AFL Record, Round 16 2009 by The Slattery Media Group

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE AFL GAME

Cameron Bruce 200 S E GAM

Thinking his way to 200 games

Andrew Thompson Still a loyal Saint

Andrew

Welsh

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66 IT’S ALL ABOUT IIT’S IT A T In part two ATTITUDE:

o off our series ‘Coaches o on Coaching’, Carlton ccoach Brett Ratten tal allks ks abo about tthe importance of talks creating the right culture at a club.

ROUND 16, JULY 17-19, 2009 F E AT U R E S

Andrew Welsh

Leading the Bombers to a September assault.

Brett Ratten

Building the ideal club culture.

Cameron Bruce

The dashing Demon plays his 200th game. 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.

78 82 84 86

Answer Man Testing your knowledge NAB AFL Rising Star Talking Point

The beauty of wet-weather football. THIS WEEK’S COVERS Bomber Andrew Welsh features on the national cover and there is a special Richmond-North Melbourne cover. Both covers were photographed by Michael Willson. Go to slatterymedia.com/images to order prints of these images.

A GAME’S NOT THE SAME WITHOUT THE FANS! 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 THE FOOTBALL WORLD

Likeable Hawk

Upside-down football

I’ve liked watching Campbell Brown for a long time. I’m not a Hawthorn supporter but I enjoy the way he goes about his footy. He’s as tough as nails, can play at either end of the ground and is not fazed playing on much bigger blokes. After reading the story on him in last week’s AFL Record, I like him even more. What a ripper bloke! When so many players these days are scared to say anything remotely controversial, his willingness to speak openly and show his emotions is refreshing. Good on you, Browny!

Geelong loses two games in a row and Melbourne wins two in a row – has the football world been turned upside down? But, seriously, well done Dees, it’s great to see the team playing with a bit of passion and ﬂair. Let’s hope we can keep it up against the Cats this weekend.

ROGER, TAILEM BEND, 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

TIM, CRANBOURNE, VIC

Bye bye, Barry It was nice to see Barry Hall get the farewell he deserved at the Sydney Swans-Essendon game last Saturday, but even nicer to see how much it meant to him. His tears showed how much

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

the club and the game meant to him. Hopefully, he can be remembered now for his deeds on the ﬁeld JAMES, MOSMAN, NSW

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

Fast and furious In round 16 last season, the AFL Record ran a cover story titled ‘The Need for Speed’, with extensive research into the growing pace of the game and its impact on aspects of the industry, including physical preparation, the use of technology, recruiting, rule changes and skill execution (see story on page 7). The theme emerging from the interviews with both young and veteran players was that the emphasis on speed would only increase. Twelve months later, to the naked eye at least, we can see how accurate those predictions were, with so many of the contests now being played at frantic speed. This was most evident in last week’s Western Bulldogs-Collingwood match at Docklands, an engrossing example of the modern game played by two in-form teams. It was breathtaking, especially the last quarter when the Bulldogs pulled within a kick of the Pies, who had dominated all night. Afterwards, Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse (above) said he was concerned enough about the modern game’s regular “momentum shifts” to wonder whether his team’s 34-point lead at the last change was enough. That’s how the modern game works. 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 16, 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

PUSHING THROUGH:

Bulldog Shaun Higgins was under the pump last week as he was chased by Collingwood’s Alan Toovey.

T H E PA I N B A R R I E R

Fatigue factor takes its toll on skills The longer a game goes, mistakes caused by physical and mental pressure are likely to set in. BEN COL LINS

f the ‘ﬁt body, ﬁt mind’ theory is correct, then it naturally follows a tired body will result in a tired mind, which often leads to a dip in performance. For all the breathtaking highlights of last week’s Collingwood-Western Bulldogs thriller at Docklands (to pluck one example), both teams made numerous, uncharacteristic mistakes at crucial times, particularly in the second half. At one stage in the third quarter, we had the unusual situation where players from either team – including silky-

skilled stars such as Magpie pair Alan Didak and Leon Davis – produced a remarkable sequence of kicking errors. And the clangers continued to mount in the ﬁnal term, particularly where the fatigued Pies were concerned. The potential reasons for such blunders are many and varied, and encompass both the physical and the mental. There’s the impact of the ever-present pressure (real and perceived) that accompanies such blockbusters, and lapses in skill execution, decision-making and concentration. But as a hard-hitting,

hard-running game wears on, fatigue logically takes over as the overwhelming source of slip-ups. In football, fatigue can kill contests, and premiership quests. It’s effects must be – and are – managed with great care. Professor David Pyne, a sports scientist at the Australian Institute of Sport who is heavily involved with the AIS/AFL Academy, says fatigue can manifest itself in more ways than many casual observers may think. “A lot of the thinking about fatigue relates to the physical aspect because it’s easy to see –

when players tire, their running and movement are affected,” he says. “Although there’s not a lot of research out there in terms of the effects on skill execution and decision-making, it’s generally accepted wisdom that they are affected by fatigue.” Clubs try to minimise the effects of fatigue in numerous ways, the ﬁrst being to physically condition players to meet the demands of the game. In relation to improving skill execution, Prof. Pyne says: “There are two schools of thought. One is that skills are CON T IN U ED NE X T PAGE

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 7

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thebounce

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

best taught when players are fresh, rather than when they are fatigued. That is used more so in junior footy. “In senior footy, it’s almost the other way around – we know players will be fatigued in the last quarter, so you might as well train them in that physical state as well. “For instance, you might have a goalkicking session after an intensive conditioning drill to make it more match-specific.” He says a fully comprehensive training option is high-intensity match practice because it constantly challenges fitness, skills and decision-making. Prof. Pyne works to develop better fatigue management practices for coaches and players. “It’s a difficult thing to study,” he says. “We learn a lot from trial and error. Studies are always a bit limited in a university setting. The best laboratory is the one between the goalposts.” Heavy rotations through the interchange bench have added a new dimension to the fatigue issue. “That tactical side of the game is exploding, especially with rotations getting up around 100 for some teams,” Prof. Pyne says. “While players are getting more of a rest and a chance to recover than ever before, the fact is they are being pushed to run further and faster in a shorter period than ever before.” Preparation, recovery and player management are the keys. “If you don’t manage fatigue well in any of those areas, you can run into a lot of problems,” Prof. Pyne says. He adds that if players are “overloaded” for too long, it mightn’t just impact on their performance; they can also become more susceptible to injuries, and perhaps even illness by running down their immune systems. A timely reminder considering it’s winter and there are always flus circulating, particularly this year. NEWS TRACKER

VERSATILE PIES:

Shane O’Bree says it is important to have midﬁelders who can play forward and back.

STRUCTURE

Pies have built midﬁeld depth NICK BOW EN

ith its one-point victory over the Western Bulldogs last Friday night, Collingwood conﬁrmed its status as one of the most likely challengers to runaway ladder leaders St Kilda and Geelong. Central to the Magpies’ ability to challenge the Saints and Cats this September will be their midﬁeld, which has the depth and class to trouble any team. Leading the way for the Pies, whose win over the Bulldogs was their seventh in a row, is Dane Swan. In career-best form, Swan can be underestimated by opposition sides – Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams did not tag him in round 10 when he racked up 48 possessions – but, with his ability to win

the ball, pace and work-rate, he is fast becoming one of the competition’s elite midfielders. Around Swan, the Pies have assembled a midfield rotation that features a balanced mix of experienced hard bodies (Shane O’Bree, Tarkyn Lockyer and Ben Johnson, who recently returned from injury), class (Alan Didak, Leon Davis and Scott Pendlebury) and youth (Dale Thomas, Sharrod Wellingham and Dayne Beams). Small forward Brad Dick’s return from a knee reconstruction this year has indirectly helped bolster the Pies’ on-ball division, his good form allowing Didak and Davis to spend more time up the ground. O’Bree has been a constant in the Collingwood midfield for 10 seasons and says on-ball depth has become increasingly important in recent years. “I suppose you look back towards the end of Nathan Buckley’s career (the former Collingwood skipper retired at the end of 2007), you went into the midfield and played 90-95 per cent of game-time and just ran your butt off,” O’Bree says. “But these days, you can’t really play 90 per cent (of the game) in the midfield because,

even though you may get possessions, (fatigue would mean) they wouldn’t be quality possessions, and you’ve got to use the ball well now or you’ll just turn it over.” O’Bree says the midfield depth, and the flexibility of those players, has been a key to the Magpies’ impressive recent form and will give them confidence should they meet St Kilda or Geelong in the finals. “We’ve got 10-12 guys who can play midfield and, at the moment, it seems to be working,” he says. “These days, you’ve got to have a versatile side and most of our midfielders can play forward or back as well, so that’s probably a strength of ours. “The good thing for us is we match up pretty well against both those sides (St Kilda and Geelong) and we’ve got the momentum, so we’ve got to make the most of it.” However, Collingwood relies heavily on big man Josh Fraser, who is shouldering most of the ruck work, with utility Leigh Brown his only support. Fraser’s ability to maintain his fitness and form for the remainder of the season will be vital to the Pies’ chances.

FRENZY WATCH It seems there’s a tendency for certain matters to be reported in a frenzied manner. Here is a list of topics or personalities receiving overthe-top coverage in all forms of media.

1. Nathan Buckley Where will he coach in 2010?

2. Mick Malthouse Will the Pies re-sign him?

3. Tanking Do clubs really do it?

4. Hawthorn’s struggles

Did they over-celebrate?

5. Kevin Sheedy Did the Tigers want him?

Carlton has posted record membership of 43,294, up 2500 on last year.

8 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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CAT-NAP : According to coach Mark

QUESTION TIME

Thompson, Geelong needs to regain its hunger and sharpness.

Curiously, these are testing times for the Cats TOM MINE A R

efore last weekend, Geelong had not lost consecutive matches since rounds four and ﬁve of 2007. Lacklustre defeats to Hawthorn and North Melbourne had some observers – externally and internally – questioning the Cats, who had won just twice and were 10th on the ladder. Their season hung in the balance. The response, on that occasion, was a 157-point humiliation of Richmond in round six, an effort that sparked a phenomenal run of 19 wins from 20 matches, culminating with the premiership. Geelong’s position this year isn’t anywhere near as concerning: the Cats are comfortably in second spot on the ladder, having opened the season with a 13-game winning streak, and will likely again threaten for the ﬂag.

But consecutive losses (to St Kilda and the Brisbane Lions) highlighted pressing issues that need attention before September. A one-goal loss to the rampant Saints (still undefeated after 15 rounds) was certainly respectable, and a fair outcome in a magniﬁcent struggle, but this was Geelong’s biggest game since the 2008 Grand Final loss to Hawthorn, and again, it came up short. The Cats’ 43-point defeat against the Lions last Saturday wasn’t a huge surprise,

considering close to half their best team was out injured. Yet the obvious excuses might have glossed over slightly more urgent issues. Granted, Jonathan Brown dominated without Matthew Scarlett to check him, Cameron Ling wasn’t there to stop Daniel Rich, and the Cats struggled to ﬁnd a match-winner without Gary Ablett and Steve Johnson. But Geelong has made its mark in recent years with tremendous team play; its defenders constantly double-teaming and

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NEWS TRACKER

helping each other, while the midfielders run relentlessly and share the ball in attacking waves forward. The Cats have created their own playing style and like to stick to it, regardless of the personnel available. Last week, this style was lacking. The Cats weren’t embarrassed, but after such a dominant streak – they had won 55 of 58 matches before the loss to the Saints – it was strange to see them struggle and looking mortal. Tom Lonergan conceded four free kicks as he battled to contain Brown one-on-one, without much support from a besieged backline. Jimmy Bartel and Joel Selwood had quiet nights as the midfield struggled to match Brisbane’s hardness and commitment at the contest. Overall, Geelong’s ball movement was inefficient and lacked its trademark flair. The Cats had 332 disposals – 86 fewer than their League-high average of 418 – while allowing Brisbane to collect 403, 53 more than its average. These are worrying indicators, and the loss of many key performers compounded problems that had been gradually building – unconvincing victories over West Coast and Fremantle in the previous month (both in Perth) were reflective of a team struggling to produce the standard four-quarter efforts it has become known for. After the loss to the Lions, coach Mark Thompson articulated these concerns: “We have to do a little bit of work and find our real hunger and get that real sharpness back.” Thompson is an experienced and sharp coach who won’t be forced into panic by two losses. But he – and the Geelong faithful – would sooner see the Cats prove their forward line is potent, their backline impenetrable, and they can still play that rapid-fire style tthey have perfected, lest others tthink the best team of the p past three seasons might be on the slide. o

Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli and Xavier Ellis have extended their contracts with the club. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 9

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thebounce

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

THOUGHTS ON FOOTBALL ETIQUETTE AND CULTURE FROM THE AFL RECORD’S RESIDENT SAGE.

