AFL Record, Round 14 2009 by The Slattery Media Group

ROUND 14, 2009 JULY 3-5 $4 (INC. GST)

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ROUND 14, JULY 3-5, 2009 F E AT U R E S

Mark Harvey

Rebuilding a young Dockers’ squad.

Dean Brogan

The Port big man with the passion to play.

Nathan Eagleton

Underrated Bulldog who continues to perform. REGULARS

Backchat

Have your say about the football world.

The Bounce

Views, news, ﬁrst person, facts, data, culture.

Matchday

Stats, history and line-ups.

Dream Team

Advice from Mr Fantasy, our Dream Team expert.

70 72 76 78

Answer Man Testing your knowledge NAB AFL Rising Star Talking Point

Mature-age recruits are making their mark.

MILESTONE: Bulldog Nathan

Eagleton is due to reach 250 games this weekend.

THIS WEEK’S COVER Port Adelaide ruckman Dean Brogan photographed by Sean Garnsworthy. Go to aﬂphotos.com.au to order prints of this image.

MAKE SURE YOU SCORE A LOW FARE TO THE AWAY GAMES! Check out the ﬁxture in the match day section to see when your team is playing their next interstate game! To follow your team around the country visit jetstar.com now.

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feedback

backchat HAVE YOUR SAY ON N THE FOOTBALL WORLD

A Tiger’s poignant tale ale Many of us think AFL players ers have got it easy because they hey get paid well to play footy, when in reality we wouldn’t havee any idea about the issues that some players deal with in their private lives while still facing cing heavy public scrutiny. As was reported in the AFL Record d last week, the fact Shane Tuck k lost his best mate and cousin Ryan Ablett and has still played d his best footy is a great creditt to his mental toughness. It was both refreshing and sad to read d such a heart-felt human story. I wish more players had the courage urage to open up like Tuck did. TOM, WERRIBEE, VIC

Pies’ succession plan lan Nathan Buckley should not be considering the Richmond nd and North Melbourne coaching ing jobs. ‘Bucks’ should become ome an assistant at another club, before eventually succeeding ding Mick Malthouse.

A cheer for Brayshaw

JAMIE, FITZROY, VIC

Out of play A grey area is emerging. When a player has taken a mark or received a free kick and is standing outside the boundary line, how can he be called to “play on”? Surely it should be deemed out-of-bounds. MARK, SALISBURY, SA

AFL CHIEF BROADCASTING & COMMERCIAL OFFICER Gillon McLachlan AFL CONSUMER PRODUCTS MANAGER Scott Munn AFL RECORD MANAGING EDITOR Geoﬀ Slattery AFL RECORD EDITOR Peter Di Sisto

As a North Melbourne supporter, I’d to say how good it was to see our chairman James Brayshaw sitting among the cheer squad last weekend. Good on you, JB! I’ve got no doubt with you and Eugene Arocca at the helm we’ll turn things around soon. JACK, ASHBURTON VIC, VIA EMAIL

PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Lovett WRITERS Nick Bowen, Ben Collins, Jim Main, Peter Ryan, Callum Twomey, Andrew Wallace SUB-EDITORS Gary Hancock, Howard Kotton STATISTICIAN Cameron Sinclair CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Hutchison DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Sam Russell

HAVE YOUR SAY Send us your feedback on n the Record and matters relating to the game, the clubs and the players. The best letter each round will receive a copyy of the AFL Record Season n Guide 2009. Email aﬂrecordeditor@ slatterymedia.com or write to AFL Record, Slattery Media Group, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, VIC, 3008.

DESIGNERS Jarrod Witcombe, Alison Wright PHOTO EDITORS Natalie Boccassini, Melanie Tanusetiawan PRODUCTION MANAGER Troy Davis PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Stephen Lording DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Adele Morton COMMERCIAL MANAGER Alison Hurbert-Burns

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Nathan Hill AFL CLUB ACCOUNT MANAGER Anthony Palmer ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR Deanne Horkings Advertising (03) 9627 2600 PHOTOGRAPHY Sean Garnsworthy, Michael Willson, Lachlan Cunningham AFL Photos (03) 9627 2600 aﬂphotos.com.au

EDITOR’S LET TER

A keen eye for talent Some in the industry argue that having a superb recruiting manager is just as important as finding the right coach. Many of the clubs’ recruiters and football staff gathered at Etihad Stadium last Wednesday to watch the final four matches of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships featuring most of Australia’s elite juniors. Recruiters had pens at the ready, noting their sharp observations. Recruiting is far from an exact science. The best recruiters, according to recruiting consultant and occasional AFL Record contributor John Turnbull, are intuitive types. They apply experience gained from having played or coached the game – as well as an understanding of a particular age group gained via teaching and related professions – to assess not only players’ pure football skills, but, critically, a host of factors. These factors include temperament, players’ ability to focus and deal with setbacks, and how they might compete against grown men. More and more, statistics are being used for assessments of juniors. But the most experienced of recruiters – while not disputing the value of numbers – argue trainedeye observations remain paramount. PETER DI SISTO

PRINTED BY PMP Print ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO The Editor, AFL Record, Ground Floor, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, Victoria, 3008. P: (03) 9627 2600 F: (03) 9627 2650 E: peterd@slatterymedia.com AFL RECORD, VOL. 98, ROUND 14, 2009 Copyright. ACN No. 004 155 211. ISSN 1444-2973, Print Post approved PP320258/00109

4 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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the bounce VIEWS NEWS FIRST PERSON FACTS DATA CULTURE

GROWING RIVALRY:

PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM/AFL PHOTOS

Geelong and St Kilda (pictured here in last year’s first qualifying final) have meet only three times in finals but this round’s clash is one of the most anticipated home and away games in League history.

T H E U N B E AT E N T W O

Leading two lack big-game background Although not traditional ﬁnals rivals, Geelong and St Kilda meet Sunday in a possible Grand Final preview. MICHA EL LOV ETT

n intriguing aspect of this Sunday’s muchanticipated St Kilda-Geelong match at Docklands is the fact there is no big-game history between the two clubs, both undefeated this season after 13 rounds. The ‘rivalry’ has been largely uneventful, with just three finals clashes – the first in 1968, the next not until 1991 and the third in last year’s qualifying final. What’s more remarkable is that the Saints and the Cats were League foundation clubs

in 1897, so for the first 70 years of competition their paths didn’t cross in September. Although Geelong has won all three finals, it’s hardly a statistic that would have St Kilda quivering in its boots. Perhaps the 58-point loss in the 2008 qualifying final is something the Saints could learn from as the Cats controlled the game from the outset and had cantered to a 76-point lead by three-quarter time. The Saints were handed a tough assignment in last year’s finals series, playing Geelong in the opening final and winning

through to the preliminary final courtesy of a 34-point victory over Collingwood in the first semi-final. However, they drew Hawthorn in the preliminary final and finished nine goals astern of the eventual premier, ending any dreams of that elusive second premiership. It’s a different story this year, and the Saints are genuine premiership contenders. Never have two teams gone undefeated so deep into a season. Last year, Geelong and Hawthorn were both 8-0 before the Cats lost to Collingwood in round nine.

In 1936, South Melbourne and Collingwood were also 8-0 but the Swans lost in round nine. Interestingly, the Pies and the Swans played in the Grand Final that season, while the Hawks and the Cats met in last year’s decider. The mouth-watering prospect this week is that two unbeaten teams are playing each other after 13 rounds, although in the days of 12- and 14-team competitions, it would have been virtually impossible for two sides to be undefeated at this stage of the season. CON T IN U ED NE X T PAGE

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Hyperbole aside (references to heavyweight fighters and the like were prolific in the lead-up), this is a match between the outstanding teams of the season. In fact, notwithstanding the 2008 Grand Final loss – the Cats have filed this as the one that got away – Geelong has hardly put a foot wrong over the past two-and-a-half seasons. The Cats have won 55 of their past 58 games, a run that coincidentally started with Steve Johnson’s return from football purgatory after an off-field indiscretion. The Saints haven’t been too shabby compiling a 27-11 win-loss record since the start of 2008. That now reads better than the Hawks’ effort of 26-12 in the same period. St Kilda is a far more settled unit than it was early last year and it only has to look at the examples of the Sydney Swans (2005) and Geelong (2007) who have both broken long premiership droughts in recent years. It is also no coincidence that important parts of intellectual premiership property from Sydney and Geelong now reside at Moorabbin. Coach Ross Lyon was an assistant under Paul Roos when the Swans won the 2005 flag and Sydney premiership players Adam Schneider and Sean Dempster are now on the Saints’ list. St Kilda’s strength and conditioning coach David Misson was in a similar role at Sydney and is credited with the Swans’ impressive injury management at that time. St Kilda is also enjoying a good run with injury. The Saints appointed Geelong assistant coach Leigh Tudor – Lyon has admitted they specifically targeted a Cats coach – and former Geelong captain and No. 1 ruckman Steven King has been an important addition (although he will miss this week due to suspension). What can be guaranteed on Sunday is that by 3.10pm the ‘house full’ sign will be up and football purists will be in for a treat. NEWS TRACKER

FLEXIBILIT Y

Dogs getting smaller NICK BOW EN

he Western Bulldogs have been searching for a key-position forward for the past few seasons, but in the second half of last week’s game against North Melbourne, they went primarily with a short, mobile forward line. With North big man Drew Petrie threatening to take the game away from the Bulldogs, the Dogs sent their forward line’s most reliable marking target, Scott Welsh (188cm), to defence. In his absence – apart from occasional cameos from Will Minson – the Bulldogs’ attack consisted of Jason Akermanis (177cm), Brad Johnson (182cm), Daniel Giansiracusa (182cm), Shaun Higgins (184cm) and Robert Murphy and Josh Hill (both 186cm).

