INSIDE » THE FINAL STORY DISSECTS GREAT GRAND FINALS
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE E AFL GAME
Israel Folau
TAKING GIANT STRIDES
ROUND 24, 2011 SEPTEMBER 2-4 $5 (INC. GST)
P66 Matthew Primus on his plan to rebuild Port Adelaide
celebrating footy’s high yers
round ro ound o u 24, 4, sseptember 2-4, 2011
features 59 ISRAEL FOLAU The GWS Giants’ gamble is starting to pay dividends. JAMES DAMPNEY reports.
66 PORT’S VISION « The Power’s plan to turn their fortunes around. KATRINA GILL reports.
regulars
4 9 27 55 74 78 80
Backchat The Bounce Matchday Dream Team Answer Man Kids’ Corner NAB AFL Rising Star
Melbourne’s Sam Blease.
82 Talking Point
Ted Hopkins explains why some statistics can be misleading.
64 LUKE POWER
A loyal Brisbane Lions champion bids farewell.
THIS WEEK’S COVERS National cover: Israel Folau is the face of the GWS Giants. There is also a special Collingwood cover. COVER PHOTOS: MICHAEL WILLSON
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EDITOR’S LETTER
Players deserve freedom of choice » For the second straight year,
Drawing out the excitement
TIGHT BATTLE:
The introduction of an 18th club next year provides the AFL with a w great opportunity to create a draw d that will maintain excitement and interest right through to the finals,, while also improving the integrityy of the draw. This is how: A first phase of 17 rounds followed by a break and s. then a second phase of five rounds. In the first phase, each team would play the others once, with d two points allocated for a win and one for a draw. At the end of this phase, the competition would be divided into three groups: the top six, middle six and bottom six. In the second phase, the top six e teams would play each other once, the middle six would play each other once and the bottom six would play each other once. Each team would retain the points and percentage from the first phase, but would play for four points a win and two points a draw. The top six would be assured of a place in the finals, but would be playing for final positions (i.e. top four, top two). The middle six would be competing for the last two spots in the final eight and the bottom six could play for a prize (financial and/or draft concessions). The finals system would remain as it is. This system would ensure a high level of interest in the middle of the season as teams vie
GENERAL MANAGER, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Darren Birch AFL CORPORATE BUSINESS MANAGER Richard Simkiss AFL RECORD MANAGING EDITOR Geoff Slattery
AFL RECORD
for positions for phase two. two This iinterest would ld grow for f phase h two where, for example, a team that finished sixth in phase one might reach the top two by the end of phase two, with double points available. This system would also mean the end of dull matches at the end of the season between highly motivated sides competing for the finals and bottom teams with nothing to play for.
Splitting a dead-heat
What happens if St Kilda and the Sydney Swans finish round 24 on the same match points and percentage? How will the host of the elimination final be determined? TIM BORTEN, MONTEREY KEYS, QLD.
PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Lovett WRITERS Nick Bowen, Ashley Browne, Ben Collins, James Dampney, George Farrugia, Olivia Finlayson, Katrina Gill, Luke Holmesby, Ted Hopkins, Mark Macgugan, Adam McNicol, Darren O’Shaughnessy, Peter Ryan, Nathan Schmook, Callum Twomey, Gary Walsh, Michael Whiting
STATISTICIAN Cameron Sinclair
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From the AFL: If their
percentage and points are the same, which can only happen if they finish with exactly the same points for and against, they are then split by results of games played against each other. The Swans won the only meeting between the two teams this season.
STEPHEN HORNE, WOODFORD, QLD.
SUB-EDITORS Gary Hancock, Howard Kotton, Michael Stevens
AFL RECORD EDITOR Peter Di Sisto
4
Jack Steven and Lewis Jetta battle it out in the round 22 clash at ANZ Stadium.
HAVE YOUR SAY
The best letter each round nd will receive the 2011 AFL Record Season Guide. Email aflrecordeditor@ slatterymedia.com or write to AFL Record, Slattery Media Group, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, VIC, 3008.
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Hutchison ART DIRECTOR Sam Russell DESIGNERS Alison Wright, Daniel Frawley PHOTO EDITORS Natalie Boccassini, Ginny Pike PRODUCTION MANAGER Troy Davis PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Stephen Lording DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Callum Senior
FINANCE & COMMERCIAL MANAGER Jeffrey Sickert NATIONAL SALES MANAGER – SPORT Shane Purss ACCOUNT MANAGERS Kate Hardwick, Callum Senior, Rebecca Whiting ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR Laura Mullins (03) 9627 2600 PHOTOGRAPHY Sean Garnsworthy, Michael Willson, Lachlan Cunningham, Tim Terry, Justine Walker, AFL Photos, (03) 9627 2600, aflphotos.com.au
t highpoint of the season, the th the finals, will be punctuated tth by the signing of uncontracted b players by a new AFL club. p The Greater Western Sydney Giants, the AFL’s 18th S cclub, are next week expected tto start announcing they have secured the services of h players from other clubs as p part of the list establishment p rrules approved by AFL clubs. Gold Coast did the same G during last year’s finals series. d Under the rules, the G Giants can sign up to 16 uncontracted players over u the next two years. tth The announcements are likely to be greeted by a hand-wringing from fans h cciting the dangers of inflated ssalaries or the demise of loyalty in the game. llo These are likely the same p points that would have been put forth when Ron Barassi left Melbourne for Carlton in 1965. And we’ll probably hear similar sentiments when free agency is introduced next year, which will allow players to move to another club providing they have completed a specific period of service. Football is a full-time p professional pursuit that ought to allow players o cchoices beyond their drafting. We ought not criticise them or the system, but instead o understand the realities of u an ever-changing industry a moving with the times. m PETER DI SISTO P
PRINTED BY PMP Print ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO The Editor, AFL Record, Ground Floor, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, Victoria, 3008. T: (03) 9627 2600 F: (03) 9627 2650 E: peterd@slatterymedia.com AFL RECORD, VOL. 100, ROUND 24, 2011 Copyright. ACN No. 004 155 211. ISSN 1444-2973, Print Post approved PP320258/00109
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GO STRONGER
SNAPSHOT Rd 23 A streak is broken For 29 consecutive matches Geelong had won at home, yet for just the second time in that sequence, it was trailing at three-quarter time. A response was expected. Seven seconds into the last quarter, a pack formed underneath a high ball Adam Goodes had booted into the Swans’ forward line. Sam Reid (right) and Jesse White (next to Reid) stood waiting for the soon-to-becontested pill to fall. Jude Bolton (far left) planted himself front and square while Matt Spangher (No. 27) was on the move past the pack. The big men flew and then the ball fell to Spangher, who ran into an open goal. Sydney had taken just 11 seconds to stretch its 11-point lead to 17. Everyone was doing their job, working together, trusting and playing as mates play footy: with conviction and effort and courage. A scent of victory was wafting past the Swans’ nostrils. An agonising 34 minutes later, with more work and mateship and effort in between, a famous victory had been achieved. The Swans, the underdogs, had beaten the Cats by 13 points, at the Skilled Stadium fortress. The improbable was reality. Geelong’s winning streak was over. PETER RYAN PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM/AFL PHOTOS
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BEN McEVOY
The Saints big man could be the key to September.
10
ON TRACK
18
The Tigers have finals in their sights in 2012.
ROCKING THE ‘G
Eskimo Joe to headline finals entertainment at the MCG.
I actually liken losing a Grand Final to losing someone close to you
Former St Kilda defender Bob Murray, p17
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NO ALARM BELLS: The Cats, here listening to coach Chris Scott, lost to the Swans last week, but history says they should not be overly concerned with the stumble.
Flag history shows losing is no concern ASHLEY BROW NE
T
he amateur psychologists were in their element after Geelong’s loss to the Sydney Swans last weekend. Was it a good thing for the Cats to drop a game so close to the finals? The ‘winning form is good form’ argument is invariably countered by the ‘it will keep them focused and leaves them plenty of things to fix’ school of thought.
As a guide to winning the flag, the loss should not perturb the Cats All we know is that Geelong coach Chris Scott said he had plenty to worry about in the aftermath of the loss. But, as a guide to winning the flag, a loss so close to the finals should not perturb the Cats. History shows that eight of the past 10 premiership teams lost a game in either the last three weeks of the home and away series or the opening week of the finals. Looking at the table, the Brisbane Lions of 2001 were
the obvious example of a team that got on a roll. Once they beat Essendon—winner of 32 of its previous 34 matches coming into that game—they marched through the rest of the season in imperious fashion. But every other premiership side since has suffered a defeat within a few weeks of the Grand Final, which means of the genuine premiership contenders in 2011, it is Collingwood and Hawthorn that might have to buck the trend of history.
The Magpies have lost just one match for the year—against Geelong in round eight. Should they turn the tables on the Cats on Friday night, they will be riding a 15-match winning streak into the finals. That was the same number of consecutive wins that Geelong took into the 2008 Grand Final against Hawthorn, and it lost by 28 points. Talk to some of those involved with the Cats at the time and they will say that one or two losses over the journey that year would have done little harm. The winning streak might have papered over a few small cracks in Geelong’s armoury. If, as expected, the Hawks beat Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon,
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Magpie Dale Thomas suspended two weeks for rough conduct offence against Fremantle’s Garrick Ibbotson.
they will be taking an eightmatch winning streak into the finals. They have lost just four matches for the year although, significantly, they will enter the finals not having beaten either Geelong or Collingwood. Certainly, there appears to be no inclination from either team to flirt with their form. Malthouse is promising a full dress-rehearsal for the game against Geelong on Friday night (as are the Cats for that matter), while the indications from Hawthorn’s Alastair Clarkson is that whoever is fit and available will make the trip to the Gold Coast. When the likes of Sam Mitchell, Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli are putting up their hands to play, the thinking at the Hawks would appear to be pretty clear.
AT THE SELECTION TABLE
McEvoy earns finals finals spot, p , no contest co ontest
THE LAST 10 PREMIERS YR PREMIER LAST LOSS 2010
Coll
Round 22, to Hawthorn
Would have won had Dayne Beams not missed from straight in front on the siren.
2009
Geel
Round 21, to the Western Bulldogs
Lost by 14 points. Beat the Dogs by the same margin a fortnight later.
2008
Haw
Round 20, to Richmond
The Hawks went straight to the pub after the loss to officially celebrate Shane Crawford’s 300th game (played the week before in Tasmania). Were hardly distressed by the defeat.
