AFL Record, Round 18, 2010 by The Slattery Media Group

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE AFL GAME

L E A H MIC LEY

R U H more of ed I am fashion d l o an aller b t o o f

Making an impact How Mark Williams & Paul Roos changed the game

Leon Davis

200 games of instinctive football

ROUND 18, 2010 JULY 30-AUGUST 1 $5 (INC. GST)

ROUND 18, JULY 30-AUGUST 1, 2010

Features 57

Leon Davis

Bring on the old enemy in his 200th game.

Michael Hurley

An old-fashioned head on young shoulders.

Moments of the decade

The end of Victoria Park and Princes Park.

Regulars 4

Backchat

Your say on the football world.

The Bounce

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

Matchday

Stats, history and line-ups.

UP FOR A CHALLENGE: Magpie

Leon Davis is set to play his 200th game this week – against the club’s ﬁerce rival Carlton.

Dream Team

Advice from Mr Fantasy, our Dream Team expert.

70 74 THIS WEEK’S COVER Young Essendon star Michael Hurley in the special ‘Call to Arms’ jumper the Bombers will be wearing this week.

76 78

Answer Man Kids’ Corner NAB AFL Rising Star Talking Point

Ted Hopkins discusses how Mark Williams and Paul Roos changed the game.

PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM

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Your say on the world of football

feedback

EDITOR’S LETTER

A timely lesson to all

FINALS BOUND:

A reader supports Daniel Cross’ belief that the Bulldogs have unﬁnished business.

Up there for Cazaly?

I wonder if the AFL has any plans to play home and away games at Cazaly Stadium in Cairns? The ground has hosted NRL games but only pre-season AFL games. The AFL plays games in Canberra and Darwin, and with Queensland getting a new team in 2011, it might be time to reward the north-eastern corner of Australia with a match. BILL VELDMEYER, UPPER COOMERA, QLD

Luck of the draw

How many times have drawn matches helped clubs make the ﬁnals, receive the double chance or generally improve their position on the ladder? The issue of extra time is raised every time there’s a draw. It’s like a broken record.

GENERAL MANAGER, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Darren Birch AFL CORPORATE BUSINESS MANAGER Richard Simkiss AFL RECORD MANAGING EDITOR Geoﬀ Slattery AFL RECORD EDITOR Peter Di Sisto

There’s no need to change the state of play. PAUL, VIA E-MAIL

Unﬁnished business

Was it merely a coincidence that the Western Bulldogs last week put in one of their best efforts of the year since winning the NAB Cup after sacking Jason Akermanis? Who knows? One thing we can be sure of is that the Dogs are barking again, starting to play the way we all thought they would after their impressive pre-season form. The team is primed for another ﬁnals series. As the underrated Daniel Cross said in the Record last week, the club has plenty of unﬁnished business. FIONA CHALMERS, WILLIAMSTOWN, VIC

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

4 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Demon delight

What a treat it was to watch the Demons play such fast, attacking footy last week against the Swans. Credit to everyone at the club for having the patience to stick with a plan that looks like coming together. The next few years are going to be so exciting for all Melbourne fans. BRENT DAVIS, SURREY HILLS, VIC

HAVE YOUR SAY

The best letter each round will receive the Gary Ablett jnr Australian Football Training DVD. Email aﬂrecordeditor@ slatterymedia.com or write to AFL Record, rd Slattery Media Group, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, VIC, 3008.

DESIGNERS Alison Wright, Daniel Frawley, Caitlin Kennett PHOTO EDITORS Natalie Boccassini, Ginny Pike PRODUCTION MANAGER Troy Davis PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Stephen Lording, Emma Meagher DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Adele Morton COMMERCIAL MANAGER Alison Hurbert-Burns

ACCOUNT MANAGER Kate Hardwick ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR Laura Mullins Advertising (03) 9627 2600 PHOTOGRAPHY Sean Garnsworthy, Michael Willson, Lachlan Cunningham AFL Photos (03) 9627 2600 aﬂphotos.com.au PRINTED BY PMP Print

� The timing of the interchange infringement in last week’s St Kilda-Hawthorn match at Etihad Stadium (see story page 10) ensured the incident would receive wide exposure in subsequent days. Had it happened in the first few minutes of play or even, say, late in second quarter, it is doubtful there would have been as much post-game debate and conjecture. That it happened late in time-on in the last quarter of a close and hard-fought match added to the sense of theatre that marked what was an intriguing night of football and, in some respects, took the focus away from what was a brilliant contest. One of the reasons the rule was put in place several years ago was to ensure the interchange of players is conducted in a streamlined and efficient manner. Most would agree that is a necessity. In recent years – and especially this season – the number of interchanges made by clubs has increased significantly. Watch the benches closely during a match – there’s constant two-way traffic – and it’s easy to see why interchanges need to be so closely scrutinised. Without careful monitoring, chaos would ensue. Some argue the penalty doesn’t match the ‘crime’. Clubs are aware of the rules, and a hefty deterrent is needed to assure chaos doesn’t reign. PETER DI SISTO

ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO TheTHIS Editor,WEEK’S AFL Record,COVER Ground Floor, XXXX XXXXX 140XXXXXXXXXXXXX Harbour Esplanade, X Docklands, Victoria, 3008. Go9627 to aﬂ photos.com.au P: (03) 2600 F: (03) 9627 2650 E: peterd@slatterymedia.com to order prints

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AFL RECORD, VOL. 99, ROUND 18, 2010 Copyright. ACN No. 004 155 211. ISSN 1444-2973, Print Post approved PP320258/00109

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VIEWS NEWS FIRST PERSON FACTS DATA CULTURE

GUARDED: The boot has been on the other foot for defenders such as St Kilda’s Sam Fisher (left) and Richmond’s Brett Deledio (far left) as opposition forwards track their every move.

TACTICS

Attacking defenders become the hunted

PETER RYA N

orget the doomsayers who claim the one-on-one battle is gone from football. Watching defenders cope with forwards intent on stopping their run will be an intriguing feature of the game as the season hurries to its conclusion. Last round, St Kilda’s Sam Fisher became the latest defender to face the inverted battle. Every time his teammates grabbed the ball in the defensive NEWS TRACKER

half of the ground, Hawthorn’s Jordan Lewis would immediately be by Fisher’s side, watching, waiting, stopping his run and disrupting the Saints’ transition into attack. Lewis’s intent was to make St Kilda move the ball more slowly than it usually does when it’s on top in a game. Only once, when the umpire’s signal confused Lewis, did Fisher get space on the fat side of the ground. From there he launched

an attack that led to a goal, but for the most part he was shadowed. “He wasn’t too far away from me the whole night,” Fisher said after the game, a wry smile appearing. His teammate Sam Gilbert faced the same treatment from Michael Osborne, who several times started deep in the goalsquare to keep Gilbert on his toes. Fisher said such tactics are becoming more common, but he is unfazed. “That’s something we’ve got to deal with and keep working on. It’s something that will probably happen for the rest of the year, so we have to deal with it,” he said.

On SEN radio the next day, Saints coach Ross Lyon admitted trying to free up his runners but eventually just had to let them play on and beat their man. This is not as simple as it sounds: Lewis had kicked six goals in the previous two weeks playing as a defensive forward on Cat Corey Enright and Lion Travis Johnstone. But Fisher kept Lewis goalless, winning the one-on-one contests, when defensive actions were required. Good defenders – and Fisher is one of the best – can have an impact, regardless of the game style. He kept running in patterns to get other players CON T IN U ED NE X T PAGE

Collingwood’s Alan Didak, Steele Sidebottom and Ben Reid sign contract extensions with the club. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 7

the bounce

free, working even when the opposition was attempting to diminish his inﬂuence. “We try to work together and help each other out,” he said. Fisher knows teammates James Gwilt and Zac Dawson are good kicks, so there is no drama if the ball is in their hands. The tactic is not new – remember Eagles speedster Peter Matera running off half-back and drawing a tagger each week back in the ’90s? But it’s certainly re-emerging, as teams put their best kicks behind the ball. Those defenders marked for attention need to have a high work rate to cope with it.

ATTACKING DEFENDERS TARGETED BY DEFENSIVE FORWARDS

BENCH DRAMA: The North

EMERGENCY PROCEDURE

Melbourne bench was working overtime last week but David Hale (left) was taking it easy after being rushed in at the last minute.

Roos’ Hale ‘damage’ would have been minimal NICK BOW EN

Brett Deledio Richmond Heath Shaw Collingwood Roger Hayden Fremantle Corey Enright Geelong Josh Drummond Brisbane Lions Sam Fisher St Kilda Robert Murphy Western Bulldogs Nick Malceski Sydney Swans

orth Melbourne would have had to outline its case to replace Daniel Wells with a player outside its listed emergencies last Saturday night to avoid a sanction, the AFL said. The Kangaroos were forced to replace Wells when he strained a quadriceps muscle with his last kick in the warm-up before their clash with Essendon. Earlier that day, the Roos had been forced to replace injured defenders Daniel Pratt and Nathan Grima with emergencies Leigh Harding and Ben Speight. Their remaining emergency, ruckman David Hale, had played a full game in the VFL that afternoon. North sought clariﬁcation from the AFL’s match ofﬁcials on whether it could bring Nathan O’Keefe, who had not played in the VFL, into its side

instead of Hale without risking a fine. But, after the officials contacted AFL football administration manager Rod Austin, the Roos were informed they would likely be fined some amount if they played O’Keefe. AFL media relations manager Patrick Keane told the AFL Record North may have escaped with no sanction or a small fine

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

Player

Earliest football memory:

Where were you on the day you were drafted:

One thing people would be surprised to learn about you:

Last concert you went to:

Jobe Watson Essendon

rand Final 1990 Grand

London London

I en enjoy run running late

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Nick Salter Port Adelaide

ga Winning rsh hip premiership

Wo r g as a Working cab bi cabinet maker

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Daniel Merrett Brisbane Lions

Being scared of the Brisbane Bears mascot

At home he on the ch couch

I love the Tw Twilight movies

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Jarrad McVeigh Sydney Swans

Our team was undefeated for two years

At homee

Ip play tennis wi with either hand

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NEWS TRACKER

– as opposed to the maximum sanction of $20,000 – if it had played O’Keefe. “North Melbourne asked the match officials whether it could be guaranteed there would be no sanction. The guarantee wasn’t given and couldn’t be given,” Keane said. “Obviously, the Kangaroos had a very good case where they could argue that they should have the smallest possible sanction, or no sanction at all, because Wells did a muscle two minutes before they were about to play. “But that was a question for our football operations department on the Monday after the game.” Keane said clubs were usually fined for bringing in players from outside their emergencies on the basis “the opposition at all times has the right to know who they are preparing to play against”. He said the rules were designed to place the onus on teams to prepare for any contingency on match-day. In determining whether a club should be fined for a late change, Keane said the football operations department would

Hawthorn’s Campbell Brown accepts two-match suspension for striking St Kilda’s Nick Dal Santo last week.

