AFL Record, Round 12 2010 by The Slattery Media Group

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ROUND 12, JUNE 11-14, 2010 Features 57

Stephen Milne

ONE OF THE BEST: Stephen

Milne’s record over 200 games puts him up with the great small forwards in the history of the game.

The Saints’ star sneaks up on 200 games.

Andrew Swallow

Finding the right balance on and oﬀ the ﬁeld.

Moments of the decade

Jason McCartney’s inspirational comeback.

Regulars 4

Backchat

Your say on the football world.

The Bounce

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

Matchday

Stats, history and line-ups.

Dream Team

Advice from Mr Fantasy, our Dream Team expert.

70 74 76 78

Answer Man Kids’ Corner NAB AFL Rising Star Talking Point

THIS WEEK’S COVER North Melbourne’s Andrew Swallow is developing as a ﬁne footballer on weekends and a shrewd investor during the week. PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM

Ted Hopkins on the pitfalls of working in the same space.

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feedback

Your say on the world of football

EDITOR’S LETTER

New teams must be competitive

Biased view of history?

Your response to Mike Pearson’s letter (round eight) totally missed the point. When the AFL was formed in 1990, it was a new organisation and its record-keeping should have commenced from October 1, 1990. We forever hear from the supposed national commentators resident in Victoria, “If only he had played for a Victorian team, he would have been a star (read Matthew Pavlich).” Being a star or otherwise has got nothing to do with where a player plays most of his games. It’s got to do with the quality of those games, wherever they are played. You Victorians really ought to get on a plane (they do service Victoria, I believe) and see the AFL in its national splendour and not naval-gaze as much as you do. That said, I do ﬁnd that the 12 Records I buy during the home-and-away games do report objectively. You can improve your coverage if you include AFL/VFL/WAFL/ SANFL to keep your ancient records objective. JOHN FAULKNER, MADDINGTON, WA.

Editor’s response: The point remains the same – in 1990, the Victorian Football League changed its name to the Australian Football League to reﬂect the addition of clubs outside Victoria. It’s worth noting that the competition now known as

example, Victorians would have appreciated West Australian legend Stephen Michael more had they seen him every week. They’re not denigrating champions, but merely suggesting – albeit awkwardly – that nationally sometimes we don’t appreciate those champions enough.

Take a bow, Tyson

Congratulations to Tyson Edwards on a magniﬁcent career for the Adelaide Crows. Edwards was a no-nonsense player who hardly ever received the exposure some of his high-proﬁle teammates did, but he always got the job done, without a fuss. STUART, NORTH ADELAIDE, SA.

Jude Bolton has silenced his critics.

the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) was once known as the South Australian Football Association (1877) and the South Australian Football League (1907). It adopted the SANFL name in 1927. So, a league changing its names – but retaining records – is nothing new. In reference to Pavlich and other champions based outside Victoria, sometimes commentators might suggest a particular audience would appreciate a player even more if they had a chance to watch him every week, in the way, for

PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Lovett WRITERS GENERAL MANAGER, MARKETING Nick Bowen, Ben Collins, Jim Main, Cameron Noakes, & COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Peter Ryan, Callum Twomey Paul Waldren SUB-EDITORS AFL CORPORATE Gary Hancock, Howard Kotton BUSINESS MANAGER Richard Simkiss STATISTICIAN Cameron Sinclair AFL RECORD MANAGING EDITOR CREATIVE DIRECTOR Geoﬀ Slattery Andrew Hutchison AFL RECORD EDITOR DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Peter Di Sisto Sam Russell

4 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Silencing the critics

SUPER SWAN:

A few years ago, Swans supporters were calling for Jude Bolton to be axed. Where are they now, as he continues to play the type of football all fans love: hard, uncompromising and team-focused. May you keep going strong, Jude. KATIE, PORT MELBOURNE, VIC.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send us your feedback. The best letter each round will receive a copy of the AFL Record Season Guide 2010. Email aﬂrecordeditor@slatterymedia. terymedia com or write to AFL Record, Slattery Media Group, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, VIC, 3008.

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

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

� Predictions made this week by experienced club personnel that new clubs Gold Coast and Team GWS will obliterate the competition (even sharing a decade worth of premierships from around 2015) because of an abundance of talented young players are simply alarmist, if not self-serving. The AFL has not hidden its desire to ensure the new clubs are strong and viable on and off the field, for this will help build the overall strength of the competition. The list-building rules and draft concessions made available to the new clubs are part of a broader strategy to see the new clubs are built properly for the long term. Importantly, it’s worth remembering that representatives of eight AFL clubs helped shape the player rules and concessions for the new clubs. The terms of reference were clear: “To assemble and develop a list that is competitive upon entry to the AFL competition” and “To minimise downside and create opportunities for existing AFL clubs.” Granted, we have witnessed dynasties in our game and Geelong is doing its best to make us believe they can still be built. But the competition today is so fierce, so even and so unpredictable that suggestions two new clubs will immediately overwhelm 16 others are fanciful. PETER DI SISTO

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

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AFL RECORD, VOL. 99, ROUND 12, 2010 Copyright. ACN No. 004 155 211. ISSN 1444-2973, Print Post approved PP320258/00109

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A JACK IN THE BOX Rd 11 Richmond v St Kilda, Etihad Stadium

SNAP SHOT

� The headlines the next day had a familiar ring to them. Riewoldt kicks a bag and dominates Friday night football at Etihad Stadium. This time, however, the Saints were on the receiving end as Nick’s younger cousin, Jack, put in another strong performance on the big stage. Here, midway through the third quarter, the Tiger spearhead dives for the ball, closely watched by his second opponent Sam Fisher. Riewoldt had already kicked four goals on Jason Blake. Riewoldt dropped this attempted mark but won a free kick and duly converted. The Tigers lost by 38 points but Riewoldt’s dominance in the air (earning him a Hungry Jack’s AFL Mark of the Year nomination for his grab over Sam Gilbert in the second quarter) and on the scoreboard (kicking six of the team’s eight for the night) continues to give Richmond supporters hope they have found a long-term star forward. Riewoldt is equal fourth on the goalkicking table with 35 and has kicked 33 per cent of the Tigers’ goals this season. ANDREW HUTCHISON PHOTO: ANDREW WHITE/AFL PHOTOS

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 7

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VIEWS NEWS FIRST PERSON FACTS DATA CULTURE

SOLDIERING ON: Jonathan Brown is playing under some duress after straining an abdominal muscle earlier in the season.

INJURY MANAGEMENT

A balancing act as stars push through pain barrier

NICK BOW EN

t is often said the football season is like a marathon, with teams having to pace themselves to get through 22 home and away rounds and, hopefully, the four-week ﬁnals series. The weekly demands of the game – both physical (high-intensity running coupled with inevitable bumps and knocks) and mental – take a toll on players. But the season’s ﬁnish line must seem even further away for players such as Brisbane Lions forwards Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola, who have grappled with niggling injuries early in the season. NEWS TRACKER

Brown strained an abdominal muscle in the Lions’ round four game against the Western Bulldogs, which at times has appeared to restrict his movement and the penetration in his kicking. Fevola has been affected by groin and heel injuries and, with Brown, was treated by Adelaide physiotherapist Steve Saunders (a specialist in pelvic and lower back complaints) in the week leading up to the clash with the Crows in round nine. Neither has missed a match, but they will have to closely manage their bodies through the rest of the season. They are not alone. North Melbourne’s Daniel Wells,

who was dogged by osteitis pubis last season, missed the Roos’ round 10 trip to Subiaco to play Fremantle because of a groin niggle, while Western Bulldog Shaun Higgins – before injuring his ankle last round – and Geelong forward James Podsiadly have both been rested at stages this season because of ‘general soreness’. Fortunately, players will soon enjoy some respite, with round 13’s split ﬁxture offering them a week’s break before they tackle the second half of the season. AFL Medical Ofﬁcers’ Association president Dr Hugh Seward says the mid-season break has become a key part of clubs’ medical management of players. “Most clubs are looking forward to having that week off; it is a really important part of their planning for the year,” Dr Seward says.

“With players who are carrying injuries, which they are able to get through games with but which are causing them some discomfort or limitation, the medical staff get the chance to make a bit more progress on their treatment.” Dr Seward says it is players carrying “low-grade” injuries such as groin pain, knee and ankle soreness and tendonitis – for example, in their achilles, patella (knee), or heel and arch (plantar fasciitis) – that benefit most from the mid-season break. With players injured in the weeks leading up to round 13, clubs will often factor the break into their rehabilitation, giving them that extra week to prepare for their return to the field, Dr Seward says. All players, injured or not, are generally given a rest during the break, which is beneficial CON T IN U ED NE X T PAGE

Adelaide champion Andrew McLeod ruled out indeﬁnitely with a knee injury. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 9

the bounce

to first- and second-year players still adjusting to the AFL level and veterans whose aging bodies are not recovering as quickly as they used to. Former Carlton champion Anthony Koutoufides, who played 278 games for the Blues from 1992-2007, says he often used the mid-season break to rejuvenate his body, especially later in his career when he suffered from hamstring tendonitis. But Koutoufides says players who have had an injury-interrupted start to the season can use the break to regain fitness. “I found how I treated the mid-season break depended on the start I’d had to the season,” Koutoufides says. “If you’d played all of the games, you could really afford to rest in that period, but if you had missed a chunk of the season or the pre-season, you also had the chance to up your training to get your fitness to where it is needed to be for the second half of the year.” However, the entry of the Gold Coast as the AFL’s 17th club next year means the mid-season break may not be scheduled in 2011. With at least one team set to enjoy a bye – and a week’s rest – every round next year, the need for a mid-season break will not be as pressing.

