AFL Record, Round 3, 2011

P58

Nick Riewoldt

insights into a 200-game champion P76

NAB AFL Rising Star

luke shuey’s tough start

BREAKING

THROUGH

Matthew Boyd on persistence,

attitude ROUND 3, 2011 APRIL 8-10 $5 (INC. GST)

and meeting challenges

GREAT VALUE AT DINNER

GAME ON THE FAMILY DINNER BOX

FROM

19.95

$

AVAILABLE 5PM –11PM TO ENSURE GREAT VALUE, MEALS ARE FIXED

At participating restaurants. “Coca-Cola”, “Coke” and the Contour Bottle are registered trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

McDonald’s® Victoria. Proud Sponsor of Collingwood Football Club.

13218/01

round 3, april 8-10, 2011

features 62 Top To Dog

It’s been bee a tough road for Matthew Boyd but the new Matthe Western Bulldogs captain Wester has worked wo his way from a nervo nervous rookie to one of the AFL’s AFL elite midfi elders.

CALLUM TWOMEYreveals CALLU the sac sacrifices the Bulldog No. 5 – and father-to-be – has made tto reach the top.

reg regulars 4 7 25 53 70 74 76

B Backchat The Bounce T Matchday M Dream Team D Answer Man A Kids’ Corner K NNAB AFL Rising Star West Coast’s Luke Shuey.

W

78 TTalking Point

Te Hopkins on the origins Ted of the forward press.

8 Which player is afraid of spiders?

58

NICK N ICK T RIEWOLDT

200 games for f a supersta superstar. ar.

THIS W WEEK’S COVERS Matthew Boyd (national cover); Matthe there is also a special cover for Collingwood-Carlton game. the Col BOYD COVER COV PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM BOYD COVER COV PHOTO EDITOR: NATALIE BOCCASSINI

we would like to welcome 17 more captains to the air.

Virgin Blue. The official airline and proud sponsor of the AFL virginblue.com.au

feedback

bounce

matchday

main feature

nab afl rising star

time on

Your say on the world of football EDITOR’S LETTER

Honesty to be applauded

» Comments made by North History in the making

I was at the Gabba last Saturday night to see history. The crowd came alive as the Suns ran on to the field, and the 60-second countdown to the game’s fi rst bounce produced a Grand Final-like roar. I have been very impressed to see how professionally this club has been developed and run over the past two years and would like to congratulate all those involved with the launch of the Suns.

GREG OSBORN, WORONGARY, QLD.

OFF AND RUNNING: The build-up to the Gold

Coast Suns’ fi rst game impressed a reader.

Ground access

I tuned in to watch Gold Coast’s first match on the weekend and noticed at the end of the game the crowd was allowed on to the Gabba after the match.

I remember the days when I could go out on to the MCG with my grandchildren for a kick after watching my beloved Demons play. Why don’t they let patrons on to the MCG anymore?

CLANCY DOWLING, HAWTHORN, VIC.

Here’s an explanation from Melbourne Cricket Club communications manager Shane Brown: “While there are

still occasions where patrons are allowed on to the MCG after AFL matches, the desire to ensure a quality playing surface and minimise turf damage during the cold winter months means it is not feasible to allow this after each match. But we

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

AFL RECORD

Lack of respect

I was disappointed to see the ‘Footscray End’ banner covering the Lockett banner at Etihad Stadium last weekend. I am a Footscray member but also Tony Lockett’s cousin. The sign could have been above or below the Lockett one. It was the ultimate insult to a great player.

GAIL LAW, VIA EMAIL.

Here’s a response from the Bulldogs: “After months

PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Lovett WRITERS Peter Argent, Nick Bowen, Ben Collins, Paul Daff ey, George Farrugia, Katrina Gill, Ted Hopkins, Ian Kenins, Glenn McFarlane, Ryan Rawlings, Peter Ryan, Nathan Schmook, Callum Twomey, Andrew Wallace SUB-EDITORS Gary Hancock, Howard Kotton, Michael Stevens

AFL RECORD EDITOR Peter Di Sisto

4

are holding a special ‘Rite of Passage’ event on May 29 that allows turf access – details at mcg.org.au. It is important to note that the Gabba will host just 14 home and away matches this season, compared to 47 at the MCG, also in a more favourable climate.

STATISTICIAN Cameron Sinclair

visit afl record.com.au

of work, the club unveiled the Footscray End with the purpose of wanting to drive the home ground feel of Etihad Stadium to give our members and fans the ultimate football experience. The Footscray End not only acknowledges many of our club’s great traditions and where we have come from, but also celebrates where we are going. It was certainly not intended to insult the great Tony Lockett.”

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 DEPUTY 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

COMMERCIAL MANAGER Alison Hurbert-Burns 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, AFL Photos, (03) 9627 2600, aflphotos.com.au

Melbourne captain Brent Harvey after his team’s poor effort against Collingwood predictably created a stir.

In an interview with ABC Radio, Harvey was critical of younger teammates and identified two he thought were not performing to the level required to ensure the club was competitive.

The veteran of 303 matches, premiership player and five-time best and fairest, was emotional and struggled to hide his frustration. And it was great theatre. But, as expected, many were quick to criticise him. Coach Brad Scott and chairman James Brayshaw later said he made a mistake.

We understand football clubs operate under strict codes of behaviour, including the age-old rule that criticism ought to be handed out privately. Harvey would know this as well as anyone, for the team is still paramount.

But most of us took note, primarily because too much of what players and coaches say today is predictable, safe and inoffensive, leading to our criticism of them for g “giving us nothing”. Harvey (who later apologised) erred (w by playing the blame game, b but we ought not crucify b him. If anything, we should h eencourage open, honest ccommunication made in ccontext and the right spirit.

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 3, 2011 Copyright. ACN No. 004 155 211.

ISSN 1444-2973, Print Post approved PP320258/00109

There’s never been a better time to get behind the wheel of australia’s number one performance machine.

New enhanced driver interface (EDI) 6.2 Litre LS3 V8 engine

Daytime running lamps (DRL’s)

6.5" multi-function colour LCD touch screen display Satellite navigation

Rear park assist with reverse camera Optional side blind zone alert (SBZA)

See your local HSV Dealer now.

Maloo R8 shown with optional 20" Pentagon spoke wheels in Billet Silver.

*

Launch control (manual trans only) Competition mode (ESC) Optional bi-modal exhaust (standard on GTS) 6-speed manual transmission or optional 6-speed automatic Integrated ipod support and enhanced bluetooth Extended cruise control

Frequent action violence and mature themes

IN CINEMAS NOW

8

BRETT DELEDIO

New role for a star Tiger.

9

PREMIER PIES

Collingwood to unfurl the 2010 fl ag.

12

EAGLES FLY

I was always asking questions and probably annoying the physios Harry Taylor, p22

How West Coast has restored its belief.

Bounce views

news

first person

facts

data

culture

THE

No pain no gain for young stars learning on the job NICK BOWEN

S

ending your team’s youngsters out to take on the AFL’s best sides can be a great learning experience. Thatat was certainly the way North Melbourne coach Brad Scott approached the match against Collingwood last Saturday.

Who better for North’s brigade of young midfi elders to measure themselves againstt than Magpie stars Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury?

North is one of the competition’s youngest sides and, like any team that has committed to rebuild on the back of youth, many of its players will be expected to learn on the job.

The Brisbane Lions are in a similar position. Already in the first two rounds, they have blooded four debutants (Claye Beams, Rohan Bewick, Ryan Lester and Broc McCauley) against two of last year’s top-six teams, Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs.

A more extreme example is the AFL’s newest team, Gold Coast.

In its first match, against Carlton, the Suns had 12 debutants.

Unfortunately, as the Suns discovered, learning on the

STEEP LEARNING CURVE: Young ruckman Broc McCauley is one of four debutants used by the Brisbane Lions this season.

job can be a painful experience.

Given they have only a handful of senior players, the Suns are likely to endure similar pain again this season.

The Kangaroos’ and Lions’ youngsters also endured

their share of pain last weekend, when they were thrashed by Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs respectively.

After North Melbourne’s loss, Scott said while youngsters could learn from playing against

the competition’s best, there was also the danger the experience could be a negative one.

“They know they can play the game, they know they have ability, they’re competitive,” Scott said.

“But when you turn the ball over like we did and just give the opposition easy goals from our mistakes it starts to eat away at that belief.”

So how do clubs ensure their young players’ confidence does not take a significant hit after they’ve been on the receiving end of an on-field football lesson?

Obviously, they go back and work tirelessly at the things that let them down under pressure.

Scott made it clear his side would do that. The sting to his players’ competitive pride would fuel their drive to improve, he said.

But what about the mental side of the game? How do teams guard against youngsters carrying mental scars away from big losses?

Port Adelaide development coach Daniel Healy told the AFL Record while clubs could not afford to “sugarcoat” youngsters’ poor performances, strong player-coach relationships could ensure constructive criticism was delivered in a way that did not destroy their confi dence.

“You need to develop relationships where they understand you’re challenging their behaviour, not them personally,” Healy said.

“With players who are particularly down on form and need some strong feedback, you might do

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

7

St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes likely to miss the rest of the season after rupturing the ACL in his left knee.

it away from the sterile club environment over a coffee or lunch.”

If a youngster continued to struggle for confi dence the club might enlist the help of a sports psychologist, Healy said.

Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett stressed club leaders had to maintain a positive attitude after big losses.

TACTICS

Deledio answers call as star Tiger turns tagger CALLUM TWOMEY

They know they can play the game, they know they have ability

R

NORTH MELBOURNE COACH BRAD SCOTT

“It’s really important that the guys who have been around AFL clubs set the example in keeping positive, because it’s not going to achieve anything if the young guys lose confidence,” Ablett said after the Suns’ inaugural match.

Ultimately, though, Scott and Suns coach Guy McKenna said this week there was only one way youngsters can prove to themselves they can compete with the competition’s best – by taking the fi eld and doing it.

Scott put it succinctly.

“Really, belief only comes from evidence in your performance,” he said.

ichmond coach Damien Hardwick had reason to be concerned last week as his team faced St Kilda. He would have been particularly concerned about who he would play on Saints star Brendon Goddard.

In his past three games against the Tigers, Goddard has averaged 34 touches and a goal a game, collecting six Brownlow Medal votes.

In their two meetings last year, Hardwick’s options were limited, with prime tagger Daniel Jackson missing through either suspension or injury.

During last Friday night’s last-gasp draw with the Saints, however, Hardwick found a solution to stopping St Kilda’s best player: Brett Deledio, one of Richmond’s best players.

After a quiet first round against Carlton, Deledio played one of the most complete games of his AFL career, now in its seventh season. Not only did Deledio shut Goddard out of the contest (limiting him to 15

disposals), but he also picked up 29 of his own.

Hardwick told Fox Sports’ On The Couch that Deledio took on a defensive approach for the game, which enabled him to focus on restricting Goddard’s influence.

“He (Deledio) was terrifi c.

By his own admission, he was really disappointed with his performance in round one and went away from the things that made him a good player last year,” Hardwick said.

“He based his game more so offenc e on defence last year than offence way from m and he went away ne and and that in game one for that’s a recipe for re aa disaster if you’re ker.” half-back fl anker.”