2007
Geel
Round 21, to Port Adelaide
Beaten on the last kick of the day. Crushed Port in the Grand Final by a record margin.
2006
WC
Qualifying final, to the Sydney Swans
Lost by a point, despite having more scoring shots. Beat the Swans in the Grand Final.
2005
Syd
Qualifying final, lost to West Coast
Lost by four points in Perth. Reversed that in the Grand Final.
2004
Adel
Round 18, to Essendon
Lost by 40 points at Docklands but, all up, won 13 of its last 14 matches.
2003
Bris
Qualifying final, to Collingwood
Lost by 15 points, but toyed with the Magpies in the Grand Final, winning by 50.
2002
Bris
Qualifying final,t o Port Adelaide
Lost at AAMI Stadium by a goal.
2001
Bris
Round 9, to Carlton
Beat Essendon in the ‘If it bleeds, we can kill it’ clash in round 10 and never looked back.
McEvoy’s luck changed. After the first Grand Final ended in a draw and Gardiner strained a hamstring, he found himself playing in the Grand Final replay. However, as the Saints now prepare to embark on another finals campaign, McEvoy will,
NICK CK BOW EN
B
en McEvoy seemed to have cemented a position with St Kilda on the eve st year’s Grand Final. At of las last at stage, s the third-year that ckm man had played 16 of ruckman aints’ past 17 games, thee S Saints’ clud ding its finals wins including er Geelong G over and the esteern Bulldogs. Western Ho owever, McEvoy was However, ft out o of the St Kilda team left at faced f the Magpies in that premiership-decider, with thee premiership-decider, stin n Koschitzke preferred Justin sup pport No. 1 ruckman to support ich hael Gardiner. Michael MccEvoy was desperately McEvoy nluccky, with the Magpies’ unlucky, licyy of playing one policy nuine ruckman, genuine arreen Jolly, and using Darren ilityy Leigh Brown utility sup pport no doubt in support fluencing ueencing the infl intts’ decision. Saints’ Ad dmittedly, Admittedly, weeek later, a week
CONSIDER…
ON THE RISE: Ruckman Ben McEvoy has
established himself in the St Kilda team.
barring injury and suspension, be one of the first picked in their week one finals team. As they have done all year, St Kilda will name McEvoy as their No. 1 ruckman, ruckma a position he has made his own ow this season as Gardiner has struggled str to return from a serie series of injuries. develo McEvoy’s development has been dramatic. He averaged 10.5 disposals and 10.8 hit-outs a game in 2010, but bu has increased these tallies tal to 14.7 and 23.1 this season. seaso What has been m most impressive, however, howeve has been his ability to impose himself in marking contests. A After round 23, McEvoy was ranked equal-third in the competition for f contested marks, having taken take 46 this year at an average of 2.3 a game. The only ruckma ruckman who has averaged more con contested marks in 2011 is Fremantle’s Fremant Aaron Sandilands, with 2.8 2 a game. Two of the AFL’s highly touted young ruckm ruckmen, North Melbourne’s Todd G Goldstein and the Brisbane Lions’ Matthew Leuenberger, have each averaged about one contested mark a game, whil while West Coast champion De Dean Cox has averaged 1.9 and eemerging Sydney Swans sta star Shane Mu Mumford 1.6.
McEvoy’s development has been dramatic
BIG IMPROVERS
Talented trio a big boost to Tigers’ finals hopes
R
PETER RYA N
ichmond’s Robin Nahas, Tyrone Vickery and Alex Rance are three players casual observers may have wondered about going into 2011. No longer. This season, all three laid the foundations for successful careers with the Tigers. With 141 games between them and a fourth pre-season around the corner, they are well placed to improve further, as they must.
Adelaide’s Taylor Walker, Brent Reilly and Shaun McKernan sign n contract extensions. s..
Nahas burst out of the blocks in round one and has been relatively consistent all year. He has taken up what is emerging as a specialist role in football: someone who can pinch-hit around stoppages, using his agility and quick legs to create space out of congestion. He can also sit forward and apply pressure and snag the odd goal. He has kicked 24 this season, as well as contributing in the middle. Vickery has been a revelation in 2011, kicking 35 goals and becoming that ruckman-forward every club is seeking. You could argue the theory that if Vickery plays well, the Tigers win. On four occasions this year, he kicked three goals and Richmond won each time. Alex Rance missed three of the first four games because of suspension but since then has held down a key defensive post. He must improve his consistency, but he has shown he has the ability to perform at AFL level. Coach Damien Hardwick had every right post-match last Sunday to point to those players as indicators as to how the team has progressed, knowing that premiership contenders take time to develop. “The development of players is probably the one area we have been really, really happy with this year,” Hardwick said. Throw in Dylan Grimes and Ben Griffiths who showed their potential before injury struck; the continued progress of Dustin Martin and Trent Cotchin from
CONSISTENT: Robin Nahas has been a
solid contributor for the Tigers in 2011, either up forward or in the middle.
good to very good players; and the reshaping of Jack Riewoldt, who has not only kicked 59 goals but also contributed 29 goal assists (with still room to become better defensively), and there is reason for confidence. It’s not all glee, though. The Tigers conceded too many points. They struggled to clear the ball from defence cleanly enough and even struggled with the basics at times, such as when and how to rush behinds. And they lost many more first
But they are proble problems a settled list can overco overcome in time with the stable stabl direction they have now. The Tigers have rebounded ffrom a mid-season slump that saw them lose six consecutiv consecutive games to win three on the trot and they defeated two top-e top-eight teams in 2011. Althou Although coming off a low lower base and with expansion clubs commandeering early draft picks, the Tigers have followed a similar path to the Hawks of 2005-06 in terms of wins and development. (Hardwick was an assistant coach with the Hawks from 2005-09.) With stable administration, quality coaching and growing experience, the platform is being set for the Tigers to contend— with some luck—for the finals next season.
quarters than they won. They struggled to gain enough centre clearances and their ruckwork needs to improve.
COMPARING HAWTHORN AND RICHMOND Hawthorn
2005
2006
2007
Wins
5
9
13
Draft picks inside 20
3 (2004 draft)
4 (2005)
1 (2006)
Richmond
2010
2011
2012
Wins
6
8 (one to play) ?
Draft picks inside 20
2 (2009 draft)
1 (2010)
TBC
When they’re not playing PLAYER
Coach’s pet:
First job j held:
On O One thing you can’t eat:
Favourite movie:
Heath Scotland d Carlton
Michael ael Jamison
Builder’s Build der’s de labourer lab bou urer u
Pumpkin P kin
The T Hangover H
Daniel Motlop Port Adelaide
Domenic nic si Cassisi
In n my yd dad’s sports p shop p
Crabs
American A Gangster
Michael Rischitelli telli Gold Coast
Maverick rick Wellerr
Glasss boy
L brains Lamb’s
Beverley Hills B Cop series
Nick Smith Sydney Swans
d Jarred Mooree
Babysitter B yys Bab
Avocado A
The Hangover
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Fremantle’s Nick Lower out for three matches for front-on contact on Collingwood’s Dale Thomas.
MILESTONES ROUND 23
AFL 200 CLUB
Michael Gardiner St Kilda David Hille Essendon
150 GAMES
Brett Ebert Port Adelaide Brett Deledio Richmond
100 GAMES
Kepler Bradley Fremantle Hamish McIntosh North Melbourne
50 GAMES
David Armitage St Kilda Cale Hooker Essendon Stefan Martin Melbourne Nick Smith Daniel Hannebery Sydney Swans The list includes those not necessarily selected but on the verge of milestones.
FROM THE 2010 DRAFT
Sun’s debut makes it a perfect 10 for draftees MICH A EL LOV ET T
J
osh Caddy’s debut for Gold Coast last week means every player selected in the top 10 of the 2010 NAB AFL Draft has played this season. Caddy was brought into the Suns’ line-up for the round 23 clash against Melbourne and was used as a substitute. The No. 7 selection was subbed on in the second quarter and finished with 10 disposals, five marks and three tackles. He was the 33rd player to make his debut for the Suns in 2011. Gold Coast had six of the top 10 selections in last year’s draft, with No. 1 pick David Swallow playing 20 of the 21 games. Essendon’s Dyson Heppell, one of the top fancies for this year’s NAB AFL Rising Star award, is the only top 10 draftee from 2010 to play all 22 games. He was the No. 8 selection overall. After Heppell and Swallow, Richmond’s Reece Conca is next with 17 games, followed by another Gold Coast youngster, Dion Prestia, who has played 16.
Of the 25 first-round n the 2010 selections in hree have draft, only three not played a game this elbourne’s season—Melbourne’s Lucas Cook (No. 12), illie Smedts Geelong’s Billie dney’s Jed (15) and Sydney’s Lamb (21). nd Lamb havee Smedts and ith injury in their th heir struggled with first season and Cook veloped by has been developed the Demons in their VFL sey Scorpions,, affiliate, Casey enior games playing 14 senior and kicking 11 goals. to op Last year, nine of the top ns in the 2009 10 selections raft appeared d NAB AFL Draft ception at AFL level,, with the exc exception aide’s John Bu utcher of Port Adelaide’s Butcher o struggled with wiith (No. 8) who ry. a back injury. d in However, he has played hree games and an nd Port’s last three looks a likelyy prospect.
BIG IMPRESSION: Gold Coast’s David Swallow has played 20 of a possible 21 games this year.
TOP 10 DRAFT SELECTIONS 2010 Selection
Club
Games
Goals
1
Player David Swallow
Gold Coast
20
20
2
Harley Bennell
Gold Coast
13
13
3
Sam Day
Gold Coast
7
7
4
Andrew Gaff
West Coast
13
13
5
Jared Polec
Bris Lions
3
3
6
Reece Conca
Richmond
17
17
7
Josh Caddy
Gold Coast
1
1
8
Dyson Heppell
Essendon
22
22
9
Dion Prestia
Gold Coast
16
16
10
Daniel Gorringe
Gold Coast
7
7
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Hawthorn and coach Alastair Clarkson agree to three-year contract extension.
INTERNATIONAL CUP NATIONAL PRIDE: It was celebration
time for the Irish after coming from behind to down Papua New Guinea in the Grand Final of the International Cup at the MCG.
Irish leave rivals green with envy
» The Irish swept this year’s AFL International Cup, winning both the men’s and women’s divisions. The men’s team came from four goals down to beat Papua New Guinea by 18 points in the Grand Final at the MCG last Saturday. It was Ireland’s second win in the International Cup, following their triumph in 2002.