All the world’s a stage Recently, I’ve developed a special interest in post-match press conferences. These days, “pressers” – as in-the-know industry types casually refer to them – are akin to full-blown theatrical productions, with emphasis on professional sound and lighting, the symmetrical organisation of sets, the strategic use of props, and the rehearsing of lines (by both the “actor” coaches and the paid media critics). Who knew the dungeons of AFL venues were a haven for thespians and their like? Press conferences are compulsory events for the coaches, and occasionally they are frequented by players featuring in milestone matches or those having won an award of note, like the Norm Smith Medal. Most of us only get to

SCORELINE

Dockers hit a new low BEN COL LINS

remantle fans, if you don’t want to be reminded about your team’s disastrous loss to Adelaide last week, don’t read on. According to AFL statisticians Col Hutchinson and Stephen Rodgers, the remarkable scoreline at AAMI Stadium – Adelaide 19.16 (130) to Fremantle 1.7 (13) – was just the fourth instance in 90 years, and the ﬁrst in 48, in which a side had scored at least 10 times its opponent’s total (see table). The South Melbourne-St Kilda result of 1919, the third-largest win recorded in the League, is the only one of the eight greatest winning margins to qualify. By contrast, scores were much lower in the early years of the NEWS TRACKER

THEATRE: Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade and player Jason Akermanis on stage.

instances, the group usually enters in single file and the coach strides briskly to the main stage. When he’s done with his lines, he might seek reassurance: “Was that OK?” Generally, there’s affirmation, and sometimes knowing winks are exchanged. It’s all so theatrical. And sometimes, a coach decides to go out of character, bantering with his critics despite his team’s excruciating one-point loss just minutes before, and even finding time to discuss Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting’s 38th century, scored in the first Ashes Test against England. Bravo, Mr Eade!

see the ﬁnished product – the short, sharp sound bite edited for television and radio use – usually an unforgettable (or mildly interesting) explanatory line oﬀered by (or coaxed out of) a participant. Pity that, for there’s often some wonderful method acting, sometimes a dose of bravado and every now and again a little humour that marks these gatherings. I’ve grown especially fond of attempts by coaches to

personalise their responses by adding the ﬁrst name of their inquisitor to answers: “That’s a reasonable point, Michelangelo,” when said with emphasis (and sometimes accompanied by a dramatic pause or symbolic hand gesture), is so London West End. Intriguing also is the tendency for some clubs to send handlers who act not unlike those who hover around Hollywood stars when they make orchestrated public appearances. In these

game, with Fitzroy’s lowest winning score in 1899 being 5.10 (40), which was still 20 times the score of opponent Melbourne, which had managed just 0.2 (2)! The Dockers’ total was the lowest score in their 327-game history; the lowest in the League since Richmond scrounged just 0.8 (8) in Allan Jeans’ 16th game as St Kilda coach in 1961; and resulted in the club’s equal worst loss of 117 points (the other was against West Coast in 2000). The Dockers’ half-time total of 0.1 (1) also prompted a look in the record books – it was the worst since Fitzroy was held scoreless by Essendon in 1995. It was the most recent of a spate of low-scoring ﬁrst halves this season. As the table shows, there are several common features: Adelaide and St Kilda have stiﬂed teams with their zone defences and ‘frontal’ pressure, while the Crows have been impenetrable at home.

At least 10 times better...

HAVE YOUR SAY dorothykix@slatterymedia.com or write to AFL Record, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, Vic, 3008

Number of times winner multiplied loser’s score

Scores

Year

11.85

Melb 21.28 (154) d Haw 1.7 (13)

1926

11.38 11

StK 12.19 (91) d Rich 0.8 (8) Foots 10.6 (66) d Fitz 1.0 (6)

1961 1953

10.5 10

S Melb 29.15 (189) d StK 2.6 (18) Adel 19.16 (130) d Frem 1.7 (13)

1919 2009

SINCE 1919

Lowest ﬁrst-half scores of 2009 Score

Team

Opp

Deﬁcit

Final Margin

Round

Venue

0.1 (1)

Frem

Adel

117

0.3 (3) 0.4 (4)

Melb Haw

Adel WB

27 84

17 88

5 14

MCG Docklands

0.5 (5) 1.2 (8) 1.3 (9)

Carl NM PA

Adel Adel St K

49 16 56

44 44 66

9 12 5

AS AS AS

1.6 (12) 1.7 (13)

Coll Coll

St K Carl

49 32

88 51

7 8

Docklands MCG

BL St K WB

47 20 69

55 56 40

13 13 10

Gabba Docklands MO

2.2 (14) Melb 2.3 (15) Rich 2.3 (15) Syd

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10 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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

C E L E B R AT I O N

The club that drives a town

CUTTING THE CAKE:

Tom Harley (31) and the Cats (150) celebrate their birthdays this week.

Who’s got No. 7?

MICH A EL LOV ET T

or 150 years, Geelong Football Club has been the south-west Victorian town’s sporting heartbeat. Those devoted locals and even those who regularly make the short trip down the highway from Melbourne will tell you that the football club is the only institution that matters in Geelong. It connects people, families, businesses, schools, pubs and everyday life in such a unique way, largely because it is the only provincial-based club in the AFL. This week, the Cats launched their ofﬁcial history We Are Geelong – The Story of the Geelong Football Club Since 1859 and it was evident the club has had a profound inﬂuence on people from all walks of life. President Frank Costa is one of the most successful businessmen in the region. His love of the Cats started way back when the club contested the 1951, 1952 and 1953 Grand Finals, winning in ’51 and ’52. “I learned very early that it’s much more than a football club – it really is the soul and spirit of the city,” Costa said in the book. “When you win, the whole town lifts; and when you lose, the whole town feels the pain.” Tom Harley was born and

bred in South Australia but the Cats skipper has spent the past 10 years living in and around Geelong. On Saturday he turns 31, the same day his club celebrates its formation 150 years ago. “I arrived in Geelong in 1998 to be shown around the place, but I’d played in the SANFL reserves Grand Final the day before and I wasn’t feeling the best,” Harley said. “All I can remember was seeing the Shell and Ford factories on the way in and I thought: ‘This is not what I imagined it to be’. “But by the end of the day after I’d had a good look around, I was adamant that this was the place I wanted to come to and play footy. “Now a decade or so on, I am proud to say I am a Geelong person. Living here has been a massive part of my life.”

On Saturday, the Cats will formally celebrate their 150th year when they play against Melbourne at Skilled Stadium. It will also be the 600th AFL match at the ground – Geelong has won 384 and drawn five since the first against St Kilda on May 3, 1941. “It’s very appropriate the two oldest clubs in the AFL (Melbourne celebrated its 150th in 2008) are playing,” Costa said. “We have done a lot of research and we can’t find two older clubs from any code of football in the world than Geelong and Melbourne.”

Around this time of each season, the industry starts to focus on which team will have the No. 1 pick in the NAB AFL Draft, which this year will be held on November 28. Generally, there’s a consensus reached by observers on which player will “go” No. 1 but, if recent drafts are any guide, the club assigned the No. 7 pick might consider itself as well oﬀ as the club selecting ﬁrst. Last week, Daniel Rich (pictured) put on a 32-possession display against Geelong that further cemented his favouritism for this year’s NAB AFL Rising Star Award. Should Rich win, he will become the third consecutive No. 7 selection to win the award, following Fremantle’s Rhys Palmer in 2008 and Geelong’s Joel Selwood in 2007. The reputation of the ‘lucky seven’ comes in part from the dice game craps, where rolling a seven total wins, while the Chinese also believe the number is lucky for relationships and associate its sound with the Chinese character meaning ‘arise’. ANDREW WALLACE

The last seven No. 7s We Are Geelong – The Story of the Geelong Football Club Since 1859 (Slattery Media Group) is available for sale at the Cats Shop for $69.95 and will be on sale from August 1 at all major bookstores nationally. Visit slatterymedia.com/books or geelongcatscom.au to order online.

Year Ye Y

Player

20 0 2008

Daniel Rich (BL)

Games 15

20 0 2007

Rhys Palmer (Frem)

20 0 2006

Joel Selwood (Geel)

20 0 2005

Patrick Ryder (Ess)

20 0 2004

Jordan Lewis (Haw)

20 0 2003

Kane Tenace (Geel)

2002

Andrew Mackie (Geel)

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We’ve kicked a few goals over the years JELD-WEN is the name behind the St Kilda Football Club. And we’re also the name behind iconic brands like Stegbar and Corinthian – leaders in door, window and showerscreen manufacture, supply and installation. Great club, great brands. jeld-wen.com.au

M A J O R PA R T N E R

DISEGNO STE2928

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THINGS WE LOVED FROM ROUND 15 T E R M I N O L O GY MATCH-WINNER:

Franklin’s feast You can’t start a fire without a spark. Hawthorn played a superb last quarter of team football against North Melbourne at Aurora Stadium, with Lance Franklin providing the spark. For the first time in some weeks, the Hawks spearhead looked dangerous. In the first three quarters against the Roos, he moved with purpose and looked threatening, but the fact was he hadn’t kicked a goal in seven quarters (after being goalless for the first time in 72 games the week before against the Western Bulldogs). But it took just one pack mark (with a wet ball, mind you) in the first minute of the last quarter to ignite the flame. Franklin kicked four of the Hawks’ five last-quarter goals to help keep alive his club’s premiership defence. It was ‘Buddy’ at his breathtaking best.

The Cousins we knew Not surprisingly, Ben Cousins started his comeback season receiving plenty of attention. But his return to form has been a gradual process, rather than an overnight thing, with injuries (hamstring and hand) slowing his progress. Although the Tigers lost to the Blues at the MCG last week, Cousins produced his best performance of 2009, collecting 35 possessions (his second consecutive tally in the 30s). Most significantly, he appears to have regained much of the zip-and-zag running style that defined his play with West Coast. Cousins might still be a little off the level that saw him win the 2005 Brownlow Medal, but his recent efforts suggest he can still play the game at the elite level.

The good ‘Fev’ Brendan Fevola has generally been hot or cold this season, and last week against the Tigers he was at his best. Despite a slow start, the Carlton full-forward bagged four goals in the second term, three in the third and two

NEWS TRACKER

Lance Franklin ﬂies for a mark in the last quarter against North.

Seeking underdog status C A L LU M T WOMEY

I in the last to ﬁnish with a career-best haul of nine majors (9.1 to be exact). Fevola lit up a dim MCG with several stunning feats, including a third-quarter eﬀort that’s likely to be a contender for goal of the year. Unable to break the grasp of his opponent as the ball headed towards the goalsquare, Fevola kicked the Sherrin out of mid-air, over his shoulder and towards an unguarded goal. As miraculous as it was intentional, it will take some beating as the season’s best.

Rich talent Streaming through the middle of the Gabba, gifted Lions youngster Daniel Rich spotted Daniel Bradshaw moving back towards the goalsquare. From well inside the centre square, the 19-year-old hit Bradshaw with a ﬂ at 60m kick using his booming left foot, resulting in a goal that helped sink Geelong. It was a highlight of Rich’s career-best 32 touches on the night.

Destructive Demon duo Melbourne teammates Liam Jurrah and Ricky Petterd share few traits in the looks department, but they had plenty in common at the MCG last week. The 20-year-olds patrolled the Melbourne forward line like old pros, bagging four goals apiece and playing pivotal roles in the Demons’ win over Port Adelaide, to give their club its ﬁrst back-to-back victories in two years. CALLUM TWOMEY

FABULOUS FEV: Carlton’s Brendan Fevola was at his best last week, kicking a career-high nine goals.

t is often said that everybody loves an underdog. In AFL terms, though, it should be everybody loves being the underdog. Clubs – especially coaches – are always careful not to offend. They rarely big-note, and are wary of saying anything that might irritate or motivate their opposition. It seems the easiest way for clubs to handle media questions about their chances in a game is to claim ‘underdog’ status, talking up the competition, even when it seems inappropriate to do so. Sometimes, the chase to get underdog status in the lead-up to a match can become a contest in itself. That was certainly the case in the period before the round 14 St Kilda-Geelong match, with both camps attempting to secure the underdog title, as though being designated the favourite would curse their chances. The underdog fixation in sport stems from the theory that being the unheralded team gives the more-fancied side a false sense of confidence and less reason to fear its long-shot opponent. Conversely, the underdog can gain more ammunition from the belief it is deemed weaker than its adversary. There are several views on the origins of the underdog term. One commonly held theory is it comes from the language of dogfights in the late 19th century, when the loser of the dogfight was termed the ‘underdog’ and the winner the ‘top dog’. Another theory is it derived from traditional labour work, with the underdog being the person who stands in a sawpit underneath the log and works the bottom end of the saw. Regardless, in football at least, it seems everyone wants to be the underdog.