Although ed to nominally asked to was defend, Deledioo was constructive inn ed his role. He used the experiencee to judge wheree ions Goddard positions tests, himself at contests, how hard he works ound, around the ground, and also how over strong he was over the ball. Whenn Goddard went ate in in deep forward late term, the frantic last term, ed him. him.

Deledio followed ever Da amien “I play wherever Damien njoyed my m my sees fit, but I enjoyed Godda ard role playing on Goddard resting playing p playing and it was interesting est players playyers in in on one of the best

the competition. You do learn a few things,” Deledio said.

“It was nerve-racking (when Goddard was up forward) and you don’t want to give him too many opportunities because he’d kick five or six goals on you.”

Deledio is a prototype of the modern footballer, and he had to be flexible in his role, particularly when St Kilda coach Ross Lyon used Sean Dempster to tag Deledio,while he was still manning Goddard.

Hardwick admitted he should have moved Deledio further up groundear ground earlier lierthan he did the ground earlier d after Goddard dragged him back to the goal line.

“It did cause us a little bit ther because of concern there Deledio was having a b infl uence really big o in that early on q last quarter, kick a goal kicking an having and five or six touches,” Hardwick said.

“If we had ou time again, our we probably w would have flicked the sw switch a little bi earlier.” bit NEW ROLE: Brett Deledio was given the task of minding St Kilda star Brendon Goddard.

When they’re not playing PLAYER

8

Sportsperson (other than AFL) you love watching most

Jack Grimes Melbourne

LeBron JamesColin ames GarlandSpidersClean Colin Garland the toilet

Bernie Vince Adelaide

Roger Federer

Mitch Brown West Coast

Eli ManningMark LeCrasWaterAll ofLe them Mark Cras

Andrew Mackie e Geelong

Blake GriffinJames KellySnakesClean ames Kelly Kthe toilet

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

What domestic chore do you refuse to do

Coach’s petWhat scares you most

Spiders

K urt Tip pett Kurt TippettPatrick Dangerfi Patrick D

Wa

oilet

eldWash the bathroom bathroom

em

he toilet

The AFL says it is considering trialling a select number of fi eld umpires as full-time employees.

moments we love Shaun Burgoyne’s brilliant flick pick-up and goal » Last week, in the fi rst 15

PROUD PIES: Collingwood took the premiership cup in 2010

– this week, the Magpies can unfurl their fl ag.

UNFURLING THE FLAG

Pies to add modern touch to flag tradition GLENN McFARLANE

I

t’s one of the oldest traditions in football, but Collingwood hopes to give it a modern feel ahead of the unfurling of its 2010 premiership flag against arch rival Carlton at the MCG on Friday.

Magpies president Eddie McGuire said the theme of the night would centre heavily on the club’s ‘Side by Side’ motto and he expected Collingwood fans to play a role in the ceremony. Members of the 1990 premiership team and premiership captains Lou Richards and Murray Weideman would also be involved.

McGuire planned to follow the lead of another president, Allan McAlister, who bypassed the tradition of having the president’s wife do the honours when he chose Jock McHale jnr to perform the ceremonial role in round one of the 1991 season, after a 32-year premiership drought was broken the year before.

“It will be a very special moment for all Collingwood people, and we would like to think it is in keeping with the tone and the feeling of our entire premiership year,” McGuire said.

“The unveiling of a premiership flag is an old tradition, but I think it is a great one. This is the last act of our premiership year; the fi nal underlining of it.”

The fact the unveiling will come on a night in which Collingwood plays its old foe makes the occasion even bigger as the two teams – undefeated this season – meet for the 242nd time.

The last time the Magpies unfurled a premiership fl ag before a game against the Blues was back in 1918, when president Jim Sharp’s wife did the honours at Victoria Park after the club’s 1917 Grand Final win.

The flag flew at half-mast that afternoon, owing to the fact news had just come of the death of the brother of Carlton captain Rod McGregor in the war.

McGuire said criticism of the club not unveiling the flag in round one when it played Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium was ridiculous.

“Warren Tredrea tried to make an issue of us not unfurling the flag in round one, but Etihad Stadium is not our home ground, the MCG is,” McGuire said.

“The idea is to give our members the chance to see the flag unfurled after 20 years on our home ground. As it has turned out, it is against our old cross-town rivals, and it will just add to the night.

“It is what footy in Melbourne is all about – the traditional rivals.”

GLENN McFARLANE IS A SPORTS REPORTER FOR THE SUNDAY HERALD SUN.

seconds of the last quarter, Hawthorn’s Shaun Burgoyne thrilled watchers when he used his left foot to fl ick a high kick from Cyril Rioli back to himself before it had touched the ground, then turned his Melbourne opponent James Frawley inside out and charged into an open goal.

“It did flash in my head to do a little soccer kick – like the soccer players with the ball coming in high, they keep it at their feet,” Burgoyne said. “As the ball came in, Frawley had me outbodied pretty well and I thought I would try to flick it up to myself … and it actually worked.”

It’s worth noting that Burgoyne laughed with boyish wonder at this point in our conversation. With teammates, he often mucks around hacky sack-style with footballs and soccer balls, but even he was pleasantly surprised when his attempt worked.

“If I tried it again, I’m not sure it would work. It was a little bit of a freak moment where I had to look back and see actually how it happened,” he said.

“It does feel good when you try something and it does exactly what you intended it to do.”

As defensive pressure increases, the skills of the game will respond in kind.

More time training means previously unthinkable acts can happen at rare moments when skill and preparation meets circumstance, and instinct takes over.

“There are some players out there who can just do what they want with the footy,” Burgoyne said.

His unpredictable act, however, provoked a predictable response from teammates. “They’re quick to jump on it and let me know it may have been a fl uke.”

No back patting at the Hawks.

As of Wednesday, kicking coach David Rath had not even mentioned it. “I’ve actually spoken to him about the two set shots I had that were points,” Burgoyne said with a chuckle.

PETER RYAN

Dominating the third quarter t

» Hawthorn was bracing for a 0-2 start when it was 19 points down at half-time of last week’s match against Melbourne. But its third quarter was extraordinary (as the statistics below indicate) and it went on to post an encouraging 45-point win.

HawthornMelbourne 123Disposals58 39Contested possessions23 82Uncontested possessions32 14Clearances6 15Tackles11 25Inside 50s 6 8.11 (59)Score1.1 (7) Source: Champion Data

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

9

West Coast announces sponsorship deal with Bankwest to start in 2012.

ponderings

peter ryan

Common sense overrides emotion

» Few would argue after the events of the past two weeks – on and off the fi eld – that the spirit behind the AFL’s new concussion rule is a positive for the game and its participants.

Concussions to three of the game’s young stars – Geelong’s Joel Selwood, the Brisbane Lions’ Mitch Clark and Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt – and the comments of former Melbourne player Daniel Bell reinforce the need for a consistent, competitionwide and widely understood application on how to manage concussion.

Bell revealed he has made a compensation claim based on a brain injury related to concussion.

Bell’s frank revelations highlighted the unfortunate reality that players sometimes ignore their long-term health to meet short-term goals.

Although supporting the decisions the Demons’ doctors had made in his case, he said one reason he was speaking out was in the hope other players would make sensible decisions when it came to their long-term health.

Let’s face it, as a community, we have not been very good, in general, at looking after our long-term health. Young men, I would suggest, are even worse than other segments of the population, a mix of feeling indestructible and the overlay of not being seen to be letting down your mates adding to the problem.

SEEING STARS: Jack Riewoldt was

assisted offthe ground by Richmond’s medical staff after taking this heavy knock (right) last week.

With a spectator culture that likes to glorify the gladiatorial aspect of the game (note, participants suffering the consequences are less inclined to do so) and you have the potential for emotional input into what must always be rational decisions that rely on evidence and expertise.

While impossible to imagine AFL club doctors relenting under pressure when a player’s welfare is at stake, the AFL has a responsibility to show the way for lower levels of

He (Riewoldt) tweeted his support for the doctor

10

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

football, too, with a conservative approach most appropriate.

The new rule is based on evidence of concussion in Australian Football gathered over 25 years, as well national and international research focusing on the understanding and management of concussion injuries.

In a high percentage of cases, players recover from concussion when managed properly.

The new rule is based on an understanding that a risk of complications after concussion is thought to increase if a player is allowed to return to the fi eld before he has recovered.

Richmond had to substitute Riewoldt out of the game after its diagnosis that he had suffered concussion.

One positive effect of the concussion rule debate is that it is forcing most of us to recognise that being sensible more often than not beats the application of emotion when it comes to player welfare.

Channel Seven commentator and former Geelong captain Tom Harley highlighted this last Friday night when he lent both personal experience and an understanding of the intent of the new rule to provide an informed and insightful response to what was unfolding in the Riewoldt situation.

His take was the same one his former teammate Jimmy Bartel took the next day in the morning papers: trust the doctors.

Players understand that when it comes to cconcussion, every ssituation (and each p patient) is different a and can be treated a accordingly. They k know there is m much more at sstake than the rresult of a game a and understand tthat the impact o of a knock is u unpredictable.

Eventually last Friday night, after some theatre from Riewoldt – who wanted to return to the fray – and strong, professional decision-making from the club doctor, Riewoldt was substituted from the game, destined to play no further part.

At the time, he did not like it. Upon refl ection the next morning, he tweeted his support for the doctor. While losing no admirers for his actions, he served to highlight why such decisions need to be left in the hands of the doctors.

He also reinforced what Bell’s comments told us. That culture of being macho when our long-term health is at stake helps nobody.

The concussion rule is conservative but applicable.

If in doubt, the player should sit it out.

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

10

VISIT A TELSTRA STORE OR PARTNER | TELSTRA.COM/FOOTYPACK

GET CLOSER TO YOUR FOOTY TEAM WITH A SAMSUNG GALAXY 551

EXCLUSIVE TO TELSTRA

FREE

BIGPOND® FOOTY ACTION PACK

SEASON SUBSCRIPTION WHEN YOU SMS ‘FOOTYPACK’ TO 13POND

59

$

NEW FREEDOM® CONNECT PLAN 24 - MONTH TERM MIN COST $1416

INCLUDES:

550 CALLS & MMS

$

UNLIMITED TEXT

1.5GB DATA ALL TO STANDARD AUSTRALIAN NUMBERS (EXCLUDES USE OVERSEAS)

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: If you cancel early you must repay remaining handset repayments in addition to any early termination charge for your service. Our FairPlay Policy applies.

Excludes some calls/SMS; such as calls/SMS to premium numbers (eg 19xx numbers), operator assisted calls (eg most 12xx numbers), content charges (incl 3rd party charges), info calls (eg most 11xx numbers), data usage, diverted calls and use while overseas. See telstra.com for details. Unused allowances expire monthly. Standard charges apply for excluded usage and for usage over $550 & 1.5GB. Only available to new customers and existing customers with a 13-digit account number. Action Pack Season offer for new subscribers with a 13-digit account number who purchase a Samsung Galaxy 551 between 29/3/11 and 26/4/11 and SMS ‘footypack’ to 13POND (standard SMS charges apply) before midnight 9/5/11. Customers must unsubscribe before the end of the season (9 months) or they will be moved to the monthly Action Pack and charged $5.95 per month. Viewing limit of 300 min/month and 15min/session apply. For full terms and conditions visit telstra.com/ footypack. Android and the Android compatibility mark are trademarks of Google, Inc. ® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited, ABN 33 051 775 556.

