw.

BYE: Lauderdale.

LADDER: Kingborough 36 (217.3%), North Launceston 32 (156.4%), Launceston 24 (120.3%), Clarence 20 (77.0%), Lauderdale 16 (95.1%), North Hobart 16 (81.0%), Glenorchy 0 (36.0%).

LADDER: North Shore 40 (275.9%), UNSW-Eastern Suburbs 32 (207.6%), Sydney University 28 (126.6%), Pennant Hills 28 (117.4%), Manly-Warringah 16 (105.1%), St George 16 (71.8%), UTS 8 (50.2%), Inner West 4 (72.1%), East Coast 4 (38.8%).

AFL NAT. U18 C’SHIPS – RD 4

Western Australia 4.2 4.5 7.7 10.10 (70)

South Australia 2 .1 4.2 4.4 6.6 (42)

Best: Western Australia – Hall, Tholstrup, O’Driscoll, Allan, Sanchez, Curtin. South Australia – Ryan, Draper, Patton, Rawlinson, Weckert, McCabe.

Goals: Western Australia – Sanchez 2, Edwards, Lindberg, Livingstone, Matthews, O’Driscoll, Tholstrup, Van Rooyen, Wills. South Australia –Welsh 2, Delean, Hargrave, McAuliffe, Rawlinson.

BYE: Allies, Victoria Country, Victoria Metro.

LADDER: Allies 8 (218.2%), Victoria Metro 4 (278.9%), South Australia 4 (72.2%), Western Australia 4 (60.0%), Victoria Country 0 (79.8%).

OFFICIAL 2023 TOYOTA AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON LADDER

AFL UMPIRES 2023

Nick Foot Games 201

BOUNDARY: Jordan Andrews, Michael Baker, Michael Barlow, Simon Blight, Chris Bull, Ian Burrows, Sean Burton, Adam Coote, Patrick Cran, Damien Cusack, Brett Dalgleish, Chris Delany, Patrick Dineen, Nathan Doig, Ty Duncan, Chris Esler, Benjamin Fely, Kieran Ferguson, Daniel Field-Read, Joshua Furman, Josh Garrett, Christopher Gordon, Matthew Jenkinson, Matthew Konetschka, Drew Kowalski, Mitchell Le Fevre, Tim Lougoon, Ben MacDonald, Damien Main, Michael Marantelli, Josh Mather, Jason Moore, Sean Moylan, Nicholas Phillips, Lachlan Rayner, Adam Reardon, Jordan Russell, Michael Saunders, Sam Stagg, Nick Swanson, Shane Thiele, Matthew Tomkins, David Wood.

GOAL: Jesse Baird, Dylan Benwell, Sally Boud, Matthew Bridges, Peter Challen, Michael Craig, Matthew Dervan, Luke Edwards, Daniel Hoskin, Sam Hunter, Brodie Kenny-Bell, Callum Leonard, Matt Maclure, Taylor Mattioli, Angus McKenzie-Wills, Rhys Negerman, Steven Piperno, Simon Plumridge, David Rodan, Chelsea Roffey, Brett Rogers, Tom Sullivan, Sam Walsh, Stephen Williams, Adam Wojcik, Jason Yazdani.

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The omens were not great for the Lions in the early stages of their 2022 elimination final against Richmond, even in the friendly confines of the Gabba.

They were facing their bogy team – Richmond had won 17 of the previous 19 meetings.

Their own finals record was ordinary, having lost five of six since 2019, and within the opening few minutes they lost their sole recognised ruckman, Oscar McInerney, to concussion.

But they went toe-to-toe, blow-for-blow with the Tigers in an enthralling contest, perhaps the best game of 2022 and the best final for several years, ultimately prevailing by two points when Joe Daniher dribbled through the matchwinner with 80 seconds remaining, crumbing a ball that fell his way off the back of the pack.

To say Richmond lost the game is almost unfair – the more accurate

assessment was the Tigers ran out of time, with the most incredible number to come from the game being the 17 lead changes, the most in a final for the past 20 years.

That last quarter had everything.

Quiet for most of the night, Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt chimed in with two fantastic set-shot goals from close to 50m out on the boundary line.

They should have been the teamlifters, but Tom Lynch, who broke even with Harris Andrews on the night, missed a gettable set-shot that would have put the Tigers nine points up approaching time-on.

