AFL Record, Round 8, 2011

P57 » PETER HUDSON RECOUNTING A SEASON OF GENIUS

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COACHES, RUCKMEN AND THE ‘SUB’ RULE

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BRAD OTTENS KEEPS MOVING WITH THE TIMES

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features 57 Peter Hudson « It’s 40 years since Hawthorn’s superstar forward kicked 150 goals in a season.

BEN COLLINS reports.

64 Brad Ottens

The Geelong big man is an old-fashioned ruckman who has stood the test of time.

MICHAEL LOVETT reports.

regulars 4 7 25 53 70 74 76

76

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

Gold Coast’s Zac Za cSmith.

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ZAC SMITH

78 8 Talking Po Point

Ted d Hopkins on the th five vital statistical sta atistical components compon that add d up to success.

This week’s NAB AFL Rising Star is making giant strides for the Gold Coast Suns.

THIS WEEK’S COVER Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens has answered the Cats’ call since leaving the Tigers at the end of 2004.

74 JACKSON’S GOAL Jackson is back, this time kicking goals for the Bears.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Life left in Cats yet » This round, Geelong plays Ablett a shining light

INSPIRATION:

Gary Ablett is more than just a great player. He is an inspiration for his new club. I attended the ‘QClash’ and it’s what Gary does behind play and during time-off that makes him a real asset for the Suns. He can often be seen explaining to younger players where they went wrong or how to improve, as well as patting them on the back when they do well. This is something you rarely see on television. I’m sure Gary headed north knowing his 2011 season might not extend into September. With his leadership, the rapidly improving Suns might have to pencil in a fi nals appearance in 2012.

A reader has been impressed with Gary Ablett’s leadership skills.

TIM BORTEN, MONTEREY KEYS, QLD.

Start of a great rivalry

It seems nothing brings out rivalry like a derby. I had no idea of the divided passions in Queensland until last Saturday night at the Gabba. We’re no longer a one-team state.

Hopefully, these games will become something like the Showdown in Adelaide.

GREG OSBORN, WORONGARY, QLD.

Perfecting the art of kicking

Many thanks for your informative article ‘The Kick Revolution’ (AFL Record, round six). In our view, the simple truth regarding kicking the Sherrin lies in the player’s inability to master the

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

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fundamentals of the technique that would have them in total control, irrespective of the game requirement. Our mantra is that there is an optimum method a human being can deliver the footy from hand to foot and be balanced before, during, and after disposal, irrespective of body shape and size. There are many factors governing our kicking technique that eventually roll into a single fluent kicking action. One such facet is our ideal grip on the footy, which provides a 20 per cent lower ball drop

PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Lovett WRITERS Nick Bowen, Ben Collins, Paul Daffey, Bruced Eva, George Farrugia, Katrina Gill, Ted Hopkins, Peter Ryan, Nathan Schmook, Callum Twomey, Andrew Wallace SUB-EDITORS Gary Hancock, Howard Kotton, Michael Stevens STATISTICIAN Cameron Sinclair CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Hutchison

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while maintaining the crucial upper body balance needed for accurate disposal and control of the destination of the football.

ROY REDMAN AND SEAN CLARKE, KICK BUILDERS, VIA EMAIL

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.

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Collingwood in one of the most anticipated matches of the season, with both undefeated (6-0) and playing attractive, entertaining football.

That the Cats are in this position says plenty about them. When the two teams last met (in last year’s fi rst preliminary final), Geelong suffered one of its worst defeats in recent years.

The Cats were mauled and looked slow and old, and the handball-happy style that had served them so well the past four seasons suddenly looked outmoded.

Less than two weeks later, champion Gary Ablett signed with new club Gold Coast.

Soon after, dual premiership coach Mark Thompson resigned, citing burnout.

Geelong, it seemed, had reached the end of a glorious run that netted it two fl ags.

Many have been surprised by the Cats’ impressive start, with expectations they would fall off the pace.

Rookie coach Chris Scott has received plenty of credit for reinvigorating the team, with veterans including Brad Ottens (see story starting O page 64) playing some of the p b best football of their careers.

And, although unlikely admit to it, being told they a were no longer good enough w might have been the spark m tthey needed. PETER DI SISTO

PRINTED BY PMP Print ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE TO The Editor, AFL Record, Ground Floor, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, Victoria, 3008.

T: (03) 9627 2600 F: (03) 9627 2650 E: peterd@slatterymedia.com AFL RECORD, VOL. 100, ROUND 8, 2011 Copyright. ACN No. 004 155 211.

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200 GAMES

Nick Dal Santo and Brent Guerra reach important milestones

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NEW-LOOK EAGLES

What’s different about West Coast in 2011? A change of game-plan.

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Itt h has been an amazing 1100 or so games

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BIG ASK:

Tom Bellchambers (left) and David Hille have stretched opposition sides either in the ruck or resting up forward.

Coaches, ruckmen and the new ‘sub’ rule PETER RYAN

T

he introduction of the substitute rule was supposed to formalise the end of the big man, pushing many ruckmen towards football’s unemployment queue.

That hasn’t happened yet, perhaps with the exception of Geelong’s premiership ruckman Mark Blake.

Last week, 19 200cm-plus players and 17 from 190-200cm were selected to alternate between the ruck and a key position on the ground. Unlike last year, these players were not running on and off the ground to replace each other.

One explanation put forward for their continued popularity is that the long kick’s return to fashion has made tall targets – in attack, as the go-to person from a kick out and as the ‘get-it-out-of-here’ kick to break a zone – a necessary part of every team’s line-up.

That trend, however real, is secondary though to an uncomfortable truth facing taller players: be multi-skilled and more productive or wither away.

While the game is in transition and still adapting to the implications of the sub AFL RECORD

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7

St Kilda’s Leigh Montagna accepts one-week suspension for bumping injured Carlton player Ed Curnow. now.

rule, talls already on lists are receiving chances to show they can adapt. But it might be a short-term reprieve.

Geelong coach Chris Scott reinforced this reality when he explained on 3AW this week that Blake’s inability (at this stage) to play forward was the issue keeping him out of the line-up; he noted as well that Geelong had real talent among its talls, including Trent West, Nathan Vardy and Dawson Simpson, yet to play a senior game this year.

The more versatile Tom Hawkins and Cameron Mooney are backing up Brad Ottens, the classic ruck/forward.

Blake needs to re-skill to adapt. Many of the competition’s rucks are facing the same challenge.

Former Essendon champion ruckman/forward Simon Madden (575 goals from 378 games) says the game demands versatility of everyone.

“Whether you are 5’10” (178cm) or 6’10” (208cm), you have to be versatile and play in a number of positions. If you have that mindset and do that, then the (sub) rule won’t hurt you.”

Since round five, Essendon has been playing three quality talls – Tom Bellchambers (six goals/23.8 hit-outs a game in 2011), David Hille (five/12) and Patrick Ryder (11/8.7) – who have shown they can add value in areas other than the ruck.

The Bombers’ opponents last week, the Eagles, also played three multi-dimensional talls: Dean Cox (four/31.8), Nic

Forward or back, Guerra savours his 200

milestonee 8

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Naitanui (one/19.8) and Quinten Lynch (10/3.2), along with marking forwards Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling.

While Essendon coach James Hird said before the Collingwood game he was looking for the three players to be part of a long-term structure, he made the reasons why clear after the Eagles’ game.

“We don’t look at them all specifically as being ruckmen,” Hird said when asked about the Bombers’ tall trio.

We don’t look at them all specifically as being ruckmen JAMES HIRD

Hird is too smart to be caught in the trap of defending an idea.

He knows the possibilities and the pitfalls of having a tall team, so each of the three players are earning their spot in Essendon’s team on merit, rather than because of size.

Tall types must throw away the old-fashioned job titles (such as ruckman or tall forward) and look at a job description now applying to how the game is being played: able to excel as a tap ruckman and be mobile and skilled enough to be a target up forward who can also kick goals.

Some such as Ottens and Collingwood’s Darren Jolly and Fremantle’s Aaron Sandilands are there already. Others are close and others are working towards that goal.

Madden says you must be two-thirds ruckman and one-third forward or vice-versa.

Such a philosophy has seen Collingwood’s Leigh Brown (seven/6.7), Hawthorn’s Jarryd Roughead (11/4.3), Fremantle’s Kepler Bradley (15/3.2) and Ryder become perfect two-thirds forwards and one-third ruckmen.

Roughead’s speed and at-ground capacities have given Hawthorn another midfielder of sorts when he takes centre stage.

Of course, as Madden says, the search for versatility is not new. A versatile tall has always been in more demand than one-dimensional types. But the sub rule means one-dimensional talls are no longer viable.

Such players cannot be rotated on and off the bench any more.

They must push forward to rest, a place that no longer allows players to switch off.

Talls need to be able to move quickly into defensive structures, thinking clearly enough to see what is required and act. They need the skill to take marks and convert.

Such requirements are a tall order for some ‘bigs’, but they must adopt the mindset that they can adapt.

Otherwise, for some, the future remains limited.

I

f Alastair Clarkson had gone with his first instinct, Brent Guerra would have joined Hawthorn as a small forward.

When Guerra was delisted by S St Kilda at the end of 2005, he had sspent most of his six AFL seasons p playing in attack.

And when the Hawks coach sspoke with Guerra about playing ffor Hawthorn, he initially saw an opening for him as a crumbing o fforward.

However, while at Port Adelaide, Guerra’s designated A SANFL club, Central District, was S

200-GAME MILESTONE

Dal Santo brings up top-shelf double century with a minimum of fuss BRUCE EVA

I

f a player reaches a significant games milestone without missing many matches, it is usually said he has “sped” to the landmark.

That description, however, just doesn’t quite fit Nick Dal Santo, who is due to play his 200th game this round, against Hawthorn at the MCG. Take your pick, but the graceful St Kilda midfi elder has either glided, moved smoothly or cruised to the double century.

Time and space is everything in football, and players who have that ability to fi nd clear turf and make all slow down around them are like gold.

The almost-never-hurried Dal Santo is certainly that, but his signature on-field trait shouldn’t be mistaken for a laid-back attitude – he is as mentally driven as any other top-shelf footballer, a fact his teammates readily confirm.

coached by Clarkson in 2001-02, and when he played there he did so in a previously foreign role – as a defender.

It was a role he was keen to reprise at the Hawks.

“I told ‘Clarko’ I’d love to play down back again,” Guerra says.

“I really enjoyed doing that at Central District.”

This Sunday against St Kilda, Guerra, 28, is set to play his 200th AFL game. It will be the 104th time he has taken the field for the Hawks – he played 65 games for Port (2000-03) and

Last week’s Gold Coast-Brisbane Lions match “the most-watched AFL broadcast ever on Fox Sports”, with an average national audie

RESILIENT:

Nick Dal Santo has missed just three games since round 15, 2003.