Essendon coach Matthew Knights has called for an overhaul of the draft system.

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AT THE HELM:

Steve Lawrence is now calling the shots for amateur side Caulﬁeld Grammarians.

B AC K T O G R A S S R O O T S

The ongoing maturation of Steve Lawrence C A L LU M T WOMEY

teve Lawrence barks orders from the middle of a cold, dark and slippery Glenhuntly Oval in Melbourne’s south-east. Decked out in Caulfield Grammar club gear, including jacket and cap, Lawrence looks a little like a young Kevin Sheedy when he took over the reins at Essendon in 1981. With a whistle in one hand, and tracksuit pants tucked into long blue and white socks, he watches training closely. A pair of simple black adidas boots completes the outfit. Lawrence never was as flashy as he was honest. An hour earlier, in the confines of the Grammarians’ team meeting room, Lawrence had proven he is just as honest off the field as he was on it, as a tough defender in 120 games for the Brisbane Bears and Lions and St Kilda from 1995-2003. Lawrence, 33, was appointed coach of the Victorian Amateur Football Association club at the end of last year. He admits his playing career (including a stint in the VFL after his time at the Saints) wasn’t what it could have been – he battled with injuries and struggled coming to grips with the game’s shift to full professionalism – but taking a coaching role at grassroots level is helping him enjoy the game again. “I was young when I started in the AFL, and a couple of knee reconstructions put me behind the eight-ball back then,” Lawrence says. “To just play AFL football after that was really rewarding and, in some aspects, you look back and NEWS TRACKER

I was young when I started in the AFL and a couple of knee reconstructions put me behind the eight-ball STEVE LAWRENCE

think, ‘I wish I had done things a little differently’. “But I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now if I had done anything differently. I wouldn’t be married to a beautiful woman, with a baby on the way and coaching a really great bunch of guys.” Lawrence was recruited from Southport in Queensland in 1993, debuting for the Bears in 1995. He played 13 games that year before tearing his ACL and needing a knee reconstruction. In 1996, in his ﬁrst game back in the local Queensland league, Lawrence suffered the same injury and missed the rest of the season. He returned and played another 68 games, before asking the club to trade him to St Kilda – his father Barry’s League club – at the end of the 2000 season. (Barry Lawrence

came to Moorrabbin in 1969 as a Tasmanian star and played 126 games and kicked 80 goals for the Saints in eight seasons. He was a smart, physical player who subdued the great Hawthorn full-forward Peter Hudson in the 1971 Grand Final). Lawrence played 39 games for the Saints until a drink-driving incident in 2003 in Melbourne’s south-east effectively ended his League career, with the club sacking him soon after. It was the first of a series of controversial public incidents he now regrets. During this phase, Lawrence’s association with football remained strong. He spent the next two years in a playing and assistant coaching role at Port Melbourne in the VFL, before moving back to the amateur system with another two-year stint playing at A Section level for Old Scotch. At the end last year, following lobbying from club heavyweights, Lawrence accepted an offer to coach Caulfield Grammar, which had dropped to C Section after finishing last in B Section. Lawrence is relishing the

challenge. “The culture of the amateur system is different to that at other levels. Here, it’s still very much about footy basics,” he says. Lawrence says grassroots football has reminded him about what ﬁrst attracted him to the game, with an emphasis on playing with and for mates. “I had eight years with Brisbane, which was an unbelievable experience. “I left because I had a passion to play for St Kilda. I remember the year before I left, I was playing with Brisbane and I listened to St Kilda’s theme song on the radio and it sparked a real passion. “Leigh Matthews (Brisbane’s coach at the time) sat with me before the trade and asked, ‘Why are you going?’ and I said, ‘I just really love it’. “Leigh was an amazing coach, and he said, ‘Look, that’s fair enough’. As much as he understands football, Leigh understands people as well.” Lawrence left the club just when it was on the brink of monumental success, but maintains he made the right decision and has no regrets. He struggled with injury in

Former Richmond skipper Wayne Campbell says he’s not ready for a senior coaching role.

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his first year at St Kilda (2001) but had a consistent 2002 when fit, finishing fifth in the best and fairest award. The driving incident, in July 2003, brought his AFL career to an immediate halt, and changed his life significantly. This might be where, as Lawrence puts it, his “real life journey” in football actually started. Recently married, Lawrence and wife Kelly are expecting their first child next month. “The life skills I’ve taken out of football and the people I’ve met along the journey have been fantastic,” he says. “I met different people from different walks of life and it really opened up my eyes up to a different world.” The game that once dominated his life – “it was everything” – is still important to him, but it now plays a different role. He is using the game to teach, guide and educate young people, not only about its basics, but also about life-lessons to be learned beyond the boundary line. “I’ve been at both ends of the spectrum, and I mentioned that on the first night of pre-season training,” Lawrence says. “To come away with the many experiences that I did from the AFL was eye-opening. I made a lot of mistakes and I probably hurt some people along the way. “The driving incident changed my life. I’ll never forget about it. If you just forget about it, and

just put it behind you, then I don’t think you learn from it. “Everything changed from that point on and I project that on to the kids now. “It’s actually put me in a different headspace that’s allowed me to change my whole lifestyle.” At that ﬁrst pre-season training session, Lawrence conceded he wasn’t much of a public speaker. That’s clear before training starts on this winter night, as he answers questions softly yet sincerely. At times he stutters through responses, trying to ﬁnd the right words to explain his passion for the game. One suspects he loves it more than he can say. The way he played probably best explained that affection. Lawrence loved the game’s combative physical elements, as his uncompromising style showed. “I wanted to be seen – as a hard, tough footballer. I think I came away with that reputation.” Lawrence was hard but fair; he missed only one game through suspension in his League career. With the Grammarians NOT SO SAINTLY:

Lawrence didn’t make the most off his da. chances at St Kilda.

sitting on top of the ladder after 12 rounds, Lawrence is happy with how the club is progressing. Off the field, the club’s culture has improved dramatically, with fitness instructor Russell Jarrett controlling the pre-season and a new level of professionalism being set. Lawrence points to the support of his brother Dale as assistant coach, and of course, the input and advice of his father, who has been a “massive influence”. Discussing football with Lawrence is engrossing. He has striking white teeth and hard, blue eyes, and the intensity he played with is often evident. It’s easy to see how he antagonised and intimidated opponents. The long curly locks have gone, but a little bit of the swagger remains. But only a little bit. It’s enough, though, to see that football continues to be a big part of his life, and always will. Some retire having won premierships, played in major milestone games and collected individual honours. Lawrence did none of this, but what he got from the game was more substantial. He has a relationship with football that began as a child raised in a football family, and is as strong as ever. “The camaraderie I took from football,

Saints aplenty in VAFA ranks Steve Lawrence’s return to amateur ranks further strengthened the links between St Kilda and the VAFA. Representing Old Haileybury in B Section this year are former Saints Robert Harvey, Stewart Loewe, and Brett Voss. Lawrence’s former teammate Fraser Gehrig has registered to play under him at Caulﬁeld, but has yet to make his amateur debut. Former Saints midﬁelder Andrew Thompson was drafted from VAFA club Old Melburnians in 1997 as a 23-year-old (see story on page 26). Also, Cadyn Beetham was drafted by the Saints in 1999 with pick nine before retiring in 2002, returning to the game after overseas travel to play for Old Xaverians.

I’ll never ﬁnd anywhere else,” Lawrence says. “I hated the injuries and the hard times that I went through, but I loved it because it drove me to want to be a better person, a better player and to get more out of myself. “When that desire goes, I think something really big will be lost.” Callum Twomey is an AFL Record contributor and plays under-19s for Caulﬁeld Grammarians.

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.

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MILES TONES – ROUND 16 FLYING THE FLAG: North

Melbourne’s Drew Petrie and Richmond’s Nathan Foley will clash in the Eureka game.

200 games Cameron Bruce Melbourne Josh Carr Port Adelaide Mathew James Field umpire

AFL 200 Club Mark McVeigh Essendon Stephen Milne St Kilda

150 games Paul Medhurst Collingwood

100 games RECOGNITION

Roos, Tigers join forces C A L LU M T WOMEY

ootball fans get the chance to recognise a key period in Australian history at the MCG this Sunday in the second annual Eureka game between Richmond and North Melbourne. Marking the 155th anniversary of the Eureka

rebellion of 1854, the clubs have joined forces with the City of Ballarat to commemorate the event. The aim is to remember those who fought to defend their rights and liberties at the Eureka Stockade on December 3, 1854, where more than 30 men lost their lives at

Australia’s only armed civil insurrection. The Stockade, near Ballarat in western Victoria, played an important role in establishing the equality and democratic freedoms enjoyed in Australia today. Each year, the City of Ballarat holds a number of activities to help raise awareness of Eureka across the country. It plans to make the Eureka game the main event of the

Brett Deledio Richmond Matt Maguire St Kilda Mathew Nicholls Field umpire

50 games Matt White Richmond

The list includes those not necessarily selected but on the verge of milestones.

CON T IN U ED NE X T PAGE

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festivities, with mayor Judy Verlin suggesting it can help promote historically important ideals, including freedom, democracy and fairness. “It is very important that we create awareness of the Eureka message right across our nation, and that we celebrate the men, women and children who made a signiﬁcant contribution to defending the democratic freedoms we enjoy in Australia today,” Cr Verlin said.

This could be a great game of celebration of working people from all walks of life KEVIN SHEEDY

Former Essendon coach and now-Richmond ambassador Kevin Sheedy was the main driving force behind the game. He believes it has the potential to become a marquee ﬁ xture. “It should be one of the great days in Australian sport,” Sheedy told the AFL Record from Fiji, where he was attending a conference. “I think what we’ve got here is a brilliant country with 21 million people, but do we ever thank people for what they’ve built so far? “I don’t think we do, and I think this could be a great game of celebration of working people from all walks of life. “The government has been concerned that we don’t study our own history enough, and this game could be something that lets kids and young people read and learn more about the building of our great nation.” To spread the Eureka spirit of fairness and a ‘fair go’ for all, the match will be preceded by entertainment and activities including a barbecue outside the ground. The ﬂag of the Southern Cross – commonly known as the Eureka Flag – will be displayed around the ground. NEWS TRACKER

C O M PA R I S O N

SEVEN-WEEK WONDERS A statistical comparison of the only three undefeated teams over the past seven rounds (9-15).

St Kilda POINTS FOR AVE. POINTS AGAINST AVE. PERCENTAGE AGAINST TOP-8 TEAMS INTERSTATE QUARTERS WON 6+ GOAL QUARTERS AVE. WINNING MARGIN WINS UNDER 10 POINTS WINS OVER 40 POINTS 100+ POINTS FOR HIGHEST SCORE LOWEST SCORE HIGHEST AGAINST LOWEST AGAINST SCORING SHOTS GOALS.BEHINDS SCORING ACCURACY PLAYERS WITH 10+ GOALS DISPOSALS AVE. CONTESTED POSS. DIFFERENTIAL UNCONTESTED POSS. DIFF. KICKS AVE. HANDBALLS AVE. KICK-TO-HANDBALL RATIO KICKING EFFICIENCY DIFF. DISP. PER GOAL DISP. PER SCORING SHOT MARKS AVE. ES AVE. TACKLES RS USED PLAYERS

Collingwood

94.3 67.1 140.4 3-0 2-0 17 4 27.1 2 2 2 104 83 95 36 180 96.84 53.3% 2 387.1 +5.4 (7th) +24.6 (5th) 208.7 179.9 1.16 +0.1% (10th) 28.2 15.1 106.4 771.1 27 2

114.1 75.7 150.8 2-0 2-0 20 8 38.4 1 2 5 169 88 110 60 204 119.85 58.3% 4 393.6 0 (9th) +12.6 (7th) 220.6 173 1.28 +4.9% (1st) 23.2 13.5 102.7 61 29

Adelaide 103.6 63.4 163.3 2-0 2-0 21.5 6 40.1 0 3 5 130 (twice) 68 114 13 190 107.83 56.3% 3 391.4 –2 (10th) +25.4 (4th) 199.6 191.9 1.04 +3.6% (2nd) 25.6 14.4 100 64.6 277

STELLAR SEASONS:

Saint Nick Riewoldt, Magpie Dane Swan and Crow Bernie Vince.

