AFL Record, Round 9, 2011

INSIDE

» MICK DODSON ON RECONCILIATION AND SPORT P14

‘I’m just so proud’ Syd Jackson’s unique journey

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AFL RECORD PROMOTION

BHP Billiton

PAYING TRIBUTE TO OUR INDIGENOUS PIONEERS WHO CONTINUE TO SOAR PETER MATERA

CHANGING LIVES:

FormerEagles champion Peter Matera was a hit with Martu students at Newman Senior High School.

West Coast is celebrating its 25th year as a club and reflecting on its history.

What memories stand out from your time as an Eagle?

Playing with a group of friends I still call my mates today after 13 years. Of course, the premierships and the finals are great memories as well, but definitely having a great relationship with those guys is the stand out.

How important is it for the AFL to recognise the significant contribution made by indigenous players?

The indigenous have been here for thousands of years; they were the first on the land, so it’s great to have players of their calibre come through the system.

Since retiring from football, you have become heavily involved with Swan Districts in the WAFL as well as the Kicking Goals program. Can you tell us a bit about what kind of work you do?

I am a development manager, so we’re running programs in our football zone, which is Bunbury and the Pilbara. We also run health programs, promoting active lifestyles, goal-setting and running Level 1 coaching courses, and just teaching kids the life skills they need to have if they are playing sport.

I think having sport as a goal and having something to strive for is great, because it is also a pathway where we can add these lifestyle and health things into it, so the kids can learn about themselves and how to get the best out of themselves.

What is the one piece of advice that you would pass on to aspiring footballers looking to follow in your footsteps?

Just keep pursuing your dreams, never give up, never

PETER MATERA Games: 253; Norm Smith medallist 1992; premiership player ‘92 & ‘94; club champion ‘97.

say never, and always tell yourself, ‘I can do it, and I will’.

DAVID WIRRPANDA

West Coast is celebrating its 25th year as a club and reflecting on its history. What memories stand out from your time as an Eagle?

Probably my whole time there, I was just excited about wearing the jumper. I couldn’t be more proud of playing for the one club at West Coast.

It has basically been my life, so my whole journey with the Eagles was a stand out.

How important is it for the AFL to recognise the signifi cant contribution made by indigenous players?

It’s very important. If you look at some of the great indigenous players who have represented the AFL, including Maurice Rioli, Michael Long and Andrew McLeod – there are too many names now – but when I was growing up you could only see the Krakouer brothers (Phil and Jim) and maybe two or three others. Now, indigenous players represent more than 12 per cent of players in the AFL, while, on a national level, the indigenous make up 3.5

per cent of the Australian population. It just goes to show that, in the AFL, indigenous players are going a long way.

What made you decide to start he Wirrpanda Foundation back the n 2005? in m a very ry community-minded I’m erson and a II grew and grew up up in in aa person ery political pollitical family. Also, very aving the the opportunity opportunityto tobe be having nvolved d with involved withWest WestCoast, Coast, which probably prrobablystarted startedoff off ll the community communitystuff stuffin in all Australi ia ifif you youask askmy my Australia pinion, meant I was able opinion, o coat-tail coat-ttail off off that thatand and to ave a footprint fo ootprint in in the the have ommun nity and gain gain community upport , which is very support, mporta ant to tome. me. important

We also work with those kids who are disengaged from the community. It’s all about giving people the second chance that everyone deserves. We work from grassroots levels, we don’t get ahead of ourselves but we make sure that we take baby steps in making sure we achieve our goals.

You must be proud of how far the foundation has come in such a short time. How important is support from organisations such as BHP Billiton?

Very important, because it gives them a better idea and understanding of the community. When you have a not-for-profit organisation, the biggest challenge you always find is funding. We have the opportunity to identify certain issues issuesthat thatneed needto to certain addressedwithin withincertain certain be addressed

What sort so ort of ofwork workdoes does he Wirr rpanda Foundation the Wirrpanda arry out, ou ut,and andwhat whatsort sortof of carry esults do d you witness? results We men ntor more than 20,000 20 ,000 mentor ids a year, ye ear, and our footprint footprint kids educa ation and andhealth. health.We We iss education ave also alsso now expanded have nto app renticeships, so into apprenticeships, ot onlyy are we we giving giving not ids opp portunities kids opportunities hrough education and through ealth, we’re w g iving DAVID WIRRPANDAGames: 227; health, giving hem op pportunities premiership player ‘06. them opportunities with lifee and and work. work.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE:

David Wirrpanda’s Wirrpanda’s AFL AFL profile has enabled him to make an an impact impact in in the community.

AFL RECORD PROMOTION communities, and having that flexibility of funding means we are able to go in there and say, ‘Here we are, here are the resources, and this is the way we’re going to do it’. If you can have a relationship between these powerhouse organisations like BHP Billiton, you’re going to have a footprint far greater than you think.

PHIL NARKLE

Can you tell us a bit about your role as West Coast’s indigenous liaison officer?

My role is to give guidance to West Coast’s indigenous players through their football pathway on-field and off-fi eld.

We also create a short- and long-term vision in our club on indigenous matters through cross-cultural awareness training programs.

PHIL NARKLE Games: 18; Sandover medallist (WAFL B&F) ‘83; inaugural West Coast Eagle.

It’s (the AFL) a marvellous opportunity for us to show what we can do

How important is it for the AFL to recognise the significant contribution made by indigenous players?

I believe it is of great importance because of what indigenous players bring to the game. They have silky skills, good knowledge of the game, great awareness, good goal-sense and are very good in congested situations, especially under pressure.

The talent indigenous players display, which comes naturally, fi lls seats at the grounds.

In its 25-year history, West Coast has developed several community programs such as the Kicking Goals program in Port Hedland.

How important do you think it is to offer programs like this to kids in regional Australia?

The community programs for indigenous people are significant to them, as they help develop awareness on fitness, health, education, and gives participants hope for the future. It’s great to have companies like BHP Billiton, which is the club’s principal community partner, commit to investing in the development of the club’s indigenous community programs like Kicking Goals and the Indigenous Leadership Program.

coming through into the AFL, so it’s a marvellous opportunity for us to show what we can do. You’ve got players who have played more than 300 games (Andrew McLeod and Michael O’Loughlin) and Adam Goodes, who is a dual Brownlow medallist, so it demonstrates that indigenous people can stand the test of time in this sport and commit and work hard. I think the AFL has been great in terms of being a leader in trying to stamp out racism and give every person an equal opportunity to play footy, and play it at their best without worrying about the colour of their skin.

CHRIS LEWIS

CHRIS LEWIS Games: 215; premiership player ’92 & ‘94; club champion ‘90, inaugural West Coast Eagle.

OLD AND NEW: Chris Lewis (above with Mark LeCras) made his name in two premierships with West Coast, while former player Phil Narkle (top) is working with the next generation of indigenous West Coast Eagles hopefuls.

Who are some of the stand-out indigenous players in the AFL today?

There are many stand-out players in the AFL system at the moment, including Adam Goodes, Paddy Ryder, Daniel Wells and Chance Bateman.

CHRIS LEWIS

West Coast is celebrating its 25th year as a club and reflecting on its history. What memories stand out from your time as an Eagle?

My first game was pretty memorable. I came off the bench and my fi rst opponent was Maurice Rioli, so that was a bit of a buzz because he was my hero. Obviously, the 1992 and 1994 Grand Finals were pretty special.

How important is it for the AFL to recognise the significant contribution made by indigenous players?

The numbers have definitely picked up across the board in terms of indigenous players

How do you feel about one of your original teammates Phil Narkle being appointed indigenous liaison officer at West Coast?

I think a lot of clubs are going that way. I know Byron Pickett is doing a bit of work at Port Adelaide at the moment, too.

It’s great to have someone like Phil to give advice and a bit of a helping hand to these boys, and talk about problems they might have, which they would obviously take on to the fi eld, and it affects their level of play. So, I’m sure Phil will contribute to them not only being successful footballers, but also good people in the community.

Since retiring from football, you’ve become heavily involved in the Kicking Goals program.

Can you tell us a bit about what kind of work you do?

I’m the Kicking Goals coordinator at Port Hedland Senior High School, which is a program sponsored by BHP Billiton, and it is basically a footy program that is designed to teach life skills to the kids.

It has been pretty successful, and I’m really enjoying it.

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round 9, may 20-22, 2011

features 27 Bob Davis

Football mourns the loss of a true champion and character.

MICHAEL LOVETT reports.

57 Syd Jackson 5

A star Blue’s career and life has had tragedy and triumph. ha BEN COLLINS reports.

B

regulars 6 9 25 53 72 74 76

63

Hawthorn’s Shane Savage.

THEIR HE EIR TO ORY STORY

Indigenous igeenous players ayeers Shaun Shaun Burgoyne rgo oyne (right), Aaron ghtt), Aaron Davey veyy and Raphael phael Clarke Clarke speak eak k to PETER RYAN AN N about their eir lives in thee A AFL. FL.

Backchat The Bounce Matchday Dream Team Answer Man Kids’ Corner NAB AFL Rising Star

78 Talking Point

Ted Hopkins says Scott Pendlebury and Joel Selwood are the Brownlow Medal favourites.

THIS WEEK’S COVERS

It is about understanding, recognition, respect, appreciation, relationships and trust P14 Mick Dodson celebrates the Indigenous Round

Syd Jackson (national), Bob Davis (Carlton-Geelong), Peter Matera (West Coast), Scott Pendlebury and Dale Thomas (Collingwood), Dreamtime at the ‘G. BOB DAVIS COVER PHOTOS: NEWSPIX, AFL PHOTOS SYD JACKSON COVER PHOTO: SEAN GARNSWORTHY SYD JACKSON COVER PHOTO EDITOR: GINNY PIKE DREAMTIME COVER IMAGE: ALISON WRIGHT

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Final bow for a true showman

» Until recently when his health

Worsfold has Eagles poised

Hopefully all the so-called experts who were calling for John Worsfold’s head at the end of last season have the decency to admit they were wrong.

It was always going to be a tough few years when Chris Judd and Ben Cousins left at the end of 2007, but ‘Woosher’ has since got some good kids into the club and now has them playing an exciting brand of footy.

It amazes me some people were so quick to doubt a premiership coach. Woosher built the Eagles into a powerhouse once; it looks like he’s doing it again.

DERBY DELIGHT: Coach John Worsfold is rebuilding the Eagles into a powerhouse.

SID DECANTA, KALGOORLIE, WA.

Mighty fighting Hawks

As a Hawthorn supporter, I was disgusted at quarter-time last Sunday. Our sloppy ball use and lack of intensity in the fi rst quarter against the Saints was hard to watch.

But by the end of the game, I couldn’t have been prouder of the team. What an effort to come from five goals and two players down to win in a canter!

(Lance) ‘Buddy’ Franklin was superb up forward, Jarryd Roughead stood tall in the ruck with David Hale off injured and ‘Hodgey’ (captain Luke Hodge) looks like he’s getting back to his best after injury.

These are the type of fi ghting wins that can defi ne your season.

SYLVESTER JEFFERSON, DEER PARK, VIC.

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

6

AFL RECORD

Ablett a true champion

Gary Ablett has been criticised from all angles since he joined the Gold Coast Suns.

Whether it was the size of his pay packet, the time he was spending away from the club, or his rare nights out on the town, he was criticised for it.

But he’s a quality person and a quality player so it was only a matter of time before he put the critics back in their box.

You’d think a lazy 41 possessions

PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Lovett WRITERS Peter Argent, Nick Bowen, Ben Collins, Mick Dodson, George Farrugia, Katrina Gill, Ted Hopkins, Adam McNicol, Peter Ryan, Michael Sexton, Callum Twomey, Michael Whiting SUB-EDITORS Gary Hancock, Howard Kotton, Michael Stevens STATISTICIAN Cameron Sinclair CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Hutchison

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against Adelaide last Saturday would do that.

SUSAN TORVEY, CORIO, VIC.

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.

DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Sam Russell DESIGNERS Alison Wright, Daniel Frawley PHOTO EDITORS Natalie Boccassini, Ginny Pike PRODUCTION MANAGERS Troy Davis, Cameron Spark PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Stephen Lording DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Callum Senior COMMERCIAL MANAGER Alison Hurbert-Burns

started to fail, Bob Davis was a semi-regular visitor to the AFL sem Record offices.

Re The Geelong great, who died this week (see essay by di Michael Lovett and tributes M starting on page 27), would st regale staff with short and re ssharp anecdotes. He loved being in the spotlight, but b yyou’d struggle to meet a more genuine type. mor In 2007, the Record asked Davis to take part in an interview at the MCG with three other premiership players (Robert DiPierdomenico, Sam Kekovich and John Barnes).