Then, with just over two minutes remaining, Lynch had another chance to seal the game with a set-shot deep in the forward pocket. He ran around on to his left foot, kicked it high and the ball appeared to sail over the post.

The goal umpire paid it a goal, only for it to be over-ruled by the

ARC, which ruled it had brushed the post.

The Lions had one last chance and they took it, sweeping the ball down the other end where Zac Bailey marked, kicked long to the square and Daniher did his thing. Will history repeat itself when the Lions host the Tigers in this round?

2ND ELIMINATION FINAL 2022

Brisbane Lions 4.3 8.5 13.7 16.10 (106)

Richmond 4.3 9.5 14.6 16.8 (104)

BEST: Brisbane Lions – Neale, McCluggage, Bailey, Robertson, McStay, Starcevich. Richmond – Nankervis, Pickett, Vlastuin, Ross, Lynch.

GOALS: Brisbane Lions – Cameron 3, Daniher 3, Hipwood 3, Ah Chee, Bailey, McCarthy, McCluggage, McStay, Robertson, Wilmot. Richmond – Lynch 3, Riewoldt 3, Bolton 2, Cotchin, Cumberland, Martin, McIntosh, M. Rioli, D. Rioli, Ross, Sonsie.

Substitutes: Brisbane Lions – Ah Chee (replaced McInerney); Richmond – Edwards (replaced Prestia).

Umpires: S. Meredith, R. Findlay, J. Mollison.

Crowd: 35,013 at the Gabba.

MAD SCRAMBLE: Joe Daniher gets his boot to the ball for the matchwinner in a thriller at the Gabba.

Say Yes to giving it a second chance

’’ ’’

Just because it's broken, doesn't mean it's rubbish!

u L ast weekend at the SCG, the Sydney Swans, in partnership with the AFL, celebrated the Dragon Boat Duanwu Festival during the round 15 match against the West Coast Eagles.

NAB AFL Auskick continued the celebrations of the book Celestial Footy: The Story of Chinese Heritage Aussie Rules and digital hub launch on play.afl with Auskickers from Greater Sydney taking to the field for their first half-time experience.

The half-time activities marked the culmination of the eight-week Auskick introduction program where kids took the skills they had learned to the big stage.

It’s not too late to join the fun at Auskick this year. Register now at play.afl/Auskick.

AFL CELEBRATES HEALTHY CHINESE CONTRIBUTION

The digital hub highlights individual stories of Chinese Australians in Australian Football, from Ballarat’s goldfields to present-day players.

The book features a collection of biographies that includes pioneers such as Koochew, Ming and James Lepp and bush footy legends Billy Wong and Clarence Lepp from country clubs across regional Victoria.

The best of West Australian and Top End players are featured through tales of Fong, Keifer Yu, Neale Fong, John Tye and Joe Sarib, who are all famous footballers figures with Chinese heritage.

The AFL has announced the creation of two AFL School Villages, focused on growing and developing the game and improving physical development in culturally diverse communities in NSW.

The announcement was made in Sydney last Friday night at the launch of a commemorative book, Celestial Footy, which tells the story of Chinese heritage in Australian Rules.

The AFL will invest $560,000 to establish pilot school village models across Hurstville and Paramatta to support accessibility and awareness of Australian Football in those communities.

Both programs will be in high CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) communities, with Hurstville having a high population of Chinese Australian residents.

As part of the Hurstville village model, there will be a threeyear commitment to the creation of a Future Stars Program that will identify up-and-coming players, particularly those of Chinese heritage, to participate in specialised coaching sessions with AFL and Sydney Swans development coaches.

The pilot program will see five primary schools identified to participate within each community, with the AFL recruiting and providing a qualified physical education teacher to support student

physical literacy and professionally develop teachers.

The schools selected for the program will also have a classroom day at Swans HQ and integration opportunities with the Sydney Swans Academy.

As the AFL seeks to expand its reach into all communities around Australia, the new book released last Friday night celebrates the singular contribution of Chinese Australians in footy.

Written by Patrick Skene, Celestial Footy tells the story of Chinese heritage in Australian Rules and was commissioned following a Commonwealth Government grant from the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations.

The funding was received to publish a commemorative book and create a digital hub celebrating the history and contribution of Chinese heritage to the game.