SOME STATS SUPPLIED BY CHAMPION DATA

Three on hot streaks Three teams are on substantial winning streaks – Adelaide and Collingwood have both won seven in a row, while top-of-the-table St Kilda remains undefeated after 15 rounds. The statistical analysis above, which details the teams’ eﬀorts over the past seven

rounds (nine to 15) make for good reading. In this period it’s interesting to note that, of this hot-to-trot trio, the Saints were the lowestscoring team, with the lowest percentage, lowest average winning margin, most disposals per goal and scoring shot, and won the fewest quarters.

As expected, each of these clubs boasts a swag of stats stars, including Dane Swan, the Magpie midﬁelder who leads the AFL in disposals, St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt, the competition leader in marks, and Crow Bernie Vince, who is enjoying a breakout season. BEN COLLINS

Sydney Swans midﬁelder Jarrad McVeigh says making the ﬁnals is still the club’s priority.

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FOOTBALL ABROAD

In Chile, even the locals are getting their kicks M A R K US ZIEMER

xpatriate Australian Rob Spurr has played in organised Australian Football competitions in three continents over the past 30 years. “The Aussie Rules experience is a universal one,” says Spurr, a 41-year-old Melburnian working as a ﬁnance manager for Australian company Paciﬁc Hydro in Santiago, Chile. He previously spent six years in Jakarta in Indonesia, having grown up playing the game in Doncaster in Melbourne’s east. “It’s a great link to home,” says Spurr of the work he has done to get clubs off the ground in Indonesia and, more recently, in Chile, a South American nation of geographical and climatic extremes with a population of more than 16 million. “But the true value has been the mateships we’ve formed, and the insights gained into people, regardless of nationality, through our great game.” In the Chilean capital, Spurr and other Aussie expats recently

SUPREME SAINTS: The Santiago Saints recently played an international against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.

formed the Santiago Saints, or ‘Los Santos’ as they are known in Spanish, the local language. They are hoping the great form shown by the AFL Saints, with whom they are officially affiliated and share a similar jumper style, will be a good omen for their team. The Chilean-born members of the Santiago Saints have this year played matches against an Anzac team made up of Australians and New Zealanders living locally. They recently played the first of two ‘internationals’, against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, winning what was called the Copacabana Cup by four goals after a tight contest, with the other slated against Argentina in September. “So far, we’ve lined up about 20 local converts to the game, and another 10-15 regulars from the predominantly Australian expatriate community,” Spurr says. “Last year, our champion

centreman Simon ‘Jack’ Yacoub (also originally from Melbourne) missed our one game for the year when his ﬂight got re-routed,” he says. “He spent the afternoon in Montevideo in Uruguay while we were playing in Buenos Aires. “We like to think of it as the Los Santos equivalent of Garry Sidebottom missing the Geelong bus in Lara,” says Spurr, citing the infamous story of the selection mix-up that saw Sidebottom miss the Cats’ bus on the way to the 1981 preliminary ﬁnal after thinking he had been dropped. Training is conducted in a blend of Spanish and English, and there’s plenty of vocal support. During a handball exercise or circle work, it’s curious to hear calls like “pateame la pelota esteban” (Spanish for “kick it to me”), followed by something more recognisable, like “nice pass, boys”. It could be a training

session at any local club in Australia, other than the impressive backdrop: the snow-capped Andes that lie immediately west of Santiago. In Spurr’s previous international posting in Indonesia, he helped establish a local league with teams playing modified rules. In Chile, the aim is to have a big enough presence for a representative team to qualify for the 2011 Australian Football International Cup in Melbourne. That will require those involved to form a local league with a minimum of three clubs. In just the second year of local competition, Spurr and his colleagues are confident they can achieve that goal. Socially, the local Australians enjoy meeting regularly for a kick of the footy (training sessions are often followed by family-friendly barbecues), pie nights and replays of AFL games, with plenty of interest in the recent St Kilda-Geelong match, which they managed to watch live at 1am. “We had a huge turn-out for a replay of the Grand Final on a big screen at a local Irish pub,” Spurr says. “If the size of the crowd and the enthusiasm for the game shown by the local crew who came along is anything to go by, there might be a real future for the game here in Chile.” Markus Ziemer is a lawyer working for Pacific Hydro in Chile. He and his wife Kate Lewin and their two-year-old twins recently moved to Santiago from Melbourne for a two-year assignment.

UP AND RUNNING

After injury, Winderlich is flying Essendon’s speedy midfield has played a significant role in the Bombers’ improvement this year, with Jason Winderlich one of several consistent performers. The 24-year-old continues to develop, and was a key player in the 35-point win against the Sydney Swans last week. Alternating between midfield and forward roles, Winderlich used the ball well and had 12 score assists to cap off a high-quality

NEWS TRACKER

day (25 disposals, seven marks and three goals). Winderlich has battled to play consistently since being drafted from the Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup under-18 competition with pick 11 in 2002, with a number of serious injuries hampering his development. Last week’s game was only his 70th at AFL level and he has not played more than 17 (2007) in a season. Winderlich required two operations for a serious back

injury last year, with doubts surrounding his ability to recover prompting suggestions of an enforced early retirement. But a positive attitude and strong work ethic has helped him recover and reach the ﬁtness required for the elite level. “He’s been one of the real pluses for us because pre-season we didn’t know whether he’d come back and play football at all,” coach Matthew Knights says. VANESSA SKENDARIS

Carlton has extended the contracts of Dennis Armﬁeld, Paul Bower and Bret Thornton.

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A N A LY S I S

THE GODFATHER OF STATS

Ted Hopkins

Founder of Champion Data and Carlton premiership player

Loose or hard At the ripper Western Bulldogs-Collingwood game last week, The Godfather sat next to a distinguished gentleman who politely inquired about the diﬀerence between a loose- and hard-ball get? The Godfather was excited. Magpie Leon Davis had just swooped front and square at the foot of the pack. Having anticipated the fall of the ball beautifully, he turned to his left side and snapped another major for the Magpies. It was a sublime example of one of the great features of Australian Football. Because there are so many contested situations in which the ball spills, winning the resulting loose ball is a game of skill and chance. Getting on to the end of a loose ball does involve elements of luck but mostly an

eagle eye, anticipation, balance and good old-fashioned gut running. Witness the remarkable Pie Dane Swan, who leads the competition with 70 loose-ball gets. He appears to glide at speed on top of the turf. Importantly, team principles also apply to the loose-ball get. Most times, the ball tends to fall to the front of the contest, but in reality it can ﬁnish up anywhere within a 360 degree radius. Hence, having several options around the contest makes sense. (Note in the table that three St Kilda players feature.) The Saints’ looseball get power helps explain why they are the competition leaders. In spillage situations (around stoppages or in a contest), there is a high chance the ball can spill to

either team. This is why the loose-ball get is grouped under total ‘contested possessions’ with other disputed-ball situations such as hard-ball gets, contested marks and frees for. St Kilda leads the loose-ball gets with 48 a game (seven more than the competition average). The Godfather’s team of mathematicians has studied the loose-ball get closely. As a unique possession, they found winning that count correlates with kicking a winning score more than any other possession type, with the exception of marks within forward 50. It’s that important. Witnessing the craft of Swan and Davis, the reason is obvious: when the loose-ball is up for grabs, there is usually a clear window for the winner to burst free and deliver a

damaging disposal. Although winning a hard-ball get under pressure is also critical to team success, the chances of a clean disposal resulting in such situations is not quite as high as it is after a loose-ball get. In the old days, the looseball get was fondly referred to as the rover’s crumbs. At the start of 1996, The Godfather oﬃcially elevated the crumb to the modern and distinguished status of a loose-ball get.

Loose-ball gets Dane Swan (Coll)

Leigh Montagna (St K) Shane O’Bree (Coll) Nick Dal Santo (St K) Luke Power (BL) Marc Murphy (Carl) Matthew Boyd (W Bull) Clinton Jones (St K)

58 56 55 55 54 53 52

SLICK: Leigh Montagna is a master at the stoppages.

24 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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AVI0026_AFL_Record.pdf

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23/6/09,

11:49

WILL YOU HANDLE YOUR ALCOHOL?

OR WILL ALCOHOL HANDLE YOU? alcohol.vic.gov.au

I always felt it was an honour to play footy at AFL level and I wanted at some point to give something back to the club ANDREW THOMPSON

26 AFL RECORD visit aďŹ&#x201A;record.com.au

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the interview

Andrew Thompson squeezed every ounce out of himself in a decorated 221-game career with St Kilda, then showed his love for the club by joining the board. Two years on, there is no slowing down for the devoted Saint as he juggles football, business and family commitments. C A L LU M T WOMEY

MAIN PHOTO: SEAN GARNSWORTHY/AFL PHOTOS

s Andrew Thompson introduces himself in the foyer of his office in Melbourne’s CBD, he looks a little flushed. Red in the cheeks and with a sweaty forehead, St Kilda’s former midfielder and now-board member quickly explains that the perspiration is a result of running two laps of the popular inner-city Tan track during his lunch break. Usually he manages only one lap, but on this cold and windy afternoon, Thompson was feeling decidedly “unfit”, so he went around for another before rushing back to work. True to form, it’s not unlike Thompson to go beyond the norm. Having retired from football at the end of 2007 after 221 games, Thompson accepts he probably played one season too many. With the Saints out of finals contention, coach Ross Lyon granted Thompson a farewell game in round 22 against Richmond. Despite being overshadowed by Fraser Gehrig’s sudden retirement at the end of the same match (Gehrig later changed his mind and played five games for the Saints in 2008), Thompson left the field a winner, content that he had squeezed the most out of himself for his club. Few would have guessed Thompson would return to Moorabbin so quickly. Only one month after his last game, the veteran became a board member as part of Greg Westaway’s ‘Footy First’ ticket, which had challenged president Rod Butterss and his board to a members’ vote. Butterss conceded defeat before a vote, with Thompson

making a swift – and unlikely – transition from the No. 4 red, white and black jumper to a boardroom suit and tie. Despite urgings from his wife Sophie to have a break from football, Thompson says he needed to grasp the chance to give something back. “I’ve always liked being involved in things, and I don’t like to sit back and wait for what happens next,” he says. “When opportunities come up, you have to take them. “I’ve learned a lot from it and given a bit back in terms of my input. The way the club’s travelling at the moment is fantastic. I might have only had a tiny bit to do with that, but it’s nice to still be part of it. “I always felt it was an honour to play footy at AFL level and I wanted at some point to give something back to the club. “I had no intention of being involved in the board so soon after I retired, but it was just the way it panned out. “I had some strong beliefs about the fact that when I was there as a player, the money wasn’t being spent in an area that made us able to perform at our best.” ays two Thompson, 36, says evious board, members of the previous unhappy with the way the ng, ﬁrst club was progressing, approached him. da One of his St Kilda captains and close friend Nathan he ticket. Burke also joined the Thompson says that without Burke, he would not have gone into the role SMART OPERATOR: Be it the

boardroom today or on the ﬁeld in his playing days, Andrew Thompson has made a success of his career.

withas much confidence. He describes the initial period as “stressful”, especially when having to break the news to Butterss. “I rang Rod and told him the reasons, and he didn’t necessarily agree with them but I think he was grateful for the call. “We still get on pretty well, but I think initially he was disappointed I was involved. But sometimes you have to make decisions about what you believe, and I thought it was time for a change.” Thompson’s arrival in League football was far less rapid than his elevation to board member. A late developer, Thompson was 23 when selected by St Kilda from Old Melburnians with pick 62 in the 1996 National Draft. Having had experience with the Saints reserves in 1994 and 1996, plus a stint with Footscray’s reserves in 1995 (at that time, clubs could call on undrafted players to fill in when injuries hit), St Kilda recruiter John Beveridge had seen enough in Thompson to take a chance on him. With a mature build and a knack for finding the ball, he established himself in the team in early 1997, and played iin the Saints’ Grand Final loss to Adelaide that season. His career at St Kild Kilda was marked by consistenc consistency. He represented Victoria Victo in 1998-99, won the b best and fairest in 20 2000 and captained the Saints in 16 games in 2001-02 2001-02. Despite his self-effa self-effacing nature durin during our initi initial shak shake of han hands,

Thompson is still in good shape. As he eats his lunch – three sushi rolls – and grabs a coffee during the interview, he is affable and open, and explains how much he is enjoying working at BGF Equities, a small, boutique broking firm. With a strikingly modern interior and glass panels surrounding the boardroom where we start the interview, Thompson agrees it’s a “pretty good” set-up. Thompson spent five years at finance company ABN AMRO before crossing to BGF and, with his brother and father both stockbrokers, he says the profession can provide a similar thrill to football. “It’s got the excitement of playing footy. The market opens at 10 o’clock and I’ve got some guys who trade on a daily basis,” he says. “If they buy or sell something, three or four hours later they might be back into it or out of it, so there’s a bit of an adrenaline rush.” Thompson starts work most days at 7.45am and tries to get home by 6.30pm, where his three young children keep him occupied. On Saturday mornings, he takes his oldest son, Flynn, six, to NAB AFL Auskick and, on Saturday nights, he commentates matches for Triple M radio. The St Kilda board meets formally once a month, with “catch-ups” on a fortnightly basis. He also liaises with Lyon and football manager Matthew Drain on football matters. Asked to sum up St Kilda, he says Fortius Quo Fidelius (strength through loyalty) is “probably the perfect motto for us”. It’s also probably the perfect motto for Thompson’s dedication to St Kilda. AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au 27