8 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Two salad rolls and a bucket of chips later…

The guarantee (of a ﬁne) wasn’t given and couldn’t be given AFL MEDIA RELATIONS MANAGER PATRICK KEANE

consider when the club was aware it needed to make a change or changes, whether one or more of its emergencies had played an earlier game that round and the impact on team balance. In Fox Sports’ coverage of the North-Essendon match, there was some confusion among bout ut the commentators about wo ould whether the Roos would be allowed to replacee ne said d Wells. But Keane placee a team could replace er up an injured player g until the opening d bounce, provided it informed the opposition and thee ard d. interchange steward. “Technically, if someone’s running to the bench before the opening bounce and he falls over and knocks himself out, a change can be made,” he said. NEWS TRACKER

� David Hale’s preparation for last Saturday night’s game against Essendon was a ﬁtness coach’s nightmare. The North Melbourne ruckman had just played a full game in the VFL – he was rested on the interchange bench once – on a muddy TEAC Oval. After completing his recovery, he ventured to Etihad Stadium to watch his teammates play the Bombers. Taking his seat in the stands, he wolfed down a couple of salad rolls and two cans of Coke and was about to hoe into a bucket of hot chips when told he’d be playing as a late emergency for Daniel Wells. Sending his wife back to their car to get his playing kit, Hale rushed to North’s changerooms and got ready. Minutes later he was doing run-throughs along the boundary line and about 13 minutes into the match he was on the ground for his second game of the day. At that stage, Hale said his full stomach was the least of his worries. “The legs were probably worse. The past few weeks I’ve I ve had ha a sore back (and) stopping stopp after games has been pretty hard, so getting back out and warming up b was wa a bit of a task,” Hale t Triple M radio the told following day. “I was pretty sore after (the VFL game) and then to come in oﬀ no warm-up was obviously a o bit concerning.” c Hale H said he had last played play aye two games of football foottba on the one day at under-16 undeer-1 level. Halee was wa on the ground for 49 p per cent of the match had and ha ad four fo disposals, three marks and three spoils.

A true Power great: ‘I’ll retire happy’ � If the measure of a very good footballer is a combination of how he carries himself on and off the field, his impact on a game and his contribution to the team, Warren Tredrea is one of the greats. Port Adelaide’s only premiership captain, four-time All-Australian, four-time best and fairest and seven-time club leading goalkicker, Tredrea earned his champion status for his rare talents and for his leadership. He dominated from both centre half-forward and closer to goal from 2001-04, until a raft of injuries limited his influence. He captained the club to its first AFL premiership in 2004 and into another Grand Final in 2007. He arrived in 1997, a precocious young talent Port Magpies supporters knew was special; he leaves the game 255 AFL matches later, as a legend of the AFL club and its greatest player. Tredrea chose to bow out without seeking a farewell game. He played his last match in round seven, sustaining an ankle injury that required surgery. “I can do the farewell in the back of a car with the family instead of doing a game I’m not 100 per cent committed to,” he said. Tredrea hardly ly needed ly need n ne eeed ede ded d ed d a token match, for forr fo he had enjoyed a wonderful career. er. er er. It started at Port rt in the SANFL, with ‘Tredders’ determined to wear the iconic Port Magpies prison-bar jumper. He considers himself a dual premiership player, making reference to the flag he won (in 1996) after a handful of games with the Port

Magpies and the win over the Brisbane Lions. Tredrea can be excused for not remembering one standout performance, although he had many. He certainly remembers the 2004 Grand Final and doesn’t believe the team got the credit it deserved. “The one thing that irks me a bit is that everyone wants to talk us down, saying we were lucky, but we gave them a five-goal head-start and still won,” he said. At his retirement press conference on Tuesday, Tredrea made special mention of former coach Mark Williams for his efforts in keeping him at the club in 1998 (he had sought a trade to Carlton) and to assistant Jason Cripps for helping extend his career by three or four years. “‘Choco’ (Williams) said to me at the end of ’98, ‘centre half-forward is yours to lose’. It was a chance to make a career,” he recalled, adding the work done by former CEO Brian Cunningham, former football manager Rob Snowden and his own manager Geof Motley kept him at Alberton. “It was the best decision I ever made – by streets,” he said. “You play football to be part of finals and a premiership and Port Adelaide gave me that, so so I’ll II’I’lll ll be be forever forev forreev fo evveerr indebted to o them.” them. th tthe heem m..” He also He al a l spoke off his for h hiiss regret ree a number of nu numb m over-the-top oveerov ove errcelebrations in cel cce ell big b matches. bi How would he h like to be remembered? re “As “A a team “A player, more p pl for fo assists than fo goals,” Tredrea go go said. said sa ssai aid d “I’ll be remembered reeem m as as a premiership p player. pla pl pla ayyee That’s why aye I’ll retire I’l ’ll ll ret re et happy.” SHANE McNALLY

Carlton’s Brock McLean has knee surgery to correct an injury that has hampered his season. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 9

the bounce

S TA D I U M S U R FAC E

FLAGGED DOWN: Emergency umpire Michael Jennings waves the ﬂag to signal Hawthorn’s interchange infringement.

Etihad to act on surface concerns � Having expressed concern about the slippery nature of Etihad Stadium during last round’s St Kilda-Hawthorn match, the AFL met with stadium management this week, with venue managers agreeing to immediately implement a number of measures aimed at improving the ground’s surface. The measures include hollow-coring the ground to aerate it; top-dressing the surface weekly, rather than fortnightly, to provide extra traction for players; considering other recommendations from the AFL’s turf consultant, and making recommendations to players on the type of boots to wear. AFL general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson said, while advice suggested the surface at Etihad Stadium was safe for AFL matches, the slipperiness and condition of the surface was unsatisfactory. “We all want to see our players playing on the best surface possible,” he said. The AFL has also suggested to stadium management that no major events be held on the surface between Christmas and the start of the football season to prevent turf damage. The stadium hosted rock band AC/DC in February for three concerts, and pop star George Michael for one event in early March. AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said the League was working on options to get the surface to a better standard. “I think they acknowledge that the preparation for this year’s football was hindered by a number of events that happened before the season,” he said. CALLUM TWOMEY

NEWS TRACKER

DECISIONS EXPLAINED

Umpires right, says Gieschen PETER RYA N

hree umpiring decisions from last week’s HawthornSt Kilda draw created plenty of discussion. The AFL’s umpires’ manager Jeff Gieschen explains each decision. Third quarter: The St Kilda runner runs between the mark and Justin Koschitzke while he is lining up for goal. The ball is taken off Koschitzke and Hawthorn receives a free kick. The decision was made because the runner was deemed to be interfering with general play. “Once he comes into the protected area and he is between the person on the mark (Stephen Gilham) and Koschitzke, he is interfering with play,” Gieschen said. The rule is in place because an ofﬁcial could deliberately provide a shield for a player if they wanted to do so.

In this case, the action was clearly not deliberate but it breached the rule. The rule is also consistent with the AFL’s philosophy of keeping ofﬁcials away from the play, as they are putting themselves in a dangerous position. According to Gieschen, the runner had two options: “He could have waited outside play until the kick was taken or he could have run behind Koschitzke on his way off the ground.”

mark) without incurring a 50m penalty. However, most fans were surprised by the notion of a natural arc being the reason why the umpire did not deem Franklin to have run off the line. “Where a player has a natural arc in his kicking style for set shots, provided he did not step directly off his line or play on immediately, we would not call play on,” Gieschen said. Umpires are aware of players with more pronounced arcs We all know Fourth quarter: than others, when players Lance Franklin however, play on. They take receives a 50m Gieschen penalty after suggested that a quick step off Leigh Montagna all players move the mark or run enters the off their natural around quickly protected area line when they JEFF GIESCHEN while the Hawk balance up while is taking a kick kicking for goal. at goal. Umpire He said umpires are Shaun Ryan tells Montagna instructed to call play-on as that Franklin’s movement as he soon as the player steps off the took the kick, even though it took natural line. “I think we all know him closer to Montagna, was when players play on. They take not off the line, but part of his a quick step off the mark or run “natural arc”. around quickly,” Gieschen said. The first point to make is that until the umpire calls play-on, no player can enter the protected area (a line running five metres either side of the kicker and the man standing the

Essendon midﬁelder Jason Winderlich undergoes surgery on a broken hand.

10 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Fourth quarter: An interchange infringement occurs while Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli is lining up for goal late in the game. A goal would have put the Hawks 13 points ahead.

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the bounce

Hawthorn’s Grant Birchall crosses the boundary line and moves on to the ground before his teammate Brendan Whitecross has left the ground. The interchange steward Brett Dodge spots the infringement, notifies the emergency umpire Michael Jennings, who blows the whistle, informs central umpire Michael Vozzo then raises a flag to indicate the decision. This is called a major breach resulting in a free kick. A minor breach may occur when a player steps out of the holding pen (marked by a line near the boundary line) but does not cross the boundary line before a teammate has left the field. A minor breach may result in a fine. The infringement means a free kick is paid against the team that made the breach where the ball is, with a 50m penalty then paid. According to Gieschen, Champion Data statistics showed Hawthorn had 19 men on the ground for two seconds, and video was checked from all angles to ensure Hawthorn did not have five players on the bench just before the breach occurred. The penalty, said Gieschen, was introduced to make sure the interchange process remained “prof “pro “professional and d clean”. IIn 2010, clu ub have clubs ma m made 31,323 iinterchanges and there have been five interchange breaches. With the n number of in n interchanges in place, pl p the AFL b believes the pena lt needs penalty to be sst strong to stop thee situation becomin ng chaotic. becoming TOO EARLY: Grant Birchall

entered the playing arena before a teammate had stepped oﬀ.

NEWS TRACKER

TUNED IN: Ronnie Burns checks the latest

technology with former umpire Glenn James, while below Darryl White (left) and Chris Johnson use a recording device with BIMA training manager Mike Scott.