TCON1154/AFL/W/AR

West Coast and Sydney Swans to play second annual HMAS Sydney II Commemorative game this weekend.

ON THE IMPROVE

Belief is restored as Eagles turn the corner

LEADING THE WAY: Veteran Andrew Embley is setting the example for his young teammates.

KATRINA GILL

W

hen coach John Worsfold claimed West Coast would make the fi nal eight and be in a position to challenge for a premiership by 2012, even the most one-eyed of Eagles supporters thought his aim was ambitious.

The former AFL powerhouse managed just 12 wins from 44 games in 2008-09 and last season showed little sign of improvement – at least on the scoreboard, anyway – recording only four victories and collecting its first wooden spoon.

It was difficult to see how a team that finished two games clear on the bottom of the AFL ladder could leapfrog clubs seemingly more advanced in their development, such as Melbourne, Adelaide and North Melbourne, and make it into the eight within the space of two years.

It’s early days and any thoughts of the rebuilding process at West Coast being complete are premature, but two rounds into the season many others are starting to get a glimpse of what Worsfold has seen all along.

The unbeaten Eagles are in the eight and are only three wins shy

of eclipsing their effort last season.

Granted, the Eagles’ victories have come against two bottom-eight teams from last year (Port Adelaide and an undermanned North Melbourne), but the triumph over the Power was significant in that it ended a 13-year hoodoo for the club um. against Port at AAMI Stadium.

After the game, ruckmann m Dean Cox, whose solid form ast’s has contributed to West Coast’s early-season success, said his er” team had “turned the corner”

after three seasons near the bottom of the ladder.

Emerging players Brad Ebert, Nic Naitanui, Scott Selwood, Patrick McGinnity and Will Schofield have played two or three seasons together, the round-two NAB AFL Rising Star nominee Luke Shuey has shrugged off injury and draftees Andrew Gaff and Jack Darling have made immediate impacts.

The Eagles have improved their defensive capacity and also appear more committed to doing the little things, as evidenced last weekend by Beau Waters’ inspirational smother and the chasing and tackling of Darling and Josh Kennedy.

Unfortunately, Waters is expected to be sidelined for 10-12 weeks with an elbow tendon injury.

West Coast came within a point of breaking its losing streak against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in round 20 last season, but couldn’t find a way to win.

Worsfold said the difference this season was that his team now believed it could win.

“The belief within the group is a lot stronger,” he said. “That belief in themselves that they are going to match it (with the opposition) and go out to win games.”

The Eagles’ belief will be tested again at Patersons Stadium this weekend when the hardened and always-competitive Sydney Swans come to town.

MILESTONES ROUND 3

AFL Life Membership

Alastair Clarkson(Haw)

145 games as a playerwith North Melbourne and Melbourne; 154 games as a coach

239 games

Matthew Pavlich (Frem)

Will break club games record held by Shane Parker

200 games

Nick Riewoldt (StK)

150 games

Ben Rutten (Adel) Jarrad McVeigh (Syd)

100 10 00 games

Mark Blake B Mark (Geel)

A night of firsts for trivia buffs » Gold Coast’s fi rst AFL match

ended in a 119-point hammering at the hands of Carlton. The night, however, wasn’t just about the Suns being given their first lesson.

There were several firsts for the AFL’s 17th club. Twelve Suns

100 club cl games made their AFL debuts. Former mer Port Adelaide defender Nathan han Krakouer had the club’s fi rstt kick. Ruckman Zac Smith kicked cked the club’s fi rst score: a behind. nd.

Tall, agile forward Charlie Dixon, Dixon, after a dropped mark and a quick quick sidestep to the left, kicked the he club’s first goal.

And Michael Rischitelli (31 disposals) was his team’s highest hest possession-winner in its first game, game, which was played in front of 27,914 27,914 people at the Gabba in Brisbane. ane.

CALLUM TWOMEY TWOMEY

12

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

Brentt G Guerra (Haw)

50 5 games

PART OF HISTORY: Charlie

Dixon kicked Gold Coast’s fi rst goal.

hR Heath Ryan (Umpire) The llist includes those not necessa necessarily arilyselected but on the ve verge erge of milestones.

GRA23159

This year’s NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft to be held on Tuesday, December 13.

TOP END GRAND FINAL

NT flag a family affair for Motlops PETER ARGENT

F

our members of the famous Motlop clan were strong contributors in the Wanderers’ first Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) premiership in 18 years, with coach Paul Motlop involved in his fi rst flag of any type when he coached three of his brother’s sons to victory.

The sons of Paul and his brothers Eddie, Mark and Maurice (Mo) have played football at various levels across the country, including the AFL. A foundation club of the competition, Wanderers won the 2010-11 Grand Final played recently at TIO Stadium in

Darwin, beating St Mary’s 13.10 (88) to 9.6 (60).

Aaron Motlop (son of Mark) was superb, winning the coveted Cheney Medal as best player on the ground on what was Northern Territory football’s biggest day. He won possessions at will and used the ball creatively and with precision.

Returning to the side after suspension, Thomas Motlop (also a son of Mark) was an important avenue to goal.

The small forward thwarted the Saints’ defence, fi nishing with an equal game-high three goals.

Veteran Shannon Motlop (son of Eddie and brother of Port Adelaide forward Daniel and Geelong’s Steven) has already enjoyed Grand Final success, playing in North Melbourne’s 1999 flag. He kicked two important goals

CREATIVE: Aaron Motlop otlop

d in the was best-on-ground the emiership Wanderers’ first premiership success in 18 years.

and threatened at at times timesto t to contest. break open the contest. he most But perhaps the ber of of this thiis important member ch Paul Paul Motlop, M Motlop, quartet was coach ton missed misseed the the whose son Brenton of injury. injury.. season because of pre-gam me Motlop spoke pre-game ut of the about “getting out his players playyers blocks early” andd his rdingly. responded accordingly. specialto tocoach coach “It was pretty special hews in this th hiswin win three of my nephews for the the and it was a greatt night for aid.

Wanderers,” he said. fore.

“I haven’t won a flag befo before. na)was wasin inthe the My mother (Lorna) as very proud.” prroud.” crowd and she was * MARLON MOTLOP, WHO WHO IS ISON ON ST, IS PORT ADELAIDE’S LIST, ISTHE THE SON OF MAURICE.

It was pretty special to coac coach ch three of my nephews in this is wi win n PAUL MOTLOP

Great on paper.

Even better on air.

Fantastic commentary from the best team in footy.

Your game. Your station.

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

15

Hawthorn’s Cyril Rioli to miss one match for striking Melbourne’s Nathan Jones.

Things don’t come easy.

You’ve got to work in life

Footy and food a way of life for Dimattina PAUL DAFFEY

I

f you are looking for a model footballer who balanced playing and working, look no further than former Western Bulldogs midfielder Paul Dimattina.

Dimattina, now 36, played 131 games for the Dogs before retiring in 2003. Throughout his AFL career, he played his part in his family’s restaurant business, working at its fl agship restaurant, Dimattina’s, in Lygon Street, Carlton.

From Monday to Friday, Dimattina worked for two or three hours at lunchtime in whatever capacity was required: “meet and greet”, behind the bar, waiting on tables. In the off-season, he worked nights as well.

When his AFL career fi nished, Dimattina went into the business

full-time. His fi rst two years were spent on the Gold Coast, where he joined his brother Andrew (who played 28 games for Collingwood) in helping to expand the family’s interests.

On the Gold Coast, the brothers also joined forces at Southport, where they played in successive Grand Finals for one flag. Their teammates included Sam Gilbert (now at St Kilda), Brett Renouf (Hawthorn), Jesse White (Sydney Swans) and Brad Moran and Kurt Tippett (Adelaide).

“It was the best fun I’ve had playing for years,” Dimattina says. “Not that the AFL isn’t fun, but it’s a massive commitment.”

Back in Melbourne, Dimattina has become the face of the business, dividing his time between the family’s six restaurants in Melbourne. There are also three on the Gold Coast and one in Adelaide.

Our interview takes place in the Society restaurant at the top of Bourke Street in Melbourne’s CBD. Dimattina is wearing a pair of silver-grey strides, a fi tted

JOIN ONLINE melbournefc.com.au PHONE 1300 DEMONS

Or visit marquees outside the ground at any MCG game.

16

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

black shirt and black leather shoes. He must get flustered given the scale of his job, but you can never imagine him losing his sense of style.

On the morning of the interview, he has already had meetings with the marketing people, the accountant and his father, Frank, also a one-time League footballer, who continues to play a role in the business in semi-retirement. “We call him the quality control manager,” Dimattina says.

Melbourne sets new membership mark by signing its 33,359th member.

Paul’s grandfather, Frank snr, came to Australia from Italy in 1922. The family is from the Aeolian islands, which are strung out across the top of Sicily. The poverty of those islands has driven a remarkable number of Aeolian immigrants to become successful in business in Melbourne.

In 1954, the Dimattina family created Mocopan, the ďŹ rst major coffee business in Melbourne.

In 1973, Frank jnr bought the family’s ďŹ rst restaurant, La Dolce Vita in Armadale.

Dimattina’s sense of history shines through in his creation of Society, which is a touch more sophisticated than the mid-level restaurants that underpin the family’s operations.

Society was known as the Italian Society restaurant when it was established in 1932. Its name was changed a decade later because the circumstances of World War II meant anti-Italian sentiment was prevalent.

It remained Society until it underwent two name changes in the 1990s. The Dimattinas bought the restaurant in 2007, with a view to reviving its glory days.

FACT FILE

28

Paul Dimattina

Born: November 22, 1974 Games: 131 Goals: 56 Debut: Round 18, 1995 Last game: Round 21, 2003

DIFFERENT GOALS: Paul Dimattina, opposite, relaxes at one of his family restaurants and, above, in his playing days with the Bulldogs.

Dimattina made sure the dĂŠcor and menu were the same as those from the restaurant’s heyday in the 1930s. The walls are adorned with images of food and wine and maps of Italian provinces, just like they were before the war. “I like history,â€? he says The Dimattinas’ footy history is like a box of Smarties. Frank was a rover who played 56 games at Richmond and North Melbourne in the 1960s and early 1970s. In the late 1980s, when the Tigers were at a low ebb, he served as team manager.

Andrew played as a m midďŹ elder at Box Hill in the VF VFL and in the Essendon res reserves before playing for Collingwood for three seasons.

Paul was on the list at Richmond, playing in the reserves while still at school at Marcellin College, before receiving a jolt. “I was delisted,â€? he says. “I’d ďŹ nished year 12 and I thought it was all going to happen for me. It was a bit of a shock.â€?

Dimattina then played at Essendon on the supplementary list and was set to be drafted on to the Bombers’ senior list when the Dogs pipped them in the 1995 Pre-Season Draft. He played for the Bulldogs for nine seasons, during which time he became a busy midďŹ elder with the

ability to streak into space – as well as a frequent visitor to the Tribunal. “I had an angry streak,� he says.

One the quirks of his career is that he met his two closest friends in football, Mark Mercuri and Steve Alessio, at Essendon.

Dimattina says his jolt at Richmond, which the family considered “its� club, taught him that nothing is achieved without effort. “Things don’t come easy,� he says. “You’ve got to work in life.�

Like most former footballers, he’s come away from the game believing in the value of unity. “I talk to my staff as if they’re part of a team,� he says. “You don’t all have to be best friends but, when you turn up, you work harmoniously.�

Away from work, Dimattina likes to spend time with his boy and two girls aged from seven to three. At work, he escapes his daily rigours by repairing to the third oor of the Society restaurant and doing some transcendental meditation. “It gives me clarity of thought; an inner calmness,â€? he says.