BIG MEN TAKING THEIR TIME

What’s the hurry? Patience needed with Jack and the beanstalks NICK BOW EN

ey position youngsters generally take longer to develop than other players. Anyone who follows football closely knows this. But sometimes the desire to see an immediate on-ﬁeld return from draftees clouds people’s judgment. Melbourne’s Jack Watts understands better than anyone. The No. 1 pick from the 2008 NAB AFL Draft is in his second season with the Demons and has played seven games, including the past four. He turned 19 on May 26, but some commentators are already questioning whether the Dees made a mistake in drafting the key forward. Admittedly, Watts has made a slow start to his career. And, yes, the No. 2 pick in the

same draft, West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui, has at times dazzled fans with his freakish athleticism. But a look at the development of key position players drafted two years before Watts serves as a reminder not to judge him – and others in the same category – too hastily. Consider the careers of the No. 2 and 3 picks in the 2006 draft, Essendon’s Scott Gumbleton and North Melbourne’s Lachlan Hansen. A wretched run with back and hamstring injuries restricted Gumbleton to just five games in his first three seasons but, after successful back surgery last year, he has not missed a game this season, impressing with his strong marking on the Bombers’ forward line. Hansen enjoyed a better run with injury in his first three seasons but, like many young key position players, was often outmuscled by bigger, stronger and more experienced opponents. (In 2008, North placed Hansen on an unorthodox diet that saw him consume as much as twice the daily intake of an average male in order to develop his body for the game.) This year, Hansen has held his own in one-on-one contests when playing in defence, and last week he provided a strong target on the

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

ams Sports teams o ort: you support:

Where were y yo you when you we w were drafted:

The furthest you’ve been from home:

The last concert you attended:

Mark McVeigh Essendon

Liverpooll (EPL)

In Sydney

Ibiza

Andrea Bocelli

Jimmy Bartel Geelong

Bell Park Dragons, Collendina Cobras

At the Draft

Jordan Lewis Hawthorn

LA Lakers (NBA)

h At home with mates

Brent Staker Brisbane Lions

), Liverpool (EPL), Chicago Bulls (NBA)

NEWS TRACKER

Helsinki AC/DC A

C Coldplay Hawaii

In Broken Hill New York, Berlin

Billy Joel

Sydney Showgrounds set to be redeveloped to become Team GWS’s home ground from 2012.

10 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

None are facing the same scrutiny as Watts. That’s the pressure that comes with being a No. 1 pick

g Kangaroos’ forward line, taking the type of contested overhead marks that had made him such a standout junior. Gumbleton and Hansen are rss not the only key position players from the 2006 draft who have started to blossom. n, While impressive last season, Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt’s 2010 form suggests he is fast becoming one of the AFL’s best key forwards, while Melbourne defender James Frawley has proved he iss capable of handling elite powerr forwards, including Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown.. More quietly, defender Ben Reid and forward Chris Dawes have shown signs they e es are ﬁnally ready to play key roles for Collingwood. g It is also worth remembering where some of Watts’ key position contemporaries are in their development. While Adelaide’s Phil Davis (No. 10 pick in the 2008 draft) has impressed in eight consecutive games this year (last week he held Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich until having to leave the ground with concussion), he has been eased into senior football at half-back. Like Watts, Tigers ruckman Tyrone Vickery (No. 8 pick) and Hawks defender Ryan Schoenmakers (No. 16) – despite an impressive debut season – are struggling to ﬁnd their feet at senior level, while Sydney Swan Lewis Johnston (No. 12), Saint Tom Lynch (No. 13) and Geelong’s Mitch Brown (No. 15) are yet to debut. None are facing the same scrutiny as Watts. That’s the pressure that comes with being a No. 1 pick. It’s never an easy burden but, ironically, the bigger you are, the harder it can be to carry.

IMPROVER:

Melbourne’s James Frawley has improved enough to play on the best power forwards in the AFL in 2010.

DIGGING FOR RICHES

Youngsters move to keep Cats purring

being tested to the limit by a spate of injuries to key players. For every kind word about their array of stars – last week it was Paul Chapman who flexed his considerable muscle – the Cats are having to go deep into the well to find readymade replacements. Geelong has used 32 players this season, the most of any side in the top six. The Sydney Swans (seventh) have also used 32 and eighth-placed Hawthorn has played 33. Other than bottom side Richmond (37), teams in the lower half of the ladder are using similar numbers to the Cats, whose depth has been tested. This time last year, St Kilda sat undefeated after 11 rounds and had used only 26 players; the Cats were also undefeated but had used 30 players. Last Saturday against West Coast, Geelong unveiled its fourth first-year player when Taylor Hunt made his debut in the Cats’ 24-point win. Youngsters such as Hunt and Dawson Simpson are among a group of players covering for injured stars such as Brad Ottens (who has played just five games in 2010), Matthew Scarlett (five), Joel Corey (four) and Max Rooke (one). Tom Hawkins joined that group last week with a foot injury that will sideline him for more than a month. With Cameron Ling a late withdrawal against the Eagles, the Cats went to Perth missing six of their 2009 premiership side.

YOUNG CATS GETTING A CHANCE 2010 Career games games

MICH A EL LOV ET T

or all the theories that abound about Geelong’s relentless pursuit of excellence, there is one key indicator that says something about the reigning premier’s continued good form in 2010. It’s called depth – and the Cats have plenty of it. Geelong might be the measuring stick again, but its playing stocks are NEWS TRACKER

Nathan Djerrkura

Mitch Duncan

Ryan Gamble

Simon Hogan

Taylor Hunt

*Steven Motlop

Dawson Simpson

*Motlop was injured in his ﬁrst game and is not expected back until later in the season.

OBSERVATIONS CAMERON NOAKES OAKES S

No country for old men? � “Too old, too slow … the game is too fast … we’re playing the kids ... football is a young man’s game …” Of course it is, but clearly the old blokes need to turn up their hearing aids, because they’re not listening. Last weekend, Adelaide took the young and sprightly and red-hot Fremantle apart and, despite conventional wisdom, it was its band of frail grandpas who lifted the purple anchor over the deck and plopped it into the deep, blue sea. Indeed, so old was one of those grandpas that he was dropped the other week, cast aside like a VCR machine and, after a bit of kerfuﬄe, decided it was time to hang up his button-up boots. Why? Because he is too old, that’s why. So antiquated is this old codger that the club has given him a pension cheque to go with his walking sticks and they’re going to wax him up and stick him in a museum. Well, excuse me Tyson ‘Pops’ Edwards, did you forget about all of this. You are past it, remember? If you were a rock star, you would be singing Motown covers and playing RSL clubs in places no one has heard of. You are not supposed to rack up possessions at will, slot goals and be one of your team’s best when playing in the AFL is so obviously beyond you. And what about your captain Simon is-not-Good-enoughto-Win-anymore and Graham Old Man Take A Look At My Life Johncock? I mean, these blokes are still playing The Best of Bing Crosby in their cassette players and thinking they’re hip. The truth is, the only thing they’re good for are hip replacements, which is why Goodwin has already asked for his gold watch and rumours are rife he is sharpening up on his lawn bowls. So, again, what the

FAREWELL TO A CHAMP: Tyson

Edwards starred in his last game for the Crows.

hell is he doing in the team’s best with 30 touches? And it wasn’t just the Adelaide geriatrics who were starring last weekend. Stephen Milne, St Kilda’s 30-year-old goal sneak, took 11 marks and slotted ﬁve on the Friday night to be a signiﬁcant player in his team’s win. The Sydney Swans’ Jude Bolton had 36 touches – more than one for each of the 30 years he’s been alive – to help the Bloods survive a thriller, while North Melbourne’s Brent Harvey, who was born in the 1970s (yeah, when ABBA was big and telephones were plugged into walls), was outstanding and helped the Roos hang on, despite a mighty challenge from the Brisbane Lions. As for Paul Chapman, Shane Tuck, Travis Johnstone, Heath Scotland and Scott Thompson, well, they’re all on the wrong side of 25 and we should book them into a retirement village quickly – before somebody notices they were pretty handy last week.

Port Adelaide re-signs youngsters Robbie Gray, Hamish Hartlett and Paul Stewart. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 11

the bounce

LIGHTING IT UP:

ANNIVERSARY

Peter German has fond memories of North Melbourne’s foray into Friday night football.

Friday night lights: From a novelty to the AFL showpiece NICK BOW EN

eter German’s most vivid memories of Friday night football’s early days are two teammates’ freakish goals and a seemingly unbeatable foe. “Two goals stand out from Friday night football – both were named goal of the year,” German says. “Matty Larkin’s against West Coast (in round six, 1988) when he spun out of about three tackles in the forward pocket of the MCG, and Phil Krakouer’s (against Essendon in round 10, 1986) from the boundary line. “But then there’s the bad memories of not being able to beat Hawthorn for about 10 years. A couple of times we had them on toast on Friday nights but couldn’t beat them.” German, who played 185 games from 1984-94, missed selection in the historic ﬁrst Friday night home and away game, in round one, 1985, when Collingwood defeated North by 38 points. But he played in the second one, in round 14 that year, racking up 26 possessions in the Roos’ 76-point loss to Carlton. “Friday night footy was a bit of a novelty for a while and certainly wasn’t one of the prime games of the week like it is now,” he says. “It was certainly a North Melbourne initiative that broke down those barriers and started to draw the big crowds. “When you played the Essendons and the Collingwoods, they were the games you really enjoyed and looked forward to. I loved it.” German will join a parade of former North greats to

NEWS TRACKER

celebrate 25 years of Friday night football and the Roos’ pivotal role as its pioneers. Along with the likes of Wayne Carey, Glenn Archer, Jim and Phil Krakouer, Corey McKernan and former coaches John Kennedy and Denis Pagan, German will be involved in a tribute before North’s clash with Carlton. “It will be like going home. It will be good to get back, sit down with the boys and reminisce about some of those Friday night games we played.” North Melbourne will give one lucky fan at the match a Mazda3 valued at almost $30,000. And for every person who attends the game, $1 will be donated to My Room, a charity that raises funds for the Children’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

COMMUNICATION

Schwab connecting with the fans PETER RYA N

ou never walk away from a conversation with Melbourne CEO Cameron Schwab without being prompted to think carefully about what exactly it is that cements our connection to the game. Schwab has moved the ‘story’ into the digital space, engaging

Melbourne supporters, anyone in fact, on a range of topics. His mix of business capabilities, football experience (both professional and personal), anecdotes and creative interests are being used to underpin an evolving narrative around the game’s oldest club and its current players. Schwab’s twitter page twitter.com/CamSchwab is slowly becoming a treasure trove for Demons fans. Links to pictures of players in the rooms before games can be found alongside evocative old photos of club icons, including this year’s Hall of Fame inductee Stan ‘Pops’ Heal and snaps of Austin Wonaeamirri’s homeland on the Tiwi Islands, as well as football-related comments and observation. There are also amazing, super short videos with titles such as ‘This is where Liam (Jurrah) learnt to play’, a 22-second view of the oval at Yuendumu where Jurrah grew up. Schwab spends Monday mornings ﬁlming a segment he calls ‘Whiteboard Wednesday’, which explains in frank detail the thinking behind Melbourne’s decisionmaking. More academic in its style, it is available online every Wednesday. Schwab has also dabbled in a more personal blog, a creative outlet with all the spirit of

sharing evident when people write in the blogosphere. The forums open up the club and bring to life the Demons’ ‘Heritage and Hope’ framework. “What you’ve got now is the capacity to create your own conversation,” Schwab said. “Perhaps in the past, we’ve been reliant on a mediamanagement focus.” The advantage for the club is that it can now communicate directly to its supporters. Schwab’s approach is interesting. Although it is in line with other clubs’ use of digital media to communicate with their fans, he is prepared to infuse more of his personality than most into the process. He puts that down to the open personalities around the club. “I think Jim (Stynes) began that in terms of the personality he wanted to bring to the presidency and, secondly, how he has dealt with his illness in regard to the communications, which have probably been without precedence,” Schwab said. “I think we all felt encouraged by that and we encourage our players and anyone who has got a story to tell that story.” The open approach suits Schwab. He likes art and writing and music and drawing and has no problem being himself. He says his personal passions sit comfortably alongside the strategy of building a football club. But he is also careful to say it is just his way, not the only way. “You could put the 16 CEOs in a room and we’ve all got different views and ways and background … I’m probably more from the side where it is about creating something,” he said. Schwab has found supporters talk to him now as though there is a basis of relationship because of the personalised nature of some of the communications. “It’s still you as the CEO, but you can bring your own personal touches to it and people get to know you,” he said. Randomly placed photos of his yellow Vespa are just one example of this. Combining his open approach with

Hawthorn’s Chance Bateman accepts one-match suspension for kneeing Port Adelaide’s Daniel Stewart.