Davis, ever the showman, was one of the first to arrive, looking sharp in a tuxedo with his trademark curls Brylcreemed to perfection. Those who knew Davis ought not be surprised that he ‘starred’ in the company of three of the modern game’s most charismatic and boisterous characters.

Davis, of course, was a pioneer off the field, building a second career as a radio and television star and, with Jack Dyer and Lou Richards, becoming a pillar of longrunning programs League Teams and World of Sport .

In 2009, after presenting Geelong captain Tom Harley with the premiership cup, he found himself unable (or unwilling) to leave the dais as un the rest of the team converged, th his smiling dial forever captured. hi The moment was, as he might have said, “fair dinkum m unbelievable”. un PETER DI SISTO PE

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10

POWER CUT

Port Adelaide’s last quarters cause concern.

11

ADVANTAGE RULE

New rule is working according to Jeff Gieschen.

12

It is about understanding, recognition, respect, appreciation, relationships and trust P14

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Gary Ablett jnr and snr win more accolades.

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Mick Dodson celebrates the Indigenous Round

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SEASON SLIPPING:

Shattered Saints (from left) Stephen Milne, Nick Riewoldt, Sam Fisher, Justin Koschitzke, Ben McEvoy and Jack Steven after last week’s loss.

Lyon concedes Saints have lost their identity NICK BOWEN

R

oss Lyon is a straight shooter. After St Kilda was thrashed

by Essendon in round three, he publicly pondered whether he was in denial thinking his team could mount another premiership challenge after its agonising near-misses in the 2009 and 2010 Grand Finals.

After the Saints blew a 32-point quarter-time lead last Sunday to lose to an

injury-depleted Hawthorn by 30 points – slipping to 15th on the ladder with just one win and a draw from their fi rst seven games – Lyon had seen enough to make a definitive judgment.

“The bottom line is we’re not the same team,” Lyon said.

“The names that were part of the past aren’t the same players in a multitude of areas.”

Lyon said the areas where his players were not living up to their

past deeds included clearances, contested possessions – which the Saints have won in just one game this year, against Richmond in round two – inside-50 entries and run and spread.

Lyon also said his team’s work off the ball and contested football was at “the bottom end of the competition”, with the most obvious symptom the 272 kicks the Hawks racked up last Sunday.

“For two years, we kept the opposition to 180 kicks,” he said.

(The Saints’ dramatic drop-off in the above areas is captured in the tables on page 10 that compare their 2009, 2010 and 2011 statistics.)

Another area Lyon highlighted was the Saints’ inability to win centre clearances. He said they had been smashed 8-30 in that count in the past two rounds (they played Carlton in round seven).

Former St Kilda captain and Richmond coach Danny Frawley told the AFL Record the Saints’ drop-off in this category had been a huge part of their slide down the ladder.

“Probably the biggest single factor in winning games this year is winning centre clearances because, once a side gets the ball deep into their forward line, they get the wall up and try AFL RECORD

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9

Hawthorn defender Stephen Gilham to miss rest of season after tearing ACL in his right knee.

to keep it in there,” Frawley said. “So the centre bounce (clearance) more than ever is probably the most important ‘stat’ in the game.”

Frawley said losing Lenny Hayes to a season-ending knee injury in round two and not having No. 1 ruckman Michael Gardiner at all this year had contributed significantly to St Kilda’s poor record at centre bounces.

Although Hayes had long been acknowledged as the Saints’ best stoppage player, Frawley said Gardiner’s absence had been almost as significant.

“Hayes is the one who really gets the fi rst possession and gets the ball rolling in the midfield,” he said.

“But Gardiner is a huge loss, too. You only have to look at last year’s Grand Final replay when he didn’t play – at half-time the centre clearances were significantly in Collingwood’s favour.”

Against the Hawks, the Saints were also missing key midfielder Leigh Montagna through suspension. Such was their desperation to win a centre clearance, they even tried star defender Sam Fisher and infrequent flyers such as Jack Stevens and Dean Polo in the middle last Sunday.

Frawley said the competition’s “socialistic” draft system had also started to take a toll on the Saints following their extended run as one of the competition’s best clubs. Since

2004, St Kilda has reached two Grand Finals and made the preliminary final three times.

Frawley paid tribute to the part Lyon had played in this era since taking over as coach in 2007, saying his innovative strategies had “masked over a few deficiencies in the team”.

But he said Hayes’ and Gardiner’s injuries, and the poor form of key players such as Brendon Goddard and Sam Gilbert, had exposed “a bit of an underbelly”.

On top of this, Lyon has blooded five debutants – Daniel Archer, Jamie Cripps, Will Johnson, Arryn Siposs and Alistair Smith – who will likely need time to fi nd their feet at AFL level.

However, Frawley stressed Lyon was the man to get the Saints back on track, saying his record at St Kilda was “outstanding” and his experience as an assistant with struggling Richmond (1996-99) and Carlton (2000-03) would prove invaluable.

ST KILDA: COMPARING THE NUMBERS Points scored

Points conceded

AVG PER GAME

AVG PER GAME

2009

99.86 (4th)

2009

64.14 (1st)

2010

87.95 (8th)

2010

72.32 (1st)

2011

76.57 (16th)

2011

89.71 (9th)

Home and away matches

Other vital statistics (Diff erentials against opponents) 200920102011 Contested possessions+8 (2nd)+2 (5th)-13 (15th) Clearances +6 (1st)-1 (9th)-7 (17th) Uncontested possessions +25 (2nd)+35 (2nd)-17 (13th) Handball receives150 (5th)156 (2nd)117 (12th) Tackles72 (1st)67 (9th)69 (3rd) Tackles inside 5012 (1st)11 (10th)9 (16th) Inside 50s52 (4th)49 (9th)47 (16th) Inside 50s against40 (1st)44 (1st)54 (10th) Disposals per goal:27.9 (9th)31.4 (15th)31.6 (16th) Disposals inside forward 50 per goal3.8 (10th)3.9 (9th)4.1 (12th) Statistics provided by Champion Data.

PORT FADEOUTS

Last-term Power failures causing concern

M

KATRINA GILL

aintaining consistency across four quarters has proved a challenge for Port Adelaide in 2011, but the club’s fi nal quarters in particular have contributed to its worst start to a season since 2000.

The Power have ‘won’ just one final quarter in the opening eight rounds, outscoring cross-town rival Adelaide (3.7 to 2.1) in round four on their way to their only win this season.

In the other seven games, Port Adelaide has leaked more goals in last quarters than any other team in the competition, being outscored 40 goals to 13.

The worrying trend started against Collingwood at Etihad Stadium in round one. The Magpies kicked six goals to the Power’s one in the final term, but no one expected the visitors to stay with the reigning premier and the end result – a 75-point loss – was almost expected.

The same could have been said of the club’s fadeout against

When they’re not playing PLAYER

Best advice receivedWhat scares you most ares you most

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One thing you can’t eat

Luke Power Brisbane Lionss

Little beat big when little one smart

Retirement ent

Prem Premier mi League socc soccer cer player

Cucumber

Sam Jacobs Adelaide

There’s no elevator to success; you must take the stairs

Sharks, snakes and spiders d ders

y Dan Hannebery Sydney Swans

Enjoy what you’re doingHeightsPlaying local cricketBrussel sprouts Pla P

Scott McMahon n rne North Melbourne

Seize the dayInjuryNBA playerMushrooms

10

AFL RECORD

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A cr cricketerSeafood

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Sydney Swans full-forward Daniel Bradshaw has knee surgery and is expected to play later this season.

Geelong in round three, when the the guys had 20 minutes off in-form Cats piled on 6.6 to Port (at half-time),” he said.

Adelaide’s one goal in the last “We had a lot of guys who quarter on their way to extending fumbled and had a little bit of their winning streak at Skilled pressure applied to them and Stadium to 24 matches. just coughed the ball up easily.

The drop-off against Geelong “And we’ve got some guys was (and remains) the Power’s who are either young by worst final-quarter differential age or games played.” this season, The but it wasn’t relationship until round between five when they inexperience and wilted under inconsistency the heat of late in games is the previously relevant. winless Suns Gold Coast that the alarm – the youngest bells started team in the ringing. competition – has JASON CRIPPS Gold Coast, claimed just one which trailed final quarter by 40 points in the third term, (against Port Adelaide), while gained control of the game before the seasoned and unbeaten Cats the three-quarter time break and have a perfect record, averaging proceeded to steamroll the home twice as many goals as their team in the final term, kicking opposition in last terms.

6.5 to Port’s 1.4 to secure a historic first win.

ADVANTAGE RULE The trend continued in the past fortnight, with the Power outscored 11.8 to 2.2 in last quarters against Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans.

Questions have been raised about the club’s ‘culture’ or, more appropriately, the team’s ability to withstand pressure and respond, and also over its fitness levels.

Assistant coach Jason Cripps said it was hard to pinpoint just NICK BOWEN one cause for the team’s inability he new rule that has to run out games. removed the power for “We don’t think it’s a fi tness determining advantage issue because, in the third from umpires to players quarter (last weekend), Sydney scored a couple of goals early and is functioning well despite minor

We had a lot of guys who fumbled ... and coughed the ball up easily

Umpire was wrong, but new rule is working – Gieschen

T

teething problems, AFL director of umpiring Jeff Gieschen says.

Gieschen told the AFL Record, umpire Shaun Ryan’s decision to deny Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury a goal late in last week’s game against Geelong had been one of two umpiring mistakes under the new rule.

Gieschen said Ryan had made the mistake of focusing on the players at the centre of the free kick, recipient Magpie Cameron Wood and transgressor Cat Brad Ottens, rather than focusing on the ball.

Not having seen Pendlebury elect to take the advantage, Ryan had blown his whistle to stop play, mistakenly bringing the ball back for Wood to take a free kick and denying Pendlebury’s goal.

The other mistake had come in the round seven Brisbane LionsGold Coast match, Gieschen said.

Suns forward Brandon Matera was incorrectly permitted to take the advantage after play had stopped following a free kick against Lions veteran Simon Black.

“We’ve seen the rule work really well for the vast majority of occasions,” Gieschen said.

“We’re confident the umpires will get better at applying it and the players will get better in terms of knowing when to take the advantage and when to pull up.”

Gieschen said the rule had been introduced on the basis players, rather than umpires, were best placed to determine when taking the advantage was in their team’s best interests.

MILESTONES ROUND 9

AFL Life Membership (300 TOTAL GAMES)

Guy McKenna Gold Coast coach

AFL 200 Club

Chris Newman Richmond Michael Gardiner St Kilda Tadhg Kennelly Sydney Swans

150 Games

Dean Margetts Umpire

100 Games

Shannon Byrnes Geelong Cats Mark Blake Geelong Cats Hamish McIntosh North Melbourne Nathan Jones Melbourne

50 Games

A Cat who hardly knows ows the meaning ng of defeat

» Geelong’s Joel Selwood wood completed his 100th AFL AFL idaynight, nig ght, game in style last Friday helping the Cats to a fifine winn over over Collingwood at the MCG. MCG. week,has hasplayed played Selwood, 23 next week, in 85 wins, which is aa record record dfor forthe the first 100 matches of aaplayer’s player’scareer. career.

MOST WINS M WIN IN FIRST 100 MATCHES W

L

Cameron Wood Collingwood Dennis Armfield Carlton Patrick Dangerfi eld Adelaide Shane Mumford Sydney Swans

D

Joell Selwood SelwoodGeelong8515Harr ry CollierCollingwood84151 Collier Harry Alexx Lang LangCarlton8317-

148 games at the Gabba (AFL record)

Albe ert CollierCollingwood83161 Collier Albert

Simon Black Brisbane Lions

Clyd de Laidlaw Clyde LaidlawMelbourne82153 Jaso on DunstallHawthorn8218Dunstal Jason

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

Jack k Beveridge BeveridgeCollingwood81181 AFL RECORD

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11

St Kilda defender Steven Baker suspended for two weeks for striking Hawthorn’s Michael Osborne.

NEWSPAPER SELECTS TOP 50

LEADING BY EXAMPLE

Ablett snr named the greatest Cat of all

»

It’s a debate that will continue long into this decade and perhaps further into this century – who is Geelong’s greatest player of all time: Polly Farmer or Gary Ablett snr?

Geelong’s local newspaper, theGeelong Advertiser, recently tried to put some perspective to it by naming Ablett No. 1 ahead of Farmer in a list of the Cats’ 50 greatest.