:KHQ JDPHV RI IRRW\ HDFK ZHHN DUHQ¡W HQRXJK

WXQH LQ WR 6SRUWV 7RGD\

SP² SP

MELBOURNE’S OWN AFL RECORD

visit a record.com.au

17

Richmond’s Luke McGuane suspended for two matches for illegal bump on Saint Farren Ray.

PLAYERS WE LOVE

He continues to develop areas of his game to suit the way modern football is played

Jude Bolton SYDNEY SWANS

» The remarkable thing

about Jude Bolton is not that he is still playing for the Sydney Swans four seasons after the club supposedly wanted to discard him.

Amazingly, at 31, he continues to develop areas of his game to suit the way modern football is played.

And again against Essendon last week, we saw Bolton at his most des desperate, combative ective. and eff effec Bolton was clearly best on against the Bombers. ground a He picked up 25 disposals were contested) (17 we and finished with an efficiency rating of 84 effic per cent.

And although c never considered a neve classic when it comes classi kicking style, Bolton’s to kicki kicking was w on target and he goals straight. booted three th The last la goal was not only the match-winner, it was the end of a piece of play that th more or less characterised Bolton’s characte career since he made his career si debut in 1999. only minutes With o remaining, Bolton, having remainin already laid already l eight tackles for the match, matc applied his ninth

and most important.

With Bombers defender Kyle Hardingham in possession, Bolton seized upon his indecision and his tackle was rewarded with a free kick for holding the ball, about 45m from goal on a 45-degree angle. He might not be renowned for his long kicking, but performing under pressure is perhaps Bolton’s greatest skill.

Bolton coolly and calmly went back before starting his run-up to goal. He started with a brisk walk before getting into a straight line run, taking deep breaths with each step. The kick was more than good. It was perfect.

After celebrating accordingly, one got the sense Bolton’s forward foray was the 259-gamer simply moonlighting as a player who loves the spotlight because, as soon as the ball was bounced following the goal, he went back to his day job: playing it hard and tough in the clinches.

After giving the Swans the lead, there was no way Bolton was going to let the Bombers get it back.

CALLUM TWOMEY

TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM LIVE SCORES ON YOUR MOBILE

WIN A TOYOTA FJ CRUISER BROUGHT TO YOU BY

} BEAT YOUR MATES

FJ. A LEGEND RETURNS.

® Registered trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited. ABN 33 051 775 556 (a) Open until 11.59 pm AEST on 05/09/11. (b) To enter and be eligible to win, Entrants must, register to participate in the Dream Team Game at http://afl.virtualsports.com.au (the “Website”) in accordance with the Rules. For full Terms & Condition see the Website. (c) Weekly Prizes: A cheque in the sum of $500.00 (inc GST). (d) Major Prize: A Toyota FJ Cruiser Automatic (4.0L V6 petrol engine, part time 4WD), valued up to $50,000.00 (inc GST). (e) Eliminator Prize: A cheque in the sum of $2,000.00 (inc GST). (f) Top Weekly Scorer Prizes: A cheque in the sum of $2,000.00 (inc GST) for each Round. (g) Promoter is Telstra Corporation Limited (ABN 33 051 775 556) of Level 3, 400 George Street, Sydney NSW. (i). Authorised by permit numbers: NSW: LTPS/11/00120, ACT: TP 11/00002, VIC: 10/4642 & SA: T10/3163.

18

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

AUSTRALIA’S #1 TELEVISION RETAILER

Introducing the

Latest in Plasma from

849 $ 1049 $

PS43D450A2M

BIG 43” ONLY

SAMSUNG HIGH DEFINITION PLASMA TELEVISION. 1024 x 768 resolution, 600Hz sub-field drive, 2x HDMI, HD digital tuner.

2

500 DAYS

PS51D450A2M

BIGGER 51” ONLY

Interest Free • NO DEPOSIT • NO INTEREST

*1

• NO REPAYMENTS until August 2012

ON NOW!

ON ELECTRICAL & COMPUTERS ONLY

FOR YOUR NEAREST STORE CALL

THE BIG SCREEN SPECIALIST www.harveynorman.com.au

Product offers end 13/04/11. Harvey Norman® stores are operated by independent franchisees. *1. Conditions of No Deposit, No Interest, No Repayments for 500 days: Available to approved customers on single or multiple transactions where the amount financed is $500 or more on GO MasterCard, GO Business MasterCard, Buyer’s Edge and GE CreditLine between 25/03/11 and 27/04/11. Offer available on purchases from Harvey Norman franchisees (excludes Miele and Apple products). Interest and payments are payable after the interest free and payment deferred period. Offer available on advertised or ticketed price. This notice is given under each of the GO MasterCard, GO Business MasterCard, Buyer’s Edge and GE CreditLine Conditions of Use (as applicable) which specify all other conditions for this offer. A $25.00 Establishment Fee for GO MasterCard and GE CreditLine applies to all new applications. The GO Business MasterCard attracts a $40 Annual Fee. Account Service fee of $3.95 per month applies for GO Mastercard, GE CreditLine and Buyer’s Edge and $2.95 per month for GO Business MasterCard and other fees and charges are payable. For GO MasterCard, GO Business MasterCard and Buyer’s Edge, credit is provided by GE Capital Finance Australia (ABN 42 008 583 588) and for GE CreditLine, credit is provided by GE Finance Australasia Pty Ltd (ABN 88 000 015 485), both trading as GE Money. *2. Terms and conditions apply. See in store for details.

199410_NAU

The round-eight Sydney Swans-Port Adelaide match to start at 7.40pm (local time), 30 minutes later than originally scheduled.

MAKING AN IMPACT

AFL backs disability employment program

T

RYAN RAWLINGS

he AFL has joined with Disability Works Australia (DWA) to create more job opportunities for people with a disability.

The AFL recently signed a memorandum of understanding with DWA with the aim of employing more people with a disability across the industry.

Twenty-two people with a disability are already working with the AFL and AFL clubs as a result of the program, which is funded through the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. They include Renee Stephenson, who is employed in the Western Bulldogs’ club shop at Whitten Oval and

20

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

HELPING HAND: Renee Stephenson (left) assists Bulldogs staff, including

merchandise manager Michele Thomas, in the club shop at Whitten Oval.

works up to 16 hours a week as a merchandise assistant.

Stephenson has an intellectual disability and her role is tailored towards her strengths, which include stock control, store presentation and customer service.

“Renee has instantly become part of the team and boosted morale with her positive attitude,” Bulldogs merchandise

manager Michele Thomas said.

“Most importantly, what Renee is able to contribute during her shift is of great benefi t to our business.”

The program’s ambassador is Western Bulldogs player Sam Reid. He found out last season he has type 1 diabetes, but has learned to manage the condition as he forges an AFL career.

The AFL’s general manager of human resources, Christina Ogg, said one in five people in Australia have a disability and many of them still face significant discrimination when seeking employment.

“The AFL disability employment program is about making a positive impact on the Australian community,” she said. “It is also smart business to recognise the benefits of employing people with a disability.”

DWA provides support for recruitment processes and disability-specific information to facilitate the employment process in a supportive manner and without burdening an organisation.

“There are many determined and capable people with a disability who, if given an opportunity, can make an outstanding contribution to an organisation,” DWA CEO Tina Zeleznik said.

The program will be offi cially launched before this round’s Western Bulldogs-Gold Coast match at Etihad Stadium.

For more information, contact DWA on 1800 356 670.

Farren Ray

Michael Johnson

Kieren Jack

James Podsiadly

ISC’s compression fabric is knitted with a 100% recycled yarn, Repreve®, made entirely from post consumer plastics - a step toward environmental sustainability.

Materials such as post consumer plastics that normally go to to landfill are broken down to create this new technical yarn.

This results in reducing the requirement of crude oil and conserving energy.

The recycled yarn is combined with high powered elastane to provide excellent stretch and recovery and enhanced durability.

Available from your club stores or all good sporting retail outlets.

Go to www.isccompression.com.au to find out more.

ISC are the Official compression wear supplier to...

Mens

Womens

Youth

Western Bulldog Barry Hall needs four goals to become just 20th player to kick 700 goals. als.

AWAY FROM THE GAME

Taylor a Cat who thrives on injuries

HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE:

Harry Taylor combines football and on-the-job training while he studies physiotherapy.

IAN KENINS

F

ootballers do their best to avoid the medical rooms, but not Geelong defender Harry Taylor.

“I’m always walking past there having a look in to see if any new injuries might have come about, something a bit obscure I can take an interest in,” Taylor says.

“With my own injuries, I’m always asking questions about them, which other players have had that particular injury, and what modern therapies are available to treat it.”

As well as being an All-Australian centre half-back, the 24-year-old is a fourth-year physiotherapy student.

From a young age, he always liked looking at photos of the human body in medical books.

“I was interested in how we’re made up and how so intricately the nerves and brain are pieced together,” he says.

Taylor’s left leg is 2.5cm longer than his right, which required him to visit physios as a youngster to help manage his pronounced limp.

“Even at that age, I was asking questions why this was happening, what could I do for it, and whether it affected many people,” he says. “So, instead of lying on the table, I was always asking questions and probably annoying the physios a bit.”

After secondary school at Geraldton Grammar, on the central coast in Western Australia, Taylor enrolled in the physiotherapy course at Curtin

University and had completed Western Australia and seeks three of the four years when the advice from one of Geelong’s Cats called out his name at the three physios, former Richmond 2007 NAB AFL Draft. player Duncan Kellaway.

The final year of Taylor’s “Duncan studied while he was course is all playing, so it’s practical, good to talk requiring about how he 9am-5pm-style juggled study attendance, and footy,” so he does his he says. best to squeeze Taylor also in placements gets some at medical practical clinics during tuition from HARRY TAYLOR the little spare the physios. time he has “If there’s an between football commitments. x-ray or MRI scan that has come “Pre-season, it’s important through, I’ll sit with one of them we stay off our legs and rest, and have a bit of analysis of it. so I’ll do the placements when “He might even give me a quiz there’s a bit more time during to try to pick the problem. It’s the season,” he says. really good learning for me.”

Taylor keeps in contact with Taylor says several players ask a few uni student friends from him advice on injury treatment,

I was asking questions and annoying the physios

which he’s happy to provide with his limited experience. What he doesn’t yet know, he learns from textbooks before going to bed.

Taylor says the knowledge gained from studying physiotherapy has also benefi ted his football. “I can push my body to that grey area and know the potential risks and the time I’ll be out,” he says.

And being a footballer has benefited his study. “If something gets sore in a particular spot in the body, I can generally theorise why and where it’s coming from. Often where you’re feeling pain is not the spot where it’s coming from.”

Taylor’s special interest is gerontology, the study of the physical and mental changes in the ageing process. When he finishes his course, he says he would like to work with older people and is looking forward to a practical placement at the Grace McKellar retirement centre in Geelong.

“When you’re younger, you want to function as best as you possibly can,” he says. “When people get older, it’s about pain management and mobility and functionality, so that governs what treatment you do.

“The fact you get so much satisfaction from doing something small to help their life is such a positive.”