12 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

the bounce

experience (Schwab managed the AFL website for 18 months) enables Melbourne to maintain a dialogue with supporters who see the club and its performances as a key part of their personal narrative. “The most important heritage is the heritage within the people who actually support us because without that (the club) does not exist,” he said. “We want people to personalise their relationship with the club, so you have to give them the mechanism by which they can actually do that.”

HANGING UP THE BOOTS

Farewells: Why there’s always room for sentiment PETER RYA N

HALL OF FAME

Saluting the greats J IM M A IN

he magniﬁcent seven right are part of Australian Football’s elite. Six of them were last week inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame at a function at Melbourne’s Crown Entertainment Centre, while Fitzroy icon Kevin Murray was elevated to Legend status. The inductees were Tony Shaw, Wayne Carey, Gavin Wanganeen, Brian Dixon, Ross Smith and Stan ‘Pops’ Heal. While Shaw, Carey and

HONOURED: The 2010 Hall of Fame inductees – (back from left) Tony Shaw, Wayne Carey, Gavin Wanganeen and Brian Dixon; (front) Ross Smith, Kevin Murray and Stan ‘Pops’ Heal.

Wanganeen represent football’s modern era and Dixon, Smith and Murray were stars in either the 1950s or ’60s, Heal is from a much earlier era and has the unique distinction of playing in two premiership sides in the one season, with Melbourne and with WAFL club West Perth, in 1941. In Victoria on naval service during World War II, the 89-year-old Heal said he joined

Melbourne because he was offered a “decent meal” after three days of eating bully beef on the ship from Western Australia to Victoria. Murray joined two of his great contemporary mates, Bob Skilton and the late Ted Whitten as an ofﬁcial Legend, and said his elevation was more an honour for his beloved Lions (Fitzroy or Brisbane) than for himself.

ne of the aspects to enjoy (or bemoan) about football is the way something that happens organically can quickly become part of the football furniture. So it is with the ‘farewell’ game. Adelaide’s Tyson Edwards and Richmond’s Troy Simmonds played their ﬁnal AFL games last week, taking part in orchestrated farewells acknowledging their contributions to their clubs. The lead-up to Edwards’ selection was clouded in controversy, as coach Neil Craig did not immediately guarantee the now 321-game veteran a farewell appearance. There’s nothing wrong with that. It is appropriate for selection to be separated from club matters. Any game should remain a privilege, not a right. Which players are picked is

6 0 0 G A M E S L AT E R , T I G E R S R I G H T AT H O M E AT T H E M C G

� Richmond plays its 600th match at the MCG this weekend and is in line for its 321st win at the venue known as the home of football. It has played more matches at the ground than all clubs bar co-tenant Melbourne. The Tigers played their ﬁrst game at the ground in round 10, 1908, losing to the Demons by 70 points. They made that maiden appearance as the ‘away’ team, with

NO PLACE LIKE HOME:

The Tigers play their 600th game at the MCG this week.

NEWS TRACKER

their home matches played at the nearby Punt Road Oval. Their ﬁrst win at the ground came in round 11, 1910, by 53 points against Melbourne. The club started playing its home matches at the MCG in 1965, and also plays home games at Etihad Stadium each season. PETER DI SISTO

RECORDS AT THE MCG Club

Adelaide

Brisbane Bears/Lions

Carlton

352

171

178

Collingwood

488

247

236

Essendon

402

242

153

Fremantle

Geelong

270

143

23 126 116 512 162 18 273 120 117 35 112

1 1 7 5 6 2 1 -

Hawthorn

249

132

Melbourne

1099

580

North Melbourne

332

165

Port Adelaide Richmond

599

320

St Kilda

193

S Melb/Sydney Swans

198

West Coast

Footscray/W Bulldogs

187

Western Bulldogs forward Jarrad Grant has his two-match striking ban downgraded to a reprimand by the AFL Tribunal.

14 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

the bounce

a prerogative a coach should protect strongly. Eventually, after discussion with Edwards, Craig chose to select the veteran: “I think it’s a great opportunity for our club, in an industry where it is cut-throat, highly professional, very little sentiment shown in a lot of situations, that in this particular situation, we have the capacity and the circumstance where we still show care and, in general, a sense of belonging.” Simmonds’ opportunity to play was never in doubt. When asked later what message he thought giving Simmonds a farewell game might send to the group, Richmond coach Damien Hardwick paused and said simply: “Good things happen to good people.” He expanded with the message he’d sent all week. “He’s a terriﬁc character of our footy club. He’s a guy who guys look up to, they respect enormously and, from that point of view, he was always going to get a farewell game.” Simmonds played well, competed strongly and spoke

16 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

sensibly afterwards. The gesture created a positive environment as the Tigers move from one generation to the next. No one can give a deﬁnitive answer as to when the farewell game phenomenon started. In the past, clubs had testimonials for great players, generally when someone had given 10 or more years’ service. These were money-raisers for players who did not receive much and a way for clubs to farewell the best. There were exceptions: a fuss was made before Jack Dyer’s last game in 1949, with players from that match recalling teammates deliberately seeking to kick the ball to a bandaged-up Dyer. ‘Captain Blood’ kicked six goals. Ted Whitten’s last game in round ﬁve, 1970, which saw him break the VFL games record, was played amid much ceremony. Whitten was presented with an opal ring on behalf of the team, a diamond tie-pin by opponent Hawthorn, and a gold-plated whistle by the VFL Umpires’ Association. There was also the occasional impulsive display of regard reserved for the game’s absolute

champions, such as when Leigh Matthews was chaired off the ground after the 1985 Grand Final, his ﬁnal match. In 1992, Essendon decided to make a big deal out of the departures of club champions Terry Daniher and Simon Madden. Joining the duo in a lap of honour in front of 42,968 at Waverley Park before round 24 against Geelong was Tim Watson. From then on, the ceremonial aspect of players’ departures began to grow. Soon enough, many players were departing the game with a wave and a shoulder ride, or a football in hand, held aloft as if to say goodbye. Some have been great moments and have allowed many players to leave with a good feeling about the game. As long as selection remains in the coach’s domain and players don’t make demands for farewell games, accepting whatever decision is made in the interests of the club, the farewell game presents a rare opportunity for football to highlight and celebrate the positive memories around players’ careers.

MILESTONES ROUND 12

AFL 200 club Brett Rosebury Umpire

200 games Stephen Milne St Kilda

200 games coached John Worsfold West Coast

150 games Matthew Boyd Western Bulldogs

100 games Will Minson Western Bulldogs

50 games Scott Harding Port Adelaide Wayde Skipper Hawthorn The list includes those not necessarily selected but on the verge of milestones.

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PLAYERS WE LOVE LIGHTING IT UP:

Leon Davis was back in form last week, much to the delight of fans and teammate Scott Pendlebury.

Leon Davis

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES

� Leon Davis has his critics. There are many of them and they have been around for some time. He did more than his bit to answer the knockers last year and was named in the forward pocket of the All-Australian team. But the critics returned, for his form tapered at the season’s end and he had a poor ﬁnals series. This is the life of an AFL player, for some more than others, for Davis more than most. When Collingwood’s campaign ended in 2009, Davis’ numerous goal-of-the-year contenders were suddenly distant memories. Also forgotten were his hard-ball gets (fourth overall Part of for the club), this is not his his tackling fault. He plays in (second overall) and a position that is his ability to unforgiving and is accumulate forced to survive possessions (he averaged on scraps more than 21). Once again, Davis was the soft, ﬂaky forward who goes missing when most required.

the bounce

In 2010, Davis has done little to respond to the lingering questions and criticisms and accusations. Part of this is not his fault. He plays in a position that is unforgiving and is forced to survive on scraps. Acts of brilliance are another way to flourish, but they are hard to conjure when your confidence is down and there is not a cheap possession in sight. Davis missed round 10 with a calf complaint, but last week against the Western Bulldogs, was back to prove he was no one-season wonder. In the third quarter, he stripped the ball from Jarrod Harbrow and snapped it around his body for a ‘Neon Leon’ special. Not only that, it was his third goal, which he celebrated with his trademark finger twirl. Davis had earlier booted a timely major at the end of the opening term, after cleverly out-marking Harbrow, and he sparked a Collingwood goal-blitz in the second quarter that, ultimately, won the game for his team. If you are only as good as your last game, then Davis would have slept like a baby this week, the hushes of his critics the only noise to be heard. CAMERON NOAKES

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

Home team v visitors tonight

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 19

the bounce

THE HALFWAY REPORT

Dockers the big movers

� A snapshot comparison of how teams are faring after round 11 relative to the same point last year shows six have won more games, eight have gone backwards and two have maintained their output. In looking at the comparative numbers of games won and lost, ladder positions, goals kicked and players used, it is possible to spot trends that correlate with teams’ relative ladder positions. For instance, Collingwood and Fremantle, both having won more games this season than at the same point in 2009, have had the biggest decrease in players used and the biggest increase in goals kicked. As a result, they appear stable and in-form and are scoring heavily. On the other hand, St Kilda and Adelaide have each lost three more games after round 11 than they had last season, and have both kicked 28 fewer goals as well. Interestingly, in proof of a more defensive mindset across the competition, only ﬁve teams have kicked more goals at this point, with an overall decrease of 97 goals. CALLUM TWOMEY

IMPROVERS (WINS/LOSSES) ES S))

SLIDERS SL LI (WINS/LOSSES)

+//-

STEADY (WINS/LOSSES) ST

+//-

+/+/ /-

Fremantle

+5 5

Adelaide Ad A

-3 3

Essendon E

Melbourne

+3 3

St S Kilda

-3 3

West Coast W

Collingwood

+2 2

Geelong Ge G

-2 2

Carlton

+11

Western Bulldogs We W

-11

Carlton

+11

Hawthorn Ha H

-11

Sydney Swans

+11

Brisbane Lions Bri B

-11

North Melbourne

+11

Port Po Adelaide P

-11

Richmond Ric R

-11

LADDER POSITIONS R11

UP A U AND DOWN: Matthew w Pav P d Pavlich (far left) has led a improved i an Fremantlee side but Ben Rutten hass side wat w o watched Adelaide slide to 15th while Mark McVeigh gh h 15th a the Bombers have and rrem em remained steady.