Leigh Montagna, selected by the Saints (No. 37) in the same draft as Dal Santo (No. 13 in 2001), is effusive in his praise for the left-footer with the fancy footwork and elastic hips.

“One of ‘Dal’s’ greatest strengths that not many people would see through his persona is his resilience,” Montagna explained. “He has great mental strength and doesn’t let things get the better of him.

“When he has had one of his few down periods in his career, you couldn’t tell. He is always

upbeat and positive. He is a ripping fella to have around the club due to his positive attitude and it’s a credit to him to play 200 games with plenty of years still ahead. I love the guy.”

From that bumper draft of almost a decade ago, only Chris Judd has played more games (205) than him, and Dal Santo becomes just the 23rd Saint to reach 200.

In addition, at 27 years and 82 days, he is the 20th youngest in League history to reach the mark.

31 for St Kilda (2004-05) – and, with Clarkson’s blessing, he has played most of them in defence.

There, he has proven versatile enough to play on a range of small and medium-sized opponents, while his raking left foot has set up counter-attacks – Guerra has led the club’s rebound-50 count in three of the past fi ve seasons – and, at kick-ins, has been entrusted to find targets in a defensive area increasingly crowded by opposition forward presses and zones.

Not that Guerra is fazed by his kick-in duties. “I fi nd it tougher kicking a goal from 30m out directly in front,” he says.

“Although it has defi nitely got harder to hit the short options with the full-ground press teams do now.”

However, this season, Guerra has returned to his footballing roots, combining his time in defence with stints on the forward line.

Versatility is the lot of the modern footballer, especially since the introduction of the substitute rule this season, so it’s

From a forgettable debut – seven disposals and one of his team’s six goals in a 122-point loss to Geelong in round four, 2002 – the football public didn’t have long to wait to see why the raps were so big on the kid from Bendigo in the No. 26 jumper.

The following week, the injury-ravaged Saints employed a ‘super-flood’ in what was an infamous draw against the Sydney Swans at Docklands, with Dal Santo among the best with 25 classy disposals and after just falling short of breaking the deadlock with the last kick of the game – a booming torpedo from 65m.

Nine years later and his career average is 22 disposals a game, but as Lenny Hayes says, it’s not how many; it’s what you do with them.

“You just want the ball in his hands,” the injured champion said matter-of-factly. “He’s a very skilled player who always looks like he has time, and he’s been very durable over his career.”

That durability is often overlooked when assessing Dal Santo’s career, as is his ability to find another gear when challenged. And you would be hard-pressed to find a dissenter among the St Kilda faithful if it was suggested the popular on-baller was leading the best and fairest. Other guns may be misfiring, but he is holding the fort manfully.

This brings us back to his ability to keep backing up.

Since round 15 of 2003, he has missed only three games: his

no surprise Clarkson has tried Guerra up forward.

Little doubt, he’s aware Guerra once kicked seven goals in a game, against West Coast in round nine of 2004.

Guerra says he has enjoyed his time up forward this year, playing g alongside Jarryd Roughead, Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli.

The 2008 premiership player says he is enjoyingghis his football as much as he ever verhas has

nce of 354,745.

controversial omission with Stephen Milne in the middle of 2008 as coach Ross Lyon introduced three debutants against Fremantle; part of the ‘resting’ swag of stars for the game against Hawthorn in Launceston in 2009, and sidelined with a back injury for the round 16 clash against Collingwood last year.

Until being dropped in 2008, he had played 114 consecutive games – the second-longest run by a Saint behind premiership centre half-back Ian Synman, who strung together 123 in the 1960s.

With his high level of consistency has come a high level of recognition: dual All-Australian, Brownlow Medal placegetter and four fourth-placed finishes and two fifths in the club’s best and fairest in the past seven seasons.

One of Dal Santo’s best mates is fellow country boy Justin Koschitzke, whose families have grown extremely close over the past decade.

Koschitzke has never been one to mince words, and he gets straight to the point when asked to describe Dal Santo: “Just a good, salt-of-the-earth bloke,” he offered without hesitation.

“He’s not too good for anybody. A ‘Mr Nice Guy’ who gives everyone the time of day – teammates, supporters, homeless people, and they all love him for it. I’ve never heard him say a bad word about anybody and he’s very hard to upset.

“He’s a quality person from a quality family.”

and is confi dent the Hawks have tthe h eplaying p l a y igroup group n g g rto to o challenge u chpat o c h for another fl ag before h he retires.

But for now, he he will willallow a himself a brief brief moment mom me to savour his milesto milestone. on “At one point iinn my career, I defi n nitely it didn’t think think I’d I get to 100 games, gam me but Hawthorn n gave me opportunity.

To an oppor rt get too 200 is unb e unbelievable.”

NICK N I C BOWEN

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9

Melbourne midfielder Jack Grimes likely to miss rest of season with a serious stress fracture in his right foot. foot.

PREPARATION

For umps, silence is golden before the work

HISTORY OF PAYMENTS

REVIEW AND RECOVERY:

Scott Jeffery’s work doesn’t finish at the final siren.

From $2 a game, players now reaping the rewards CALLUM TWOMEY

CALLUM TWOMEY

W

hen umpire Scott Jeffery lifts his hands above his head to signal the end of a game, gathers the ball and walks off the fi eld with his fellow umpires, the one thing he hopes for is silence. “No news is good news,” Jeffery says with a laugh.

Jeffery is in his 11th season.

He made his debut in round six, 2001, when Essendon thumped West Coast by 88 points, and he has learned the best thing anyone can say about an umpire is nothing at all.

“The biggest compliment we get is when we walk off the field after the end of a game and nobody says anything about the umpiring. Nothing makes us more pleased,” he says.

Upon that signal of full-time, however, is the immediate start of a week-long preparation for the next round. It’s a process that highlights the professional nature of the umpires’ craft.

They all have a desire to get better – at making decisions, at positioning themselves, at knowing grey areas of the game.

Straight after a game, Jeffery will spend about 10 minutes

T discussing the game with his fellow umpires, before having a more structured conversation with the umpires’ coach on that particular game.

In the two days following a game, Jeffery will mix recovery – usually a 45-minute run – with review. He’ll also watch his game over two days.

“I’m usually looking at decisions, but also certain positioning which might have led to a decisional error. If you make an error, you want to know why, so you don’t make it again,” he says.

Jeffery works as an accountant – “It’s not the most exciting thing in the world, but I enjoy it” – and he trains on Monday and Wednesday nights with the other umpires. It’s here that the umpires meet to discuss aspects of games, including

Hands-on Voss sends right message » When he wasn’t playing junior footy, Michael Voss would umpire games. The three-time Brisbane Lions premiership captain, now club coach, understands the key roles umpires play at all levels of the game.

Voss umpires matches involving his son Casey.

“Umpires have one of the toughest jobs in the business.

Particularly with umpiring at a community level, we need 10

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to make sure we create a good match environment for umpires to ensure we keep them around and the game doesn’t suff er,” Voss said.

“I know first-hand from umpiring my son’s game on Friday that it can be a diffi cult job and it’s important for the whole AFL community – players, coaches, parents, and fans – to get on board and show their support for our umpires.”

patterns of play they might need advice about.

“I’m probably lucky now because I’m at a stage in my career where, unless something happens, I’m probably going to umpire most weeks. But I certainly remember the early days of umpiring, and I was nervous every week, hoping I was going to get a game,” he says.

This level of preparation – which continues on before a match when the umpires familiarise themselves with the final teams and have one last look at what might happen during a game – is worth it in the end.

“We’ve all got into umpiring because we love footy,” he says.

THE AFL IS THIS WEEKEND RECOGNISING THE ROLE OF UMPIRES AT ALL LEVELS OF THE GAME. AFL UMPIRES WILL WEAR GREEN SHIRTS AND WILL MEET ALL PLAYERS AND COACHES BEFORE THE START OF EACH GAME.

his Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of player payments in the AFL/VFL. On May 15, 1911, after several years of negotiations and under-the-table payments, the VFL left its amateur history behind by legalising players receiving “remuneration for playing”. The initial payment was the equivalent of $2 a match. Interestingly, the cost of admission for an adult that season was the equivalent of five cents.

Before the ground-breaking decision, the Victorian Football Association had a rule that any player found being paid for his services would be disqualifi ed and action would be taken against his club.

It was believed by many, however, that leading players – and perhaps many more – were being paid a weekly sum owing to the increasing gate money football clubs were receiving.

Cricket clubs, too, were forced into giving football clubs a share of their takings, but as the player payments could not be entered into clubs’ fi nancial accounts, they generally appeared in balance sheets under “expenses.”

The situation became farcical when, at the end of the year, some of the balance sheets showed the biggest amount on the expenditure came in the “expenses” column.

The match payments plan eased tensions among clubs, players and offi cials.

‘Follower’ in The Age wrote the long-term implications of paying players was still uncertain, but the move would

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Melbourne’s Jack Trengrove to appeal three-match ban for a rough conduct charge against Adelaide’s Patrick Dangerfi

be a relief for club offi cials: “What the ultimate result may be remains to be seen, but it is at least gratifying to know that secretaries, treasurers and committeemen will no longer have to experience the degradation of cooking balance sheets in order to disguise the fact that they have been willfully abrogating a rule of their own making and which they were pretending to observe.”

It was an agitated football landscape at that time.

Controversies came to a head in the previous year’s finals series, when three Carlton players were accused of being offered bribes to “play dead”.

One of the players was ruled to be not guilty of the charges, but the other two were suspended for five years each.

The incident, however, was important in highlighting the need for players to be compensated for their performances.

The $2 match fee stayed in place until 1931 when it was set at the equivalent of $6, but former Melbourne player and League fi nance committeeman Gordon Coulter, through his famed ‘Coulter Law’, put in place stricter guidelines for player payments whereby clubs would be penalised for substantial illegal signing-on fees.

During World War II, payments were halved, but, by 1946, the $6 fee was restored.

In 1957, players earned $24 an appearance and, by 1964, players were paid bonus money if they had played more than 50 games.

The 2011 base payment for a non first-year draft choice, second-year player or rookie is $66,900 with a $2900 payment a match.

First- and second-year players have scaled base contracts depending on draft ranking and how many games they play, though they still have the same match payment of $2900 a game.

12

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eld.

PRESSURE ZONE:

A fierce contest at the stoppages will determine the result.

Clash of the heavyweights » This is about as big as it

gets for a home-and-away game – reigning premier Collingwood and the extraordinarily resilient Geelong, both undefeated after six games, battling it out for top spot in front of a packed MCG. Many experts are already predicting another premiership cakewalk for the Magpies in coach Mick Malthouse’s final season in charge – a view that is reinforced by the statistics at right – but only a fool would discount the Cats, who have been flawless under new coach Chris Scott.