Michael Finn was the hero. He started in defence but changed the match when moved forward, finishing with three goals. Inaccuracy cost Papua New Guinea the chance to win back-to-back titles, having claimed the last tournament, held in 2008. The match featured several huge pack marks, crunching tackles and clutch goals from tight angles. In the final of the inaugural women’s division, the Irish defeated Canada by 31 points. JORDAN LAING AND TOBIE RHYMAN
Last quarter.
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The NAB AFL Draft to be held on the Gold Coast from 2012-14.
STEP BACK THINK
A young life ruined by one punch
J
OLI V I A FINL AYSON
ames Macready-Bryan, ‘MB’ to his mates, was assaulted on his 20th birthday in 2006 while walking through Melbourne’s CBD, having just left his footy presentation night. The consequence of one punch—which caused MB to fall backwards, smashing his head against concrete—was catastrophic brain damage. He requires permanent care with no prospects of recovery. In the wake of MB’s assault, his friends formed ‘Step Back Think’, an anti-street-violence awareness organisation. Through our partnership with Geelong (MB’s team), we hope to raise awareness of the dangers of getting in a fight, asking people to ‘Just Think’ about the potentially devastating consequences violence can have.
ANTI-VIOLENCE: Geelong players, including (from left) Jimmy Bartel, David Wojcinski and James Kelly, will wear orange warm-up tops this week in support of ‘Step Back Think’.
In MB’s room at the Austin Street Acquired Brain Injury residence in Alphington in Melbourne’s north-east, among the Geelong scarves and framed premiership posters, there is a photo of him and his friends— now all 25—as 12-year-old Carey Grammar footballers. They are trying to look like the big boys, kneeling in the mud with arms crossed over tiny chests, but their scrawny frames, and the fact every one of them is laughing, reveals the truth; these boys are only at the start of what will be a significant part of their lives.
“Back then, we couldn’t kick over a jam jar,” says Dan Costello, one of the giggling kids in the photo, when I show it to him. He points to MB, who kneels grinning in the front row and adds, “We’d play twice every weekend. When we were tackled, there wasn’t far to fall, so we rarely got injured.” MB was an excellent footballer, incredibly quick and tenaciously courageous; on-field attributes that stayed with him right up until his last year with Carey’s under-19s, his last year of really living life before that
single punch obliterated his future. Most of his teammates in the photo still play: James Rimington for Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL, Daniel Jackson for Richmond, Costello for Melbourne Uni Blacks and many of the others for Old Carey. The mischievous boys in the photo, tumbling about after a footy they could barely wrap their arms around, grew into the mud-streaked, 80kg frames that can be seen bulldozing each other over every winter weekend, but MB was left behind. There is no doubt he would still be out there, most likely at the bottom of the pack, if it were not for that one punch. Instead, he spends his days in Austin Street, hoisted by a machine from his bed to his chair, surrounded by photos, trophies and relics of football, lost in the loneliness of sitting out the rest of his life on the sidelines.
Olivia Finlayson is a director of ‘Step Back Think’. In partnership with Geelong, Step Back Think aims to raise awareness about the dangers of street violence, using the ‘Just Think’ match between Geelong and Collingwood. On Friday night, Geelong players will wear orange warm-up tops and orange bootlaces to show their support for the program. For more information, visit stepbackthink.org.
WIN – THE ULTIMATE
FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE! Go to 3aw.com.au/footy and put yourself in the draw for great weekly prizes and a chance to win the Ultimate 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final Experience. Each week, be listening to the 3AW footy broadcast and if you hear your name and call back before the end of the match, you’re a winner.* Visit 3aw.com.au/footy and register today.
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Gold Coast’s high performance manager Dean Robinson leaves to join Essendon.
1971 GRAND FINAL
40 years on, the pain of defeat still burns
ON A HIGH:
A DA M McNICOL
T
here is a look of sadness on the face of former St Kilda defender Bob Murray as he ponders how the Saints lost the 1971 VFL Grand Final after they had led by 27 points midway through the third quarter. “I actually liken losing a Grand Final to losing someone close to you; someone close to you dying,â€? Murray says. “It’s just that same sort of feeling and, over time, you get used to it, but you never really forget how you felt.â€? Murray’s recollections form part of a documentary about the match, which the Saints lost by seven points. Titled The Final Story–40 Years On, the documentary is the ďŹ rst in a series of four produced
Hawthorn skipper David Parkin with the 1971 premiership cup.
by AFL Media’s renowned ďŹ lmmaker Peter Dickson to commemorate the 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 Grand Finals. The 1971 game was one of the toughest and most gripping premiership-deciders in the game’s history. It was punctuated by a number of fearsome collisions, none more brutal than when Saints hard-man Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Neale attened Hawthorn’s champion full-forward Peter Hudson during the ďŹ rst quarter.
Hudson, who had equalled Bob Pratt’s tally of 150 goals in a season before the hit from Neale, later had two close-range shots to eclipse the record. Still dazed, and sporting a big gash in his right ear, he missed them both. Not only does the documentary feature the memories of Hudson, it also includes the thoughts of Bob Keddie, then a high-ying Hawthorn half-forward. Now 65, Keddie has a glint in his eye as he talks about his
match-winning haul of four goals in the second half. There is brutal honesty from Hawks premiership captain Don Scott, whose three-quarter time address to his teammates set them on their path to victory. “Did I have sympathy for St Kilda? No, none at all, because they were just a team,â€? Scott says. “I’ve been in that situation of being beaten; it’s a horrible feeling, but no sympathy at all.â€? Some of the most telling comments come from the ďŹ nal interview granted by St Kilda’s 1971 coach Allan Jeans, who died in July after a long battle with illness. “You don’t know how you’re going to be respected at the end of your time,â€? Jeans says, while sitting alongside legendary Hawthorn coach John Kennedy. “All I say to the people of today is, ‘Yes, you’re entitled to make big money out of the game. But you must promise us one thing: you leave our game in such a state that the next generation has the same opportunities as we did.â€? The Final Story–40 Years On will be screened by Channel Nine on Sunday, September 4. See local guides for details.
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Carlton’s Jeff Garlett signs three-year contract extension.
FINALS ENTERTAINMENT
Bomber Joel ready to rock with Eskimo Joe
ROCKING THE ‘G: Eskimo Joe band members (from left) Joel Quartermain, Kavyen Temperley and Stuart MacLeod.
» Fans attending finals
at the MCG will enjoy live performances by popular artists, emerging stars and favourite icons.
PERFORMERS Eskimo Joe Absolutely 80s Wolfgramm Sisters Ross Wilson Dan Sultan Glenn Shorrock Tim Rogers (below)
C A L LU M T WOMEY
J
oel Quartermain, the guitarist and recording drummer for Perth rock band Eskimo Joe, is a football fan. An Essendon fan, to be specific. Eskimo Joe, which will perform before one of the finals at the MCG next weekend as part of the AFL’s ‘Live at the Finals’ pre-game entertainment program for all MCG finals, has been the No. 1 ticket-holder at Fremantle since 2010. But Quartermain, who was born in Melbourne and moved to Perth with his family when he was 12, has not been swayed by his band’s affiliation with the Dockers. His grandfather, Don Quartermain, trained with Hawthorn in the 1930s before playing four games with Fitzroy, but Joel’s parents broke up when he was young. He followed his mother’s lead and took to barracking for the Bombers. “You’re born into a club like you’re born into a religion,” Quartermain said.
“I’ve ended up an Essendon supporter and I’m not changing teams. We are No. 1 ticket holders at the Dockers, and I like the Dockers, but I’m a Bombers supporter through and through.” Quartermain, who married in March, even tried to use his Fremantle connections to arrange a special guest at his buck’s party earlier this year. “The guys were organising it and, through Mark Harvey, they were trying to get in touch with James Hird to do a video message to play at the buck’s,” Quartermain says. “But it was right before the NAB Cup Grand Final, so he was slightly preoccupied and it didn’t happen. We were very close to
having him speak at my buck’s, so I’m kind of spewing that it never happened,” he said with a laugh Eskimo Joe formed in 1997, and released its debut album, Girl, in 2001. Its third album, Black Fingernails, Red Wine, peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA charts in 2006. Last month, it released its fifth album Ghosts of the Past, which debuted at No. 3 on the charts. Quartermain said the band was excited about the album, and looking forward to playing at the MCG next week. “It will be our first gig at the ground and it’s quite an auspicious thing to say that you’ve played at the MCG. Led Zeppelin and U2 have played
Performances will start about 30 minutes before the scheduled match start time. For the full line-ups, including dates and times, visit afl.com.au/finals.
at the ground, so it’s a massive, massive thing,” he said. “I did a tour of the ground last year and you walk in and it’s amazing. You can just imagine what it’s like to run out and play, and this is as close as we’ll ever get.”
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North Melbourne’s Jack Ziebell suspended for three matches for front-on contact on St Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt.
Ladder permutations, Round 24, 2011
DA R R EN O’SH AUGHNESSY
» The finals match-ups are set in stone with a full round still to be played, the first time this has happened since 1989 when the VFL had a final five. This time last year, we had to navigate 18 possible arrangements of the elimination finals; now the only unknown is the venue for Sydney versus St Kilda.
V
Friday night, MCG
Collingwood is the minor premier and will play West Coast. Geelong will play phdcreative rethinking retail™ Hawthorn, but will fall to third if its losing margin and Hawthorn’s02winning 9431 1400 margin studio@phdcreative.net add to 90 or more.
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Saturday, Metricon Stadium
Gold Coast will finish last if it loses and Port Adelaide wins; otherwise 16th. Hawthorn ONCE YOU HAVE REV IEWED ALL CREATIV will play Geelong (see above). E AN
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Saturday, Etihad Stadium
APP ROV The Bulldogs will pass Fremantle and finish 10th to 12th with a win, but only with ger NZ AL 13th Please initial where appro priate. a loss. Fremantle could fall as far as 13th. AUTHORS
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Saturday twilight, SCG
The Swans must win and hope St Kilda loses in order to host its final against the Saints. The Lions stay 15th.
V
Saturday night, Patersons Stadium
The Eagles can look forward to Collingwood next week, while Adelaide will finish 14th.
V
Saturday night, MCG
St Kilda must beat Carlton to play in Melbourne and, if Sydney wins by more than 90 points, it may have to make up a margin difference. Carlton is fifth and into an elimination final.
V
Sunday, Adelaide Oval
If Port wins, it will avoid the wooden spoon, provided Hawthorn wins, too. Melbourne can finish ninth if Richmond wins, but a loss could condemn it to 13th.