AFL 200 Club Graham Johncock Adelaide

200 games Leon Davis Collingwood Josh Fraser Collingwood Craig Bolton Sydney Swans

150 club games Luke McPharlin Fremantle

NEW SKILLS

Pathway to the media for indigenous stars

Glenn James. They were briefed on the finer points of radio etiquette and equipment usage during a workshop at AFL House in Melbourne last week. Although many of them have worked on air before and have considerable experience, new ideas and processes were L AUR EN WOOD incorporated into what became or the National a day of learning and laughs. Indigenous Radio “I’m looking forward to Service (NIRS) and its doing the training with the many listeners, calling other guys to broaden my skills and listening to football has in the media,” said Johnson, a become a ritual that is not taken triple premiership player with for granted. the Brisbane Lions, who works Were it not for the service, as the AFL’s ‘Ambassador for an estimated 100,000 people Life’ coordinator. would go without “I’ve worked a fair bit football coverage (in the media) but every weekend. there is definitely I’m looking With the a lot to radio that forward to doing support of we all still don’t the AFL, AFL know. the training with Queensland “We’ve learned the other guys to and the a heap about broaden my skills Federal the etiquette Government, of presentation, in the media members of preparation and CHRIS JOHNSON the NIRS team using things like recently started recording devices.” a certificate course in Andrew Underwood, senior media (radio broadcasting). NIRS caller and broadcast Participants include former coordinator, developed the AFL players Chris Johnson, training course in conjunction Darryl White, Ronnie Burns, with the Brisbane Indigenous Gilbert McAdam and Phil Media Association to allow Egan and ex- League umpire NIRS broadcasters to develop

Adelaide defender Graham Johncock suspended for one match for rough play.

12 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

MILESTONES ROUND 18

50 games Sam Lonergan Essendon Brent Prismall Essendon Tom Lonergan Geelong Aaron Edwards North Melbourne Jay Nash Port Adelaide Brad Ebert West Coast The list includes those not necessarily selected but on the verge of milestones.

a wide range of skills in on-air and off-air roles. The plan is to develop the program to include other former AFL players, as well as young indigenous people, to create a pathway into the media, broadcasting football or other sports. “We plan on taking the skills we learn here to the AFL Players’ Association camps we undertake in various regions of Australia,” Johnson said. “After footy, it could provide young people with a quick course to provide a broader picture and a pathway into a career in the media.” NIRS has been broadcasting since 1998 and covers a minimum of three games each week via a network of more than 200 stations across Australia, aﬂ .com.au and the ofﬁcial AFL iPhone application.

the bounce

ST KILDA HALL OF FAME

A Saints legend returns home

ony Lockett’s words were simple: “It’s good to be home.” ‘Plugger’ Lockett last weekend attended his ﬁrst St Kilda function since leaving the club at the end of 1994. He was at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium, where more than 900 people honoured him as an ofﬁcial club ‘Legend’ and recognised three other inductees into the Saints’ Hall of Fame and two new life members. Lockett was humble in his acceptance speech, which was preceded by an emotional introduction from long-time friend and former teammate Danny Frawley.

PHOTO: ABE WISER

L AUR EN WOOD HONOURED: Tony

Lockett has been included in St Kilda’s Hall of Fame.

The crowd agreed with Frawley that 16 years was too long between drinks. The boy from Ballarat spent 12 seasons at Moorabbin (1983-94), kicking 898 goals in 183 games. He moved to Sydney and ﬁnished his career with the Swans as the game’s greatest goalkicker – with 1360 goals in 281 matches. His marking ability, strength and accurate kicking made him a feared forward. He booted 117 goals in 1987 and won the Brownlow Medal.

THE STORY

He kicked more than 100 goals six times, including a career-high 132 in 1992. He was a two-time St Kilda best and fairest (he also won one trophy with the Swans) and was named All-Australian six times. Lockett, 44, said he had “nothing but the best memories” of his time at Moorabbin, thanking Saints fans for their unwavering support, especially at home matches. “I can remember playing there in the goalsquare,” he said. “At

three-quarter time, when the scores were level or close, that crowd at Moorabbin was just something you had to be out on the ground to witness. That was football.” Lockett made his rare appearance worthwhile for the masses, laughing at the misfortune of his four daughters’ potential suitors having to face him back at home at Bowral in New South Wales, where he successfully breeds and trains greyhounds. He also races motorbikes. Ken Walker, Ian Synman and Jeff Sarau were inducted as Hall of Fame members. Walker played 109 games from 1938-45 and kicked 81 goals. He was known for his versatility and long kicking. Ian Synman played 123 consecutive games for the Saints and 154 in total, including the 1966 Grand Final, from 1958-69. Sarau, remembered as a tough ruckman, featured in 226 games from 1973-83 and won the best and fairest award in 1975 and ’77. Neil Besanko and current player Steven Baker were awarded life membership.

OF A HERO

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the bounce

PREDICTIONS

MATHEMATICIAN AND IT CONSULTANT DARREN O’SHAUGHNESSY LOOKS AT THE CHANCES OF CLUBS IN THE FINALS RACE. IF IT...

v Carlton MCG, Saturday

v Sydney ANZ Stadium, Saturday night

v Essendon Etihad Stadium, Friday night

v North Melbourne Etihad Stadium, Saturday night

v West Coast Eagles Subiaco, Sunday

v Port Adelaide AAMI Stadium, Saturday

88 99 10 11

WINS

First

LOSES

Second if Geelong beats Sydney; remains ﬁrst if the Swans win.

Less than 50/50 for the minor premiership, with Geelong its next opponent.

WINS

Second if Collingwood beats Carlton; ﬁrst if the Pies lose to Carlton.

Locked into the top-four with the minor premiership riding on its next match, against the Magpies.

LOSES

Third if St Kilda beats Essendon; second if the Saints lose.

Likely to ﬁnish out of the top-two, given tough matches against the Pies and Bulldogs to follow.

WINS

Third if Geelong defeats Sydney; second if the Swans win.

Quite likely to ﬁnish second ahead of the loser of Collingwood-Geelong match in round 19, and remains a 15 per cent shot of winning top spot.

LOSES

Third

No chance of minor premiership. May need to win three of last four to retain double-chance.

WINS

Fourth

80 per cent probability of securing the double-chance.

LOSES

Fifth if Fremantle wins the Derby, otherwise will stay fourth.

50 per cent probability for the doublechance, but has two interstate trips and Geelong to come.

WINS

Remains ﬁfth, unless the Bulldogs surrender fourth by losing to the Kangaroos.

33 per cent chance to make the topfour.

LOSES

Remains ﬁfth.

10 per cent chance for the top-four.

WINS

Sixth

Holding on to a 10 per cent shot at the double-chance, but will have to win every game from here.

LOSES

Keeps sixth place if both Carlton and Sydney lose, drops to seventh if one of them wins, and eighth if both do.

Bye-bye double-chance, but probably only needs one more win to make the eight.

WINS

Moves to sixth if the Hawks lose; otherwise seventh. Could fall to eighth if Sydney beats Geelong by 15 points more than Carlton’s margin.

Virtually guaranteed ﬁnals action. One more win will seal it a spot, with Essendon and Richmond its next two opponents.

LOSES

Seventh if Sydney loses by at least 15 points less than Carlton; otherwise will be eighth.

50/50 chance to play its ﬁrst ﬁnal interstate. Keeping the door ajar for teams outside the eight.

WINS

Will climb to sixth if the Hawks lose to Port and the Blues either lose, or win by 15 points less than the Swans; otherwise, will be seventh with one of those outcomes, or eighth with both.

33 per cent likelihood of a home ﬁnal; 95% chance of making the eight.

LOSES

Stays eighth if Carlton wins, or loses by up to 15 points more than the Swans; otherwise moves to seventh.

10 per cent likelihood of a home ﬁnal, but a tough draw puts ﬁnals in some doubt. The percentage gap over contenders below it means just one more win may be enough.

WINS

Ninth

50/50 to reach the eight, with three winnable games in the run home.

LOSES

Tenth if Adelaide wins; ninth if the Crows lose.

15 per cent chance of reaching the eight, making this weekend a virtual elimination ﬁnal for the Kangaroos.

WINS

Ninth if the Kangaroos lose; Tenth if Roos win.

Only 10 per cent probability of making the ﬁnals, due to a horror draw, including matches against the Pies, Saints and Bulldogs.

LOSES

Tenth if the Demons lose; 11th if they win.

Just two per cent probability of making ﬁnals.

WINS

Tenth if the Crows lose; 11th if they win.

15 per cent shot at reaching the eight.

Anywhere from 11th-13th.

Two per cent chance of reaching the eight, but with the softest draw of any contender.

v Geelong ANZ Stadium, Saturday night

v Richmond MCG, Sunday

v Brisbane Lions Gabba, Saturday night

FINALS CHANCES Double-chance sealed, and has 75 per cent chance of winning the minor premiership.

v Collingwood MCG, Saturday

v Western Bulldogs Etihad Stadium, Sunday

POSITION AFTER ROUND 18

LOSES

THE LONGSHOTS � No team is mathematically eliminated yet, although the Eagles need a Powerball-sized miracle. Essendon and Port Adelaide can reach 44 points by winning their last five games, which would give both a 50-60 per cent chance, despite their poor percentages. The Brisbane Lions and Richmond would finish on 40 points with five straight wins each, for a 10 per cent outside chance, and relying on other results going their way.

WINS NEEDED TO MAKE THE EIGHT � It’s an unusual season with a number of teams on five or six wins, so the qualifying mark is lower than average. It looks like 11 wins and a percentage of 100 or better will almost certainly be enough to play finals. Even a team on 42 points – or 44 points with a percentage under 85 – is slightly better than a 50/50 chance for the eight. For the first time, we can now translate that into individual clubs’ chances of making the eight, given a certain number of wins. Here are the probabilities of making the eight for each team if it finishes on exactly 40 points: Carlton 60 per cent, Sydney 60, Hawthorn* 50, Melbourne* 20, Adelaide 10 and North Melbourne 5. Note the huge difference, based on current percentage. If North Melbourne ends the season on 44 points, it will have a 50 per cent chance of playing finals, a 40 per cent chance of missing out on percentage only, and a 10 per cent chance of missing out on points. (*These teams need a second draw to finish on 40 points.)

PREDICTED FINAL LADDER 1. Collingwood 2. St Kilda (up one spot) 3. Geelong (down one spot) 4. Western Bulldogs 5. Fremantle 6. Hawthorn 7. Carlton 8. Sydney Swans

THESE PREDICTIONS WILL FEATURE IN THE AFL RECORD FOR THE REST OF THE HOME AND AWAY SEASON.

NEWS TRACKER

West Coast’s Ashton Hams accepts three-match ban for his bump on Carlton’s Dennis Armﬁeld last week.