GOALS SCORED AFTER R11

2009 2010

+/-

2009 2010

PLAYERS USED AFTER R11 +/-

Geelong

189

197

Geelong

Collingwood

147

171

+24

Collingwood

St Kilda

171

143

-28

St Kilda

Fremantle

131

175

+44

Fremantle

St Kilda

-2

Fremantle

+10

Carlton

-1

Carlton

169

162

-7

Carlton

Western Bulldogs

-3

Western Bulldogs

179

154

-25

Western Bulldogs

Sydney Swans

149

144

-5

Sydney Swans

Hawthorn

-1

Hawthorn

153

132

-21

Hawthorn

Essendon

146

145

-1

Essendon

Brisbane Lions

-4

Brisbane Lions

153

143

-10

Brisbane Lions

Port Adelaide

-3

Port Adelaide

151

126

-25

Port Adelaide

North Melbourne

124

126

North Melbourne

Melbourne

117

125

Melbourne

West Coast

-1

West Coast

131

129

-2

West Coast

Adelaide

-6

Adelaide

146

118

-28

Adelaide

Richmond

-1

Richmond

135

104

-31

Richmond

TOTAL

2391 2294

-97

ON THE WORLD STAGE

Retired stars to coach in under-16 carnival

R BROAD VIEW: (From left) Michael

O’Loughlin, Mella OPiew, Peter Labi and Trent Croad.

NEWS TRACKER

2009 2010

Geelong

ecently retired premiership stars Michael O’Loughlin of the Sydney Swans and Trent Croad of Hawthorn will coach the World XVIII and South Paciﬁc teams respectively in this year’s NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, from July 3-10.

O’Loughlin (who is now working for the AFL coaching and mentoring junior players) and Croad were joined by international players Mella OPiew (from Sudan) and Peter Labi (Papua New Guinea) to launch the jumpers to be worn by the new teams. Carlton signed Labi to a two-year international scholarship late last year. The championships will be played in a round-robin format at Blacktown Olympic Park and Bruce Purser Reserve in Western Sydney, with the ﬁnal to be held at the MCG on AFL Grand Final day, September 25.

Brisbane Lions defenders Ash McGrath (hamstring) and Matt Maguire (foot) set to miss up to a month with injuries.

20 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

D E M O N S T H R O W S U P P O R T B E H I N D F E M A L E S TA R S

It’s tight at the top in medal charge

� It is hard to imagine the race for football’s goalkicking award, the Coleman Medal, being any tighter at the halfway mark, and if you could peek into the future, you get the feeling the Brownlow Medal count would be just as close after 11 rounds. While bookmakers have reigning Brownlow medallist Gary Ablett a clear favourite to claim back-to-back medals, it is interesting to note Ablett is not dominating the votes in media competitions. In the AFL Coaches’ Association Champion Player of the Year award, Ablett is not even the leading Geelong player, that honour going to Paul Chapman. Hawthorn’s Luke Hodge is leading the AFLCA award with 53 votes, ahead of Fremantle pair Matthew Pavlich (47) and Aaron Sandilands (46). Chapman is next with 44 votes, ﬁve clear of Collingwood’s ball-magnet Dane Swan and seven ahead of Ablett, St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes and Carlton’s Chris Judd, who are all locked on 37. In ABC Grandstand’s votes (which work on a 3-2-1 system like the Brownlow), Ablett is joint leader with Fremantle’s

sensational mature-age recruit Michael Barlow, both on 13 votes. However, the count is close with Hodge (11), Swan (10) and St Kilda’s Brendon Goddard (nine) all within striking distance. Fairfax Media’s ‘Player of the Year’ has Goddard out in front after 11 rounds, ahead of Hodge, Ablett, Barlow and North Melbourne veteran Brent Harvey, while at News Ltd, Ablett leads Hodge, Barlow, Sandilands, Goddard and another Docker, David Mundy. While these awards are opinion based, there is no conjecture about the Coleman Medal. However, the competition is just as fierce. After leading for most of the year, Pavlich has finally been caught by Brisbane Lions recruit Brendan Fevola, with both on 39 goals. Fevola holds favouritism with most bookmakers, despite questions about his fitness, while the Western Bulldogs’ Barry Hall is second on the line of betting, with Pavlich, and is two goals in arrears of the leaders. This year, a new breed of power forwards has emerged, with Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt (35 goals) and West Coast’s Josh Kennedy (32 goals) also featuring in the race. Early favourite Lance Franklin (22 goals) is off the pace due to an interrupted season.

� Forty of the country’s best senior female footballers spent this week with Melbourne, learning about important aspects of the game, including leadership, skills training, preparation and nutrition. The 40 players represent the ﬁrst intake of the AFL Women’s High Performance Academy. They were selected after last year’s AFL Women’s Championships played in Perth and are in Melbourne for an intensive football and personal development camp that ends with a curtain-raiser before the Demons’ clash with Collingwood at the MCG on Monday. The AFL’s female football development manager Jan Cooper lauded Melbourne for “thoroughly embracing” female football, the fastest growing segment in the game. There were more than 80,000 female participants last year, including more than 31,000 in NAB AFL Auskick programs, according to the AFL’s 2009 annual report. The Demons recently appointed champion female player Debbie Lee as a community development oﬃcer and sponsor the Victorian women’s team. The club also supports the Academy squad and this week several players, coaches

DREAM COME TRUE:

WA’s Kiara Bowers can’t wait to play at the MCG.

and staff took part in camp activities at the Junction Oval. Many of the players will be visiting the MCG for the first. West Australian Kiara Bowers, a Melbourne member, was particularly excited about receiving instruction from Demons players. “I would like to model my game on Cameron Bruce, the way he attacks the packs and finds space,” Bowers said. “To visit Junction Oval and meet the team, then play at the MCG is a dream come true.” PETER DI SISTO

CAMERON NOAKES

,7¶6 )227< :,7+287 7+( 58/(6 For a no holds barred view on everything footy, join Gerard Healy and Dwayne Russell, 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday. Sports Today - only on 3AW 693.

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 21

the bounce

KEY FORWARDS SPEARHEAD BIG SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WIN � The winners of last weekend’s four NAB AFL Under-18 Championships matches were all impressive, with South Australia recording an easy 96-point win over the Northern Territory at TIO Stadium in Darwin on Saturday. South Australia’s tall forwards Jamie Solly and Darcy Armfield kicked six and five goals respectively, enjoying great delivery from their midfielders. The South Australians booted eight goals to two in the opening quarter and extended their lead at every break. Northern Territory tried hard, with David Kruse and Shannon Rioli among the team’s best. In Saturday’s other game, Vic Metro bounced back from its first-round loss against Vic Country, thumping Tasmania by 96 points at Bellerive Oval. Forward Darcy Barden, who leads the goalkicking at TAC Cup club Northern Knights, kicked five for Metro, with midfielders Ben Jacobs, Tom Schneider and Andrew Gaff also performing strongly. Joshua Green was best for Tasmania. On Sunday, Vic Country remained unbeaten with a comfortable 66-point win over NSW/ACT. Geelong Falcon Jayden Pitt was the leading goalkicker with four. The Rams battled hard but managed only three goals in each half. In the final game, West Australian Harley Bennell continued his brilliant form with another best-on-ground performance, this time against Queensland. Following his six-goal haul in round one, Bennell booted four in his team’s 115-point win over Queensland. Skipper Joel Wilkinson was Queensland’s best, collecting 28 possessions. CALLUM TWOMEY

NEWS TRACKER

How they rank

� To assist fans in understanding the potential of this year’s draft crop, Champion Data has applied the same ranking system it uses at AFL level to assess players in this season’s NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. “Making this information available will connect supporters to the performances of players likely to end up in the AFL in the years to come,” AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan said. After two rounds of the championships, Tasmania’s Josh Green heads the rankings with an average of 165.9 points for his matches against Queenland and Vic Metro. Here are the leading players from each team, based on the Champion Data ratings:

JOSH GREEN Tasmania Small midﬁelder Average ranking points:

156.4

Kevin Sheehan: “A proliﬁc ball-winner and hard runner. Has shown smartness around goal and clean ball-handling at stoppages and in slippery conditions and was his team’s best player in both games.”

Average points:

Average disposals:

Average clearances:

Average ranking points:

Average disposals:

Goals:

Sheehan: “Much improved player with great goal sense and accuracy, kicking 11 goals with only one behind and four goal assists. Wins one-on-one contests and has sure hands.”

138.1

MICHAEL HUTCHISON Queensland Medium defender 122.9

Average ranking points:

35.5

Average disposals:

14.5

Disposal eﬃciency:

86.2%

132 28.5 2

Sheehan: “Has won the contested ball and clearances as well as providing terriﬁc run to receive for his team in both games. Courageous and smart user of the ball with hand and foot.”

Richmond suspends part-time runner Justin Quill for six weeks for betting on AFL matches.

22 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Tackles:

Sheehan: “New to the game from a soccer background, this rangy defender has shown good overhead ability and run from defence.”

MITCH WALLIS Vic Metro Medium midﬁelder

165.7

Average disposals:

Sheehan: “One of the youngest players in the championships, turning 17 in December, this ﬂuid-moving midﬁelder/defender has excellent clean hands, agility and speed, using it to provide rebound and lay tackles. Shows class in ball use.”