Collingwood had Geelong’s measure last year, winning their round 19 clash by 22 points (a margin that fl attered the Cats, given the Pies kicked a wayward 14.23 to 12.13) and then coasting to a 41-point victory in the preliminary final after amazingly leading by 81 points (16.9 to just 3.6) early in the third quarter.

Much has changed since then in both camps with the injection of new personnel and ideas, but the Pies are a better side now than they were at the same time last year. However, the Cats, with their proud recent history, could hardly be BEN COLLINS termed underdogs.

TALE OF THE STATS COLLINGWOODGEELONG Ladder position Win-loss ratio

1st2nd 6-06-0

Percentage

178.11153.28

Points for ave.

128.897.3

Points against ave.

Quarters won

72.363.5 16/2418/24

1st quarters won

4

3

2nd quarters won

5

4

3rd quarters won

1

5

6

6

4th quarters won Time in front

88%65%

Ave. winning margin

56.533.8

Biggest win

8779

Wins under 20 points

0

3

Wins by 30+ points

5

2

100+ points for

6

3

Highest score

161127

Lowest score

10248 (win)

100+ points against

0

Highest against

9098

Lowest against

5643

Scoring shots Accuracy (G.B) Opposition scoring shots Opp. accuracy (G.B) Players with 6+ goals Players used Byes

0

198169 58.1% (115.83)49.1% (83.86) 124 (62.62)116 (53.63) 50%

45.7%

9

7

2626 1 (Rd 7)1 (Rd 6)

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7

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The information contained in this material is general information only and is not intended to contain any recommendations, statements of opinion or advice. It does not take into consideration your objectives, financial situation or needs. You should obtain a copy of the HOSTPLUS Product Disclosure Statement and consider the information contained in the Statement before making any decision about whether to acquire an interest in HOSTPLUS. Host-Plus Pty Limited ABN 79 008 634 704, AFSL No. 244392, RSEL No. L0000093, HOSTPLUS Superannuation Fund ABN 68 657 495 890, RSE No. R1000054.

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West Coast extends sponsorship deal with SGIO for further three years.

TURNING THE TABLES

UNDER SIEGE:

James Hird and his Bomber teammates met the full force of the Lions in 2001.

Hird smells blood as old foes face off BEN COLLINS

I

t’s almost 10 years to the day since then Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews invoked a famous line from the 1987 film Predator to fire up his players before their round 10 clash with reigning premier Essendon under lights at the Gabba.

A stony-faced Matthews told a mid-week press conference: “The Predator movie that Arnie Schwarzenegger starred in, and there was this … alien monster from outer space that was killing all the people in the South American jungle, and all of a sudden they shot this monster and they discovered it bled, and Arnie’s classic line was: ‘If it bleeds we can kill it’. And we reckon Essendon can bleed.”

Tigers hit Jack’s pot » In the pre-season, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick declared his intention of developing a greater spread of makehis histeam team goalkickers toomake brilliant brilliant less reliant onnbrilliant c Riewoldt. ck spearhead Jack r rdwick In fact, Hardwick even told the n Herald Sun in March that the Tigers “couldn’t afford” for Riewoldt to match his dalColeman Medalwinning effort rtt last year of 78 goals, and, d,, more importantly, a antly, nt his 32 per cent contribution to t the Tigers’ scoring. ng.

14

AFL RECORD RD

The provocative statement still echoes loudly a decade later for its inspirational value for the underdog, mainly because it had the desired effect.

The Lions, who entered the match at 4-5 and ninth, upset the 8-1 Bombers by 28 points – a victory that propelled the Lions to the next three premierships.

The captains that night, Michael Voss and James Hird, were in their respective primes as brilliant players and inspiring leaders.

Voss, then almost 26, was solid with 25 touches

Riewoldt, who is again leading the race for the Coleman Medal, is on track for another 70-80 tally – he has 25.6 in seven games, and he was goalless in round two against St Kilda when he was concussed early – but Hardwick’s plan for a multi-dimensional fo forward line is coming to tto fruitio fruition.

The Tige ers have have won three Tigers fo or just the th second in a row for sincce the the end en of the time since 2008 se eason, and a it is no season, coinci dence they th are coincidence increa asingly sspreading increasingly the lo oad. load.

It became glaringly obv vious dur obvious during Ric chmond’s stirring Richmond’s 49-point win w over 49-point Fremantle Fre emantle at the MC CG last week w MCG when Riewoldt Ri iewoldt kicked just ju ust four of o his si ide’s 23 goals (a side’s contribution of just ccontribut 17.4 per 117.4 per ccent).

visitaflrecordcomau visit afl record.com.au

and six tackles; Hird, 28, put in a rare mediocre game with 17 touches and 1.3 after being largely nullifi ed by Marcus Ashcroft.

This weekend, at the same venue as that era-defi ning contest of 2001, the decorated duo clashes for the first time as coaches.

This time, though, only fourth-placed Essendon remains in the premiership race; the winless Lions are last.

No one expected rookie coach Hird to lift the Bombers

In fact, Riewoldt had little influence on the contest with the Tigers boasting six multiple goalkickers, including Robin Nahas and Trent Cotchin (four apiece), Tyrone Vickery (three), Jake King and Bachar Houli (two each).

The contrast with last year (and in particular rounds 9-22, which Riewoldt dominated) is stark.

In 2010, the Tigers’ secondbest goalkicker was Andrew Collins (who is now at Carlton) with just 15, followed by Ben Nason (14), Nahas (13), King (12), Mitch Morton (12) and Dustin Martin (11).

This season, Richmond has three players in the AFL’s top 17 goalkickers – Riewoldt, King (13.2) and Martin (11.4).

Riewoldt is also getting into the spirit of the Tigers’ caring and sharing style, being equal-third in the AFL for goal assists with eight (the same as BEN COLLINS midfielder Martin).

so quickly; similarly, few could have predicted such a rapid decline for the Lions and Voss’ brief coaching career, now in its third season.

Neither served apprenticeships as assistant coaches, and both took charge of mediocre playing lists. The major difference is that Hird has a far more experienced support cast on his coaching panel.

The two men share a bond, and great respect for one another, cemented forever by the Brownlow Medal they shared in 1996 and further reinforced during ferocious on-fi eld battles.

After his Bombers had disposed of West Coast at Etihad Stadium last week, Hird was asked for his thoughts about the prospect of taking on Voss’ Lions.

“Michael Voss is a great football person who has had great success,” Hird told the media, “and we expect them to come out firing.”

Although Voss would have gained insight from seeing the Bombers ‘bleed’ in the fi rst half against the Eagles, Hird is oddson to inflict more haemorrhaging for his respected rival.

TEAMING TIGERS 2010 (Rds 9-22) Games

147

Ave. score

85.4100.7

Highest score

126148

Lowest score

4552

Ave. no. of goalkickers

77.6

Ave no. of multiple goalkickers Players averaging at least a goal a game Jack Riewoldt contribution

2.53.7 2

7

33.9% (59 24% of 174 goals) (25/104)

Riewoldt goal ave.

4.23.6

Riewoldt ave. scoring shots

5.94.4

Winning %

2011 (Rds 1-7)

42.9%50%

Ave. winning margin

2328

Against top four sides

3L1W-2L-1D

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Western Bulldogs elevate Ryan Hargarve to senior list after stint on long-term injury list. y list.

LINKS TO THE PAST

RARE FIND: This 1914 class photograph

from Struan Dam School includes a 10-year-old Edward ‘Carji’ Greeves (second from right in front row).

Kooky Cat coincidences BEN COLLINS

S

ome astute detective work has uncovered a couple of quirky links between three of the biggest names in the history of Geelong Football Club, and indeed Australian football: premiership player and coach Reg Hickey (whom Cats legend Bobby Davis regards as the greatest name in the club’s history), the first Brownlow Medallist Edward ‘Carji’ Greeves and football pioneer Tom Wills.

The discovery of an old class photograph from the tiny former Struan Dam School (near Lismore, 95km west of Geelong), circa 1914, started the ball rolling.

The almost century-old black-and-white image shows a 10-year-old Greeves (second from the left in the back row) and an eight-year-old Hickey (second from the right in the front row).

I thad h a dbeen b e eanlittle-known alittleknown It and perhaps forgotten fact that the superstar pair had attended the same school, but even fewer people knew of the existence of the photo, which had been in the possession of Geoff Gallichan, whose mother had also been a student at Struan Dam School.

No doubt the school would have had a decent football side for a few years around the start of World War I. This Sunday, plaques will be unveiled adjacent to where the school once stood at the southern end of Lake

S t r u a The n T hsite e s is i tnow eisn owpart Struan. part of a farming property.

While researching the Greeves and Hickey families for the event, local historian Margaret Nixon found that Carji’s grandfather Edward Goderich Greeves snr had married a Skipton lass named Julie Anderson.

And this is where the story becomes even more interesting, and remarkably coincidental.

Sometimes information just needs to filter through to the right people to connect the dots. In this instance, that person was – and often is – Col Hutchinson, the AFL’s

statistics and history consultant.

Upon learning of the GreevesAnderson/Skipton connection, Hutchinson recalled reading in Greg de Moore’s fascinating biography, Tom Wills: His Spectacular Rise and Tragic Fall , that, in the 1860s, Wills had courted a Julie Anderson in Skipton. It turns out they were one and the same woman.

However, Miss Anderson’s parents apparently didn’t approve of their daughter’s sportobsessed suitor Wills because they felt he was unreliable. Not surprisingly, when Wills asked Mr Anderson for his daughter’s hand in marriage, permission was denied.

Sometime later, in 1868, the apparently delectable Julie Anderson married Edward Greeves snr (Willis had since married another woman in Castlemaine the previous year), and the Greeves’ would later have a grandson who would grow up to be a champion footballer.

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FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE! Go to 3aw.com.au/footy and put yourself in the draw for great weekly prizes and a chance to win the Ultimate 2011 Toyota AFL Grand Final Experience.

Each week, be listening to the 3AW footy broadcast and if you hear your name and call back before the end of the match, you’re a winner.* Visit 3aw.com.au/footy and register today.

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AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

17

Fremantle upgrades Clancee Pearce from its rookie list.

MILESTONES ROUND 8

AFL Life Membership

Luke Power Brisbane Lions

GAME-PLAN CHANGE

Eagles’ plans finally falling into place

REJUVENATED: Andrew Embley has embraced the Eagles’ new defensive game.

NATHAN SCHMOOK

T

200 games

Nick Dal Santo St Kilda Brent Guerra Hawthorn

150 club games coached

Rodney Eade Western Bulldogs

100 games

Joel Selwood Geelong Cats Shannon Byrnes Geelong Cats Mark Blake Geelong Cats Hamish McIntosh North Melbourne

50 games

Liam Picken Western Bulldogs Scott Selwood West Coast Trent Cotchin Richmond Dennis Armfield Carlton The list includes those not necessarily selected but on the verge of milestones.

