AFL Record, Round 11 2010 by The Slattery Media Group

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE AFL GAME

ROUND 11, 2010 JUNE 4-6 $5 (INC. GST)

A Legend of the Game

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents ROUND 11, JUNE 4-6, 2010

Sporting anthems, inspirational music and a special medley of all AFL Club Songs A program full of inspiring sporting moments in music, including Chariots of Fire, Rocky, Phar Lap and John Williams’ Olympic Fanfare. Saturday 19 June at 7pm Sunday 20 June at 2pm the Arts Centre, Hamer Hall Book now at Ticketmaster outlets on 1300 136 166 or visit www.mso.com.au

ABC Grandstand the virtuoso sports broadcasters 100% pure footy live and uninterrupted on 774 ABC Melbourne

RECOGNITION:

Wayne Carey is among this year’s Australian Football Hall of Fame intake.

Regulars

Features 6

Snapshot

Great images from last week’s round.

Hall of Fame

Honouring seven greats of the game.

Moments of the decade

Analysing the impact of rule changes.

Fitzroy great Kevin Murray, now oﬃcially a Legend of the game, was photographed at his home in country Victoria .

PHOTO: SEAN GARNSWORTHY

Matchday

Stats, history and line-ups.

Dream Team

Mr Fantasy, our Dream Team expert.

57 THIS WEEK’S COVER

Backchat

Your say on the football world.

The Bounce

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

Talking Point

Ted Hopkins on the vagaries of goalkicking.

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PAGE 16

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Your say on the world of football

EDITOR’S LETTER

Folau coup a sign of the times

Sunshine puts fans in the dark

I attended the round seven match between Essendon and Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium. It was very sunny in Melbourne, and thus the roof was open all day. I was sitting in the back row of the lower tier, directly behind the interchange benches and only had line of sight to one scoreboard – the one at the ‘Coventry’ end of the ground. During the third quarter and well into the last, the sun was shining on the scoreboard. This meant people in my area could not see the scoreboard. Not one portion of the scoreboard could be deciphered, and a friend of mine had to use her mobile phone to check the scores. I’m unsure exactly how the AFL could remedy this. AJ BRADY, OCEAN GROVE, VIC.

When the roof is open at Etihad Stadium, it can be quite difﬁcult to see the scoreboard late in the game. This was the case at last week’s CarltonHawthorn match. It’s simply not good enough. CLAIRE, GEELONG, VIC.

The AFL Record invited Etihad Stadium management and the AFL to respond: “Etihad Stadium takes direction from the AFL with regard to the roof and their instruction is the roof is to remain open for day games unless there is inclement weather,” a stadium spokesman said.

DON’T WRITE US OFF:

With match-winners the calibre of Lenny Hayes, St Kilda will always be a threat, according one reader.

“The AFL plays an outdoor game and, when it’s played at a venue with a roof, the roof is shut only when weather conditions show there is a chance of rain,” the AFL said.

Dockers song given the heave-ho?

I cannot believe the Fremantle song was not played after our long-awaited victory at the SCG in round nine. Maybe it’s about time some of the other teams started taking Freo seriously. I hope all grounds have the song come September

BRONWYN, FITZROY, VIC.

JO LAAN, TWEED HEADS SOUTH, NSW.

According to a Sydney Swans spokesman, the Fremantle song was played after the win, but technical issues (several speakers were damaged) meant the song could not be heard in certain parts of the ground.

Short memories

It’s hard to believe quite a few were prepared to write St Kilda

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

off after some sluggish efforts, conveniently ignoring the loss of Nick Riewoldt to a serious hamstring injury and the fact the team has performed at a high level for a long period. The Saints remain a genuine threat, with some true match-winners including Lenny Hayes and Brendon Goddard more than capable of driving the team to the ﬁnals. Where’s the respect?

HAVE YOUR SAY

Send us your feedback. The best letter each round willl 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 COORDINATOR 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

� In the same week we celebrate the game’s past, via the elevation of Kevin Murray to ‘Legend’ status and the induction of six other greats into the Australian Football Hall of Fame (see profiles starting page 11), new club Team GWS signed rugby league player Israel Folau, a move that symbolises the code’s not-too-subtle changing face, and its bold future. We understand the game never stands still, on or off the field, but it’s not an overstatement to suggest current developments will in time be seen as critical or watershed moments. The AFL’s expansion plans are being underpinned by a significant financial investment ($100 million over five years has been earmarked for the two new clubs), a strategy approved by the 16 clubs. As AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou outlines in a letter to clubs and players (see page 64), part of that investment includes marketing payments to the likes of Folau and Karmichael Hunt, another rugby league player who was signed by Gold Coast last year. Arrangements of this nature will naturally create debate but, as Demetriou explains, they are necessary when new markets are being sought. At season’s end, Gold Coast will announce the signings of players from the 16 other clubs. The matter has already sparked discussion, and will continue to do so. It’s but another example of a changing game. 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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DROUGHT-BREAKER Rd 10 Port Adelaide v Richmond, AAMI Stadium � “In any weather you will see us with a grin.” These words from the Richmond song have never been so appropriate and, 301 days since they were last sung, the young Tigers embrace the moment, and each other. After the siren had sounded to signal Richmond’s maiden 2010 win, by 47 points against Port Adelaide, David Astbury and Matt White (left) and Jack Riewoldt and Richard Tambling celebrate on a muddy, water-logged AAMI Stadium, as Power defender Paul Stewart assesses the damage. Riewoldt booted four goals, including two freakish oﬀ-the-ground eﬀorts. He led the

SNAP SHOT

club on the field and in the rooms in song (see story page 57), as the Tigers upset Port’s celebration of 140 years of football, keeping the Power to their lowest score since joining the AFL in 1997. Astbury was one of five first-year players to share the victory. Another was Dustin Martin, who led the AFL in clearances for the round and earned himself a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination (page 76). ANDREW HUTCHISON PHOTO: THE SLATTERY MEDIA GROUP/AFL PHOTOS

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 7

LEAP OF A LIFETIME Rd 10 Geelong v Melbourne, Skilled Stadium

SNAP SHOT

� Melbourne defender James Frawley had been trailing his opponent, Geelong’s Steve Johnson, from half-forward to the wing. Both were running at half pace but building momentum as the ball headed in their direction. Then: whooah! By the time alert photographer Michael Willson had shot the ﬁrst of six frames, Frawley’s feet were already up near Johnson’s shoulder. Frawley’s explosive, instinctive leap charged the atmosphere. The noise from the crowd splashed around the stadium, resembling a rogue wave hitting rocks. Those watching received a short burst of energy, suddenly alert to the game and its possibilities. When the ball hit Frawley’s hands, he knew he was in with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grab the mark of the year but it didn’t stick. He tried to hang on. He kicked his leg out to keep the ball alive. Even as he hovered, the ball was heading downwards and his chance was lost. But the moment was recorded forever. PETER RYAN PHOTO: MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS

8 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

BEAMING BOMBER Rd 10 Essendon v Western Bulldogs, Etihad Stadium ďż˝ Sometimes, a celebration can say as much about the bad times as the good. Certainly this could be said of Leroy Jettaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reaction to his last-quarter goal against the Western Bulldogs. Since he was selected as a priority pick (No. 18) in the 2006 draft, Jetta has struggled to cement himself in the Essendon line-up but this goal, his second of the night and one of 25 possessions he gathered (a career-high), might have been a turning point. Jetta went back and calmly slotted the goal from a set-shot, then jumped in the air as much with excitement as relief. All night he had harassed, pressured and done the team things. Now, it was his turn to enjoy the spoils. CALLUM TWOMEY PHOTO: MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS

No one epitomises the Lions spirit more than Kevin Murray, who this week became the 23rd Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Six other champions of the game were also honoured. JIM M A IN

Legend Kevin Murray

hen former Fitzroy warrior Kevin Murray spoke to the AFL Record of his elevation to Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, he did not mention his awesome achievements. Instead, he said it was an honour for the Lions. Not the Brisbane Lions, nor the Fitzroy Lions; just the Lions. And Murray, more than any other player, represents the heart and spirit of the Lions. He played 333 games for Fitzroy from 1955-64 and 1967-74, won the best and fairest a record nine times and won the 1969 Brownlow Medal. It is little wonder he is mobbed by adoring fans whenever he attends a club function, even though Fitzroy

d with the t Brisbane Bears merged me thee Brisbane Lions at to become d of the 1996 season. the end “The name of the club doesn’t Murray insisted. “It’s matter,”” Murray ut the colours c all about and, more antly, the the spirit of old importantly, ane embraced us Fitzroy.. Brisba Brisbane orters still have a and ourr suppo supporters club to follow.. It is difficult to put ords, bu ut it is the ‘feeling’ into words, but nging and a I support the of belonging eartedly.” Lions wholehe wholeheartedly.” ray’s association association with Murray’s nally known as the Fitzroy,, origin originally ns and then t Maroons the Gorillas, started beforee he was born. His layed 66 games father, Dan, pl played a was 19th man with thee club and prremiership side. in the 1944 premiership ever, young yo oung Kevin’s Kevin s fi first However, rst pllayed in the heart of footballl was played territorry, in Collingwood, enemy territory, oseph’s College. for St Joseph’s rayy recalled: reca alled: “We lived Murray utes from fro om Victoria Victoriia Park P Par ark k 10 minutes p and in 1949 I played for my school side in curtain-raisers at wood’ss ground.” Collingwood’s ray mig ght have enjoyed Murray might iest football foo otball years but his earliest ed he was w more than a admitted yo outh. “Football handfull as a youth. m the possibility of saved me from uble. B elieve me, I was real trouble. Believe

LIVING LEGEND: The accolades keep coming for Kevin Murray but he rates the captaincy of Fitzroy’s Team of the Century as his greatest honour.