BUY OFFICIAL GEAR DIRECT FROM YOUR CLUB

VISIT AFL.COM.AU/SHOP

22

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

Sport & Eco. A beautiful contradiction.

The new CT 200h has a unique two mood, two mode hybrid system. Its character changes with the turn of a dial. The wilder ‘Sport Mode’ gives you responsive acceleration and agility, while the calmer ‘Eco Mode’ gives you a smooth fluid drive, which assists in maximising fuel efficiency and minimising emissions.

That’s why it’s a beautiful contradiction. To take a closer look at the new CT 200h, the world’s first luxury hybrid hatch, see your Lexus Dealer or go to lexus.com.au/ct

New CT 200h

Book the ultimate footy weekend.

See your team on the Gold Coast with airfares, 2 nights accommodation, transfers, pre-match function, Silver Reserve Grandstand Ticket & more from $715pp*!

Virgin Blue. The official airline and proud sponsor of the AFL. virginblue.com.au/holidays

The holiday program of

*Departing Melbourne & Sydney. Prices based on per person, twin share. Seats are limited and may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Package price is per person twin share and is correct as at 25 March 2011. Package on sale until 13 May 2011. Travel periods vary depending on match. During some periods air and hotel pricing may not be available and surcharges may apply. Prices are subject to availability and are not guaranteed until the booking is completed and confirmed.

Full payment is required at the time of booking and cancellation or amendment fees apply. Package pricing is based on web bookings or $30 more per person by phone, capped at 4 people. A credit card service fee is included in the total package price.

Prices based on direct route, including taxes, levies and other government charges which may vary and are subject to change. Seasonal surcharges may apply. Hotel rates quoted are based on double occupancy, per room, per night, per person, per package, unless otherwise noted. Prices based on lead-in room, additional rooms available. Checked baggage charges apply. Pre-pay $12 online for up to 23kg of checked baggage per person per one way flight, or pay $40 at the airport for the same allowance. Excludes Velocity Gold and Silver Members. Excess baggage above 23kg will attract a charge of $15 per kg (or part thereof). Visit www.virginblue.com.au for more information.

SETTING A NEW MARK

matthew

PAVLICH S

led Fremantle’s goalkicking seven times. ars Pavlich appears nce to have the licence mes Essendon’s James oes Hird had – he goes eed ded, wherever he’s needed, dersh hip his natural leadership sho ow. skills always onnshow. as shown shown Pavlich, 29, has alty to tothe theDockers Dockers remarkable loyalty porttsconstantly constantly in the face of reports hetwo ttwoAdelaide Adelaide linking him to the me state. sttate. clubs in his home seeason, Since his thirddseason, rom m the No. 4 pick from the 1999 draft hasn’t finished outside the top ntle’s three in Fremantle’s aw ward, best and fairest award, wiinning the Doig Medal,, winning 2005 5-08. it in 2002 and 2005-08. n, Pavlich Paavlich has For a big man, killl,power powerand and extraordinary skill, ove all, a all, he is a endurance. Above r. Hee chooses not pure ball player. thrrowinghis his to waste energyy throwing weight around.

For a player who appeared hisscareer careerthat that to grasp early innhis lifethan thanfootball, football, there is more to life thegame gamethat that there is little in the chie eved,bar baran an Pavlich hasn’t achieved, p.

AFL premiership. do oing We know he’ss doing anto tto everything he can NATHAN SCHMOOK change that.

BORN LEADER: Matthew

Pavlich, who breaks the Dockers’ games record this week, is everything you would want in a captain.

PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM/AFL PHOTOS

tar forward Matthew Pavlich has displayed incredible durability, versatility and loyalty as an AFL player.

Those three traits will be recognised this week when he becomes Fremantle’s games record-holder, against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium.

Pavlich’s professionalism is legendary at Fremantle Oval and he is set to pass former full-back Shane Parker’s 238-game mark, having missed just eight games since his debut against Melbourne in round fi ve of the 2000 season at the WACA (when he kicked two goals).

Now in his 12th season, Pavlich might be one of the most versatile players of his generation. He has been named All-Australian six times, at full-back (2002), half-forward (2003), centre half-forward (2005), on the interchange (2006 and 2008) and full-forward (2007).

Fremantle coach Mark Harvey believes Matthew Pavlich’s club games record at the end of his career is unlikely to be overtaken, with fewer players able to push towards the 300-game mark in the modern era.

“This might be the last time a player breaks a record like this, the way the game’s going,” Harvey said.

One can’t help but enjoy watching Pavlich play, especially considering his initiative and feel for the game. When the opposition takes the momentum, Pavlich is inevitably in the centre square for the next bounce. When his midfield is on a roll, he is the focus of the forward line. He has

This might be the last time a player breaks a record like this, the way the game’s going FREMANTLE COACH MARK HARVEY

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

57

(He’s) an animal ... with an insatiable appetite to run

PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM/AFL PHOTOS

MAX HUDGHTON ON NICK RIEWOLDT

58

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

NICK RIEWOLDT

INSIGHTS INTO A

SUPERSTAR It is one of football’s most daunting assignments, keeping up with champion St Kilda forward Nick Riewoldt, a superb athlete whose incredible work rate and relentless running knows no limits. On the eve of the superstar’s 200th game, three of his peers explain what it is that sets him apart from the rest. NICK BOWEN

P

laying on Nick Riewoldt can make a player feel like Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner.

For starters, he might take you on a searching lead that starts in St Kilda’s forward pocket and ends near your team’s forward 50m line.

Gasping for air, you think you’ve got him where you want him when the Saints kick to another option.

But, before you know it, he’s escaped your clutches and is hightailing it back towards the Saints’ forward line.

You lag behind, tongue hanging out, as the St Kilda skipper runs on, knowing only a teammate or a Saints error can stop him.

But, even if fate smiles on you, you soon realise there will be no respite.

Just like the Road Runner, Riewoldt will keep running, to the next contest. It will be that way for the rest of the match.

At the end of which – no matter how quiet you may have kept him – you’ll look and feel as ragged as the poor old Coyote, one of the cartoon world’s longest-suffering fall guys.

It has been that way for Riewoldt’s opponents since he made his AFL debut in round 15, 2001.

In that time, he has almost single-handedly redefi ned the role of the key forward, introducing the type of work ethic that was once the sole domain of the game’s elite midfi elders.

This Sunday, Riewoldt is due to play his 200th AFL game and,

at 28, football’s running man has shown few signs of slowing down.

In the lead-up to the Saints skipper’s milestone, the AFL Record spoke with three people who know Riewoldt the player intimately, and each marvelled at the work rate that has defi ned his career.

Geelong centre half-back Harry Taylor said Riewoldt was the hardest-running forward he had played on. Former Collingwood full-back Simon Prestigiacomo said in his 15-season career he’d played on just two other tall forwards with a similar work rate – ex-Richmond star Matthew Richardson and Brisbane Lions skipper Jonathan Brown.

Former St Kilda full-back Max Hudghton, who played alongside Riewoldt for nine seasons, was more blunt, describing his ex-teammate as an “animal … with an insatiable appetite to run”.

Taylor, who was last year’s All-Australian centre half-back, said Riewoldt was so hard to keep up with because he had the full arsenal of running weapons – speed off the mark, a “cruising” speed of more than 24km/h achieved through a textbook, efficient running style, and lung-busting endurance.

Taylor also offered an insight into what it was like to follow Riewoldt on one of his long outand-back leads down the ground.

“Once you get back to the (St Kilda) goalsquare, you think, ‘He’s just done 200m worth of leading, surely that’s enough’,” Taylor said.

“But he’ll still fi nd some energy to go back at the ball if

it’s in another spot. That’s what separates him from a lot of the other players I’ve played on.

“It’s not necessarily that fi rst or second effort – because most of the good players can do that – it’s those third and fourth efforts he produces.

“He just has that ability to keep pushing himself to the limit, no matter what.”

One game against St Kilda, in particular, remains scorched in Taylor’s mind. It was the epic round 14 clash of 2009 at Etihad Stadium. Both the Saints and Cats entered that game undefeated, St Kilda ultimately emerging a six-point winner in a thrilling preview to that year’s Grand Final.

But that’s not why Taylor remembers it. He can’t forget it because it was the day Riewoldt introduced him to a level of fatigue he had never known before.

“The majority of the game I was just absolutely exhausted from the amount of running he did,” Taylor said.

“It was the most he’s ever run in a game when I’ve played on him. The roof was closed, it was a really quick game and he was just up and down the ground continuously.

“He never stopped and I can remember thinking after that game, ‘Wow, that was defi nitely the hardest I’ve had to run in a game of footy’.

“I just felt like I was always chasing him. I never felt like I had some ascendancy and he had to follow me.”

Prestigiacomo recounted similar experiences of playing on Riewoldt. For him, a particularly

long Riewoldt out-and-back lead in round one of last year’s NAB Cup soon came to mind.

“We went pretty much from inside the St Kilda 50m to our forward 50m line. He then managed to slip past me and he sprinted just as hard all the way back.

“I think both of our tongues were hanging out and Nick said, ‘That was a fair run wasn’t it? I almost ripped my hammy’.”

But Prestigiacomo said keeping up with Riewoldt when he doubled back towards goal was just the start of your problems.

“He could take those marks running back with the fl ight of the ball, or crumb if the ball hit the ground,” he said. “He just didn’t stop.”

Riewoldt had a killer instinct too, Prestigiacomo said.

Knowing he had an aerobic advantage over his opponents, he would often try to ram it home near the end of quarters when they were longing for a break, he said.

So how do you try to combat such an aerobic animal?

Taylor said after playing on Riewoldt the first time, he had focused on trying to match the Saint’s endurance.

But he conceded that alone was not enough, saying most clubs now rotated two key defenders on and off the Saints skipper.

Even then, Riewoldt’s opponents remain highly reliant on the pressure their teammates put on St Kilda players up the field, Taylor said.

“If your teammates can pressure the incoming kick, it gives you a better chance,” he said.

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

59

nick riewoldt “Having the other 17 guys helping me is the only reason I’ve had some success on him in the past.”

Prestigiacomo said in recent seasons Collingwood had also assigned two defenders to Riewoldt, but in a zone-based tagteam. For example, Prestigiacomo might have manned Riewoldt when he was inside the Saints’ forward 50m, but Nick Maxwell would take over when he worked further up the ground.

Another tactic Prestigiacomo had employed with some success was putting body blocks on Riewoldt.

“You really had to use that sort of bodying. If he wanted to run, it meant he had to run around you or go through you,” he said.

“If he got in front of you, he knew he was fitter than most people so he would just run and run and wouldn’t stop. You couldn’t let him get that metre on you because he’d increase it to five metres and so on.

“When he pushed up the ground, you had to bump him to try to stop him from getting back and getting goal-side on you because, once he did that, you were in a fair bit of strife.”

FACT FILE

RUNNING THEM RAGGED:

NICK RIEWOLDT

Riewoldt takes full advantage of his elite aerobic ability.

Born: October 17, 1982 Recruited from: Southport (Qld) Debut: Round 15, 2001 v Adelaide Height: 193cm Weight: 96kg Games: 199 Goals: 441 Player honours: best and fairest 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009; All-Australian 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 (capt); AFLPA MVP 2004; leading goalkicker 2008, 2009; NAB AFL Rising Star 2002; preseason premierships 2004, 2008 Brownlow Medal: career votes 95

As a former teammate, Hudghton observed Riewoldt’s single-minded and fastidious preparation for matches and said his elite running ability stemmed directly from it.