V
Sunday twilight, Etihad Stadium
The winner of this match should take ninth, but the loser could fall as far as 12th (North Melbourne) or 13th (Richmond).
THE FINAL EIGHT: Path to the 2011 Grand Final COLLINGWOOD
QF1
QUALIFYING FINAL 1
WEST COAST
QF1
CARLTON
SEMI-FINAL 1
PRELIMINARY FINAL 1
ELIMINATION FINAL 1
ESSENDON GRAND FINAL
ST KILDA ELIMINATION FINAL 2 SEMI-FINAL 2
SYDNEY SWANS GEELONG
PRELIMINARY FINAL 2
QF2
QUALIFYING FINAL 2
HAWTHORN
QF2
Indicative only, based on ladder positions after round 23. Official draw to be announced after round 24 is completed.
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Brisbane Lions ns forward Brent Staker sustains another serious knee injury.
THE BLUES’ 1981 FLAG
The tale of PM’s wife, a Carlton star and a dose of blue language
T
HOWA R D KOT TON
here was a fabulous feeling when Carlton’s 1981 premiership team gathered at Etihad Stadium last week. Many stories large and small were recalled, much to the delight of the 650 guests at the annual Spirit of Carlton luncheon. But the story that had the crowd in fits of laughter was Alex Marcou’s recollection of the Blues’ visit to The Lodge in Canberra. Adding to the theatre was the presence of
22
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WINNERS: Alex Marcou (far left of the middle row) with Carlton’s 1981 premiership
team, which had a reunion last week.
former Prime Minister and No. 1 supporter Malcolm Fraser and his wife Tamie (pictured), who invited the team to The Lodge after its premiership victory. Marcou has dined out on the story for 30 years and it gets better every time he tells it. The story involves Marcou and his partner at the time, known only as ‘Fabulous’, who accompanied Marcou and his teammates to Canberra. According to Marcou,
everything was going well until ‘Fabulous’ had an unfortunate accident and slipped on a staircase, breaking her ankle. She was taken to hospital, accompanied by Marcou and Tamie Fraser. Concerned about the young woman’s welfare, Tamie stayed with her in hospital while Marcou returned to the party in the Prime Minister’s car, enjoying some refreshments along the way. After Marcou and ‘Fabulous’ returned to Melbourne, Tamie was so worried about
th woman’s welfare she the o obtained the Blue’s phone n number and rang him at h home, just as he was about to co continue the celebrations. Needless to say, Tamie’s tim timing was less than perfect and M Marcou initially did not believe th Prime Minister’s wife was the on the other end of the phone an his reaction, laced with and pr profanity, was priceless. Marcou was one of 17 pl players from the 1981 team to at attend the luncheon—Norm Sm medallist Bruce Doull, Smith centreman Greg Wells and wingman Phil Maylin were the only absentees. Coach David Parkin and captain Mike Fitzpatrick spoke, but there were three people in attendance who found it hard to recall the game with any fondness—former Magpies Tony Shaw, Peter McCormack and Rene Kink. The Collingwood trio shared the stage with three of their Carlton opponents, Marcou, David McKay and Ken Sheldon, before the formal festivities ended and the conviviality and good humour continued well into the night.
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Defender Alipate Carlile agrees to contract extension with Port Adelaide.
PUBLIC NOTICE FROM THE AFL
2011 TOYOTA AFL GRAND FINAL TICKET ALLOCATION » The capacity of the MCG will
be approximately 100,000 on Grand Final Day. The AFL proposes that tickets to the 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final be allocated in approximately the following manner: 1. Competing club members 16,000-35,000 2. AFL clubs (17) 5000-17,000 3. MCC Reserve 16,000-26,000 4. AFL Members 13,000-23,000 5. AFL/Medallion Club Members 4500-5000 6. AFL entitlements/contractual obligations 5000-25,000 7. Competing clubs 0-5000 Total 100,000 (approximately)
AFL RECORD PROMOTION
Making the right choices Collingwood supports key community program
T
elling year 10 boys that walking away from violence is always the best option is nothing they have not heard before. But when world champion boxers Sam Soliman and Sam Colomban walk into their classrooms to deliver the ‘Choices’ program, their audience is held captive from beginning to end. Following the recent introduction of new weapons laws, the Victorian Department of Justice was looking for new 24
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However, the AFL notes the fact that: 1. The configuration of the ground may change, which could affect the split of tickets between AFL members, MCC Reserve and competing club members; 2. The number of standing room tickets to be made available will vary depending upon a variety of issues; 3. A substantial number of ‘walk-ups’ (50 per cent) in the MCC Reserve. There may be other functions that affect corporate /function spaces and/or AFL entitlements, resulting in variations to the proposed allocation of tickets between now and October 1, 2011.
and engaging ways to encourage teenagers to walk away from violence and think twice about carrying weapons such as knives. Commonwealth Games welterweight boxer Colomban, who came to Australia in 2006 from Cameroon, said: “When I was younger, ger, I made some bad choices and got into a lot of dangerous situations which could have got me seriously hurt or killed. “I think it is critical to talk to boys at an age where they begin to define their identity as men and Choices is unique because it forces the boys to look at the possible consequences of their actions and provides them with the tools of how to walk away.” This is the second year Collingwood Football Club has partnered with the Department of Justice to support anti-violence messages
AFL GRAND FINAL TICKET RETURNS POLICY
The policy/guidelines to be followed by the AFL will be as follows. Please note that this policy is not applicable to ticket-holders who have procured a 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final ticket in the Melbourne Cricket Club Members’ Reserve: General policy—tickets are not refundable. Exceptions are made, however, ver, if the ticket-holder can demonstrate that they have a legitimate justification forr wishing to return a ticket (eg. g. medical reason, death in thee family, etc).
Supporting evidence will always be requested should the AFL suspect that a ticketholder is actually a scalper who, for one reason or another, has been unable to on-sell the tickets at a premium. A complete list of all authorised 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final ticket on-sellers and all AFL Grand Final ticketing information, including allocation information, can be viewed at afl.com.au.
In these circumstances, the AFL may require that the ticketholder produce supporting evidence of his/her incapacity ty (eg. medical certificate).
IMPORTANT MESSAGE: Sam Soliman,
Dane Swan and Sam Colomban
to young people, and the club understands the importance of young people having role models they can look up to. Midfielder Dane Swan said he hoped young people would listen to the message that the campaign was aiming to relay. “The Choices campaign is sending a very important message to young men; that walking away from violent situations is always the best choice.”
This year, Collingwood and program ambassador Swan p jo joined with the City of Yarra to run r the ‘Yarra Brave’ program. Designed to give young people the opportunity to p p participate in a high-quality gym-based fitness program g in a supported and varied e environment in the City of Yarra, it aims to introduce participants to local leisure centres and recreation r settings, as well as gain an understanding of activities available to them. The target group for this program is young people living in the Collingwood Housing Estate, who lack the opportunities, to participate in a high-quality gym-based programs at local leisure centres and at Collingwood’s Westpac Centre. Choices has now run out through more than 15 schools across Victoria, and with the support of Collingwood, it will continue throughout 2012.
Who would you take? Fancy sitting next to your favourite footy legend at the 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final? Or maybe just your friends? Enter the draw at CCAClubhouse.com to win the Footy Finals Experience. Prize includes*: – 4 tickets to the 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final – Weekend accommodation for the 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final – Return flights for the 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final
Log on at CCAClubhouse.com for your chance to win!
SCAN CODE TO ENTER NOW
*Choice of NRL or AFL prize pack. **See Terms & Conditions for details. Ends 18/9/11. Draw: 21/9/11. Winners published: The Australian and at www.ccaclubhouse.com on 26/9/11. Promoter is Coca-Cola Amatil (Aust) Pty Ltd (ABN 68 076 594 119) of 40 Mount Street, North Sydney 2060. ‘CCA Clubhouse’ is a trade mark of Coca-Cola Amatil. Authorised under Permit Numbers – NSW LTPS/11/07531, VIC 11/1734, SA T11/1726 & ACT TP 11/0337 and AFL Authorisation Code: GFAFL11/98.
st e b y r e v e h t experience r e f f o o t s a h the afl The excitement, the drama, the MCG packed to the brim with 100,000 screaming fans – it’s an unforgettable experience. And while there’s still a lot of football to be played between now and Grand Final day, you can guarantee your spot right now.
Only the AFL Event Office can help you tailor unforgettable packages to the 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final including access to exclusive AFL functions and entertainment, travel and accommodation and of course, your ticket to the best match of the year.
Don’t miss out, book today at afl.com.au/eventoffice or call 1300 235 235 YOUR OFFICIAL GRAND FINAL DESTINATION Authorised AFL On-Seller OSAFL 11/25
Israel Folau
TAKING GIANT STRIDES
PHOTO:MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS
Although he is still very much a work in progress, code-swapper Israel Folau’s steady development is symbolic of the progress Greater Western Sydney is making in readiness for its entry into the AFL next season. JA MES DA MPNEY
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israel folau
R
ugby leaguee ael convert Israel een Folau has been viewed in a variety ring of ways during me his short time dney: with Greater Western Sydney: g as a novelty, an intriguing unt, experiment, a publicity stunt, among other descriptions.. But we will soon learn if he can silence the doubters and ion make a successful transition ational from rugby league international en the to genuine AFL player when Giants debut as the AFL’s 18th club next season. It was June 1 last year when d be Folau confirmed he would leaving a sport that had made him a household name in rugbyalia by dominated parts of Australia
“I’m I’m still trying to get used to it, but b I’m slowly chipping away wit h training,” Folau said. with T demands on Folau’s time The are significant, on and off the field d. Although he has spent eld. hou urs on the training track hours tryi ing to learn an entirely new trying skil ll set, he has spent almost as skill mu ch time spruiking the club much to tthe he masses in Sydney’s west, a va ast, multicultural region the vast, AFL L wants to make its mark in. T region has a population The of more m than two million and is marked m by its diversity. Jun nior participation Junior rate es in Australian rates Foo otball have grown Football sign nificantly in the area signifi of la ate. Last year, there late. wer re more than 23,000 juniors were
He’s very brave and very resilient He’s had some down days but he’s truly an elite athlete GIANTS HEAD OF INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT ALAN McCONNELL
the age of 21, to attempt another d. game he had never played. The announcement wass a ion huge shock, and the decision considered by many an enormous gamble. ve man, “I think he’s a very brave make no mistake,” Giants’’ head pment of innovation and development Alan McConnell told the AFL Record this week. et with Folau’s decision was met nd a healthy dose of scorn and ubting derision, with plenty doubting his chances of making a career ome in Australian Football. Some ut also raised concerns about the fact he is being paid handsomely for someone with me. no experience in the game. y, Greater Western Sydney, om not unexpectedly, is far from cs and concerned about the critics led cynics, and has been thrilled by his progress, especiallyy his d. development as a forward.