Despite its relative lack of height, it functioned well. Giansiracusa’s precise delivery to his fellow forwards and clinical finishing (he kicked three goals) make him a dangerous player. In a blow to the Dogs, he suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for six weeks, but he should be back to full fitness by the finals. At ground level, Higgins, who snapped two goals, Akermanis and Johnson complement Giansiracusa and each other well. Akermanis and Johnson are also difficult to stop on the lead, with their pace and

strong hands, and both are generally vey good in front of goal. While Murphy does a lot of the Bulldogs’ lead-up work and ran into some form against FORWARD FOCUS: Josh Hill is a key

part of a short Bulldogs forward line.

We do a lot of work on trying to get space for each other. It was good to get our goals across the board. All the boys are having an impact the Roos, youngster Hill provides the X-factor. Hill effectively killed off North’s dogged challenge, when he kicked two goals either side off the three-quarter time siren. The ﬁrst followed a goalsquare speccie over Roos defender Scott McMahon. After the game, Hill said a small forward line could function provided its members worked together. “We do a lot of work on blocking for each other and trying to get space for each other, and it paid off,” Hill said. “It was good to get our goals across the board. All the boys are putting in and having an impact.” Functioning well against a struggling North Melbourne is one thing, kicking a winning score against a top-four side in a ﬁnal is another thing entirely. But, with Welsh likely to return despite performing well in defence, the Bulldogs’ attack, while still lacking a key forward, has a mix that will trouble most opposition teams.

W H E N T H E Y ’ R E N O T P L AY I N G . . . Player

Most famous person I’ve met

Favourite movie

What makes me laugh

Brett Kirk (Sydney Swans)

Dalai Lama

Donnie Darko

My kids

Jason Akermanis (W Bulldogs)

ller Basketballer arkley Charles Barkley

The Shawshank Red Redemption

MXC, Jay Leno, ell Will Ferrell

Brett Deledio (Richmond)

et Test cricket captain Ricky Ponting

Me, Myself and Irene

Homer Simpson

Travis Boak (Port Adelaide)

Wrestler John Cena

Con Air

Brendon Lade’s clothes

Sydney Swans conﬁrm CEO Myles Baron-Hay to leave at end of this year.

8 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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THINGS WE LOVED FROM L A S T ROUND

I N T E R P R E TAT I O N

Deﬁning the statistics Champion Data, the AFL’s supplier of statistics, has at least eight employees involved in every match, with ﬁve at the ground and another three at the company’s information ‘bunker’ in Melbourne watching matches on television.

n a sport so open to interpretation just how do statisticians make splitsecond calls when there is a grey area? The AFL Record asked Champion Data media and content manager Glenn Luff to explain. When a defender passes backwards across the 50-metre arc to a teammate, does this register as an inside 50 for the opposition? If the defending team

maintains control of the footy, it won’t be an opposition inside 50. This back-passing happens ﬁve to 10 times per game, and the inside 50 stat is for genuine entries. The only time we pay an inside 50 in this circumstance is if the team in possession loses control of the football. If a player kicks the ball to a free teammate who then drops the mark, is this still counted as an eﬀective kick? We’ve basically got

to assess which player made the error – was it a bad kick or did the receiving player make a mistake? If the player drops a mark that an AFL footballer should really take, it will be an effective kick and the receiver will be credited with a dropped mark. If a player kicks long to a contest and an opponent marks the ball, is this registered as a clanger?

No, we would call that an effective long kick, which is a kick 40 metres or more to a 50/50 or better situation. But if the player had kicked long to a one-on-two situation, which is less than 50/50, we would call that an ineffective kick. It wouldn’t count as a clanger kick, which is only for a blatant error

NEWS TRACKER

that gives the ball back to the opposition without them really having to work for it. How do you determine what an eﬀective tackle is? The tackle

must stop the opponent from taking the ball away, or if the opponent does manage a disposal, the tackle must impact the effectiveness of that disposal. If Chris Judd tackles Jobe Watson (pictured), but Watson gets a handball away to an Essendon teammate, Judd won’t be registered with a tackle. But if Watson handballs straight to a Carlton player, or to the ground or a contest, Judd will be rewarded with a tackle. When a shot at goal is touched close to the goal line, how do you determine whether it is a rushed behind or a point to the kicker?

If the force of the kick takes the ball across the scoring line, but it ﬂicks the ﬁngers of the pack on the way though, that behind will be credited to the player who kicked it. However, if the ball is forced through by the opposition or there’s an obvious deviation of the ball’s trajectory, that will be a rushed behind.

Nick Naitanui’s last quarter

Andrew Welsh’s comeback

In heavy rain and howling winds in Perth, it wasn’t a great night to be a big man. And against the reigning premier looking to rebound, it probably wasn’t a great night to be a second-gamer. But Nick Naitanui’s threegoal last quarter showed he isn’t bound by the ordinary. Without a kick at the start of the last quarter, and with the Eagles trailing the Hawks, the 19-year-old was brilliant. His first goal – after he smothered Brent Guerra’s attempt to clear, avoided one opponent, and another, and then kicked through a flurry of arms and legs – was breathtaking. His next one came as he pounced on a loose ball to convert with a kick off the ground. But it was his third goal that lit up a soggy Subiaco. With Tom Murphy looking to clear the ball, Naitanui smothered and had the whole forward line ahead of him. His attempt to bounce was unsuccessful, but he cleanly picked up the skidding ball at top pace, outran the desperate Murphy and kicked around his body, with the ball bouncing through for a game-sealing goal.

The resilient Bomber’s rapid recovery from a dislocated ankle and broken leg has been staggering. After having his ankle caught in a tackle by teammate Michael Quinn in Essendon’s ﬁrst intra-club match in February, Welsh aimed to make his return to the senior team in round 12 against Melbourne. Thanks to revolutionary surgery (using surgical ‘buttons’ instead of screws to shorten recovery time) and intensive rehabilitation, he played against the Dees and collected 25 touches. Last Friday night, he took his game to another level in a tagging role on Carlton skipper Chris Judd. Welsh was best-on-ground, picking up 30 possessions while curtailing Judd’s inﬂuence. Welsh said that during his rehabilitation he essentially did a second pre-season, which was certainly evident in his remarkable return.

If a player has a mark or free kick outside scoring range when the siren sounds, does it count as a disposal if he kicks or handpasses the ball away? We only

count a kick if it is a genuine shot at goal. If a player is on the wing and puts in a token kick, we won’t pay that. But if a player is 60 metres out and has a genuine crack at the goal, we will call that a kick. A NDR EW WA LL ACE

Max Hudghton’s resilience When the veteran Saint defender went down in the second quarter against Richmond clutching his leg, a collective jolt of concern went through St Kilda supporters. When club doctors called for a stretcher, that worry turned to sorrow. But Hudghton surprised everyone when he returned along the boundary line, zig-zag running and showing all he was able to come back on. In the coach’s box, Ross Lyon feared Hudghton had sustained a season-ending – and potentially career-ending – injury. Most others watching would have likely felt the same. If anyone at Moorabbin deserves the chance to enjoy success, it has to be the oldest player on the list. CALLUM TWOMEY ELECTRIFYING EAGLE : Nick Naitanui (left) thrilled the Subiaco crowd last week with a brilliant last quarter.

Geelong set new membership mark with about 37,000 signed to end of June. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 9

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P L AY I N G R U L E S

Free agency unlikely before end of 2012 A NDR EW WA L L ACE

hile the formation of the Gold Coast and western Sydney clubs and upgraded stadia deals are high on the AFL agenda, the proposed introduction of free agency is also being given plenty of consideration. Free agency, which allows uncontracted players to move to a club of their choice after a designated period of service at one club, has been championed by the AFL Players’ Association for some time, but has seen clubs raise concerns about maintaining equality and losing key personnel without adequate compensation. To gain a greater understanding of how other major sports codes that utilise a draft and salary cap system managed the implementation of free agency, the AFL’s football operations manager Adrian Anderson and general manager of commercial and legal affairs Andrew Dillon recently travelled to New York, where they met with ofﬁcials from the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association.

“Probably the most immediate beneﬁt was to understand the context and history, and the way that free agency works in each of these sports,” Anderson said. Anderson pointed out that, while free agency came into effect after six seasons in the MLB, many players eligible for free agency had spent up to three years in minor leagues beforehand, meaning they had actually been in the system for nine seasons. Basketball is different again. “The NBA seems to have induced the highest level of player loyalty by providing salary cap relief to allow free agents to stay at their original clubs,” Anderson said. “And in the NFL, there are really strong controls due to the pressure free agency puts on the salary cap. They have to make sure players aren’t distorting the cap with outside commercial opportunities offered by clubs.” With draft and salary cap concessions to be given to the Gold Coast and the proposed 18th AFL club in western Sydney, the AFL and AFLPA have agreed that any free agency model would not be introduced before the end of the 2012 season. This should allow both parties ample time to iron out their differences and ensure any model used can draw on the strengths of the North American systems and eliminate potential downsides. Anderson and Dillon also met with umpiring and lawmaking ofﬁcials, exchanging information about managing rule changes, assessing the performance of umpires and managing drug-testing regimes.

CARRARA MAKEOVER: After this week’s Richmond-Adelaide game, work will

start on the $126 million redevelopment of Gold Coast Stadium.

UPGRADE

Carrara set for upgrade C A L LU M T WOMEY

old Coast Stadium at Carrara will host its 72nd AFL match this weekend before a major upgrade in time for the debut of the Gold Coast club in 2011. The $126 million redevelopment, funded by the Queensland and Federal governments, the AFL and the Gold Coast City Council, will see the ground’s capacity more than doubled to about 25,000, expandable to about 40,000 to cater for bigger events. A contractor is due to be appointed this month, with

construction expected to start in November. A tentative schedule has the ﬁrst AFL game being played at the upgraded venue in May, 2011. The Gold Coast’s TAC Cup team will continue to play games at the ground this season. Since the ﬁrst League match at the venue in 1987 (Fitzroy defeated the Brisbane Bears in round four), more than 663,000 people have watched games there, with the highest attendance of 18,198 for the Brisbane-Geelong game in 1989. In 1992, Geelong set a new mark for the highest team score when it kicked 37.17 (239) in beating the Brisbane Bears at the ground, still the best score in League history. On Saturday, Richmond becomes the seventh club to ‘host’ a match at the ground, with Brisbane, Melbourne, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Carlton and St Kilda also having played ‘home’ games at Carrara.