“The way he prepared, his appetite for hard work just became part of the way he played – it was second-nature to him,” Hudghton said.

“Whether it was pre-season or mid-year training, Nick had an insatiable appetite to run and train hard. I always say the best trainers become the best players and Nick is a classic example of that.”

Hudghton said Riewoldt’s commitment extended to his unique pre-match routine, in which he takes to the ground long before anyone else to

do a series of run-throughs, visualising what he wants to do in the match.

Hudghton admitted he was lucky to be able to observe Riewoldt from the opposite end of the ground and marvel at his running, rather than having to try and keep up with him.

“He’s certainly torn some very highly-rated players to pieces over the years,” Hudghton said.

Playing on him is a daunting challenge but it’s one Taylor has relished.

“It’s something I really look forward to,” he said.

“It’s something I know I’ll be able to cherish when I retire. When I’m sitting around with family and friends, I’ll be able to say, ‘I used to play on this guy called Nick Riewoldt, who was just an absolute superstar’.

“It gives me a lot of pride I’ve been able to do that.”

When a highly respected peer says that about you, it speaks volumes about your contribution to the game. Clearly, Riewoldt’s contribution has already been substantial.

with ISC Compression ambassadors James Podsiadly and Garrick Ibbotson How do ISC compression garments make you feel?

Wearing ISC compression garments makes me feel powerful and comfortable as the material is elastic and of high quality.

Wearing ISC compression garments makes me feel more confident in my performance on the field. As a professional athlete it’s the little things that make the difference and I think it definitely gives me a competitive edge.

How do they benefit you?

After wearing ISC garments I feel that I recover faster from training sessions and I’m therefore able to train more effectively during the next session.

I find I’m not as sore when I pull up after a match or from training. I wear them at home after training and always feel ready to get back into training more quickly because my muscles don’t feel as store and stiff.

How would you feel training without them?

I never train without ISC compression garments.

It just wouldn’t feel normal now because I’m so used to wearing them. I just don’t do it.

When did you start wearing compression garments?

10 years ago but the quality was no where near as good as the ones that ISC produce today.

I’ve been wearing compression garments for a few years now but the newer ISC ones are definitely a huge improvement.

How important are they for training?

I feel that I can train at a higher intensity when wearing ISC compression garments. It feels like the elasticity of the material helps with repetitive muscle contractions.

ISC compression garments are really important as I like my training regime to simulate my game day performance. I like everything to be exactly the same when I train as when I play. Also if I wear them training through the week I notice I can get through sessions a lot more easily.

What types of compression garments do you like to wear?

I always wear ISC compression shorts and vest.

At the moment with the weather in Perth being so hot I like the shorts and vest but I’m sure I’ll get into the long pants soon enough

Do you believe that compression is just as useful for amateur athletes as it is for professionals?

Any edge you can get on a competitor at any level could be the difference between winning and losing.

60

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

For sure I think they’re useful for anyone who trains regularly or plays any type of sport.

www.isccompression.com.au

breaking through » The Western Bulldogs

captain on persistence, attitude and meeting challenges Matthew Boyd’s career has been a triumph of persistence. From battling rookie to elite midfielder to Bulldogs skipper, Boyd has worked tirelessly to improve himself, on and off the field.

And in doing so, the down-to-earth Dog has kept football and life in perspective.

C A L LU M T WOMEY PHOTO: MICH A EL W IL LSON/A FL PHOTOS

A

fter several hours over two meetings with new Western Bulldogs skipper Matthew Boyd, I came away with a more rounded view of the midfielder, one of the most honest and forthright players I’ve met.

Despite winning a best and fairest, finishing equal sixth in the Brownlow Medal last year, earning All-Australian honours and being named the Bulldogs’ 29th captain, he is not a player we know that much about.

The common perception of Boyd, borne out of the way we see him play, is close to the mark. He is straight-talking and hard-working. Intolerant of fools. And he is tough – his face is hardened and his hands strong.

How tough was emphasised last season when he missed only two games with a broken left hand, which still bears a large scar.

But, as he reveals, there certainly is another side to him, one the football public

would rarely have seen. Boyd is also a finance-studying, risotto-cooking, tattoo-bearing, Will Ferrell-devoted, routineobsessed, blue-eyed devoted husband, whose face lights up with almost giddy excitement when talking about the impending birth of his first child, due later this month.

Boyd sheepishly peeps his head through the door of a back room of Figjam Café in Carnegie, a trendy suburb in Melbourne’s south-east. It’s his only day off for the week and we were scheduled – as per text message from the club’s media manager the night before – to meet at 10am. It’s 10.01 when Boyd, with freshly-shaved head, an ounce of fashionable stubble and slightly crooked nose, greets me with a firm handshake. “Sorry I’m late,” he says, with a deep, husky voice. “I thought you were out the front.”

Dressed in dark jeans, thongs and a designer T-shirt, Boyd slides into the busy café (potentially named after a

matthew boyd well-known colloquial term not appropriate for Boyd) without one patron turning his or her head. He does down-to-earth better than most. While I have jumped up to buy hot chocolates, Boyd has grabbed a bottle of water and filled both cups.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go outside to do it?

Will that pick it up?” he asks, pointing at my iPhone, doubling as a recorder. The simple gestures serve as a reminder of one thing: Boyd remains unaffected by his success. Such an approach, without ego or self-importance, can likely be traced to his background.

Sharon and Peter Boyd divorced when Matthew was young, and he lived at home with his mother (now a coterie group member of the Bulldogs, who never misses one of her son’s games) until he was almost 21.

He’s inherited her discipline, persistence and ambition.

“That’s just how I am; it’s how Mum brought me up,” he says.

Boyd’s father, a defender who captained Frankston in the VFA, was taller than him and just as tough. He failed to break through to play senior League football despite several seasons training with North Melbourne in the 1980s. Boyd doesn’t know a lot about his father’s career.

Boyd grew up in Berwick, almost an hour out of Melbourne’s CBD. As a junior, he played locally at Narre Warren, where he was a member of six consecutive premierships. He attended Mazenod College, a Catholic school on the other side of the freeway near Waverley Park in Mulgrave.

He was a member of a middle-class, normal family. It’s a way of life he hasn’t forgotten, and seems to still appreciate.

Weeks earlier, in our fi rst meeting at the Bulldogs’ Whitten Oval headquarters, Boyd had run through his football ascension from no-hoper to AFL captain.

After giving up basketball (Michael Jordan was his hero), Boyd spent two seasons with the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup, but was overlooked in the 2001 draft. Given his father’s history at the club, Boyd chose to continue his career at Frankston in the VFL. 64

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

FACT FILE

5

Matthew Boyd

Born: August 27, 1982 Recruited from: Narre Warren/Dandenong U18/Frankston Debut: Round 7, 2003 v Fremantle Height: 184cm Weight: 89kg Games: 165 Goals: 59 Player honours: best and fairest 2009; 3rd best and fairest 2008; All-Australian 2009 Brownlow Medal: career votes 52

RESPECT: Matthew Boyd has the full support of young players such as Shaun Higgins (middle) and Tom Liberatore (left).

When I mention others have suggested the reason he was not drafted was because he was too light, I am immediately challenged.

“Who said that? Someone at Frankston?” He is on the money.

“I don’t think that’s right,” he says. But he does not know why for sure.

The truth is, Boyd doesn’t do a lot of looking back – “you can’t afford to” – but his time at the Dolphins, a once proud suburban club now struggling at state level, wasn’t memorable.

Boyd was studying commerce at Deakin University in Burwood, about a 40-minute drive from Berwick in his white

Hyundai Excel. It was another 40 minutes to training, and 50 minutes back home.

He’d spend most of each trip agitated, wondering what more he could be doing to get picked for the seniors and, if lucky, get drafted. Realistically, he knew it was a “long shot”.

When Frankston coach and enigmatic former Hawthorn, St Kilda and Brisbane Bears midfielder Robert Mace did give him one senior game, he played only one quarter, before being dropped back to the reserves.

Boyd had already decided he would quit Frankston before the club’s awards night, when he won the reserves’ best and

fairest, but he is still slightly embarrassed by his acceptance speech, when he told the crowd: “I’d like to thank ‘Macey’ for giving me the opportunity to win this by not playing me in the seniors.” He smiles coyly: “I had had a few beers by that stage.”

By then, he had decided he would play for Mazenod College’s old boys’ team in the amateurs with his schoolmates.

A call from Bulldogs recruiting manager Scott Clayton asking him to come down to training ended those plans.

Boyd’s progression as a Bulldog since – he was put on the rookie list at the end of 2002 while on an official pre-season club camp in Ballarat – has been as much a triumph of persistence as anything.

His continual improvement – something assistant coaches Alan Richardson and Chris Bond urged him to focus on when he started at the club – has seen him develop into one of the competition’s best players, but it was as much about having the right attitude as it was application.

In his first few seasons at the club, Bulldogs champion Brad Johnson thought Boyd was a “smart trainer”, that he would train hard, but not push himself to breaking point. Boyd grins at that suggestion, but disagrees.

In fact, pre-season training was a ‘break’ for Boyd. He used the off-season, when others were travelling or visiting family or relaxing, to get ahead.

“I’d absolutely smash myself in our off-seasons because I saw it

19,000 workplaces have signed up for WorkHealth checks.

Are your employees missing out?

More than 290,000 workers have already benefitted from having WorkHealth checks. Over 66%* of them were found to have a medium to high risk of developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease over the next 5 years. As a result, they have been able to do something about it. Join the bosses who have already shown they care for their workforce; sign your business up today at workhealth.vic.gov.au

Because you care, sign up now. workhealth.vic.gov.au

* WorkHealth analysis of 200,000 checks from 1 July 2009 to 21 July 2010.

matthew boyd as my chance to catch up on these guys who had experience on me and could do it all,” he recalls.

His has been, however, a slow-burn career. The player who unassumingly grows into his role until – bang – he’s dominating games. When the topic of how he has grown to be so consistent is raised, Boyd politely suggests being consistent isn’t really his thing.

“Consistency comes from a belief that if you have the right attitude and right work rate, then you’ll get the same results.

That’s not what I’m about.

“I don’t want to just get the same results. I want to improve and want to get better at something in my game every year,” he says.

“If 30 touches is what gauges consistency, then I don’t want that. I want to be consistent in my work rate, intensity and leadership, and I think if I’m consistent in those things, my performance will refl ect that.”

Boyd doesn’t chew up and spit out opponents. He gnaws away at them. He wins one contest, then another, and another. His hands are quick and precise under pressure, he rarely makes a mistake by foot, and he’s hard, at both ball and man. Boyd is irrepressible. He is death by a thousand kicks.

Football for Boyd, though, is not only an on-going pursuit of excellence, but it is also about enjoying the life that comes with being an elite footballer. That he has perspective about what is an abnormal existence is not a surprise, because it’s the little things that keep Boyd going.

He’s most jovial when talking about the culture of the footy club. Of how an anecdote lights up his day. Of how teammate Patrick Veszpremi makes him laugh during every training session. Of how being around a tch of recruits each year yea r new batch him feel feel like like keaa makes him r-old, not 28.