16 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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THE DERBY

A rivalry that divides a state K A R EN LYON

ome rivalries are built over time, while others take off after an incident or single match. Occasionally they happen naturally, or simply make sense. Such is the case for West Coast and Fremantle, whose fierce derby rivalry was born before the Dockers even walked on to a football field. The clubs meet for the 32nd time on Sunday, at Subiaco. Brendan Krummel (pictured top) knows all about the West Australian rivalry and how it affects friends, families and foes. Krummel is just one of nine players to have represented both clubs and was one of the first to make the switch from West Coast to Fremantle when he became an inaugural Docker in 1995. His family is still divided. Some have remained loyal to the Eagles while others continue to support Fremantle. “They still get stuck into each other at derby time,’’ says the 38-year-old, who played 74

matches for the Eagles, Dockers and Hawks from 1992-2000 and now lives in Brisbane. Krummel admits it was a difficult choice to leave the Eagles for a new club. “It took some time to say yes, to go from such a strong team to a team that didn’t have the same cattle at the time,” he said. “Initially, there was always more pressure on the Eagles. They were established and were a good side. “But it seemed the gap closed as Fremantle got more professional.’’ Jarrad Schofield (pictured bottom), a veteran of 206 games with West Coast, Port Adelaide and Fremantle, is one of only a handful of players who understands the importance of the West Australian rivalry and the South Australian Showdown. He says both carried the air of a final. ‘’There was always a massive build-up,” Schofield said. “It was like a mini-final, because you just wanted to win. You wanted the mantle of being the No. 1 side in the state.” Schofield says the week after derby or Showdown matches are always difficult for players. “They are very intense matches. Both teams go at it very hard, and you end up exhausted, physically and mentally,” he said.

WORKING THE DRAFT

Points system an option for trading and drafting DA R R EN O’SH AUGHNESSY

ne of the biggest stories of the 2009 NAB AFL Draft was ex-Saints captain Luke Ball being selected by Collingwood with pick 30, after the two clubs could not agree earlier on an appropriate trade. St Kilda walked away empty-handed. The biggest unreported story of the draft was how premier Geelong, with theoretically the worst bargaining position of any club, secured what could be argued was an even bigger coup in a deal that did not require it to trade any player. Both these outcomes could have been vastly different under a system recently presented to the AFL, where ‘draft points’ are traded instead of draft picks. By overhauling the reverse ladder-order model used to allocate draft picks, the proposed system would also address the perceived unfairness of priority picks,

the bounce

and could help decide compensation for teams losing players to new clubs or free agency. Last year, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and Essendon took four days of negotiation, mediation and all-round headaches to finally come to an agreement on trades that delivered Shaun Burgoyne to the Hawks, Mark Williams to the Bombers and Jay Nash and three picks to Port Adelaide. Geelong was approached in the final hours as a possible ‘peacemaker’, bringing the crucial second-round pick needed to seal the deal. An analysis I presented at the ‘MathSport’ conference in Darwin this month shows Geelong made a killing, in my estimation, just by brokering the deal. Under my proposed system, a fair swap for picks 40, 42 and 56 (which Geelong received) would have been pick nine, not 33 (the pick the Cats traded). Effectively, Geelong was able to ‘sell’ its borderline second/thirdround pick and receive three picks with the combined value of a mid-first-round selection. Naturally, it’s theoretical, but my system asks us to consider what draft picks are really worth. The answer lies in Extreme Value Theory (XVT), a branch of mathematics that deals with phenomena a long way away from the average. Each year, the dozens of young men who are selected

There’s a fresh new team in the AFL You won’t believe the big names lining up for 3AW in 2010. New recruits Brian Taylor, Tim Lane and Richo will join cult hero Dennis Cometti, Robert Walls and ‘Lethal’ Leigh Matthews. And there are even more names on our team sheet. Like Tony Shaw, Mike Sheahan and footy’s First Lady, Caroline Wilson, just to name a few. With a fresh new team like this, in 2010 Melbourne’s own 3AW is football.

Home team v visitors tonight

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 19

VIEWS | NEWS | FIRST PERSON | FACTS | DATA | CULTURE in the main draft represent the extreme talent out of a potential pool of more than 100,000. AFL-level players have skills that are more than three standard deviations above the population’s average; each of them is a one-in-1000 athlete. XVT tells us that there is a natural spread of these extreme talents, including the common-sense observation that it is easier to identify those at the very top because their ability stands out even further from the pack. XVT lets us assign a points value to each pick, and it should reflect what the average player picked at a specific spot in the draft is worth to his club over his career. Based on last year’s draft, the first pick was worth 3000 points, the second 2593, the third 2348 and so on, down to pick 97, which was worth zero because it was not used. The difference between picks two and three was 245 points, which is bigger than the difference between picks 40 (649) and 56 (407), even though there was a whole round between them. This explains why clubs put such store in low draft picks. Under my proposal, clubs would have much more opportunity to trade without being shackled to the selections they own. For instance, St Kilda wanted more than Collingwood’s pick 30 (851 points) for Ball, but the Pies

A MATTER OF CHOICE:

Draft day is a momentous time for clubs, players and fans and the decisions made can have serious implications for everyone.

CLUB

GAVE UP

RECEIVED

Essendon

Jay Nash and picks 16, 42 & 58

Mark Williams and picks 24, 33 & 89

Hawthorn

Mark Williams and picks 9 & 89

Shaun Burgoyne and pick 58

Port Adelaide

Shaun Burgoyne and picks 24, 40 & 56

Jay Nash and picks 9, 16 & 97*

Geelong

Picks 33 & 97*

Picks 40, 42 & 56

* Pick 97 was not used; Essendon had only four picks in the draft, thus it did not require pick 89 which, when the draft order was reallocated, ended up Richmond’s pick.

were not willing to go as high as pick 14 (1369 points). Without a pick in between to negotiate with, there was a stalemate. Perhaps they could have agreed on 1100 points (roughly pick 21) as a compromise. The AFL aims for competitive balance, a situation where any club can compete realistically for a premiership in the near future. The fact every club has reached a preliminary ﬁnal in the past

10 or so seasons is evidence the system works. How needy are the clubs struggling near the foot of the ladder? It varies from season to season, and a fair measure might take into account wins, percentage, and recent performances. Once the factors are considered, they could be converted into a draft point allocation for each club.

the bounce

Reverse ladder order is the traditional starting point for allocating draft picks, but is not necessarily the fairest way. In 2009, Hawthorn finished ninth and Sydney 12th, but the Swans had a better percentage and only one fewer win – the difference between the two clubs was virtually undetectable. Yet the Swans received the equivalent of 12.6 per cent more draft points to spend on talent because of their finishing position. After trading draft points for existing players, the order of picks would be determined by how many points each club has on draft day. The team with the most draft points would get the first pick, but its second pick might be at eight, or 13, or even 22, depending on how many points it has left after subtracting the 3000-point cost. Any club that gets bumped down the order would be naturally compensated by an upgraded pick in a later round. Like cricket’s DuckworthLewis equation in raininterrupted matches, this conversion of draft picks to draft points would take some getting used to. Hopefully, AFL clubs find that, eventually, it would make trading and recruiting easier and fairer. DARREN O’SHAUGHNESSY IS A MATHEMATICIAN AND IT CONSULTANT AT RANKING SOFTWARE, WORKING WITH SEVERAL SPORTING CLUBS.

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AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 21

the bounce

VERBATIM Glenn McFarlane on writing That’s What I’m Talking About with Shane Crawford � “The conference room in Channel Nine’s The Footy Show office in Richmond sits mostly idle in the early part of the off-season. But for a few months late last year, it was where Shane Crawford tried to unlock his past, and looked confidently to his future. It was there the former Hawthorn champion began to sift through the moments that mattered in his extraordinary football career. ‘Crawf’ had initially been reluctant to document his life. He didn’t feel the need to put the traditional full stop on his playing career with an y. autobiography. But after some m prompting me from interested d publishers, kee of putting and for the sake the facts on thee record for his young sons, Charlie and an nd Benjamin, he agreed ag greed to tell his story. y y. The process off putting together e er That’s What I’m m Talking About even e provided a few surprises for him. i im. Crawf was d insistent he did not want it to be be a sensationalised sed tell-all book. But, typically, he was incredibly frank and forthright in his

assessments. His main objective was to provide an inspirational story of how a boy with a dream – as well as steely determination and an almost insatiable appetite for hard work – could go from the Finley ﬁfths to the game’s greatest stage, AFL Grand Final day. The most painful thing he had to confront was discussing his relationship with his late father, Ray, who died of cancer when Shane was 17. He had had only limited contact with his dad; his parents had separated when he was only four. Incredibly, he had never really spok spoken to his mother, moth he Dianne, about with her relationship rrel his fa ath But, for the father. purposes purp os of the book, and to gain a better understanding of what und der happened, he spoke hap ppe with his mum at wi length about le tthis chapter in ttheir lives. And he makes no ssecret no e ec of just how important iimporta im mp mpo por ort rta ta an his mum was setting in sset in setti se ett tti ting ng him on the path to AFL to A AF FL L success, su having rraised ra rai aissed seed d him him and hi almost h s two hi his ttw wo o brothers b br ssingle-h si sin ing ngl gle lee-h -h ha han h an single-handedly. From F Fro rom om m a fo ffootball sense, he the issues ssought so sou ou ug ugh ght htt to to address a ad add dd and incidents deﬁned an nd d incident inc in nccid id deen nts that t his hiss 305-gam hi 305-game 30 305 3 055-g -g ga gam am me career, c from drafted being b be bei ein ng g drafte dr dra d raf aft fte ted by b the Hawks Assumption College out o ou utt of of Assum Ass As A ssu su um mp mp

in late 1991 to his last game, Hawthorn’s 2008 Grand Final win. He talks about the three times rival clubs spoke with him about leaving Hawthorn. On each occasion, one of Crawf’s most admirable traits – his unwavering loyalty – swayed him to stay. It also covers the club’s painful near-merger in 1996 (of which Crawford retains some bitterness towards several people he felt used him), the sacking of coaches, his remarkable Brownlow Medal win in 1999 followed by his equally remarkable form slump the following season, and the club’s slow build-up to its 10th premiership. Off the field, too, he documents the changing nature of football as seen through the eyes of one of the game’s leading stars. He was one of the first of a new breed of multi-media footballers of the 1990s, when that aspect of the game started to reach the masses like never before. In many ways, this book hopefully provides an insight into Shane Crawford the humble person, not just the champion footballer and larrikin television personality we all like and admire.” THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT Shane Crawford (with Glenn McFarlane) Michael Joseph RRP: $49.95.