Although it’s not the defi nitive answer, it shows how diffi cult it is to separate two incredibly gifted players who played in different eras. What makes it harder is that Farmer played just 101 games (1962-67) while Ablett’s 242 games (1984-96) live in the recent memory of many Cats fans.

Ablett’s son, Gary jnr, came in at No. 5 behind Garry Hocking (No. 4) and Matthew Scarlett (No. 3).

Scarlett was one of eight current-day players named in the top 50. The others are Jimmy Bartel (14), Paul Chapman (15), Joel Corey (27), Corey Enright (28), Steve Johnson (31), Cameron Ling (40) and Darren Milburn (41).

The major criteria was that players had to have played at least 100 matches for the club since it joined the VFL in 1897, which meant another current star, Joel Selwood, just missed – he played his 100th game last week after the list was announced.

MICHAEL LOVETT

THE GEELONG ADVERTISER

TOP 50 CATS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 21 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25

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AFL RECORD

Gary Ablett snr 26 Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer 27 Matthew Scarlett 28 Garry Hocking 29 Gary Ablett jnr 30 Bernie Smith 31 Reg Hickey 32 George ‘Jocka’ Todd 33 Doug D Do Dou oug ug gW Wade 34 Billy B Bil Bill illy lyy Go G o Goggin 35 Paul P Pa au ul C Co o Couch 36 Fred F Fr Fre red ed dF Fl Fla la Flanagan 37 Henry H He Hen enr nry ryy Young Y 38 JJimmy Ji Jim mm myy B Bartel 39 Paul P Pa Pau aul ull Ch C Chapman 40 JJohn Jo oh ohn hn n ‘Sam’ ‘S ‘Sa Sa Newman 41 Michael M Mi Mic ch ha hae ael el Turner 42 Ian Ia an n Nan Na N an n Nankervis 43 Peter P Pe ete teerr Pianto P 44 Dick D Di Dic ick ck k Gr G r Grigg 45 Edward E Ed Edw dwa wa war ard rd d ‘Carji’ Greeves 46 JJoe Jo oee S Slat Sl Sla at Slater 47 Bob B Bo ob b Davis Dav D Da avv 48 Barry B Ba Bar arrry arry ryy SStoneham 49 Leo L Le eo oT Tu Tur urr Turner 50

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Cliff Rankin Joel Corey Corey Enright Peter Walker Alistair Lord Steve Johnson Fred Wooller Bruce Morrison Lindsay White Mark Bairstow David Clarke Peter Riccardi Ken Newland Les Hardiman Cameron Ling Darren Milburn Tom Quinn Andrew Bews Lloyd Hagger Jack Collins Percy Martini Geoff Williams Bill Eason Edwin ‘Teddy’ Rankin Bruce Nankervis

A shining light as Ablett hits new heights MICHAEL WHITING

G

ary Ablett joined an elite group of players with his sublime 41-disposal and four-goal performance against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last Saturday.

The Gold Coast captain joined just six other players since 1984 to tally at least 40 touches and kick four goals in a match, and was only the second to do so in a losing team.

He joined Wayne Johnston (1984), Barry Mitchell (1988), Greg Williams (1989), Wayne Campbell (1992), Mark Ricciuto (2000) and Joe Misiti (2000) on the short list. effort for for Only Mitchell’ss effort ns in a the Sydney Swans 15 (94) 17.12 (114) to 13.15 (94) thorn loss against Hawthorn 1988 in round three of 1988 on went unrewardedd on night, Brownlow Medall night, der not with the midfielder polling a vote.

While Misiti’s al effort 41-touch, four-goal n’s came in Essendon’s ng 125-point drubbing ne of North Melbourne fying in the 2000 qualifying greatest final, perhaps the greatest helist list performance on the Williamss. belongs to ‘Diesel’’Williams. wans, Playing for the Swans, staggerin ng Williams tallied aastaggering

53 disposals and booted six goals against St Kilda at the SCG on August 13, 1989.

Ablett’s stunning display against the Crows came on his 27th birthday and started with three goals and 14 possessions in the first quarter, including two goals from outside 50.

He even drew praise from opposition coach Neil Craig. “He was fantastic ... he really took charge of the game,” Craig said.

“I’ve always loved the way he plays, he’s a great competitor.”

Ablett was on pace to match Williams’ effort at half-time when he had tallied 25 touches and three goals but, despite an early goal in the third quarter, his output slowed down a fraction.

Typically understated, the 2009 Brownlow medallist was more interested in talking about his team’s 57-point loss.

“We played well in the fi rst quarter and I thought we played all right in the last quarter as well but, at this level, you’ve just got to play consistent four-quarter games and we didn’t do that,” he said.

Ablett’s tallyyincluded 23 contestedpossessionsanda possessionsand andaa contested possessions game-high 13 clearances –– and he laid eight tackles for for good measure.

STUNNING DISPLAY:

Gary Ablett’s 41 touches included 23 contested possessions and 13 clearances.

LEATHER POISONING Name

YearRdOpp.ResultDisp.GoalsBrownlow

Gary Ablett 20118 AdelL

414?

Joe Misiti2000QFN MelbW

414N/A

Mark Ricciuto20007PAW

4143

Wayne Campbell199215CarlW

4143

Greg Williams198919St KW

5363

Barry Mitchell19883HawL

4040

Wayne Johnston19841N MelbW

4353

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Fremantle veteran Adam McPhee sidelined for up to eight weeks after injuring PCL in his left knee.

RECOGNITION: The annual Dreamtime at the ‘G

match is a celebration of the contribution of indigenous players to the game; 2009 Australian of the Year Mick Dodson (inset).

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Reconciliation and sport MICK DODSON

S

port plays an enormous role in Australian life and, for many indigenous people, it is especially significant.

Sport has the capacity to make a difference not just to an individual’s life, but to whole communities.

Sportsmen and athletes seem to understand reconciliation much better than many people. They know that it’s fundamentally about relationships and they know they have the most to gain and the most to lose from what we achieve in reconciliation.

It’s essential to the success of their team – on and off the fi eld.

The AFL has had a long and proud relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities and therefore has a responsibility to ensure that relationships, respect and opportunities are developed across all areas of the code.

14

AFL RECORD

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A couple of years ago when I spoke to the AFL’s industry conference, I emphasised how much the League can do to generate a shared sense of true belonging among all Australians. It creates a kind of belonging that makes a team function effectively and succeed.

This infl uential position means the AFL, and its clubs, don’t have the luxury of resting on their laurels. You have to keep asking yourselves what else you could be doing for the community that sustains you.

It means you have to ensure the leadership space you occupy is real and meaningful and enduring. And, to my mind, fostering reconciliation is perhaps the most important aspect of your community leadership at this time.

Two years ago, Essendon Football Club became the first sporting organisation to develop a reconciliation action plan – honouring its relationships with indigenous

It is about understanding, recognition, respect, appreciation, relationships and trust people by making strong commitments to reconciliation and cultural understanding.

Reconciliation action plans celebrate indigenous success, challenge understandings about indigenous disadvantage and, most importantly, undertake positive activities that improve the lives of indigenous and other Australians.

I would like to congratulate Richmond Football Club for joining the call and launching its reconciliation action plan when it faces the Bombers this weekend in the annual Dreamtime at the ’G match.

The values of the Tigers 100 Year Club – like dignity and respect, integrity and social responsibly – align with Reconciliation Australia’s key

objectives and all ring true in terms of what we’re working to achieve for all Australians.

I challenge other clubs to give their members something to be distinctly proud of and make them stand out from the other sporting organisations in Australia.

Reconciliation is not simply about health and education. It is also about understanding, recognition, respect, appreciation, relationships and trust.

According to the latest Australian Reconciliation Barometer, the majority of Australians are optimistic about the future – 87 per cent of Australians agree the relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous people is

Melbourne’s Lynden Dunn handed two-week suspension for engaging in rough conduct.

important and 48 per cent said it is improving.

However, one area where work is needed is around trust.

Just nine per cent of Australians feel that trust between the two groups is good. Relationships and trust go hand in hand, so it is encouraging to see a willingness to improve the relationship – and these statistics show where we need to do the work.

Events like National Reconciliation Week can provide a focus for all Australians to reflect on reconciliation, learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures – and strengthen the relationships.

This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme is about recognition and encourages people to recognise and honour the efforts of First Australians, like the late Richmond champion Maurice Rioli, who make significant contributions to our national identity.

When you are recognised for who you are and what you contribute, you feel proud, valued and connected. Whether it’s supporting your team during a footy match, developing a reconciliation action plan or properly acknowledging the status of indigenous Australians in the Constitution – it’s all about recognition.

Over the past 100 years, the AFL has benefi ted in various ways from the numerous talented indigenous athletes who gends. nds. have become heroes and legends. nisee It is important to recognise ons the continuing contributions tra ait of Aboriginal and Torres Strait lian n Islander peoples to Australian society and the AFL has ann important role to play in education – educating the ost fans, their players and, most a and importantly, their offi cialss––and hip ps. building positive relationships.

Like most blokes, I love myy ns.. footy – and I love the Swans. m But no matter which team you support, there’s no doubt reconciliation and sport go hand in hand. or This is the foundation for nce making a positive difference nd to the lives of Aboriginal and ple Torres Strait Islander people and all Australians.

Mick Dodson is the co-chair of Reconciliation Australia and was 2009 9. named Australian of the Year in 2009.

ACHIEVING GOALS

Footy business and the realities of life CALLUM TWOMEY

P

ut simply, Chris Johnson says the ‘Footy Means Business’ program, conducted by the AFL and Rio Tinto this week, is about leadership, discipline and learning.

Johnson manages the program in his broad role at the AFL, which also includes coaching and mentoring junior players.

In its second year, the program provides 18-24-year-old indigenous men with exposure to elite football programs and employment opportunities.

Football is integral to the program – the group had training sessions this week at either Essendon or Richmond, and will play in a curtain-raiser before the Tigers-Bombers Dreamtime at the ’G match – but Johnson says it is just one aspect of the program.

“It’s about all areas,” the 34-year-old said this week.

“Football is the reason we’re

ASPIRING LEADERS: Footy Means Business participants David Groves (left) and Nathan Weldon-Bowen with AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick.

here; it’s the vehicle that gets us here. But there’s a lot of other stuff these guys need to work on to make sure they hold themselves responsible in all aspects of life.”

The 50 participants selected each year must be Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders, and employed or involved in an education, training or community program. They need also to have aspirations and leadership qualities.

This week, along with learning about the football pathway they need to take if they want to make it to the AFL, the group also undertook media training at the Seven Network, training drills with the Victoria Police and mock formal job interviews conducted by the NAB staff.

N New-look New Tiger sash symbolises s cultural ccultu pride » Richm Richmond’s traditional yellow

sa sash ash has has been given an indigenous look lo ook for this t weekend’s Dreamtime at the th he ’G ma match against Essendon.

The ju jumper, displayed here by Jack Ja ack Riewoldt, Riew features art work by Melbourne’s Jirra Lulla Harvey, who Melbour M ssays she is “passionate about the importance im mporta of strong Aboriginal role models in the media and the arts”. m Harvey was a national scholar Harve of Melbourne, att the University Un w here sh where she completed her media and communications degree, and an nd com is working workin on a fellowship with the

Johnson says the program teaches participants about the “realities” of life: employment, education and opportunities.

So far, Footy Means Business has assisted 30 men achieve their employment goals.

“We try to build up their confidence so they can apply for jobs, even though they might get a few knock-backs,” says Johnson, the former Fitzroy and Brisbane Lions champion who played 264 games in a 14-year career, including the Lions’ premierships from 2001-03.

“We’re teaching the guys that you have to be able to deal with setbacks. That’s what they’re dealing with.

“The most satisfying part is coming back and seeing what the guys have done since we last saw them. It’s great.”

National Gallery of Australia.

“The river (on the sash) is representative of the Murray River, which has always been integral to my people’s survival and spirituality, and the Yarra, which is equally important and can be seen from the MCG,” Harvey said.

“The footballs on either side of the river mimic the shape of shields used by Aboriginal warriors. For Richmond to have a contemporary, Victorian Aboriginal design on its jumper means a lot.

“It says that the AFL recognises that we have a strong, vibrant community in Victoria. While Aboriginal art is diverse in style, our work tends to symbolise one thing – and that is cultural pride.”

AFL RECORD

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15

AFL RECORD PROMOTION FOR THE COLLINGWOOD FOOTBALL CLUB

Side by side with the community.

Collingwood Football Club and Westpac, proud to support our Victorian lifesavers.

Westpac Commun ity Cup

Collingwood v Adelaide Crows Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm Sunday May 22

LIFESAVERS ON THE MARK There are few more enduring images of the Australian way of life than the spectacle of surf lifesavers going about their orderly business among the leisurely and consciously disordered throng of a crowded day at the beach.