Sheehan: “Outstanding player for his team in both games. He is an accumulator of the football, especially in close. Also pushed forward and kicked three goals.”

JAMIE SOLLY South Australia Tall forward

98.8

Average ranking points:

ANTHONY MILES NSW/ACT Medium midﬁelder

Goals:

Average ranking points:

Goals:

Average disposals:

Sheehan: “Provided excitement for his team with great goal sense and slick movement through the midﬁeld and up forward in both games. Strong overhead for his size and agile.”

SHAUN EDWARDS Northen Territory Midfielder/defender

165.9

Average disposals:

HARLEY BENNELL Western Australia Medium midﬁelder Average ranking points:

FOR UPDATES GO TO AFL.COM.AU/U18S TWITTER: @AFL OR #NABAFLU18S

LUCAS COOK Vic Country Tall forward Average ranking points: Average disposals: Goals:

121.8 16 7

Sheehan: “Reads the ball well in the air and always seems to get in front. Has good ability overhead and converts his chances from set shots or snaps eﬃciently. Outstanding in win over Vic Metro.”

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stic hero ll a W

Few players ignite the passions as much as St Kilda’s Stephen Milne. But whether he’s viewed as hero or villain, no one can deny the impact the cheeky small forward has had in a career which this weekend reaches the magical 200-game mark and has already produced an amazing 403 goals. BRUCE EVA AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 57

STEP ST EPHE EP HEN HE N MI MILN LNE LN E

- JAMES HIRD

ound four of the 2001 season left St Kilda fans in no doubt ‘the ride of their lives’ with new coach Malcolm Blight wasn’t going to be smooth. Fresh from a wooden spoon year which yielded just two wins, the Saints were 1-2 when they travelled to AAMI Stadium to confront Port Adelaide – which had not beaten St Kilda since entering the competition four years earlier, and had lost their ﬁve clashes by an average of 50 points. The Power proceeded to smash the Saints, and their hoodoo, by 64 points – a sobering reminder that, despite the arrival at Moorabbin of the magical Blight and boom recruits including Fraser Gehrig and Aaron Hamill, the climb up the ladder wasn’t going to be easy. A gloomy night in Adelaide would have been worse had a 21-year-old Stephen Milne not made his AFL debut. FACT FILE

Stephen Milne

Born: March 8, 1980 Recruited from: Noble Park/Dandenong U18/ Essendon reserves Debut: Round 4, 2001 v Port Height: 176cm Weight: 85kg Games: 199 Goals: 403 Player honours: International Rules Series 2002; leading goalkicker 2002; pre-season premiership sides 2004, 2008 Brownlow Medal: career votes 24

58 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

The excitable small forward buzzed around the expanses of West Lakes collecting 17 disposals (third highest that evening for the Saints), taking seven marks (equal highest) and kicking two of the team’s seven goals. It was a ‘What have we got here?’ performance, but from initial intrigue grew a classic love-hate relationship with the football world – Saints fans adored the little bloke who instantly became a cult hero, while opposition supporters quickly grew to despise the cheeky dynamo with all his trickery and lair and in-your-face opportunism. “From the start, he always had a lot of bubble and ﬁzz about him,” long-time St Kilda recruiting guru John Beveridge recalled, as Milne prepared to play his 200th game this weekend against Fremantle at Subiaco. “I remember ringing him (at the end of 1999), he’d played that year at Essendon in the reserves, and saying to him, ‘Essendon has done nothing with you, what about coming and training with us, throwing your lot in with us and letting us have a closer look at you?’” As a supplementary list player, Milne had kicked three goals for the Bombers in their reserves Grand Final win over the Saints in 1999, but Beveridge was adamant while that performance played a part, it was his pre-season work on the track that convinced the club to take him with pick No. 23 in the 2000 rookie draft. “He had that natural enthusiasm and really impressed with his training,” Beveridge

SWOOPING SAINT: Stephen Milne

pounces on another opportunity, against Sydney earlier this year.

said. “Why didn’t he come straight into the system after his (Dandenong) Stingrays year (in the TAC Cup)? He’d played mostly midﬁeld, so it was hard to get a gauge, get an appreciation, of how he was going to develop as a small forward.” The answer to that question was provided by James Hird, Essendon captain during Milne’s short stint at Windy Hill. Hird said on Fox Sports this week: “He’s one of the best small forwards we’ve had in a long, long time – he’s been terriﬁc ... and the guy does not get the credit he deserves”. Whether he starts to get that credit, Milne’s record speaks for itself. His 200th match comes the week after he booted his 400th goal – the pass mark for the very good forwards in history. Leaving aside champion rovers Leigh Matthews, Kevin Bartlett, Bill Hutchison, Keith Forbes, Alby Pannam, Garry Wilson, Dick Reynolds, Alan Ruthven, Lou Richards and

Bob Skilton who also kicked 400-plus, only Dick Harris, Jeff Farmer and Jimmy Freake have kicked more goals as a traditional small forward than the 176cm Saint (see tables on opposite page). His 403 majors places him fifth on St Kilda’s all-time list behind the names of Lockett, Mohr, Loewe and Riewoldt, and he could overtake his injured captain (409) in the next couple of rounds before the big blond has the chance to return from injury. The 30-year-old Milne becomes just the 21st Saint – quite appropriate given there’s more than a bit of ‘party’ in his on-field style – in 113 years to reach the 200-game milestone. In his nine completed seasons, he has kicked at least 60 goals twice, with one return of 50-plus and two of 46. With 26 in the first half of 2010, he is on pace to again crack the half century, and he remains the only player in the competition in the past seven

seasons to kick more than 10 goals in a match (11 against the Brisbane Lions in round 22, 2005). Milne’s impressive durability is rarely mentioned. The clash with the Dockers will be his 200th of a possible 219 games since his debut, with the bulk of those ‘misses’ coming in 2003, when he was out of the senior side for eight matches – three through suspension and the last month in the VFL. Apart from his maiden season (17 games), that is the only year he has played fewer than 21 games. He has been criticised for his performances outside Victoria, but has gone a long way towards changing that perception since bravely playing on – and kicking three goals – with a fractured cheekbone against Fremantle at Subiaco late in 2008. Last year, Milne was superb against Port Adelaide at AAMI, West Coast at Subiaco and Hawthorn in Launceston, and again had a massive inﬂuence

in the Saints’ come-from-behind victory over the Eagles in Perth just three weeks ago. His return in finals – 15 goals in 11 games – is also always a subject of hot debate and, while Milne is the first to admit he would love nothing more than to improve his September record, those who dismiss his impact at the business end of the year have selective memories. True, there have been more misses than hits, but the first final he played in – the 2004 knock-out semi against the Sydney Swans on a cold and wet Friday night at the MCG – he kicked four goals in the Saints’ grinding win, and at the same stage of the 2008 series, he bagged three to help send Collingwood into mothballs. He was also far from the team’s worst with 16 disposals and two goals against Melbourne in the 2006 elimination final. As his career goals tally mounts, the highlight reel of freakish Milne majors expands. While we haven’t the space to detail his best of the best, given he has perfected the ‘deliberate slip’ to avoid being tackled, and in dribbling the ball along the ground has honed the ‘off-break’ and the ‘leg-break’, the word fluke has long been made redundant when he produces another signature effort. Loved by his teammates and supporters, Milne’s on-field energy and effort – which so often act as the emotional ignition switches to those of the red, white and black persuasion – appears to be increasing, not waning. Remarkable, given he is in his 10th season and on the wrong side of 30. As passionate a player as you could find, maybe that’s the secret to his success. His passion. He lives for his family and his footy club – he thrives on being hero to the faithful and villain to the enemy. ‘Milney’ doesn’t stand tall, but figuratively he continues to. If St Kilda ends its 44-year premiership drought, the symbolism of No. 44 playing a key role on Grand Final day would not be lost on anyone. Then the man, who so often laughs hardest, will also laugh last.

WHEN OPPORTUNIT Y KNOCKS

� How many times do you hear an elite sportsperson referring to the fact he or she “did not make the most of my opportunities”? For the small, crumbing AFL forwards, making the most of opportunities is their creed. Given they are working in confined space, they are not allowed to fly with their key forwards – well, they are not supposed to – and they have a defender breathing down their neck, it’s little wonder their eyes light up when the ball comes their way. Over the years, fans have delighted in watching creative small forwards who will swoop on a ball like a seagull on a hot chip. For the purpose of this exercise, we have defined a small forward as someone who was permanently stationed in attack. That rules out champions such as Hawthorn’s Leigh Matthews (915 goals in 332 games) and Richmond’s Kevin Bartlett (778 goals in 403 games) as both played a good portion of their careers as rovers. Peter Daicos was one

of Collingwood’s all-time greats (549 goals in 250 games) but he too played in the centre early in his career and former Tiger Dick Harris kicked 550 goals in 196 games but played mainly as a rover. In today’s game, Western Bulldogs’ captain Brad Johnson has played on the ball and on the wing while Geelong’s Steve Johnson does not qualify as a small forward. He is 189cm, the same height as former champion Carlton ruckman John Nicholls. West Coast’s Mark LeCras ﬁts into the leading/marking forward category and Magpie Leon Davis has also played on the ball. The tables highlight that Stephen Milne is right up there among the best small forwards in the history of the game. Milne’s goals-per-game average is just behind former Melbourne and Fremantle star Jeﬀ Farmer, Fitzroy’s Mick Conlan and ex-West Coast goalsneak Phil Matera. Milne easily boasts tss the the he best average among the recognised smalll forwards in the modern game.

SMALL FORWARDS: PAST NAME

CLUB

Jeﬀ Farmer

Melb/Frem

GOALS

GAMES

AVE VE

483

222

2.23

Paul Hudson Mick Conlan

Haw/WB/Rich

479

245

1.96

Fitzroy

395

210 0

1.88

Phil Matera

West Coast Eagles

389

179 9

2.17

POCKET DYNAMOS: Jeﬀ Farmer (above) has kicked the most goals by a recognised small forward but Milne (right) is closing in.

SMALL FORWARDS: PRESENT NAME

CLUB

GOALS

GAMES GA AMES

AVE AV

Stephen Milne

St Kilda

403

1199 99

2.02

Paul Medhurst

Frem/Coll

274

166 66

1.65

Brett Ebert

Port Adelaide

193

129 29

1.49

Adam Schneider

Sydney/St Kilda

176

152 52

1.15

Eddie Betts

Carlton

142

108 08

1.31

Jason Porplyzia

Adelaide Crows

127

1.62 1.