Excerpt: on coach Alastair Clarkson � To say I was surprised by Hawthorn’s decision to appoint him at the end of 2004 was a massive understatement. I was absolutely shocked and not the least bit happy. It’s a stark contrast to how I feel today. Those early feelings came from the fact we used to punch on a fair bit when we were players. I didn’t hate him, but I am only being honest when I said I didn’t like him as a player. He spoke to us as a group at the MCG. He spoke about the future. He spoke about the importance of discipline and how it was going to be rigidly enforced. Later, he said he wanted me to be involved in fast-tracking young players. The ﬁrst few years under ‘Clarko’ were all about establishing better discipline. He wanted p everyone on the same page, rregardless o of how long they had been th at the club. a He wanted no H ex exceptions; was one in, it w all in.

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Port Adelaide premiership star Chad Cornes unlikely to play again this season after breaking his ﬁnger in the SANFL.

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200 GAM ES

P L AY I N G

ON I NS T I NC T

Leon Davis has overcome many obstacles to become one of football’s most exciting entertainers and the ﬁrst indigenous player to reach 200 games for Collingwood.

C A MERON NOA K ES

I don’t pay attention to what people outside of the footy club say LEON DAVIS

he Collingwood that staggered into the 21st century will be remembered as a club shaped and inspired by its coach Michael Malthouse, captain Nathan Buckley and president Eddie McGuire. And history will show this triumvirate as the men who lifted a wounded club from its knees and transformed it into a super heavyweight of the AFL. Also arriving at the end of 1999 was a skinny, nimble, nervous teenager from Western Australia who had played senior football for Perth. His name was Leon Davis and he did not know it then, nor did the coach, the captain, or the president, but this was new Collingwood. It looked a lot like old Collingwood in that it was still proudly black and white – but it was different; the stains of the past on its famed striped strip were gone as the club looked to the future. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au record.com m.au 57

LEON DAVIS And that future is now, round 18, 2010, as Davis prepares to become the first indigenous footballer to play 200 games for Collingwood. It is a significant occasion, not just for Davis but for new Collingwood. On-field success, Grand Final appearances and a bulging membership are all impressive pages in Collingwood’s new testament, but the chapter on Davis is the most epochmaking, culturally at least. Essentially, it is the chapter the club had to have and, although it is coincidental, it is convenient that Davis’s first year at Collingwood was 2000, the start of the new millennium and the year the Magpies began their rapid ascent from the bottom of the ladder. Davis told the AFL Record during the week when he first turned up to Collingwood, it was daunting. “I was the only Aboriginal footballer at the club (and) I rocked up to Victoria Park and it was cold and I was shivering away, coming from Perth and the nice weather,” he said. “It was pretty hard being the only Aboriginal person at the footy club … I sort of struggled a lot with that, not having any other brothers, so to speak, at the club. “It was pretty surreal; very nervous moving away from home and coming to a place I was unfamiliar with. “‘Bucks’ (Nathan Buckley) was the one bloke in the team who I knew of. I had watched him play footy and I knew he was a gun. My first day, Bucks came straight up to me and said ‘G’day’ and made me feel welcome. “And from then on, Ben Johnson and Rhyce Shaw played a massive part and helped me settle in and made me feel welcome.” Davis was forced to become mentally tough. While that is not often associated with the small forward, it is clear he had to battle a huge emotional obstacle that has seen other footballers buckle. Even now he still deeply misses his family (he returns home at the end of each season and does not go on end-of-year trips, preferring to catch up with his two brothers, two sisters and many nieces and nephews). 58 AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au

ONE MORE: Leon Davis loves

a goal, and a celebration (here with Chris Dawes).

Davis has also survived of new Collingwood, and here scathing media criticism and the he may sit humbly and quietly peaks and troughs of form that (because this is his nature). goes with the territory of small However, in contrast, his on-field forwards (that few understand). achievements scream and dazzle. It is a tough position, one There is little doubt when that requires opportunism, Davis leaves football, he will resourcefulness and cunning. be remembered, not as a player In an era of floods and “presses” who unwittingly helped change and zones, forwards are typically and modernise the outdated judged by their goals when at image of an old club, but for times there is not a single goal in his lengthy and mesmerising sight, when at times all you have highlights reel. to live off are the scraps of the Indeed, the ‘Neon Leon’ marking forward. show is as bright and But Davis said he spectacular as took little notice anyone’s who of his critics. has set foot on a I always tried “I don’t pay football field. to do the tricky attention to While the stuff, so when you what people goal against get into a game it’s outside of the Fremantle, footy club say. when he tackled instinctive There were Des Headland LEON DAVIS times when it was outside the 50m hard but I suppose arc, flicked the just loving playing footy ball up with one hand, got me through in the end. caught it with the other, spun I always knew I wanted to around Docker Andrew Browne play AFL from day one.” and then coolly slotted the goal Davis now takes an important from the boundary line, won seat alongside the club’s goal of the year in 2008, it is powerbrokers at the table debatable whether

FACT FILE

Leon Davis

Born: June 17, 1981 Recruited from: Perth Debut: Round 1, 2000 v Hawthorn Height: 177cm Weight: 80kg Games: 199 Goals: 256 Player honours: All-Australian 2009 Brownlow Medal: career votes 21

it is his best career goal. In fact, it was debatable whether it was his best goal for the season. Last year, again, Davis had multiple contenders for goal of the season, including three in consecutive weeks against Carlton and Brisbane, all with outrageous degrees of difﬁculty. While images of Davis dancing on the boundary line twirling his index ﬁnger as he celebrates yet another miraculous goal are etched into our minds, it is highly worthwhile to refresh the memory of Davis’s offerings to football fans. The highlights reel on You Tube titled “Leon Davis – Let it Rock” says it all; goal after goal, each one as jaw-dropping as the next. Once, when asked what went through his head when he was lining up these bewildering goals, Davis said: “Not a lot”. But he revealed it was something he practised with his brothers when he was growing up in Western Australia. “I always tried to do the tricky stuff, so when you get into a game it’s just instinctive,” he said. But it is a little more than that; it is also understanding the ball and doing the work. Sydney Swans’ Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes recently wrote in a newspaper column (reprinted in the AFL Record in round nine) that it was offensive that members of the media regularly described the feats of Aboriginal footballers as simply “magical”. He said the adjective was dismissive of the work and effort indigenous footballers put into their game. And Davis has done that work. Those who know him well will testify to the effort which saw him earn more time in the

LEON DAVIS midfield to claim All-Australian honours in 2009. Davis once quipped that picking up a football in the morning was as routine for him as putting on clothes. And he told the Record that for the first five or six years at Collingwood, rarely did a football leave his hands. “I guess it was just comforting; holding a footy helped me relax and feel at home,” he said. So when we marvel at his “one-touch” ability, it is important to consider it is, in a large part, a result of spending a lifetime holding and kicking an oval-shaped ball. He said standing on the stage at the Collingwood’s 2008 best and fairest to claim his J.F. McHale trophy (for fourth) was one of his career highlights. In that speech, he thanked the Magpie supporters, but he noted they let him know when he played a bad game with similar verve to the good. These days, Davis accepts it and moves on, for he knows he has been accepted, he knows the Collingwood faithful are cheering him not just because of the amazing goal, but because he is one of their own. Davis is now a leader at Collingwood, although he said it’s something he doesn’t consciously think about. He said it had just come with age and experience. And he is also Collingwood family, and this, he said, was something he was proud to be.

Adapting to a new role � It appears the mysterious art and skill of coaching has been applied rigorously in relation to Leon Davis in 2010. After an All-Australian season in 2009 playing in the midﬁeld, he has been recast this season as a permanent small forward. Regardless of perceptions of what role is best for Davis, the decision of where he plays is about what is best for Collingwood. Collingwood Coll ngwood The Magpies – like every contender – need players in their forward 50 who can get into dangerous spaces and kick goals, and switch their emphasis to chasing and tackling and adhering to team structures when the opposition has the ball. Look at any recent premiership team and you will ﬁnd onee such h

player, perhaps two. Davis is the perfect choice for the role. His ability to kick goals has never been in doubt, nor his instinct to create space, but this year the Magpies have emphasised his need to create forward pressure. They have been happy to point to the fact he leads the competition for tackles inside 50. Coaches are prepared to be patient during a transition patien phas phase se when a player is deve developing el parts of his gam game me and working hard to d do so. Even when his touch deserted him early in the year, Davis was doing eenough in the less o obvious areas to jjustify a spot in ju the tth h team. Coach Mick Malthouse said Davis Ma M a was being judged in wa w tthe th h same way as any he other player – by his o ot t th work w wo orr rate. o In n tthe past fortnight, Davis’s D Da Dav avi vis is’s s s ttouch has returned other and an and d the th thee o ot oth th components have h ha hav ave vee re rem remain rremained. ema ma ain ne In a ﬁnal (every game, g ga gam am ame mee, for fo forr that th ha hat at matter), what a when not in player p pl pla lay aye yer err does d possession is crucial, posse p po pos oss sssees e so Davis so Da Davv – a player who

naturally enjoys performing with the ball in hands – will be judged by his efforts without the ball more than most. Forget his past in relation to finals. It’s as relevant that Davis was one of the Magpies’ best in the short-lived 2008 finals series as it is that he was not at his best in finals early in his career – a time when physically he was so slight he made Brad Dick look like Rene Kink (a slight exaggeration, but you get the picture). He is playing a different role in a different game with a different mindset. The forward role he has adopted in 2010 is geared to creating a combination that can win a flag. Davis will know his role and, by finals time, should PETER RYAN be ready to play it. SMALL FORWARDS IN RECENT PREMIERSHIP TEAMS 2009 Travis Varcoe and Shannon Byrnes (Geelong) 2008 Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn) 2007 Mathew Stokes and Shannon Byrnes (Geelong) 2006 Steven Armstrong and Daniel Chick (West Coast) 2005 Adam Schneider and Amon Buchanan (Sydney Swans) 2004 Josh Mahoney (Port Adelaide) 2001-03 Jason Akermanis (Brisbane Lions)

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R E L L A B T O O F D E N O I H S A -F D L O AN

E L R U H L E A H C I M A

Rising Essendon star Michael Hurley is one of several youngsters capable of making the Bombers ﬂy high again. CA LLUM T WOMEY 62 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

s I meet Michael Hurley for the ﬁrst time on a cold but – ironically – still day at Essendon’s Windy Hill headquarters, it becomes clear that much of what you see is what you get with the 20-year-old. Off the ﬁeld, his pure size makes him hard to miss. He’s big. No other way to put it, really. Tall, strong, robust. Big. But beyond his physical size and, perhaps as a result of some of the just-as-large expectations about his football ability, Hurley has a presence few other players his age possess. However, his path from the boy who grew up in Melbourne’s northern suburbs playing footy in winter, cricket in summer and body-boarding in between, to the

apparent ‘Next Big Thing’, isn’t quite the same as the one many of his contemporaries have taken. Everything about what makes Hurley the player so (potentially) good is obvious. He can play at either end, kick on either foot, take contested marks, kick crucial goals, shut down important players and is what we like to describe as “footy-smart”. The contradiction with Hurley is this: despite his talents being so obvious, he is, in some ways, almost single-handedly challenging established conventions of the modern game. In the 2010 game of athleticism, running prowess, vertical jumping, take-off speed, structures, zones, all-ground defence and increased emphasis on tackling, Hurley is a new-age example of an old-fashioned footballer. As well as his size, Hurley’s competitiveness, ability to read the play, use of his body for position and kicking, not to mention a healthy dose of aggression on the ﬁeld, makes him a throwback. When we met last week, I put it to him that instead of being a player