10 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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VIEWS > NEWS > FIRST PERSON > FACTS > DATA > CULTURE MILES TONES – ROUND 14

C O N T R AC T S

450 games

Clubs move to secure coaches

Hayden Kennedy Field umpire

250 games Simon Goodwin Adelaide Nathan Eagleton Western Bulldogs

MICH A EL LOV ET T

he immediate future of two of the AFL’s most recent premiership coaches has been settled, with another premiership coach to be offered a new contract by his club. Geelong’s 2007 premiership coach Mark Thompson and West Coast’s 2006 premiership coach John Worsfold agreed to new deals with their respective clubs. Both have signed until the end of the 2011 season. Mark Williams, who guided Port Adelaide to the 2004 ﬂag, is considering a new two-year contract. According to a statement released by the club last Tuesday after the board met on Monday, the two parties were due to negotiate details of the Power’s offer. Port Adelaide president Brett Duncanson said: “At the end of 2006, the club put in place a ﬁve-year plan and we are halfway through that period. Mark deserves an opportunity to see that plan through. “We have turned over our list by 50 per cent over the last three years, including 12 new arrivals this year. “At the same time as we are developing our list – and we know there will be ups and

150 games Jason Blake St Kilda

100 games David Mundy Fremantle,

STILL THE BOSS: Geelong and West Coast have re-signed Mark Thompson

(100th from debut)

(above) and John Worsfold respectively, while Port Adelaide has moved to secure Mark Williams.

downs with that – we are still a very good chance to play finals.” Williams has guided the Power into finals in all but three of his 10 completed seasons as senior coach. He has been in charge for 250 games and boasts a winning percentage of 57 per cent. Worsfold has taken the Eagles into finals in six of his seven completed seasons, with a winning percentage of 54. Thompson’s reappointment was announced last Sunday after

Matt Maguire St Kilda

president Frank Costa flew back from an overseas trip to finalise the deal. Thompson started coaching in 2000 and is on track to become the longest-serving coach in the club’s history. He has coached the team in 223 games, behind club legend Reg Hickey (304), and would be on 276 games (not including finals) by the end of 2011, based on the continuation of a 22-game fixture when the Gold Coast joins the League in 2011.

MOST WINS AS A COACH Mick Malthouse’s next win as a coach will see him move to outright fourth on the table of most wins as a League coach. Collingwood’s win over Fremantle last weekend was Malthouse’s 336th in League company. Only six coaches have won at least 300 matches.

100 games as captain Brad Johnson Western Bulldogs

50 games Tom Logan Port Adelaide Shannon Hurn West Coast THE LIST INCLUDES PLAYERS NOT NECESSARILY SELECTED BUT ON THE VERGE OF MILESTONES.

COACH

CLUB(S)

GAMES COACHED

Jock McHale

Coll

714

467

Kevin Sheedy

Ess

635

386

Allan Jeans

StK, Haw, Rich

575

358

Tom Hafey

Rich, Coll, Geel, Syd

522

336

Mick Malthouse

Foots, WCE, Coll

601

336

David Parkin

Haw, Carl, Fitz, Carl

518

306

WINS

12 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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WORTHY CAUSE

Under-16s ﬁrst major event at Blacktown A NDR EW WA L L ACE

he AFL’s expansion into western Sydney took a major step forward this week, with the opening game of the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships played at Blacktown Olympic Park on Friday. Fittingly, youngsters from the developing regions of Queensland and NSW/ACT were set to take part in the first official match at the venue, which is set to become the home of the 18th AFL club in 2012. The under-16 carnival is the first major event to be held at the $27.5 million Blacktown complex, which was built in partnership with the New South Wales Government, Blacktown City Council and Cricket NSW. Blacktown Olympic Park boasts two first-class AFL ovals, AFL-standard player, coaching and media facilities and a television-quality floodlight system. The venue’s grandstand holds around 1600, with the ground’s capacity about 10,000. This will allow the AFL to

Blacktown Olympic Park boasts two firstclass AFL ovals, AFLstandard facilities and a television-quality floodlight system bring pre-season matches and special AFL events to the local community, while also providing a state-of-the-art facility for the new club. With Gold Coast Football Club joining the AFL competition in 2011 and the proposed western Sydney club slated to enter the League in 2012, the AFL talent pool will need to be expanded to help fill the 100-odd newly created positions on AFL lists. Many of the youngsters playing in this year’s under-16 carnival are expected to figure in the drafting plans of the new and existing clubs, providing the teenagers with a great opportunity to impress recruiters. In all, Blacktown will host 10 matches in the championships, with a further two scheduled nearby at Rouse Hill’s Bruce Purser Oval. The Division One and Two playoffs will be played on September 26 at the MCG, as curtain-raisers to the AFL Grand Final. Vic Metro has won the past four Division One titles, while Tasmania was victorious in Division Two last year.

Jumper image to come

PHOTO: NIKE AUSTRALIA

NEW VENUE

Blues wear yellow for charity In a bid to raise money for cancer research, Carlton will wear predominantly yellow guernseys when it plays Fremantle on Sunday at Subiaco Oval. Yellow is the colour of Livestrong and The Lance Armstrong Foundation, charities set up by the cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France cycling race winner. The match coincides with the beginning of the 2009 race, with Armstrong (pictured above with Carlton’s Brendan Fevola) aiming for a record eighth Tour victory, having competed in Adelaide last year as part of his return to the sport. Each jumper features Armstrong’s signature and will be signed by the player who wears it. The guernseys will be auctioned post-match via nikestore.com.au with all proceeds raised to be shared evenly between the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Melbourne-based Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation. Carlton has worn a predominantly navy blue jumper since joining the League in 1897 but sported a light blue kit in 1997 to help promote a new confectionary product. CALLUM TWOMEY

KNOW EVERY GAME PLAN.

HEAR IT LIKE YOU’RE IN IT. 3AW is football. Get the complete run-down on Sports Today with Gerard Healy and Dwayne Russell from 6pm Monday to Thursday on 3AW 693.

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 15

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VIEWS > NEWS > FIRST PERSON > FACTS > DATA > CULTURE

thebounce

T H E C O M PA R I S O N H A L L O F FA M E

Leon Davis

Swans to salute best

June 17, 1981 1 177cm 77kg Perth (WA) 2000 18 years, 270 days 172 220 220.140 1.3 6 61.1% 10 11 32 (22 games, 20 2008) 4 112.2 9.5 2 2.9 2 2.8 32 7 2 2.4 111 111 22. 22.3 6.2 2.5 75.6% 4.1 17.2 5.1 4.2 5.1 19.10

PETER DI SISTO

lthough it’s not unusual to see retired football and horseracing types frequent pubs around South Melbourne, a gathering including ﬁve Brownlow medallists from the one club ought to be deemed a little special. And so it was, as patrons inside and those walking past the Rising Sun Hotel recently stopped to peek at Swans royalty enjoying a meal and recounting tales of glory. Fred Goldsmith (the 1955 medallist), Bob Skilton (1959, ’63 and ’68), Peter Bedford (1970), Barry Round (1981) and Gerard Healy (1988) were at the pub – around the corner from the South Melbourne ground – to help promote the Sydney Swans Hall of Fame function on July 18 in Melbourne. Some 1500 players have represented the Swans since the club was formed as the Cecil Football Club in 1874, with the name changed to South Melbourne soon after. A selection committee has produced a list of 90 players for consideration as inaugural Hall of Fame inductees.

The igniters They can light up stadiums with their breathtaking repertoire of ﬂair, pace and skill – and aren’t we grateful they are doing it on a weekly basis these days?

V Born Guernsey No. Height Weight Recruited from Debut Debut age Games Goals/Behinds Goals per game Accuracy Finals Finals goals Most goals – season Most goals – game Disposals ave. Kicks ave. Marks ave. Handballs ave. Most disposals (game) 25-plus disposals (game) Tackles ave. Brownlow votes 2009 games 2009 disposals ave. 2009 contested disp. ave. 2009 clearances ave. 2009 disp. efficiency 2009 inside 50s 2009 kicks ave. 2009 marks ave. 2009 tackles ave. 2009 handball ave. 2009 goals, behinds

Andrew Lovett November 11, 1982 13 183cm 74kg Preston RSL/Northern U18(Vic)/East Perth(WA) 2005 22 years, 150 days 79 86.57 1.11 0.1% 60.1% 0 0 5 (20 games, 2005) 25 5 177 .1 11.1 3 4.3 9 5.9 311 5 5 2.5 8 3 13 1.2 21.2 6.11 5 2.5 6.3% 76.3% 8 3.8 2.9 12.9 3 3 3 8.3 4.9 14.9

Such wasn’t always the case for Collingwood’s Leon Davis and Essendon’s Andrew Lovett, who both endured their share of hard times before elevating themselves into elite company. They are enjoying career-

best seasons and are in the prime of their footballing lives. The MCG – the stage for this round’s Magpies-Bombers game – provides the ideal backdrop for this meeting of match-winners. BEN COLLINS

KICK EVERY GOAL.

HEAR IT LIKE YOU’RE IN IT. 3AW is football. Listen to four quarters of all-star commentary with Rex Hunt, Dennis Cometti, Tony Leonard and Shane Healy at 3AW 693.