Celebrating the pioneers, such as Wally Koochew and Les Kew Ming, to the modern-day champions Les Fong, Lin Jong and Darcy Vescio, Celestial Footy draws on interviews and archival research to shine a spotlight on the broad range of characters who have excelled in Australian football and passed on their love of the game through the generations.

Vescio, a star for Carlton in the AFLW, designed both the cover of Celestial Footy as well as the six wallpapers used for the digital hub.

AFLW player Sophie Li and broadcaster Nat Edwards highlight female involvement in the game, along with stories celebrating players from the modern era including Trevor O’Hoy and Vescio.

“When I set out to write Celestial Footy I had no idea of the sheer number of Chinese-Australians that have played the game in the past 140 years,” Skene said.

“On my journey, I uncovered an extraordinary tradition, a hidden chapter of Australian history filled with characters, and it is an honour to put a spotlight on their stories.

“They are stories of resilience and overcoming obstacles to play the game but also stories of mateship, bravery, excellence, civic pride and having a go.”

I uncovered a hidden chapter of Australian history filled with characters

PATRICK SKENE

BREAKING BOUNDARIES: Darcy Vescio and Nat Edwards are two of many Australians of Chinese descent to make a name for themselves in Australian Football.

What I’m thinking

with Ashley Browne

Two clubs laud one icon

Hawthorn and Carlton will share a unique celebration this weekend when they honour David Parkin.

On Friday afternoon, a couple of days before Hawthorn and Carlton do battle at the MCG, past players and officials, as well as supporters of both clubs, will gather for a lunch to celebrate David Parkin, one of just a handful of people who can genuinely be regarded as an icon of two clubs.

At Hawthorn he is revered as the 1971 premiership captain and then premiership coach seven years later – only John Worsfold has done the same.

He artfully walked in the shoes of a club’s greatest figure – in Hawthorn’s case it was John Kennedy snr –creating a legacy of his own.

At Carlton, he inherited a brilliant but headstrong group of players.

By combining his strengths with theirs, he immediately had them back in the business of winning premierships.

Then after some time away, he came back to the Blues for a second coaching stint and landed a third premiership, this time with player empowerment as the driving factor.

And all the while he changed the art and the language of coaching with the “talls”, “smalls”, “corridors” and the like.

It speaks volumes for Parkin that he can so seamlessly bridge the divide between two clubs that traditionally have not had much time for each other, even as they shared Princes Park from 1974 to 1991.

The rivalry took a new twist when Parkin crossed from one set

of dressing rooms to the other and joined Carlton in 1981.

Just two years after coaching the Hawks to the 1978 flag, he learned the club was looking to replace him.

He resigned immediately and within a few days the Blues grabbed him, unceremoniously axing favourite son Peter ‘Percy’ Jones as coach after just one season when Parkin became available.

Hawthorn enjoyed great success through the 1980s, winning four flags. But, initially, not against Carlton.

He knew his old club intimately and Parkin and his Blues took great delight in repeatedly beating the Hawks in his first few years there, especially in 1982 when Leigh Matthews cannoned into Ken Hunter in front of the Carlton Social Club, an act that so outraged Parkin that he wrote a letter to the Hawks champion expressing his profound disappointment.

While Essendon will always be considered Hawthorn’s greatest rival – along with Geelong in more recent times – any Hawks supporter who followed the club in the 1980s does not need much prompting when it comes to actively disliking the Blues.

But they don’t lay exclusive claims to Parkin.

He was a brilliant and courageous captain at Hawthorn and his teammates adore him to this day.

They didn’t keep concussion statistics during his career, but Parkin would have been close to the top of the chart.

As Hawthorn coach, he kept the Kennedy DNA of toughness (“injuries above the neck don’t count”) but added a sharp tactical edge.

He was the breath of fresh air that champions such as Matthews, Don Scott, Peter Knights, Michael Tuck and Kelvin Moore needed at the peak of their careers.

His hand-written, detailed match review dossiers were legendary at both clubs.

They were well received at the Hawks, but the superstars at Carlton initially bristled before a compromise was reached.

The Blues partied as hard as they played and Parkin, a noted teetotaller, agreed to look the other way as long as the players made time to read his notes.

It was the perfect arrangement.

When it comes to the Hawks versus the Blues, Parkin never takes sides.

He was known as the “Hawthorn bloke” in his first few years at Carlton and he joked himself that the 1995

will celebrate his contribution to both of them on Sunday.

premiership was engineered by a “couple of Hawthorn supporters” –former Hawk Ken Judge was his assistant.