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AFL RECORD visit aямВrecord.com.au 63

MICHAEL HURLEY in the reﬁned-athlete mould, Hurley is more a baby of football itself. Pure and simple. “I suppose you’re right,” he said. “I am more of an old-fashioned footballer. I don’t have that supreme athleticism like a lot of the younger kids coming through these days. You see it with Nic Naitanui, he’s just an amazing athlete. “I just try to do the basics right and I think how I can play back and forward helps with the old-fashioned approach as well.” The best sports people always do the basics well. Basketballer Kobe Bryant hits more two-point shots than he misses. Shane Warne puts a cricket ball in the right spot before even thinking about spinning it. Retired Bombers great James Hird almost always kicked set-shot goals (and more spectacular snap-goals). There’s no suggestion Hurley is anywhere close to the same league as these superstars – and after meeting him, he would no doubt be embarrassed by being mentioned in the same breath. But if Essendon is to achieve success in the next few seasons, Hurley will likely play an integral role. This season, his second in the AFL after being selected by the Bombers with pick ﬁve in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, Hurley has been very good at times, less so at others. He missed the NAB Cup and the opening three rounds due to a club suspension. Hur Hurley

FACT FILE

Michael Hurley

Born: June 1, 1960 Recruited from: Macleod/Northern U18 Debut: Round 1, 2009 v Port Adelaide Height: 193cm Weight: 89kg Games: 24 Goals: 22 Player honours: NAB AFL Rising Star nominee 2009 Brownlow Medal: career votes 2

had assaulted a taxi driver last year and, after a drawn-out court case, pleaded guilty to the charge on June 12. He escaped conviction but was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond and fined $10,000. In his 14 games this season, Hurley has averaged 15 touches, and kicked a couple of bags of goals but, like his team, which sits 12th on the ladder with only six wins, he has struggled to find the consistency he wants. “Tough question,” he said with a laugh when asked how happy he was with his form. “It’s been a bits and pieces sort of season, really. I’ve played some OK games but I suppose the frustrating part is not being able to put it together the whole year. “My consistency has been pretty average I think, and that’s really annoying for me. One week I’ll play well and the next will be a bit flat, but it’s been OK so far.” The Dons broke a six-game losing streak last week with a thrilling three-point win over North Melbourne.

Criticised over the past month for a lack of identity and playing spiritless football, the Bombers’ performance against the Kangaroos was a huge improvement. Hurley said the club has stayed positive throughout the tough period. “Although our form hasn’t been too great of late, we haven’t really changed much,” he said. “We’re a developing side with a lot of young players, and I think we’re on the way up. “We’ve shown it this year with the sides we’ve beaten – St Kilda, Western Bulldogs and also Hawthorn, all great teams – so we do have the potential and we just need to put it all together and get that consistency.” When we met, a day before the Kangaroos game, Hurley said he would be starting down back and hinted he’d probably man young North forward Lachlan Hansen. That’s how it panned out for most of the match, but a passage of play early in the first quarter said much about Hurley’s skill and poise. Intercepting a kick on the wing intended for Hansen, Hurley immediately played on, steadied and hit leading teammate Jay Neagle lace-out. Neagle kicked the goal, and the Bombers seemed to grow in confidence. Essendon’s recruitment of young key-position players with low draft picks ahead of midfielders in recent years ley, Scott (the list includes Hurley, k two in Gumbleton (pick yder 2006) Patrick Ryder (seven in 2005) and n Tayte Pears (23 in

2007) has been questioned by some, but Hurley said having a strong ‘spine’ – a key element to premiership teams of the past – is still important for success. “If we can develop that spine, it’ll definitely help the club in the future. Paddy can play in the ruck, Cale Hooker and Tayte down back, ‘Gumby’ up forward and myself … I don’t know where I’ll play,” Hurley said, before bursting out laughing. “Where I play changes every week, but a lot of defenders thrive on the pressure down back and I really enjoy that. The spine, though, is massive in footy so if we can settle that down, it will hold us in good stead.” Wherever he plays, Essendon will benefit. Bombers champion Matthew Lloyd, who played with Hurley in 2009 before retiring at the end of the season, agrees. “Out of that group, I think he’s the most likely to be able to kick three or four goals a week consistently, but I do think his best spot would be at full-back or centre half-back,” Lloyd said. That flexibility makes Hurley invaluable. Depending on the situation, match-ups or opposition, coach Matthew Knights has a player at his disposal who can be thrown at either end of the ground with confidence. Even at junior level, Hurley was versatile and played with confidence. As a 16-year-old in 2006, he kicked five goals in his senior senio debut for Macleod in the th Northern Footb Football mon League. A month

hael Hurley is giving Essendon fans plenty of rea sons to be t excited – and not jus because he likes to r celebrate a goal (fa lef t, with teammate Angus Monfries). It’s Hurley’s strong marking (centre) andl ability to use the bal on both sides of his body that has many predic ting he has a long AFL career ahead of him.

HAIL HURLEY: Mic

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MICHAEL HURLEY later, he lined up in its (losing) Grand Final side. At AFL level, that confidence was exemplified by two key moments late in 2009. The first, a contested mark where Hurley out-bodied St Kilda skipper (and Hurley’s childhood football hero) Nick Riewoldt, came in round 20 as the Saints were frantically charging down the Bombers’ lead. If that wasn’t Hurley’s comingof-age moment, it came two weeks later, against Hawthorn in round 22. His last-quarter goal, kicked from outside 50 on his left foot, sent Essendon through to the finals for the first time since 2004, and fans into raptures. Hurley said he approached each match with the mindset of it being just another game of footy. “The first handful of games I played I was pretty nervous and worried about making a mistake,” he said. “But, sometimes when you worry, you start to make mistakes, so I just play my natural game and hope it goes well.” Lloyd, who passed on his No. 18 jumper to Hurley at the end of last season, was not surprised to see him back himself on both occasions. Not only had he seen Hurley’s ambidextrous talents at training, he also had Hurley pegged as the type not afraid of the big stage. “I’ll never forget one of the first training sessions I saw him,” said Lloyd, who kicked 926 goals for the Bombers from 1995-2009. “At the end of 2008, we were at a training camp in New South Wales, and he was kicking the ball 50m on his left foot and just as long on his right

I do think his best spot would be at full-back or centre half-back FORMER ESSENDON STAR MATTHEW LLOYD

and I didn’t know which one was his natural preference. “And then we’d go into competitive marking and he’d be beating guys who had been in the system for five or 10 years. “In terms of where football’s gone in the 2000s, he’s your pure footballer. He lives for match-days. He trains, of course, but I’ve got no doubt he thrives on the competition of game-day.” It’s noticeable how keen Hurley is to have a laugh at his own expense, ahead of making any grand statements about his own football. Fair enough, too. The self-deprecation might be a defence mechanism, a reminder he shouldn’t get ahead of himself. But when told of Lloyd’s assessment of his match-day qualities, Hurley – his carefully crafted blond beard surrounding a big grin – smiles, as if he knows Lloyd is right. “I just try and get through training I suppose, and we do have a lot of meetings, so you do have to get yourself going on game-day,” Hurley said. “You’ve got to have an air of confidence about you and, if you don’t have that, you get pushed around a bit.” As for his proficiency on his non-preferred foot, he said: “When I was in under-12s, I tore my hip flexor in my

right leg and they said I couldn’t kick on that leg so I played the rest of the season just kicking on my left and it gradually got better.” A by-product of big talent, however, is big expectations, even more so at the Bombers, who haven’t had a top-10 draft pick burst on to the scene immediately since Lloyd back in 1995. Before he was drafted, Hurley’s speed was queried, so some clubs backed off. “I got the impression from a few of the clubs that had picks after Essendon that they weren’t very interested, so I think if I did slip past Essendon I could’ve ended up anywhere at any pick,” he said. “(Essendon recruiters) Adrian Dodoro and Merv Keane and Matthew Knights came out to my house a day before the draft and said, all going to plan, they’d take me at pick ﬁve and I was stoked.” In Hurley, who earlier this year signed a two-year contract extension, the Bombers have not only a player to build a team around, but a face to build a club around in the next decade. He will be in demand. As he is on the day we meet. As our allotted time ends, Hurley needs to bolt off for another appointment. He grabs his phone and wallet, throws on his Bombers jacket, shakes my hand and then bends over to tie up the laces of his ﬂashy bright blue adidas runners. The sneakers, with a few splashes of yellow, are indeed a reminder that as much as Hurley is an old-fashioned footballer, he’s still right at home in the modern game.

ANSWERING THE CALL TO ARMS � This round’s EssendonSt Kilda match marks the culmination of the annual Call to Arms campaign – a national cancer awareness program that encourages players, administrators and supporters to wear a yellow armband to raise funds to treat, prevent and detect cancers in men. An Essendon initiative following Adam Ramanauskas’ cancer battles, Michael Hurley (pictured wearing his club’s Call to Arms jumper with the yellow band) said it was something the team was proud to be involved in. “It’s a great cause, and all the players really like to support it,” Hurley said. “‘Rama’ was obviously a bit before my time, but he’s still around the club and he’s a great person. It’s a great initiative to be involved in, and d it’s good to see Essendon following llowing lowing it up.”

GREAT CAUSE:

Michael Hurley models the Call to Arms jumper.

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66 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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Moments of the

2000-09 9

Tradition gives way to progress The AFL’s ground rationalisation policy sounded the death knell of the League’s famous suburban grounds, but was also the catalyst for the proliferation of shiny new club administration and training facilities.