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 17

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thebounce

VIEWS > NEWS > FIRST PERSON > FACTS > DATA > CULTURE

P E R C E N TAG E

Cruising home and losing in victory SH A NE McNA L LY

ince the end of round nine, the top two teams (the undefeated St Kilda and Geelong) have maintained a four-game break on third (Western Bulldogs). This has created a logjam for LIONS LAPSE: Jed Adcock and his Brisbane Lions teammates missed the chance to build valuable percentage against Melbourne last week. the remaining six spots in the eight, with percentage likely to Melbourne, switching off at to haunt clubs, costing them play an important role. three-quarter time when it led a double chance or even a A strong percentage can by 58 points and allowing the ďŹ nals berth. sometimes equate to an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;extraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Demons to post four goals to The Brisbane Lions are the win when the race is close. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;winâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the quarter by 10 points. latest culprit. The Lions held the Surprisingly, some teams that Similarly, the Hawks were Demons to just two goals at the have established big leads in last change and led by 74 points, about eight goals up on the Dees games appear to be switching in round nine, but only won by but gave up six goals in the off late, allowing their 22 points. They switched off at last quarter. A possible heavy opposition to score freely. the 19-minute mark of the third percentage booster ended in a Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lazy football or quarter, kicking just one goal 55-point win. just arrogance, allowing the after that and letting Melbourne Essendon did likewise a opposition&2 3PORTSENTRAL PDF 0cheap scoring when a boot six in that time. round earlier, also against win is assured could come back

In round 10, the Western Bulldogs went to half-time 69 points ahead of the Sydney Swans but allowed the Swans to get back to within 33 points. The list goes on â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Fremantle led Sydney by 42 points mid-game in round ďŹ ve before cruising home by 21 and the Lions looked set for a big win over the Swans in round three before messing around with the ball and winning by ďŹ ve goals. With three teams on eight wins after round 13 (Collingwood, Brisbane and Adelaide), the Lionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; situation is instructive. They have scored 1218 points and conceded 1107 for a percentage of 110.02. The Magpies have a percentage of 116.32. At three-quarter time in their respective matches last Saturday, Brisbaneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s percentage was 111.96 and Collingwoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s was 111.94. The Magpies ran their game out hard against Fremantle with 10 goals in the last quarter and are sitting fourth; Brisbane eased up against the Demons. If that scenario were played out in the last round of the season, the Lions would have surrendered the double chance.

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thebounce

VIEWS > NEWS > FIRST PERSON > FACTS > DATA > CULTURE

A N A LY S I S

THE GODFATHER OF STATS

Ted Hopkins

Founder of Champion Data and Carlton premiership player

The run-carrykick caper At half-time of last week’s Essendon-Carlton game, The Godfather said to the stats nipper beside him, if the Bombers could keep their high-octane run-carry-kick caper going for the rest of the game, Carlton would crack. If they couldn’t sustain it, then Carlton’s more conventional serve was likely to prevail. The second-half score (Essendon booted 13.5 to Carlton’s 2.6) spoke volumes. Like many at the game, The Godfather stood in wonderment at what he witnessed. Many teams have latched on to the handball frenzy, but what the Bombers did looked diﬀerent. THE HANDBALL TURBO EFFECT The ‘metres gained’ by the run-carry-kick style tell the story. Metres gained measures

HANDBALL HAPPY: The Bombers rely

heavily on handball to gain metres.

the distance a team moves the ball from the start of a possession to its completion (a score, turnover or stoppage). Because of the ground dimensions, the formula is bias-adjusted for defenders credited with gaining distance away from the opposition goal and midﬁelders and forwards moving the ball closer to their own goal. In the second half last week, Essendon gained 598 metres more than Carlton by running, carrying and kicking, not that

surprising given it had 26 more kicks (102-76). More interesting, however, were the metres the Bombers gained via handball – a staggering 233, despite having just six more handballs (83-77). It seems the Bombers have found a special handball turbo switch thrusting them forward like no other team. Essendon is averaging 618 handball metres gained per game, signiﬁcantly higher than the competition average of 381 per team. RUN-AND-KICK DISTANCE MATTERS MOST Three of the top four teams are more focused on applying handball to set a run-andkick distance advantage over their respective opposition. Surprisingly, St Kilda, Geelong and Collingwood average the least handball distance gained, indicating a preference for

beating their opposition by gaining more distance with run-carry-kick football. In this era of high-possession football, it is comforting to learn that good, old-fashioned running with the ball (and kicking it properly) still matters the most. The table highlights how the top-four teams have broken away from the pack in distance gained from run-carry-kick football. EXTRA METRES GAINED OVER OPPOSITION VIA RUN-AND-KICK FOOTBALL (AVERAGE PER GAME) Team

Distance

Retention rate

St Kilda

883m

67%

Geelong

833m

70%

Collingwood

334m

64%

W Bulldogs

329m

65%

Adelaide

215m

64%

Carlton

106m

67%

Hawthorn

19m

66%

*Only seven teams have a ‘plus’ average distance diﬀerence gained. Essendon ranks 14th in this category with -283 and appears to rely heavily on the boost it gets from its handball turbo eﬀect. The average competition retention rate is 65 per cent.

20 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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the interview

Rising to the Fremantle coach Mark Harvey talks about the importance of youth, the unique culture of West Australian football and what he is aiming to achieve with the Dockers. NICK BOW EN

Fremantle had a big exodus of experienced players at the end of last year and you’ve had real focus on youth this year. Did you make a conscious decision to rebuild?

You played at Essendon, one of the most successful clubs in the modern era. Did you try to replicate any parts of its culture at Fremantle?

Yes, we did. The list was in transition from an age point of view and, on top of that, there was the realisation that we had to build a list, so we made a conscious decision quite early last season (to rebuild) and, as the season went on, guys started to retire so it became a formality.

It’s very hard to bring another club’s culture to a new club. Fremantle had the South Fremantle-East Fremantle background so you’ve got to respect that and try and draw on that. What I’ve tried to do is instil in the players how to strive for success based on what I’d come across at Essendon and what I saw in its people, the club itself and its culture.

As you rebuild, are you conscious of trying to return as a genuine contender while Matthew Pavlich (27), Luke McPharlin (27), Chris Tarrant (28) and Aaron Sandilands (26) are still at their best?

Those four are certainly well-equipped players and give you a key structure to work with. We fully understand that and we need to fast-track our draft picks and rookie picks as quickly as we can. Which of the club’s youngsters most excite you?

Young (Chris) Mayne, Rhys (Palmer) and Brock O’Brien have been hit by injury this year, but we expect plenty from them. This season, we’ve given a taste of AFL to the likes of (Stephen) Hill, young Nick Suban, Hayden Ballantyne and rookies like Greg Broughton, (Matthew) De Boer and Clancee Pearce, and we’ve seen good signs from a number of them.

There has been talk of replacing the club song and the anchor as an emblem. Is it important to hang on to those traditions?

It is if you understand Fremantle itself, the place and the heritage. It’s a port and the wharfie, anchor and docker mentality is what’s made Fremantle. Songs are neither here nor there, in my opinion, in terms of reflecting what your club stands for. What you try to do is create an aura about your club and you do this on the field. The other non-Victorian clubs that have come into the competition have all won a premiership. Is this a sore point with Freo?

Possibly, but I would say that, along with West Coast, this would be without doubt the hardest team to coach, purely because of how difﬁcult the constant travel makes it to be successful. People never really

understand until they get over here how difﬁcult it is, for instance, to get a young player up every week, when you’ve got to travel every second week for up to four hours, go through different time zones, etc.

Is there an aspect you least enjoy?

You had a long apprenticeship as an assistant coach (under Kevin Sheedy at Essendon from 1998-2005, then Chris Connolly at Fremantle, 2006-07) but can anything prepare you for senior coaching?

The passion for football over here is extreme. They had an enormously successful competition prior to the two teams being inducted into the AFL, they’re proud of that and you respect that. As a two-team town, the focus is on you on a daily basis, rather than a rotational basis like the Melbourne teams get.

No, the demands on the coach are extreme. People, particularly people in the media, need to really understand just how hard coaches work. This always goes unnoticed. Opinions ﬂy left, right and centre about coaches and their decision-making, without taking into account that you’re working 12-hour days. You were criticised for your performances on television shows On the Couch and Footy Classiﬁed after a loss to Melbourne last year. Was that fair?

No, because I was judged by the people who were asking the questions. That’s all I’d like to say on that. What aspect of coaching do you enjoy most?

I love the challenge of trying to get a young player to become a complete player and, ultimately, to get the team to strive for, and have an obsession about, winning a premiership. That’s why I coach.

No, you take what comes with coaching. As a Victorian, what’s the biggest diﬀerence between the football culture in Western Australia and Victoria?

As a player, you only ever played under Kevin Sheedy. How big an inﬂuence has he been on your coaching?

He certainly gave me the basic platform. I also took a bit of Chris Connolly from seeing how he operates, then you have to evolve yourself. Ultimately, it’s what you believe, how you develop your philosophy about the game and how it should be played. You played in three premierships at Essendon. If you were to coach Fremantle to a ﬂag, how do you think that would compare?

It’s something I haven’t thought about. I would just be really pleased for the playing group because I know how hard they work. I’m not an egotistical coach. I’d very much take it like, ‘This is fantastic for Fremantle Football Club’.

22 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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MAKING PROGRESS:

Mark Harvey enjoys pushing players to improve and strive for success.

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He thrives on the thrill of battle and enjoys joys cer, but b his reputation as Port Adelaide’s enforcer, vealss he premiership ruckman Dean Brogan reveals does have a softer side. NICK BOWEN ean Brogan is a straightshooter who tells it like it is. “I play with a lot of emotion and a lot of passion. Sometimes I am going to border on white-line fever and I can go too far, but I make no apologies for that.” His comments come in response to a question about his clash with Essendon’s Andrew Lovett in round one this season. Before the ball was bounced to start the game, Brogan let Lovett know he was in his (and the Power’s) sights. As has been widely publicised – and criticised by some – Brogan gave Lovett a spray, then pointed to his eyes with two ﬁngers and then at Lovett to let him know he would be watching him. In fairness, such byplay is not uncommon in the AFL. But after the quartertime siren, Brogan followed it up by bumping Lovett from behind, sending him sprawling to the turf.