This year, the Westpac Community Cup between Collingwood and Adelaide will pay tribute to Life Saving Victoria (LSV) and the 26,000 lifesavers who patrol Victoria’s beaches throughout the summer.

In its second year, the Westpac Community Cup highlights the work volunteer organisations do for the community and this year LSV has been singled out for recognition.

Westpac has supported surf lifesaving in Australia and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service for more than three decades.

It began in Sydney in 1973 with the sponsorship of the nation’s

16

AFL RECORD

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first civilian rescue helicopter service and now extends nationally to save lives across the country.

The 38-year partnership between Westpac and the volunteers of surf lifesaving plays a vital role in protecting the community in the aquatic environment.

The funding from Westpac provides state-of-the-art equipment, including the new single engine Squirrel Euro Copter AS350B2 helicopter, which is equipped to land on any flat open space, including beaches, and can travel at speeds of up to 280kmp/h. Its ability to hover low and remain stationary mid-air allows for more proactive rescue missions that result in quicker response times.

“This vital helicopter service and support to clubs has ensured LSV can deliver a world-class service to the

community in the aquatic environment,” LSV CEO Nigel Taylor said.

The helicopter is tasked with shark patrols, static line rescues, search and rescue of lost swimmers, searching for missing boats and fishermen in distress, as well as playing a support role in inland emergencies.

“From Westpac’s point of view, this is a relationship which engenders a lot of pride at a personal level – our employees consider this partnership one of Westpac’s biggest contributions to the community,” Westpac Victoria State General Manager Julie Rynski said.

LSV provides not only lifesaving services at the beach, but also CPR and water safety training, pool and beach sports events, leadership development pathways, research into

drowning and injury prevention and also work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

One Magpie who recognises the importance of surf lifesavers is Scott Pendlebury, who grew up in Sale in south-east Victoria.

“I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time at the beach as a kid and always admired the surf lifesavers who patrolled the beaches,” Pendlebury said.

“It’s great to see that through the Westpac Community Cup this week, we’re able to support the guys and girls who volunteer so much of their time and do such a fantastic job.”

REMEMBER: Never swim alone – look before you leap and always watch around water. Interested in lifesaving?Go to lifesavingvictoria.com.au

Hawks ruckman David Hale out for up to six weeks with torn meniscus in his right knee.

PHOTO: SDPMEDIA.COM.AU, COURTESY OF NATIONAL SPORTS MUSEUM

PHOTOGRAPHIC DISPLAY

Tiwi Footy exhibition celebrates spirit of islands football CALLUM TWOMEY

T

hrough some of its greatest exports – Essendon champion Michael Long, the late Richmond legend Maurice Rioli and his nephews, Hawthorn star Cyril Rioli and former Bomber Dean Rioli, as well as ex-Geelong and Adelaide forward Ronnie Burns – the Tiwi Islands have given Australian Football some remarkable highlights.

Yiloga! Tiwi Footy is an art exhibition celebrating the spirit of Tiwi Islands football.

The exhibition, which runs at the MCG’s National Sports Museum until July 17 as the

final part of a nation-wide tour, features photographs and a collection of memorabilia.

The images in the exhibition have been sourced from a book put together by photographers Peter Eve and Monica Napper, titled Tiwi Footy.

Tiwi Bombers Football Club general manager Cameron Hotton said the exhibition had been well received.

“This is the last stop, and the biggest stop of the exhibition, so it’s been great for Tiwi Islands football.

There are all sorts of photos, some of the footy, but many are of the crowd and people dancing and celebrating wins,” Hotton said.

Player memorabilia also features in the exhibition, as do trophies won by the Bombers in the Northern Territory Football League.

The Bombers themselves are worthy of celebration. Although they did not win the NTFL premiership this season – the Bombers lost the preliminary final by two points to eventual premier Wanderers – the Tiwi club, the first all-indigenous team to play in a major competition, flew as a group every week to Darwin and attracted big crowds.

“We’ve been in the competition for only five years, but we’ve got big crowds since

Football-themed prints donated

» Indigenous artist Billy

Doolan, who has spent time painting in Italy, has donated 100 prints of two of his footballthemed works Seven Sisters and Possum Skin Football.

Money raised from the sale of the prints will support the AFL Femminile (the Italian women’s team) in its endeavours to play in the women’s division of this year’s Australian Football International Cup. Doolan, whose works were on display in an exhibition in Italy, will be a guest at this weekend’s Port Adelaide-Fremantle match at AAMI Stadium.

For more information about the Doolan prints, go to afl f.com.au.

our inception and it adds to the excitement of the league,” Hotton said, suggesting the team plays with a combination of skill, brilliance and fun.

“The players love representing their people, not just the jumper.”

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17

Ninth edition of The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers released.

TRAILBLAZER

FACT FILE

David Kantilla: A pioneer without peer

David Kantilla

Club: South Adelaide Career: 1961-66, plus 12 seasons with St Marys (NT) Games: 113 Goals: 106 Player honours: South Adelaide premiership 1964; South Adelaide best and fairest 1961, 1962; South Adelaide Team of the Century; Indigenous Team of the Century (selected August, 2005).

W MICHAEL SEXTON

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AFL RECORD

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PHOTO COURTESY: SOUTH ADELAIDE FOOTBALL CLUB

hen David Kantilla arrived in Adelaide from Bathurst Island at the start of the 1961 season, he might well have landed from Mars. With few exceptions, the SANFL was an all-white competition and a ruckman from the Tiwi Islands, who looked like he was carved from ebony, was always going to attract attention. That he booted six goals on debut against Glenelg didn’t hurt, either.

But the success of Kantilla was not confined to the fi eld.

According to Ted Egan, the man who coached him at St Marys in Darwin, his ability to thrive in the southern capital was as great an achievement as his efforts on the fi eld.

Egan had created St Marys from scratch under the instruction of the Darwin Catholic Archbishop John O’Loughlin, who wanted some recreation for the young Tiwi men who came to Darwin for work.

As the Saints became successful, Egan harboured an ambition to see his players compete in League football in one of the states. The first was Billy Roe, who played 13 games for East Perth in the WAFL in 1956, including the winning Grand Final.

When South Adelaide approached Egan looking for a ruckman, he believed there were 10 players at St Marys better than Kantilla, but none as tall. Kantilla was keen to play in Adelaide, but needed clearances from both St Marys and the church.

As a ward of the Catholic Church, Kantilla needed the Archbishop’s permission to move. South Adelaide promised to adhere to a strict moral code

TIWI SENSATION: At 196cm, David Kantilla was graceful and fast for his size,

but it was his marking that set him apart, with his exploits for SANFL club South Adelaide earning him selection in the Indigenous Team of the Century.

of no drinking, smoking or gambling and put all match payments into a trust account.

Egan believes all sides behaved impeccably and when the ruckman arrived in Adelaide, he was lodged with a Catholic family who had a bed especially constructed to accommodate his 196cm frame.

After his brilliant debut, Kantilla became a rare success in a team that had known no real joy since World War II. Part of the reason South Adelaide officials went looking for a player in the top end was because it felt it was being unfairly treated by the SANFL. South Adelaide’s metropolitan recruiting zone was small and it

He played the game at his own rhythm, unaware of the crowd or the state of the match

struggled to compete with bigger clubs to attract players from the country or interstate.

Although the Panthers continued losing during his fi rst three seasons, Kantilla won the best and fairest award twice. He was graceful and fast for his size, but it was his marking that set him apart.

Despite his thin frame, he held his own in packs. Port Adelaide ruckman Bob Philp says a collision with the Tiwi giant was like “running into a pack of razor blades”.

Ian Day roved at the feet of Kantilla and saw someone who played the game at his own rhythm, often seeming to be unaware of the crowd or the state of the match.

The only part of the experience Kantilla didn’t like was the winter cold. His enthusiasm for a long, hot shower or bath after training earned him his nickname ‘Soapy’.

His popularity at South Adelaide was enormous.

Before matches, he entertained huge mobs of kids outside the rooms, playing jokes with them and signing autographs until teammates dragged him away.

At the club, he would hit the dance floor and perform the ‘twist’ with fellow ruckman Brian ‘Whale’ Roberts, later of Richmond and South Melbourne fame. A book of raffle tickets in his hand seemed to be instantly sold.

Although he had a casual relationship with employment, the club was inundated with businesses offering him a job.

The only off-field diffi culties came when his wife Genevieve arrived in Adelaide. As a deaf-mute, she could only

AFL announces review of Victorian country football after resignation of VCFL CEO Glenn Scott.

communicate with her husband using hand signs in Tiwi.

Genevieve lost so much weight while pining for home that eventually she returned north to restore her health.

In 1964, South Adelaide stunned the SANFL by signing West Adelaide’s Neil Kerley as captain-coach.

He inherited a young, talented squad in need of direction, and three outstanding players – defender Bob Schmidt and ruckmen Peter Darley and Kantilla. The group responded to the leadership of Kerley and rose from bottom to top in one season.

While Darley handled the bulk of the ruckwork, Kantilla was sent forward and used on the ball only for short bursts.

Kerley believed there was no point trying to coach or instruct the Tiwi Islander because it might stie his natural instincts.

Instead, when Kantilla went on the ball, Kerley would accompany him and, as a ruck-rover, do the heavy body work allowing Kantilla a free run at the ball.

The 1964 Grand Final saw an upset win for the Panthers, who defeated Port Adelaide (winner of eight of the previous

MATCH-WINNER: Ron Barassi described Kantilla performance in the 196 ’s 4 SANFL Grand Final as “devastati ng�.

10 premierships) by 27 points.

While Darley was brilliant, most commentators considered Kantilla best on ground. He grabbed 10 marks in the difďŹ cult, swirling conditions, twice as many as any other player.

Watching in the crowd, the great Ron Barassi described the performance as “devastating�.

Kantilla returned to the top end after the 1966 season to be with his family and to coach St Marys. He died in a truck accident on Bathurst Island in 1978.

Each year he is remembered at the reunion of the 1964 South Adelaide premiership side. He is in the club’s Hall of Fame and

was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century.

However, Kantilla’s legacy iis best seen in the Tiwi men w who now regularly make ttheir way to the highest l level of football. In part, it is b because of his trailblazing, b also because of a meeting but o Bathurst Island after the on 1 1974 season.

Roberts decided to visit his ol teammate and brought old w him two of his new with Ri Richmond teammates, Neil Ba Balme and Kevin Sheedy. It wa Sheedy’s ďŹ rst taste of was foo football in the tropical north an he was deeply impressed and by the gentle man who met him on the airstrip.

The story of Sheedy and his work with indigenous foo footballers is rightly celebrated.

Th story of David Kantilla is The l worth celebrating. also Michael Sexton is the South Australian correspondent for the ABC’s 7.30 Report. He is a seven-time winner of the SANFL media award for excellence and in 2008 was named South Australian journalist of the year. His latest book, 1964: A Game, A Season, A State , on the 1964 SANFL season is available at sportswords.com.au.

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MELBOURNE’S OWN AFL RECORD

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19

Essendon midfielder Heath Hocking accepts three-match suspension for striking Brisbane Lion James Polkinghorne.

ROLE MODEL

Following ancestors’ sacred footsteps » The annual Richmond-

Essendon Dreamtime at the ’G match is a joint initiative of the AFL, AFL Victoria, Essendon and Richmond and The Long Walk.

It is also the signature event of the Indigenous Round, which recognises and celebrates indigenous people’s contribution to Australian Football and their importance to the growth of the game.

Essendon’s Nathan LovettMurray, one of 85 indigenous players on AFL club lists (11 per cent) this season, says “indigenous players consider themselves to be modern-day ‘warriors’, playing for the oldest living culture in the world, their people, their tribes, their communities, their future”.

“In their community, they’re looked up to as leaders and role models, not just on the field but how they work in our programs,” Lovett-Murray said.

“They don’t think of themselves as all that fl ash, they consider themselves just young ‘fellas’ who moved to the city to play footy.

“Many other warriors have come before us, such as William Barrack, Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls, Lionel Rose and Maurice Rioli.

“When we walk out on to the field, we walk in their footsteps.”

This weekend’s game is the seventh Dreamtime match, with the pre-match entertainment including a traditional warrior dance, a ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony performed by Aunty Joy MurphyWandin and performances of Black Boy by Coloured Stone and Warrior for Life by Yung Warriors, featuring Deline Briscoe.

In memory of the late Maurice Rioli, his brothers John and Cyril II will toss the coin before the match.