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play ying the game, up from playing 14,0 000 in 2007. 14,000 H has a seemingly He nev ver-ending schedule of never-ending clin nics, announcements clinics, and d school visits, mos st involving media most com mmitments and commitments pho oto or autograph photo opp portunities. opportunities. B he has handled it But all with w aplomb and the Gia nts believe the offGiants field d business has already bee en a worthwhile been exe rcise, seven months exercise, befo ore their AFL debut. before
“We couldn’t be happier about the amount of coverage he’s given our club and how he’s helping build awareness of and profile for the club,” Greater Western Sydney CEO Dale Holmes said. “From that point of view, he’s been a great asset already. “But we look forward to continuing his development as a player and I think by our second and third year in the AFL, in the last two years of his contract, I think you’ll see quite a good AFL footballer. “It’s exciting to see his progress and I think that’s captured the imagination of the public, seeing how (former NRL star and Gold Coast recruit) Karmichael Hunt and Izzy develop,” he said. “It’s been an interesting case study for everyone to watch.” It certainly hasn’t been all smooth sailing as Folau has adapted to his new code. One of the toughest days, at least publicly, came in April when Folau’s Giants took on the Sydney Swans’ reserves in a practice match at ANZ Stadium. Scheduled as a curtain-raiser to the Swans’ round two AFL match against Essendon meant there were far more spectators and media in attendance than the Giants would have usually garnered.
GREAT ASSET: Israel Folau has already helped build
the awareness and profile of the club, and officials believe he will become a good AFL player.
MASTER AND PUPIL: GWS coach
Kevin Sheedy was all smiles at the announcement of Folau’s switch from rugby league to the AFL in June last year.
There was plenty of interest in Folau on a ground where he had starred in State of Origin rugby league games for Queensland, but this was a very different day. Folau started in defence and was eventually used up forward and briefly in the ruck, but he finished the game without a single possession. Looking like a sheep among wolves, a terribly tentative Folau was unsure of when to attack the football, when to present or when to stay with his man. It was a bad day at the office and illustrated the tough task facing Folau in his AFL foray, but he has said all along he knows he has a long journey ahead of him and is doing his best to remain patient. “He’s very brave and very resilient. Clearly, he’s had some down days through all of this, but he’s truly an elite athlete,” McConnell said. “As he’s improved, he’s moved his expectations quite significantly.
“A few weeks back, he had seven or eight shots at goal and kicked 1.6 and he was as filthy as hell. But I can tell you if he’d had six kicks 10 or 12 weeks ago, he’d have been delighted.” Originally, Folau was going to spend most of the year in defence as he learned the sport. But five games into his and the Giants’ debut season in the new North East Australian Football League (NEAFL), coach Kevin Sheedy decided to move Folau to the forward line in the second half of a match against the Brisbane Lions’ reserves. It proved a masterstroke. Although Folau failed to kick a goal, the following week he kicked his first, against Queanbeyan, after a mark and set shot from 40m. Mobbed by every teammate, it was a special moment for Folau, who finished the match with four goals and among the best players in a 41-point win. He kicked three more the following week and appears to
It’s exciting to see his progress. It’s been an interesting case study to watch GWS CEO DALE HOLMES
have found his place, kicking 31 goals in the 13 games since being shifted forward. The highlights include five goals against Belconnen in a commanding 130-point win in June and a career-high six, against the same opponent, on August 13. “Obviously, there was a massive improvement which flowed on from his move from defence into attack,” McConnell said. “Being able to play far more instinctively without having the need to choose between responding to the ball and/or responding to his
opponent certainly freed him up and provided a great impetus for improvement. “He’s very strong on a lead and his marking has improved. “He comes from a background where, for safety reasons, he would always catch the ball on his chest. If you fumble the ball (in rugby league), it’s a knock-on. “So, there’s been some need to ‘de-train’ some skills he’s had trained into him. “Then there’s other stuff like structures and roles in stoppages and picking up spare players when the opposition plays an extra man in defence. Those things are foreign to him, and even the terminology is new. “It’s about learning a whole new vocabulary—fat-side, skinny-side, check-side; they’re all words that 12 months ago meant nothing to him. “We’re at a point now where he’s certainly able to influence and direct his teammates in accordance with a structure that we might be trying to implement, but it’s still a work in progress. “It’s not just the game he’s learning, but the game within the game that’s very much to the fore at AFL level.” Do the Giants expect Folau to be ready to make his AFL debut when they enter the competition next year and what sort of impact do they think he can have at the elite level? They are questions no one is quite able to answer right now. Earlier this year, critics were quietly voicing their belief he would not be ready for the game’s biggest stage until 2013, but those voices have fallen silent in recent weeks. McConnell was only prepared to say he believes the 22-year-old will play in the AFL at some stage in 2012, but wouldn’t speculate about his potential beyond that. Folau said he is “certainly hoping” he will play in the
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israel folau Giants’ first game, but was only focused on doing the work required each day to continue his rapid improvement. What is certain is the move to the forward line has seen the quietly spoken Folau’s infectious smile appear on his face far more often. “In the beginning when they moved me into the forward line, I didn’t really have a clue how to play there,” he admitted. “But I felt more comfortable when I went there and did some more training there and, after a while, I began to get familiar with playing in the forward line.
In the beginning when they moved me into the forward line, I didn’t really have a clue ISRAEL FOLAU
“I didn’t think I’d kick one goal this year, so I was pretty surprised they put me in the forward line and I then started kicking a few goals. It’s been good, but it’s been hard. “I feel pretty good at the moment and I’m just looking forward to a good pre-season and working hard into next year.”
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A daunting journey » Greater Western Sydney CEO
Dale Holmes admits his infant club’s entry into the AFL next season is a “daunting” challenge, but he remains confident the Giants will prove a success. The AFL has made a bold move into western Sydney, where rugby league reignss supreme and Australian Football is in its early developmental phase. The club still has an enormous amount of work to complete, starting with the assembling of its playing list. The Giants have nine of the first 15 picks in November’s NAB AFL Draft. They are expected to announce the signing of several uncontracted players in coming weeks. But building the initial squad is just one of the items on the to-do list, with the $60 million redevelopment of the Sydney Showgrounds at Homebush, which will be the Giants’ home ground, also a priority. The Giants are still seeking sponsors, with a second major sponsor and a shorts sponsor outstanding, and they have been busily spreading the club’s name and brand across the region.
In a solid milestone before its AFL debut, the club recently announced it had passed 10,000 foundation members and Holmes is pleased with the progress. “In the main, we’re very happy with w where we’re at,” he said. “The daunting thing of course is we’re moving into the big league next year, so in terms of the football side of things, we expect it will be a bumpy ride, not unlike the experience Gold Coast is going through. “Off the field, all the infrastructure that we want to put in place is starting to take shape. “We’ve just moved into our headquarters at Blacktown and we’ve got the Showgrounds development underway, (and the venue) will be similar to (Gold Coast’s) Metricon Stadium. “In terms of infrastructure, it’s strong; in terms of corporate support, it’s been very strong and we have most of our corporate sponsors on board. “In terms of tracking against the plan, we are on track, but there’s still plenty to do.” The Giants are planning for long-term success, rather than wanting to be super-competitive
quickly, meaning they likely won’t be chasing a huge uncontracted player like the Suns did with Gary Ablett. Rather, they want talented players just starting their careers. “We’ll have more of a bookend strategy where we get young guns and then the more experienced players will be the 28-plus age group that will be with us for a couple of years to help us set up the club,” Holmes said. “We’ll take very much a squad-based approach and have a lot of young players rotated through the squad week-to-week. “Our younger players might play 10-12 games next year and graduate their development so they’re in their prime from year three onwards. “The reality is that the Sydney sporting landscape is super-competitive and therefore success is important. “But I think we need to communicate the right message to our supporter base, so they are excited about the quality of the young talent and they can follow that journey with the players. “You need to give your supporters hope. Once they lose hope, you lose them. So it’s about giving them a sense of the opportunity to enjoy success with the club over the next three-to-five years.” JAMES DAMPNEY
LUKE POWER
Retiring Lion champ bids farewell to ‘family’ Friendships are what triple premiership star Luke Power will remember most from his glittering career.
FINAL WAVE:
Luke Power is chaired from the ground by his great mates Simon Black and Ash McGrath after bringing the curtain down on a great career last week.
H
MICH A EL W HITING
e played 282 games, won three premierships and was an All-Australian, but Luke Power puts something else above all when reflecting on his fabulous career. The 31-year-old Brisbane Lions champion ended speculation about his future by announcing his retirement immediately after last Saturday’s eight-point loss against West Coast at the Gabba. After being told by coach Michael Voss he was not guaranteed a contract next season, Power decided to make his decision sooner rather than later. His CV is the envy of many around the League, yet Power had no hesitation in looking elsewhere when asked about the highlights of his career. “The friendships,” he said emphatically. “The people you meet are as great as the premierships. You play footy to win premierships, but I’ve met some fantastic people through this club and people I’ll be friends with for life. “I’ve held it together pretty well, but (when) you’ve played with blokes for 10 years, you become like a family.” Power named Simon Black, captain Jonathan Brown, Jamie Charman and Ash McGrath among his closest mates at the club. “And it goes from players to support staff to supporters; I’ve been blessed. It’s a great place to play footy, a great environment,” he said.
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“Simon (Black) has been like a brother to me up here and the only time I almost teared up was (when I looked) in the eyes of people like that and (knew) it would be the last time (we would) play together.” Power and Black joined the club at the same time (the 1997 draft) and established a bond. They played their first AFL matches a week apart, early in the 1998 season. It is a mark of Power’s character that Black, Voss and anyone else you speak to about him are just as quick to talk about his off-field contributions as they are about his extraordinary on-field deeds. “There’s no better person I’ve met in football as far as character goes,” Black said.