But he was proudly named coach of Carlton’s Team of the Century, a pretty significant achievement given the club has won 16 premierships all up.

Parkin’s influence in the game stretched to Fitzroy, where he coached for three seasons; the AFL umpiring department; the media, where he was an excellent performer despite his constant state-of-war with journalists when he coached; and as a mentor and confidante to many.

He has been a huge influence on Sam Mitchell as a player and coach.

Sunday’s best-on-ground will be awarded the David Parkin Medal, and he will be greeted with warm backslaps and hugs whichever rooms he visits post-game.

It takes a special person to be regarded as a favourite son by both Hawthorn and Carlton, two very different football clubs.

@hashbrowne

DUAL CLUB LEGEND: Hawthorn and Carlton both consider David Parkin to be one of their favourite sons, and they

He was the breath of fresh air champions needed at the peak of their careers

theTRADeRS

PIG OF THE WEEK

DANE SWAN MEDAL CASH COW OF THE WEEK

5 Angus Sheldrick

SYD, MID/FWD – 111

u Talk about a bye-round saviour! Sheldrick had scored 18 and eight in his two substitute-affected games this year. His three bye scores were 79, 82 and 111 to make him an important pick.

4 Matthew Johnson

FREM, MID – 99

u Players get four points for a tackle and Johnson has shown that wrapping opponents up is a big part of his game. There’s plenty of cash generation ahead for the hard-at-it Docker.

3 Seamus Mitchell

HAW, DEF/FWD – 91

MICHAEL BARLOW MEDAL

u Heading into last week’s Fantasy footy action, coaches had been treated to 18 scores of 150-plus so far this season, with Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson (DEF/ MID, $1.01M) the latest superstar to reach those lofty heights. In his 100th game, Dawson did everything in his power to get the Crows over the line against Collingwood, finishing the match with 172 points and a complete box score – 35 possessions, nine marks and 12 tackles. Dawson wasn’t the only player scoring in healthy bunches, with Fremantle’s Luke Ryan (DEF, $802,000) and St Kilda’s Jack Sinclair (DEF, $872,000) getting in on the action too. Ryan had his 143 points fuelled by 31 possessions and a whopping 18 marks and Sinclair wasn’t too far

Warnie

WARNE DAWGS

behind, benefiting from more midfield time to record 36 disposals for his score of 130. Points flowed for Sydney players last week as well, with four Swans managing to hit 125-plus. Errol Gulden (MID/FWD, $946,000) was the star of the show, leading the charge with a score of 145 thanks to 32 possessions, seven marks and five tackles.

TOP ROUND 15 SCORERS

u N ow up $372K, Mitchell has been a great pick for the 12 per cent of coaches who still have him. 24 disposals and six marks helped him to his second 90-plus score for the season.

2 Will Ashcroft BL, MID – 80

u A shcroft’s price peaked pre-byes, but he’s still posting scores that any rookie-priced player would be proud of racking up. If you haven’t moved him on yet, now is the time to upgrade.

1 Darcy Wilmot BL, DEF/MID – 75

u Although Wilmot has played every game and made an impressive $285K, this is his first vote for the Cash Cow of the Year. He enjoyed the ‘easy’ Saints match-up, taking nine marks.

LEADERBOARD: 52 – Harry Sheezel; 29 – Will Ashcroft; 11 – Reuben Ginbey, Angus Sheldrick; 10 – Kade Chandler, Will Phillips; 9 – Alex Cincotta, Ollie Hollands, Dylan Williams, Seamus Mitchell, Matthew Johnson; 8 – Bailey Humphrey; 7 – Cam Mackenzie, Josh Weddle.

ROUND 15 2022 pts

The byes are over! I didn’t make the move I was hoping, but my team has improved over the bye rounds. Now to use the rest of the season to get the all-important league wins ahead of the Fantasy finals starting in five weeks’ time.

Roy DESTROY

ROUND 15 1916 pts

It was a bleak round at team destROY with a lot of my premiums sitting on the bench in round 15. I always knew this week was going to test me, but still, 1916 isn’t going to cut it. Thank goodness the byes are done!

Calvin CALVINATOR

ROUND 15 2143 pts

I am a bye round specialist, well at least I am telling myself that! Pre-byes, I was ranked outside the top 17,000 coaches, but some elite trading has brought my rank in by about 6000 spots to be knocking on the door of a five-figure position.