20

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The NAB AFL Auskick and grid games at half-time will involve children from the Fitzroy Stars and Rumbalara football clubs, Nowa Nowa and Bairnsdale primary schools, Robinvale and the remote Parnngurr community in Western Australia.

The best player in the main game will receive the Yiooken award. Previous winners were Dean Polo, James Hird, Nathan Foley, Jason Winderlich and David Hille.

There will be a Welcome to Country ceremeony conducted before all other matches, with the centre circle at all venues painted in the colours of the indigenous flag.

At the SCG, The Live Connection, which provided the music for the television commercial promoting the round, will perform live.

First indigenous player for each AFL club Eddie Hocking, Adelaide, 1991 Kevin Caton, Brisbane Bears, 1990 Alf Egan, Carlton, 1931 Norm Le Brun, Collingwood, 1933 Norm Le Brun, Essendon, 1931 Joe Johnson, Fitzroy, 1904 Winston Abraham, Scott Chisholm, Gary Dhurrkay, Dale Kickett, Fremantle, 1995 Graham Farmer, Geelong, 1962 Harley Bennell, Jarrod Harbrow, Nathan Krakouer, Brandon Matera, Gold Coast, 2011 George Simmonds, Melbourne, 1924 Alf Egan, North Melbourne, 1934 Shane R. Bond, Peter Burgoyne, Fabian Francis, Port Adelaide, 1997 Derek Peardon, Richmond, 1968

« Jim Wandin, St Kilda, 1952 Norm Le Brun, South Melbourne/ Sydney Swans, 1929 Chris Lewis, Wally Matera, West Coast, 1987 Charlie Stewart, Western Bulldogs, 1961

Varcoe: once were warriors ADAM McNICOL

M

any elite sportspeople shun the idea they should be role models for society, but Geelong midfi elder Travis Varcoe wholeheartedly embraces the idea.

“Being an AFL player, or a competitor in any high-profi le sport, gives you the ability to get some really positive messages across,” the 23-year-old says.

Varcoe knows this from first-hand experience. Last October, he travelled to Gove in Arnhem Land for the inaugural ‘Leaders of Tomorrow’ festival, organised by his good friend and former teammate Nathan Djerrkura, who now plays for the Western Bulldogs.

During the event, several indigenous high-achievers, including Varcoe, Djerrkura and renowned artist Raymond Walters, ran information information sessions focussing focussingon onhealth, health, well-being,, leadership leadership and aand nd education.

T also education. They conducted clinics c clinics in aa in range of sports. spo orts.

“Not ever ryone everyone wants to leave lea ave the the community and community,y,and neither should sho ould they,” says Varco e who grew up e, Varcoe, in South Au ustralia. “So “So Australia. we want those those people, people, who are going goiing to be the elders in the the future to have have positive leadership qualities.”

In all, 350 350 people participated partticipated in the festival, festivval,which whichended ended with an outdoor outtdoor concert concert featuring talented ta alentedlocal local performers s. performers.

“Doing the th he work with Natha an really Nathan really made me build bu uild my skills inthat tha atarea,” area,” skills in Varcoe says. sayss. “I’m really really happy because beca ause it’s what I’ve always wanted wan nted to do.

“I’m really happy that Nathan gave me the chance to be part of the festival. I’ve had great experiences, and I’ll continue to do that. I’m already looking forward to this October when we go up there again.”

Varcoe will be thinking of the people in Gove when he runs out against Carlton at Etihad Stadium tonight in the opening game of the AFL’s indigenous round.

“I guess we wouldn’t probably have this round if it wasn’t for the likes of Syd Jackson, Michael Long and Nicky Winmar,” he says.

“We’re proud to play on their behalf as well. I can’t speak for any of the other indigenous guys, but I get a buzz out of the indigenous round.

“You defi nitely carry your family, and where you come from, with you. I carry those things every week, but defi nitely more so this round than any other round. I do get excited by it.”

A member of Geelong’s 2009 premiership team, Varcoe has been an impressive performer primarily as a small forward for the Cats this year, despite missing much of the pre-season due to a shoulder injury.

And with the the indigenous indigenous round featuring featuringaa‘warrior’ ‘warrior ’ theme, he h ewill will w i lbe be l busing using e u s ithat that n g as tas hatas inspiration against tthe he Blues.

Blues.

“Our ancestors were warriors, so it’s it’s almost almost like l ike warriors, so a perfect fit,” Varcoe says. “I “I think it’s in in our ourblood bloodthat that think it’s we’re all warriors. warriors.I’ll I’ll take that mindset mindset out on to the field this weekend.”

MY PEOPLE:

Travis Varcoe is proud to be representing indigenous people in this round.

Carlton’s Matthew Kreuzer to return from knee reconstruction this weekend in the VFL.

PROUD CLUB

Success is only part of St Marys’ history PETER ARGENT

A

football club based in Darwin has genuine claims as the most successful club Australia-wide since World War II. Established in 1952 and admitted to the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) on October 9 that year, St Marys – also known as the ‘Green Machine’ – has been dominant in collecting 28 flags and playing in 44 state league Grand Finals. The team won 50 consecutive games from February 27, 1994.

A blood-stained jumper from the club’s first premiership hangs proudly in the foyer of the social club.

But there’s much more to the club than its success, with those behind its founding having a broader aim.

“The club was created so the islanders and full-blood Aboriginals could have a place to meet and play football, as they were banned from being in the central business district of Darwin after 6pm in those early days,” club statesman and six-time premiership player/ coach Damien Hale said.

“We’ve always been a club that embraces social inclusion,” he said.

“I was at that initial meeting when we were endeavouring

Family disciplines have always been at the heart of the club and its success INAUGURAL ST MARYS CAPTAIN TED EGAN

to join the NTFL back in 1952,” Northern Territory historian Ted Egan, the club’s inaugural captain, said.

“There was considerable objection to St Marys being accepted. Bishop O’Loughlin, the Bishop of Darwin at the time, was a driving force behind the formation of the club.

“He was concerned about the welfare of full-blood Aboriginals and Tiwi Islanders who would come to Darwin for work and the need for them to be involved in a family atmosphere.

“From day one, the Bishop of Darwin has always been the patron of our club.

“Once we got into the ccompetition, we were almost iimmediately successful. I h have been quoted many times a as saying we achieve beyond o means. our “This is because the fa family disciplines have al always been at the heart of th club and its success. These the di disciplines have been imposed fro the outset and are the real from str strength of St Marys.”

If in Darwin, it is worth a vis to the club, located on visit the airport (western) side of TIO Sta Stadium.

I the main room, the walls In are adorned with premiership pho and flags and the photos clu honour board. Famous club’s Australian Football names jump out at you.

Michael Graham, picked in the Indigenous Team of the Century, was a Nicholls medallist (as the NTFL best and fairest) in the 1972-73 season, before he played in premierships with Sturt in the SANFL. Andrew McLeod’s brother Jock (Jonathan) was best on ground in the 1996-97 Grand Final, collecting the Chaney Medal.

Brothers Marty and Damien Christensen, who played for Geelong, both won Nicholls Medals, with Damien also collecting a Chaney Medal.

Nathan Buckley’s father Ray was captain-coach of the club, leading it to a flag in 1978-79.

Included among the high-profile players to play for the club are the late Maurice Rioli, and Michael Long (pictured); both their families have long and proud connections with the club.

Other AFL players produced

by St Marys include Ronnie Burns, Scott Chisholm, Xavier and Raphael Clarke, Peter Burgoyne, Cyril Rioli and Austin Wonaeamirri.

Ex-Blue Naley’s heritage surprise » Carlton’s 1987 premiership

rover Mark Naley enjoyed his 50th birthday in March, a milestone that coincided with a surprising discovery about his heritage.

Naley’s paternal grandfather, Charles Gordon Naley – who fought at Gallipoli in World War I and was in the midst of the action on that fateful day of April 25, 1915 – was thought to have had ancestors from Afghanistan. However, his grandson discovered the truth about ‘Grandad’ Naley after reading in his war records that he was actually Aboriginal.

Naley had always been proud of his grandfather’s contribution to such a significant event in Australian history, and now it has taken on even more significance.

Naley told The Koori Mail the revelation might explain a few things about his sporting ability.

“Interestingly, no one else in my extended family had much connection with sport,” Naley revealed.

“So my natural talents with a football in my hand must have something to do with my heritage.”

A two-time All-Australian, Naley played 65 games and kicked 74 goals for the Blues from 1987-90, and was named in the Blues’ best in four of his fi ve fi nals appearances. He won the 1991 Magarey Medal, after being runner-up in both 1981 and 1982.

BEN COLLINS

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RESPECT: It took a long and sometimes painful battle but Syd Jackson fought for a worthwhile cause on and off the football field.

PHOTO: SEAN GARNSWORTHY/AFL PHOTOS

SYD JACKSON

Jackson’s

Track

Long before Chris Judd was even born, the sight of the No. 5 Carlton guernsey was enough to send Blues fans into raptures. Syd Jackson – the only Aboriginal in the AFL/VFL for much of his career in the late 1960s and ’70s – was fast, tough, brilliant and popular. His journey to the highest level, though, was punctuated by incomprehensible tragedy and a never-ending fight for survival and respect, which Jackson waged through the artistry of his football and the power of his personality. BEN COLLINS

F

or decades, Syd Jackson had the perfect party trick.

In pubs and bars, people would approach the Carlton great and ask, “Are you Syd Jackson?”

“No,” Jackson would reply.

“I’m Lionel Rose.”

Jackson would do his best impression of the former world champion boxer by striking a few boxing poses. The ruse never failed to get a laugh.

Unfortunately, Jackson can no longer use this line. Rose – a mate of Jackson’s and a co-crusader in Aboriginal affairs – died from heart problems on Sunday, May 8. He was 62, four years Jackson’s junior.

Jackson spoke to the AFL Record the day after Rose’s death. He was still in shock after

receiving the terrible news via a phone call the previous night.

“I can’t believe it,” Jackson says in his generally quiet, understated way. “I was planning to see him soon.

It’s a terrible loss.”

Jackson “had plenty to do with” Rose, personally and professionally.

For many years, they both fought for greater opportunities for indigenous sportspeople as board members of the National Aboriginal Sports Foundation (among many other roles).

“It’s very sad, not only for me, but for indigenous people and Australia,” says Jackson, who attended the state funeral afforded to Rose last Monday.

Until recent times, Jackson was also mistaken for another Aboriginal legend. A man

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57

syd jackson once asked him for an autograph, adding, “You were a champion, Maurice.” Of course, the man believed Jackson to be the now late Richmond star Maurice Rioli, who suffered a fatal heart attack on Christmas Day last year.

(Incidentally, Jackson thinks he looks more like David Unaipon, the famous Aboriginal scientist and inventor whose image appears on the Australian $50 note. Compare for yourself.

The likeness is startling.)

Jackson also did a lot of community work with Rioli, who was a long-time politician in the Northern Territory.

“We’re losing some of our sporting legends, and our best community leaders and role models, who gave a lot of Aboriginal kids hope and aspirations,” Jackson laments.

Jackson is such an individual himself. Touch wood, he has a full bill of health. He’s still at his playing weight of 73kg. Very few former footballers at any level could make the same boast. He attributes it to playing regular rounds of golf. His handicap was once as low as three, before steadying at fi ve. (“My motivation was that it was my jumper number.”) He now plays off nine.

“I think I’ve got a few years left in me yet,” he says.

Rose, Rioli and Jackson hailed from different corners of Australia: Rose was from Jackson’s Track in West Gippsland (south-eastern Victoria), Rioli the far-north Tiwi Islands, and Jackson the south-west of Western Australia.

Each ascended to greatness from harsh circumstances. In some ways, Jackson had the toughest upbringing.

Jackson has never forgotten where he comes from, although he could be forgiven for trying to. The older Jackson gets,

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RESEMBLANCE: Syd Jackson says he

looks like David Unaipon, who appears on the Australian $50 note.

STYLISH: Jackson shows

his kicking style at training at Princes Park.

thinksabout about the more he thinks his origins.

It’s a desperately sad story that Jackson tells plainly.

He was the last of three children born to half-caste Aboriginal Scotty Tulloch and partner Amy near the dusty goldmining town of Leonora (235km north of Kalgoorlie).

While his father was away working as a camel trainer, three-year-old Syd was “ripped from mum’s back” – stolen – by authorities and taken away, along with older sisters Marjorie and Jean.

The siblings were made wards of the state and separated.

didn’t see see his hissisters sistersor or Jackson didn’t parents until he tracked them down about 30 years later. They met twice, but only briefl y. By that stage, all they shared was blood; the relationship was lost.

Tulloch lived for more than 100 years, but knew his son for barely three.