able to get into trouble very easily as a young teenager.” Murray still has the tattoos inked on his arms to prove it. “I had them done when I was just 14,” he said. “Oh, I got a few smacks over the head for that, but I don’t regret it. It’s all part of life.” Murray showed prodigious talent from an earl ea rlyy age ag and played with early Fiitzroy Sunday League club Fitzroy United as a 14-year-old in what was a school of hard football knocks. “It was a tough competition,” Murray said. “I was up against grown men who did not think twice of running through anyone, least AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 11

12 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

They asked me to wear a long-sleeve guernsey to cover the tattoos … it was the least I could do for my parents KEVIN MURRAY

better, in fact, Murray won the 1969 Brownlow Medal aged 31. But, by his own admission, he was lucky to win football’s most prestigious individual honour after being injured in the second-last round of the season against Melbourne. He explained: “A pack of players fell on top of me and I felt my ankle go. It was very painful but at half-time a Fitzroy trainer poured a bottle of methylated spirits down my boot and that numbed the ankle. “I was able to play on, but had real trouble running the next week and looked certain to miss the final match against Geelong. A taxi driver collected seawater from St Kilda so I could soak my ankle and I pulled a swifty the day before the game. “Although I was named in the team on the Thursday night, I was asked to turn up at Brunswick Street at two o’clock the following day for a special fitness test in front of the club doctor. “I got to the ground an hour early and ran enough laps to have my ankle warmed up for any test. I passed and I played.” Murray polled one vote more than Footscray’s George Bisset and Essendon’s Barry Davis. It was a hugely popular victory, but Murray’s parents asked him for a special favour for the medal presentation at the MCG by Victorian Governor Sir Rohan Delacombe, held before the first semi-final between Richmond and Geelong. “They asked me to wear a long-sleeve guernsey to cover the tattoos and Fitzroy supporters still ask me about this, as I always played in a sleeveless guernsey,” he said. “It was the least I could do for my parents, who were always extremely supportive. My father was always giving me advice and often treated my injuries.

“The other big influence on my career was Ted Whitten, a wonderful person who was terrific for his Footscray and state teammates.” Murray wears his Brownlow Medal at most club and AFL functions, not out of personal pride, but as a mark of respect for the award itself. “I like to share it with anyone and everyone,” he said. “I recently went to a function in which I ran into former Carlton star Syd Jackson. I had coached him at East Perth and, when I placed my Brownlow Medal around his neck, he cried. That’s what the Brownlow means to people and it is one of the greatest honours of my football career.” The greatest honour? “No doubt, it’s being named captain of Fitzroy’s Team of the Century,” he said. “Honours don’t come much bigger than that and, of course, Fitzroy is very, very dear to my heart.” Although Murray has unequivocally embraced the reality of his old club now playing as the Brisbane Lions, no one can take Fitzroy from the bloodstream of the most famous Royboy of them all. Kevin Murray, MBE, is a living Lions treasure. And now, he is officially an Australian Football legend.

FACT FILE � Date of birth: June 18, 1938 � Played 333 games and kicked 51 goals for Fitzroy from 1955-64 and 1967-74 � Played 44 matches as captaincoach for East Perth from 1965-66 � 178 career Brownlow Medal votes � State representative 24 times (six with Western Australia) � Fitzroy best & fairest 1956, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1968, 1969; second Fitzroy best & fairest 1957, 1959, 1971; third Fitzroy best & fairest 1955, 1967 � Pre-season premiership 1959 � All-Australian 1958, 1966 � Captained Fitzroy 159 times (1962-72) � Brownlow Medal 1969; second Brownlow Medal 1960, 1962; third Brownlow Medal 1968 � Fitzroy Team of the Century � Coached Fitzroy from 1963-1964 � Inaugural inductee to Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996

PHOTO: SEAN GARNSWORTHY/AFL PHOTOS

of all a skinny kid on the wing. But it stood me in good stead when I went to Fitzroy.” Murray used to hang around Fitzroy’s Brunswick Street Oval because his father was good friends with coach Len Smith. But, despite that connection and his obvious talent, he had to start at the bottom, in the under-19s. It did not take him long to graduate to the reserves and he often played two games with Fitzroy each Saturday. Murray explained: “I would play with the under-19s in the morning, get into a taxi and change from black shorts to white and then play for the reserves.” Murray made his senior debut (aged 16) in 1955 (on the reserves bench) against Geelong at Brunswick Street Oval, started on the bench again the following week against Richmond at Punt Road and was in the starting 18 the following week against Footscray at the Western Oval. “I played on a half-back ﬂank,” he recalled. “But eventually I was switched to centre half-back and I also used to play in a back pocket, until I switched to being a ruck-rover later in my career.” Murray won Fitzroy’s best and fairest in 1956 (just after his 18th birthday) and was immediately hailed one of the superstars of the late 1950s, usually playing against taller, stronger players. (Murray said he played one match against Collingwood in a back pocket in the early 1970s, minding Magpies Len Thompson, Bob Heard and Graeme Jenkin. Murray was 178cm – his opponents averaged 198cm. The next week, Murray again played in a back pocket, but this time was given the task of minding resting Hawthorn rovers Alan Goad and Peter Crimmins.) Murray moved to WAFL club East Perth as captain-coach for the 1965-66 seasons and, although most contemporary critics believed this was a negative move, Murray insisted it was enormously beneﬁcial to his career. “I learned a lot in my two years in Western Australia and came back a better player and person,” he said. So much

LION-HEARTED: Kevin Murray, pictured

relaxing on his property at Arcadia in northern Victoria, was a warrior on the ﬁeld, not missing a game from the start of 1959 to the end of his career in 1974.

AF AFL A FL F RECORD RECOR RE CO OR O R RD D visit viis vvis isit sit it aﬂ aﬂrecord.com.au rec rre eco ec orrrd ord d.co c om co m.a .a .au 113 3

You have to anticipate when and where the ball is going to be delivered and yyou have to have a great work rate

WAYNE CAREY

he footballer often referred to as ‘The King’ has been crowned. “It is an enormous honour,” said Carey, considered by some to be the greatest centre half-forward in football history. “I was thrilled to bits when I received the news and it ranks up there with everything in my football career.” Carey could have been easily lost to Australian Football, having played rugby league as a boy growing up in Wagga in New South Wales. However, elder brother Dick played the indigenous code and was a strong influence. Besides, the younger brother said he always preferred Australian Football. “I spent one year playing with the Eastlakes club in Wagga and then moved to South Australia when Dick coached Mallala, a es club about 40 minutes out of Adelaide,” Carey explained. The move proved a d blessing for Carey and North Melbourne, as Kangaroos official Greg Miller spotted the youngster playing for a combined high schools team against a public schools team and was impressed enough to chase his signature. “I was just 16 years of age when Miller approached me and I was very hesitant about moving to Victoria,” he said. “I had just finished year 11 and was just settling into life with my mother in Adelaide. However, Mum and Dick told me it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”. But there was one small snag. Carey was still zoned to Wagga and North had to win a clearance from the

14 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

WAYNE CAREY

LONG LIVE THE KING: Wayne Carey terrorised defenders for more than a decade and, with coach Denis Pagan (left), led the Roos to the 1996 and 1999 premierships. Carey was named the greatest player of all time in The Australian Game of Football Since 1858, published in 2008.

Sydney Swans as the whole of New South Wales was Swans territory. North paid a modest fee, and it turned out to be the bargain of the century. Carey made his senior debut under the guidance of wily veteran coach John Kennedy, but spent most of his career under Denis Pagan, who devised ‘Pagan’s Paddock’, an open forward line that allowed Carey and full-forward John Longmire space enough to win the ball. Superb in the air and courageous, Carey was rarely beaten in football’s most difﬁcult position, explaining that his dominance was “about reading

the play”. He added: “You have to anticipate when and where the ball is going to be delivered and you have to have a great work rate, with continuous movement. “I was lucky in this respect as Dick taught me how to train when I was very young, to work until it hurt. This attitude helped me enormously as I developed as a footballer.” Carey, who captained North to the 1996 and 1999 premierships, might have been the king who sat on football’s throne for more than a decade, but he now enjoys nothing more than a walk in the park with four-year-old daughter Ella.

FACT FILE � Date of birth: May 27, 1971 � Played 272 games and kicked 727 goals for North Melbourne from 1989-2001 and Adelaide from 2003-04 � Played 23 ﬁnals and kicked 60 goals � 127 career Brownlow Medal votes � State representative three times � International Rules Representative two times � AFL Media Association MVP 1998 � Premierships 1996, 1999 � Grand Finals 1998 � North Melbourne best & fairest 1992, 1993, 1996, 1998; second best & fairest 1990, 1995, 2000; third best & fairest 1994 � North Melbourne leading goalkicker 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000 � All-Australian 1993 (capt.), 1994, 1995 (v-capt.), 1996 (v-capt.), 1998 (capt.), 1999 (capt.), 2000 (capt.) � Captained his club 184 times (1993-2001) � Pre-season premierships 1995, 1998, 2003 � Michael Tuck Medallist 1998 � North Melbourne Team of the Century

BRIAN DIXON

CUP CHASER: Brian Dixon

was dropped for the 1955 Grand Final when coach Norm Smith discovered he had played an interfaculty game, but he went on to play in Melbourne’s 1956-57, 1959-60 and 1964 premierships.

hen Brian Dixon was a student at Melbourne High School, he took a chance and headed to St Kilda’s Junction Oval in an effort to play with his boyhood heroes. He might have lived in Melbourne’s territory, but had a cunning plan to become a Saint. He told St Kilda ofﬁcials he could live with his grandmother in Elwood, deep in the Saints’ zone, but they were unimpressed. It was not worth the effort, they told him. Dixon accepted reality and joined Melbourne at the start of the Demons’ extraordinary run of success in We trained only the 1950s and on Tuesday and early ’60s under Thursday nights legendary coach and sometimes on a Norm Smith. Sunday morning He played BRIAN DIXON “about 12 games” in the reserves in 1954 and, after making his senior debut that season, played in the Grand Final loss to Footscray. (He swapped his No. 9 guernsey for Bulldogs captain-coach Charlie Sutton’s No. 6, and both guernseys are on display at the Western Bulldogs’ museum on permanent loan.)