As bumps go, it wass at cale ca le.. the minor end of the sscale. Br rog oga a an But it was enough for B Brogan ne w eeek, to be suspended for one week, utsi side d the fact it occurred outside he of the play and after the he siren counting againstt the Port big man. incideen nt Brogan regrets the incident ut sa ssays y ys and the suspension, bu but ge tthe he he would never change take kess on aggressive mindset hee ta takes ch. ch to the ﬁeld every match. ime again ag gai an “Look, if I had my time hing hi ng gs I’d obviously do a few tthings nd onee differently … but round gam amee for for was a very important game us,” Brogan says. g for fo or “We’d been training nd d four or ﬁve months and avil av ilyy we’d focused very heavily me o off on Essendon and some their good players. d “And I just wanted to come out and set thee oin ing g tone, get my game going used and get my team focused and ready to go.” nd Speak to Brogan and tal alk k you’ll often hear him talk

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 57

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of “setting the tone”. Watch him closely during a game and you’ll soon see what he’s talking about. In his 10th season at the Power and having assumed the No. 1 ruck mantle from long-time partner Brendon Lade mid-way through last season, Brogan has become one of the most vocal Power players on the field, particularly at centre bounces. He constantly barks instructions at his midfielders, telling them what to do and where to go. He calls it “setting the tone”; others might know it better as leadership. Whatever you call it, it’s been a much-needed commodity at Alberton Oval this season. The Power entered the season with high expectations, with many commentators predicting they would put a difficult 2008 behind them and return to the finals, perhaps even the top four. But Port has been frustratingly inconsistent. Its band of quick, skilled midfielders have made it look a team to be reckoned with at times. But capitulations in other games have sparked suggestions it can’t cope when the opposition plays contested, hard-checking, football. When the AFL Record spoke to Brogan over the phone recently, his frustration at the Power’s inconsistency this season – they sit 10th on the ladder with a six-seven win-loss record – was evident. In an early morning conversation that stretched on

Two-sport star In the space of just six years, Dean Brogan became the ﬁrst man to be part of an NBL championship (with the Adelaide 36ers in 1998) and an AFL premiership (with Port Adelaide in 2004). After playing both sports as a junior, Brogan dedicated himself to basketball from the ages of 16-20. But when his new NBL team, the Newcastle Falcons, went bankrupt, he returned to football with South Adelaide in the SANFL in 2000. From there, Brogan made the transition from elite basketballer to elite footballer remarkably quickly, but says it took about two years before

We have really bad quarters and let teams kick a lot of quick goals on us and that may give the perception that we’re soft DEAN BROGAN

for nearly half an hour, Brogan’s passion for his club and football shone through. Down-to-earth and friendly, he answered questions expansively and with refreshing honesty, but the thing that struck most was his desire to help turn things around for Port in the second half of the season. Asked about the perception Port prefers to play open, uncontested football, Brogan sees this for what it is – a euphemistic way of saying his club is soft. he felt like a footballer again. “It took a long time to get my body right, to get my mind right and to wrap my head around the football lifestyle and the footy culture compared to basketball,” he says. In The Skills of Australian Football (Slattery Media Group, 2009), Brogan says the most diﬃcult part of his transition was the gruelling nature of Australian Football. “Basketball is pretty much a non-contact sport, and going from the small dimensions of a basketball court to a football oval created a lot more wear and tear on the body,” he says. “For the ﬁrst year or two at Port, I really struggled backing

Soft and Brogan – these are two words you don’t often hear in the same sentence. The 200cm, 101kg ruckman throws himself into ruck contests with little or no regard for his body, and is not in the habit of shirking contests around the ground. Not surprisingly, then, he takes issue – but no offence – with any suggestion his team shies away from contests. While acknowledging Port Adelaide can improve its hard-ball gets and tackling, he says the team’s statistics in these areas are up this year, and the inconsistency is more a product of the side’s youth, especially in the backline. “We don’t come out and have a bad game, we have really bad quarters and let teams kick a lot of quick goals on us and that may give the perception that we’re soft,” Brogan says. “But I don’t think that’s the case at all. We’ve got a pretty young list, especially in the backline, and … if they make a few mistakes, good sides feed off that and can punish you, so it’s easy to lose your confidence.” Brogan remains confident, however, the Power can up from games – it would take me four or five days to get over it. I wasn’t used to all of the bumps and bruises you pick up.” Brogan also had to fast-track his football skills, neglected during his basketball career. “Obviously, the basics of kicking, hitting targets and reading the play took time to master, but the more you play, the better you get,” he says. Brogan also says he was blessed to walk into Port Adelaide when it had such a strong ruck division, describing the opportunity to work with Matthew Primus, Brendon Lade and Barnaby French as pivotal to his development.

become more consistent and make the finals. He also believes he has a key role to play in ensuring this happens. “Being an older player and being the starting ruckman most weeks, it’s my duty to lead and direct my midfield,” Brogan says. “It’s my time to be a leader to help (captain) Dom Cassisi out this year, especially because Shaun Burgoyne (vice-captain) has been out and Kane Cornes is a great leader but probably not as vocal as some other players on the field. “I feel very comfortable in directing and ordering. It’s something I’ve worked really hard on, especially over the past couple of seasons, and the feedback I’ve had from my teammates is that they like me doing things like that.” As passionate as Brogan is about his club and leading them back up the ladder, he is just as passionate about Australian Football. Throughout our conversation, he often uses the word love to describe his relationship with the game. He loves playing in the ruck and loves being the No. 1 ruckman at Port Adelaide – though he immediately adds Lade is still a great player and shares Port’s rucking responsibilities equally. He loves contesting a game’s opening centre bounce – “I love being out there right at the start setting the tone tone”.. And he

HOOPING IT UP:

Dean Brogan in his playing days with the Adelaide 36ers.

NICK BOWEN

58 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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BATTLE OF THE BIG MEN:

Dean Brogan enjoys the challenge of taking on the best ruckmen, including Sydney’s Darren Jolly.

loves the challenge of playing against the game’s best ruckmen – Fremantle’s 211cm Aaron Sandilands (“You know you’re not going to win a lot of taps”) and West Coast’s four-time All-Australian Dean Cox (“You know you’re going to be in for a big running game, about 12-13km”). Remarkably, though, Brogan turned his back on football in his teens. Despite playing as a junior in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, basketball took over Brogan’s sporting life when he was 16, and he devoted the next four years to it, ﬁrst at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra and then in the National Basketball League with the Adelaide 36ers. Although he won an NBL championship with the 36ers in 1998, he missed football. (When he later was a member of the Power’s 2004 premiership team, he became the ﬁrst person to win both an NBL title and an AFL premiership.)

Being an older player and being the starting ruckman most weeks, it’s my duty to lead and direct my midfield. It’s my time to be a leader By the time he was 20, he quit basketball and returned to football with South Adelaide in the SANFL. Initially, he held no great hopes of breaking into the AFL, but pretty soon Port Adelaide liked what it saw of him with the Panthers and drafted him as a rookie in 2000. Brogan says he was fortunate to be drafted to Port at the time, because he had first-class ruckmen such as Matthew Primus and Lade to learn from, while the depth of the club’s ruck division meant he was given the time he needed to develop in the SANFL. “I wasn’t thrown into the deep end,” he says. “I spent two years in the SANFL learning how to play ruck. “It’s a very hard position and, if you look at most ruckmen around the League, the real good ones – Cox, (Darren) Jolly, (Josh) AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au 59

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Fraser and Sandilands – they’re all in their late 20s.” As menacing as Brogan can look when he psychs himself up before a centre bounce, he freely admits he has a softer side away from the football spotlight. First, there’s Brogan the family man. He and partner Joanna are the proud parents of a four-year-old daughter, Charlie. “To come home and have her smile at me and call me Daddy, the stresses of dayto-day life and footy aren’t so important,” Brogan says. “She’s my only child and she gets spoilt rotten.” So taken is he with fatherhood, Brogan concedes he would like another child, but not until Joanna has completed her university studies. Brogan is also a dedicated moisturiser. He confessed as much when quizzed about the fact Michael Wilson, Toby Thurstans, Chad and Kane Cornes, Lade and Warren Tredrea, among others, had nominated him in their 2007 AFL Record player proﬁles as the Port player most likely to attend a day spa. “After games, I’m always putting moisturiser on and anti-wrinkle cream. I just like looking after myself,” he says, with a laugh. “I’m not that vain, it’s just that we’re out in the sun all the time and I don’t want to look 50 when I’m actually 30.

“The funny thing is, the rest of the boys are all doing it now too. They’re just not as open about it as I am.” It’s just another way other players follow Brogan’s lead at Port. Not surprisingly, given such growing leadership skills, Brogan is considering a career in coaching after he retires and has already completed AFL Level 1 and Level 2 coaching courses. But, for now, he remains focused on his playing career. Contracted to the Power until the end of 2010 with an option to play on in 2011, Brogan says he will play for as long as his form and body allow. “As I’ve said, it takes a long time to really grasp the ruck position, so (despite) being 30, I still feel like I’m improving every year and playing good footy and still have a lot to offer my team. “I just love it.” FAC T F I L E

FOCUSED:

Dean Brogan is considering a career in coaching after he retires.

Dean Brogan Born: December 14, 1978 Recruited from: South Adelaide Debut: Round 9, 2001 Height: 200cm Weight: 101kg Games: 134 Goals: 41 Player Honours: Premiership side 2004 Brownlow medal: 11 votes

COURAGE, INITIATIVE AND TEAMWORK ON AND OFF THE FIELD. Voting is now open in the 2009 AFL Army Award. Get online at afl.com.au or SMS ‘Courage’ to 13 19 01 and pick the play of the round and you could have the chance to win an awesome Army experience for you and a mate.