2 To 21-year-old, To yd as an intense inttense see Boyd on ne person is to see one ut not the only o side, but facet off what is a personality. complexx personality. oves He loves l, football, but he’ss not ed by obsessed trives it. He strives m for team successs but tands understands stances circumstances mean itt might ppen. He not happen. skills uses thee skills learned in in n he has learned impro ove footballl to improve rson awayy from from as a person me, aiming aiming g to to the game, ually develop devellop as asaa continually a despite all, despite person.. Most of all, ing he’s he’s not no ot aa creative creative admitting ality, he he gets geets pleasure pleasure personality, he game. “I have more more out of the an some some people peeople might might fun than he says. says. think,” he like the the challenge. c challenge.

“I justt like st part of of my m week my weekisis The best day, but I love lo ove the lead-up game-day, anticiipationand and to it, alll the anticipation and anxiousness,” anxio ousness,”he he nerves and o the top with with says. “I don’t go over d to play.” it, but I get excited ims to instil insttilthe thesame same He aims captaiin,the therole role attitudee as captain, he was appointedd to in y. He admits adm mits January.

Matthew Boyd on...

His first year y ...

It was dauntingg because I knew absolutely absolute nobody. I looked at guys like Chris Grant, Gran tt,Brad BradJohnson, Joh Rohan Smith, Luke Darcy, Scott Westt and I was was starstruck.

Whenever they kicked the ball balllto tome, me,all al I could think about was not making a mistake mistake Success ...

Success ...

You don’t want to end a care career in the AFL tthat success. succes But you’re having not tasted that premier not going to win a premiership before the You got to win game is played itself. You’ve the and whether enough gamess to get there depe we do or not rreally depends on how focused we are arre each week we focused Club C lub culture ... ...

We had a guy from m the (NFL (NFL team) New York Jets come to the clu ub and he said s athletes and Jets club footballers and boys boyys are are exactly exact the same footballers everywhere. They They enjoy eenjoy the the same sa humour; everywhere. ndsome n someare ar big kids just some are larrikins a and fun in in their their workplace wo orkplace having fun Danie Daniel el Cross ...

In n our first couple of years, the ere’s no doubt do there’s the two of us wo ould have b would been competing fforr the same spot and, to fo be best mates mate through that ti ime, which we still are, time, iiss quite fun funny. It’s great ccompetitio competition didn’t drive us ap part. We’ re always pushing apart.

We’re eac ch other along al each

WE CAN HELP YOU BUILD A WINNING TEAM!

Ph: (03) 9662 9199 121 DRUMMOND STREET, CARLTON, VIC 3053 www.claytonshuttleworth.com.au

IAN CLAYTON Former AFL Senior Umpire

“When Experience Counts” Experience is something that cannot be bought, learnt or invented, only accumulated

66

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

SHANE CLAYTON North Melbourne Kangaroos Premiership Player

organ & tissue donor awareness

$

2

AIR AP

matthew boyd to previously being too hard on teammates whom he didn’t think were working as hard as he was on the track.

With age, he’s softened that approach, now understanding not everyone works the same way.

It’s going to be a busy year for him. In between our two interviews, he led the club in its NAB Cup campaign and took part in a host of media interviews. He may have done more in that short time than he had before, but he’s relishing representing his club and teammates in an offi cial capacity.

“We might not have many premierships, but this club’s got a lot of heart and character, and to be leading the boys out to represent that each week is pretty bloody exciting,” he says.

He may now be the club captain, but Boyd says he won’t be changing anything. As much as Boyd thinks footy has altered his approach to life, he’s stayed true to who he was before success in the red, white and blue.

Even last year, Boyd, at a Metallica concert, ran into a classmate he had barely seen since graduating in 2000. Boyd, dressed appropriately for the occasion in the metalhead’s favoured flannelette shirt, greeted him like any old school mate would. Footy wasn’t mentioned once.

Boyd admits coming in as a rookie meant he had no expectations placed on him – “and even now there aren’t

POPULAR: Matthew Boyd greets Joyce Packer at Wimmera Base Hospital during the Western Bulldogs’ community camp in Horsham earlier this year.

many” – but he’s never lived the life of an AFL superstar.

He has never shared a house with teammates, never been embroiled in off-field controversy, never been a regular in the social pages. His stable personal life has played a factor.

Boyd married his high school girlfriend, Kate, in 2007. The pair bought their fi rst house when they were 21 and now, in only several weeks, they’re ready to welcome a baby. Kate works in administration at a fi nance

company, and the pair moved into a new home in the inner suburbs last season.

Although he says he doesn’t think about his story, it’s obvious he has a healthy appreciation of what he’s done.

He believes his qualities have helped him: “I have always had that resolve; things have never come easy for me.”

But Boyd also understands football has provided him with something: ongoing challenges to test his ability,

prove himself and strive for the ultimate team success.

More than anything, though, Boyd has thought his way through his career. When he came to the club, he thought about how to get his football on track. When he was in the leadership group, he thought about whether he was right for the role before he nominated himself for the captaincy. He’s even tailored his own game to hide his weaknesses.

He’s always thinking about what’s next. It’s a career with a focus on competing, improving and succeeding, but it’s built on absorbing experiences and using, not forgetting, them.

Even before answering every question during our interviews, Boyd mulls over what to say. He appears to be a rational man driven by process.

“Playing footy is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you’ve just got to make the most of it,” he says. And just as we’re about to finish our hot chocolates, he says, on cue: “Hopefully, that’s what I’ve done.”

After some genial small talk with the recorder turned off, we leave through the front of the café and he begs to cover the $6.60 for the drinks, but I’ve got this one covered. He’s parked down the road while the train station looms for me, about a 100m walk.

“You sure you don’t want a lift?”

As the Official Hotel Group of the AFL, at Holiday Inn you can surround yourself with people who understand your passion.

STAY

Whether you’re home or away or catching up with mates, let your true colours show at the hotel where your heroes stay and receive up to 25% off the best available accommodation rates.

To book visit www.holidayinn.com/aflclub or call 1300 666 704.

STAY YOU.™ holidayinn.com

68

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

The Official Hotel Group Of The AFL

WIN

$1000

WORTH OF BODYSCIENCE PRODUCT! JUST HEAD TO www.bodyscience.com.au/aflrecord

Shane Watson “It’s my multi”

BODYSCIENCE.COM.AU WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BODYSCIENCE WWW.TWITTER.COM/BODYSCIENCE WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/BSCBODYSCIENCE

feedback

bounce

matchday

main feature

nab afl rising star

time on ADVERTISEMENT

Our AFL history guru answers your queries.

col hutchinson NAME GAME

Some men are islands » Promising Hawthorn

RIGHT NUMBER:

Brothers Ben (left) and Sam Reid are wearing the same number for their respective clubs.

Brothers sticking together

Noticed something interesting in round one with two sets of brothers wearing the same numbers – Collingwood’s Dayne Beams and Brisbane’s Claye Beams both wore No. 17 and Magpie Ben Reid and Sydney Swan Sam Reid both wore No. 20. Have there been other cases of brothers wearing the same number?

BRUCE CHANDLER, GEELONG, VIC.

CH: Such occurrences are

relatively rare. Selected cases include Frank Crapper (North Melbourne) and his brother, Fred (Richmond). Both wore No. 18 in 1936. Appropriately, their relatives Scott and Troy Selwood (who are related to the Crappers on their mother’s

side) wore No. 28 for West Coast and the Brisbane Lions respectively in 2008. The Carr brothers, Josh (Port Adelaide) and Matthew (Fremantle), each donned No. 9 from 2002-04. The No. 18 was worn by the Lloyd brothers, Brad (Hawthorn) and Matthew (Essendon), in 199899. From 1913-15 and in 1919, Essendon’s Alan Belcher and South Melbourne’s Vic Belcher both wore No. 1 to provide the most notable example. During that period, they were opposing captains on five occasions.

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

key-position player Jordan Lisle is expected to make his senior debut this season.

His surname originally denoted someone who lived on an island. Lisle is based on the Old French word isle (modern French île) and is traceable to the Latin insula, both meaning “island”. The name is a shortening of de l’isle (“of the island”) and in that form was the name of the former Governor-General of Australia, Viscount De L’Isle, the last non-Australian to hold that post. It is also possible that Lisle could mean a person from the French town of Lille – but Lille also has its origin in isle as above. A variation of Lisle can be found in the surname of former Magpie Sam Iles, now with the Gold Coast Suns. When and if Lisle makes his debut, he will become the second of that name to have played League football, after his father Mark Lisle (North Melbourne, 1984-87).

KEVAN CARROLL

GENUINE SENIOR FOOTBALLERS » A fountain of youth must

have been secretly installed near Carlton’s dressing room at Princes Park many years ago. No fewer than four former Blues players are now in their 90s. Max Wilson was born on July 9, 1914, and made his senior debut as a 29-year-old in 1943. The competition’s

70

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

oldest living member of a premiership team is Don McIntyre, who represented the Blues 100 times between 1935 and 1942, and celebrated his 96th birthday on March 5.

Keith Rae (born July 30, 1917) and Harcourt Dowsley (born July 15, 1919) played for Carlton during World War II.

Do you know of other senior players who are close to 90 or older, or who reached such an age before calling it a day?

Should you have such information, contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col.hutchinson@afl .com.au

The City of Melbourne is a corporate partner of the 2011 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/whatson

feedback

bounce

matchday

main feature

nab afl rising star

Ask the expert about all yourr footy ooty memorabilia memorabilia. a. a.

I saw mention of a premiership cap advertised in a forthcoming auction. I have never heard of one.

Information please.

» Here’s one out of left fi eld.

Greig’s Honey issued these pennants in the 1950s. The idea was to cut out your team’s pennant – which almost everyone did. This ‘triple treat’ has survived, one of only two I have seen. At the base, , Greig’s off offers a free club cap or badge. I have never seen either. AA true either. truerarity rarityfrom fromthe the For more more information, 1950s. For go to guruofgarbage.com.au

RM: Frank, the VFL fi rst formed

I am a Dockers fan and would like to get a jumper of my favourite player Nathan Fyfe.

SEAN (AGED 12), VIA EMAIL

RM: Sean, you’ve picked a good

one. Nathan Fyfe was one of the Dockers’ best in their great win against the Brisbane Lions in round one. Getting a game-worn jumper would be great, but they can be quite expensive. I suggest you contact the club.

I have a complete set of 10 cards issued by Dinkum Pies. It includes

72

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

rick milne RICKS RARITY

FRANK O’SHANNASSY, VIA EMAIL

in 1897. Before that time, most of the teams played in the Victorian Football Association. Through the 1890s (maybe even earlier) and the early 1900s, the premiershipwinning players were each presented with a cap, similar to those worn by schoolchildren.

They were beautifully made, highly prized and carried the VFA or VFL logo, depending on the competition. As they were made of silk, few have survived today in top condition. As a result, they sell for huge prices.

time on

VALUABLE:

Dinkum Pies produced a limited set of ng cards featuring stars such as David Clarke (left) and Royce Hart.

players suchh as asDavid as DavidClarke Clarkeeof of Geelong and Royce Hart from Richmond. I was wondering what they might be worth?

DEREK, VIA EMAIL

RM: Your set of Dinkum Pies

cards was supposed to be a set of 24, but the company ran out of money and closed after only 10 of those cards had been issued. I would suggest $400 for the 10.