18

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

here is a perception West Coast was late to the party when clubs employed the zone defences and forward presses that now appear essential to winning games.

It’s a perception based on the club’s last-placed finish in 2010 and its impressive response this season that has seen it play six competitive games for a 3-3 record.

It’s easy to conclude the turnaround is the result of a new, modern game-plan implemented over the summer – a style that contrasts with the man-on-man approach that made John Worsfold a premiership coach in 2006.

But, according to assistant coach Scott Burns, it’s a style that was initially designed by Worsfold and strategy and innovations coach Phillip Walsh after the 2008 season.

Walsh, a 122-game player with Collingwood, Richmond and the Brisbane Bears, joined the Eagles from Port Adelaide in September of 2008, one month before Burns made the transition from playing to coaching.

The former Collingwood captain traces the origins of the Eagles’ defensive structures to that point.

“They (Worsfold and Walsh) had already discussed it before I came here at the end of 2008, so parts of it were already in place then,” Burns said.

“Because you’re winning games, perceptions change, but there have been games that we’ve won in the last few years where we did press up well.

“We’ve been working on it (the press) for a little while.”

West Coast missed the past three finals series, a period in which Hawthorn, St Kilda and

Collingwood drove changes in hard on my tackling and my the way teams defend. press-up – just trying to get a Now they are playing the whole understanding of the way way the coaches drew it up, the game has changed and the Eagles appear a genuine evolved,” he recently told September chance.

The West Australian.

The team’s first half against Draftees Jack Darling and Essendon was perhaps the Andrew Gaff have been praised most impressive and organised for their contributions this year, football it has played since its last but it is also worth noting the finals appearance in 2007. improved form of fourth-year Burns said the Eagles’ young players Scott Selwood and players had learned the gameBrad Ebert. plan after two years of studying, Third-year midfielder Luke while the senior players, who are Shuey is finally fi t and showing fit and in form, have also come why he is so highly rated, and to terms with a system that was Daniel Kerr – back after a serious foreign to hamstring injury them. “It takes – is getting a little bit of better every time and the week. Even senior players ruckman Nic needed to get Naitanui, who comfortable was criticised with the for his perceived newer lack of football system,” smarts last SCOTT BURNS he said year, appears Andrew signifi cantly Embley, the more Norm Smith medallist in 2006 comfortable this season. when the Eagles were the kings “It’s all come at the same of the man-on-man game, is one time: the internal competition, veteran who admits he struggled our pre-season program, being with the strategic changes. But physically more mature and the reinvigorated 29-year-old is having our older players up playing outstanding football this and running,” Burns said. season, sitting in the top fi ve at the “But we’re still very club for disposals, goals, tackles mindful of where we’re at and and contested possessions. we’ve got a lot of improvement “It became a big focus before we match it with the for me to really start working better teams.”

We’ve been working on it (the press) for a little while

West Coast will delay contract talks with coach John Worsfold until end of season.

CLOCKING UP MINUTES

Rutten, a full-back for the ages KATRINA GILL

A

delaide has been battered by injuries in the opening two months of the season, with the club’s defence the hardest hit area.

Coach Neil Craig’s preferred key-defensive combination of Ben Rutten, Phil Davis and Scott Stevens lasted only two games together before Davis (shoulder) and Stevens (illness) were sidelined.

Davis has since been ruled out for the season, while Stevens continues to battle the after-effects of a concussion at training a month ago.

Fortunately for the Crows, Rutten has lived up to his reputation as the ‘rock’ in defence.

According to Champion Data statistics, Rutten is the only

player in the competition to have played every minute in each of his club’s games this season.

The next-best mark belongs to Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson. The former Roo has played 99.2 per cent game time for the Hawks, coming to the interchange bench only brie y against Geelong in round ďŹ ve.

North Melbourne’s Scott Thompson and Brisbane Lion Daniel Merrett aren’t far behind, averaging 98-99 per cent game time.

Port Adelaide games record holder and Triple M and Advertiser football commentator Warren Tredrea enjoyed a ďŹ erce rivalry with Rutten during his career.

The battle between the two All-Australians was a highlight of Showdown games over the past decade, but similar mouth-watering match-ups are becoming less frequent in the modern game, as clubs look to ‘team’ defence to prevent opposition teams scoring.

Rutten’s set position in the Adelaide defensive press is on the last line.

He rarely ventures more than 30-40m from the opposition goal

and Tredrea said this explained why Rutten and, defenders in general, were able to spend more time on the ground than other players. ders and and full-backs, full-backs, “The defenders the especially, aree the hese only players these days who are a ying chance of staying on the groundd 100 per cent of the time,�

Tredrea said. sed “Defence used to be about a match-up, but now sition it’s about a position d. It’s no n no on the ground. ward longer the forward re the the dictating where .� defender goes.�

This team approach to defence was highlighted inn tch ag gainst Adelaide’s match against round three. three.

Fremantle in round emplo oyed The Crows employed ers to three differentt playe players Dockerrsskipper skipper try to nullify Dockers ich, de epending Matthew Pavlich, depending osition ned on where he positioned himself on the ground.

Rutten manned Pavlich when he was inside the attacking 50m, Davis followed him if he ventured around the 50m arc and Nathan van Berlo assumed the role in the midďŹ midďŹ eld. “A A few fewyearsago,someone years ago, someone like Rutten would play on a speciďŹ c player and it meant his opponent was often taken takenoutside outsidehis his comfort zone. In the early earl ydays dayshe he used to follow me no matter matter where I went,â€? Tredrea said. “Now, all the clubs do is pick someone to play full-back. full-back.The The opposition puts whoever they want want at full-forward and full-forward and the players and coaches work out the match-ups. “No matter, the full-back full-back doesn’t move from his position in the press.â€? press.â€?

FULL-TIME: Ben

Rutten hasn’t missed a second of action on the ďŹ eld for the Crows this year.

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SP² SP

MELBOURNE’S OWN AFL RECORD

visit a record.com.au

19

Gold Coast’s Jared Brennan wins inaugural Marcus Ashcroft Medal as best player in last week’s Suns-Lions ‘Q Clash’.

COMBINING FOR A CAUSE

Olivia to wow hometown fans at MCG

O

livia Newton-John, one of Australia’s most popular entertainers, will perform at the MCG before the MelbourneCarlton game on Friday, May 27, to help raise money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital.

Newton-John joined Melbourne president Jim Stynes, Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu and AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou to launch the ‘Olivia Live at the G’ event.

Demetriou is the centre’s public appeal chairman.

“I’m incredibly excited at the opportunity to perform in front of a big crowd in my hometown of Melbourne and

ON THE MCG STAGE:

Olivia Newton-John and Jim Stynes launched the ‘Olivia Live at the G’ event this week.

urge all footy fans to come along and get on board so we can now help complete the (centre),” she said.

The first stage of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre is due to open in Melbourne next year, with the final stages in 2013.

The Victorian and Federal

I urge all footy fans to come along and get on board OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN

governments are jointly funding the $186 million project. Some $10 million is being sought via public donations.

“I want to sincerely thank Premier Baillieu and the Victorian Government for its generous $45 million in funding,” she said. “I also want to acknowledge Melbourne and especially president Jim Stynes for all their tremendous support.”

Stynes, who is continuing to undergo treatment for cancer, said he was inspired meeting Newton-John, who fought a public battle with breast cancer and has since become a tireless advocate for breast cancer research.

“I hope Melbourne supporters and also footy fans in general can get along to the MCG and support this very important project,” Stynes said.

Those attending the match can make a donation via one of the collectors patrolling the MCG or via oliviaappeal.com or by telephoning 1800 220 210.

For details about corporate packages for the event, telephone (03) 9496 5753.

TES TESTING STING G

Performance (NIRS - Near Infra Red Spectroscopy) testing by the Sports Science faculty at the University of Newcastle (2011) has identified that wearing ISC compression garments: • has a profound effect on venous function and allows for improved blood flow from the lower limbs • Increases the total blood flow by up to 15% at both the calf and the thigh during exercise

RESULT

• Reduction of muscle soreness post exercise – increased blood flow helps to remove acids in muscles • Wearing compression garments reduces muscle damage and provides faster recovery Figure 1

Changes in the haemoglobin concentration (Hhb) in the calf across the incremental and performance test in both control (grey) and ISC Compression garment (orange) conditions.

20

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

www.isccompression.com.au Available at club stores and all good sporting retail outlets

Sydney Swans Swansruckman Mike Pyke set to miss up to a month with a torn quad.

A ton of class for Cats ace

SLICK HANDS:

Joel Selwood fires out another handball.

PETER RYAN

» Geelong’s Joel Selwood

this round is set to reach 100 games – just four years and 42 days after his debut.

It is the sixth fastest route to the milestone in the game’s history, with former North Melbourne champion Wayne Schimmelbusch (who took four years and two days) the record-holder, ahead of West Coast’s Glen Jakovich, Carlton’s Stephen Kernahan, Melbourne’s Shane Woewodin and Carlton’s Craig Bradley.

Schimmelbusch was full of admiration for Selwood, classing him a fantastic player. “They rely on him a lot with the way he plays. He goes in very hard for the ball and he is very, very good for Geelong,” Schimmelbusch said.

With three Grand Final appearances for two premierships, a club best and fairest, two All-Australian selections, 58 Brownlow Medal votes and, already, the universal respect of football watchers, the 22-year-old’s first 100 games deserve to be ranked among the best (and most enjoyable) the game has seen.

After playing in a loss on debut, he enjoyed 83 wins in his next 98 matches.

No wonder new Geelong coach Chris Scott is a fan. “It’s a small step along the road for Joel Selwood, I imagine. But it has been an amazing 100 or so games. Most of those I’ve watched with admiration from the outside,” he said.

GO TO AFL.COM.AU AND SEARCH FOR ‘SELWOOD QUICK 100’ FOR MORE ON THIS STORY

Did you y o uknow? know?

» St Kilda’s Sean Dempster had played in fi ve Grand Finals for one premiership (with the Sydney Swans) when he reached the 100-game milestone in round two of this season, aged 27.