ASHLEY BROW NE

ne of the by-products of the AFL becoming a full-time professional sport in the mid-1990s was the end of the much-loved but increasingly antiquated Victorian suburban venues. At the start of the 1990s, there were eight match venues for the AFL in Victoria: Princes Park (in North Carlton), Victoria Park (Abbotsford), Windy Hill (Essendon), Kardinia Park (Geelong), the MCG (East Melbourne), Waverley Park (Mulgrave), Moorabbin Oval and the Whitten Oval (Footscray). That number was gradually reduced through the decade, with an emotional round 22 in 1999 seeing the closure of Victoria Park on the Saturday and Waverley on the Sunday. When the following season kicked off, there were just three of those venues still in use – Princes Park, the MCG and Kardinia Park – plus a gleaming new stadium in Melbourne’s Docklands precinct. The consolidation of match-day venues opened up huge commercial opportunities for the Victorian clubs. Collingwood was now playing in front of crowds of more than 50,000 most weeks at the MCG, and its coffers were ﬁlling fast. But in a competition underpinned 68 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

by a draft and a salary cap, the Pies needed to find a way to get a competitive edge. They only needed to look over the border for inspiration. The non-Victorian clubs enjoyed premier training and administrative facilities and so it was that Collingwood, with never-die-wondering president Eddie McGuire at the helm, announced in 2002 that it was planning to depart Victoria Park for a new base in Melbourne’s Olympic Park sports precinct, just across the railway tracks from its MCG playing base. The decision was a big deal. The club’s final game at Victoria Park in 1999 commanded five hours of live television on a Saturday afternoon – air time usually only reserved for the Grand Final – so the decision to pack up and move altogether garnered plenty of headlines and sparked much debate. By midway through 2004, the Pies had made the move into the landmark Melbourne building alongside the Yarra River, the venue that had hosted the swimming competition for the 1956 Olympic Games and, more recently, had been transformed into a basketball and entertainment facility known as the Glasshouse. The cashed-up Pies built a best-practice indoor training facility, with an MCG-sized outdoor training ground a short walk away, on the corner of Punt Road and Swan Street. The Lexus Centre wasn’t a hallowed venue like Victoria Park – you couldn’t gaze across a ground where Jock McHale and the Coventry brothers used to tread – but it was a facility that gave Collingwood the best chance to prepare itself for the business of modern football, week in and week out.

END OF AN ERA:

Collingwood played its ﬁnal game at its traditional home, Victoria Park (top right), in 1999, then vacated the venue completely in 2004.

The Pies’ home soon became the benchmark facility, sparking other Victorian clubs to look at their own homes

Now known as the Westpac Centre, the Pies’ home soon became the benchmark facility, sparking other Victorian clubs to look at their own homes. Hawthorn became the next club to put pragmatism ahead of tradition, moving its operations in 2006 from Glenferrie Oval to Waverley Park. The former AFL venue (Hawthorn’s home ground from 1990-99) had been transformed into a massive housing development, but the Hawks moved into a new facility built inside what was the old members’ stand at Waverley. The move to Melbourne’s outer south-east, an area where many of the club’s members live, has proved to be major success. The other notable venue shift of the past 10 years was by Carlton away from Princes Park.

Carlton’s home ground since the formation of the League and also, at various times, a home ground for South Melbourne, Fitzroy, Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs, had started to fall behind other AFL venues at the start of the decade in terms of capacity, access and amenities. By 2005, Carlton was in the ﬁnancial doldrums and the lack of lights at the venue restricted when the Blues could play home games and consequently removed them from prime-time televison considerations, which in turn impacted revenue, both from gate receipts and sponsorship. The famous ground was farewelled as an AFL venue on May 21, 2005, with the Blues losing by 18 points to Melbourne in front of 30,052 fans. Fittingly, Carlton’s most

T H E A F T E R M AT H FINAL RITES:

Former Carlton great John Nicholls (left) and Anthony Koutouﬁdes farewell Princes Park as an AFL venue in 2005.

inﬂuential player of the past decade, Anthony Koutouﬁdes, was his team’s outstanding player on the day. But Russell Robertson, who kicked six goals for the Demons, was the best player on the ground. Within a few years, the western side of the ground was unrecognisable. The Robert Heatley and George Harris stands were demolished, replaced by a sparkling

new training and administrative facility now known as Visy Park. By the start of 2011, every club bar Essendon will be operating out of a state-of-the-art training facility that allows peak preparation for the demands of a taxing pre-season and the marathon season proper. ASHLEY BROWNE IS EDITOR OF BACKPAGELEAD.COM.AU

� Essendon played its last game at Windy Hill in 1991 and, by the end of the decade, the Bombers had built what was considered the premier training facility for AFL clubs. But Essendon has watched as pretty much every club in the AFL has moved into facilities that could be considered better. So now, the Bombers are considering the unthinkable – moving away from the ground that has been home since 1922. The club wants to increase the size of the ground so the dimensions match those of the

MCG. But it can’t do so without encroaching on the adjoining Essendon Lawn Bowls Club, which has been based at the same location since 1885. The football and the bowls clubs have been unable to reach an agreement, so the Bombers are looking at options including nearby Essendon Airport and the Melbourne Showgrounds facility in Ascot Vale. Essendon CEO Ian Robson was previously CEO at Hawthorn and helped oversee its move from Glenferrie Oval to Waverley Park.

CROWDED: Essendon is

considering a shift from its home base at Windy Hill.

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AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 69

Col Hutchinson

timeon hi t i guru answers your queries. Our AFL history

AFL mystery men AF

TWO OF THE BEST:

Matthew Pavlich has won Fremantle’s best and fairest ﬁve times, while Bob Skilton (below) won South Melbourne’s award nine times.

Which current player has won the most club best and fairest awards? P. GATSBY, MALVERN EAST, VIC.

CH: Matthew Pavlich

(Fremantle 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008) and Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009) have each won ﬁve awards. Pavlich has also ﬁnished in the top three on three other occasions and Riewoldt has been runnerup once. Brent Harvey (North Melbourne 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008), Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2009) and Chris Judd

70 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Robert Gribbon Lawrence � Born on January 7, 1902, Lawrence was recruited from local club Howe Crescent by South Melbourne in 1921 as a 182cm, 83kg forward. For the next three seasons he represented the nearby Leopold before returning to South in 1925. After seven matches and eight goals in the red and white guernsey, he gained selection for Melbourne three times in 1926.

(West Coast 2004 and 2006 and Carlton 2008 and 2009) have four wins to their credit. All have some ground to cover to surpass the joint all-time record-holders. Bob Skilton (South Melbourne) and Kevin Murray (Fitzroy) won nine best and fairests, while Leigh Matthews (Hawthorn) won eight. WRITE TO ANSWER MAN The Slattery Media Group 140 Harbour Esplanade Docklands, 3008 or email michaell@slatterymedia.com

Keith Wellwood Storey � In 1930, Storey played ﬁve games in guernsey No. 27 for St Kilda as a 182cm, 83kg ruckman. Born on May 15, 1905, he served in the Royal Australian Air Force as a ﬂight lieutentant between 1942 and 1946.

Should you have any further information regarding the above mystery men, including their date of death, contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col. hutchinson@aﬂ .com.au.

NAME GAME

Old names still reign

� Last week we discussed the AFL’s most popular surname, Johnson. Johnson (and forms in other languages – Johannson, Ivanovic, etc.) is a reminder of how popular the given name John was. It remained popular, generally and on League lists, until comparatively recent times. It has made a slight comeback this season with ﬁve entries (plus one Russian version, Ivan), but has been as low as one in recent seasons. The most popular given name is an old one: Matthew (Mathew/ Matt) with 27 entries. The names of the other evangelists, Mark (Marc/ Marcus) and Luke (Lukas) are steady, with 13 entries each against the rise of the Bretts, Brads, Trents, etc. The interesting newcomer is the very old name Jared (Hebrew, meaning “he who descends”), which has at least 15 other spellings, ﬁve of which appear on AFL lists: Jarrad, Jarrod, Jarryd, Jaryd and Jarred. Jordan (nine entries) and Judd are related names. KEVAN CARROLL

In 1880 T.W. Sherrin hand stitched his first football. Today, the same attention to detail goes in to every Australian made leather Sherrin. Just one of the reasons why Sherrin is the official football of the AFL. For your nearest stockist call 1300 367 582 or go to sherrin.com.au.

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Rick Milne

COLLECTABLES

The Power of one

A weekly look at collectables, memorabilia emorabilia and all footy things stored in boxes and garages.

I have a pair of football boots signed by the Brisbane Lions’ Luke Power in 2002. I would appreciate a valuation.

PUTTING THE BOOT IN: A reader

has a pair of boots signed by Lions star Luke Power in 2002.

GREG TANNER, VIA EMAIL

RM: As a Lions’ fan from way

back, I’d rather have boots signed by Power than any other player. He has been a great servant and super player for the Lions and, although I might be biased, these boots are worth $1000. It certainly helps that he has played in three premiership sides.

I have a football signed by what I believe to be the greatest half-back line of all time – the West Coast’s John Worsfold, Glen Jakovich and Guy McKenna. What is the value of the ball? PERI MORI, VIA EMAIL

RM: I would have to agree this

half-back line would be the greatest of the modern era but the value of the ball is a tricky one. Signatures can fade and footballs usually go ﬂat. If all three autographs are clear, the football is worth $750.

RM: Not too many of these dolls

were produced in football gear, so you have a rare item. It is worth at least $1200.

I have a Gerry Gee ventriloquist doll dressed as a South Melbourne footballer. It is in good condition, except the hair is a bit matted. Value?

I have a 1998 North Melbourne team photo signed by most of the players on the back, with Wayne Carey’s on the front. Value? DYLAN TAYLOR, VIA EMAIL

ANITA CAMPBELL, VIA EMAIL

RICK’S RARITY

� If you look at a photograph of a football crowd scene from the 1920s, you will notice almost everyone was wearing a hat – with even the children wearing caps or bonnets. Also, most men in that era were smokers, and this led to the production of this nifty little matchbox holder showing Essendon’s draw for the 1929 season. It was issued by the Desert Gold cigarette brand and was used to protect the balsa-wood matchboxes of the day. To ﬁnd one without a cigarette burn is rare but, as there are at least 25 5 very e serious ri s collectorss out ut there, th h e this thi item iitt least $125. is w worth t at lea a $125 ast 25 25.

RM: This is one season the

Roos would like to forget as, after building a big early lead in the Grand Final against Adelaide (they led by three goals at half-time after having 21 scoring shots to seven), they eventually were defeated. Despite this, your item is worth $300.