“He’s going to be remembered as one of the greats of our footy club and rightly so. “He’s done a lot for our club on and off the field. He’s the guy who regularly went and did the hospital visits and never wanted any recognition for it; he’s that sort of person.” And Voss was equally glowing of the former Oakleigh Charger. “We all measure our contribution sometimes by kicks, marks and handballs and stats sheets. Then there are other things you can’t measure—the impact they have and what they leave behind. I think Luke Power has certainly done that,” Voss said. “He’s an outstanding person and courageous in the way he goes about his business and he’s
made a fantastic contribution to our club.” On the field, he was nothing short of outstanding throughout a career that saw him go from a lethal small forward to a crucial cog in the Lions’ vaunted midfield, a key part of the premiership hat-trick in 2001-03. Power’s consistency was remarkable: he finished in the top-five in the club’s best and fairest a staggering eight times. Even in retirement he was selfless, only deciding on the morning of the match he was hanging up the boots and not wanting to make a huge fuss. “I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned and just thought, ‘Gabba, home crowd, all the boys will be here, it’s time to do it this week’,” he said. “I didn’t want to make it about me or make it a distraction on the group. “It was just something I woke up (on the morning of the match) and thought, ‘Let’s do it and let’s move on’. I tend to analyse things and, for me, I just needed to go ‘bang’ and make the decision and get on with life.”
SCHAMMER MOVES ON
» Fremantle’s Byron
Schammer will play his 129th and final AFL match this weekend against the Western Bulldogs. The 26-year-old told his teammates last Monday. “I’ve put my heart and soul into the footy club for nine years and I now want to be able to put my time and effort into something else,” he said. He intends to focus on a career as a stockbroker, while continuing playing football in the WAFL.
Primus confident of long-term success Despite a poor win-loss record and likely wooden spoon this season, Port Adelaide now has the financial backing from the AFL to determine its own destiny. K ATR INA GILL
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A
s the Port Adelaide players trudged off AAMI Stadium after becoming the first team to suffer the indignity of losing to newcomer Gold Coast in round five, it was obvious Matthew Primus’s honeymoon as coach was over. Primus had made a promising start to his AFL coaching career following the departure of long-serving premiership coach Mark Williams last July. The one-time Power skipper and revered Alberton figure steered the club to five wins in his seven games in charge last season, and eventually prevailed ahead of Chris Scott to secure the full-time position (with Scott getting the nod at Geelong). Not only did Primus impress in the coach’s box, his popularity among the Port Adelaide faithful and marketability also made
him the ideal ‘face’ of the club, which had identified a need to re-engage its disillusioned supporter base and attract new sponsors. He was the perfect fit, and the mood at Alberton was one of renewed optimism. Twelve months—and a club-worst season—later, critics are questioning whether the Power made the right decision to appoint one of their favourite sons, who is one year into a three-year deal. “It’s a ruthless industry,” Primus said. “We’ve probably seen that more than ever this year, with Neil Craig (Adelaide), Rodney Eade (Western Bulldogs) and Dean Bailey (Melbourne) all going, but I understand that. “Ultimately, I’m responsible for our performances and I’m happy to cop the criticism. “You just have to maintain faith that what you’re doing
is right, and that you’re going down the right path. “In saying that, I know if we have another year like this one next year, I’ll probably be out of the job.” The ‘path’ Primus is referring to is very much about rebuilding. At the start of last pre-season, the rookie coach sat down with ex-teammate and good friend Chad Cornes and told the decorated 31-year-old he would struggle to get a game this season. It was a difficult conversation for both men, but it was necessary if Primus was going to fully commit to his plan of developing the much-talked about “core group of young players” that would lead the club to its next premiership. The process, which has also led to Daniel Motlop (29) and Kane Cornes (28) being left out of the team at different stages, has been dramatic.
This might not have been the case if Port Adelaide had started turning over its list at the end of a dominant era (at the end of 2006, when it missed the finals for the first time since 2000), but the club concedes an unexpected Grand Final berth in 2007 seduced everyone, including the hierarchy at Alberton, into thinking the team was closer to a second premiership than it was. Primus expected his “big-picture” approach to selection would cause some short-term pain, but never envisaged it would relegate the club to the bottom of the ladder. “I thought we would’ve been capable of having more than two or three wins, that’s for sure,” he said. “We’ve had difficult weeks and times because of the approach we’ve taken. “There have been calls for us to play more senior players,
STICKING TO HIS GUNS: Embattled Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus believes the pain the club has experiened this season as it it attempts to rebuild with youth, will be worth it in the long run.
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port adelaide but, in the end, we have to go down this path. “There’s light at the end of the tunnel, as much as it might not seem like it at the moment.” Despite being unpleasantly surprised by his team’s dismal win-loss record this season (two wins and 19 losses), which will replace 2000 and 2008 (seven wins both years) as the worst in the club’s history, Primus hasn’t wavered from his approach. And, although he declines to add to the pressure on he and the club by publicly revealing a timeframe for the turnaround, he doesn’t believe the plan he pitched to Port Adelaide to secure the coaching role last year will take longer to execute than initially expected. “We know we’re not as bad as what the ladder suggests, but in the end, what goes in the history books is your win-loss record,” he said. “I don’t see that we’re any further away than I thought we were at the start of the year and I’d expect us to improve next year. “We’ve got to make sure there’s continual improvement not only in the wins and losses, but how we go about our footy, how we prepare and how we conduct ourselves every weekend we play. “If we can do that, the pain we’re going through at the moment will be well worth it next year, the year after that and the year after that.” Port Adelaide’s on-field performances have been compounded by speculation over several off-field issues, ranging from the club’s financial state and long-term viability, to conjecture several players— young and old— wanting out of Alberton. The leaders of the club are having none of it. Reliable skipper Domenic Cassisi, who replaced champion
COMMITTED:
Key defender Jackson Trengove has shown his faith in Primus’s vision for the Power by extending his contract.
Warren Tredrea in 2009, has had the unenviable task of defending his club against these claims. “Some of the speculation is easy to block out because it’s just crap,” Cassisi said. “We know where we’re at, so it doesn’t really get to us. “When you’re down the bottom of the ladder, people are going to come out of the woodwork to slam us, but that’s the way it is. “When we do get some more wins on the board and become a more consistent side, the stories will write themselves, but full credit to Matty and the way he’s handled himself. “He’s been consistent with his message. He’s very confident in the path he’s taking us down and the playing group has full faith in him.” One rationale for Port Adelaide’s disastrous season,
which hit rock-bottom after consecutive record losses to Collingwood and Hawthorn in rounds 20-21, has been a perceived lack of support around Primus. Frugal football department spending and a lack of resources compared to the ‘rich’ clubs is not a new concept at Alberton. Williams consistently overcame these challenges to take the Power to the finals in seven of his 11 years in charge, including two Grand Final appearances, but the relationship between football department spend and success across the competition is becoming more relevant as clubs gradually figure out the best way to maximise a financial advantage. Primus is the only coach this season with two part-time assistant coaches (Dean Laidley
and Ryan McMillan) in his box, so it came as no surprise that when the League announced it would invest $9 million in Port Adelaide over the next three years, it required a significant portion of the money be used to bolster the club’s football program. “It’s great to be able to sit down now and plan what we need to do for the next three years and not just get to the start of the year thinking, ‘we’ve got to get through this year and then find where we can get the money to do this’,” Primus said of the AFL funding. “We want to make sure we have at least three full-time assistant coaches, maybe four, and we also want to beef up our development, recruiting and fitness staff. “We’re not going to leave any stone unturned, so we can say we’ve given ourselves the best chance to develop and we can look at the players in the eyes and say we’ve given them the best chance to be the best players they can be.” Despite calls for a mass cull of players at Alberton this season, Primus is happy with the talent at his disposal. A month ago, this seemed like almost an irrational thought, but, over the past few weeks, the football world has got a glimpse of Primus’s vision for the Power. Bookends John Butcher and Jackson Trengove are potential long-term 10-year players around whom Primus can build his team. Significantly, Trengove (one of the players feared to be leaving the club) last week extended his contract, and another key backman, Alipate Carlile, did the same this week. Ruckman Matthew Lobbe has seized his opportunity in the absence of the retiring
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port adelaide
Dean Brogan, and Hamish Hartlett, Robbie Gray and likely best and fairest Travis Boak are midfield stars in the making. Inexperienced players Jasper Pittard, Ben Jacobs, Cam O’Shea, Mitch Banner and Jarrad Irons have also shown enough to suggest they have a future at the elite level, and the club is excited by the potential of untried midfielders Aaron Young and Ben Newton. By the end of this year’s draft period, Port Adelaide will have six top-10 draft picks on its list—the same number as Grand Final fancies Hawthorn and only two fewer than Collingwood (eight). Both the Hawks and the Magpies have experienced the challenges of having to rebuild before achieving success, both emerging from the bottom-four to win premierships within the space of a few years. That’s not to say Port Adelaide will achieve the same, but rather there is a proven method behind what some supporters have interpreted as madness from Primus this season. The Power will look to support the development of their young
players, whose lightly-built frames will benefit from another pre-season, by recruiting a few experienced players in this year’s draft/exchange period. “Whether it’s through the SANFL, VFL or by trading, I’m not sure yet,” Primus said. “I think key position-wise we’ve got some great players who can develop, but we need to add to our half-forward, half-back and midfield areas. “We probably also need another ruckman to support ‘Lobbes’, whether that’s a really experienced ruckman, one coming into his best stage of his career or one just starting out. “I know we’ve got a lot of work to do, but I’m happy with the talent we’ve got here and what they’re capable of doing. “We’ve been through a fair bit this year together, but we’ll announce a few more signings in the next couple of weeks, hopefully. “With the AFL’s help, the club will be in good shape to actually plan and envisage ourselves going up the ladder and getting back to finals, which I know is where we want to be and our supporters want us to be.”
GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE
HISTORIC: The Power will this weekend clash with Melbourne in the first AFL match at its future new home, the Adelaide Oval. (This is an artist’s impression of the planned upgrade.)
» Port Adelaide will this
weekend host Melbourne in the first AFL home and away match at Adelaide Oval. The venue is being redeveloped, with both the Power and Adelaide to play home games there, starting in 2014. The Power-Demons match was originally scheduled for AAMI Stadium, but plans to switch the game to Adelaide Oval were tabled in June. The Crows are also in negotiations to play a NAB Cup game at Adelaide Oval before the start of major works at the ground next March. The SANFL has indicated this weekend’s match needs to
With us the GC SUNS aren’t short of support.
attract a crowd of about 30,000 to “satisfy” it and Port Adelaide. The Power have attracted more than 30,000 people to a home game only once this season, the Showdown clash with Adelaide in round four. Captain Domenic Cassisi said the players were “genuinely excited” about playing at the Adelaide Oval. “We understand the history of our club, and how important this ground is to the club,” he said, referring to the Port Adelaide Magpies’ SANFL success at the ground. “For the guys who get to make great history (in round 24) and play the first game of AFL here, it’s going to be really exciting.”