NOTABLE FIRST 100 GAMES Name

Age, year Grand Premierplayed 100th Finals ships B&Fs

Joel Selwood Geelong

22, 201132158NAB AFL Rising Star

Chris Judd West Coast*

22, 200610157

Leigh Matthews Hawthorn

22, 197411254

Stephen Kernahan Carlton

26, 199021227Captain, club’s leading

Wayne Schimmelbusch North Melbourne

24, 197731017Club’s leading

Glen Jakovich West Coast

22, 199532228

John Coleman** Essendon

26, 195422136Four times leading

Haydn Bunton Fitzroy

25, 1936002#104 (won 1931,

Craig Bradley Carlton

26, 199021233

Jason Dunstall Hawthorn

24, 198932132Coleman Medal, three

Graham Farmer Geelong

32, 196711248 (runner-up

Ron Barassi Melbourne

23, 195953021Once club’s leading

Brownlow votes and placings

(2004 winner) (3rd 1973)

visit afl record.com.au

Club’s leading goalkicker (1973)

goalkicker (1976)

‘32 and ‘35)

AFL goalkicker, kicked 100 or more goals in a season three times Captain

times club’s leading goalkicker 1963)

*Chris Judd played 134 games with the Eagles before switching to Carlton. **John Coleman’s career ended on 98 games. # Fitzroy

VISIT AFL.COM.AU/SHOP

AFL RECORD

Norm Smith Medal

goalkicker (1986-89)

BUY OFFICIAL GEAR DIRECT FROM YOUR CLUB

22

Other honours

goalkicker records incomplete.

now you’re flying

virginaustralia.com

THE HUMBLE

GENIUS

Goalkicking great Peter Hudson recalls the season 40 years ago when he scaled football’s Mt Everest – kicking 150 goals to equal the AFL/VFL record set by the legendary Bob Pratt. BEN COLLINS

T

he 2011 season marks the 40th anniversary of Peter Hudson’s effort to equal the League goalkicking record of 150 – originally set by South Melbourne legend Bob Pratt in 1934 – so it’s almost poetic that the milestone finds the much-travelled Hudson back where it all started.

A long-time senior executive in the sports and health industries, Hudson is AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

57

PETER HUDSON the head of market development at Bupa Australia (a leading healthcare company that operates MBF and HBA) and, for the past 18 months or so, has been based in – would you believe it? – Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn.

Fittingly, Hudson’s office is just a few hundred metres away (as the crow flies) from the scene of some of his greatest triumphs, the Hawks’ former fortress at Glenferrie Oval, where the Hudson name became legend; and where Hawthorn fans of the late 1960s and early ’70s routinely swapped ends, en masse, at the end of each quarter so they could get up-close and personal with their superstar in the No. 26 guernsey.

“I suppose it is a kind of homecoming,” Hudson says.

“The worm has certainly turned 360 degrees.”

Hudson reached retirement age (65) in February, but loves work too much to put those famous, goalkicking feet up just yet. To do so would be to resign himself to old age, and the still relatively fresh-faced Hudson – forever the ageless ‘Huddo’ to fans – doesn’t feel, look or sound old.

Hudson suggests we adjourn to a café just up Glenferrie Road.

A regular customer, he is warmly received and asks to be seated in “the members”, a comfy, L-shaped couch in a back corner.

As he sips a hot chocolate, Hudson springs an early surprise. Something of a shock, actually. Although his performance in the Hawthorn premiership year of 1971 (tallying 150.72 in 24 games at an average of 6.25 goals a game) is widely regarded as one of the greatest individual seasons in the history of the game, the man himself doesn’t even rate it as his greatest season.

58

AFL RECORD

visit afl record.com.au

DOUBLE-TEAMED: Peter Hudson, pictured flying against two Collingwood opponents, used his suberb judgment and body work to outmanouvre opponents in marking duels.

“It was certainly my favourite year, and my best from a team and enjoyment perspective because we won the premiership,” he says. “But the irony is that, from a personal performance point of view, it wasn’t my best year.”

Hudson reserves that distinction for his heroics of the previous season, 1970. He’s not being blasé, flippant or arrogant; it’s a statement backed by statistics and plain logic.

In 1970, when the Hawks missed the finals by four games, Hudson kicked 146.44 in 22 games (at 6.6 goals a game).

“I played better in ’70 than I did in ’71 – you only have to look at the goal tallies at the end of the home-and-away,” he says.

He is right. At the end of the minor rounds in ’71, Hudson had managed “only” 140 goals, six behind his 1970 total. If he had played two finals in ’70, as he did the following season, he most certainly would have broken Pratt’s then 36-year record.

Before Hudson, the best return by a Hawthorn player had been 80 goals, by Jack Green back in 1934, the year of Pratt’s zenith; and the competition hadn’t boasted a century goalkicker since John Coleman slotted 103 in 1952.

Hudson’s tough initiation to big League football in 1967 netted 57 goals in 17 games and many lessons learned that he put into devastating practice over the next four seasons as he churned out tallies of 125, 120, 146 and 150.

As his record suggests, Hudson was a remarkable player. All the more remarkable for the fact he wasn’t a classical, glamour forward like Pratt and Coleman, who got many of their goals in more aesthetically pleasing manner: from high marks, fast leads and exquisite kicking

CONTENT: While

disappointed at missing the 150-goal record at the time, in hindsight, Hudson is proud to be linked with the great Bob Pratt.

styles. In many ways, Hudson for goal, he looked like was their antithesis. “a dog trying to make love At 189cm and 92kg (or 6’2½’’ to a cricket ball”. and 14 stone in the old measure), Hudson remains unapologetic, Hudson was considerably bigger explaining that he favoured than the other two spearheads substance over style.

(Coleman was 185cm/80kg, “Looking good was never part Pratt was of the equation, 180cm/76kg) and it never and employed should be,” more basic, he says. “I practical consciously methods. played a Over the style of game years, Hudson based around has often playing the been basically percentages, described which people PETER HUDSON as ugly but tend to effective in equate with comparison being boring to other greats. Largely shaping or unattractive. that view was his hunched “But the fact is the ball is on kicking style and his preference the ground more than it is in the for flat punts. air, so you need to keep your feet Even one of his own mates told and use your guile and cunning him that, when he had a set shot with your ground skills.

I was confident I could kick 150 – I had no fear of it

“I took some really good marks in my career, but I didn’t do it to look good; I did it only because it was the action that was required at that particular moment.”

Former teammate Leigh Matthews regarded Hudson as a master of manoeuvrability.

“A lot of things made Huddo great,” Matthews says, “but his judgment and body work to protect the fall of the ball was so good that, if you could place your kick so that he had front position and a 60 per cent chance to get it, he’d mark it 19 times out of 20.

There hasn’t been anyone better at that than Huddo.”

As a result, in those pre-centre-square days, coach John Kennedy moved his other forwards upfi eld with the visionary, multi-faceted aim of outnumbering the opposition in the midfield, isolating Hudson with his opponent in attack, and making it tougher for opponents to score. The tactic created what became known and feared as ‘Hudson’s Half-Acre’.

The League eventually introduced a centre diamond and then a centre square to stop the tactic, but in the meantime, the Hawks and Hudson enjoyed an unimpeded run.

“Give a forward a one-on-one contest and he should do the job if he’s worth his salt,” he says.

Leading into the ’71 season, Hudson, just turned 25, could not have been more primed for a tilt at Pratt’s record.

“After three hundreds in a row, I was confident I could kick 150 – I had no fear of it,” he says.

“I never put any limitations on how many goals I could kick.

“If you aim for the stars, you’ll get somewhere, even if you only reach the clouds; but if you aim for the clouds, you’ve got no chance of reaching the stars.”

It appeared Hudson would have to settle for the clouds

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59

PETER HUDSON after getting away to a slow start by his lofty standards: after six rounds, he had managed just 25 goals. But Hudson “wasn’t overly fussed”.

“My attitude was, ‘I only need a couple of big weeks – why can’t I kick at least 146 again?’

“I always had that self-belief.

Even if I was soundly beaten for a half, there was no reason why I couldn’t kick six in a quarter and still get 10 for the day.”

Hudson quickly regained his magic, kicking at least fi ve goals for the next 13 games, including eight consecutive hauls of six-plus. Both feats remain League records.

He exploded into action in the round seven clash with Richmond at Glenferrie Oval, with four goals in the fi rst quarter and seven by half-time, finishing with 10.4 for the match. It was the first of three double-figure tallies for the season.

“You generally only kick 10-plus if you kick straight,” Hudson says. “Almost invariably when I kicked a bag, it would be 10.2 or 12.1.”

Hudson says he becomes annoyed even today when a player misses a regulation shot at goal and shows no remorse.

“If I kicked 10.4, I didn’t congratulate myself on the 10; I’d ask myself why I didn’t kick 12 or 14,” he says.

“I think that’s a healthy attitude, and it’ll take you a lot further than people who are satisfied with the 10.”

The thing Hudson remembers most vividly about games where he was “having a day out” was how well the team played.

“At times, the ball came down almost like it was a training drill, so you’re verging on being cocky about it because it’s raining opportunities,” he says.

“And I prided myself on making the most of those opportunities. That was my responsibility to my mates.”

Hudson remains the second-most accurate goalkicker of all time (with a conversion rate of 69.17 per cent, just 0.54 per cent behind Tony Lockett), attributing his accuracy to a goalkicking lesson he received from Tasmanian football legend Trevor Leo. But he was offl ine 60

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HIGH EXPECTATIONS:

Hudson soars over South Melbourne star John Rantall. The champion Hawk set himself to kick at least six goals every game.

occasionally, with 1971 hauls of that stage, taking one more game 5.7, 6.6, 7.6 and 3.4 (twice). than each of his previous two Reminded of this, Hudson’s efforts, and two more than his face contorts in a rare grimace. first and fastest ton in 1968.

“To hear I kicked 5.7 and The major difference 6.6 – ohh,” this time, he groans. though, was “It really irks that he would me because, get more theoretically, opportunities they both could to add to have been 12 his tally straight.” because the Hudson Hawks were did bag a “12 finals-bound.

HUDSON straight” in By three1971, and it quarter time wasn’t only his in the second biggest bag of the season but was semi-final easily his best game because it against St Kilda at the MCG was in a hard-fought win over – his 100th game for Hawthorn eventual Grand Final opponent – Hudson had boosted his season St Kilda. tally to 147.

He reached his century in With the Hawks on their round 17. It was actually the way to the Grand Final, and at slowest of his four centuries to least five quarters left in their

I never put any limitations on how many goals I could kick

FACT FILE

26

Peter Hudson

Born: February 19, 1946 Recruited from: New Norfolk Debut: Round 2, 1967 v Carlton Height: 189cm Weight: 92kg Games: 129 Goals: 727 Player honours: 2nd Brownlow 1971 (equal); best and fairest 1968, 1970; club leading goalkicker 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1977; Coleman Medal 1968, 1970, 1971, 1977; All-Australian 1966, 1969; pre-season/night series premierships 1968, 1969, 1977; Hawthorn Team of the Century; Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee 1996 (elevated to Legend 1999); premiership 1971 Brownlow Medal: career votes 62

campaign, it seemed a fait accompli Hudson would kick the four goals he required to break Pratt’s record.

He didn’t get a chance to add to his tally in the last quarter of the second semi-final, with the ball rarely entering the Hawks’ forward half as they held on to win by two points.

St Kilda won the preliminary final, so Hudson would get his opportunity against the side he had dominated like no other, kicking 35 goals in their previous four meetings.

“When you’ve averaged seven for the year and you only need four, logic says you’re a rough chance to do it,” he recalls.