16 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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The following season, Dixon blew a chance to play in the Grand Final against Collingwood when he ignored a Smith directive in the week leading up to the big game. Dixon was captain-coach of the Commerce team in the University of Melbourne’s inter-faculty competition and was scheduled to lead his side against Dentistry (captained by star North Melbourne rover Allen Aylett) in the Grand Final. Smith told Dixon Smith was a in no uncertain tough task terms that he was master, but a not to play and the Melbourne winger brilliant coach went to the game DIXON ON NORM SMITH without his playing gear, fully intending to watch and coach from the sidelines. However, one of his mates drove Dixon home to collect hiss certainly i l made d amends, d playing l i gear so he could play after all. in the Demons’ 1956-57, 1959-60 When Smith read a report of and 1964 flag teams. the match in The Age the next A brilliant winger who day, he crossed Dixon’s name appeared to win the ball almost from the Melbourne side, with at will, he won the 1961 Tassie Geoff Case getting a late call-up. Medal for best and fairest at the “Smith was a tough task Brisbane Carnival, ironically, master, but a brilliant coach,” under the coaching of Smith’s Dixon said. “He was a great brother, Len. motivator and he ruled with an Dixon was considered one of iron fist. His discipline was rigid the finest wingers of the post-war and some players were almost era, but some critics suggested his in fear of him, even if they loved kicking was a glaring weakness. him at the same time.” Although Dixon agreed Dixon missed out on 1955 kicking was not his forte, he premiership honours, but

KICKING QUESTIONS: Brian

Dixon was not the most reliable of kicks but his ability to win the ball more than made up for any deﬁciencies by foot.

d he h did everything in suggested his power to rectify this slight ﬂaw. I knew I could not always pin-point a pass to a teammate on the chest, so I used to put the ball in front of him so that he could run on to it,” he explained. Late in his career, Dixon combined football with duties as the Victorian Lower House member for St Kilda, but shrugged off suggestions his twin roles were too heavy a burden. “Football was not like it is today,” he said. “We trained only on Tuesday and Thursday

FACT FILE � Date of birth: May 20, 1936 � Played 252 games and kicked 41 goals for Melbourne from 1954-68 � Played 17 ﬁnals � 65 career Brownlow Medal votes � State representative 10 times � Premierships 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964 � Grand Finals 1954, 1958 � Melbourne best & fairest 1960; third best & fairest 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 � Captained his club three times � All-Australian 1961 � Melbourne Team of the Century � Coached North Melbourne 1971-72

nights and sometimes on a Sunday morning, so it wasn’t that burdensome.” Dixon eventually became Victoria’s Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation and also coached North Melbourne from 1971-72. He has been heavily involved in the international development of Australian Football, starting with trips to New Zealand and the United States while he was playing. He has been working on spreading the game for almost half a century, and takes enormous pride that the Australian code is now played in 33 countries. Dixon’s inﬂuence has been invaluable, on and off the ﬁeld, and around the world.

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

STAN ‘POPS’ HEAL

NAVY MAN: After winning

a Grand Final with Melbourne, Stan ‘Pops’ Heal (left) was transferred back to Western Australia and ended up playing in a premiership for West Perth in the same year.

ormer champion West Australian winger Stan ‘Pops’ Heal holds a unique senior football record, having played in two premiership teams in the one season. Heal played in Melbourne’s 1941 premiership side and, two weeks later, in West Perth’s flag side in the WAFL. Heal, who rarely answers to Stan as he has been known as Pops from boyhood, was runner-up in the 1940 Sandover Medal, but joined the Australian Navy in March the following year and, in July, was transferred to the Flinders Naval Base, just out of Melbourne. Heal, now 88, explained: “Some West Perth players, including Wally Buttsworth, joined Essendon during the war but, soon after I arrived in Victoria, a petty officer called out my name and told me I had a visitor. “It was a Melbourne committeeman who invited me to have lunch with the club president (J.C. Blair) at the Australia Hotel,” he said. “That was fine by me as I had been eating bully beef for three days and it was a chance to get a good meal. “I was told that Melbourne would rush me straight into its side but, in the meantime, Essendon contacted me. I finally decided it was Melbourne for me. “I played eight games with Melbourne, but didn’t train with the team even once. “I played every second week because of my navy commitments and I consider myself very lucky to have played in a Melbourne premiership side.” The Sporting Globe nominated Heal, a lightly 20 AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au

PASSIONATE PIE: After

being rejected as a youngster, Tony Shaw (opposite page) became a Collingwood legend, playing 313 games and captaining the club to the 1990 premiership.

I consider myself very lucky to have played in a Melbourne premiership side framed wing specialist with a good turn of pace, as the Demons’ third best player in the Grand Final and he won a club award as the second best player, behind champion rover Percy Beames. Heal was transferred back to Western Australia and headed to Leederville Oval to watch his old team, West Perth, train in the lead-up to the WAFL Grand Final against East Fremantle. “They had a few injuries and I was asked, ‘Do you want a game?’ And that’s how I played in two premiership sides in the one season as you didn’t need clearances because of the war,” he recalled. Heal resumed his career with West Perth in 1946 and was appointed captain-coach in 1947, taking the club to

six consecutive second semi-finals, five Grand Finals and premierships in 1949 and 1951. He was a state representative 18 times and was selected in the unofficial Sporting Life magazine All-Australian sides of 1948 and 1949. Heal retired at the end of 1952, aged 32, and entered the West Australian Parliament as the Member for West Perth. When West Perth ran into injury problems in 1953, he made a brief comeback – while still a sitting member of Parliament. He is one of just 12 Legends in the West Australian Football Hall of Fame and, in 2000, was selected on a wing in the West Australian newspaper’s state Team of the Century.

STAN ‘POPS’ HEAL

FACT FILE � Date of birth: July 30, 1920 � Played 180 games for West Perth in the WAFL from 1939-53 � Played eight games and kicked five goals for Melbourne in 1941 � State representative 18 times � Premierships 1941 (Melbourne) and 1941, 1949, 1951 (West Perth) � Sporting Life All-Australian 1948, 1949 � Simpson Medal 1949 � Second Sandover Medal 1940 � Captain-coached West Perth to six successive second semi-finals, five Grand Finals and two premierships � Captain-coached Western Australia in 1950 Australian Football Championship Carnival � Coached West Perth 133 times (71% win-loss record) � WA Football Hall of Fame Legend

I realise I was blessed to be captain, or even playing, in the 1990 premiership

TONY SHAW

rom football reject ct to induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, it has been an incredible journeyy for Collingwood’s 1990 w. premiership captain Tony Shaw. And, although Shaw seemed destined to play at the highest ll. level, his ﬁrst love was basketball. Indeed, the son of former o Brunswick star Reg Shaw was so d good at basketball he represented Victoria at under-age levels, even playing one game with the Coburg Giants. “I was into sports of all sorts,” Shaw said. “I played basketball, cricket, football, anything, but didn’t really give football serious consideration until I decided I wanted to try my luck with Collingwood.” Shaw started playing football with the Keon Park Stars in Melbourne’s north and went to Victoria Park in 1976 in an effort to play with the Magpies’ under-19s. “I was given the ﬂick,” he said. “It was shattering, but not the end of the world because I had been brought up in a competitive

culture and decided to try another tack.” Shaw crossed to the Reservoir-Lakeside and played senior football when he was just 16. “It was a terriﬁc experience to play against men in a strong competition,” he said.

Older brother, Ray, had been a senior player with TONY SHAW Collingwood from 1974 and fans were delighted to have another cheeky Shaw rover. (Ray played 146 games with the Magpies to 1991 and a third sibling, Neville, played 43 games in the black and white from 1984-86. Also, cousin Robert Shaw played 51 games with Essendon from 1974-81 and later coached Fitzroy and Adelaide. The Shaw football dynasty continues with Ray’s sons Heath (Collingwood) and Rhyce (Sydney Swans) established AFL players.) Tony is the only family member to play in an AFL premiership side; Ray played in the drawn and losing 1977 Grand Final sides, as well as the 1979-80 Grand Final losses when he was Magpie captain, Shaw returned to the and the losing 1981 Grand Magpies in 1977 and, after Final team. working his way through the “Ray was very, very unlucky,” ranks, he made his senior debut Shaw said. “I realise I was against Footscray at Victoria blessed to be captain, or even Park in round 19, 1978. The Pies playing, in the 1990 premiership won by 16 points, and Shaw and, although it’s a cliché, it’s kicked a goal. what everyone plays for

,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

Everyone who plays football sets out to win a premiership, but no one sets out to win an individual honour

ROSS SMITH

– to win a ﬂag. It’s sad that many players do not get to experience that joy.” Although the Shaw brothers left an indelible mark at Victoria Park, their father rarely saw them play. Shaw explained: “Dad, although a ﬁne footballer himself, did not direct or push us. In fact, I think he saw me play only three or four times. “Dad didn’t have a car and never drove, so it wasn’t possible for him to get to our games, but I remember ‘Dipper’ (Hawthorn Brownlow medallist Robert DiPierdomenico) interviewing him as a TV boundary rider before my 300th game and I still don’t know which of them was speaking English.” Shaw, a broadcaster for Fox Sports and radio station 3AW, rates his Hall of Fame induction alongside his 1990 premiership success. “It is a fantastic honour, not just for myself, but for my entire family,” he said.