The sun has risen on the 2011 Toyota AFL Premiership season with the Gold Coast SUNS making their mark on Australia’s most premier sporting competition. Known to their growing army of supporters as the GC SUNS, The Reed Group is proud to be the ‘Official Shorts Sponsor’ of the ($499??) newest AFL team.RRP From the ground up toCamera the marks that see the GC SUNS fly, we’re not only committed to the success of the Club, but to further build on our growing reputation as a proud Australian-owned company specialising in the Civil, Construction and Mining & Energy sectors across Australia, while at the same time, investing in the communities in which we operate. Together, we’ll be making our mark. When considering your next construction project, visit reedgroup.com.au or call 07 5585 5100.
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VOTE TO WIN! Weekly Prize worth $599
Vote for the Panasonic AFL Goal of the Year 2011 each week for your chance to win a Panasonic Lumix FT3 Camera!* Panasonic and the AFL are giving you the opportunity to have your say on the weekly winner in the Panasonic AFL Goal of the Year award. It’s your chance to show your support and win a fantastic prize each week.
Visit www.afl.com.au/goal to vote HAVe Your sAY! Join the discussion at www.facebook.com/PanasonicAustralia
*Terms and conditions apply. Promotion commences 12pm 28/03/2011 and closes at 12pm on 19/09/2011 and is open to Australian Residents over the age of 18 years. The weekly prize draw winner will receive a LUMIX camera (model no. DMC-FT3) valued at $599 (RRP as at 01/01/2011). The weekly prize draw dates and Full Terms and Conditions at www.afl.com.au/goal. The Promoter is Panasonic Australia Pty Ltd (ABN 83 001 592 187) of 1 Innovation Rd Macquarie Park, NSW 2113 (ABN 83 001 592 187). NSW Permit No. LTPS/11/1169 VIC Permit No. 11/258 ACT Permit No. TP11/511 SA Permit No. T11/273.
CBA DEAL
Players offered extra $54m The AFL has increased its final CBA offer to players to $1.144 billion.
M A R K M ACGUGA N A ND GA RY WA LSH
T
he AFL this week made a final pay offer to the AFL Players’ Association, with the proposed package totalling $1.144 billion over the next five years. AFL officials met with the AFLPA last Tuesday night to present the proposal, which is an 11 per cent increase in player payments and additional service agreements (ASAs) for 2012. The offer represents a $54 million increase on the original $1.09 billion pay deal offered by the AFL in May. AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou, chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and football operations manager Adrian Anderson presented the offer to the full board of the players’ association. Demetriou told a media conference on Wednesday afternoon that he was “hopeful and confident” the package would be accepted, describing it as “a very generous and substantial offer”. The players have until September 15 to consider the deal, with Demetriou stressing there would be no more money on the table. He said AFL clubs were “in limbo” until agreement was reached, with the League planning to detail their financial arrangements on Monday, September 26. The offer, which would cover the players’ Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2012-16 seasons, is a $333 million increase on the current CBA. If accepted, players’ earnings would increase by 11 per cent next year, a further five per cent in 2013, and three per cent in each of the last three years of the agreement. Rookies’ base salaries would increase by 40 per cent from a minimum of $35,000 to $49,000, and retirement contributions from the AFL for players would double from $36 million to $72 million. 72
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BRIDGING THE GAP
New fund to support needy clubs
» The AFL will establish
LAST OFFER: AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou released details of the League’s final pay
proposal to the AFL Players’ Association at a press conference on Wednesday.
Demetriou pointed out that • An average listed the total pay offer amounted player would earn $1.398 to $32 million more than million for the five years the cash component of the of the agreement, plus League’s new broadcast deal, retirement benefits. and acknowledged that players • A player earning deserved to be recognised for $500,000 in 2011 would their contribution to the success earn $636,787 in 2016, and of the sport. a total of $2,993,009 for “The players deserve the five-year period—an a significant increase and increase of $493,009 plus the largest retirement increase of any benefits. stakeholder in the game,” “We believe he said. this is an “The AFL’s excellent offer sets out outcome for outstanding players and post-career recognises support for our their status AFL CEO ANDREW DEMETRIOU players and as stars of one of the best the game,” improvements Demetriou in real wages said. and benefits In tabling for any workforce in Australia, its new offer, the AFL again let alone across the sporting rejected the players’ demand landscape.” for a fixed percentage of Under the AFL’s proposed League revenue. new agreement: The players have • An average listed player’s requested between 25 salary would rise from and 27 per cent of revenue, $236,000 in 2011 to projected by the AFL to equate $301,000 by the end of 2016. to around $1.32 billion.
We believe this is an excellent outcome for players
a club ‘future fund’ to try to reduce the gap between the League’s ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou said on Wednesday the aim of an equalisation fund was to give poorer clubs a chance to grow and be competitive. The League would achieve this outcome without discouraging the stronger clubs, he said, with no increases in taxation, no increase in revenue sharing, no cap on football department spending and no cap on innovation. Demetriou stressed the AFL was determined no club would be ‘axed’, although several were facing financial challenges and would post losses this year as well as carrying significant debt. “We want 18 viable and competitive clubs,” he said. Football department spending varied by as much as $4.5 million a year between the top and bottom clubs, with smaller clubs having fewer staff members than necessary across football and commercial areas. Demetriou said the future fund would provide extra financial support for needy clubs. The aim was to leave a legacy of minimum-standard resources and systems, an increase in the percentage of Total Player Payments paid by clubs, upgraded training and administration facilities and debt reduction. GARY WALSH
Get in the good books with Dad this Fathers’ Day NEW BOOKS OUT NOW Available in all good bookstores. Visit footybookclub.com for more information
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Our AFL history guru answer answers your queries. PROMISING ROO: Todd
Goldstein is the only current AFL player of Jewish descent.
Stars of the Jewish faith St Could you please tell me how many people of Jewish descent have played League football? NORM GEORGIOU, CLIFTON HILL, VIC.
CH: To the best of my knowledge,
there have been at least 10. Barney Lazarus was born in London and played seven matches for Carlton in 1902. Ian Synman, centre half-back in St Kilda’s 1966 premiership team, made his debut in 1958 and played the last of his 154 games 11 years later. Keith Baskin (75 matches for South
Melbourne, 1964; 1967-73), Henry Ritterman (23 for Melbourne, 1971-73), Mike Zemski (eight for Hawthorn, 1973-74), Mordy Bromberg, now a Federal Court judge (34 for St Kilda, 1978-81), Trevor Korn (three for Melbourne, 1981), Julian Kirzner (one for Essendon, 1994 and three for North Melbourne, 1997), Ezra Poyas (nine for Richmond 2001-02) and North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein, who has played 57 matches since his first appearance in 2008, are the others.
GENUINE SENIOR FOOTBALLERS » Harold ‘Lal’ McLennan was a Fitzroy champion. He played 135 matches, mainly as a centreman, between 1907 and 1919, captained the club in 1911 and was adjudged the team’s best player in 1912 and 1913. Clearly, his best season was 1913, when he represented Victoria and
inspired the Roys to victory in the Grand Final. He was also a member of the 1916 premiership team. From 1938 until 1947, he was club president, overseeing the 1944 Grand Final triumph. He passed away on September 20, 1978, a few weeks after celebrating his 90th birthday.
Do you have knowledge of any players who are now close to 90 or older, or who reached such an age before passing? Contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col.hutchinson@afl.com.au. 74
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col hutchinson NAME GAME
Tutt, Tutt, Tutt » In round 22, the Western
Bulldogs’ Jason Tutt joined a select band of six other debutants who had kicked three goals with their first three kicks. (Two others, Richmond’s Richard Lounder and West Coast’s Daniel Metropolis, kicked goals with their first four kicks, while Carlton’s Clen Denning kicked an amazing six from six on debut.) Yet the most common derivation on of Tutt’s name suggestss he should d end der. be a defender. It is thought ght ht Tutt comes from the Old English totian meaning “to watch”/”look out” and seems to have been originally a nickname for a guard or watchman. As a surname, it took several forms— besides Tutt there were Tott, Tute and Tut. Tutt and the diminutive forms Tutin and Tuttle are common enough in Australian telephone directories. Tutt is also probably connected to the name of the well-known northern suburb of London, Tottenham (“the district of the watchman”). Jason is the first Tutt to have played League football. KEVAN CARROLL
WRITE TO ANSWER MAN The Slattery Media Group, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, 3008 or email michaell@slatterymedia.com
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Ask the expert about all your footy memorabilia. A framed photo of the victorious 1906 Port Adelaide team has been passed to me from my late uncle. The players are not named, but the photo and frame are in good order. GARY HIGGINS, VIA EMAIL
RM: The mighty Port Adelaide
Magpies were the powerhouse of the SANFL, winning many premierships. This is a rare one. Not less than $1500 and, if there was some competition for it, maybe twice that.
I found a 1957 WEG premiership poster for the mighty Dees at a garage sale. It is in mint condition. It cost $20. Value please. MATTHEW CALDOW, VIA EMAIL
RM: Matthew, the ‘mint
condition’ is a bit of a worry. The early WEG posters have all been reproduced, using the original printing plates. These are worth maybe $50 each. If (and it is a big ‘if’) it is an original, you are looking at $2000 at least. I can check it for you if you wish.
I have a McDonald’s autographed football. It has a Hall of Fame stamp on it and is autographed by Ron Barassi, Bob Pratt, Jack Dyer and Dick Reynolds. But it has no certificate of authenticity. TREVOR WINSLET, VIA EMAIL
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RM: Nice one to
PAM POPPLEWELL, VIA EMAIL
RM: Pam, autograph books
from the 1950s turn up quite often. So long as the autographs are in pen, and on one side of the page only, you’re looking at maybe $150.
rick milne RICK’S RARITY
own, Trevor— some great names on there, but not much value. Signed footballs seldom have. Maybe $150.
I recently found my old autograph book, probably from 1956. Two pages have autographs of the Essendon team. There 31 signatures in total, including Dick Reynolds, Jack Clarke, Bill Hutchison, Greg Sewell, John Townsend, John Gill, Geoff Leek, Hugh Mitchell, Jeff Gamble, Fred Gallagher and Reg Burgess. Are they of any value?