THE TRADERS’ FANTASY CLASSIC STOCK MARKET

STOCKS UP

An abundance of defenders are making themselves known as we round the corner for the final stretch of the Fantasy season. I doubt Mitch Duncan (DEF, $733,000) will play every game for Geelong to close out the home and away campaign, but the Cats veteran captured our attention in round 15 with an impressive 120 points. Sitting in 2.5 per cent of teams, Duncan’s discounted price tag will intrigue some coaches as they look to remove the final few pesky rookies from their starting 22s. If you have extra cash up your sleeve, then chasing the likes of Jack Sinclair (DEF, $872,000) would be a smarter move as he moves his way up the ranks with a five-round average of 112. Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey (DEF, $755,000) is another possible option down back, turning heads with scores of 108, 124 and 118 during the bye rounds. Impey is just one of the popular value picks who has enhanced his reputation in the past few rounds, with a large group of coaches trading for Darcy Cameron (RUC/FWD, $725,000) or Ben Keays (MID/FWD, $717,000) for the same reason. We’re a bit spoilt for choice given all the trade targets in the $700K price bracket. Using these players as a stepping stone to help you eventually land an uber-premium makes a lot of sense.

STOCKS DOWN

I keep waiting for the massive score from Callum Mills (MID, $683,000) that signals he’s ripe for the picking, but we may have to accept the fact it’s not coming. After averaging 111 and finishing second for total points in 2022, Mills’ Fantasy production has fallen off a cliff – averaging a pedestrian 80 so far this season and losing $300K from his starting price. Hopefully the Sydney co-captain can show some signs of life and turn his poor form around. We weren’t expecting the same huge scores from Rory Atkins (DEF/MID, $518,000), although it’s becoming clear that anyone who still owns the ‘Rat’ needs to move him on. Everyone’s favourite rodent was demoted to the substitute role against Hawthorn and his score reflected that, with just 31 points coming from 24 per cent game time. Atkins’ teammate Bailey Humphrey (MID/FWD, $545,000) came back to earth against the Hawks as well, registering his lowest score since round seven. Some were clinging to hope we could keep playing Humphrey on our field once the bye rounds finished but after his 13-disposal effort last week, it’s clear he can’t be trusted much longer. Rounding out those players on the slide, Hayden Young (DEF, $743,000) is again in the bad books for coaches after a lacklustre showing against the Bombers that saw the Dockers defender haul in just four marks. It’s fair to assume his run at being a top-six DEF is over and I’d be looking to move him out.

1

HEALTHY BODY

The importance of exercise in our daily lives in order to maintain a strong and healthy body. Participants will partake in a range of group cardio fitness activities and challenges.

2 HEALTHY FOOD

To keep our body and mind healthy, we need to fuel ourselves with a range of nutritious and delicious foods. Participants’ knowledge will be challenged in multiple food activities that will test andproblem-solvingtheirskills understanding of food.

HEALTHY TEAM

Theimportanceofworking together,supportingone anotheranddeveloping relationships.Participants willplayarangeof team-buildinggames, with the inclusionofcompetitions andchallenges.

4 HEALTHYMIND needTotrulybehealthy,wetocareforourmind justasmuchasourbody. ParticipantswilllearnBox tacticsBreathingstrategiesand tohelpregulatetheiremotions.

Coles Healthy Kicks aims to educate, activate and motivate students to become more physically active, eat nutritious foods and develop a healthy mind while having fun with others.

Strength

Strength training not only helps your bones and joints stay strong and away from injury but can also increase your balance. Strength doesn’t mean having the biggest muscles, but rather efficient and healthy muscles that can perform whatever you need them to do to the best of your ability.

EXERCISES

• Push Ups – Start on the ground on your knees. Find a comfortable position for your hands to hold you up. Slowly lower yourself down to the ground and, using your hands, push yourself back up to your starting position. If you want a challenge, position yourself so instead of your knees on the ground you will use your feet. Do this 10 times.

• Sit Ups – Start laying on your back. Bend your knees so your feet are comfortably flat on the floor and shoulder-width apart. Keeping your feet planted, bring your upper body up and raise your hands to the sky as you fully sit up. Do this 10 times.