“It was a big part of life that we missed out on,” Jackson says.

As a toddler, Jackson briefl y stayed with a white Jackson family, and was given their surname, before being sent 980km south-west to Roelands Native Mission, an “assimilation factory” near Bunbury. The boys were used as virtual “slave

la labour”, forced to do three hours o farm work before school and of a another two hours afterwards.

It was a place of strict discipline a occasional violence. and Jackson called the mission h home until the age of 15.

Despite the hard life at R Roelands, Jackson has many f fond memories of his time at t mission. Football was the t constant. the “There would be 20 of us fighting for one or two footballs, a if you didn’t get in there, you and d didn’t get a kick,” he says.

“It was a free-for-all, and that h helped me develop my skills.

“It probably opened up o opportunities for me that I w wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t b been taken away. But I’d much r rather have my family.”

For the past few years, Jackson h been at the forefront of a has c campaign by former “mission k kids” (as he calls them) to attract enough funding to transform the site of the former mission into a learning and cultural centre capable of accommodating tourists and training programs.

“When I heard the land was up for sale, I was disgusted,” he says. “I felt sick about it because it’s a place that generations of kids like myself called home. We want to do something positive with it.”

The greatest positive in Jackson’s early life was the eminent Dr Ern Manea, later a three-time mayor of Bunbury, who was the president of South Bunbury Football Club. Despite

rumblings from some locals, Manea took Jackson into his home.

“He was ahead of his time,” Jackson says. “They treated me like a son, and I’m still part of the family today.”

The Maneas are still alive and well. The day before our interview, Jackson called Beulah Manea to wish her a happy Mother’s Day. “They’ve got two younger sons – I’m the eldest,” he says.

By 18, Jackson had won two Hayward Medals as the best player in the South West National Football League.

Dr Manea had a rapport with officials from WAFL club East Perth, and Jackson made his way there in 1963.

The teenager made an immediate impact, receiving the equal-most votes in the 1963 Sandover Medal, only to miss out on the honour due to suspension.

(East Fremantle star Ray Sorrell was the winner.)

“I hardly did a thing,” Jackson says of the suspension. “I was running with the sun in my eyes and put my hand up and made light contact with a guy’s head. It was disappointing to miss a medal on that. The older I get, the more important it becomes.”

An East Perth teammate who became a friend of Jackson’s was the controversial Mal Brown (the father of Hawthorn and Gold Coast player Campbell Brown). The pair’s mateship was briefly tested last June when Brown referred to Aboriginal players as “cannibals” at a football function.

“Mal should have known better,” Jackson says. “But I’m sure he’s learned from it. You just can’t joke about things like that.”

Jackson was often a target of racism from opponents and opposition fans.

RELAXING: Jackson,

pictured here at Melbourne’s Eastern Golf Club, loves a round of golf and plays off a handicap of nine.

“I was astonished with the under a tougher disciplinarian way spectators behaved, and than Ron Barassi. what lengths they went to to put Dr Manea had initiated the you off your game,” he says. “I’d union, striking up a friendship hear it but I’d just shut off and try with Barassi when the game’s to kick another goal to get them biggest name was on a trip to going a bit louder. The louder Perth with Melbourne’s 1964 they were, premiership the better I side. Dr Manea was playing. trusted Barassi But that’s all enough to say, changed for “I want Syd to the better.” go to whichever East Perth club you go to.” was coached by Jackson Jack Sheedy, arrived at the Mr Football Carlton late of Western in 1967 (the Australia, same year SYD JACKSON whom Jackson Aboriginals says provided were allowed him with a to vote for the great grounding for VFL football, first time), along with fellow particularly in relation West Australian recruit Bert to discipline.

Thornley. However, the WAFL, When he landed at Carlton, sick of losing its stars to the VFL, Jackson couldn’t have played blocked their clearances. The

I was astonished with the way spectators behaved

pair stood out of football in 1968 to become Blues.

Jackson was the team runner when Carlton won the premiership. Barassi says they were probably the fastest messages ever delivered. “But knowing Syd,” Barassi says, “he would have softened some of the messages for his mates.”

Jackson says it was the hardest thing he has ever done – “I never got to sit down – I was absolutely knackered.”

Crucially, he “learned a lot about football, and a lot about Barassi’s likes and dislikes as well”.

Missing out on the premiership was shattering.

“It was terrible trying to be happy when you knew you should have been playing,” Jackson says.

That October, Jackson went with the Australian ‘Galahs’ team on a tour of Ireland. He was lucky to get out of the country.

“When the mission was done with us,” Jackson says, “they kicked us out without any paper trail or birth certifi cate to show that we actually existed.”

Which made it diffi cult for Jackson to get a passport.

Enter – yet again – Dr Manea, who used his influence to fast-track the process with the Federal Government.

Jackson, like many others in his predicament, was given the nominal birth date of July 1, 1944. “I feel younger, though,” he says.

In 1969, Jackson was the only Aboriginal player in the VFL, and remained so for much of his career.

He also stood out for his genius on a half-forward fl ank.

Much like current Carlton No. 5, skipper Chris Judd, Jackson saw opportunities that few others did, boasted dazzling

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59

syd jackson ball-handling and evasive skills, and did everything at a million miles an hour but with excellence of skill execution.

He actually shaded Judd in goal-sense, high marking ability and kicking.

Regarded as one of the best on-the-run drop kicks in the game, Jackson was the only player Barassi allowed to drop kick in the opening minutes of a match when the ball was pointy and hard.

Jackson admits he still produced the odd clanger, including one he says caused the death of the drop kick. At Geelong one day, he accidentally drilled the man on the mark, Peter Walker, between the eyes and Walker had to be stretchered off. Meanwhile, Cats star Doug Wade kicked the winning goal.

“That was bloody embarrassing – and Barassi banned drop kicks from that day forth.”

The flank was known as “the graveyard” and “starvation corner”, but Jackson found it “very lively” alongside the likes of Alex Jesaulenko and Robert Walls.

Jackson actually sparked off the long-running feud between Walls and Kevin Sheedy. During a Carlton-Richmond game in the 1970s, Walls heard the sound of knuckles on fl esh and saw Sheedy running away from Jackson. Believing Sheedy had belted his teammate, Walls knocked out Sheedy. Jackson later admitted Sheedy had been innocent – Jackson had actually belted him.

“Their blueing goes back to that day – and I’m the cause of it,” Jackson says.

“It’s quite funny because I’m great mates with both of them.”

Walls doesn’t blame Jackson, writing in The Age in May 2007, “I’d be surprised if there was ever a more popular player than Syd. The girls loved his good looks, charm, dress and eloquence.

He was a man’s man and his teammates thought the world of the little fellow with the big smile, who would back you to the hilt when trouble started on the field.”

Michael Long, Essendon’s great indigenous player, often emphasises the importance of possessing both hardness and tenderness: the ability to be a hard man on the fi eld and 60

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MEMORIES: Jackson

with a photo of his teammates celebrating the 1970 premiership.

a gentleman off it. Jackson And there was no bigger mastered this. These qualities stage than the 1970 Grand are encased in his fl eshy hands, Final, played in front of a record which Walls once described as 121,696 fans. being “like a soft suede leather”.

Despite kicking 55 goals Yet former teammates say he and finishing fourth in the best could deliver a devastating and fairest that year, Jackson short right that traveled no was lucky to be there. In the more than 15cm. second semi-final, Jackson “Soft hands help with ball and Collingwood opponent handling,” Jackson says. “You Lee Adamson were reported don’t grab at for striking the ball – it’s each other. like a baby, you Both escaped don’t drop it.” suspension, Adjusting to with Jackson the football in pleading Melbourne was provocation, the easy part; falsely adjusting to the claiming lifestyle and Adamson colder climate had racially of Melbourne taunted him.

ROBERT WALLS was the major “There’s issue. It took no problem Jackson two between Lee years to settle in. and I. He’s a good bloke. It was “I was more at home playing in the only card we had left to play,” front of 100,000 people against he says.

Collingwood than I was sitting The next week, Jackson in my loungeroom,” Jackson played his best game, bagging says. “The bigger the stage, the six goals in a preliminary fi nal better I was.” win over St Kilda.

I’d be surprised if there was ever a more popular player than Syd

When people think of the 1970 Grand Final, they think of blond-haired ‘super sub’ Ted Hopkins’ four second-half goals, ‘Jezza’s’ legendary mark, and Barassi’s equally legendary edict to handball that helped the Blues record the greatest comeback in Grand Final history.

Forgotten in it all is Jackson, whom St Kilda great Neil Roberts saw fit to award a vote in The Sporting Globe .

“Neil was being very kind,” Jackson says.

“I’m not forgotten – I gave Ted his fourth goal, and that gets replayed a lot.”

What should receive more airplay is Jackson’s left-foot snap from the boundary during the third-quarter fi ghtback. It was the moment many Blues believed they could actually pull off the impossible. Jackson says it was “a flukey goal”, but he did such things regularly.

Two years later, Jackson played in another premiership.

There weren’t many crumbs that day, though, with Jesaulenko, Walls and captain-coach John Nicholls (“‘The General’ had the smartest footy brain I’ve ever known”), but Jackson still managed 13 kicks and 2.1.

The Syd Jackson legend lives on at Carlton where the three brilliant Aboriginals from Western Australia – Eddie Betts, Chris Yarran and Jeff Garlett – refer to him with due deference as ‘Uncle’ (a show of respect to an Aboriginal elder).

Jackson sees a lot of himself in the trio: the speed, the skills, the cheek, the unpredictability, the excitement …

In round one, Betts passed Jackson’s record for the most goals by an indigenous player at Carlton. Jackson was proud to present Betts with a ball in the rooms after the game.

“Sorry about that, Uncle,” Betts told Jackson. He needn’t have apologised – Jackson was “rapt”. He hopes the entire trio surpasses him one day.

He is also proud of his legacy and status as a trailblazer for Aboriginal footballers.

“I’m just so proud that a lot of Aboriginal players who came after me appreciated I’d gone before them and made it a bit easier for them.”

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Sh Shaun Burgoyne, Aaron Davey and Raphael Clarke explain their transition into football’s elite. PETER RYAN ex

W

hile distilling the importance of football to about a dozen words is near imp impossible, the AFL’s national com community engagement ma manager Jason Mifsud does a pre pretty good job: “The Sherrin ena enables cultures to connect and sto stories to be told.”

W Welcome to the week that cel celebrates the contribution of ind indigenous footballers to the

game, past and present. It’s a proud time for all with an indigenous heritage who love the game.

“What this week gives us is the chance to showcase to the country the signifi cance of the AFL partnership with indigenous people,” says Mifsud.

Many understand the story of indigenous achievement within the AFL. Aboriginal players have

OPPORTUNITY: The AFL has given stars such as St Kilda’s Raphael Clarke, OP Me Melbourne’s Aaron Davey and Hawthorn’s Shaun Burgoyne the chance to sho showcase their remarkable talents as well as set up a future after football.

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63

connecting nne indigenous ndi scu culturess and an stories ies been part of premierships, won best and fairest awards and Norm Smith and Brownlow medals.

Those with an indigenous heritage who have created an AFL career have worked hard, endured plenty and excelled in a tough competition. Players know they can match the on-fi eld achievements of those who preceded them if they put in the effort, are resilient and develop an elite athlete’s healthy lifestyle.

But on-field success is only half the story. Creating a sustainable future off the fi eld will complete those tales.

The question is easy to ask: How can indigenous players make a successful transition into the game, have a strong career and then exit the game with opportunities to apply their character traits and business skills off the fi eld in the world of work?

Providing that end-to-end pathway for AFL players with an indigenous heritage, exiting the game in a position to utilise away from the footy fi eld the skills and attitudes they have developed during their careers is a big opportunity for the industry.

Clearly a desire to provide answers exists. The AFL, the AFL Players’ Association, AFL SportsReady, the clubs and those who run community programs are pouring intellectual property and funding into developing options for players as they progress through the system.

Mifsud points to recently retired champions, premiership players Andrew McLeod, Chris Johnson and Michael O’Loughlin, as examples of what can happen when former players are given the vehicle to develop their skills post-retirement.

The three now work in the AFL industry: Johnson managing the ‘Footy Means Business’ employment program, McLeod as the AFL Community Engagement and Talent Co-ordinator and O’Loughlin is the head coach of the AIS-AFL Academy squad.

Their roles include coaching, mentoring, talent identifi cation and leadership development, and whatever is required to support the objective of making the AFL an industry where indigenous people thrive.