FACT FILE � Date of birth: July 23, 1960 � Played 313 games and kicked 158 goals for Collingwood from 1978-94 � Played in 22 ﬁnals � 62 career Brownlow Medal votes � State representative four times � Premiership 1990 (captain) � Best & fairest 1984, 1990; third best & fairest 1981 � All-Australian 1984, 1990 (capt.) � Captained his club 123 times (1987-93) � Norm Smith Medal 1990 � Collingwood Team of the Century � Coached Collingwood 1996-99

22 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

fter winning consecutive competition best and fairest awards playing for the Hampton Rovers under-19s in Melbourne’s south-east, Ross Smith was offered 50 pounds (the equivalent of about $100) to sign with Victorian Football Association club Sandringham. Unsure of what to do, Smith sought advice from his headmaster at Hampton High School, Kevin Gurry, who made a call to St Kilda secretary Ian Drake. The Saints matched Sandringham’s offer and Smith went on to become one of the best players to wear the red, white and black. He played in the 1966 premiership and won the 1967 Brownlow Medal, among many other honours in his 234 games from 1961-72. Smith might have been zoned to St Kilda, but he barracked for the Bombers as a boy, for his aunt and uncle lived in Essendon and used to take him to Windy Will to watch the Dons. Ironically, Smith made his senior debut against Essendon at Windy Hill, but modestly suggested he was “overawed” in what he described as a game with “far greater intensity” than he had experienced in the reserves. St Kilda coach Allan Jeans used him in a run-with role early in his career but, as Smith pointed out, “good coaches ﬁnd places” for players and Smith eventually found his niche as a rover who could outrun most opponents. Smith, who did a physical education course at the University of Melbourne, prided himself on his ﬁtness and would play on the ball for most of a match, with only rare stints in a forward pocket. His move to roving coincided with St Kilda’s shift from the Junction Oval to Moorabbin in

ROSS SMITH

SUPER SAINT:

After playing in St Kilda’s only premiership in 1966, Ross Smith backed up by winning the 1967 Brownlow Medal.

1965 and, the following year, Smith became part of football history when the Saints won their ﬁrst premiership, defeating Collingwood by one point in the Grand Final. Smith was ecstatic when Barry Breen booted his memorable winning point, but admitted to “a bit of concern” when the Magpies’ Des Tuddenham later charged down the ground in the dying seconds. Smith regards his premiership honour as the most memorable in his long and distinguished career, surpassing his Brownlow Medal triumph. He explained: “One is a team honour and the other is an individual honour. Everyone who plays football sets out to win a premiership, but no one sets out to win an individual honour.” Smith left the Saints at the end of 1972 because he felt he wanted to prepare himself for life after football. He coached WAFL club Subiaco to a premiership while working as a lecturer at tertiary level. On his return to Victoria, Smith continued his personal development with a raft of academic honours and postings and was non-playing coach of St Kilda in 1977. He later was an assistant coach and also spent many years at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, before a stint as general manager of the AFL’s game development department.

Smith, 67, appears to be as ﬁt as ever and remains at his old playing weight of 71kg, thanks to a regime of daily cycling. He used to run, and although he soon will have a hip replacement, it appears nothing can slow down the former rover who not only ran his opponents off their feet, but played with extraordinary courage for his beloved St Kilda.

FACT FILE � Date of birth: September 12, 1942 � Played 234 games and kicked 231 goals for St Kilda from 1961-72 and 1975 � Played 39 games for Subiaco from 1973-74 � Played 15 ﬁnals � 79 career Brownlow Medal votes � State representative four times (twice as captain) � Premierships 1966 (St Kilda), 1973 (Subiaco) � Grand Finals 1965, 1971 (capt.) � St Kilda best & fairest 1967, 1971; third best & fairest 1968 � Captained club 68 times (1969-72) � Brownlow Medal 1967 � St Kilda Team of the Century � St Kilda Hall of Fame � Subiaco Hall of Fame � Coached St Kilda 1977 � Coached Subiaco 1973-1974 (one Grand Final and four ﬁnals) � Coached Western Australia 1974 � Assistant coach of St Kilda 1975-76, 1982-85 and 1987 � Assistant coach Hawthorn 1979 � AFL General Manager of Game Development 2000-03; chairman, AFL Research Board 2004-present; key involvement with production of coaching resources, coaching conferences and coach accreditation

GAVIN WANGANEEN

ssendon and Port Adelaide premiership star Gavin Wanganeen had a confession to make in the week leading to his induction into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Although he often was referred to as a back pocket specialist when he won the 1993 Brownlow Medal, he suggested that was misleading. “I might have played quite a bit of football in the back pocket that season, but I also spent quite a bit of time on the ball,” he said. “In fact, I often was asked to line up in the centre for the second half of quite a few matches and I would say that I was 70 per cent a back pocket and 30 per cent a midﬁelder.” Wanganeen started with the Bombers as an on-baller in 1991 at just 17 and, after the courageous but lightly framed youngster had been battered from pillar to post, coach Kevin Sheedy moved him to defence. “I had been the hunted,” Wanganeen explained. “But ‘Sheeds’ decided it was time for a change. My role was to defend when necessary, but to take off whenever I could. “I was more than happy to play that role as it gave me greater freedom and it meant I didn’t have blokes sitting on my tail all the time.” Wanganeen played his junior football with South Australian club Salisbury North and, being zoned to the Port Adelaide Magpies, spent one season in the SANFL before Essendon drafted him. Several rival clubs showed interest in the teenage prodigy, but Essendon was his preferred club and he made his Bombers debut against Richmond at the MCG in round two, 1991. “I think I had about eight kicks and two or three handpasses,” he recalled. “I certainly did not do anything special.”

Wanganeen was just 20 when he won the Brownlow Medal and, in doing so, becamee the first indigenous player to win football’s most coveted individual honour. He also played in the 1993 Essendon premiership side thatt year. He left the Bombers in controversial circumstances at b the end of 1996 to join new club Port Adelaide, after 127 games in the black and red. Although his move shocked aneen neen left Bombers fans, Wanganeen o club in i solely to play with his old its AFL incarnation. nce Although Sheedy on once n “had suggested Wanganeen veer him” captain written all over at Essendon, Port Adelaide had to convince the Brownlow medallist to assume the captaincy role in the club’s debut season of 1997. “Yes, it is true that I never aspired to the en said. captaincy,” Wanganeen f “I just wanted to play football A and lead by example. Anyway, I was just 23.” Wanganeen was thee Power’s nss, stepping skipper for four seasons, ttthew aside for ruckman Matthew 0 000. Primus at the end of 2000. e played en In 2004, Wanganeen hiip team, in another premiership m mpany, Port’s first in AFL company, but he refused to separatee his two flag triumphs. t “It would be unfair to th her,” choose one over the other,” y first he said. “I played in my a 20 as premiership when I was and, in 2004, I was 31.. When h at a hip you play in a premiership o take it young age, you tend to for granted and think itt happens y are all the time but, when you rd d it is to 31, you know how hard deer if you achieve and you wonder s. I am will run out of chances. m mierships very proud of my premierships with two great clubs.” d early Wanganeen retired ftter in the 2006 season after

FACT FILE F � Date of birth: June 18, 1973 � Played 300 games and kicked 202 goals for Essendon from 1991-96 and Port Adelaide from 1997-2006 � Played in 24 ﬁnals � 109 career Brownlow Medal votes � State representative eight times � Premierships 1993 (Ess), 2004 (P Adel) � Brownlow Medal 1993; second Brownlow Medal 2003 � Port Adelaide best & fairest 2003, second Essendon best & fairest 1992, third Essendon best & fairest 1993, 1994 � All-Australian 1992, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2003 � Michael Tuck Medal 1993 � Essendon Team of the Century � Indigenous Team of the Century � Pre-season premierships 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002 � First captain of Port Adelaide � First indigenous player to play 300 games

struggling with a knee injury. He played 173 games with the Power and 300 in total. He was the ﬁrst indigenous player to reach the mark at AFL level. These days, Wanganeen is content to see the occasional AFL game and to watch six-yearold son Tex play junior football. He also has a 10-year-old daughter, Mia.

I had been the hunted. But ‘Sheeds’ decided it was time for a change GAVIN WANGANEEN

POWER AND PASSION: Gavin

Wanganeen was a premiership star at two clubs and the ﬁrst indigenous player to play 300 games.

VIEWS NEWS FIRST PERSON FACTS DATA CULTURE

HEAD OVER THE BALL:

Rookie midﬁelder Ben Nason said Richmond believed the clash with Port Adelaide would be a ‘street ﬁght’ and the team that wanted it most would prevail. That proved to be the Tigers.

SINGING IN THE RAIN

Tenacious Tigers ﬁnd their voice at last

NICK BOW EN

ne of the competition’s best club songs has been scarcely heard in recent times. But last Saturday at AAMI Stadium, Richmond players and coaches gave a stirring rendition of their anthem. Gripping each other tightly, some players bounced up and down as if on pogo sticks as they belted out their song at the top of their voices, ﬁnding – as you would expect – another decibel level for its exclamation mark, “Yellow and black”. At the centre of the celebration was a small circle made up of NEWS TRACKER

coach Damien Hardwick and players Dustin Martin, Ben Griffiths, David Astbury, Ben Nason, Jeromey Webberley and Mitch Farmer. All first-year Tigers, the 47-point demolition of Port Adelaide was their first win in Richmond colours. No other Tiger had tasted victory since round 18 last year, when Jordan McMahon’s goal after the siren gave Richmond a four-point win over Melbourne. Nason told the AFL Record that, despite having grown up in South Australia, and being just

10 games into his career at Punt Road, he had long known the words to the Tigers’ fabled song. “It’s the best song in the AFL and to get to ﬁnally sing it was so good,” he said. “The boys were so loud, it was the best feeling in the world.” The former Central District player, who turned 21 on Thursday, said the win over Port Adelaide was made even sweeter because of the heavy rain that soaked AAMI Stadium before and during the game. “I have never seen an AFL ground like that,” he said. “We usually have our pre-game forward-line meeting on the ground but we got to the top of the race and it was belting down and starting to ﬂood down the race. There were puddles everywhere.