Lindsay Thomas

North Melbourne

1.24 1.2 24

Shannon Byrnes

Geelong Cats

1.11

Jeﬀ Garlett

Carlton

1.44

1.36

Hayden Ballantyne Fremantle

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 59

Andrew Swallow is not your average footballer. Off the field, he is an ambitious young man in a suit, trying to make his way in the world of finance. On the field, he is just as motivated, a hard-nosed midfielder whose stocks are on the rise in a developing North Melbourne team. CA LLUM T WOMEY

ere’s one o way to stop p Andrew Swallow, Swallo ow, North Melbourne’s Melbo ourne’s emerging emerg ging midﬁelder e on the brink of moving into the elite le level: l ask a him to tie a Windsor knot. We’re on the 15th ﬂoor of a Collins Street building in Melbourne’s CBD and Swallow’s sheepishness is soon matched by mine and that of the photographer. As we set up for a photo shoot in his workplace boardroom, it’s suggested Swallow dons a blue and white North Melbourne tie to match his sharp dark suit. After taking the tie, Swallow laughs and admits he can’t do one up unless he’s following a step-by-step guide, and hands it back. He needn’t have bothered, and I try to pass on the duty to the photographer. No luck there,

either. Together, one tie has the three of us beaten. Thankfully, Swallow’s stockbroker boss enters the room to save him, tying his best Windsor knot so we can get the photos out of the way. Asked if he would mind having h i a shot taken downstairs, among the public, Swallow is fine with the idea. “Nobody knows me here anyway, they’re all businessmen,” he says. Although he might be just another young man in a suit in Melbourne’s CBD, Swallow is fast developing a high profile in the blue and white stripes. Swallow works part-time for stockbroking firm Patersons Securities during the football season. He started with the company in October, 2008, but is more than a token appointment. entt. t. He contributes to the daily newsletter sent to clients, is a

FOCUSED: Andrew Swallow has mapped out his career path on and oﬀ the ﬁeld. PHOTO: LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM/AFL PHOTOS

60 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

AFL RECORD visit aďŹ&#x201A;record.com.au 61

Winning W the best and fairest was a feeling of accomplishment

SURVIVOR: Of the 10 players North nly drafted in 2005, Swallow is the only st. one still on the list.

ANDREW SWALLOW

keen student of financial markets and their fluctuations and has also developed the skills to deal with new clients and help expand their investment portfolios. “I’ve always been interested in finance, and the opportunity came up to look into stockbroking so I took it and I’ve really enjoyed it,” Swallow says. “I suppose it’s also got a bit to do with getting used to what it would be like to work a normal day. My Dad’s an accountant so I’ve probably got a good sense of it from him. “It’s important for me to get my head into a different space where I’m not constantly surrounded by footy or talking about footy and to do something else I enjoy.” It was the fact football can be cut-throat, however, that led to Swallow wanting to get his mind away from the game. Of the 10 players drafted by North in 2005, only Swallow remains on the list. It serves as a constant reminder. “I lived with Tim Hutchison in my first year, a player drafted from Adelaide. He lasted a year-and-a-half and he was out the door. Seeing those guys cut, I’m always aware that your 62 AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au

time can be pretty short,” says Swallow, who turned 23 at the start of this month and has played 73 games. His pragmatic approach is the first indication Swallow isn’t a typical footballer, but it certainly isn’t the last that emerges. Swallow didn’t follow a conventional path to get where he is. Overlooked in the 2004 Draft when he was first eligible, he stayed in Perth in 2005 and “gave everything” in an effort to get drafted. He got into university but deferred for a year to focus on his football for East Fremantle in the WAFL, and worked full-time at a travel office running sports tours. “It was something to do with sport so I enjoyed it, and I was kept interested,” he says. “My boss was really encouraging of me to leave for training early and travel interstate if I needed to play games. He was really helpful, encouraging me to do whatever I needed to try and get drafted. I was pretty lucky with that.” From there, Swallow’s football began to take shape. North Melbourne selected him with its second-round pick (No. 43) in

the 2005 draft, and he played 12 games in his debut year of 2006. Adam Simpson, his captain at North from 2005-08, said Swallow understood what it took to make it at the top level. “What I realised most about Andrew is his maturity for someone so young,” Simpson says. “He realised early that by no means does getting drafted make you an AFL player. He knew he had to work hard early on and he did that.” A year in the travel business not only put things in perspective, it made Swallow a more complete person. In being overlooked, he had been given a challenge to rise to. And risen he has. In 2007, he played every game, including three finals, and gathered 367 possessions. In a strong midfield featuring premiership stars Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant and Simpson, Swallow’s toughness and ability to extract the ball from contests made him a valuable player. Despite that marked improvement throughout the year, the finish to the season on a personal and team level was disappointing. North was

thumped in the preliminary ﬁnal by 87 points b by Port Adelaide and Swallow was publicly criticised by then-coach Dean Laidley as one of the three players he was disappointed with after the loss. Swallow told the club website he took the criticism on board. “It wasn’t a big deal, really,” Swallow said at the time. “He spoke to everyone privately after the game and after the year and his main message to me was to not be satisﬁed and to really push myself to be in the elite runners at the club.” Swallow’s progression from that point on wasn’t as smooth as he would have hoped, with 2008 being the toughest year in his short career. His inside skills were well-developed but, with Simpson and Daniel Harris already in the team, Laidley decided the Roos needed more run and dropped Swallow to the VFL after round three. With an ankle injury and a bout of osteititis pubis ensuing, he didn’t return to the senior line-up for the rest of the year. “Dean wanted me to go back and work on my outside skills and unfortunately I had a few injuries, but in the games at the end of 2008 when I did get back and play some VFL footy, I really tried to improve that area of my game,” he says. “I think going back was probably a good thing in the end, even if I didn’t enjoy it at the time.”

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Swallow used the 2009 pre-season as a springboard to getting his career back on track. His skills and pace improved and he recalls it being the “best pre-season I’d done, without a doubt”. He knew he was fit and he knew – given an opportunity – he would grasp it. It is at this point in the interview Swallow takes a step back, when he says: “I’m falling into clichés here, aren’t I!” It is an indication Swallow’s intense and focused on-field demeanour doesn’t necessarily translate off-field, and throughout the interview and photo shoot, his subtle humour is evident. Simpson jokes that, in reality, Swallow isn’t too funny at all. “He’s one of those blokes who thinks he’s pretty funny, but he actually comes across as really unfunny,” Simpson says with a laugh. “He laughs at hiss own jokes te because he and it’s unfortunate tries to drop jokes and quite often priate time.” it’s at the inappropriate ing, though, You get the feeling, ght-hearted that Simpson’s light-hearted dig comes about only because wallow’s it’s hard to find Swallow’s other ‘flaws’. d In the course off the AFL Record photo shoot, he iss pleasant ugh to move and patient enough -rise offices to around the high-rise tions with the find several locations ncluding one in photographer, including the hustle and bustle of Collins Street during a Friday lunchtime. Earlier in the day, he phoned when he was running five minutes late. Indeed, despite fearing he was falling into clichés, he’s not one himself. Swallow is fearless at the contest, regularly throwing his body on the line in a bid to win the ball. It was this bravery that was at the heart of his reemergence last year. He played every game and won the Kangaroos’ best and fairest award. Again, Swallow had been set a challenge. And again, he had risen to it. “You need a bit of luck to fall your way and, luckily for

JOB WELL DONE: Swallow (centre) celebrates with teammates after North’s one-point win over the Brisbane Lions last week.

He doesn’t H take anything for granted but, at the same time, he’s conﬁdent in n his own ability ADAM SIMPSON

me in round one last year, I was named an emergency and Liam Anthony pulled out two days before the game with stress fractures in his foot. I came in, played pretty well, and have held my spot since,” he says. “Winning the best and fairest was a feeling of accomplishment, and the feeling of hard work coming to fruition and actually meaning something. “In footy, from week to week, you can have the best highs and the lowest of lows. I went into that year not knowing how I was going to go, so to end up coming out and having a really good year was a great satisfaction and I was pretty happy with what I achieved.”

QUICK FACT » 64 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Swallow led the Kangaroos in tackles and hard-ball gets, and he was in the top-five at his club in handballs, loose-ball gets and goals (17). This season, after a slow start, he is on track to eclipse those efforts and he is averaging 24 touches a game in the past six weeks. In a midfield featuring Jack Ziebell, Ryan Bastinac and Ben Cunnington – all under 20 – Swallow is relishing his growing role as a leader. “I’m developing in that area. At times this year, I’ve gone into a centre bounce with two guys who are first-year players, so it’s been important for me to direct and marshal them a bit,” Swallow says. Simpson lauded Swallow for being a great example to younger players. “He’s very settled and you’ll never have a problem with him off-field. He’s a perfect role model for younger players coming through,” says Simpson, who played 307 games

for North, including the 1996 and ’99 premierships. “He doesn’t take anything for granted but, at the same time, he’s confident in his own ability.” The view Swallow isn’t the everyday modern footballer is made clearer by the fact he is a dedicated Christian, attending church services most weekends, depending on when and where North Melbourne plays. His favourite television show is American political drama The West Wing and he is studying part-time for a bachelor of business degree at Victoria University in Footscray. Simpson almost begrudgingly volunteered him as the guy you’d want “to marry your daughter”. (Swallow, in fact, is already married, having wed his longtime partner Elise in December, 2007, when he was 20.) Swallow’s background accounts for much of what he has become. His mother is a registered nurse. His brother Chris, who recommended The West Wing to him, works for the Liberal Party in Western Australia, and his younger brother David is a highly rated midfielder set to be drafted by Gold Coast later this year. On the surface, it would seem Swallow is a product of the parts of the people around him. As strange as it may sound, perhaps his biggest strength as a footballer is that he knows he won’t always be one. “Footy’s definitely important. It’s what I do and what I love. I suppose I’m just well aware that footy’s something that can end abruptly and there are always other opportunities to do other things so, while I’m playing footy, I’m really enjoying it and trying to make the most of it,” he says. “I know what I want to achieve and what I want to get out of life, so I try to do what I can to make that possible.” With the photo shoot finished, Swallow is right to go. He undoes his North Melbourne tie, grabs his own back and bids farewell. Among the businessmen, he remains anonymous.

Swallow’s ﬁrst job growing up in Western Australia was as a paperboy.