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15/7/09 4:49:01 PM

ANDREW WELSH

Bomber

hungry for ﬁnals return

After recovering from a serious leg injury, Essendon midfielder Andrew Welsh is back doing what he loves best. But there is still something missing in his life, a huge void that can only be filled by finals football. NICK BOW EN

ndrew Welsh had to leave last year’s Grand Final before a ball was bounced. Feeling sick to the pit of his stomach, he hightailed it out of the MCG. But a dodgy prawn at a Grand Final breakfast wasn’t to blame. His stomach was churning for a different reason – it was the AFL’s biggest game of the year and he was there as a mere spectator. Watching the ﬁnals from the sidelines has become a familiar experience for Essendon players in recent seasons, the Bombers last making the top eight in 2004 and the Grand Final in 2001. It’s been a drought Welsh has found tough to take and, arriving at the ground for last year’s Geelong-Hawthorn premiership decider reinforced exactly what he and his teammates had been missing out on. “I hadn’t been to any ﬁnals games in recent years but I had tickets to last year’s Grand Final,” Welsh says. “I went but I just couldn’t stay there. I felt sick not being out there, so I packed up my stuff and

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took off home and went around to a mate’s joint to watch the game. “You play footy to be in the finals and, when you’re not there, it’s tough.” Welsh’s angst at missing the finals for the past four seasons is understandable. When he was selected by Essendon in the 2001 National Draft, the club was a powerhouse of the competition. It had played in the past two Grand Finals – only a shock loss in a 1999 preliminary final against Carlton had stopped it from being three in a row – winning the 2000 premiership before losing its crown to the Brisbane Lions in 2001. With a star-studded line-up that included James Hird, Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Dustin Fletcher and Mark Mercuri, the Bombers did not just aim to play finals every year, they expected to. In the first three seasons of Welsh’s career, they achieved just that. After debuting in round seven, 2002, he quickly cemented a position on the Essendon half-back line and played in all six of the club’s finals from 2002-04.

15/7/09 5:34:20 PM

GREAT TO BE BACK:

Andrew Welsh (middle), in his second game back after a leg injury, celebrates with teammates after Essendon’s win over Carlton in round 13.

Now, the Bombers are again on the precipice of finals action. After their round 15 win against the Sydney Swans, they consolidated eighth place on the ladder, moving a game and percentage clear of Port Adelaide. With their fast, free-flowing style and mix of seasoned pros such as skipper Lloyd, Lucas and Fletcher, speedsters Andrew Lovett and Alwyn Davey, and emerging young talents such as Patrick Ryder, Tayte Pears and David Zaharakis, the Bombers look every chance to end their September exile. Not that Welsh is taking anything for granted. Now one of Essendon’s most senior players and a member of its leadership group, he admits he is excited by the pace and dare Davey and Lovett have brought to the Bombers and the progression of the 19-year-old Pears as a key defender. Speaking to the AFL Record over the phone last week, Welsh’s passion for football and his club was clear. Articulate and talkative, he spoke openly about coaches, injury, his new run-with role and his life outside of footy. But when asked about Essendon’s finals prospects this year, like most footballers, he was more reserved. Adopting a variation of one of footy’s most popular clichés, Welsh says only that the Bombers have broken the season down into four-week blocks and are taking it one four-week block at a time. In fairness, Welsh realises better than most how quickly a season can go pear-shaped. In February, he was nearing the end of an excellent pre-season when he took to the Whitten Oval for an intra-club practice match. Before the game was finished, he was lying on the ground in agony, a strong tackle from Irish recruit Michael Quinn having severely twisted his right leg, breaking his fibula and dislocating his ankle. From excitedly eyeing the start of a new season one minute, he was contemplating an indefinite stint on the sidelines the next. Fortunately, Welsh was able to fast-track his recovery and return for the Bombers’ round 12 clash with Melbourne. Better

62 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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yet, further injury aside, he looks set to play a big role in Essendon’s campaign for a finals spot. But it was Welsh’s attitude during his recovery, rather than the recovery itself, that says most about him. As a club leader, the 26-year-old was determined to be a positive influence around the club during his rehabilitation, no matter how tough and frustrating it was. “When you’re injured, you’re off doing a different program and you might not feel part of the group, but I didn’t want to be seen as moping around feeling sorry for myself,” he says. “I wanted to be excited and involved with what the young guys were doing early in the season, helping them with their training and preparation for games.” After being discharged from hospital following surgery on his leg, one youngster Welsh immediately sought out was Quinn. While in hospital, Welsh had received a text and then a voice message from Quinn apologising for his role in the injury. But, at that stage, Welsh did not know it was Quinn who had tackled him and Quinn’s thick Irish accent meant he was none the wiser after listening to the rookie’s message. It was only after reading a newspaper soon after his discharge that Welsh realised what had happened. “I called him back and he said, ‘I’m so sorry’,” he says. “I said, ‘That’s part of footy, mate, and I’m going to get enjoyment out of watching you play now until I can get back out there again’.” Welsh was also determined that, before returning to the Bombers’ line-up, he would work his way back to full fitness in the VFL. “The first half of the season, I got to sit in the stands and admire the way the younger guys were going about their footy and growing as a team, and I didn’t think they should have to carry me through games while I built my fitness back up,” he says. It is a further indication of Welsh’s leadership qualities. And his role with Essendon’s leadership group is one he cherishes. “It makes me perform

FAC T F I L E DETERMINED DON: Welsh has

revelled in his run-with role under the coaching of Matthew Knights.

It makes me perform better. It ensures I am 100 per cent professional all the time when I’ve got guys looking up to me. ANDREW WELSH

better,” he says. “It ensures I am 100 per cent professional all the time when I’ve got guys looking up to me.” Welsh is also enjoying his on-field role, one that has changed significantly since Matthew Knights took over as coach in 2008. After missing the first month of last season with injury, Welsh was moved from defence to a run-with role, where Knights pitted him against the best midfielders in the competition. With his strength and ability to win the ball, Welsh gave the Bombers’ midfield another dimension, particularly in the second half of the season. While shutting down stars such as Hawthorn’s Sam

Mitchell (13 disposals) in round 11 and Carlton’s Chris Judd (12 disposals) in round 13, Welsh also showed he could expose his opponents offensively, racking up 33 possessions – and one Brownlow vote – on Brisbane’s Simon Black (20 possessions) in round 15 and 29 disposals and four goals against Collingwood in round 17 after starting on Scott Pendlebury (16 disposals). Aside from learning how to play at stoppages and developing the fitness required to play in the midfield, Welsh says the new role has not required too much adjustment. “As a defender, I always went into a game thinking of nullifying my man first and it’s the same in the midfield,” he says.

Andrew Welsh Born: February 11, 1983 Recruited from: Westmeadows, Calder U18 Debut: Round 7, 2002 Height: 188cm Weight: 86kg Games: 138 Goals: 28 Brownlow medal: Career votes 5

“You also find if you’re playing on the superstars of the competition, they take you to the footy anyway, and then it’s up to your work-rate to get the ball and give your team a bit of drive.” Since his return to the side this year, Welsh has picked up where he left off in 2008. In his four games, he has been in the Bombers’ best three times and has averaged 23 possessions and six tackles a game. In just his second game back, he again got the better of Judd, racking up 30 disposals to the Carlton skipper’s 22. Welsh talks a lot of taking “ownership” of his and his side’s performances. It is the mantra of Knights, a philosophy that has taken Essendon in a new direction since Kevin Sheedy’s 27-year reign came to end in 2007. While at pains to acknowledge Sheedy’s influence on his career, Welsh seems to be thriving under the new regime. “Kevin’s knowledge of footy and his ability to get the best out of all his players was fantastic,” he says. “He was so good for 27 years but he was an instinctive coach, who liked taking control of everything. “Matthew has given a lot of ownership to the players to really drive the game-plan and take control of our careers and the way the team goes. “And I think with such a young group, it’s a fantastic philosophy to have. It makes guys step up and be counted, when they could go under the radar.” Outside football, Welsh’s main passion is surfing, with his favourite haunts being Jan Juc and 13th Beach on Victoria’s west coast. AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au 63

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So strong is the call of the ocean at times, Welsh was asked by Essendon one pre-season to cut back on his surﬁng; he, Dean Solomon and Mark McVeigh were then riding waves up to four times a week. During the season, he mself to normally limits himself ght, a surf every fortnight, however, he has nott been able to surf since hiss injury in February. “When you get out in the water, dom om you’ve got the freedom to pretend you’re anywhere in the world. I just love it,” he says. up A long-time pin-up boy with Essendon and footy fans in oyys his his general, Welsh enjoys anc nces ess occasional appearances whil ilee il on The Footy Show, wh while acti ac ting ti ng,, ng he has also studied acting, in a recently appearing in and d ﬁlm clip for countryy an nni R Rae ae western singer Ronni ng On Rivers’ song Running ut). ut ). Fumes (see breakout). er of of The former owner Wels lsh ls h ha hass two bars, this year We Welsh cus used on used on his his understandably focused

When you get out in the water, you’ve got the freedom to pretend you’re anywhere in the world. I just love it return to football, his university u studies (financial marke markets) suffering accordingly. Now he’s back to fu full fitness, his focus has shifted to t the Bomb m ers’ tilt at the finals. Bombers’ Whether the Dons ma ake it th this yyear make or n ext, ex t W el is next, Welsh relu re lucttan ant to say, reluctant bu ut h but hee iiss sure of one ne tthing h – tthat’s hat at’s ’s w wh h where t hee cclu lub bb club belongs. “Ove “O ver th “Over the next few fe w ye ear arss, hopefully ho years, w e’lll fo form m a rreally we’ll go ood side sid id de an n get good and thee Es th Esse send se ndon nd o footy on Essendon cclub lub ub b acck tto ow back where it sshould houl ho uld ul d be and a that’s back ba ck iin n th the eight and an d pl pla ay playing good go od finals foot fo otyy ot footy,” he ssays.

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Andrew Welsh sits on a couch, head down, a freshly stitched scar running down his forehead. Dressed in a red, white and back ﬂannelette shirt, he looks despondent, but sits silently, the only sound a country and western song blaring in the background. Fortunately, for Bombers fans, Welsh is not trying to get his head around another injury setback. He’s not a country and western fan either. He is, though, the brooding bad boy in the video for country and western singer Ronni Rae Rivers’ latest song Running On Fumes. Rivers sings about a “devil-eyed Joe” who has stumbled in “too many” times at 2am: “I’ve had enough, I swear.” In his role, Welsh eventually moves from the couch, has an argument with Rivers, a costume change (leather jacket and blue T-shirt) and cruises into town at night in a silver Mustang. Not a bad gig, really.

Welsh says the opportunity to appear in Rivers’ video arose through his recent participation in an acting course. “I thought it would be a bit of fun to do. It wasn’t anything too big and drastic,” he says with a laugh. “I didn’t have to do much in the video, I just had to stand around.” Welsh says acting is something he’s been interested in for some time, but doubts he’ll pursue a career in it once his football days are ﬁnished. “For me, acting’s just been about forcing yourself to get up in front of a group of people and getting out of your comfort zone,” Welsh says. “I’ve noticed when I’m in the media it makes me a lot more comfortable talking, so it’s been good for me in that way.” *See Welsh in the video for Running On Fumes at ronniraerivers.com/links.html

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COACHES ON COACHING – PART 2

Developing a successful

For any senior coach, developing or perpetuating a strong club culture is the key to success. In the second part of the AFL Record’s coaching series, Carlton’s Brett Ratten outlines his philosophy on creating a winning environment.

onesty is the catalyst behind a great culture, a great team. From myself, right through to the last guy on the list, you need to be able to tell the bloke beside you if he’s letting you down. I’m always honest enough to say, “Boys, I made a blue here, but this is how we’re going to fix it.” The honesty factor makes or breaks a culture because, if you’re dishonest or hide from issues, that’s when you start to have problems. I’ll never forget a speech Greg Williams made after winning our best and fairest in 1994. We’d been beaten by Essendon in the ’93 Grand Final and knocked out of the ’94 finals series in straight sets, and he got up and said, “All of us older blokes are playing at a high level, but the middle tier of players need to take the next step. You need to come and join us and bridge that gap.” I was definitely in that category, and having one of the champions of the game asking for help really put it on to the players to lift their game. We were driven anyway, but that gave us the extra two or three per cent motivation to do the little things behind the scenes when no one else was watching. It was instrumental in our flag in ’95. As a coach, it’s not just me in control of our culture. It’s our development coach, our line coaches, our welfare and footy managers and our leadership group – we all set the standard at the club. How can we preach

COMMUNICATION: Brett

Ratten makes sure his message gets through to all players, including youngster Jeﬀ Garlett.