“And I expected to do it because I wasn’t aiming for just four; I expected to kick at least six goals every week in reasonable conditions.”

Hudson’s most vivid memories of 1971 are of Grand Final week.

“There’s already enormous pressure on a player in Grand Final week without having the added pressure of the 150 target looming over you as well,” he says.

“If a player went through that today, the pressure would be far greater.”

In the Grand Final, Hudson got away to a flyer. By midway

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Give Responsibly.

PETER HUDSON through the first quarter, he had nailed two long, torpedo goals.

He was suddenly one straight kick off 150, with three-and-ahalf quarters remaining, and “feeling a million dollars”.

Then Saints enforcer Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Neale fl oored Hudson with a round-arm that concussed him and basically split his right ear in half.

In today’s football, Hudson would have taken no further part in the game. But he stayed out there, despite lacking awareness, coordination and vision.

Remarkably, he has never held a grudge against Neale because “he could take it as well as give it”.

“The only thing I’m dirty on him about,” Hudson says of Neale, “is that I can hardly remember the game and I didn’t get to celebrate the premiership because my head was thumping.”

Hudson kicked just one more goal to level Pratt’s record. Of course, he squandered several regulation opportunities in the dying minutes that would have given him the record outright: kicking into the mark from 15m out, and missing badly from 25m on the run. Thankfully, the Hawks won the premiership.

“If I’d made those blues under normal circumstances, I would have been so filthy on myself that I don’t think I’d ever have gotten over it,” he says.

“But I’m not, for the fact I was concussed and because I can tell from the footage that I was trying my heart out.”

Hudson was disappointed at the time, but, in hindsight, is grateful to be linked with Pratt. As he points out, Pratt had played three fewer games.

“I’ll always be mentioned in the same breath as the legendary Bob Pratt,” he says. “I am genuinely rapt with that.”

Unbelievably, Hudson finished a distant fourth in Hawthorn’s best and fairest award behind Matthews (66), skipper David Parkin (65) and the late Peter Crimmins (53).

“I actually consider myself fortunate to have fi nished fourth behind blokes like that,” Hudson says.

A humble genius indeed.

GO TO AFL.COM.AU FOR MORE ON THE HUDSON STORY.

62

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Footy’s Everest – can it be done again? » He knows it will cause some

to scoff, but Peter Hudson can’t see any reason why a forward can’t one day break the 150-goal record he shares with fellow AFL Legend Bob Pratt.

“It’s easy to say, ‘They’ll never kick 150 again,’” he says. “But is that because the game has changed or because the players don’t have the ability to kick 150?

A modern-day (Tony) Lockett would be capable of it.”

However, Essendon great Matthew Lloyd, a two-time centurion, apparently echoed the views of the majority when he told the AFL Record there

was “no chance” of a repeat of Hudson and Pratt’s feat. pen very “It doesn’t happen very often often these days where a player kicks seven, but if you’re going to kick 150, seven needs to be your average game,” Lloyd says. ou “That means you dd d need to kick the odd aritty 10, and that’s a rarity se these days because ou teams don’t let you y’lll get on a roll; they’ll double-team you,, in‘the ‘the players get back in hole’, and they ck kwith with drop numbers back s.”” zones and presses.”

Hudson highlights ghtts that his his first 100 in 1968 broke bro okeaa

16-year century drought since John Coleman, and set off a chain reaction reactionof tons from the likes of Peter Peter McKenna, Doug Wade and Alex Alee Jesaulenko.

He belie e believes the game will again follow ffo the same evolu u evolutionary cycle to p produce more ce e century goalkickers, a and perhaps even a another centurya and-a-half man.

He cites the m man most likely of th thee modern breed, Haw w Hawthorn’s Lance Fran n Franklin, who kicked 113.

9 in 2008.

113.92 ““If If ‘Buddy’ had kick ke straight, he kicked coul couldd have kicked 150 – he had h enough shots,” Hudso Hudson on says.

HUDSON’S HISTORIC 1971 SEASON RDVENUECLUBGBPTSOPPONENTGBPTS+/-CROWDKMHBFFFAGBBEST 6 1Windy HillHAW131896ESS1012722419,214116200

5

2

2Glenferrie OvalHAW141397FITZROY711534415,310116311

4

2

3Glenferrie OvalHAW1619115GEEL1611107814,090134242

1

2

4MoorabbinHAW1819127ST K109695825,153207121

7

6Yes

5Waverley ParkHAW122193STH MELB 69454816,2061810045

5

7Yes

6Whitten OvalHAW1611107FOOTSCRAY185113-619,205147420

3

4Yes

7Glenferrie OvalHAW2119145RICH126786722,9561510111

10 4Yes

8Waverley ParkHAW2215147NTH MELB710529514,860166234

7

3

9Princes ParkHAW141296CARL412366029,250118330

5

2

10Glenferrie OvalHAW1517107COLL713555228,4501511221

5

3Yes

11MCGHAW141094MELB1014742052,256135211

5

3

12Glenferrie OvalHAW1420104ESS115713312,259198132

6

6

13Waverley ParkHAW14993FITZROY716583518,369175122

9

2Yes

14Kardinia ParkHAW1513103GEEL136841914,283147142

7

1Yes

15Glenferrie OvalHAW205125ST K15121022321,6471612222

12 0Yes

16Lake OvalHAW111682STH MELB 315334910,519134262

6

1Yes

17Glenferrie OvalHAW2316154FOOTSCRAY4153911521,0592114012

9

5Yes

18MCGHAW111076RICH1612108-3247,95161123

6

0

19Glenferrie OvalHAW2316154NTH MELB9862929112129002

6

3

20Glenferrie OvalHAW111581CARL196120-3922,75396231

3

4

21Victoria ParkHAW2020140COLL15151053541,312178321

9

2

22Glenferrie OvalHAW1816124MELB817655914,8692013311

10 7Yes

2SFMCGHAW121890ST K121688299,822158222

7

3Yes

GFMCGHAW121082ST K119757118,192105133

3

0

37935826322502641764709,09734618041544115072

•Hudson averaged 14.4 kicks, 7.5 marks, 1.7 handballs, 6.25 goals and three behinds a game. *Season statistics were supplied by Col Hutchinson, the AFL’s statistics and history consultant.

12

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BRAD OTTENS

MOVING WITH THE TIMES Geelong star Brad Ottens may be one of the modern game’s few remaining links to a bygone era, but, in his 14th season – seven with Richmond and seven with the Cats – the dual premiership-winning ruckman continues to move with the times. Fully fit and in outstanding form, the proven bigmatch performer is crucial to Geelong’s chances of being a serious contender again this season.

MICHAEL LOVETT

T

here is a bit of dinosaur in Brad Ottens and it has nothing to do with the fact he is a physical presence on the field, or he plays as an old-fashioned tap ruckman who enjoys the occasional rest up forward.

By his own admission, Ottens is from another era, an era when AFL clubs were just starting to embrace the concept of full-time professional players, coaches and support staff.

You have to wind the clock back to 1998 and Ottens, then a gangly 199cm and 92kg teenager from South Australia,

was in his first season with Richmond. He’d landed at Punt Road without the fanfare a No. 2 draft pick might expect today, probably because the draft was still something of a mystery to those not ensconced in the industry.

But he had been identifi ed

by Richmond as a serious talent and, after the Tigers worked a trade to gain the No. 2 selection, officials couldn’t read his name out quickly enough once Melbourne took Travis Johnstone with the No. 1 pick.

There was some good pedigree in the young colt. His father Dean (or ‘Deano’ as Ottens calls him) was a star ruckman

A lot of guys would rock up to training after work BRAD OTTENS

64

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for Sturt in the SANFL, playing in two premierships, and it didn’t hurt that older brother Luke was selected in the same draft

by Melbourne with pick No. 50. Luke managed just four games in two seasons on the Demons’ list.

Ottens had already been playing senior football in the SANFL with Glenelg in 1997 and his path through the national under-16 and under-18 championships had recruiters of the day pencilling his name in as a high draft pick.

They didn’t get it wrong either, but his journey shows just how much Ottens – and the game – has changed.

PHYSICAL PRESENCE:

Brad Ottens is an old-fashioned ruckman who is right at home in the modern game.

brad ottens Together with a handful of SPECCY: Ottenss veterans such as Essendon’s ack flies for a big pack Dustin Fletcher, the Bulldogs’ mark over the top top Barry Hall, Geelong teammate of West Coast’ss Guy McKenna Darren Milburn and North during his Melbourne captain Brent s.

Richmond days.

Harvey, Ottens is probably one of the last players to train under lights.

He remembers vividly training with Richmond’s reserves on chilly Friday nights at Punt Road. “I was playing in the twos and we used to train after the seniors on a Friday night. You’d look over at the ’G and the lights would be on and hundreds of people would be walking past on their way to the footy.”

It was also an era when not all players were fully professional.

“We had a lot of guys who would rock up to training after work,” Ottens said. “It was a different culture. The professionalism of footy these days is streets ahead. It was all about club functions back then, there was nowhere near the media scrutiny and there were certainly no social networks like Twitter and Facebook.”

Ottens was just happy to go with the flow in 1998. He was in his first year, his coach Jeff Gieschen was in the No. 1 job full-time having taken over from Robert Walls during 1997, I spent more time looking at and the Tigers were gearing for the crowd (70,200) than the a big year. football. It was overwhelming At 18 years and 63 days, because I’d never seen that many Ottens made his debut in the people before,” Ottens said. opening round of 1998. Having Ottens played the first seven finished 13th the previous season, games but just five after that as the Tigers were drawn to play he developed his game in the Essendon, which reserves, had slipped to another 14th in 1997 after forgotten part being pipped in a of the AFL memorable 1996 competition preliminary final. after it was Among his disbanded teammates at the end of were Matthew 1999.

Knights, Brendon But that was BRAD OTTENS Gale (now when it started Richmond CEO) to get tough for and Duncan Kellaway (now a everyone – Ottens, his coaches Geelong physiotherapist) and the and, of course, the Tiger faithful.

Essendon side featured Fletcher, Over the 1999 pre-season, by then a five-year veteran, and Ottens added four kilograms coaches-in-waiting Damien and was finding his feet on Hardwick and James Hird. The the big stage. He played all Tigers won a close battle by 14 22 games that season, 21 of a points, with Ottens’ contribution possible 22 in 2000, 24 of 25 in a modest five disposals, two 2001 as the Tigers reached the marks and six hit-outs. preliminary final under second“I remember I got a talking year coach Danny Frawley, and to at half-time by the coaches.