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Moments of the

2000-09

Triumph of the spirit for Bali survivor Jason McCartney’s courageous return from life-threatening injuries suﬀered in the Bali bombings provided one of football’s most poignant farewells. ASHLEY BROWNE

he mandated off-season for AFL players is preciously short. So in the six or so weeks they have between their last games of the season and the start of pre-season training, many footballers grab their passports and head for various points around the globe. Bali has always been close to the top of the list for those in football looking to get away. With its surf beaches, vibrant nightlife and close proximity to Australia, many AFL players, can’t get there quickly or often enough. So when news broke on October 12, 2002, of a massive terrorist bomb blast at the Sari Club in Kuta, the busy tourist hub in Bali, the football community pricked its ears and the network went into overdrive. It soon emerged that footballers were not just among the injured but, tragically, the 202 fatalities, which included 152 Australians. Sturt Football Club, which less than a week before had won the SANFL premiership, lost reserves player Josh Deegan and club trainer and former player Bob Marshall.

Melbourne forward Steven Armstrong and North Melbourne full-back Mick Martyn also suffered burns in the suicide bomb blast. But the most severely injured was another Kangaroo, Jason McCartney, who had been at Paddy’s Bar, across the road from the Sari Club and where another bomb had gone off almost at the same time. It’s what The 28-year-old was coming off dreams are made another solid of ... I’m spent and season for North it’s been a tough Melbourne, time, so that’s adding 14 games to a career tally enough for of 181, after resident doctor me, mate earlier stints with and sent to a JASON McCARTNEY Collingwood local hospital (after and Adelaide. a hellish 20-minute He was spending a few days ambulance ride), where it was in Bali before meeting up with determined his injuries were far more of his teammates in New more serious and he would need Orleans in the United States for to be immediately repatriated the club’s end-of-season trip. back to Australia. In the minutes after the It was in the burns unit of explosion, McCartney thought Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital he was only slightly injured that it emerged McCartney and his ﬁrst instinct was to help had suffered burns to 50 per c others more badly hurt. ent of his body and that his In his book After Bali condition was critical. (published by the Slattery Media He was placed in an induced Group), McCartney tells of a coma and underwent several harrowing trip back to his hotel operations and, while reports where he was examined by the he was given the last rites were

‘SUDDENLY, EVERYTHING WENT DARK…’ � “Our conversation was abruptly cut short by an almighty explosion. It was an ear-bursting, almost sonic boom. It was as though dynamite had gone off in my ears. It was deafening. There was a flash of orange flame, which fizzed and sizzled. My natural reflex was to turn

68 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

my back on it to stop me from being hit. I tried to open my eyes, but my eyelids were shut, like they’d been nailed down. The ﬂash of light had blinded me. In the madness of the moment, my mind raced. Even now, it’s hard to imagine the mind-space I had entered.

I was petrified. I tried to force my eyes open. I couldn’t have opened my eyes to a worse sight. I wasn’t sure I’d been burnt or injured in any way. But as I looked over my left shoulder, I could see flames roaring up my neck. My hair was on fire too.” JASON McCARTNEY, EXCERPT FROM AFTER BALI (PUBLISHED 2003)

shown to be false, he was close to death on at least one occasion. But he pulled through and emerged from the trauma with a wish list that contained just two items – to get married and to play football again. On December 14, 2002, barely two months after the explosions in Bali, McCartney married Nerissa Vanderheyden. After that came the preparations for the return to football. Wearing a specially made body cast to protect his healing skin, McCartney resumed training with the Kangaroos and, after a time, returned to the VFL with Port Melbourne.

T H E A F T E R M AT H

EMOTIONAL EXIT: Far left, Jason McCartney is chaired from

the ground after his shock retirement, and above, is pictured marking and goaling to help his team to a dramatic win.

North was travelling reasonably well in Dean Laidley’s ﬁrst season as coach, with ﬁve wins, four losses and a draw. But with a big round 11 Friday night match looming against Richmond, Laidley felt the big stage deserved the big moment, hence McCartney’s selection in the side. It was a massive event and the hype was enormous. More than 100 survivors of the Bali blasts were guests at the game and the Kangaroos wore special commemorative jumpers. For most of the match, McCartney was nigh on invisible. But he came to life in the last quarter, marking and kicking a goal, then getting the ball in the last few minutes to Leigh Harding, who sprinted in to kick

the goal that gave the Kangaroos a three-point win. Word had seeped through that there would be more drama following the ﬁnal siren, but exactly what remained a mystery until Channel Nine’s Tony Jones interviewed McCartney following the ﬁnal siren. Footy has delivered some great TV moments over time, but few were better than this. Jones: Jason McCartney, the

last eight months have been a nightmare for you, but this has been a fairytale tonight. McCartney: Yes, it’s what dreams are made of ... but I guess there’s no better time. I’ve used up every bit of determination through my fitness and I suppose, my mental effort, and I find it fitting now

that I’ll hang the boots up as of tonight and go out on a great note. I’m spent and it’s been a tough time, so that’s enough for me, mate. Jones: When did you make

that decision?

McCartney: When I got selected

on Tuesday I knew I didn’t have much left in me. It’s been a huge mental battle to get to where I am today. Physically, my body is still healing and, mentally, it’s been hard carrying the hopes of a nation, so I’m going to enjoy a couple of beers tonight with my family and friends. And these guys (the Kangaroos) have been great to me, so what a way to go out.

� In the eyes of many, McCartney has become the hero and the face of the Bali bombings. He has spoken at length about his experiences and is something of an unoﬃcial spokesman for the survivors. His book After Bali was a best-seller. After ﬁnishing with North Melbourne and completing his recovery, McCartney joined the AFL, heading up a youth leadership program, with more than 70,000 students participating across Australia. In 2006, he moved into talent development, and after three years as an assistant to Alan McConnell, was appointed in June last year as high performance coach of the AIS-AFL Academy program.

ASHLEY BROWNE IS EDITOR OF BACKPAGELEAD.COM.AU

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 69

Col Hutchinson

timeon Our AFL history guru answers your queries.

NAME GAME

Two of Essendon’s recruits, Jack Melksham and Travis Colyer, are 18 years younger than their veteran teammate Dustin Fletcher. Is that a record age gap between members of a team?

Names that work

JARRAD RAYWOOD, ALBURY, NSW

CH: Exactly 90 years ago,

when St Kilda played South Melbourne at the Junction Oval, the Saints’ squad included 43-year-old Vic Cumberland. His youngest teammate that afternoon was future Brownlow medallist Colin Watson, who was 23 years and 100 days younger than Cumberland. In fact, Cumberland had already made his League debut (for Melbourne) more than two years before Watson’s birth. During the 1920 season, another seven St Kilda players were more than 20 years younger than Cumberland when they were named on the same team-sheets. In 1915, Bill Cubbins took the ﬁeld with Cumberland on three occasions. The age gap between them was almost 22 years. Syd Barker played for North Melbourne as a 39-year-old in 1927. He was at least 20 years older than ﬁve of his teammates. WRITE TO ANSWER MAN The Slattery Media Group 140 Harbour Esplanade Docklands, 3008 or email michaell@slatterymedia.com

70 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

GENERATION GAP GAP: P: Essendon n le veteran Dustin Fl Fletcher is tha an young 18 years older than teammates Traviss Colyer (above) and Jake M Melksham..

AFL mystery men William John Dowling � Born on April 8, 1909, Dowling played with South Yarra and Brunswick Juniors until making his debut for North Melbourne in 1927. During ﬁve seasons, he kicked 79 goals as a rover/small forward in 49 appearances, and was the club’s leading scorer with 28 in 1929. In 1932-33, he represented Footscray 17 times, booting 29 majors. Remarkably,

he wore six diﬀerent guernsey numbers in his seven years at the elite level. Charles Francis Dowell � Recruited from North Fitzroy as a 23-year-old, Dowell played eight matches for Fitzroy in 1911-12 as a back pocket and occasional wingman. In his second season, he wore No. 7 when the ’Roys ﬁrst used guernsey numbers.

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

� A common method of creating surnames when names began to be necessary in the Middle Ages was to use the name of the person’s trade. We have dealt with some more common examples which have featured (and still do) on AFL lists (Baker, Farmer, Taylor, etc.). Sometimes the names are in foreign form – Schneider (tailor), Breuer (brewer), Akermanis (farmer).And, sometimes, it is not apparent that a name is an occupational one. Take these three on current lists: Jack Ziebell (North Melb) and Essendon’s Travis Colyer and Dustin Fletcher. Ziebell is a variation of Zwiebel, the German word for “onion”. The name was originally given to a grower or seller of onions. Colyer is a variation of the more common form Collier, a name famous at Collingwood. A collier was a gatherer or seller of coal. Fletcher is derived from the Old French ﬂèche, “arrow”. A ﬂetcher was either an arrowsmith or a seller of arrows. KEVAN CARROLL

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COLLECTABLES

A haul of fame

Rick Milne

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

RICK’S RARITY

I have a guernsey signed by almost 100 Australian Hall of Fame inductees. I started this project almost six years ago and the autographs include those of the late Len Thompson, George Doig and Merv McIntosh. I was wondering if you could give me a valuation and if you know of anyone who has done anything similar. Collecting these autographs has taken me to almost every state.

UNIQUE: An avid fan has collected almost 100 autographs of Hall of Fame inductees, including Collingwood’s Len Thompson.

NICK GIANOTTI, VIA EMAIL

RM: Full marks for this as it not

only has been a labour of love, but your collection also is one of a kind. If it were mine, I’d have it insured for $5000. I have a match ball from one of Fitzroy’s games in its ﬁnal season of 1996, signed by players and staﬀ. The ball has a Challenge Bank logo on one side and I would appreciate a valuation.

I bought framed, hand-painted caricatures of Paul Kelly and Tony Lockett at a Sydney Swans’ Charity Ball in Melbourne in 2001. The large caricatures were autographed by both stars on the night and are in full colour. Value? CHRIS VILLA, NEWCASTLE, NSW.

JARROD, DONCASTER, VIC.

RM: Autographed footballs do

not bring high prices as they go ﬂat and the signatures fade. As you have a piece of football history and, as an old Roy-boy, I would like to tell you that your football is worth $1000, but $500 would see it out.

RM: Items bought at charity auctions generally are not worth what people pay on the night. However, yours is better than most, with the signatures of two champions. If the caricatures are well done, you could get $1000 for them.