Authorised under VIC Permit number 09/1090, NSW LTPS/09/2684, ACT TP09/1133, SA T09/690. Entries close 7/9/09. See afl.com.au for full terms and conditions. AFL Authorisation Code: GFAFL09/29

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N AT H A N E AG L E T O N – 2 5 0 G A M E S

Surviving and

thriving After turning his back on a promising tennis career, Nathan Eagleton has overcome his share of setbacks – including a heart scare and a shock trade from his original club – to carve a superb career at the Western Bulldogs. BEN COL LINS

t’s a trivia question that might even stump the Bruce McAvaneys of the world. Of all the talented youngsters who earned spots on Port Adelaide’s inaugural playing list back in 1997, who has played the most games? To most, Power stalwarts Warren Tredrea and Peter Burgoyne would appear the obvious candidates. Even veteran ruckman Brendon Lade – the oldest player on Port’s list – might rate a mention. It’s fair to say very few people would supply the correct answer – Nathan Eagleton. That’s right, Eagleton – the will-’o-the-wisp midﬁelder/forward who played 56 games in three seasons for Port Adelaide before adding, at last count, a further 193 games in nine-and-ahalf years with the Western Bulldogs. That it’s such a surprising revelation is not meant as an insult to Eagleton; it’s actually a tribute to his ability to ﬁnd a way to survive, and thrive, after his career had appeared at the crossroads on several occasions. This weekend, Eagleton hits his 250th game full of steam, after collecting 23 disposals, six inside 50s and two goals, including the sealer, against North Melbourne last week. But it’s a milestone that has snuck up on many observers.

AR14 p63-68 Nathan Eagleton.indd 63

Just how a shaven-headed speedster with a left-foot rocket-launcher can seemingly ﬂy under the radar for 12-anda-half seasons is one of football’s curious anomalies. But therein lies part of Eagleton’s beauty: while higher-proﬁle teammates have drawn most of the heat, he has, by stealth, hurt the opposition with his pace and precision. That’s not to say he hasn’t drawn the heat himself, because he has. At his best, Eagleton is a line-breaking runner and line-leaping kick – a classic 80-metre player who can carry the ball 20 metres and then thump it 60, occasionally for goals. He is the type of player who has become increasingly valuable in the modern game, where penetration of defensive zones, and ‘making it over the next line’, has become paramount. The 30-year-old has carved out a career of genuine substance, and has been a particularly bankable performer since mid-2003. But for various reasons, he wasn’t always regarded so highly, or with such reliability. A major health scare and a mid-career form slump threatened to ground the man they call ‘The Bald Eagle’.

1/7/09 4:59:39 PM

nitially, another sporting interest – tennis – threatened Eagleton’s football career. After trying cricket with his mates and quitting after just half a season because he became too bored while fielding, he found tennis a more stimulating and active summer alternative. A talented left-hander who would “change it up all the time – double-handed backhands, single-handed, whatever”, he got lessons, played junior tournaments on the Adelaide tennis circuit and was selected in McDonald’s squads for promising youngsters. Although it’s difficult to imagine, given the composure he displays on the football field, Eagleton confesses to throwing the odd tennis tantrum. “There was the odd occasion where my racquet mysteriously disappeared over the fence,” he admits. “But I have to give credit to my youngest brother Jonathan for making a real habit of that. Hey, it can be a frustrating sport.” Not as frustrating as being forced to make a choice between football and tennis when he was “15 or 16”. Eagleton chose footy, largely because it was a team sport. However, the benefits of tennis bled into his football. “To be a good tennis player,” he explains, “you need things like agility, hand-eye coordination, sharp reflexes and concentration to focus on the smaller object of a tennis ball. I suppose those kinds of things helped my footy a bit.” Although he doesn’t even play tennis socially now, citing

the demands of AFL footy, he says: “One day I’d love to get back into it and get a team together with my brothers.” He is the eldest of four boys, each separated by two years. (Nathan is 30, Damian 28, Michael jnr 26 and Jonathan 24). Their parents, Michael snr (originally from Melbourne), and Shirley (from Sydney) raised them in the dreamily named south Adelaide suburb of Happy Valley. Like his father, Nathan was a Hawthorn supporter. He claims he can remember the 1991 Grand Final kick-by-kick, along with most of the commentary. Not surprisingly, he idolised a little man, Hawk champion John Platten. “I had his number 44 on my back,” he says. “But unfortunately, I didn’t end up with a head of hair like his!” Eagleton’s 10th AFL game (against Hawthorn at Waverley) was Platten’s 250th. “He kicked a barrel for a goal,” says Eagleton, who didn’t know whether to cheer or jeer. Eagleton’s ﬁrst club was the Happy Valley Vikings – the same club that produced Richmond’s Matthew Rogers before him, and West Coast’s Beau Waters after him. He played under-16s on Saturdays and turned out with the men on Sundays. “I just tried to whizz in and out of the old blokes,” he recalls. “I played in the midﬁeld and loved kicking a goal, and still do now, so nothing’s changed.” This year, Eagleton became the No. 1 ticket-holder at Happy Valley. He’s proud of that, especially with brother Jonathan still playing in the seniors. “It’s important

AGEING GRACEFULLY: Nathan Eagleton (left) has become an increasingly

important player in the modern game, with his pace and penetrating kicking.

MARATHON M A ATHON MEN MEN Thee most T o durable d rable a e players pla a ers r from r m Port o Adelaide’s A l d inaugural ina i ug ral class c s of o ’97. ’977 Player l e

Games a e

Nathan Eagleton Warren Tredrea Peter Burgoyne Brendon Lade Stuart Dew *Michael Wilson Tom Harley * Retired

249 (PA 56, WB 193) 240 236 225 206 (PA 180, Haw 26) 192 189 (PA 1, Geel 188)

64 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

AR14 p63-68 Nathan Eagleton.indd 64

1/7/09 4:59:58 PM

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1/7/09 4:41:30 PM

to remember where you come from,” he says. Eagleton was invited to SANFL club West Adelaide at under-17 level and made rapid progress to senior football. He represented South Australia in the under-18s championships, but felt fortunate to be chosen by Port Adelaide as a zone selection for its first AFL season. As an 18-year-old listed at 176cm and 72kg (he’s now 4cm taller and about 11kg heavier), he played the last 18 games of the 1997 season, contributing a wayward 10.23. “With Port being a new club, it gave me an opportunity at AFL level a bit sooner than I probably should have,” he says. “Initially, I was just happy to get a game.” Although he had a terrific second season, finishing equal ninth (with Tredrea) in Port’s best and fairest, kicking 24.18 and representing Australia in the 1999 International Rules Series in Ireland, Eagleton’s time at Alberton Oval was perhaps most notable, unfortunately so, for an on-field blackout that cast a cloud over his future in the game. In round 15, 1999, Eagleton was standing on the edge of the centre square waiting for a centre bounce when he started feeling dizzy and collapsed facefirst. Despite the seriousness, Eagleton can still find a laugh in it. “I keeled over into the square and they gave a free kick against me, which was a bit harsh!” He was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which Eagleton says is “a long name for

It was a good move. The Dogs wanted me to be a 10-year player for them, and we’ve reached that goal NATHAN EAGLETON

what was basically an irregular heartbeat”. “It’s happened to guys at training, but I think I’m the only one it’s happened to out on the ﬁeld,” he says. He underwent heart surgery (via ‘keyholes’ in the groin and neck) and despite initially fearing such an operation would sideline him for up to 12 months, he was playing again in three weeks. “As a 20-year-old, I thought: ‘It’s just like a hamstring,’” he says. “But in hindsight, it was a pretty big thing to get through that and be able to contribute.” His good fortune has been reinforced in discussions with Bulldogs runner John Stevens, the former Swans player who had heart surgery as a teenager. “He had the same sort of problem,” Eagleton says, “but he had open-heart surgery, so there was a lot more risk involved. It’s amazing how medical techniques improve.” Apart from a routine post-surgery check-up a week later, Eagleton hasn’t had any issues since. In fact, his on-ﬁeld fall was the only time he has experienced symptoms. “Having kids makes me realise how big it was,” he says. “But I’ll just keep living the way I’m living and enjoying life and keep trying to get a kick.”

During a crazy trade week at the end of 1999, Eagleton didn’t know where he was going to be having a kick. He signed a two-year deal with Port on the Monday but was a Bulldogs player by the Thursday, as part of a trade for Brett Montgomery. “It was a whirlwind; a weird time in my life,” he says. “But it was a good move. The Dogs wanted me to be a 10-year player for them, and we’ve reached that goal.” But, unlike his former Power teammates, he is yet to achieve his burning ambition of winning a premiership side. He hasn’t played in a Grand Final at any level. When Port won the 2004 flag, many people in Eagleton’s position would have thought: ‘That could’ve been me.’ But not Eagleton. “If they won the flag the year after I left, I might have thought that way,” he says. “But five years is a long time, and I’d well and truly moved on. I was actually really happy for the guys I’d played with at Port. That’s our goal here.” After initially finding it hard to leave behind his parents and younger brothers (“the hardest part has been missing out on a lot of their lives,” he says), Eagleton says the Bulldogs immediately made him at home. But the relationship was tested at times. In 2002 and 2003, Eagleton found himself

FAC T F I L E

Nathan Eagleton Born: November 10, 1978 Recruited from: West Adelaide; Port Adelaide Debut: Round 5, 1997 Height: 180cm Weight: 84kg Games: 249 (Port Adelaide 56; Western Bulldogs 193) Goals: 209 (Port Adelaide 45; Western Bulldogs 164) Player Honours: International Rules Series 1999, 2005; AFL Rising Star nominee 1997 Brownlow Medal: Career votes 34

EARLY DAYS:

Eagleton played 56 games for the Power before being traded.

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in the VFL for long stretches. Although he never lost his self-belief, he knew something had to give. He recalls looking up at the scoreboard one day and noticing he had “about 125 games and 125 goals” to his name and resolving that it wouldn’t be the sum total of his AFL career. A fateful discussion with coach Peter Rohde and assistant coach Chris Bond resurrected his career. He told them: “This just isn’t working. I’ve got to get back into the midﬁeld – that’s what I came here to do.” He was assigned run-with roles on some of the all-time greats, including Ben Cousins, Shane Crawford and Robert Harvey, and seemed to add a harder edge to his game. “Seeing how they went about getting a kick helped me do the same,” he says. “Five or six games later, they (opponents) were starting to come to me again.” Eagleton has been consistently good in the six years since, averaging 18.4 disposals and goal a game. In 2004, he earned a career-best fourth placing in the Dogs’ best and fairest. He simpliﬁes his task by breaking games down into smaller compartments. “Each quarter, I want six touches and a couple of tackles,” he says. “That’s a touch every

HAIR OF THE DOG IN FULL FLIGHT:

The bald facts

Eagleton comes out of contract at the end of this year, but with his body sound and displaying good form, he is hopeful of continuing next season.