“We said before the game it was going to be a street ﬁght and whoever went the hardest, got over the ball and wanted it more, was going to win.” So it proved, the Tigers’ combative mindset reﬂected in the 142 tackles they laid for the match, an AFL record. The win was the culmination of an improved run of form, which Nason said could be traced back to the 108-point thrashing Geelong dealt Richmond at Skilled Stadium in round six. “When we were 90 points down in that game, (Geelong captain) Cameron Ling blasted Paul Chapman for not being in the right spot or not manning up and we said, ‘That’s what we’ve got to get to if we want to become a good side’,” he said. CON T IN U ED NE X T PAGE

Essendon defender Dustin Fletcher’s one-match suspension for tripping upheld by the AFL Tribunal. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 57

the bounce

“We had a really tough session the following Tuesday. It was mainly tackling and wrestling – all body-related stuff – and since then we’ve tried to bring that to games.” While encouraged by the three-point loss to Hawthorn in round eight (Richmond dominated the inside-50 count 54-38) and to a lesser extent the competitive performances against Adelaide (round seven) and Essendon (nine), Nason said the Tigers were desperate to break their losing habit. “We talked about how some of the boys were just so used to losing that, at times, it almost seemed like it didn’t matter,” he said. “When we played the Crows, we were even at the start of the last quarter but lost by 50 points. We didn’t know how to win and to ﬁnish it off, so the win against Port was just so important for our conﬁdence.” While Nason stressed the Tigers were desperate for more wins, he said their main focus was on improving their “structures and set-ups”. This Friday night their focus would also be on giving veteran ruckman Troy Simmonds an appropriate send-off against the Saints. “He’s the type of guy who just cares for everyone around the club, who just absolutely loves the club,” Nason said. “It would be so good to get a win for him.”

WINNING STREAK

Skilled by name, skilled by nature PETER RYA N

o heavens opened to dump water on the front row of the Reg Hickey stand at Skilled Stadium last Saturday. It drizzled at half-time as the Victorian opposition leader Ted Baillieu munched on hot chips and the former Premier Steve Bracks joined the suits congregating on the level above. No one cared what was falling from the sky. Heaven was the green patch in front of the admiring hordes, a place where their beloved Cats were establishing the only reign that mattered: one of on-ﬁeld success. When the afternoon was done, the Cats had raised their consecutive home winning streak to 20, the seventh time a club has had a winning run at home extend to 20. It’s the second time Geelong has done it. The Cats also set a new mark for most quarters ‘won’ in a row – 20. The previous record

Only one achievement matters nowadays. That is why the new grandstand is called The Premiership Stand

was 17 (held by Geelong and St Kilda). They’re getting used to such records down at Geelong, so only one achievement matters nowadays. That’s why the new grandstand is called The Premiership Stand, a space within it displaying the club’s eight premiership cups. The juggernaut just rolls on.

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

What dish would you serve if you were on MasterChef?

Your favourite cricketer?

If I could play another sport, it would be?

Where is the furthest you have been from home?

Dean Cox (West Coast)

od Any seafood

Adam Gilchrist

Basketball

Sweden

Jack Watts (Melbourne)

mee Maybe some te two-minute th h noodles with vegemite on toast.

Shan ne Shane Warn ne Warne

tball Basketball

South Africa

Taylor Walker (Adelaide)

ecipe Give me a re recipe ook k it. and I’ll cook

H Hashim A Amla ((South A Africa)

Darts

Dan Hannebery (Sydney)

an Indonesian dlees pork noodles

A A.B. de V Villiers ((South A Africa)

Soccer for Manchester City

NEWS TRACKER

Dubai

Beagle Bay, two hours north of Broome

This game was over within five minutes of the first bounce when Geelong kicked the first three goals and Melbourne could hardly lay a mitt either on the ball, or its opponent. At such moments, the coach’s only worry comes when his players start splashing their cache around, as though the bounty is endless. “Sometimes that’s a danger when you have so much of the ball (early), you forget about what you should be doing and just start putting on a show,” Mark Thompson said. “Putting on a show really doesn’t interest us that much.” However, it’s hard to stop the show once the opening song has had such an impact. A 28-year-old recruit in his first season, James Podsiadly, is thrilling without even meaning to be. As it stands, when Podsiadly plays at Skilled, he snags five. It’s happened each of the four times he’s played there. There’s something Cliff Young-esque about the Podsiadly phenomenon. Even Thompson admitted his form was a surprise. “I didn’t think he would be as good when we got him.”

Youngsters Curtly Hampton, Sam Schulz and Mark Whiley commit to three-year deals with Team GWS.

58 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

20/20 VISION: Geelong superstar Gary Ablett on the burst last week as the Cats racked up their 20th consecutive win at Skilled Stadium.

Then there is the likely hero, 26-year-old superstar Gary Ablett, coming out of contract and not yet being clear about his long-term future, but still receiving ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ and screams every time he gains possession. At one stage, he picked up the ball in heavy trafﬁc like he was grabbing a cushion off a couch, protecting the ball while he was attacked from all corners. Eventually the bald champ found enough breathing space to ﬁre off a handball. It was stunning to watch. Thompson becomes tongue-tied now whenever the champ’s name his mentioned. He knows whatever he says about the No. 29 and his future will be interpreted and reinterpreted. The 20th win happened to be by a margin of nine goals, but eight of those wins have been by 10 goals or more. Seven have been against another top eight team, yet only once has the opposition gone into the game above Geelong on the ladder. They lap them up down there. It’s a different world to the one most supporters of Victorian-based clubs are used to. After victory, however, it’s worth sparing a thought for the vanquished. NEWS TRACKER

In the losers’ rooms, young first-gamer Jordan Gysberts stood being interviewed. He’d begun his debut match shoulder-to-shoulder with Ablett. After collecting 26 touches, he was barefooted, wearing a string anklet, a fashion accessory somewhat incongruous in such an earthy environment. He managed a smile on his 18-year-old face despite the loss, and no one blamed him for some satisfaction. His coach Dean Bailey recognised the significance of the moment for Gysberts, suggesting that playing Geelong in your first game would be a memorable experience. There was ‘future’ everywhere you looked, from Jack Watts slumped in the corner to Jack Trengove and Tom Scully strolling around in tracksuits (rested for this game), to Jack Grimes and James Frawley walking in circles, warming down. Scully was being introduced to football manager Chris Connolly’s young nephews. There was a dignified quiet. These defeats should be fuel for later victories. Melbourne’s focus would quickly turn to Carlton. It was no disgrace to lose by nine goals to this mob, at Geelong. “We played against exceptional opposition and we’d like to think there were going to be some good lessons learned,” Bailey said. Next up at Skilled Stadium, in round 14: North Melbourne. MOST CONSECUTIVE WINS AT ONE VENUE 24 Richmond at Punt Road Oval Rd 11, 1932-Rd 4, 1935 24 South Melbourne at Lake Oval Rd 8, 1934-Rd 17, 1936 22 Geelong at Kardinia Park Rd 9, 1954-Rd 16, 1956 21 Carlton at Princes Park Rd 22, 1993-Rd 7, 1996 20 Collingwood at Victoria Park R16, 1969-Rd 17, 1971 20 West Coast at Subiaco Rd 8, 2004-Rd 20, 2005 20* Geelong at Skilled Stadium** From Rd 3, 2008 * Current streak ** Kardinia Park renamed in 2002

RETURNING HOME

ALL SMILES: Coach Kevin Sheedy

with rugby league star Israel Folau, who has signed with GWS.

GWS coup as Folau the latest codebreaker

rugby league in Parkes, NSW. He played 36 games in two years, including the 1936 Grand Final. � Reg Garvin played soccer in Sydney, switched to rugby league for two seasons before playing Australian Football � On Tuesday, Team GWS with Newtown and then joining announced the signing of Israel St Kilda in 1937. He played 140 Folau. He will be the public games, winning the best and face for the new club based in fairest twice. Western Sydney. � Ray Smith played rugby union Team GWS CEO Dale Holmes before playing 77 matches for said Folau had accepted a Essendon from 1971-75 and 27 four-year contract. Much of for Melbourne from 1975-76. the football component of his � Mike Pyke was a Canadian contract was performancerugby union representative and based, with a significant part has played 12 matches with the of the NRL star’s contract Sydney Swans. related to his work promoting � Daniel Merrett played the club and the code to a schoolboy rugby wider audience. before switching Folau, 21, to football with said he was the Southport pleased GWS My family and Sharks. He was prepared my community in has played 92 to commit games with Western Sydney to him: the Brisbane “My family are extremely Lions. and my important � Sam community in Gilbert played to me Western Sydney ISRAEL FOLAU rugby league in are extremely Queensland until he important to me, was 16. He has played and I am pleased to be 61 games with St Kilda. playing for a new team.” � Brownlow medallist Jim Folau is the second big-name Stynes is the most celebrated of NRL player lured to the AFL’s the Gaelic footballers to play in newest clubs, with 23-year-old the AFL (others include Tadhg Karmichael Hunt signed by Gold Kennelly, Sean Wight, Brian Coast in 2009. Stynes, Marty Clarke, Colm Despite the significance of the Begley and Michael Quinn); signings in marketing terms, it’s Port Adelaide ruckman Dean worth reflecting from a football Brogan also played elite perspective that Folau and Hunt basketball before football, and will not be the first to play in the Setanta O’hAilpin had a hurling AFL after starting off in rugby. career in Ireland before joining � Jim Reid joined South PETER RYAN the Blues. Melbourne in 1935 after playing