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» Today, Australian Football
fans wear their team colours with pride: scarf, badges, jumper, jacket, cap, personalised numberplate— the list is endless. In earlier times, there were not so many ways to show your support. Here is one of the more modest efforts: this small cardboard Footscray club colour patch. Unfortunately, there is no information on the reverse. I seem to recall one was given away free each time someone bought (of all things) a harmonica. Maybe I am dreaming. If anyone can verify how and when it was issued, I would be happy to hear. I would guess it is from the late 1920s. Value? Perhaps $150. REAL DEAL: Early original WEG posters, such as this one above from the Magpies’ 1953 premiership season, could be worth at least $2000. Reproductions are worth maybe $50.
CONTACT RICK MILNE mrpp@iprimus.com.au or drop him m k, a line: 5 Cooraminta St, Brunswick, Vic, 3056 or call (03) 9387 4131. One query per reader.
BRAINS
answers at bottom of page
Find the 5 DIFFERENCES between the 2 cards
Unscramble Red Snow Jail to Can you guess this AFL discover the AFL player’s name! Player’s NICKNAME?
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Only one player has kicked over 100 goals in a season for the mighty Blues. Who is it?
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game card
A. Alex Jesaulenko B. Brendan Fevola C. Stephen Kernahan D. Eddie Betts
NEW!
Silver CODE cards and enter codes to play
Answers: 1. Whole photo is flipped, black mouthguard, black arm band, Birds instead of Magpies, club logo turned 2. Jordan Lewis 3. Dish 4. A
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TV N O N AS SEE
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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
FIVE TO FIND
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Yellow band around Crow David Mackay’s neck removed; ‘N’ on the word Sherrin on n the football changed to ‘M’; Tiger Trent Cotchin’s left foot removed; extra finger added to Mackay’s right hand; nd; yellow stripe removed from Mackay’s sock.
E X TE NDE D P L AY T I M E
FREE ENTRY
The AFL Playground outside the MCG will continue to operate for the rest of the season due to popular demand. The playground, the coolest fan zone for kids looking to test their footy skills and warm up before watching the footy, attracted more than 14,000 kids and families in the first nine rounds of the season.
Located below Gate 6, the playground features activities of all types for kids, with club mascots also in attendance. It is open 90 minutes before the start of the match until the end of the half-time break. (An AFL Playground is also operating at Metricon Stadium.) Visit afl.com.au/ playground for more information.
Scrambled Sc S crra am mb blleed Footballer: Fo F oot otb ba all ller er: Cryptic Cr C ryyp pti tiicc Footballers: Fo F oo ottb ba alllleerrss:: BI B IG MOUTH: MO M OU UT TH H:: BIG 78 AFL L RECORD RE R RECO EC CO COR ORD OR RD visit vis vvi is isit it afl afl flrec record.com.au re ord.com.au re
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Melbourne youngster regains his mojo after broken leg.
LUK E HOLMES HOLMESBY
A
t his lowest point after he broke his leg in 2009, Sam Blease thought he might never get to have the AFL career he had long wanted. Blease had injured himself while having a kick of the footy with school friends at Yarra Valley Grammar School in Melbourne’s outer east and missed more than a year of football. Blease was drafted by the Demons in 2008, but had to wait until round 15 this year to make the debut he feared he might never have. He credits a significant part of his recovery to a psychologist he sought away from the club. “I felt like I was mentally a little bit unstable. I was a bit unsure if I’d get back to playing footy again and I suppose there was a bit of time when I didn’t think I’d get to play at AFL level,” he said. “A lady outside the club helped me find a few areas to focus on and I gained a lot of confidence from speaking to someone outside of footy.” After sustaining the injury so innocuously, Blease feared that any physical contest could result in a similar setback. “When I was coming back, I was almost a bit hesitant going in to contests because you don’t want to injure yourself like that again,” he said. “I was never going to get anywhere if I was second guessing myself, so I took it upon myself and thought I needed to see someone because I couldn’t
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2011 NAB AFL RISING STAR NOMINEES Round 1 Dyson Heppell (Ess) Round 2 Luke Shuey (WCE) Round 3 Mitch Duncan (Geel) Round 4 Jasper Pittard (PA) Round 5 Brandon Matera (GCS) Round 6 Jack Darling (WCE) Round 7 Zac Smith (GCS) Round 8 Shane Savage (Haw) Round 9 Reece Conca (Rich) Round 10 Jack Steven (St K) Round 11 Jordan Gysberts (Melb) Round 12 Sam Reid (Syd) Round 13 Daniel Menzel (Geel) Round 14 David Swallow (GCS) Round 15 Luke Breust (Haw) Round 16 Jake Batchelor (Rich) Round 17 Trent McKenzie (GCS) Round 18 Allen Christensen (Geel) Round 19 Andrew Gaff (WCE) FIT AND FIRING:
Demon youngster Sam Blease has regained his confidence after overcoming a serious leg injury.
keep playing like that, I wasn’t going to get anywhere.” Blease said his leg was back at 100 per cent strength now, even though he still had to ice it after matches as a precaution. His new-found confidence in his body and his football ability saw him earn the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for his 28-disposal effort against Gold Coast last Sunday. With his confidence restored, Blease said he still needed to earn the faith of the Melbourne match committee. Fortunately,
he has a fan in caretaker coach Todd Viney, who has played him in the past three games. And the respect is mutual, according to Blease. “It’s been a tough transition leaving ‘Bails’ (recently sacked coach Dean Bailey). The boys really enjoyed having Bails as coach but Toddy’s really stood up and taken the reins,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot from him and I don’t see why he couldn’t become a senior coach at some point if he had the ambition to do so.”
Round 20 Zac Clarke (Frem) Round 21 Luke Dahlhaus (WB) Round 22 Alex Fasolo (Coll) Round 23 Sam Blease (Melb)
THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW
1
Blease considers teammate Tom Scully his best mate, both at the club and away from football.
2
School mate Jordan Gysberts was one of the first on the scene when Blease injured himself on a lunch-time break. Both are now Melbourne teammates and 2011 Rising Star nominees.
3
Blease becomes the 17th listed Melbourne player to have been nominated for the Rising Star.
Each week throughout the home and away season, a panel of judges will select the nominee for the 2011 NAB AFL Rising Star. At the completion of the season, one outstanding player will be chosen as the 2011 NAB AFL Rising Star winner. He will receive an investment folio, a dedicated personal banker, a financial planner and the Ron Evans Medal, all courtesy of the NAB. The NAB Rising Star award is the final stage of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.
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AFL RECORD
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Applying data laterally to analyse and understand the modern game.
Five goals, no kicks: why stats can be misleading
A
delaide’s Scott Thompson created news when he was credited with 51 disposals against Gold Coast in round 22, but the item was still listed a long way from the back page of newspapers for good reason. First, because the 50-disposal mark in a game had been crossed before. Greg Williams, playing for the Sydney Swans against St Kilda in round 19, 1989, is credited with 53 disposals. And, second, the item was downplayed, I believe, because there is growing scepticism among footy people of the value of raw disposal counts. Part of that scepticism comes from way footy is now played compared to the Williams era, and the other is confusion regarding what is and isn’t counted as a disposal. The official definition is marvellously ambiguous. The rule says, ‘a disposal is the act of getting rid of the ball in a legal matter. There are only two types of disposals, a kick or a handball’. Clasping the ball and dropping it on to the foot for a roost or, alternatively, kicking it off the ground seems plain enough. So too a handball, which is only legal if the ball is held in one hand and struck with the fist of the other. However, the phrase ‘the act of getting rid of the ball’ in today’s footy could and does mean anything, from making a genuine attempt, improvising or faking it. 82
AFL RECORD
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BALL MAGNET:
Adelaide’s Scott Thompson was credited with 51 disposals against Gold Coast.
Even Blind Freddy can see players have created new theatrical ploys of getting rid of it without getting pinged, employing inventive ball releases, tunneling, shuffling, handovers and ball kills. There are other intriguing circumstances determining what gets put into the ‘disposal pudding’ and what is left out. For instance, a kick off the ground in Williams’ day was not included as a disposal. As I’ve outlined previously, this changed after round nine, 1997. Geelong goalsneak Ronnie Burns was credited with five goals and zero disposals for his game against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba. Vision analysis subsequently revealed each of his majors came from ground kicks. Although a ground kick (or airy) is accepted because it can result in a goal, mark or stoppage
clearance, the challenge for statisticians and fans is discriminating between some that are purposeful and some that are frivolous toe-pokes, or even accidental. For instance, a ball that accidentally ricochets from the foot of a player and crosses the boundary line without touching the ground beforehand is deemed out-on-the-full, even if it only travels a few centimetres. In such circumstances, commonsense prevails and the unfortunate player is not awarded a disposal. Nevertheless, the situation results in a free to the opposition player, who is credited with a disposal that in most instances is accidental and not earned from general play. In previous eras, out-on-the-full frees were not counted as disposals because they were considered ‘not-earned’.
He committed only one-stuff up, which is impressive
A similar logic applies for full-back kick-ins. They are not included in the disposal counts because they are deemed ‘not-earned’ and would inflate the disposal counts for specialist players. However, imagine a scenario in which a full-back’s last kick-in of the day is a desperate 70m torpedo that finds a loose runner in the centre of the ground, who plays on and slots a match-winning goal. The full-back would not be credited with a disposal, even though it impacted on the result of the game. The anomaly here is that if he had tapped the ball on his foot and executed the same roost, he would have been credited with a disposal. As these examples show, tolerance, commonsense and experience are the main pre-requisites for defining and calling statistics, rather than seeking improbable perfections. As a data analyst, my own assessment of Thompson’s game is increasingly focused on what, I believe, footy people have always wanted to know. Each time a player touches the footy, what influence does it have on the game? Win the ball and put it to good effect is the kernel. Of Thompson’s 51 disposals, I arrived at 12 that did not leave the stoppage area or were otherwise insignificant. That makes 39 (of which five were ineffective); 31 were sufficient and only three seriously troubled the opposition. He did not commit one stuff-up, which is impressive. TED HOPKINS IS A CARLTON PREMIERSHIP PLAYER AND FOUNDER OF CHAMPION DATA. HIS BOOK THE STATS REVOLUTION (SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP) WAS RELEASED RECENTLY AND IS AVAILABLE VIA FOOTYBOOKCLUB.COM
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