ﬁve minutes. It doesn’t sound like much, but it does at the end of the game when you’ve got 25-plus touches. But it’s harder than it sounds.” Eagleton comes out of contract at the end of the season, but is hopeful of signing another deal soon. The body’s good, and so is the form. “I can’t see why I can’t

go again next year,” he says. When it does end, Eagleton and wife Angela, along with their sons Kyan, four, and Lucas, two, are likely to return to Adelaide. He sees a future in football, perhaps in junior development. With his experiences in football and life, he has much to impart.

The unflappable Nathan Eagleton becomes quite jovial when asked to explain the hairstyle – or lack thereof – that led to his amusing nickname, ‘The Bald Eagle’. “It wasn’t very inventive, was it?” he says of his moniker. “I shaved my head and my name’s Eagleton, so ‘The Bald Eagle’ was pretty obvious.” He laughs as he explains his decision to go for the nude noggin. “I was watching a review of a game we played against Sydney in bright sunshine at the SCG, and my head was glistening, and the hair was a bit wavy and thin and flapping about. I thought: ‘It’s gotta go.’ I shaved it off the next day. “Then I just kept it short, but that didn’t look too good, either, so I went No. 1 with the clippers. I ended up shaving it completely. I shave my face and twice a week I do the top with a razor. It’s easy to maintain. I did that at 24, and I probably held on to it a couple of years longer than I should’ve. I’d also hooked up with (now wife) Angela and thought: ‘I can lose the hair now.’ I’ve copped plenty of flak over the years about it, but that’s OK. At least I haven’t gone to Advanced Hair and tried to fix it up!”

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AR14 p63-68 Nathan Eagleton.indd 68

1/7/09 5:00:29 PM

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time on

YOUNG STARS

p78

Answer man

AFL history guru Col Hutchinson answers your y queries. q

NAME GAME

Cultivating friends

Kick it to me, Dad! What is the closest we have come to a father and son playing in the same team at AFL level? JONATHAN MARRIOTT, VIA EMAIL

CH: The closest a father-son

combination has come to playing together occurred on May 11, 1912, when Bert Rankin (19 at the time) represented the Cats for the first time. Just one year and 321 days earlier, he had witnessed his father, Teddy (38), run around in the blue and white hoops for the last time. Syd Barker snr was a member of the North Melbourne team in 1927. Syd jnr gained selection for the Shinboners at 18, just four days short of three years after his dad’s last match, aged 39. Ted Whitten snr made his final appearance for the Bulldogs in 1970, aged 36. Ted jnr first

LIKE FATHER L FATHER, LIKE SON SON:

F Former Footscray champion T Ted Whitten (left) retired only ﬁve years before Ted jnr (right) p played for the Bulldogs.

donned a Bulldogs’ guernsey just under ﬁve years later, aged 17. Gary Ablett snr’s farewell (at 34) and his older son’s debut (17) were separated by ﬁve years and 204 days.

WRITE TO ANSWER MAN The Slattery Media Group 140 Harbour Esplanade Docklands, 3008 or email michaell@slatterymedia.com

P L AY E R I N F O R M AT I O N S E A R C H

Are you, or do you know, descendants of former St Kilda players Stanley Sheehan or Reginald George Joseph Gregson? Sheehan played the first of his five matches as a 180cm, 80kg half-forward flanker in the opening round of 1910, after being recruited from Albert Park. Exactly a year later, Gregson made his debut as a former Dandenong player, aged about 19. He was a strong 184cm

and 83kg centre half-forward, who was selected three times in 1911. He made his farewell appearance as an unusually large wingman. It is known that he died on January 17, 1938. Brothers Jimmy and Jack Sheehan represented the Saints and Collingwood respectively in

the same era. There is a possibility they are related to Stan. Should you have any information regarding Sheehan or Gregson, including their dates of birth, contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col. hutchinson@aﬂ.com.au.

Fremantle’s Matthew de Boer (pictured) should be a good teammate if his name is anything to go by. Students of history will recall the Boer War in South Africa (1899-1902) involving the British settlers and the Dutch farmers (the Boers). Boer is a Dutch equivalent of the German Bauer, a status name for a peasant/farmer or a nickname meaning neighbour/fellow citizen. Bauer originally meant the occupier of a bur, a small dwelling or building. This later was fused with the old German word buwaere, a cultivator (i.e., a farmer) or, later, a builder. Bauer, as a surname, acquired the two possible senses of “peasant” or “neighbour”. AFL players with related names are Jarrad Boumann (Western Bulldogs) and Paul Bower (Carlton). Farming, being such an ancient occupation, provides a surname in many languages. Jason Akermanis’ surname is from the Latvian for farmer. Eight Farmers have played AFL/ VFL football. KEVAN CARROLL

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TIPSTERS

MICK Collingwood West Coast Eagles Brisbane Lions Richmond Western Bulldogs Sydney Swans Geelong Cats Fremantle

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AR14 p70 Ask Col.indd 70

LEHMO Collingwood West Coast Eagles Brisbane Lions Adelaide Hawthorn Sydney Swans Geelong Cats Carlton

DAVE Collingwood Melbourne Brisbane Lions Adelaide Western Bulldogs Sydney Swans St Kilda Carlton

STRAUCHANIE Essendon Melbourne Port Adelaide Richmond Hawthorn North Melbourne St Kilda Fremantle

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1/7/09 11:46:41 AM

1/7/09 4:55:33 PM

timeon

KNOWLEDGE AC R O S S 1 A gathering, part of kicking

DOWN 1

Malady aﬀecting a player wanting to return to his own state (8)

2 4

Handball or kick (8)

out strategy (6)

3 On-ﬁeld term, derived from a house, as in down the middle (8)

8 Four weeks, if the ...... pulled is the hamstring (6)

10 ‘King Richard’, the youngest

5 Late, legendary Channel 7 boss (3, 5) 6 Young ruckman Adrian ...... drafted by

Brownlow medallist (8)

12 Alan ........ took over Ted Whitten’s No. 3; no relation to former Geelong captain (8)

13 The Macedonian Marvel (6) 15 Older brother of Port Adelaide’s

Blues in 2003 (6)

7 9

all-time greats (3, 4)

21 25 26 28 29 30

Penalty perhaps for wrestle, or melee (4) Former Cat forward from West Coast (6) Coach’s strategy for a match (4, 4) St Kilda’s Leigh ........ (8)

31 “.. are the Navy Blues” (2)

A serious penalty applies if one of these is told to tribunal (3) rover known as ‘The Count’. Now radio stats man (7)

14 Former Collingwood skipper, brother of 1990 premiership captain (3, 4)

17 18 19 22 23

Descriptive term for a very hard hit (6) A player’s worst fear at end of season – that he will be ........ (8)

Defenders try to ...... opposition thrusts (6)

11 Paul ......., a former diminutive Saints

Kane (4)

16 Transferred to another club (7) 20 Rated one of Collingwood’s

Clubs in debt would understand this verb (3)

Former AFL chairman (3, 5) Ex Crow, Rhett ........ (8) ‘Sticks’ (8) The opposition, as in us and .... (4) One or two ﬁngers by a goal umpire, for example (6)

24 Former brilliant St Kilda goalkicker ...... Young (6)

27 The dreaded .... injury (4)

32 Father/... rule (3)

End riches

Cryptic footballers 1. Demon who has

Power’s measure. 2. Big comeback’s on

for Kangaroo. 3. Bloke getting nothing in return at Port Adelaide. 4. Saint recruited from Sunshine? 5. Swan initially had everything. 6. Poor streak for Eagle. 7. Bulldog’s broken finger about first of February. 8. Bad things followed first kick for Crow. 9. Ian Cover disturbed – not in for Cat. 10.For Blue, a love returns to football firstly.

He said what? Who made this comment last week?

Mick said a few of us needed to lift at half-time, and I gathered that was me because I did absolutely stuﬀ-all in the ﬁrst half

1. Dale 2. Dane Thomas Swan

THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS

3. Leon Davis

SCRAMBLED FOOTBALLER: Schneider CRYPTIC FOOTBALLERS: 1. Watts 2. Gibson 3. Chaplin 4. Ray 5. Hall 6. Staker 7. Griﬀen 8. Knights 9. Varcoe 10. Fevola HE SAID WHAT? 1. Dale Thomas

Scrambled footballer

A Dick Reynolds Club Invitation The launch of the book you will all want to read Exclusive personalised signed copy offer only $49.99 Come along and hear from the Daniher family themselves, how their story unfolded. Venue: The Palladium - Crown Casino Date: Wednesday Aug 5th 2009 Time: 12.00 noon - 3.00pm

Cost: DRC Members $100 per person Non Members $115 per person

Time: 12.00 noon - 3.00pm

To book a seat or a table or to order your personalised copy of the book: Phone 9230 0300 Marketing Services or visit essendonfc.com.au/events

Offer must close July 10th 2009

72 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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WHERE’S WALLY

Powerless at the Cattery With its country charm, the trip to Geelong is an enjoyable experience for all … except opposition teams, that is. A NDR EW WA L L ACE

or visiting AFL clubs, a trip to Geelong’s Skilled Stadium has become a cross between a prolonged stay with elderly in-laws, a root canal without anesthetic and fronting a theatre full of people while not wearing pants. Before last week’s match, away teams had lost the previous 12 games at the ‘Cattery’ by an average of 55 points. Coincidentally, round 13 opponent Port Adelaide was the last team to defeat the Cats on home turf, back in round 21, 2007, but these days not even wily Power coach Mark Williams bothers with mind games before the most feared of road trips. That’d be like sledging the judge before sentencing. However, for football purists, venturing to the home of the Cats is the chance to catch one of the greatest teams of the modern era – up close and personal at an old-school venue. By car, Geelong is a 75km journey down the Princes Highway from Melbourne, or just a 20-minute trip if you’re jetting in from nearby Avalon airport. A fun game to play as you approach the town centre is to count all the signs, ﬂags, posters, ﬂyers, billboards and advertisements shamelessly spruiking the Cats. Could have sworn there weren’t quite so many in 2006 …

COUNTRY HOSPITALITY: C

(from top left) Wally hitches a ride down the Princes Highway; lends his support tto a bagpipe-playing Geelong ‘‘fan’; enjoys a hot drink from his trusty Thermos; blends in with the parochial Geelong crowd at the ‘old-school’ S Skilled Stadium; and gets up close to the action in his ffront row seat as the Cats put the visiting Port Adelaide to the sword to record their 13th successive victory on home turf.