I have a nine-year-old son who loves the footy and especially Port Adelaide. As we live in the country, we seldom get to see a game live. I’d like to put a collection together for him, but where do I start?

BOB EISNER, VIA EMAIL

RM: No offe R offence ff Bob, B b but b I’d d ask ask k

llect. him what he’d like to collect. ake If you have no joy, I’ll make es of of a few suggestions: badges hich his favourite players, which ub, you can buy from the club, rading football fixtures (free), trading ent–– cards from your newsagent omequite quite although these can become help expensive – or you coulddhelp rapbook him to put together a scrapbook reports with photos and match reports luck. from newspapers. Good luck.

CONTACT RICK MILNE mrpp@iprimus.com.au or drop op him swick, a line: 5 Cooraminta St, Brunswick, 31.

Vic, 3056 or call (03) 9387 4131.

One query per reader.

PAGE BRAINS answers at bottom of page

Unscramble Leads To Ham to discover my name

____ ______ ???

JS - MAN ?

Use the picto-clues to figure out my name

___ ______

NEW!

Can you guess my NICKNAME?

___ ___

B&F

game card

Silver CODE cards

and enter codes to play

WESTERN BULLDOGS

The Bulldogs have played in 16 finals series since their only Premiership success in the 1954 season. Could this be the year of the Doggies??

AS SEEN ON TV

Answers: 1. Dale Thomas 2. Sam Fisher 3. Big Bad

feedback

bounce

matchday

main feature

nab afl rising star

time on

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

FIVE TO FIND

Official AFL Colouring Books out now Great Players, Great Marks and Great Skills are part of the new three-part series of AFL activity colouring books. Every AFL team is covered, as well as a selection of superstar players, including Dale Thomas, Jonathan Brown, Nick Riewoldt, Chris Judd, Lance Franklin and Jack Riewoldt. Next to each colouring outline is a matching full colour photograph, along with statistics and information on the featured player.

6

$

ONLY

EACH

Available now from all good bookstores.

Visit footybookclub.com for more information.

Take the time to colour in Jack Riewoldt

THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS

Great Players, Great Marks and Great Skills are a must-have for every junior footy fan.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Seam on Travis Varcoe’s undershorts removed; small fl are in background top left of stadium removed; Varcoe’s moustache/beard has been trimmed; tape on Varcoe’s right arm removed; leg in background removed.

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 74 AFL L RECORD R EC RECO RE CO COR OR ORD RD visit viis vvis isit itafl afl afl flrec record.com.au rree ord.com.au

feedback

bounce

matchday

main feature

nab afl rising star time on

Young Eagle Luke Shuey is making making progress progress after after aa challenging challenging sta start to his career.LUKE HOLMESBY

T

he contrast between the year’s two NAB AFL Rising Star nominees could not be greater, at least in terms of how they started their careers.

Dyson Heppell was a walk-up selection in Essendon’s roundone team, starring in a massive win in front of a big crowd.

It was the perfect start to an AFL career.

Conversely, West Coast’s Luke Shuey had a brutally tough initiation. The Melbourne schoolboy moved from his home city to start a new life on the other side of the country in 2008, just after he turned 18.

His teenage body struggled with the demands of an AFL pre-season and he was sidelined with osteitis pubis.

But that was just a mild inconvenience compared to the pain he suffered in February of 2009, when he received news that his younger sister Melanie had been killed after being struck by a motorbike while crossing a road.

He was granted indefi nite leave from the Eagles to return home to Melbourne and said he was forever indebted to the club for the compassion it showed him.

“I knew the support was going to be first-class and it was. That’s part of the reason I owe the club so much,” he said.

“I’m so grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me and I am looking forward to playing a long and successful career here.”

Once he returned to Perth, Shuey found comfort in

STANDOUT: Luke Shuey STAND

had 27 disposals and ki kicked three goals again Port Adelaide. against

2011 NAB AFL RISING STAR NOMINEES Round 1 DYSON HEPPELL (ESS) Round 2 LUKE SHUEY (WCE)

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

1

Shuey has a tattoo of his sister’s name on his abdomen.

2

He attended Marcellin College, which has also provided the AFL with Carlton great Stephen Silvagni, former Collingwood captain Gavin Brown and star St Kilda midfielder Leigh Montagna.

3

I knew the support was going to be first-class LUKE SHUEY

throwing himself into routine, despite the fact he couldn’t play.

“I was still coming into the club every day to do my rehab and was still around the boys.

Once footy season kicked in, I had something to look forward to every weekend, watching the boys play.”

Shuey came back to play two WAFL games before a fractured fibula fi nished his season.

He finally made his AFL debut in 2010, but a knee injury and a virus left him with just six games to show for the season.

He said he coped reasonably well with the injury setbacks but admitted to some frustration.

“My first few injuries I didn’t take too badly. I started to play a bit of WAFL footy and broke my leg. That was a bit harder to take because I felt I was closer to playing on a regular basis,” he said.

This season looks to have much more promise for Shuey, as he has been among West Coast’s best players in its two wins.

He was initially given the No. 22 jumper by the Eagles but changed after a shuffle following Chad Fletcher’s retirement. Chris Masten tookNo. 7 and Shuey grabbed No. 13.

His Rising Star nomination came on the back of a 27-disposal, three-goal performance against Port Adelaide.

He said it was an enjoyable time for him and the team.

“I’m glad I’m injury-free at the moment. I’m starting to feel a lot more confident in my body and I owe the club a lot for getting me through the first two years,” he said.

“It has been a bit of an up-and-down ride. The best way to repay them is to play good footy. Hopefully this is the start of it.”

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 fulfi l their dream of playing in the AFL.

76

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

feedback

bounce

matchday

main feature

nab afl rising star

time on

Applying data laterally to analyse and understand the modern game.

Origins of the forward press

W

hen I arrived at Carlton in 1967 as an impressionable young recruit from the regional city of Moe in Gippsland’s Latrobe Valley, the main difference I discovered between country football and big league expectations was coach Ron Barassi’s relentless attention to detail.

Barassi equipped us with defensive techniques and a similar mindset. Many consider only the emphasis on ‘attack’ when discussing the Barassi legend. My experience, however, is that innovations in defence and attack went hand-in-glove.

Back then, training was mostly limited to after-work hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, yet the coach still found time to put us through plenty of tackling drills. A defensive innovation he introduced was getting us to practise smothering off the boot.

Another was banning players taking chest marks at training and in games and instead taking the ball with the hands stretched out in front of the chest, the logic being it was quicker for the marking player to set off and attack while also giving an opponent less time to intervene and spoil.

He told small rover and forward opportunist types like myself that we must not fl y for contested marks (even though someone like Syd Jackson was spectacular at the caper against all comers), and instead we ought to be at the foot of the contest farming for loose- and hard-ball gets or getting into position for a handball receive.

And it was Barassi, along with other leading coaches

78

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

PRESSING ON: Led by stars such as Alan Didak, Collingwood has mastered the forward press.

of the time, such as John Kennedy (Hawthorn), Allan Jeans (St Kilda) and Tom Hafey (Richmond), each with a strong defensive attitude they put into practice, who were responsible for phasing out torpedo and drop kicks in favour of the more reliable drop punt.

In particular, my coach frowned upon the drop kick as too risky an option and had limited us to drop punts only. And I can personally testify the most regular and fiercest of the famous Barassi sprays were directed at any player failing to fulfi l his defensive duties. The greatest spray of all was reserved for any player not willing to chase an opponent who had the ball, our forwards included.

Above all, Barassi and his fellow coaching legends also fully appreciated the most fundamental defensive principle of them all – it’s better to have the ball in your forward pocket rather than your back pocket.

Hence, their constant pleading: “Don’t muck about with the ball, get it going forward at all costs and, when it is there, make sure it stays there.”

For those not so familiar with football of yesteryear, they should instantly recognise all of the above as key elements of the now envied and copied Collingwood forward press.

What’s new? The defensive fundamentals Barassi and co. had introduced are now being applied at a higher level of

How would Barassi coach today?

intensity and sophistication, due mainly to the full-time employment of coaches and players, greater knowledge and research capacity, ultra-zoning and congestion, plus the advantage of an expanded and modified interchange system. In this environment, how would Barassi coach today?

On meeting him earlier this week, he expressed a concern for the current level of congestion and recommended fi xing it by limiting each team to only 16 players on the ground. It was typical of him – ever on the lookout for ways to improve the game. The great coaches, like Barassi, combined defensive intensity with innovation.

Mick Malthouse achieved both last season, with the Magpies’ forward press playing a major part in their premiership success.

After speaking with Barassi, I’m convinced he would do much more than merely copy the Collingwood system – as many other teams appear to be trying to do – but rather find new ways of beating it.

As I outlined in last week’s column, the use of handball was one of those innovations he introduced to break up congested defensive zones. But there were more counter-measures I recall.

For example, he expected a player taking an uncontested mark to play on at all costs.

In my book, it’s the way to go.

It’s time for more players and coaches to invent rather than merely block holes and become tackling rams.

TED HOPKINS IS A CARLTON PREMIERSHIP PLAYER AND FOUNDER OF CHAMPION DATA. HIS BOOK THE STATS Y REVOLUTION (SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP) WILL BE RELEASED MAY 1. CAN YOU HELP IDENTIFY ANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO APPEAR ON THE COVER OF THE BOOK WITH TED HOPKINS? RYMEDIA COM EMAIL PETERD@SLATTERYMEDIA.COM

THE OFFICIAL HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPRESSION PARTNER OF THE AFL FOR ALL ENQUIRES CALL UNDER ARMOUR (03) 9863 1111

FACEBOOK.COM/UNDERARMOURAUSTRALIA

Prrad P do’s o’’s P o Pllay ayin i ng F Fiiel eld. eld d.

IItt ’s t he he to ttou ou o ug gh hes hes esttt,, m e mos oss t ssk o ost k iil ilfu llfu ffu ful u ull P Prad Pr ado e ado ad ev ever ver er. e r. M Mult Mu ult l t ii-T ltii-Te -T Terr e err rrai rr ain a ai in Se elle lect ect c t1 c us usto tomi m ses mise se s tr trac action acti tion on for for of fff-road f-r -ro ro oad ad d surf surface ssu ur ffa face ace ces es a att the th he e to ttou ouch ouc ou o ucch h of a bu butt butto b tto tton on, on n,, M n Mult Mu ultilt ilti-T i Te i-Te Terrain Terr errai rrain rra a n Mo ain ai Moni Moni nit nito i to tor1 has tor hass 4 onboard onb nboa oard r cameras fo or 6 surrounding g views, view vi ews, s, adv adv dvan ance ced d KD KDSS S 3 sus SS s us uspe s pens pension nsio on adjusts to most off and on road 1 cchanges chan hanges h anges anges an ge ess and a d CRAWL CRAW CRA CRAWL L (off-road cruise control), teams up with downhill and hill-start assist2 tto o help elp e p blitz b itz t the th t e steepest st stee steep s teepes pest st slope slo slopes slopes. slop slo o opes ope .

toyota.com.au Kakadu model shown. 1. Crawl Control, Multi-Terrain Monitor & Multi-Terrain Select available on Kakadu & ZR models equipped with standard off road pack only. 2. Downhill Assist Control & Hill-start Assist Control only available on automatic transmissions. 3. KDSS standard on VX & Kakadu models only.