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

WATCH BEFORE THE GAME SATURDAY NIGHTS ON TEN

beforethegame.com.au L ADDER SAM 85 DAVE

ANDY

FITZY

LEHMO

MICK

TIPSTERS

FITZY St Kilda Collingwood Hawthorn Geelong Cats Brisbane Lions Adelaide Western Bulldogs Fremantle

72 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

MICK St Kilda Collingwood Hawthorn Geelong Cats Melbourne Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle

SAM St Kilda Collingwood Hawthorn Geelong Cats Brisbane Lions Adelaide Western Bulldogs Fremantle

DAVE St Kilda Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Melbourne Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle

LEHMO St Kilda Collingwood Hawthorn Geelong Cats Melbourne Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle

ANDY St Kilda Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Melbourne Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle

This week, special guest appearance by ANGUS MONFRIES

TISSOT PRC 200 LIMITED EDITION 2010 The watch for all occasions with an automatic movement, scratchproof sapphire crystal, water resistance up to 200m/600ft and a 316L stainless steel bracelet, AFL engraved caseback

IN TOUCH WITH YOUR TIME

OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER

Available exclusively at

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KIDS’ CORNER

IVE F TO FIND

Sudoku

� Solve this puzzle by ﬁlling in the empty squares with the nine letters of the player’s name. You must make sure you use each letter only once in each row, column or small box of nine squares. Do not guess, as there is only one correct solution.

T. BANFIELD BRISBANE LIONS

N T

L N

B F

3 Which player won the Swans’ best and

fairest nine times?

o ore 4 Who is the only Eagle to have kicked more than 500 goals?

I E A

L B

Brent Harvey?

kick for Richmond?

I E

1 Who was North Melbourne’s captain before

so on 2 How many goals did Matthew Richardson

QUICK QUESTIONS

L B

5 Who has played the most games for Geelong? THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS 5 QUICK QUESTIONS: 1. Adam Simpson; 2. 800; 3. Bob Skilton; 4. Peter Sumich (514); 5. Ian Nankervis (325). SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Red on shoulder of St Kilda player removed; bottom of St Kilda player’s boot changed to red; extra ﬁnger added to Hawthorn player’s hand; stop removed from bottom of Hawthorn player’s boot; middle stripe on St kilda player’s left boot removed.

B IG G MOUTH: MOU MOUT M MO O H: BIG SCRAMBLED SCRA SC S CRA AM MBLE BLE LE L ED FO FOOTBALLER: OTBA BALLER ER: ER CRYPTIC CRYP C RYP YPTIC TIIC T C FOOTBALLERS: FOOT FO F OO OO OT TBALLERS: LE

74 AFL RECORD RE R EC CO COR OR O RD visit RD viis vvis isit it aﬂ aﬂrecord.com.au record..co om m.a .a au

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NAB AFL RISING STAR

Taking nothing for granted Bulldog youngster Jarrad Grant has taken big steps this season, but knows know ows there’s ow t ere s plenty of hard th ha work ahead. CALLUM TWOMEY

2010 NAB AFL Rising Star Nominees

arrad Grant’s only AFL GRATEFUL: Despite making a game in 2009 saw him quiet debut last year, Jarrad collect just one kick. But Grant says the game was a big that solitary game, a loss learning curve. to Carlton in round five, taught him a valuable lesson. Yes, he got his first taste at the elite level. But, more importantly, he got first-hand experience of what is required. “I was very thankful for getting that game. It gave me a look at what the AFL was like and gave me a realisation that I needed to work on a few things,” Grant said. “My fitness was the first thing I needed to target and, over the pre-season, I thought back to that one game and tried to work The game as hard as I could to get my fitness levels up. last year wasn’t “The game last year one of my better obviously wasn’t one ones, and it put of my better ones, and me on a big it put me on a big learning curve.” learning curve Dandenong JARRAD GRANT Grant has come back a Stingray said. better player, being one of Having the revelations of 2010 for established a spot in the the Western Bulldogs. Bulldogs forward line, Grant, He was named the round 17 who was selected with pick five NAB AFL Rising Star nominee following his strong performance in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft, had to reassess his goals mid-year. against Fremantle. “I sat down with the coaches Grant had a career-high 20 and, although they were pretty possessions and kicked three goals against the Dockers, but his similar to my previous goals, the goals I set were basically Rising Star nomination has been about not taking for granted a long time coming, impressing what I could get out of the since being picked in round five season,” he said. for the game against Adelaide. Grant’s pace, agility and skill “It’s pretty humbling to get have added a new element to the the nomination. At the start of Bulldogs’ attack. the season, I had aimed to start At 192cm, he has the height playing consistent footy at VFL to out-mark opponents and the level and then hopefully get my speed to burn them off. He is chance,” the 21-year-old former

Round 1 – Chris Yarran (Carl) Round 2 – Daniel Hannebery (Syd) Round 3 – Ryan Bastinac (NM) Round 4 – Nic Naitanui (WCE) Round 5 – Jack Trengove (Melb) Round 6 – Todd Banﬁeld (Bris) Round 7 – Tom Scully (Melb) Round 8 – Jake Melksham (Ess) Round 9 – Nathan Fyfe (Frem) Round 10 – Dustin Martin (Rich) Round 11 – Jordan Gysberts (Melb) Round 12 – Ben Reid (Coll) Round 13 – Tom Rockliﬀ (BL) Round 14 – Ben Stratton (Haw)

dangerous around goal, with 17 goals in his 13 games. Much like his mentor, teammate Robert Murphy, Grant ﬁts well into the Bulldogs’ dashing playing style. “‘Murph’ has been a great inﬂuence on me and we do play quite a similar type of footy,” he said. “Our lockers are next to each other, so he’s been one to take me under his wing in my three years at the club.” Grant joked that receiving his Rising Star nomination should help supporters forget about the time he was stung by a stingray at a Bulldogs recovery session in 2008. “Hopefully people will forget, but it’s one thing I’m going to have to live with I think.”

Round 15 – Jack Redden (BL) Round 16 – Phil Davis (Adel) Round 17 – Jarrad Grant (WB)

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW 1

Grant’s best friend at school was John McCarthy, who plays for Collingwood.

2 He grew up in

Frankston in Victoria.

3 He owns two cats – Trouble and Titch.

Each week throughout the home and away season, a panel of judges will select the nominee for the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star. At the completion of the season, one outstanding player will be chosen as the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star winner. He will receive an investment folio, a dedicated personal banker, a financial planner and the Ron Evans Medal, all courtesy of the NAB. The NAB Rising Star award is the final stage of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.

76 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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LAST LINE

Applying data laterally

Two of the great innovators

ormer Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams and soon-to-retire Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos stand as twin peaks influencing the coaching, training and playing scenes. Presiding over their respective VISIONARIES: Mark Williams (left) and Paul Roos changed the way clubs play premiership teams of 2004 and and train and both have embraced the use of technology. 2005, both were instrumental in changing football training and how the game is played. Scott, who had said the Power teams, he again emphasised Before their flags, would never win a flag while learning and teaching. premierships teams during the Williams was in charge. Many “Both (of us) coached players previous 10 or so seasons were who are familiar with Williams not to give the ball away easily,” coached by Leigh Matthews can testify he likes throwing Williams said. “Tight defence, (Brisbane Lions in 2001-03), hand grenades, as he did then fast and efficient ball Kevin Sheedy (Essendon in immediately after Port’s success. movement through the midfield 2000), Denis Pagan (North The explosive devices he was the go. Melbourne in 1996 and ’99), lobbed at me were questions and “The objective was efficient Malcolm Blight (Adelaide in propositions meant to challenge. running though lines and 1997-98) and David No other coach I have precision delivery to forwards. Parkin (Carlton encountered probed “The main difference in 1995). They as deeply the between Sydney and us was Both were advocated the definitions and the defensive set-ups. instrumental in importance of analysis of “Paul has a great background long kicking statistics. in basketball and knowledge changing football and gaining He pored of American Football. The training and how territory, even over numbers Swans created a unique the game if it meant the searching for shut down the opposition risk of losing simple, clear plan, with fast-running is played possession. messages that counter-attacks generated from Although the value could be digested the defensive half.” of short kicking and and embraced Williams said Port’s defence retention was important to these by players. was epitomised by the supreme coaches, it was considered more Williams, I find, is a born play of recent Australian like a sub-plot. teacher and innovator. I asked Football Hall of Fame inductee Before 2004, there were him about his fondness for Gavin Wanganeen. plenty who took pot shots at tossing hand grenades. His “He was so good at knowing teams such as Port Adelaide and reply: “I am looking for how the which position to defend,” he Sydney, which thrived on person will react to the challenge said. “What was the best option a new high-possession/ presented. What type of decision coming out and how to swing retention-orientated formula. do they make, especially when it both ways? He set such a The critics claimed those teams they are put off guard? marvellous standard for the could never win a flag playing “I see my role as a learning team to follow.” that style of football. and teaching journey in which While other teams and coaches “You were wrong,” Williams no one can be certain where can lay claim to evolving similar famously declared on the it all ends up.” philosophies and standards premiership dais. He was reacting Asked about the hallmarks of in some degrees, at the time, primarily to club sponsor Allan the Port and Sydney premiership Port and Sydney were setting

78 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

t agenda on two the c counts. Both made s signifi cant investments in backroom video and st statistical analysis. T They saw themselves as co contemporary enterprises, m making significant inv investments on new tec technology for teaching an analysis purposes. and At both clubs, the role of the vision and statistical analyst was enhanced to include match committee responsibilities. In 1999, Port recruited television professional Alan Hincks for the job and, in 2000, teaching professional Anthony Cahill joined the Swans. Now all clubs are on board in this regard. Importantly, Williams and Roos also became innovators to the extent they used this new backend technology and resources for training purposes, refining how they prepared their teams for matches. Both coaches began to adopt new training methods. They used technology to capture what happened on the track, analysing it to provide feedback for coaches and players. Previously, drills were dominated by set plays around witches’ hats. “We started making training ‘messy’, similar to what happens in real games. It’s called play practice,” Williams explained. “The purpose is to rehearse a player’s decision-making ability in pressure situations.” On the track and on the field, teams today are using their own versions of the Port Adelaide and Sydney methods, with the concept of ball retention (or protection) prevailing, with the urge to gain territory above all else taking a back seat. TED HOPKINS IS A CARLTON PREMIERSHIP PLAYER AND FOUNDER OF CHAMPION DATA. HIS CURRENT PROJECT IS TEDSPORT, A HIGH PERFORMANCE DATA ANALYSIS AND CONSULTING SERVICE.

Artist: David Williams, Gilimbaa

Adam Goodes is hanging up his boots this season≥

Adam Goodes is a legend – over 250 games, a premiership and a couple of Brownlow medals. To celebrate his achievements we asked him to hang up his boots. Adam’s playing boots have been painted by an Australian Indigenous artist, and hung as part of an exhibition to celebrate the talent of Indigenous players in the AFL today. See the full Qantas Boots & Dreams Exhibition and tour details at afl.com.au/qantasboots Qantas. Proud supporter of dreams.

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