FAC T F I L E

Brett Ratten Born: July 11, 1971 Coaching career: Carlton (round 17, 2007-) Games: 43 Record: 18 wins, 25 losses Winning percentage: 42

66 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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something if we don’t actually do it ourselves? It takes every person at the football club to be on board, but it all starts with the management. For example, Chris Judd has had an enormous impact because of the traits he brings with his professionalism – he spends about 15 hours a week outside our football program working on himself, and our younger players have grown up with that. It’s the little things that make him and the people around him better players, and when they sit down to evaluate their performance, they can say they did everything they could in their preparation. When you are creating your behaviours or trademarks, you can only achieve outcomes if you actually measure them. If you say, “These are our values,” and put 10 things up on the wall, everyone walks past them every day and, then when you ask them in six months’ time what they are, players will go, ‘Oh, I think one was respect, one might have been commitment …’ It’s very sloppy and you get no result. Behaviours and trademarks need to be attached to something measurable, whether it is skinfolds, running ability or speciﬁc goals a player has set – otherwise it just becomes ﬂippant.

lub culture definitely has a big impact on performance and, as a coach, you can actually see it in the communication, cohesion and unity out on the field. I might spot something from the coach’s box, send a message down and hope the runner gets out there in time and explains it the right way. There’s a chance the communication chain can be broken somewhere along the line, so you are just hoping the player gets the information, absorbs it and adheres to those instructions. But if you can get the player to identify the issue first time himself or be able to say to a

We’ve got Brendan Fevola, who’s an extrovert in a football club with a lot of introverted people, so it’s a balancing act – do we want to take away his ﬂair, his pizzazz, his showmanship? teammate, “Come on, pick him up, you’re being too slack,” and people respond positively instead of saying, “Nick off, I’m not doing that,” then you know you’ve got a good culture and you’re heading in the right direction. There might be the odd debate out on the ﬁeld, but everyone switches back on pretty quickly. If you haven’t got a great culture, that togetherness can fracture – a guy goes away from the game-plan or structures that have been put in place for the team because of self-preservation, own glory, wanting to pat themselves on the back or to be the star of the team. Tardiness is another danger sign of poor culture. If attitudes become sloppy, that actually affects your playing group, because one shortcut can lead to the next. A player might say, “It’s only punctuality, and I only missed a weights session,” but the real question is, was he really committed? If a younger player sees an older player cutting corners, he might think, “I’ll get away with it once,” and then he gets away with it once, twice, three times, and that becomes the way he prepares himself, which is unacceptable. And, at the end of the day, you can set your core values, but you do have to coach

Creating an ho environmen nest and open tw impact on an ill have a huge y team. Slogans an d mottos ar e pointless un le measured in ss they can be some way. The responsi bility for a su culture falls ccessful on club, from th every person at the e coach dow n. Tardiness is th poor culture. e warning sign of a Player empo w the necessit erment will eliminate y to constant ly reinforce key themes. Drawing up on can be useful a club’s former culture , want to crea but players essentially te their own history.

each individual based on m. what they bring to the team. 3 We do a lot of emotionall ll intelligence at our club – all of the players have been 4 profiled – so we know theirr attributes and learning 5 capabilities and can coach them more specifically. We’ve got Brendan 6 Fevola, who’s an extrovert in a football club with a lot of introverted people, so it’s ant to a balancing act – do we want If you think about it, in most take away his flair, his pizzazz, premiership teams, or sides that his showmanship? have won big stretches of games, We actually want that part, there have rarely been any offbecause it brings energy to the field incidents; everyone has been team, but we still want to instill focused and committed to the the core values of our club. cause, and that’s when you get the I think a coach also needs to greatest reward as a group. be very mindful of the history of Coaches can generate the club he comes to. motivational spikes by creating With culture, it’s a bit like themes or blasting the group, coming up with a game-plan but when all the extras are – if you went to every team in washed away, what’s the the competition and tried to underlying base like? implement the same strategy, You can bring in a guest you’d have a fair few failures, speaker, rant and rave, or have because you actually have to look a theme of physicality for a at the list and tinker with your month, but if all the coaching plan according to your stocks. staff walked away, would blokes But on the behaviour turn up to do weights, would side of things, you always they come to training? hear Collingwood president The best indicator of culture Eddie McGuire talk about is to see just how driven people the grandma theory – if your are by themselves. grandma would like it, do it; if she wouldn’t like it, don’t do it. AS TOLD TO ANDREW WALLACE

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PREMIERS: The 1909 South Melbourne premiership team, back row (L-R): J. Marshall (trainer), George Bower, Jack Richardson, Bert Streckfuss, Bert Franks,

Bill Thomas, Jack Scobie, A. Swan (trainer). Middle row (L-R): Alex Kerr, Hughie Callan, Vic Belcher, Bob Deas, Tom Grimshaw, Len Mortimer, Jack Jones, Ted Wade, Toner Hosking. Front row (L-R): Herb Howson, Jim Caldwell, Alf Gough, Bill Dolphin, Charlie Ricketts (C-C), Arthur Hiskins, Horrie Drane, Dick Casey, Henry Skinner (president). Seated: Bill Moxham, Alan Pentland.

I This Saturday, the Sydney Swans celebrate the centenary of the club’s ﬁrst premiership when, as South Melbourne in 1909, it defeated Carlton by two points in the Grand Final. Later that night, the Swans host their inaugural Hall of Fame function in Melbourne. J IM M A IN

n an era of horse-drawn carriages, Carlton drove ahead of the VFL pack like a new-fangled motor vehicle in winning consecutive VFL premierships from 1906-08. Carlton was the trendsetter, not only in appointing former Fitzroy (VFA) star and Australian Test cricketer John Worrall as coach, but also in introducing a strict training regime. South Melbourne watched in envy as the Blues dominated the competition, tasting defeat just once (against Essendon) in winning the 1908 flag. The Southerners, runners-up to the Blues in 1907, finished a disappointing fifth the following year, but vowed to rattle Carlton’s cage in 1909 with the appointment of their first coach. Like most clubs, South until then relied on the captain to take charge of training, apply discipline and devise tactics. Its 1908 captain had been defender Bill Dolphin, but he stepped aside when the club appointed dashing rover Charlie Ricketts as its first captain-coach. AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au 69

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reflections Ricketts had joined the Southerners from VFA club Richmond in 1906 and, immediately after his appointment as captaincoach, adopted new training methods to have his part-time footballers as fit as possible between jobs as butchers, bakers and candlestick-makers. To give Ricketts the personnel for success, South recruited heavily going into the 1909 season, especially from local clubs. Dave Barry and Jack Scobie joined from Leopold (virtually a South reserves side) and champion centreman Jim Caldwell crossed from VFA club Williamstown. The Southerners opened the season with a nine-point win over Geelong at Corio Oval and The Australasian reported that two train-loads of supporters, numbering 1200, made the return trip to Geelong. Excitement about South’s prospects increased when the red and white defeated Carlton by 17 points at the Lake Oval the following week. The Southerners took the victory as proof they could land their first VFL flag. However, the Blues dented their confidence with a 24-point victory at Princes Park in round 11, with more than 30,000 fans squeezed into the ground for the top-of-the-ladder clash. The Herald reported “trams were taxed to their last inch of carrying capacity”. South eventually finished on top of the ladder with 14 wins and four defeats, ahead of Carlton on percentage, with Collingwood and Melbourne making up the final four.

It’s in the blood The club’s inaugural Hall of Fame members will be chosen from a group of 90 players dating back to 1874, when it played in the VFA competition.

LEADER: Charlie Ricketts was South Melbourne’s ﬁrst captain-coach.

The Blues dented their confidence with a 24-point victory at Princes Park in round 11, with more than 30,000 fans squeezed in Under the final-four system, Carlton played Essendon in one semi-final, with South pitted against Collingwood in the other. The Blues defeated Essendon by 36 points at the MCG on September 11 and, the following week, South defeated the Magpies by 21 points, also at the MCG. Football fans were granted their greatest wish, a South-Carlton final. But, under the finals system of the time, if the Blues won this match, the Southerners would have the right of challenge. Carlton, despite finishing second, was in disarray. Worrall had resigned

There are two categories for induction: Hall of Fame members and Bloods Legends, and they will be selected from ﬁve eras. Some 1500 players have represented the club. To be eligible for selection, the player or coach must have been retired for at least three years. The number of games played or coached was not a consideration, but, in the committee’s opinion, the person must have had a profoundly positive impact on the club. The selectors were former Swans player, coach and director Rick Quade, long-time AFL/VFL football operations executive Dean Moore (who was involved in the relocation of South Melbourne to Sydney), author, football historian and AFL Record writer Jim Main, and lawyer and author of The Bloodstained Angels Mark Branagan. Main has written In The Blood, a club history to be launched at the function. The 90 nominees are: pre-1897 – Billy Addison, Peter Burns and Henry ‘Sonny’ Elms; 1897-1918 – Vic Belcher, Jim Caldwell, Bill Dolphin, Albert Franks, Bill Fraser, Jack Howell,

Herb Howson, Bill McGee, Len Mortimer, Charlie Ricketts, Bruce Sloss, Bill Thomas and Bill Windley; 1919-45 – Jack Bisset, Terry Brain snr, Roy Cazaly, Harry Clarke, Jim Cleary, Bill Faul, Fred Fleiter, Ron Hillis, Arthur Hiskins, Ted Johnson, J. Herbie Matthews, Hec McKay, Hugh McLaughlin snr, Laurie Nash, Charlie Pannam, Bob Pratt snr, Arthur Rademacher, Peter Reville, Rex Ritchie, Austin Robertson snr, Joe Scanlan, Paddy Scanlan, Charlie Stanbridge, Mark Tandy, Len Thomas, Danny Wheelahan and Artie Wood; 1946-81 – Peter Bedford, Gary Brice, Ron Clegg, Russell Cook, Jim Dorgan, Ian Gillett, Fred Goldsmith, Jack Graham, Bill Gunn, John Heriot, Graeme John, Frank Johnson, Greg Lambert, Eddie Lane, David McLeish, Max Papley, John Rantall, Keith Schaefer, Bob Skilton, Jim Taylor, Graham Teasdale and Billy Williams; since 1982 – David d Ack Ac A Ackerly, ckeer erl rlyy,, rl Jason Ball, Mark Bayes, Ba ayyyees, aye s, Mark Browning, Warwick Wa W War ar w ar wic icck rrrol ro ol olll,, Rod Ro Ro od d Capper, Dennis Carroll, Carter, Daryn Cresswell, ssswe sw weell w lll, l, Andrew Dunkley, Rodney Rod Ro dne neey n s, G erra eera rard rd Eade, Bernie Evans, Gerard Healy, Paul Kelly, Tony To T onyy Lockett (right), Stuart Maxﬁeld, Barry Mitchell, Tony Morwood, k David Murphy, Rick Quade, Paul Roos, Barry Round, Andrew rreew Schauble, Wayne lia ia iam am ms Schwass, Greg Williams and Stephen Wright. htt.