20 of 22 in 2002

Towards the end of 2004, I decided I had to move on

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FACT FILE

6

Brad Ottens

Born: January 25, 1980 Recruited from: Glenelg/Richmond Debut: Round 1, 1988 v Essendon Height: 202cm Weight: 104kg Games: 231 Goals: 248 Player honours: All-Australian 2001; International Rules Series 2001; premiership sides 2007, 2009; pre-season premiership side 2009 Brownlow Medal: Career votes 18

In that four-year stretch, Ottens kicked 124 goals, including 46 in his All-Australian year of 2001, and averaged 13 disposals, 14 hit-outs and five marks a game.

Other than Matthew Richardson, Tiger fans had someone within their ranks who was going to take them to the dizzy heights of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

But here comes the statistic that hurts. After the end of 2002, the then 22-year-old played just two more seasons in the yellow and black; his 30 appearances yielding fi ve wins and causing total frustration for player and club.

“Towards the end of 2004, I decided I had to move on,” Ottens said. “It had been a rough year – we won the wooden spoon, ‘Spud’ (Frawley) was on the way out and I wasn’t playing my best footy.

“I was frustrated and I needed a change to get the best out of myself. I was playing forward and ruck and I didn’t really know where my footy was going.

“I didn’t want to go through my career a frustrated player

and I wanted to be part of some team success.”

His departure from Punt Road was inevitable – he was out of contract at the end of 2004 – but a bitter blow nevertheless. It was also a setback for incoming coach Terry Wallace, but the Tigers felt they had no choice but to facilitate a trade that would net them early draft picks.

Sadly, those picks – Danny Meyer (No. 12) and Adam Pattison (No. 16) – have moved on after unfulfi lled careers at Richmond, making the loss of Ottens even more unpalatable.

Ottens turned his attention to the rest of the AFL to fi nd a new home and he nailed his gut feeling by nominating Geelong as his preferred destination.

“Geelong had showed interest when I declared I was moving on,” he said. “They had a young and talented list and I liked the lifestyle of the town.”

The Cats and Ottens were a perfect fit. Regular No. 1 ruckman Steven King was struggling with injuries and coach Mark Thompson knew Ottens would also change his team’s structure by resting the big fellow up forward.

Reluctantly, Thompson parted with promising on-baller Brent Moloney, who was traded to Melbourne as part of the deal to send early draft picks Richmond’s way. Although Geelong’s midfi eld stocks were plentiful, Thompson said trading Moloney was one of the toughest decisions in his time at Skilled Stadium.

If Ottens thought his last weeks at Richmond were daunting in terms of media and public

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brad ottens scrutiny, nothing prepared him for the blowtorch that was coming his way at Geelong.

“I was a bit surprised at the scrutiny on me. I guess a certain amount comes with the territory when you change clubs, but I didn’t think it would be as intense as it was,” Ottens said. “There’s not much you can do about it but it was harrowing at the time.”

Ottens kicked three goals – against the Tigers, as fate would have it – on debut for the Cats in round one, 2005. His start with his new club was solid but not enough to convince some critics in the early part of the season.

It was Thompson who decided to act on the veiled criticism of his big man. “For some silly reason, you people want to assassinate him. It’s just rubbish.

You people, all of you, all of you, leave him alone!” Thompson famously said at a post-match press conference.

Today, Ottens throws his head back and laughs as I (almost) recite word-for-word Thompson’s spirited defence. He’s in a good place now, but back then, he YOU BEAUTY: Ottens celebrates one of his two premierships with Geelong fans. appreciated his coach’s almost teacher-like berating of the media.

“It was good of ‘Bomber’ to do such as this round’s important Collingwood, possibly minus that. I wasn’t sure where I was clash with Collingwood. the injured Darren Jolly. at, but for him to publicly come A typical week for Ottens is a “There are some guys you out like that proved I wasn’t just morning of recovery at a local know what to expect like (Dean) dreaming about everyone being beach, a light swimming and Brogan, ‘Coxy’ (Dean Cox) on my back,” Ottens said. bike riding session early in the and Jolly, but there are always Other than a frustrating run of week, the main training session new guys coming through injuries, it’s been relatively smooth in the middle of the week and and Goldstein is one of those. sailing since for Ottens. He has preparing for his likely opponent He is going to be a talent for embraced Geelong (he shifted there using video analysis. sure,” Ottens said. when he was traded in late 2004) Again, he reflects on the A fit Ottens is crucial to and the Cats “old days” of Geelong’s chances of being a and their fans recovery when serious contender again in 2011. have returned he first came His body and mind are fi t – his the favour. on to the AFL off-field peace helped by the He is in his scene in 1998. guidance of his fiancée Sarah – but seventh season “If you were come the end of the season, he will with Geelong, injured, you weigh up his long-term options. matching would all be in “I’m out of contract at the his seven at the one group end of this year, so I guess Richmond, and do the when you are over the age of BRAD OTTENS and his body is same training,” 30, it makes you a year-by-year holding up after he said. “It proposition,” he said. missing the fi rst nine games of didn’t matter what the injury We parted company discussing 2008 with a foot injury, playing was. If you had a leg injury, you’d another aspect of Ottens’ make-up just six games in 2009 because of just sit down and do the boxing that today’s younger generation a knee injury and struggling last because the other injured guys might think is from a bygone era: year with another foot injury. were doing the boxing.” his pearly white teeth.

However, Ottens marvels Before last week’s game “The best advice I received was at the level of professionalism against North Melbourne, from my grandpa who always that goes into the treatment Ottens spent extra time said you should look after your of injuries today and the studying emerging young Roos teeth. He used to pop out his false rehabilitation required to ruckman Todd Goldstein and teeth all the time and say, ‘You ensure he is ready for battles this week he was preparing for don’t want these things!’”

If you were injured, you would all be in the one group

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Ottens repays the faith

» Brad Ottens has repaid

the Geelong faithful in spades since a low-key start with his new club.

His performance in the 2007 preliminary final when he was best-on-ground against Collingwood in a game that went down to the wire will always be remembered by Cats fans.

Then a week later in the Grand Final against Port Adelaide, Ottens made the chase of the day when he lumbered after an unsuspecting Michael Pettigrew late in the fi rst quarter and laid a tackle that said plenty about Geelong’s mindset that day.

“I hadn’t had much to do with the game up to then, so I thought I’d better get involved,” Ottens said.

“I took after him and I think he looked over his shoulder, saw me, and went easy because I’m not the quickest bloke going around.”

Channel 10 commentator Tim Lane remarked that Pettigrew had been one of the fastest players at his draft camp a few years earlier.

“Yeah, I heard that,” Ottens said. “There must have been a few slow blokes in the draft that year!”

Ottens has played in two premierships (2007 and 2009) and has also endured the pain of losing the 2008 Grand Final to Hawthorn.

“I have been lucky to be part of a special era at a special footy club,” he said.

MICHAEL LOVETT

“Ô”,, “Sony “Sony So ” an andd “m make ake.beli b l eve” aree tra be tradema tr demark rks orr reg regisster tere eredd trade t adem marks of Sony So y Corpor poration on.. “2””, “PlayStat Stat atio io , “À ion” À” and “Ã ” ar aree tr tradem ademarks ad adem arks rks or o re regi egi eg gist sttered ster ste ered ed ttrade radeemark arkss of Son ark Sonyy Co Comput mputer mpu er Ent nter ertain tainment tain ment Incc. “Blu-r “Blu-r -ray ay Disc” D sc” c and ndd “BD “B ” aare trradem marks arks.. Alll rrights re reserve erved. d.. © 20 2011 11 Sony Sony Comp Com mputer ut Enterta ute ert inme nme ment nt Europ urope. uro e. All right ightss rese r seerved. re er ed. *Bro Broadba adbband n inter ernet net serv ervice ic requ quuired ired.. Us U erss are resp responsi re onsible onsi ble for broadban ba d access access s fee fees. s. Charg harges es apply ppl plyy for for som fo soomee co c ntent.t. Users conten sers und unnderr 18 requir requir quiree pa p rental parent al conse sennt. Play se la Stat S at ation® ioon® ion® on®Netw n® etw tw work orkk and Play PlayStat Sta ion® Stat on®Sto Storee suubbjec Stor j ctt too term te ms te ter ms of uuse. e Copy pyyrigh rightt © 20 2011 011 Hom Hom me Enntert tertainm a ent Sup ainm Supp pplie liers Ptyy Lt Ltdd. Publilshe hed by Tru T Bluu Gam ame mes. s. Tru Tru r Blu iss a regi reg ster stered trademark of Home me Ent nterta nt ertainme ert inme nmeenntt Suppl uppliers upp ers Pty Ptty Ltd Ltt . Al Alll Ri Rights ghtts Res gh ghts Reserve erve er rveed. d. ® TM TM Thee AFL A logo go & compe com ompeting ting tea team m lo logos, gos emb gos, em mblems leem ms and n nam mes es oonn thhis produ produ roduct ct aree aallll trade tra rade adee marrks of aanndd us used e under ed ndde nde der er liliccens nse ns see from om m the the own wner wn er the the Austr A stral aliann Fo alia Footba otballll Leag otba Leaguue by whoom all © copy copyrigh rightt annd ot othe her righ rights ts of of reprod repr uction are re reser reserve ved. Produced under the hee authhority ority of The orit T e Coc oca-Co a-Cola ala Compa Compa mppany, nyy ow wn r of the wner wne wn the tra trade de mark a ‘POW O ERAD ERAD ADE’.

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Our AFL history guru answers your queries.

DELIGHTED DEMONS:

Phil Read and Brock McLean were all smiles after downing Fremantle at Subiaco in 2004.

Melbourne has not won there in 11 games since.

Unhappy hunting ground I have read that Melbourne, since defeating Fremantle in 2004, has lost its past 11 matches at Subiaco Oval. What is the record for a club losing the most consecutive games at a particular venue?

B. CAVANAGH, CAMPERDOWN, VIC.

CH: From 1966 until 1987, the

Swans suffered 34 successive defeats at Princes Park. During that period, their opponents included Carlton, Fitzroy and

Hawthorn. Their drought was finally broken when they beat the Lions by eight points in the last round of 1987. Warwick Capper and Barry Mitchell kicked four goals each. St Kilda failed to win any of its 33 encounters against Collingwood at Victoria Park from 1920 until 1961. In the opening round of 1962, debutant Darrel Baldock inspired the Saints to a rare 25-point victory at the Magpies’ nest.

GENUINE SENIOR FOOTBALLERS » During 1897, the fi rst year of League competition, a total of 284 players were used by the eight participating clubs.

Three of them were still alive during the 1960s. Jack Reekie represented Carlton 27 times during two seasons and was 92 when he died on September 9,

1963. Ted Kinnear was an early Essendon champion in 108 matches between 1897 and 1903. He passed away, aged 90, on March 3, 1965.

Fred Blackham, who made two appearances for Melbourne, lived to be 93 before dying on January 31, 1967.

Do you know of other senior players who are close to 90 or older, or who reached such an age before calling it a day? Should you have such information, contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col.hutchinson@afl.com.au.