Hawk Campbell Brown to miss at least a month after suﬀering a posterior cruciate injury to his left knee against Sydney last week. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 59

the bounce

ENVIRONMENT

Blues to go green C A L LU M T WOMEY

n recognition of the 10th anniversary of World Environment Day, Carlton, in conjunction with its sustainability partner Visy, marked the milestone with a series of events this week that will conclude at the MCG on Saturday. The Blues’ ‘Green’ Game against Melbourne coincides with World Environment Day and serves as a fitting finale to a week of activity, WE WANT starting with YOUTO BE A the launch of a video pledge by Carlton captain Chris Judd, who is also Visy’s environmental ambassador. The Blues spent the week promoting environmental issues, with 50 primary school students k visiting Visy Park on Thursday. The aim of the briefing was to raise awareness among young people of recycling, water management and energy saving. Supporters at the game will also have the chance to join activities, with fans invited to make their own pledge at Visy booths outside the MCG. Six fans will be selected to take part in a goalkicking exercise on the

GREEN CLUB

MAKE GREEN YOUR

SECOND TEAM

Our club is committe

ground prior to the match, with the winner tossing the coin at the start of the game. Carlton’s initiative comes on the back of the AFL launching a new online training module, ‘Green Clubs’, for community football clubs and the broader Australian Football industry. Aiming to educate clubs about ways they can reduce their impact on the environment while ensuring the sustainability of sporting grounds, the Green Clubs module is one component of a partnership established last year with the Australian Government’s Department of Climate Change and Energy Efﬁciency. In addition, an interactive c climate change a awareness p program for fa families and c children involved in junior football pr programs has been de developed. The Green Cl Clubs and Green ga game initiatives wi intersect, will wit NAB AFL with Au Auskick participants dur during the Green game to be given Enviroweek information packs. They will kick through recycling bins instead of goalposts in their matches. Furthering the competition’s relationship with the environment, the AFL has committed to reducing carbon pollution and this week renewed its partnership with Origin Energy as its ofﬁcial green power partner.

d to providing a we acknowledge quality environm ent for everyone that focusing on associated with our environmental us and sustainability is an important part of We’re committed this. to reducing our environm action to reduce ental footprint and our energy and water We are taking environm consumption; minimiseconserving resources. We are taking ental sustainability into account in our our waste; and to recycle more. policies, decisions This is a journey and practices. of continuous improvem members in order ent and we rely to become and remain on the every-day actions an environmentally sustainable quality and support of our club – a Green Club.

Club President

CELEBRATION

Sutton, Whitten oﬃcially Bulldogs legends J IM M A IN

ot surprisingly, BREED OF THEIR OWN: Ted Whitten premiership heroes (left) and Charlie Sutton were key Charlie Sutton and figures in the club’s only flag in 1954. Ted Whitten were inducted as ‘legends’ when the Western Bulldogs’ held their Tony Liberatore, Gary inaugural Hall of Fame function Dempsey, Kelvin Templeton, last week. Simon Beasley, Jack Collins, Sutton was captain-coach John Schultz, Allan Hopkins, of the club’s only premiership Norman Ware, Arthur team (1954). Whitten played Olliver, Harry Hickey and at centre half-back in that Alby Morrison. game and went on to The pioneers were James become one of the game’s Cuming, William Harris, greatest players. Dave De Coite, Jim Sutton played Cassidy, Roy Cotton, 173 games for Arthur Gregory, the club in Joe Marmo, 1942 and Archie Clarke, Whitten went from 1946Johnny on to become 56, while Craddock, one of the Whitten Vernon game’s greatest played 321 Banbury, games from Norman Ford, players 1951-70. Con McCarthy The Bulldogs and Vic Samson. inducted Three key another 13 moments in the club’s players and also honoured history were also recognised: 13 ‘pioneers’ who made the 1954 premiership, the contributions before Neil Sachse incident in 1975 the club’s entry to the VFL in which the Bulldog was left in 1925. paralysed, and the 1989 fight The inductees were against the proposed merger Chris Grant, Doug Hawkins, with Fitzroy.

I pledge to recycle at home … and away

VIS113

Visy & Carlton Football Club encourage all fans to recycle at the ground.

60 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

NEW ERA

Crows well prepared for changing of the guard SH A NE McNA L LY

any Adelaide supporters will be hanging over the fence to give retiring champion Tyson Edwards (pictured below) the send-off he deserves on Saturday against Fremantle and they’ll get the chance to do it all over again in a few months when captain Simon Goodwin hangs up his boots, too. Edwards announced his retirement last Thursday, but by Friday he and the club had agreed he would play a farewell match. Decisions will have to be made about other veterans (Andrew McLeod and Brett Burton will be 34 and 32 respectively at season’s end), but there’s no question the professional but ageing Crows are in a transition period. It’s a major one. The retirement of great players at the same time in any team sport is challenging to manage. rows have some The struggling Crows a ayers – Patrick wonderful young players rmstrong, Dangerﬁeld, Tony Ar Armstrong, o Rory ok, Phil Davis, Myke Cook, tiin Sloane, Brodie Martin and Jared Petrenko h hey among them – but they eiir are still learning their craft and surely not expected to lead thee team into the new y. era. Not yet anyway. So with a big holee ou up, in the leadership group, errs will the young players still be able to ﬁre as Adelaide tries to resurrect itself as a force next year? Crows general manager of football operations Phil Harper says they can and will and that, while the senior stars will be NEWS TRACKER

missed, they were not expected to be part of the 2011 plans. “We haven’t budgeted for any of those four guys to play on into 2011,” Harper says. “But if one of McLeod or Burton has the form and if their body was able and they were willing, we’d love one of them to go on. But as a list management group, we haven’t counted on them going on another year. “When you lose that experience and leadership, it’s a worry, but I think there are some very good young leaders coming through who can be guided by the likes of Nathan van Berlo and Ben Rutten. “In the next group, guys like Dangerfield, David Mackay and Ivan Maric are all showing great leadership around the club.” Harper says while the loss of two, three or all four veteran stars would leave a gap in the short term, younger players such as Dangerfield, Davis, Sloane, Petrenko and Cook will have enough games under their belts to start making an impact. He points to the injured Andy Otten as an example of how quickly a promising youngster can become a key player, and says his return from a knee injury will be a welcome boost next season. “It was only a couple of years ago that Otten played two games and then was g runner r-up in the Rising runner-up Star aw wa the next award year,” Harper Ha H says. “Play ye can step up “Players qui ck if they’re quickly qua q quality individuals an and we have some yyoung players w who are getting experience and ready to take the club into the n next era. ““Kurt Tippett is rea ad to put his ready stamp on the game, Dangerfi fieeld and Mackay are very iim impressive and Richard Do oug has stepped Douglas up a gear. “These young you un guys are ready to takee on o greater responsibilities and hopefully responsibilities they’ll have a similar si long-term clu that Edwards impact at the club and Goodwin have hav had.” h

the bounce

ON LEADERSHIP PETER RYAN

The new reality facing leaders

� Is it more than a coincidence that the rush of players being suspended by club leadership groups these days has happened in an era when reality television rules? As a culture, we suddenly appear very comfortable to exercise our right to pass judgment on individuals, create penalties and impose them swiftly. Whether it’s MasterChef or Australian Idol or The Weakest Link, there are a set of judges – a group of experienced, ‘good’ people – ready to impose their view of the world from a position of power. Since Geelong suspended Steve Johnson at the start of the 2007 season and subsequently won the premiership with an All-Australian and Norm Smith medal-winning Johnson up forward, the justice of such a process has not been questioned. It’s only round 11 and I can count 17 players who have been ‘sanctioned’ by club leadership groups since a couple of Carlton players stepped over the line and oﬀ a boat just before Christmas. (Jason Akermanis was this week suspended by the Western Bulldogs, with the leadership group heavily involved in assessing his standing at the club.) Part of being inside a football club is to accept the responsibility of belonging, so curtailing individual activities for the beneﬁt of the team is fair enough. So far, clubs have been relatively sensible in imposing penalties for misdemeanours. In many cases, the matters have been serious enough to earn a rebuke. It would seem due process has been followed and expert advice is often sought. When sanctions are handed down, the aggrieved player generally receives emotional support from within the club, a process many have described

SANCTIONED: Jason Akermanis this week faced his teammates.

as helpful. There are advantages of course for the football club, too. A leadership group decision acts as a circuit breaker for the shifting media swarm that surrounds any indiscretion, blowing the pack towards the next hoo-ha. However, as sections of the media now clamour for action over both minor matters and more serious issues, the leadership group is at the front line. This must be putting pressure on individuals and groups making the judgments as the groups are not only forced to make a team statement, but in many cases, a social statement too. Wow, that is not a role many would have expected or been prepared for when drafted (take Carlton’s Bryce Gibbs, for example, who was in the leadership group having just turned 18, in year one of his career at Carlton). The decision is often of such a high profile there is not much wriggling room left. Sometimes the ‘need’ for action is so great that penalties may be ‘inevitable’ and ‘necessary’ for reasons beyond the team’s on-field needs and every player suffers because player A, B or C is missing. It’s time to take stock. Leadership groups are carrying a big enough burden. We may have reached the outer limits of what we should expect of them.