• Bent Over Flys – Start standing up. Bend your knees, making sure you keep a straight back. Place your arms straight in front of you with hands touching like a clap. Keep your arms straight and move them back as if you had wings. You should feel this squeeze your shoulder blades. Do this 10 times.

• Star Jumps – Start standing up with legs just wider than shoulder-width apart. Now jump and while doing this, raise your arms in the air so your hands touch each other above your head. Do this 10 times.

• Squats – Start standing up with feet shoulderwidth apart. Place your arms straight in front of you with one hand over the over. Keeping your back straight, lower yourself by slowly bending your knees. Once at a level you feel comfortable squatting to, slowly bring yourself back up to a stand. Do this 10 times.

The program is built on four key pillars –Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Food and Healthy Team.

Healthy Body is all about physical activity and movement.

• High Knees – Start standing up. Jog on the spot but with every step try to get your knees up as high as you can go. Keep doing this on the spot for 30 seconds.

• Goal Kicking – Start standing up either holding a footy or pretending to hold one.

Keeping fit and active is a great way to stay healthy and have fun with friends.

Be it kicking the footy or checking out one of the Coles Healthy Kicks training videos, there are heaps of easy ways to have a Healthy Body.

Take a few steps forward and without kicking the footy, follow your leg through as if you were kicking the matchwinning goal. If you want a challenge, try alternating legs with each kick. Do this 10 times, or five on each leg.

To find out more Strength exercises for other parts of the body visit afl.com.au/video

SIT UPS

GOAL KICKING

BENT OVER FLYS

Can you unscramble these letters to reveal the AFL players’ names?

WORD FIND

Can you find the surnames of these Australian Football Hall of Famers?

Can you name the Hawks (A) and Blues (B) players who make up these two faces?

CENTRE CLEARANCE GOAL

Your team is five points down with 10 seconds remaining. Your team needs a goal from the centre bounce to win the game. Can you help them?

DESIGN YOUR OWN FOOTY JUMPER and BAAAAALLLL!

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: The black armband on Sydney’s Hayden Mclean’s left arm has been removed; West Coast’s Rhett Bazzo’s mouthguard has changed colour;

an extra thumb has been added to Sydney’s Joel Amartey right hand; an extra yellow stripe has been added Rhett Bazzo’s shorts; the QBE logo on Joel Amartey’s guernsey has been removed.

ANSWER MAN with

I notice Lachie Neale has recorded 30-plus disposals on 96 occasions in his career. Has any player in VFL/AFL history produced more 30-plus disposal performances than the Brisbane Lions star?

FRASER KRANE, JOLIMONT, VIC

LE: No player in AFL/VFL history has recorded more 30-plus disposal games than the little master Gary Ablett jnr, who did so 126 times. Ablett overtook Hawthorn and West Coast superstar Sam Mitchell in 2018. Currently there are nine players in the competition who have recorded 30-plus disposals on 78 or more occasions. One of those is Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury, who is on the way to breaking Ablett’s record – he is on 114. Ultra consistent Western Bulldog Jack Macrae should also go past the 126 mark, being already on 107 from 222 matches. Since the start of 2021, Macrae has played 63 games, collecting more than 30 disposals in 43 of them.

MOST 30+ DISPOSALS IN MATCHES IN AFL/VFL HISTORY

ROUND 16, 2022

CAN YOU ASSIST?

u Former Gold Coast, Geelong and Richmond player Josh Caddy played 174 games and kicked 164 goals between 2011-21. Caddy played in two premiership teams for the Tigers in 2017 and 2019 when he was at his third club. His grandfather John Reeves played 110 games and kicked 37 goals for North Melbourne and St Kilda between 1948-55.

If you know of other examples of relatively recent AFL players who have ancestors with a different surname who also played in the equivalent competition, please email Col.Hucthinson@afl.com.au.

u Carlton and Sydney both missed golden opportunities to stake themselves as genuine threats. The Blues were upset by a St Kilda team that ended a three-game losing streak to stay in the finals race. Despite holding a three-goal lead at quarter-time, the Swans could not shake off a persistent Essendon and went down by nine points. Brisbane Lions made it seven wins from seven games at the Gabba with a 41-point victory over a disappointing Western Bulldogs. Charlie Cameron kicked four goals for the Lions and Lachie Neale starred with 33 disposals. Geelong welcomed back Patrick Dangerfield for his first game since round 10 as the Cats unleashed on a hapless North Melbourne. Gold Coast went down narrowly for the second successive week, this time to Collingwood at Metricon Stadium. Nick Daicos (37 disposals) again impressed for the Magpies. Richmond held off a determined West Coast at the MCG, GWS rookie Callum Brown booted four goals to sink Hawthorn at a wet Giants Stadium and Rory Lobb kicked a career-high five goals in Fremantle’s eight-point win over Port Adelaide.