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col hutchinson NAME GAME

CURLY MOMENTS » Carlton defender Rod

Austin, one of only two players to keep the great Peter Hudson goalless at League level, had the nickname ‘Curly’ for an obvious reason – his hair.

In the Middle Ages, this nickname might have become his surname, as nicknames were a common origin of surnames. In fact, there are others where this has happened in regard to this particular nickname. The surname of St Kilda’s Jamie Cripps derives from the Latin word crispus meaning “curly”. The only other Cripps who played League football was also a Saint – Jason Cripps, who played in the 1997 Grand Final. The name Crisp, borne by three players, comes from the same source.

The best of these was no doubt Carlton’s Cresswell Crisp, better known as ‘Mickey’. Crisp starred in the centre in Carlton’s 1938 premiership, one of his 183 games for the Blues. Two Germanic surnames are also nicknames derived from kraus (“curly”): those of Max Kruse (Swans, 1979-85) and Alan Krause (Melbourne, 1950s).

KEVAN CARROLL

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

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rick milne

Ask the expert about all your footy memorabilia.

RICK’S RARITY

I have two sets of stamps issued in 2001 and 2002. They are in sheet form, with each stamp showing a Carlton footballer.

Should I use them on letters, or are they worth keeping?

» In earlier times, players

wore their club blazers with pride. On retirement, many cut off the blazer pocket as a keepsake – often because moths had made a mess of the rest of the blazer. This little beauty belonged to a famous Roy Boy in the 1950s. It’s worth about $200, and, being a Lion myself, it’s not for sale!

MARTIN STEENSON, VIA EMAIL

RM: Hang on to them Martin.

These are the fi rst two sets issued. Today, they sell for about $80 a sheet I started collecting membership cards from all AFL clubs. They are the plastic type that look like credit cards. Do they have any value to speak of?

FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO GURUFORGARBAGE.COM.AU.

TANYA BATEMAN, VIA EMAIL

POWERHOUSE:

Carlton legend John Nicholls has featured on many different cards over the years.

RM: There are plenty out there,

Tanya. Generally, they sell for about $5 each. Still, you have an interesting and unusual collection that hasn’t cost a fortune.

I bought my young son a pack of footy cards and he found one was of ‘Big Nick’ (Carlton’s John Nicholls). It is a 300-game card and it appears to be legitimately signed, rather than a printed-on signature. Value please.

BRIAN TURNLEY, CHELTENHAM

RM: Your son has hit the jackpot,

Brian! Although I don’t agree with the ‘Tattslotto for kids’

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aspect to limited-issue cards, you have got one of only 50 issued and, yes, it is John Nicholls’ real signature. At least $500, and possibly quite a bit more.

Unfortunately, many other children buy countless packets of cards (fi lled with common cards) in the – usually vain – hope of hitting it big, as you have done.

I have a 1966 Grand Final Football Record when the Saints beat the Pies by a point. It is in used condition, some damage (small tears to covers) and it has been folded down the middle. Any value??

KEVIN MARTIN (VIA EMAIL)

RM: A red letter day for the

Saints, Kevin. In the condition you describe, maybe $100-$125.

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

One query per reader.

BRAINS

answers at bottom of page

Spot the 7 DIFFERENCES between the 2 cards

Unscramble Frying A Fern Can you guess this AFL to discover the AFL player’s name. Player’s NICKNAME?

____ _______

What season did the mighty Cats join the AFL competition?

A. 1864

B. 1897

NEW! Silver

C. 1939

D. 1989

CODE cards

and enter codes to play

Answers: 1. different hair, holding two footies, no yellw on sock, top of goal post gone, extra Adelaide logo on guernsey, ‘VAN’ in caps, ‘CROWS’ backwards 2. Ryan Griffen 3. Strawbs 4. C

4

_______

B&F

game card

AS SEEN ON TV

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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 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Football changed to yellow; hoop added to Travis Varcoe’s guernsey; thin white stripe on Varcoe’s shorts removed; player’s foot in background on left removed; black stripe on Brent Harvey’s jumper (next to AFL logo) removed.

Jackson’s Goal is out now. Written by byformer form AFL player and media personality Dwayne Russell and illustrated by Donna Gynell.

Available from all good bookstores. Visit jacksonlovesfooty.com

Scrambled Sc S crra am mb blleed Footballer: Fo F oot otb ba all ller er: Cryptic Cr C ryyp pti tiicc Footballers: Fo F oo ottb ba alllleerrss:: BI B IG MOUTH: MO M OU UT TH H:: BIG 74 AFL L RECORD R EC RECO RE CO COR OR ORD RD visit viis vvis isit itafl afl afl flrec record.com.au rree ord.com.au

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Home-grown star thriving in the No. 1 ruck role.LUKE HOLMESBY

I

t was a late return home for Zac Smith after his team’s great win last Saturday night. That’s when he was given a sudden reminder of the professionalism required to be an elite AFL player.

Smith was ready for a well-deserved sleep after Gold Coast’s win over the Brisbane Lions in the inaugural ‘Q Clash’ when housemate and club captain Gary Ablett insisted on a proper post-match recovery.

“It was about 1am. I was ready to go to bed, but he said we should make an ice bath,” Smith said.

“I jumped in – I think it really helped my recovery.”

Smith had every reason to be happy with the world as he climbed into the bath. He had just gathered 22 touches and won 17 hit-outs in Gold Coast’s second AFL win in a performance that earned him a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.

He has quickly established himself as the Suns’ No. 1 ruckman.

It is rare for a 21-year-old to be the starting ruckman for an AFL club, but Smith said his education was being helped by former Magpie Josh Fraser, who many thought would be taking the majority of ruck contests.

“Even though ‘Frase’ only joined us at the end of last year, I have become pretty close to him, obviously because he is a ruckman as well. He’s taught me a lot,” Smith said.

“The modern-day ruckman can’t just be a tap ruckman any more. He has to follow up around the ground and go forward at

2011 NAB AFL RISING STAR NOMINEES

STANDING TALL:

Zac Smith takes front position against Lion Matthew Leuenberger.

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)

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

1

Smith was one of six original Gold Coast players signed in 2008.

2 3

He played soccer until a few years ago.

He shares the same name as the lead character from 1960s television show Lost In Space.

times. He has really shown me Gold Coast took a gamble where to position on the raw myself around youngster the ground. It’s when he was been incredible one of the how much I’ve original six learned since he’s players signed been at the club.” by the club in Smith’s 2008, when it football was known as education is GC17.

ZAC SMITH still a work He said in progress, he had been considering he was focusing on a amazed at how the club had soccer career just five years ago. developed since those early years.

I’m pretty proud to represent Queensland

“There are still some elements of what there was. ‘Bluey’ (coach Guy McKenna) was there and we didn’t have many staff. It’s grown into a massive club now,” he said.

“We’ve moved venues, they have knocked down the stadium and it has come a long way, but we are still going forward.”

And the Queensland-born Smith said he was proud to be playing for one of the two clubs representing his state.

“I think there are only about 16 Queenslanders on the list,” he said. “We’re (the locals) pretty tight and I’m very proud to represent Queensland.”

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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Applying data laterally to analyse and understand the modern game.

Five-star ‘generals’ vital for success

T

he late Dick Porter was an octogenarian when I first met him in 1994.

Unknown in footy circles, he had introduced me to a statistical analysis program he called ‘Paradox’.

It is, to the best of my knowledge, football’s fi rst computer data entry system analysing team performance.

When Porter took Paradox to several clubs hoping to have it adopted, he was scoffed at.

If he approached clubs today, Porter would be up against a bevy of competing services from data-savvy assistant coaches and opposition analysts.

He was a genuine pioneer and a pivotal influence in my development as a football analyst.

If Porter was still doing his stuff today, he’d most likely become a cult figure among the legions of fans who play online football fantasy games such as Toyota AFL Dream Team.

Although Porter’s data world was devoted to the understanding of real games, he was the first I knew who entered it via cyberspace. Now, it is commonplace for fans to travel between the two dimensions.

Among the most tantalising of Porter’s theories, bridging the gap between real and fantasy games, was his proposition that a serious premiership contender must have a ‘Vital 5’ component.

By this, he meant at least fi ve “star-studded” performers.

The purpose of football, he postulated, was to get the right structure and balance between the “fi ve generals 78

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CALLING THE SHOTS: Champion defender Matthew Scarlett (third from left) is one of Geelong’s ‘generals’, but he has plenty of talented ‘troopers’ in support.

Collingwood and Geelong have these resources in abundance and the supporting troopers”.

Qualification for Vital 5 status was based on measurement, not opinion.

He awarded players points for kicks, handballs, marks, tackles, free kicks, hit-outs, goals and behinds and also allocated a weighting to account for player types. (These were the only categories available at the time.)

It is astonishing to realise he devised this system before 1994.

I am proud to say details of Porter’s analysis were published in the Herald Sun, under the banner of Paradox, when I wrote for the newspaper in 1995.

Although more enhanced stats and mathematical formulae have appeared on the scene since then, the fundamental wisdom of Porter’s Vital 5 is just as relevant today.

This round’s clash between undefeated teams Collingwood and Geelong is a prime example.

Each team is blessed with sublime Vital 5 resources, backed by talented troopers and other special strike forces.

Always, a Vital 5 quota is best if it has fl exibility.

What happens if there is an early injury to a Vital 5 member? Or if one member has an unexpected bad game or is nullifi ed? Who else can step into the role?

To achieve a balanced team, Porter estimated that 25 per cent of its total output is, ideally, contributed by the Vital 5, and the other 75 per cent by a range of flexible talent. It is a formula fantasy buffs and list managers should contemplate.

Collingwood and Geelong have these resources in abundance, which is why they have become such dominant forces.

In Porter’s schema, a Vital 5 mostly comprises a minimum of three midfi eld engines and at least one star in both defence and attack.

On form and by my own calculations, Collingwood can count on three occupying the middle ground: Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Dane Swan, with plenty in reserve from Dale Thomas, Luke Ball and Alan Didak.

In defence, the Vital 5 general is Heath Shaw with support from Nick Maxwell, Harry O’Brien and Ben Johnson. Up front, it’s a case of no absolute star, but a system of three-for-one on rotation: Chris Dawes, Travis Cloke and Leigh Brown.

Geelong’s three leading midfielders in scintillating form are Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel and Joel Corey. In reserve are driving forces James Kelly and an improving Brad Ottens.

In attack, Paul Chapman is a genius flanked by Steve Johnson and Travis Varcoe. In defence, there is Matthew Scarlett, accompanied by Darren Milburn, Harry Taylor and Corey Enright.

Although no serious fl ag contender can do without its Vital 5 and quality reservists, football is such a beautiful game, real or fantasy, because there is always room for an unexpected player to bob up and play a match-winning role, confounding experts, fans and the best of the data analysts.

That’s why, I assume, Porter called it Paradox.

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

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