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A surging multitude of madly excited barrackers bore the victors shoulder high from the ﬁeld. Such a scene had never before been witnessed

1909 VFL GRAND FINAL South Melbourne

0.5

2.9

4.12

4.14 (38)

Carlton

0.5

2.9

3.11

4.12 (36)

MARKWELL, WRITING IN THE AUSTRALASIAN

during the season because of player dissatisfaction and captain Fred ‘Pompey’ Elliott had assumed coaching duties. However, the Blues overcame their issues and defeated South by 22 points. Although the Southerners had the right to have another crack at Carlton, most observers believed the Blues would again triumph. The Grand Final was played at the MCG on October 2 and the Blues were hot favourites, especially with Caldwell having been suspended for nine matches for striking Carlton’s George Bruce the previous week. Moreover, South’s Dolphin was unable to take his place in the side because of injury. The Blues, on the other hand, welcomed the return of star defender Norman Clark after he had missed the previous week’s match because of neuralgia (a nerve-related pain affecting the face or head). South confounded the critics by holding Carlton in the ﬁrst half and The Australasian’s ‘Markwell’ noted that the red and white had adopted different tactics for this clash. South had relied on vigour to try to upset the Blues the previous week, but this time

pushed the ball into the open as much as possible to use its pace against its bigger opponents. Scores were level at half-time, but Carlton had run into serious difficulties just before the break when Jack Bacquie badly twisted an ankle. As a reserve player system was not introduced until 1930, Bacquie had to take the field in the third quarter despite being barely able to break into a trot. When another Blue, Martin Gotz, had to be carried from the ground with a “sprained foot” in the third quarter, South took advantage with a goal from Alf Gough to go into the final break with a seven-point lead. The gallant Blues refused to concede and attacked in waves. Former South player Harvey Kelly goaled from a place-kick, but the Southerners held on to win by two points, despite being goalless in the final quarter. Markwell reported: “The excitement that prevailed among the (more than) 37,000 spectators was indescribable … the playing ground was rushed the moment the first tinkle (of the bell) was heard, and a surging multitude of madly excited barrackers bore the victors shoulder high from the

BEST: South Melbourne – Cameron, Franks, Kerr, Mortimer, Scobie, Thomas Carlton – Ford, Jinks, Lang, Marchbank, McGregor, Payne. GOALS: South Melbourne – Franks, Gough, Mortimer, Ricketts. Carlton –Topping 2, Bacquie, Kelly. UMPIRE: J. Elder. ATTENDANCE: 37,759 at the MCG

SOUTH MELBOURNE’S PREMIERSHIP TEAM B: HB: C: HF: F: R:

Alan Pentland Arthur Hiskins Horrie Drane Jim Cameron Alex Kerr Bert Franks

Jack Scobie Bill Thomas George Bower Bob Deas Len Mortimer Vic Belcher,

Ted Wade Tom Grimshaw Bill Moxham Dave Barry Alf Gough Charlie Ricketts (CAPTAIN-COACH)

field. Such a scene of delirious enthusiasm had never before been witnessed at the finish of a football match.” Markwell also paid tribute to Ricketts: “Consummate skill in leadership on the field belongs to few men. It would, perhaps, be an exaggeration to say that captain Ricketts is the possessor of such skill … His training and judgment have built up a side largely composed of men who, until recently, were junior players, into a company of artists … To him, therefore, is due chief credit for the team’s success.” Ricketts, Gough, Albert Franks and Len Mortimer kicked

South’s four goals and its best players were Franks, Mortimer, Bill Thomas, Jack Scobie and Alex ‘Bubs’ Kerr. South might have landed its ﬁrst VFL premiership, but its season was far from over as it travelled to Adelaide to play South Australian premier West Adelaide for the title of “premier of premiers”. South won by 24 points, with The Australasian naming Thomas, Scobie and Alan Pentland among the best. Jim Main is the Sydney Swans’ historian and a member of the Hall of Fame selection committee.

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CAMERON BRUCE

200 GAMES

footballer He’ss one of those gifted players who make the game look easy, He but Cameron Br Bruce’s journey to 200 games has been anything but straight-fo straight-forward. BEN COL LINS

FOCUSED:

Cameron Bruce is often thinking a possession ahead of other players.

ameron Bruce laughs heartily when reminded of Rex Hunt’s nickname for him, ‘Cameron the Bruce’ – a reference to Robert the Bruce, the legendary Scottish Sco warrior king of mediev medieval times. “I enjoy listening listen to Rex – it’s always good to hear his enthusiasm,” Bruce says. “I feel hon honoured that he’s given m me a nickname. Believe me, I’ve been called a lot worse!” Despite the moniker, and the fact that over th the phone he sounds a little lik like his former hard-man skipper David D Neitz, Bruce is more think thinker than warrior. That’s not to say h he isn’t battle-hardened or h heroic – anyone who plays 200 AFL g games, as Bruce is set to do this weeken weekend, is just that – but it’s more the fact the Melbourne vice-captain is in the upper echelon when it comes to football foo IQ. He’s a deep thinke thinker – more so than most players. You only on have to watch him play for evidence evidenc of that. Watch his sleek fra frame enter a crushing pack and almost nonchalantly gather the ball and emerge from the din unscathed and with such elegance tthat he can often resemble a Rolls Royce Roy cruising past beaten-up old bombs bombs. Then watch as, th the very next moment, he creates space for himself where there had just jus been a scrap, and suddenly he’s taking ta a bounce and delivering a sha sharp 45-metre pass with that distin distinctive kicking motion that ignores some basics of technique but still o oozes style, grace,

and more importantly, precision. In this regard, he is similar to selfstyled kicking artists such as James Hird and Nathan Buckley. Like these former superstars, too, there are many young fans of his club who mimic that very kicking action. Try as they might to imitate Bruce’s style, very few could claim to match him for football smarts. You simply can’t play the way Bruce does without being a first-class thinker. His mind is usually a possession ahead of the pack. Like most top-line players, he seems to arrive at the right spot at the right time, as though he had a pre-arranged rendezvous with the ball. He modestly dismisses this gift as being “nothing out of the ordinary”, but concedes that “if you’re in certain situations enough times, you get to a stage where at times you almost instinctively know what to do.” Many instincts have been built into Bruce’s body, mind and being. A defining, crowning instinct of his – to which he attributes his existence as an AFL player – is the one that prohibits him from giving in, especially where ambitions are concerned. It’s an approach he had well before he got to Demonland, where he has since achieved veteran and star status. Bruce, 29, has cherished every moment because his AFL journey could have been over before it started. He thinks about it often. He thinks a lot about lots of things. Deeply. That’s the environmental influence of being raised by parents who worked in the education system and who were always keen for their son to further himself. Bruce thinks long and hard about the Dees, and how he can

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help his beloved club rise back up the AFL ranks, and – despite the weeks before their successive wins being the hardest of his career – often refers to the club’s exciting future, and his intention to play an influential role in it. He also regularly ponders some other D’s – three of them in fact – that drive him to be a better footballer and a better man. ‘Determination Defies Defeat.’ It’s a motto Bruce learned and adopted from his maternal grandfather, Les Kilpatrick, who was part of the Australian effort in World War II. “I’m a very determined person,” he says. “Whatever I do, I do it to the best of my ability. “I persevere with everything, and I don’t take no for an answer. That’s how I reached the AFL in the first place,, because I had some n my early days.” knockbacks in w up in the Bruce grew lbourne suburb southern Melbourne of Beaumaris.. He actually played soccerr for five years evel. to under-12 level. ight,” he “I was all right,” dn’t says, “but I didn’t exactly have any EPL mier (English Premier ts League) scouts chasing me!” In soccer, he learned ng about running patterns and developed hiss ss dual-sidedness o and ability to y. read the play.

I persevere with everything, and I don’t take no for an answer. That’s how I reached the AFL in the ﬁrst place because I had some knockbacks CAMERON BRUCE

A St Kilda supporter, he would watch games at Moorabbin with his father and brother, and “sit behind the goals and cheer on big ‘Plugger’ (Tony Lockett)”. Bruce always had class as a footballer, but not the physique. He made the Prahran Dragons (now Sandringham) under-15s squad but hardly got a run. “I was as skinny as a rake, and not overly tall,” he recalls. “I didn’t think I’d be good enough either to play at any high level.” With his parents encouraging him to “get a good education”, Bruce knuckled down with his studies and ignored invitations to try out with the Dragons’ TAC Cup under-18 side. Althou Although such a move would n normally be the death k knell for an AFL B career, Bruce still regards it as the best decision he cou have made. could He got high enough m marks to get into co commerce at the U University of M Melbourne (he has s since graduated) a he enjoyed life and alo the way. along “ got to have my “I an eat it because I cake and still got to play AFL footy and I feel really fresh because of

the early years I spent outside the system,” he says. Bruce was twice rejected for a spot on Melbourne’s rookie list, and spent two years on the club’s supplementary list playing in the reserves. He was then 185cm tall, but under 70kg. (He’s now 190cm and 85kg.) “People might say that two knockbacks is a sign that it’s not meant to be, but I refused to accept that,” he says. “Sure, I wondered whether I was up to it, but I just kept at it and eventually I got an opportunity.” Bruce was the Demons’ sixth and last pick, at No. 64 overall, in the 1999 National Draft – behind Brad Green (No. 19), Paul Wheatley (20), Michael Clark (42), Matthew Whelan (50) and Shannon O’Brien (63). He played 19 games in his debut season, kicking 22 goals (including one with his very ﬁrst kick), but missed the Grand Final with a torn quadricep. He’s hopeful he’ll get another chance before his career ends. Bruce’s greatest asset is his versatility. He has played in almost every position bar the ruck. And he hasn’t just done them, he has excelled. He is just as capable of nullifying gun forwards and midﬁelders (he regarded it as an honour to

learn from the best) as he is racking up disposals and kicking goals. He is one of the most versatile utilities of the modern era. He credits former Melbourne reserves coach Chris Fagan (now an assistant at Hawthorn) for making him more flexible. “He’s been the greatest influence on my career,” Bruce says. There is little doubt Bruce would be held in even higher, broader regard if he played in a better side and could specialise rather than having to win the ball and deliver it. Nonetheless, many consider Bruce was at his peak at the start of 2005, when he became a Brownlow Medal favourite and earned eight of a possible nine votes in the first three rounds. Bruce disagrees, believing the efforts of individual players in winning teams can be overblown. He won his first club best and fairest award last year after averaging 24.1 disposals, and has been even better this year, averaging 26.7 touches. “I’m playing the most consistent footy of my career,” he says. “I feel I’m improving as a player and a leader. With these talented young guys coming through, I’d love to be able to say I played a part in their development.” He’s hoping his own late development as a footballer might lengthen the back end of his career.

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TALKING POINT

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Answer man

AFL history guru Col Hutchinson on answers your queries.

Bring it on brother Recently, I played against a country team coached by my older brother. This weekend, Jade Rawlings will instruct Richmond against a North Melbourne squad likely to include his brother, Brady. Have other men ever coached against their siblings at AFL level? TERRY STRIBLING, VIA EMAIL

CH: There have been eight

known cases, the most recent of which occurred 60 years ago. Twice in 1910, Alan Belcher was Essendon playing coach against his brother, Vic, who lined up for South Melbourne. The tables were turned four times in 1914-15 when Vic captain-coached the Bloods against the Dons. By then, Alan was a player only. On two occasions during 1920, Arthur Hiskins was South captain-coach against Carlton, which included his sibling, Rupe. Other instances have

ray been Paddy Scanlan (Footscray nst playing coach in 1927) against Joe (a South Melbourne player); Arthur Coghlan nst (Geelong PC 1929-30) against ntry Davitt (Fitzroy); Syd Coventry ach (Footscray non-playing coach 1935-37) against Gordon tt (Collingwood); Jack Baggott nd (Essendon NPC 1935-36 and 0) South Melbourne NPC 1940) against Ron (Melbourne); Dick Reynolds (Essendon PC in 1945) against Tom n (St Kilda); and Alec Albiston (Hawthorn PC 1947-49) against Ken (Richmond).

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

Richmond’s Jade Rawlings (left) will coach against his brother Brady this weekend.

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, a descendant of former South Melbourne player James Schellnack? Schellnack made his debut in the ﬁfth round of 1904 as a centre half-forward, after being recruited from Brunswick. He scored six goals in seven career matches and

was suﬃciently adaptable to play as a half-forward ﬂanker or ruckman. He died on May 24, 1968, aged about 88. Should you have any information

regarding Schellnack, including his date of birth and height and weight, contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col.hutchinson@aﬂ.com.au.

NAME GAME

Vice-captain in waiting Some players are born to be captains, but Richmond’s Tyrone Vickery (pictured) was born, at least by his name, to be a vice-captain. Vickery is a variation of the Middle English word vikere, an occupational name for a parish priest and the forerunner of the modern word “vicar”. It can be traced back to the Latin vicarius, a substitute. A vicar was originally someone who carried out pastoral duties on behalf of the absentee holder of a benefice (a church living granted as a gift). In practice, most benefice holders were always absent and so “vicar” came to mean “parish priest”. Vice-, as in vice-captain, vice-president etc., is a closely related word, coming from the same source. “Vice-” simply means someone who takes the place of a higher officeholder. Vickery is not a particularly common name and only two Vickerys have played League football. KEVAN CARROLL

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COLLECTABLES WITH RICK MILNE

Demon of a board A weekly look at collectables, memorabilia and all footy things stored in boxes and garages. RICK’S RARITY

I have a chess board with the squares signed by Melbourne’s victorious 1964 premiership side, including Brian Dixon, Hassa Mann, Frank ‘Bluey’ Adams and Ron Barassi. I would like to sell it to raise funds for the club. Your suggestions?