� Here’s one from left ﬁeld! The Courier Mail newspaper in 2001 marketed a set of cards honouring Queensland sports heroes, including tennis star Rod Laver, Test wicketkeeper Ian Healy and swimmer Tracey Wickham. The collection also featured an AFL star – the Brisbane Lions’ Michael Voss. Although Voss was born in Victoria, he has spent most of his life in Queensland. Four cards were issued for each star and they are almost impossible to ﬁnd in Victoria. Voss’ set of four is $100. worth r $ $10

I have a Coca-Cola photo album with 32 signed cards featuring thee 1962 Geelong team. Geelong went down to Carlton in a preliminary ﬁnal replay that season, but many of the featured players, including Graham Farmer, Bill Goggin and Doug Wade, played in the 1963 premiership side. Does this have any value or is it just a quaint item for a Cats fan like me? RON SOMMERFELD, VIA EMAIL

RM: This might come as a bit

of a shock to you, Ron, but this album is worth $1000 as the cards were released in limited numbers and only in the Geelong area.

CONTACT RICK 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.

WATCH BEFORE THE GAME SATURDAY NIGHTS ON TEN

beforethegame.com.au L ADDER SAM 56 DAVE

ANDY

LEHMO

FITZY

MICK

TIPSTERS

FITZY Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Port Adelaide Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle Collingwood

72 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

MICK Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Port Adelaide Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle Melbourne

SAM Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Port Adelaide Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle Collingwood

DAVE Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Port Adelaide Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle Collingwood

LEHMO Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Sydney Swans West Coast Eagles Western Bulldogs Fremantle Collingwood

ANDY Carlton Hawthorn Geelong Cats Port Adelaide Richmond Western Bulldogs Fremantle Collingwood

This week, special guest appearances by CHRIS JUDD & CALE MORTON

Kids are built pretty tough. But not as tough as they think. So weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created a range of super soft footballs designed especially for littlies. Because the only place in football for tears is after a narrow loss in a Grand Final. For your nearest stockist call 1300 367 582 or go to sherrin.com.au.

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KIDS’ CORNER

IVE F TO FIND

Sudoku

A-MAZEING

HELP JARRYD YD ROUGHEAD GET TO THE E BALL

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

SAM WRIGHT NORTH MELBOURNE M W I W

T W

T S

G H

W W

G W H

T R

THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: The logo on the back of the No. 21 guernsey has been moved down; the number on the back of the Richmond player has been removed; the red in the background has changed to purple; the hand on the right has an extra ﬁnger; the player on the left’s jumper has been changed to pink. B IG G MOUTH: MOU MOUT M MO O H: BIG SCRAMBLED SCRA SC S CRA AM MBLE BLE LE L ED FO FOOTBALLER: OTBA BALLER ER: ER CRYPTIC CRYP C RYP YPTIC TIIC T C FOOTBALLERS: FOOT FO F OO OO OT TBALLERS: LE

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

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NAB AFL RISING STAR

Learning from the best Youngster Jordan Gysberts has enjoyed a close-up view of two wo o of of the game’s greats in his first two AFL appearances. CALLUM TWOMEY

2010 NAB AFL Rising Star Nominees

ordan Gysberts describes the start to his career as a “little bit of a shock”. In his debut in round 10, as he lined up on Geelong superstar Gary Ablett and proceeded to collect 26 possessions, supporters and coaches alike were pleasantly surprised. Last week, as Melbourne again struggled, the young Demon topped that effort with 27 disposals, against a quality Carlton midfield featuring Chris Judd at his best. It was a performance that earned him the NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for round 11, and it’s fair to say the 19-year-old has exceeded early expectations. “It’s been really good. It was a bit surreal to first It was a bit walk up to Ablett, and surreal to first walk then Judd last week, up to Ablett, and but it’s a pretty good then Judd last week, experience for me as they’re probably the two Blease but it’s a pretty good elite midfielders of the (pick experience for me competition and it’s good 17 in JORDAN GYSBERTS to see how they go about 2008) so it,” Gysberts said. it was good “You have a whole to have him at different perspective on the the club when I came field as distinct from watching in early on, and I also played on the sidelines, and you see basketball with and against Jack all the little things they do and Watts when we were younger notice a lot more things they do so I knew him through that. We to get the ball.” played a couple of games for Gysberts was selected with Victoria together,” Gysberts said. pick No. 11 in the NAB AFL Draft Gysberts is the third Demon last season (the pick Melbourne to be nominated for the Rising secured for trading Brock Star this year, behind Tom Scully McLean to Carlton), and joined and Jack Trengove, and said it the club already knowing other had been beneficial to be able to talented young Demons. learn from the pair. “I went to school at Yarra “They’re such hard workers Valley Grammar with Sam so I look up to them and see how

Round 1 – Chris Yarran (Carl) Round 2 – Daniel Hannebery (Syd) Round 3 – Ryan Bastinac (NM) Round 4 – Nic Naitanui (WCE) Round 5 – Jack Trengove (Melb) Round 6 – Todd Banﬁeld (Bris) Round 7 – Tom Scully (Melb) Round 8 – Jake Melksham (Ess) Round 9 – Nathan Fyfe (Frem) FLYING START:

Demon youngster Jordan Gysberts has exceeded early expectations, gathering 53 possessions in his ﬁrst two games.

they go about their business,” he said. “It’s been good to compare myself to the best two players in the draft and see where I’m at and where I need to get to.” Already, Gysberts has shown his clean skills and stoppage work is good enough for the top level, and following his performance at the NAB AFL Draft Camp, it should come as no surprise. Last year, when a kicking test was introduced to the camp, Gysberts ﬁnished equal second with Dustin Martin (later drafted by Richmond) behind Gary Rohan (Sydney Swans). “It was nerve-racking, but they trialled the test at my school so I was fortunate to have tried it before the camp,” he

Round 10 – Dustin Martin (Rich) Round 11 – Jordan Gysberts (Melb)

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW 1

It takes an hour for Gysberts to get to training each day from his home in Chirnside Park in Melbourne’s outer east, where he lives with his family.

2 Gysberts’ best friend,

Andrew Moore, was selected by Port Adelaide with pick nine in last year’s draft.

3 His favourite

television show is How I Met Your Mother.

said. “It was a bit unpredictable because that day was pretty windy and hard to kick, but luckily I hit some targets.”

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

76 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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LAST LINE

Applying data laterally

Too many Dogs marking their territory

ason Akermanis hogging headline media space is not the Western Bulldogs’ main problem. According to the views of elite coaching consultant Dr Istvan Gorgenyi, it’s more likely spatial disharmony on the playing field that is tripping the team up. “The Bulldogs are prone to conflicting ego-spaces on the ground where it matters most, because of the number of veteran champions they have to manage,” he says. An Olympic silver medallist in water polo with Hungary, world champion and Olympic gold medal coach with the Australian women’s team, Gorgenyi has consulted extensively on the analysis of team dynamics to the Australian Institute of Sport, AFL coaching clinics and clubs. He is the creator of the highly respected ‘Hunting Territory’ theory (see huntingterritory.com). The theory suggests an individual player in a team sport has a preferred area in which they perform at their best and earn respect. In team sports, there is a necessity for individuals to overlap each other’s space to get the job done. “Is that overlap a constructive partnership between the players, or is the individual more inclined to protect their own ego-space?” is one of the questions Gorgenyi has about the Dogs. He agrees the Bulldogs are a classic case study for his theories. 78 AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au

because of the strong co-operation we were able to achieve.” Having too many Coaching is a tough gig. Parkin veteran champions such as Jason confides that during the following Akermanis and season, it was still an issue. Barry Hall in the “Both players were now same space could wearing premiership medals,” be upsetting the Bulldogs’ he says. “After the premiership, team dynamics. I had to find other ways of settling them in the team. “Injuries and niggles had an impact and we finished a disappointing fifth.” (The Blues lost both their finals.) Referring to the Bulldogs situation, Parkin can see parallels with Carlton’s dilemma. “Hall was To restore recruited to provide harmony, the best a power option is to sell forward following his the message of option close experiences to goal. modified roles at Carlton with However, his DR ISTVAN GORGENYI veteran champions main strength is Greg Williams and as a marvellous Fraser Brown. lead-up player Before the 1995 Grand who does some of his best Final, both players were work around the top of the demanding similar roles and (50m) arc. This is also the area space around the centre of the that Akermanis, Johnson and ground. Both were brilliant ball-winners but lacked leg speed. Eagleton are also damaging,” Parkin says. “Playing them together “If the players cannot work as on-ballers, we could out how to function as a team easily be exploited by quick in this critical space, it will outside runners,” Parkin says. affect the Bulldogs’ chances of “They could not work it out winning the flag.” between themselves.” Gorgenyi says the problem of Parkin’s solution in the Grand confl icting ego space could easily Final was a coaching gem. spread throughout the team. “To He explains: “Greg Williams restore harmony, the best option had become one of the most is to sell the message of modified decorated players ever, but was roles,” Gorgenyi says. still missing a premiership medal. “All within the club hierarchy “Because he wanted it so and the fans must understand and badly, I was able to convince him accept this. The fading star cannot the treasure would arrive if he shine so bright anymore, but spent a significant amount of they are still stars and can make game time in the forward line, significant contributions.” as well as some in the centre of BALANCING ACT:

They started the 2010 season with three veteran champions on their list close to retirement: Akermanis, captain Brad Johnson and Nathan Eagleton, and added another by recruiting forward Barry Hall to bolster their tilt at the ﬂag. What is notable about each of these four veterans is the career success they have had hunting in similar areas of the ground, i.e. the space 30-70m from goal. “The veteran can often act as if they are the same player they once were. It’s important for them to admit they are not the same player any more,” Gorgenyi says. “They can still have a big role, but a changed one. “Often the veteran is a revered citizen of the club. Fans expect a lot of them and their natural instinct is to perform. But they must not bully out their teammates. Otherwise it can be destructive for the team.” Hawthorn and Carlton premiership coach David Parkin takes a keen interest in Gorgenyi’s analysis of team dynamics. He says both were involved in mutual discussions in how to settle conﬂict between players

the ground. “Greg was brilliant on the day, kicking ﬁve match-winning goals and all the team was rewarded

TED HOPKINS IS A CARLTON PREMIERSHIP PLAYER AND FOUNDER OF CHAMPION DATA. HIS CURRENT PROJECT IS TEDSPORT, A HIGH PERFORMANCE DATA ANALYSIS AND CONSULTING SERVICE.

Artist: David Williams, Gilimbaa

Adam Goodes is hanging up his boots this season≥

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

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