64

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of indigenous people initially to fill the current gap – the community engagement Gold Coast Suns’ Andy Lovell manager Jason Mifsud is the only coach employed says it is crucial to “create a bridge of reconciliation by an AFL club who has an where everybody co-exists”. indigenous background – before morphing into an accreditation incorporating indigenous input.

“Andrew McLeod could lead a Level 3 course for anybody and it becomes a cross-transfer of understanding, knowledge and appreciation of difference,” Mifsud says.

Transferring knowledge and understanding is critical to any development in off-fi eld opportunities. It might not always be easy but it is important, Mifsud says, to “create a bridge of reconciliation where everybody co-exists and learns and grows and develops each other. That is the epitome of partnerships.”

Mifsud is looking to the current generation of maturing indigenous players to strengthen the foundation laid by previous generations.

The involvement of men such as Adam Goodes, Leon Davis, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Daniel Motlop, Shaun Burgoyne, Chance Bateman, Raphael and In January, as part of his role, There are 85 indigenous players Xavier Clarke and Aaron Davey, McLeod addressed a United who are highly disciplined, who have been in the AFL Nations forum ‘Combating resilient, functional, so how do system for at least six years and Racism Through Sport’ at the we create work opportunities for need to prepare for careers Palais des Nations in Geneva on those 85 players into whatever post-football in the next stage Australia Day. “They are great field they might want to pursue?” beyond the game, is critical. case studies,” Mifsud says.

Mifsud says.

Those players have negotiated With those three shining lights The task is to build capacity the first two stages, transitioning as examples, Mifsud says he is within the existing playing group, into the game and establishing looking to how the many-headed utilising available resources careers. Now the challenge process offering opportunities and connecting people across is to develop their voices and can be boundaries. opportunities off the fi eld streamlined Successful post-playing. so players programs, The AFL Record spoke to three have clarity regardless of players in that group, Burgoyne, about where sector, have Davey and Raphael Clarke, to to start to the same understand their experiences, receive advice fundamentals and get a sense of what they are on pursuing underpinning focused on as a group. careers them: they post-football, are designed Shaun Burgoyne either inside and led by Port Adelaide, Hawthorn or outside Aboriginal 180 games, 188 goals JASON MIFSUD the AFL. people within “There is a the mainstream great appetite framework.

Aaron Davey within the That means Melbourne industry and we need to defi ne programs cross boundaries, 146 games, 151 goals success in more ways than on-fi eld developing and strengthening participation. The new frontier with input from a variety of Raphael Clarke is the elevation and visibility sources. For instance, a Level 3 St Kilda of indigenous people in senior coaching accreditation would 69 games, 7 goals leadership roles at governance, be developed that captures the executive and coaching positions. imagination and understanding PATHWAY: AFL national

The new frontier is the elevation of indigenous people in senior leadership roles

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connecting nne indigenous ndi scu cultures ulturess and u and an stories sto ori r ies es What is the signifi cance of the indigenous round to AFL players with an indigenous heritage?

Aaron Davey: Being an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person, it makes you proud. I go out there representing all my family, as I’m lucky enough to be in the position I am in.

SPECIAL CELEBRATION One thing you were keen to express is that a player’s race should not be highlighted every time an article is written about them or they are called on radio. Given that, where does the specifi c recognition of indigenous players’ contribution to the game through an indigenous round sit?

Shaun Burgoyne : It’s a great way to recognise the growing numbers of indigenous players and other nationalities playing the game.

Raphael Clarke : I think it’s great because you hear where everyone has come from and you hear their stories. You end up representing your family and where you come from.

What’s your first memory of playing footy?

AD: We (Aaron’s brother Alwyn plays with Essendon) played footy every single day in the backyard, with whatever we could find. It was the way we expressed ourselves, through footy. For indigenous people throughout Australia, everyone’s got that talent. It was just instinctive to us and natural, I guess, in a way.

ROLE MODEL: Shaun Burgoyne says playing AFL football and living a healthy lifestyle sends a positive messge.

Do you find footy is a way of expressing yourself?

RC: It’s probably the easiest way. We’ve done it since we were kids and it has become natural.

When did you start to believe you could play AFL? SB: The belief started for me when my brother, Peter, (Port Adelaide premiership player Peter Burgoyne, 240 games from 1997-2009) who is (nearly) five years older than me, was drafted. He was 17 and I was 12 so the penny dropped for me then that I could play AFL. I was thinking, ‘I played in the same teams as him, I’m coming through the same system and this is actually a realistic goal’.

Can you share some of your background?

AD: I basically lived in Darwin my whole life and my family comes from Ceduna and Port Lincoln. Obviously in Darwin, football is No. 1 and we played rugby in the off-season. We a lways wanted to go out in the backyard and have a kick. I guess that is where it all starts and the rest of it is hard work if you really want to be honest about it. You can go down the path of leaving home early and trying to make a career out of it, or you can be one of those champions playing local footy who could have made it, or should have made it, who wasn’t willing to sacrifi ce enough to make it.

That path other indigenous players have created is something all indigenous players have respect for.

What influence did others who have gone before you have on your attitude?

SB: My brother Peter played footy in South Australia and the Northern Territory (for St Marys) and saw Ronnie Burns (154 games with Geelong and Adelaide) drafted a few years before him (No. 49 selection in 1995) and Michael Long (190 games and a Norm Smith Medal for Essendon) was a few years before Burns. Both came from the same team he played for in Darwin so that made it a realistic goal for him.

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RC: Xavier is only two years older than me and I would play against him in the backyard.

At some stages I might beat him so you think you are all right ... to be honest I might beat him one day and then the next 10 days never get near him. By then he was representing the Territory and under-age teams. I was playing with him every day so I’d think if he’s good enough to do it, I might follow in his footsteps if I do the right things. It makes you believe in yourself if you stick at it and believe in what you’re trying to do.

SB: For me (my brother being drafted) allowed me to fi nd a way out of where I was. It created a clear path for me to go down. I did not have much sense as to what I wanted to do other than play footy, so having those guys being drafted set a clear goal. If I didn’t have footy, I don’t know what I’d be doing.

What are the specifi c challenges facing indigenous players trying to make their way in the AFL and how do you pass on the benefits of your experience to young players entering the game?

SB: One of the things we were trying to get through is that whenever a player does an interview or an article is written or when a player is called on the radio you don’t have to refer to their race. At that time it can be just the player who is representing their club.

But when the topic is his nationality or his heritage (as with indigenous round), I think it is great to celebrate Aboriginal players of the past and specific cultural issues then. That was more or less what we were trying to get through and I think in the last year or so it’s (the media’s approach) actually been really good.

AD: With the indigenous boys it’s basically (connection to and wanting to stay with) family that is the thing stopping us from becoming good footballers.

With Liam (Jurrah, 24 games with Melbourne) coming down, my support is part of that whole legacy thing. Matty Whelan (150 games with Melbourne from 2000-09) looked after me when I started. He was my family here, doing little things like picking me up from training and shouting me lunch. It made me more relaxed, so for me it’s basically the same with Liam and Austin (Wonaeamirri).

Obviously, it’s a lot harder for Liam and Aussie because they are from remote communities and you have to get to know them. With us, it’s all about – whether it is through music or joking about – making them feel comfortable from the start.

Things start to evolve and you start joking around and they trust you. Those two make my

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connecting nne indigenous ndi scu culturess and an stories ies job a lot easier as well. They listen to what I have to say and respect what I have to say.

Speaking from the perspective of our club, they are doing a tremendous job. I keep referring to Aussie and Liam, but they are doing it a lot harder coming from where they come from than I am coming from Darwin.

Little things our club has done to put themselves outside their comfort zone (such as) going to the desert where Liam is from (Jurrah comes from a remote community, Yuendumu, 300km north-west of Alice Springs) helps. We sent the group up to where Aussie lives (Wonaeamirri was raised on Melville Island) when we played in Darwin and we played sport and went fi shing.

Little things like that help.

The message I give to the (indigenous) boys who do come is that, if you can go away and make a career for 10 years, then your true family and friends are going to be waiting for you. The ones that are going to sit there and bag you for going away are not your true friends.

We all want to make our parents proud. My dad (Alwyn) passed away when I was young but I always say I want to make my mum (Lizzie) proud.

Tell me about the AFL Players’ Assocation indigenous players’ camp held in Sydney in January?

SB: The camp in Sydney (at Sydney’s National Centre of Indigenous Excellence) was based on legacy. What sort of legacy do you want to leave once you’re gone?

The other main thing we spoke about was trying to bring guys out of their shells and overcome their shyness, breaking down some of the barriers as to why some players don’t feel comfortable enough talking at their clubs.

Some of the boys who come in are really shy, don’t talk and let their problems build up and build up and then they do something stupid, they snap or they go home. This camp was trying to get players to come out of their shells and speak up. No matter how stupid the question is or how smart the question is, every player has a voice and the clubs want to hear it.

68

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PROUD: St Kilda’s Raphael Clarke

sees football as a way to express himself and represent his roots.

(the message) had to come from me. I would say, ‘Well you just tell him like he’s another player.

Don’t go dodging it because you haven’t spoken to an Aboriginal boy with his background before.

He’s a teammate you know’.

As the year went on, the boys started treating him like a teammate and he became more comfortable quicker because, two months later, he was talking to every player on the list instead of just talking to me every day.

How do you act as inspiration for young people coming through?

SB: To play AFL footy, you need to have a healthy lifestyle. Without doing anything on purpose, playing AFL football and living a healthy lifestyle and educating yourself sends a positive message to Australia. The average life expectancy for an indigenous male is 60 and for a female is 65*. Playing footy in front of big crowds gives people something healthy to aspire to.

I think a lot of players who Is building trust the come into the system these days first requirement to – especially indigenous players effectively coach young – are pretty shy and quiet and as indigenous players? the years go by, and they get into AD: It would be. It’s not going to their sixth or seventh just happen straight away. It took year, they get more confi dent me a month to get Liam out of his in their ability shell. You pick and within up little things, themselves like what makes and they start him feel more speaking up. comfortable However, and speaking you want a a lot more. It teammate to came out that, come in and when we were be comfortable listening to and starting music, he was talking straight relaxed and AARON DAVEY away. It was joking. The good to hear boys have the young made it a lot blokes talk, as they might have easier as well. They don’t stand a different view; no one is right, off him and think he is from a no one is wrong. We know not different culture. everyone is going to be a great talker, but just instilling that RC: With one player at St Kilda a confidence within themselves few years back, some of the boys to be confident and not afraid to didn’t want to tell him what to express their opinion. do at a weight sessions, saying

My dad passed away when I was young but I always want to make my mum proud

AD: People will ask me how I got to here and I say you can have so much talent, but if you haven’t got that self-belief to not fall for the bad infl uence who wants to go out with parties, (then you won’t succeed). If you can push them aside and put more time into footy, that is when you will realise that you are a chance to realise your goals and play AFL. Nowadays, you can have so much talent, but recruiters will look at how you have been brought up and your background. It’s not just about who can kick with both feet, is super quick and can jump. If the base of your life is all over the shop (recruiters are) going to have to say, well …

Who were your indigenous football heroes when you were growing up?

SB: I used to idolise ‘Longy’ (Michael Long), as as I was an Essendon supporter, and then Gavin Wanganeen got drafted and I idolised him. I played with Gavin and it was pretty exciting.

I was drafted and trained with him first and got to know him as a person before I played alongside him and then we became mates.

It was a pretty surreal feeling

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connecting nne indigenous ndi scu culturess and an stories ies playing my first game (round three, 2002 v St Kilda) and having him there as well.

INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS Programs – AFL » AFL Kickstart » Flying Boomerangs » Rio Tinto Footy Means Business » Indigenous academies » AFL Ambassadors for Life mentoring program » AFL Indigenous All-Star game » AFL club fostership program » Indigenous employment strategy » AFL Sportsready

AD: I was lucky enough to play on Gavin Wanganeen in my first year (round four, 2004) and for both of us it was a really weird feeling. I was just intimidated by my older cousin.

I just knew he was going to beat me. It was my quietest game for my first year (Davey had six kicks and three handballs).

I was just all over the shop.

We chat about it now, saying it was a weird feeling. He said, ‘I told ‘Choco’ (Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams) not to play me on you’. The other weird feeling I had was when I played on my brother (Alwyn and Aaron have been on the opposing team three times).

Indigenous players throughout the competition seek each other out after the game and shake hands and, more often than not, have a chat. Can you explain that connection and the habit of seeking each other out to shake hands?

AD: It’s just that respect.

You know they have worked as hard as we all have. I think it all comes from a few years ago with the guys who had done it before us. That is part of what we do.