Jack George was a rugged ruckman-defender who played a total of 73 games with Collingwood, St Kilda and South Melbourne from 1930-36. He played 55 games with the Saints, who issued a monthly St Kilda Football Review magazine. Each issue included a supplement on a St Kilda player and this one featured George. These are rare and are worth about $150 50 each. 5 eea each

BARRIE, VIA EMAIL

RM: You have two options. First,

you could sell it at a Melbourne fund-raising function as items like this sometimes draw eye-watering prices. Second, it could be offered as the prize in a major rafﬂe. A friend has shown me a travel bag he bought at an opportunity shop a few years back. It carries the Qantas name and logo and the words “Australian Rules Football World Tour 1968”. It is maroon with white writing. There was an international tour in 1968, so I am assuming this is a bag from one of the players or support staﬀ. Value? ANDREW, VIA EMAIL

RM: I have come across a

couple of these bags, so I don’t think they were limited to just players and staff. They sell for about $55.

YOUR MOVE: Hassa Mann is one

of the 1964 Demon premiership stars featured on a chess board which a fan plans to sell to raise funds for the club.

Victoria. The booklet is titled Football Facts and was written by R.H. Campbell. It contains the 1929 VFL draw and I was wondering about its value. JUSTIN, VIA EMAIL

RM: This booklet is a tough

one to ﬁnd as I previously have seen only one copy. Providing it is in top condition, it would be worth $100.

A friend recently bought an old soft-cover booklet on football from a shop in Rutherglen in

If you are thinking of buying a football jumper signed by your favourite player, remember that there are thousands of these and they rarely increase in value. But, if you are just wanting a souvenir and you are not looking for a proﬁt, go for it.

HANDY HINT

CONTACT RICK MILNE mrpp@iprimus.com.au or drop him a line: 5 Cooraminta St, Brunswick, Vic, 3056 or call (03) 9387 4131. One query per reader.

WATCH BEFORE THE GAME SATURDAY NIGHTS ON TEN

beforethegame.com.au LADDER ANDY DAVE LEHMO SAM MICK STRAUCHANIE

88 86 81 80 76 37

TIPSTERS

MICK Western Bulldogs Carlton Geelong Cats Collingwood Fremantle Port Adelaide Richmond St Kilda

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LEHMO Western Bulldogs Sydney Swans Geelong Cats Hawthorn Brisbane Lions Port Adelaide North Melb St Kilda

DAVE Western Bulldogs Carlton Geelong Cats Collingwood Brisbane Lions Port Adelaide North Melb St Kilda

STRAUCHANIE Essendon Sydney Swans Melbourne Hawthorn Fremantle West Coast Eagles Richmond Adelaide

SAM Western Bulldogs Carlton Geelong Cats Collingwood Brisbane Lions Port Adelaide North Melb St Kilda

ANDY Western Bulldogs Carlton Geelong Cats Collingwood Brisbane Lions Port Adelaide Richmond St Kilda

is week special guest appearance by

MICHAEL O’LOUGHLIN

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KNOWLEDGE AC R O S S 1 3

DOWN

Quick shot for goal (4) Ray, or Tony, or Heath .... take your pick (4)

6 Hawthorn’s nickname (5) 10 Geelong’s Darren ....... (7) 11 Old-time Carlton star George; what you put on ice-cream (7)

12 Some youngsters wear long-sleeve guernseys to avoid looking ....... (7)

14 Matt ....... once starred with Fitzroy (7) 16 AFL’s major sponsor; oh what a feeling! (6)

Eagle legend, once was a pharmacist (8)

20 “We are ... Navy Blues” (3) 21 Chlorinated rehab location (4) 22 Damian ......, Geelong captain, 1987-89 (6)

1 2 4 5

Slamming ... Kekovich (3)

The perfect way to bump an opponent (3, 3, 8)

7 8 9 12 13 15 18 19

Carlton’s Jarrad (5)

Acronym of feared knee injury (3) Essendon’s ...... Slattery (5) Runs out during a break in play to refresh the players (5, 3)

Clubs use ...-plays (3) Son of Ray, of three across (5) Taken to the ball (3) Magpie from Brisbane (5) Initials of Carlton’s home ground, until 2005 (2)

who went to the Roos (7)

Data, oﬃcial AFL stats providers (3)

23 What you do with a meat pie (3) 24 This .... by birth, played in Ireland, became a Demon (4)

29 A player who rarely misses his shots for goal (7)

’ KIDS R NE COR

Another term for taggers (3, 4, 7)

20 Given name of head of Champion

25 Reject (7) 28 Former Geelong captain,

30 33 34 33

Sydney’s main venue (3)

A niggardly defender, is generally .... (4)

26 27 29 31

Given name of star Geelong youngster .... Selwood (4)

32 The controlling body (3)

Port premiership captain (7) Hard workers (collq.) (5)

Nickname of former Roo Phil Baker (5) A fantasy, not just in footy (5) One of the Footscray boys (3) A member of the royal blue and white team (3)

Scrambled footballer

Match the player with his guernsey

Mud form

Cryptic footballers 1. Centre variable at Geelong. 2. Beach material is outside

Connect the player, his number and the guernsey he wears.

country at Fremantle. 3. Bulldog somehow elegant

about love. 4. Swan included in glorious

Hawthorn team. 5. Luke and Gary Ablett, for

example, at Richmond.

Darren Jolly

Mark Williams

Ryan Gamble

David Zaharakis

Des Headland

6. Port Adelaide’s troubled

e-trader. 7. Big comeback, son, for

Kangaroo. 8. Sadly, only me without love

at Melbourne. 9. A Member of Parliament

(second-rate) in lock-up at Hawthorn. 10. Eagle initially had unprecedented run – naturally.

Essendon E d

Fremantle F tl

Hawthorn H th

Geelong

S Sydney d

THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS

SCRAMBLED FOOTBALLER: Mumford CRYPTIC FOOTBALLERS: 1. Corey 2. Sandilands 3. Eagleton 4. Shaw 5. Cousins 6. Tredrea 7. Gibson 8. Moloney 9. Campbell 10. Hurn

MATCH THE JUMPER: Jolly/16/Sydney, Zaharakis/11/Essendon, Gamble/15/Geelong, Williams/6/Hawthorn, Headland/11/Fremantle

82 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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NAB AFL RISING STAR

Dees hail new cult hero Melbourne fans have been blown away by exciting youngster Liam Jurrah’s arrival on the big stage. A NDR EW WA L L ACE

here are few footballers whose mere approach to the Sherrin can lift the decibel level of a crowd through sheer expectation. During the 1980s and ’90s, Geelong’s Gary Ablett snr and Magpie Peter Daicos were two such players while, in recent times, Ablett’s son and namesake has a similar knack of creating fan frenzy, along with Hawk Lance Franklin and Collingwood’s Leon Davis. Now, a new epicentre of excitement has emerged at the Demons. After just four games at AFL level, Liam Jurrah has become an instant idol among the Melbourne masses with his amazing vertical leap, marking ability and silky skills. Last week’s four-goal performance in Melbourne’s upset win over Port Adelaide earned Jurrah a nomination for the 2009 NAB AFL Rising Star award, and his remarkable story could change the face of AFL recruiting. The 20-yearold hails from Yuendumu, located 300km north-west of Alice Springs, and is proﬁcient in four Aboriginal languages. English doesn’t come naturally to him as yet, but his football has already done enough talking to have scouts

redoubling their attention on remote desert communities to unearth similar talent. Initially brought to Melbourne in 2007 by Collingwood coterie group the Industrial Magpies, Jurrah played four VFL games with the black and whites last season, before heading home due to the illness of a friend. He may never have reached the elite level if not for former Collingwood player Rupert Betheras, who helped Jurrah complete his nomination for

After just four games at AFL level, Liam Jurrah has become an instant idol among the Melbourne masses the 2009 NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft, from which he was selected with the Demons’ No. 1 pick. Despite the difficulties of settling into a completely new environment in Melbourne, including his well-publicised amazement at the size of Port Phillip Bay (and the shock of having to enter it), Jurrah defied the prediction of coach Dean Bailey that he would most likely need a full season in the VFL before debuting at AFL level. Consecutive four-goal efforts for the Casey Scorpions saw the mobile forward promoted to the Melbourne side for its Friday night clash with Essendon in round 12, an event that generated such excitement back at Yuendumu that about 600 well-wishers squeezed on to the local basketball court to watch the match on a big screen. The celebrations of Jurrah’s family at Docklands Stadium after his first AFL goal will be an enduring image of this season, and it seems the Northern Territorian could have Demons fans dancing in the aisles for years to come. DEMON DELIGHT:

Taking marks like this, little wonder Melbourne fans are excited about Liam Jurrah.

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 Round 14 – Jack Grimes (Melb) Round 15 – Liam Jurrah (Melb)

Just over a year ago, Jurrah was playing desert football in bare feet.

2 Jurrah’s father Leo is

said to be the best footballer to emerge from remote central Australia.

3 Unwilling to stiﬂe his

natural instincts, coach Dean Bailey has given Jurrah a free rein up forward.

Jurrah has kicked at

4 least one goal in each AFL game he has played.

One nickname for the youngster already being used is the ‘Jurrahcane’.

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.

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TALKING POINT

Wet and willing Wet-weather football has a charm of its own, as some fans were reminded last weekend. NICK BOW EN

ain at a footy match is about as welcome as a root canal, right? For starters, unless you’ve got a seat under cover, or have come armed with a raincoat and wet-weather daks, you’re probably going to get drenched. Listen to others and they’ll tell you the spectacle itself is going to suffer. “Add a little water to a footy game,” they say, “and watch its standard dissolve”. Yes, in wet-weather footy the basic skills become harder to execute. Yes, it can become a battle of attrition. But, as anyone who watched last Sunday’s Hawthorn-North Melbourne game can attest, it can often bring out the best in both sides. The conditions at Launceston’s Aurora Stadium last Sunday certainly weren’t for the faint-hearted. The rain belted down for much of the first half. And, I mean, belted down. At one stage, it even hailed. It couldn’t match the close-to horizontal hail that fell during a St Kilda-Brisbane Bears game at Waverley Park in the early 1990s (remember the extraordinary television footage of former Bear Paul Peos trying to take a kick?). But it was in the same ballpark. Despite this, the Roos and Hawks turned on an absorbing match. There was the hard stuff you’d expect in any game. Players throwing themselves headfirst at the ball, relentless pressure and ferocious tackling – the Roos finished with the second highest tackle count (111) since Champion Data started logging statistics in 1999. But wet-weather footy also has its own unique style. With little margin for error, finesse goes out the window. Moving the ball forward by any means possible becomes the focus. So there were also plenty of kicks off the ground,

SLIP SLIDING: Hawthorn’s Grant

Birchall and North’s Drew Petrie soaked up plenty of water in this contest last week.

Yes, it can become a battle of attrition. But, as anyone who watched last Sunday’s Hawthorn-North Melbourne game can attest, it can often bring out the best in both sides knocks on to advantage, long bombs forward and, even, the occasional torpedo punt. Unlike a dry day, players struggle to find the time and space to play free-flowing footy, so one-on-one contests are the norm all over the ground. It’s footy at its most basic, stripped down and raw. The crowd, too, gets into the spirit. Like the players, the fans are battling the rain and cold, so they appreciate the players’ ability to just get on with the game. The Hawks-Roos contest was not without skill either. Midfielders such as North’s Andrew Swallow and Liam Anthony and Hawthorn’s Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell and Sam

Mitchell played with sure hands and assurance. There were cracking goals, too – Anthony’s snapped effort in the second quarter, in particular, was a beauty. There were even overhead marks. North big man David Hale plucked several, while Hawk star Lance Franklin took perhaps the best of the match, a strong contested grab in the last quarter. Then, there was the Hawks’ brilliant ﬁve-goal last quarter that enabled them to escape with a nine-point win after trailing for most of the game. The standouts in that period were two of the Hawks’ most valuable players, Franklin and Hodge.

Down on form recently, both exploded into action. Franklin racked up four last-quarter goals with his usual mix of strong marking and cat-like, ground-level play. Hodge moved from the backline to the midﬁeld and took control. Once again, he showed what a deadly ﬁnisher he is, coolly slotting a goal on the run from 40 metres. Funny how the tougher the conditions, the more the game’s best players shine. Fortunately, with today’s AFL venues in pristine condition, the days when mud heaps at venues such as Moorabbin and Glenferrie Oval could drag sides back to the pack are long gone. So, as nice as it is to watch a game under a closed roof at Docklands, don’t worry if there’s a little rain every now and then at the League’s other venues. Welcome it. You’re almost sure to get a good contest.

86 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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