BALL MAGNET: The great Gary Ablett racked up 30 disposals or more in a game a staggering 126 times in his career.

AFL

1

A high bump from which player knocked Jeremy Cameron out in the Geelong v Melbourne game last week?

A Steven May B Jake Lever

C G ary Rohan D Jack Viney

2

How many consecutive goals did the Cats kick in the last quarter to seal victory?

A 5 B 6 C 7 D 8

3

Who took 14 marks in a best on ground display for Brisbane Lions against St Kilda?

A Eric Hipwood B Joe Daniher

C R yan Lester D Harris Andrews

4 Which player had 36 disposals in the same game?

A L achie Neale B Jack Sinclair

C J osh Dunkley D Brad Crouch

5 West Coast kicked 5.4 (34) against Sydney. Which Swan matched that tally?

A Isaac Heeney B Logan McDonald

C Tom Papley D Joel Amartey

Wereyou payingattention?

6

The winning margin equalled the Swans’ biggest ever from 1919. Who did they beat back then?

A Collingwood B Melbourne

C Fitzroy D St Kilda

7

It was almost five goals bigger than the Eagles’ worst ever defeat. Who handed out that 142-point drubbing in 1989?

A Hawthorn B Essendon

C C arlton D Geelong

8

Who took a remarkable 18 marks and had 31 disposals in the Fremantle v Essendon match –and wasn’t best afield?

A Luke Ryan B Jordan Ridley

C M att Johnson D Nic Martin

9

How many combined disposals did the Daicos brothers have for Collingwood against Adelaide?

A 50 B 60 C 70 D 80

Who kicked Collingwood’s last goal to give the Magpies just enough of a buffer to pinch another close one?

A Will Hoskin-Elliott B Nick Daicos

C Brody Mihocek D Mason Cox

Who kicked five goals for the Crows to almost get them over the line?

A Josh Rachele B Izak Rankine

C R iley Thilthorpe D Taylor Walker

Who took a screamer and kicked two early goals in Hawthorn’s fast start against Gold Coast?

A Luke Breust B Mitch Lewis

C D ylan Moore D Jarman Impey

Which player booted three goals as the Suns came back and then ran away with the game?

A Malcolm Rosas B Ben King

C J ack Lukosius D Noah Anderson

Which of these four players did not poll 10 AFL Coaches Association votes in round 15?

A Gary Rohan B Errol Gulden

C N ick Daicos D Caleb Serong

Who was given that honour by coaches

Justin Longmuir and Brad Scott?

A Liam Henry B Caleb Serong

C A ndrew Brayshaw D Luke Jackson

Blastfrom thepast

Name: Bret Thornton

WITH LACHLAN ESSING

Games: 189 (Carl 188; GWS 1)

Goals: 30 (Carl 30; GWS 0)

Club span: Carlton 2002-12; GWS Giants 2013

Player honours: Carl pre-season premierships 2005, 2007

6pts: I was born in Melbourne in 1933 and made my VFL debut for my home club at the age of 17 in 1951.

5pts: I played a then league-record 321 matches, winning a premiership, five best and fairests and four club leading goalkicker awards.

4pts: I became captain-coach in 1957 and held that position for 14 seasons.

3pts: I was named captain of the AFL Team of the Century and was made an inaugural Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

2pts: I was the face of Victorian State of Origin football for almost my entire life, doing anything for my beloved Big V.

1pt: Known as “Mr Football”, I died of prostate cancer in 1995, with a foundation named after me raising money for research into the disease.

Recruited from Mount Waverley Blues and the Oakleigh Chargers, Thornton played 189 games for Carlton and the GWS Giants. Thornton played as an undersized full-back and was used as a forward late in his career. His best season came in 2009, when he finished ninth in Carlton’s best and fairest and led the club in marks and rebound 50s. Thornton left the Blues as a restricted free agent at the end of 2012 to join the Giants where he made one appearance in 2013.

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