SB: The way I was brought up was if you see another Aboriginal person on the street then you say hello whoever they are. I have had that instilled into me since I can remember, so no matter where

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AFL Players’ Association Indigenous Player Support Programs » Players’ Association indigenous camp » Indigenous player advisory board » Education programs: Cert II in Mumgu-dhal tyama tiyt and Cert III and IV in Education (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) » AFL players’ induction camp » A football apprenticeship

COMMON BOND:

Indigenous players such as Davey and Burgoyne always seek each other out after games as a mark of respect.

I am in Australia, I say ‘G’day’ if someone walks past. They might not want to say G’day back. It is the same on the fi eld.

What other important aspects are there to the Indigenous Round?

SB: I think the AFL does a good job but we should always ask: what can you improve? How can you get better? Obviously it is a start with Dreamtime at the ’G, but is there more you can do?

Can we rotate the teams (playing in that game)? What more can we do for the indigenous population out there? How can we improve things because health is the most important issue in indigenous Australia?

The AFL does a very good job but can it get better?

AD: If you can get the health part right, it will allow a lot of other things to happen – increase kids’ attendance at school. The

issue stopping kids from going to school and learning is because their health is not up to scratch. If we can invest in the health side of things and increase attendance at school, then kids will be wanting to do something with their lives and go a bit further in their lives. *INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS BORN FROM 1996-2001 ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE A LIFE EXPECTANCY OF 59.4 YEARS FOR MALES AND 64.8 YEARS FOR FEMALES (AIHW 2011).

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Our AFL history guru answers your queries.

NAME GAME

OFF TARGET: Champion goalkickers Bob Pratt (below) and Norm Smith also kicked more than their share of behinds during their careers.

Taking T ki th the points i t

North Melbourne small forward Lindsay Thomas has scored many more behinds than goals this season. Which player has scored the most behinds in a season?

PAUL JAMES, LAUNCESTON, TAS.

CH: Such information was fi rst

published during the early 1930s. Unfortunately, there was an absence of that data from 1940 until the mid 1950s.

Available records indicate the great Bob Pratt booted 94 behinds from 244 scoring shots

A reading from Zephaniah » Since 1897, just two

during 1934, giving him an accuracy rate of 61 per cent.

A season earlier, the South Melbourne legend scored 109 goals 93 behinds (54 per cent).

Of all players to register at least 50 goals in a season, Melbourne’s Norm Smith produced a particularly inaccurate result in 1939, when he scored 54 goals and 72 behinds (43 per cent).

Hawthorn’s Lance Franklin was the last player to kick 100 goals in a season, in 2008. That year, he kicked 113 goals and 88 behinds in 25 matches.

GENUINE SENIOR FOOTBALLERS » Players who become umpires seem to live long lives. Roy Allen played just two senior matches for Collingwood as a 23-year-old in 1924. Later, he officiated as a boundary, field and goal umpire during a long career at League level.

He passed away at the grand age of 100 in 2001. Phil Lane was born on March 12, 1911, and represented Fitzroy on one occasion in 1932. He blew the whistle in 26 senior matches between 1943 and 1946 and lived to be 95.

Do you have knowledge of any players who are close to 90 or older, or who reached such an age before calling it a day? Contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col.hutchinson@afl.com.au 72

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col hutchinson

players have had the initials ZS – and they are both 2011 debutants. One is the Suns’ Zac Smith, the other is Bulldog Zeph (for Zephaniah) Skinner, who made his debut in round seven against the Sydney Swans. Zephaniah is the name of several men in the Bible, the most notable being the author of the Book of Zephaniah. Zephaniah is a Hebrew name, with the last part being short for “the Lord” and fi rst part being from a verb meaning “to store up”.”. So Zephaniah Zephan means someone being stored up (i.e., a treasure) e) for d. The the Lord. front part art of of the name me also also has the meaning ing “northern” which in the mythology of some ancient Middle Eastern countries was the meeting place of the gods; Zeph Skinner is from the Northern Territory.

Skinner is a common enough name, but there have been only three previous Skinners in AFL/VFL history. A skinner was someone who removed the hide from animals for human use.

KEVAN CARROLL

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

BRAINS

answers at bottom of page

Spot the 7 DIFFERENCES between the 2 cards

Use the picto-clues to find out the AFL player’s name!

______ ____

_____

B&F

game card

Who is the only West Coast player in history to have won the Coleman Medal?

A. Peter Sumich B. Quinten Lynch C. Scott Cummings D. Mark LeCras

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and enter codes to play

Answers: 1. Nicholas instead of Nic, fuller hair, right arm down, longer spandex, blue backboard, blue on the bottom of guernsey, Ten and Forward position swapped 2. Robbie Gray 3. Buddy 4. C

4

Can you guess this AFL Player’s NICKNAME?

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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

FIVE TO FIND

Take the time to colour in Jackson and his dog, Oscar.

Jackson’s kson’ss back k Off the back of theesuccess success picture of their first footy picture ty, y book, Jackson’s Footy, Dwayne Russell and Donna Gynell have released Jackson’s Goal, ackson’s ’ G the second in the series. Jackson’s Goall is about aa young young vesAustralian AustralianFootball.

Football.He He boy named Jackson, who loves kyard,all allday dayand andall allnight. ni ght practises his skills in the backyard, t heBears?

B But how will he go playing his fifirst game with the THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS

Jackson’s Goal is out now. Written by byformer form AFL player and media personality Dwayne Russell and illustrated by Donna Gynell, it is available from all good bookstores. Visit jacksonlovesfooty.com

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: The colour of the Powerade drink changed to pink; supporters in the stand at the bottom right have been removed; head of the player in the background has been removed; third light from the left in the top corner has been removed; Brent Guerra is wearing two medals.

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Endurance build-up enables team breakthrough at last.

LUKE HOLMESBY MESBY

I

t might be just a pipe dream, but Hawthorn youngster Shane Savage said it was not out of the question to see New Zealand have its own AFL team.

Savage, who lived in New Zealand for the fi rst two years of his life, said it would be wonderful to see an AFL team from across the Tasman.

“I don’t think (it will happen) in the near future. It will be a very tough thing to get going,” he said.

“At the moment, I probably don’t think they could get a New Zealand team up but who knows? That would be great for the sport.”

Savage won the round eight NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for his 26-possession game in Hawthorn’s exciting come-from-behind win over St Kilda last Sunday.

It was the best of his seven games this year and a sign of his rapid improvement from last season when he was unable to break into the team.

Savage was named an emergency on eight occasions without forcing his way into the 22. It was a frustrating time for Savage, who played the final three games in his debut season, 2009.

He said his improvement this year resulted from an increased focus on his running during pre-season training.

“Something I really wanted to work on over the pre-season was my endurance.

It’s something I haven’t been really strong on in my career,” Savage said.

20 NAB AFL RISING 2011 STAR NOMINEES Round 1 Dyson Heppell (ESS) Round 2 Luke Shuey (WCE) Round 3 Mitch Duncan (GEEL) Round 4 Jasper Pittard (PA) Round 5 Brandon Matera (GCS) Round 6 Jack Darling (WCE) Round 7 Zac Smith (GCS) Round 8 Shane Savage (HAW)

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

1

Played junior football at Noble Park in Melbourne’s outer south-east. Stephen Milne, Darren Millane and Adam Ramanauskas also played junior football there.

2

Wore No. 40 in his first season with the Hawks, but took the No. 21 jumper when Ben McGlynn was traded to the Sydney Swans.

BIG IMPROVER: An increased focus on his running power has seen Shane Savage play every game this season.

“To be able to get my endurance up was really good and my strength was something I also needed to build up to be able to compete at AFL level.”

Savage said he knew exactly whom among his teammates he should study if he was to build his aerobic base.

“Definitely Chance Bateman is someone I like to model my

3

Was named an emergency eight times last year without playing a senior game.

game on. The fact he runs so hard during games makes him someone I want to be like,” he said.

Not surprisingly, Savage’s family was more interested in rugby than Australian Football, but he fell in love with the game when he was introduced to it at primary school.

At 20, he is looking to consolidate himself as a

regular member of the Hawthorn team.

“It was my aim to play the best I could. It’s good to get my confidence up and getting the Rising Star nomination is a by-product of the way I’ve been going out there,” he said.

“My goals are just to perform consistently in the team and hopefully we can get the results.”

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.

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Making progress Over the last few years we’ve started to build genuine relationships and partnerships with Indigenous Australia through our Reconciliation Action Plan.

We now have more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people employed in our branches and business banking centres. We’re extending the reach of our not-for-profit microfinance products into Indigenous communities and we’ve provided Indigenous Money Mentors to help community members, better manage their finances and build their financial literacy.

We’re also continuing to gain a greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture as we work together to close the gap in Indigenous disadvantage.

For more information about NAB’s Indigenous Programs visit nab.com.au/indigenous

© National Australia Bank Limited ABN     AFSL  

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Applying data laterally to analyse and understand the modern game.

Top two rate for Brownlow honours

B

y my calculations, Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury and Geelong’s Joel Selwood are the favourites to win the Brownlow Medal.

Next in line are proven vote-winners, Carlton’s Chris Judd, Collingwood’s Dane Swan and Geelong’s Jimmy Bartel.

Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett is also up there, but how well he can poll in a bottom team is uncertain. I suspect ‘Gaz’ will have lots of one- and two-vote games, while the three votes will likely be reserved for a player on the winning team.

Pendlebury already has won the Norm Smith Medal (in last year’s Grand Final replay and is a two-time Anzac medallist.

For good reason, he and Judd are among the most decorated players of recent times. What makes both so special is the manner in which they are redefining how football can be played. They are great to watch, and we can learn plenty from them.

If you need proof of how influential Judd and Pendlebury are, watch the number of opponents who challenge them when they are near the ball. Generally, opposition teams use tag-team arrangements to curb their influence. Likewise, have a look at the number of teammates offering support and looking for a feed when Judd and Pendlebury are in the thick of the action. Judd has become the king of winning the ball at stoppages; Pendlebury’s infl uence is more 78

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PRECISION UNDER PRESSURE: Magpie

Scott Pendlebury is near faultless with his disposal in both light and heavy traffic.

subtle and spreads further around the ground.

A data study of Pendlebury highlights his four major characteristics: poise, evasion skills, toughness and ability to set up teammates.

By foot or hand in light or heavy traffi c, his disposal rate is near faultless.

Rarely does he turn the ball over or disadvantage the team. The rate at which he wins the ‘tough’ ball ranks the highest of any player. The official AFL statistics rank him 16th for hard-ball gets.

However, this measure treats all hard-ball gets as equal and does not account for the quality of the resulting disposal.

In my view, the ultimate test is not the number of hard-ball gets, it is how often the player

withstands the heat of the kitchen and executes a disposal that benefits a team. In this regard, Pendlebury has few peers. I wager that he and Judd receive more attention than any other players in the competition and the reason why this pair gets so much attention is because of the poise, evasion skills and toughness they exhibit.

Add the masterful way Pendlebury uses the ball and you have the complete package. Compared to other elite midfielders operating under extreme pressure, Pendlebury rarely chooses two options: laying off to the easy target or executing a diffi cult delivery aimed at an attacking target. Rather, his preferred play is either laying off to a teammate who is in an

Selwood is more the risk-taker, Pendlebury more of a calculating genius

attacking position or going in for the kill.

Pendlebury reminds me a lot of Jonny Wilkinson, the play-making English rugby union champion.

Whenever Pendlebury or Wilkinson have the ball, watch what they do with it, who they pass it to and where and what happens next. And when the opportunity arises – they apply the blowtorch. In sum, Pendlebury is Collingwood’s most important play-maker, a dangerous mastermind.

Like Pendlebury, Cat Selwood is another crafting a unique profile that is defi ning his team’s signature style and its success, and why I rate him so highly as a Brownlow fancy. In last week’s dramatic three-point win against the Magpies, the telling contested mark Selwood took in the forward pocket in the fi nal minutes of the game peaked on my scale for toughness and quality execution. Tumbling to his knees, he intuitively threaded a handball through the legs of Collingwood defenders to teammate Steve Johnson, a metre from goal.

Johnson kicked what was the match-winning goal.

Selwood also wins the ‘tough’ ball, but not quite at the rate Pendlebury does. He is also prone to making more mistakes than Pendlebury.

Selwood is more the risk-taker, while Pendlebury is more of a calculating genius. Importantly, though, each exemplifi es why their respective teams are dominating the competition.

TED HOPKINS IS A CARLTON PREMIERSHIP PLAYER AND FOUNDER OF CHAMPION DATA. HIS BOOK THE STATS REVOLUTION (SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP) WAS RELEASED THIS MONTH AND IS AVAILABLE VIA FOOTYBOOKCLUB.COM .

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