Walking from my car to tthe admission gates at Skilled Stadium, I notice a female bagpipe player fully decked out in Geelong gear, belting out the Cats’ familiar theme song, We Are Geelong. Funnily enough, this young lady with a case full of coins, looks strangely similar to a female bagpipe player fully decked out in Magpie gear I had noticed playing Good Old Collingwood Forever the previous day at the MCG. As expected, Geelong jumps Port Adelaide and skips to a 40-point lead at the first change. The Cats’ faithful, 99 per cent of which surely have Gary Ablett permanent captain of their Dream Team, look on smugly as the Brownlow favourite shortens his odds even further. The shell-shocked Power team congregates near my boundary line position for its quarter-time huddle, allowing nearby fans to offer some insightful observations. “Seem a tad familiar, Port?” yells a middle-aged fan from the sea of blue and white behind me, subtly referring to the 2007 Grand Final whitewash. Which I’m sure is highly appreciated. Although the Cats do not match the ruthlessness shown in the ’07 decider, they cruise to a comfortable victory, and I decide to sneak out with five minutes left to beat the traffic. Keen to hear their song once again, barely any locals follow suit, leaving me – and any Port fans brave enough to have made the trip – a clean exit. As I pass back through the gates, promotional staff are handing out free cartons of milk. These Cats really do have the cream. Andrew ‘Wally’ Wallace travelled to Geelong courtesy of Jetstar.

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1/7/09 4:58:17 PM

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NAB AFL RISING STAR

Oﬀ and running Dashing Essendon defender Tayte Pears believes the best form of defence is attack.

ayte Pears didn’t say much after last week’s thumping win over Carlton. Perhaps it was because the 19-year-old Essendon defender is naturally quiet and not familiar with the media spotlight. Or perhaps it was because he simply didn’t have to say much. After playing such an important role in his team’s seventh win of the year, Pears’ actions had said enough. Pears held Carlton full-forward Brendan Fevola to just two goals, while collecting 21 possessions. In the crucial third quarter, Pears made two game-breaking runs down the wing, on both occasions setting up goals while Fevola watched from full-forward. His efforts earned him the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for round 13. “It was deﬁnitely very exciting running down the wing with the crowd roaring. It’s not something I do very often but I went on a couple of big runs and had a few bounces, so it was good to get up the ground,” Pears said. “It’s a big focus every week for the backmen to run off and create and, on Friday night, I was just looking to get on the end of a few and it worked out well.” “‘Fev’ wasn’t really chasing me up the ground so I said to the boys to get the ball in my hands because I had space. They did that and it worked.” Pears, taken with pick 23 at the 2007 NAB AFL Draft,

C A L LU M T WOMEY

It was deﬁnitely very exciting running down the wing with the crowd roaring ... it’s a big focus for the backmen to run oﬀ and create

NAB AFL Rising Star nominees Round 1 – Daniel Rich (BL) Round 2 – David Zaharakis (Ess) Round 3 – Patrick Dangerﬁeld (Adel) Round 4 – Jaxson Barham (Coll) Round 5 – Garry Moss (Haw) Round 6 – Stephen Hill (Frem) Round 7 – Jack Ziebell (NM) Round 8 – Jarryn Geary (StK) Round 9 – Andy Otten (Adel) Round 10 – Taylor Walker (Adel) Round 11 – Brad Dick (Coll) Round 12 – Aaron Joseph (Carl) Round 13 – Tayte Pears (Ess)

HIGH FIVE

He hails from WA town Manjimup, 300km south of Perth.

debuted in round four last year against the Western Bulldogs. He ﬁnished the season with ﬁve games to his name, but has played every match of 2009. He has impressed many with his attack on the ball, sure skills, agility and poise as an emerging part of the Bombers’ developing backline. Pears’ story resembles that of his mentor Dustin Fletcher, who in 1993 as an 18-year-old played on the competition’s star forwards. In a young backline, the West Australian-born Pears

has ﬂourished with the extra responsibility, taking on the likes of Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich, the Brisbane Lions’ Daniel Bradshaw, Hawk Jarryd Roughead and Fevola. “I try not to think about them too much and just go about my own football,” Pears said. “I’m still learning the game as a key defender. It’s going to take a while but, on Friday night, I learned a lot, like I do every week. I’m getting there.” Good judges would suggest Pears is well on his way to doing just that.

2 Shares a house in

Essendon with teammate Hayden Skipworth and Skipworth’s girlfriend.

3 Is looking into studying small business.

Favourite movie is

4 Anchorman, starring Will Ferrell. Loves clothes shopping and says spending money on clothes is his biggest weakness.

Each week throughout the home and away season, a panel of judges will select the nominee for the 2009 NAB AFL Rising Star. At the completion of the season, one outstanding player will be chosen as the 2009 NAB AFL Rising Star winner. He will receive an investment folio, a dedicated personal banker, a financial planner and the Ron Evans Medal, all courtesy of the NAB. The NAB Rising Star award is the final stage of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.

76 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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TALKING POINT

Another path to AFL AFL clubs will continue to scour state leagues for mature-aged recruits. cruits. NICK BOW EN

he nation’s best youngsters remain the most dazzling jewels on offer at draft time each year, but recruiters are increasingly unearthing mature-aged gems hidden in Australia’s premier state leagues. This year, the pick of 2008’s outstanding juniors have sparkled. Top-10 draft picks such as the Brisbane Lions’ Daniel Rich, Fremantle’s Stephen Hill, North Melbourne’s Jack Ziebell, Port Adelaide’s Hamish Hartlett and, most recently and breathtakingly, West Coast’s Nick Naitanui, have all looked at home at the elite level and loom as outstanding long-term prospects. None of which is surprising. All, except Hill, were past members of the AIS-Academy, which each year includes the best 30 youngsters from around Australia, while Hill showcased his talents with an outstanding carnival at last year’s NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. For their respective AFL clubs, drafting them was a no-brainer. Where recruiters really earn their money is in their selections beyond such blue-chip youngsters. And, increasingly with such selections, they are having success with players who were overlooked when they ﬁrst nominated for the draft. Players who went back to the VFL, SANFL or WAFL, and worked hard to improve deﬁciencies in their games. Their names may not excite supporters as much as the big-name juniors when they are read out on draft day, but, unlike many youngsters who take several seasons to develop, they can often step into senior football immediately and play important roles.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT:

At 22, Liam Picken has proven to be a ready-made run-with player for the Western Bulldogs.

Their names may not excite supporters ... but they can often step into senior football immediately and play important roles This year, we’ve seen former VFL players Liam Picken (Western Bulldogs), Robin Nahas (Richmond), Jason Davenport (Port Adelaide), Liam Jurrah (Melbourne) and Jarrod Silvester (Richmond) make their AFL debuts. Picken, 22, and Nahas, 21, in particular, have made signiﬁcant impacts. After several seasons with Williamstown, Picken has excelled as a quick, run-with player, his list of scalps

including North Melbourne skipper Brent Harvey, Adelaide’s Andrew McLeod, St Kilda’s Leigh Montagna and Richmond’s Brett Deledio. Similarly, former Port Melbourne small man Nahas has added a much-needed spark to Richmond’s forward line, with his pace, goalkicking and defensive pressure. Other mature-age debutants in 2009 have included former WAFL players Liam Anthony (North Melbourne) and Hayden Ballantyne and Greg Broughton (both Fremantle) and former SANFL player Nathan Grima (North Melbourne). Anthony, 21, made an excellent debut for the Kangaroos last round against the Western Bulldogs (28 possessions) and looks the

type of quick on-baller they desp desperately need to add pace and run to their midﬁeld. Te Teammate Grima, 23, has slott slotted in as a key defender, his ability to man one of the opposition’s power forwards allowing North to release Michael Firrito and Josh Gibson to more attacking roles. Broughton has also been an important player across half-back for the Dockers, most memorably performing well on Geelong star Steve Johnson in round 12. This season is by no means the ﬁrst that former state-league players have shown they can handle the considerable step up to the AFL. In recent seasons, Geelong’s Harry Taylor (WAFL) and Matthew Egan (VFL), the Lions’ Bradd Dalziell (WAFL), the Kangaroos’ Leigh Harding (VFL) and Corey Jones (SANFL), the Bulldogs’ Matthew Boyd and Ben Hudson (both VFL) and St Kilda’s Sam Fisher (SANFL) have joined the AFL as mature-aged recruits. While recruiters may have been seen as taking a risk on them at the time, all have proven important players. And with the pool of available young talent set to shrink with the draft concessions the Gold Coast and proposed western Sydney franchise will soon enjoy, clubs will presumably scrutinise the VFL, SANFL and WAFL more closely than ever, trying to identify players similarly capable of becoming valuable AFL performers. Their ability to unearth such mature-aged talent seems crucial to their fortunes over the coming seasons. Unearth a gem like Fisher, Boyd or Taylor, and they’ll be well placed to ride out the impact of the compromised drafts.

78 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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