Hawthorn forward Lance Franklin accepts one-match ban for a head-high bump on Swan Martin Mattner. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 61

the bounce

N E W G E N E R AT I O N O F C O AC H E S

‘Old’ mates have youth on their side � Former Brisbane Lions premiership teammates Michael Voss and Brad Scott will match wits as senior coaches for the ﬁrst time on Saturday night when the Lions take on North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. They will do so as the competition’s youngest coaches. Both are 34 but Scott is Voss’ junior by almost 10 months, and nearly 23 years younger than the AFL’s oldest coach, Collingwood’s Mick Malthouse, who turns 57 in August. Much has been made of AFL clubs’ growing preference for younger coaches, with ﬁve of 2010’s coaches coache under 40 and 10 under 45. coac Butt Scott Sc and Voss are old-stagers in comparison to the youngest non-ccom playing play ayin coach in League history, Melbourne’s Gordon Rattray, M who w was 25 when he took over in round one, 1924. NICK BOWEN

YOUNGEST COACHES IN 2010 Club

Age

Date of Birth

North Melb

May 3, 1976

Michael Voss

Brisbane

July 7, 1975

Damien Hardwick

Richmond

August 18, 1972

Brad Scott

Brett Ratten Matthew Knights

Carlton

July 11, 1971

Essendon

October 5, 1970

YOUNGEST NON-PLAYING COACHES ON DEBUT Club

Age (years, days)

Season

Gordon Rattray

Melbourne

25, 189

1924

Dave McNamara

St Kilda

26, 94

1913

Allan Jeans

St Kilda

27, 206

1961

Ron Barassi*

Melbourne

28, 100

1964

Joe Kelly

Footscray

29, 349

1937

Barry Richardson*

Richmond

30, 92

1976

Mick Malthouse

Footscray

30, 226

1984

Fitzroy

30, 250

1981

Robert Walls

*stand-in coach in place of the appointee

ANNUAL CLASH

Marn Grook match to celebrate indigenous culture

J IM M A IN

or Sydney Swans star Adam Goodes, there is much more than four match points at stake against Essendon at the SCG this weekend. Goodes believes the annual Marn Grook game provides a wonderful window to show the rest of the football world that indigenous players are a vital component of the game at the highest level. Goodes recently wrote a newspaper column (also published in the AFL Record) to point out indigenous players do not have special inherent skills and, instead, build their success on hard work and diligence. He has had a tremendous response from the football public and, in particular, from fellow indigenous players. “Eddie Betts’ partner even emailed me to thank me as most fans had the perception that Eddie’s goals came naturally, forgetting all the hard work

SIX OF THE BEST NOT ENOUGH FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA � A stunning performance from prospective top-ﬁve draft pick Harley Bennell (pictured) was not enough to help Western Australia overcome South Australia in a NAB AFL Under-18 Championships match at AAMI Stadium last wekend. In slippery conditions, Bennell kicked six of WA’s eight goals, but the SA side ﬂexed its muscle to record a 65-point win. With some of the best young tall players in the country, SA adapted to the conditions, with

NEWS TRACKER

key forward Jamie Solly kicking five goals and Lewis Hender, a bottom-aged player from Keith in country SA, starring in the first half with four goals. In the other game played last weekend, Vic Country was too strong for Vic Metro at the MCG. North Ballarat forward Lucas Cook booted five goals, including a burst of three in three minutes in the second quarter. Jed Lamb was also prominent with four majors in Country’s 42-point win. Thomas Liberatore (25 disposals) and Mitch Wallis

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

(25) played well for Metro, but Andrew Gaﬀ stole the show, the Oakleigh Chargers’ midﬁelder having 31 disposals. The carnival continues this weekend, with Tasmania playing Vic Metro at Bellerive Oval on Saturday and the Northern Territory battling South Australia at TIO Stadium in Darwin. Both Sunday games (NSW/ACT-Vic Country and Queensland-Western Australia) will be played at Blacktown Olympic Park in Western Sydney. CALLUM TWOMEY

he has put into developing his game,” he said. Goodes wants a Swans victory so he can hold the Marn Grook Trophy aloft, as it has special significance for the two clubs’ indigenous players. “I always look forward to this match and I know the Essendon players do as well,” Goodes said. “It is a celebration of indigenous culture and I am very proud to take part.” The match was first played in 2002 and this will be the ninth time the clubs have competed for the trophy. Marn Grook means ‘game ball’ and is the name given to a traditional version of the indigenous game, originated during a corroboree of the Djabwurrung and Jardwadjali clans in western Victoria. It was played with a ball about the size of an orange and made from possum skin filled with pounded charcoal and/or grass and bound with kangaroo sinews. The ball was kicked and tossed by the opposing teams of up to 50 players. Goodes said the indigenous “brothers” from the Swans and Bombers regarded the Marn Grook game as one of the highlights of their season. “There is a lot of fantastic support for this game,” he said. “It is special and I only hope we can win it as Essendon won last year. It would be a very proud moment for me to collect the trophy.” MILESTONES ROUND 11

150 games Justin Koschitzke St Kilda

100 games Michael Rischitelli Brisbane Lions Steven Dodd Fremantle

50 games Scott Harding Port Adelaide Damien Sully Umpire The list includes those not necessarily selected but on the verge of milestones.

North Melbourne vice-captain Drew Petrie will be out for up to six weeks with a fractured right foot.

62 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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13566

the bounce

Growing the talent pool is critical, and attracting ﬁrstchoice athletes from other codes is essential

LETTER FROM THE AFL CEO ANDREW DEMETRIOU � Andrew Demetriou this week wrote to all clubs and players, explaining the AFL’s position on the two new clubs’ recruitment of rugby league players. The following is an edited version.

ANDREW DEMETRIOU

I wanted to take this opportunity to set out the facts, which are contrary to some of the recent commentary concerning our competition expansion plans, particularly in relation to the signings of rugby league players Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau. Naturally, the recruiting of the two players by the Gold Coast Football Club and Team GWS at ages 23 and 21 respectively has generated an enormous amount of media coverage and debate, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales. While Karmichael and Israel have achieved just about everything there is to achieve in rugby league, they have not yet reached the peak years of their athletic careers. To make a decision to pursue an AFL career is therefore an extremely bold and brave one, particularly in the context of their status as elite rugby league players. It would be interesting to hear from AFL players with a similar standing in our game as to whether they would consider a similar career move? The people involved in assessing their potential as AFL players, including Scott Clayton, Mark Browning, Guy McKenna, Jason McCartney, Alan McConnell, Kevin Sheehan, Kevin Sheedy and Graeme Allan, are highly respected

SOUND INVESTMENT: Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau will be invaluable

in promoting Australian Football in Queensland and New South Wales.

within the AFL competition. Their prime consideration was to assess Karmichael and Israel as potential AFL players and how they could develop and adapt to our game in an elite full-time professional AFL environment. Our development team headed by David Matthews has also judged that both players will be invaluable in promoting our game as a viable career option for ﬁrstchoice athletes in Queensland and New South Wales in particular, and to communities that currently do not have a strong connection to our game in both states. There has been a great deal of ill-informed commentary and guesswork about the contracts for both players. The playing contracts for both players will be within the TPP and be around the average playing contract for an AFL player. Both have separate marketing and promotional contracts with the AFL to promote our game in Queensland and New South Wales in particular.

Their contracts are key components of our marketing investment in these regions and we are extremely comfortable with the cut-through they have already provided, and they will continue to generate a high-level of interest as the two clubs develop. We see their contracts with the AFL as based on the same principle as the independent arrangements current AFL players have with third parties to undertake bona ﬁde marketing and promotional activities. In 2009, AFL players received almost $2 million from these independent arrangements and $7.69 million in additional service agreements with their clubs. From time to time, the AFL has contracted players to undertake bona ﬁde game development, marketing and promotional activities over and above their collective bargaining agreement obligations and therefore the principle of retaining Karmichael and Israel is no different to current practice.

We also believe that by assisting us to grow the talent pool and broaden the supporter base for the AFL competition, all clubs will ultimately benefit. Our competition expansion plans have been unanimously endorsed by the AFL clubs and, given our overall investment to establish two new AFL clubs and create an additional 90-100 opportunities for AFL players, we think it is not unreasonable to use every possible opportunity to support Gold Coast, Team GWS and the overall development of the game. With two new clubs, growing the talent pool is critical, and attracting first-choice athletes from other codes is essential in assisting us to grow the overall pool. Like everyone, we have read about alleged contract offers from Gold Coast and Team GWS to certain players in their first and second year with current AFL clubs. Our advice is that no such offers have been made by Gold Coast or Team GWS to the players who have been subject to extensive media coverage in recent weeks.

ANDREW DEMETRIOU AFL CEO

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64 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

MICK Richmond Carlton Fremantle North Melbourne Geelong Sydney Swans Hawthorn Western Bulldogs

SAM St Kilda Carlton Fremantle Brisbane Lions Geelong Sydney Swans Hawthorn Collingwood

DAVE St Kilda Carlton Fremantle North Melbourne Geelong Essendon Hawthorn Western Bulldogs

LEHMO St Kilda Carlton Fremantle Brisbane Lions Geelong Sydney Swans Hawthorn Collingwood

ANDY St Kilda Carlton Fremantle North Melbourne Geelong Essendon Hawthorn Western Bulldogs

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Karl Langdon

the bounce

PLAYERS WE LOVED ROUND 10 LEIGH MONTAGNA � Many a critic has spent this year debating what constitutes an outstanding game of football and the subject was again raised last weekend following Bryce Gibbs’ 45-possession performance that his coach Brett Ratten was reluctant to praise. Of course, there was no such confusion or debate over Leigh Montagna’s effort against Adelaide. In short, Montagna played close to the perfect game, the type we see from a player maybe only once a year. There is little doubt Montagna has become one of the competition’s elite and his 38-touch, five-goal d effort underlined his status as onee of the AFL’s best midfielders. In a year in which the Saints have encountered some rough patches, Montagna is doing his best to keep the team on track for September action. FREE SPIRIT: Dale e

Thomas is one of blle the most watchable m me. players in the game.

EYE-CATCHING: Slick Saint Leigh Montagna and promising young Bomber Scott Gumbleton (inset) had fans in raptures.

DALE ET THOMAS �H Hee iis far from maligned butt sometimes so Dale Thomas’ Th T value as a No. 2 draft pick (2005) is disputed. Taken ahead of teammate Scott S Pendlebury in the same year, yearr, ‘Daisy’ ‘ has not enjoyed consisste the consistency of Pendlebury or the accolades. acccol But when Thomas iss in the zone – as he was th he Brisbane Lions – he against the is one of tthe most enjoyable

talents to watch. Thomas still plays with the spirit of his youth, with instinct, with a style often drained out of younger players as they turn professional and put team rules ahead of their innate feel for the game. We know Mick Malthouse to be a tough taskmaster, and there is no doubt Thomas has been well drilled, but he has not been broken. Against the Lions last weekend, he was in everything … and loving every minute of it.

SCOTT GUMBLETON � In the opening game of the season, Essendon unveiled the remodelled Scott Gumbleton. The hope was he would not be troubled by th the bulging dis disc complaint th that ruined his 20 2009 campaign. G Gumbleton also had h huge shoes to fill, w with the retirement o of two of the club’s sstar goalkickers, M Matthew Lloyd a and Scott Lucas. He had inherited H tthe space in th b ’ fforward 50. the B Bombers’ Gumbleton managed only three kicks in the round-one game and was goalless, but he survived. Nine weeks later, against the Western Bulldogs last week, the young forward showed why the club had been so eager to take him in 2006 (No. 2 overall, behind Gibbs). His hands are clean and strong, he can leap and take pack marks and his three-goal effort was a small start to what appears to be a big future. More importantly, Gumbleton is fit. Before this year, he had managed just five games; this season he has played them all. CAMERON NOAKES

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66 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

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Moments of the

2000-09

As a rule, changes have been for the better Rule changes over the past decade have made the game safer and enhanced it as a spectacle. ASHLEY BROW NE

here are few feedback mechanisms, including things in football the AFL wesbite. that drive fans The first major change in to flood the Anderson’s tenure was the radio talkback introduction of a 10m diameter lines and online outer circle in which ruckman message boards more than the had to be positioned for centre introduction by the AFL of new bounces. It followed a spate rules – and new interpretations of knee injuries to ruckmen – of the rules. particularly posterior cruciate “Leave the rules alone,” is ligament injuries – suffered as the usual demand of outraged they charged into each other at supporters. And they would centre bounces. have had plenty of opportunites Figures show that from to air their grievances in the 2000-04, between two and five decade from 2000-09, when players each year were sidelined the AFL made 24 changes to by PCL injuries. Since then, there the laws of the game, all the have been four in total. “We’ve while, according to the AFL’s virtually eliminated serious general manager of football knee injuries to ruckmen,” operations Adrian Anderson said. Anderson, with two Similarly, a rule clear objectives change in 2008 in mind: player that granted an welfare and fan automatic free Our job is to enjoyment. kick to a player make sure it “It is our who received remains the great responsibility any high contact to minimise when their head spectacle it has the risk of was over the ball always been injuries in has also led to a ADRIAN ANDERSON what is a contact marked reduction sport,” Anderson in the number of head said. “It can take and neck injuries. a big toll The rule has been on the bodies of the players applied across all levels of and we want the best Australian Football, with all players playing.” leagues across the country “We also need to take steps reporting reduced incidences to protect the game as a of head and neck injuries. spectacle. Our job is to make Anderson joined the AFL sure it remains the great before the start of the 2004 spectacle it has always been.” season and, within days, was Anderson’s arrival at the AFL presented with data that showed to oversee all football-related the amount of time in a game matters ushered in a new the ball was actually in play approach to monitoring the rules had dropped to just below of the game. 50 per cent. Scientific data was given much In other words, in a stop-start more credence and the AFL’s game such as ours, there was medical fraternity became a evidence of too much stop and major stakeholder in the way the not enough start. game is played, while supporters Measures introduced over the were given the opportunity past five years have resulted in to have their say via various the ball being in play more than

70 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

60 per cent of the time, a level that helps maintain the game’s appeal as a spectacle. The first significant change in that direction came in 2006 and was designed to speed up the game following behinds being scored. The wait for goal umpires to wave their flags following a behind had led teams to create complicated zones and clusters to defend kick-ins. So, the move was made to allow defenders to instead bring the ball back into play once the score had been registered.

POSITIVE PUSH:

A stricter interpretation of the hands-in-the-back rule has led to an increase in one of the game’s most exciting features, contested marks.

That has led to more continuous play, as has a move by the umpires to bounce the ball more quickly in general play, to more strictly interpret the deliberate out of bounds rule and to allow players just 30 seconds to take a set shot for goal. The awarding of a free kick for blatant rushed behinds was a high-proﬁle rule introduced at the start of the 2009 season. The AFL had been monitoring the increased frequency of rushed behinds for several years, but the issue was brought to a head in 2008 when Richmond’s

SAFETY FIRST: The introduction of

T H E A F T E R M AT H

the outer circle at centre bounces has virtually eliminated serious knee injuries for ruckmen, while the crackdown on high contact to players with their head over the ball, as indicated by umpire Michael Vozzo below, has reduced the number of head and neck injuries.

UNDER REVIEW: The AFL is investigating

whether the record number of rotations are good for the game.

Joel Bowden rushed several behinds in the last moments of a game against Essendon in order to wind the clock down, while Hawthorn also used the tactic to its advantage during that year’s Grand Final. “Some of the most exciting moments in games take place when teams have to keep the ball in play close to the goal line,” Anderson said. “That’s part of

our mandate to enhance the game as a spectacle.” And he also pointed to stricter interpretation of the hands-in-the-back rule as a positive to the game, with ﬁgures revealing there are an average of two more contested marks, and 12 spoils a game in 2010, compared to 2005. ASHLEY BROWNE IS EDITOR OF BACKPAGELEAD.COM.AU

� The 2010 season is barely half-completed, but the rule changes for the next decade of football are already being contemplated. Adrian Anderson and the AFL’s game analyst Andrew McKay are about to embark on a series of meetings with the coaching staﬀs of all clubs and up for discussion are tweaks and enhancements to the game in several areas, with interchanges at the top of the list. In particular, the AFL is investigating whether the record number of interchanges taking place in games is leading

to more injuries and leading to a more defensive style of game because players are fresher and able to impact more contests. There is also a fairness aspect to be considered, speciﬁcally whether teams that have injured players and can’t bring them back on to the ground now face too large a disadvantage. Also under consideration, according to Anderson, is the length of games, the advantage rule, and allowing boundary umpires to make decisions at stoppages, a system that has been trialled in the NAB Cup.

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AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 71

Col Hutchinson

timeon Our AFL history guru answers your queries.

IN FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS:

Being a Collingwood fanatic, I watched Heath Shaw play his 100th game in round 10 against Geelong. His brother Rhyce and father Ray are also in the 100 club. How many other fathers and two sons have brought up the century?

NAME GAME

Charlie Pannam snr (left) and Teddy Rankin both had two sons who played 100 games at the highest level.

The Woodsmen

NORM WILSON, ROSANNA, VIC.

CH: There are just two

other families to match the Shaws. Teddy Rankin represented Geelong in 180 matches at AFL/VFL level from 1897-1910. His boys, Bert (132 matches between 1912-23) and Cliff (153 matches from 1915-28) also represented the Cats with distinction. Charlie Pannam became the ﬁrst League player to reach the century in round 14, 1902. He made 179 appearances for the Magpies from 1897-1907 and 14 for Richmond in 1908. His sons, Charlie jnr (142 matches for Collingwood and South Melbourne between 1917 and 1928) and Alby (183 matches for Collingwood and Richmond between 1933 and 1947) also reached the milestone. WRITE TO ANSWER MAN The Slattery Media Group 140 Harbour Esplanade Docklands, 3008 or email michaell@slatterymedia.com

72 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

AFL mystery men Stewart Anderson � Recruited from Hamilton in western Victoria as a key forward, Anderson booted 21 goals in 20 matches for St Kilda between 1933-35 before being cleared to Oakleigh in the VFA. In 1936-37, he represented North Melbourne, where he added 14 appearances and 20 majors. In his ﬁrst season with the Shinboners, he was the club’s leading goalscorer with the low tally of 18.

Remarkably, he played the last four of his 11 games that year at full-back. William Frederick Shenﬁeld Born on April 25, 1911, in Albany, Shenﬁeld played with South Fremantle until Fitzroy enticed him east in 1934. He managed 16 goals in 25 matches as a 180cm, 85kg half-forward and occasional centreman. He played for two seasons and wore guernsey No. 17.

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.

� This season, we have seen the re-emergence of a famous footballing name in Silvagni. Alex Silvagni, recruited as a mature-age rookie by Fremantle, is the second cousin of Carlton great Stephen, whose father Sergio is another famous Blue. Silvagni derives from the Latin name Silvanus (a woodland deity), itself derived from silva, “a wood”. Interestingly, the middle name of triple Brownlow medallist R.S. (Dick) Reynolds is Sylvanus. A connected, but more prosaic, name is Wood(s), which refers to someone living in or near a wood. There have been 21 players named Wood on League lists, the most notable being fourtime premiership player Bryan Wood (Richmond and Essendon); and nine named Woods, the most interesting being Bervin Woods, dual Collingwood premiership player, who was appointed Magpies coach in 1950 but, due to club politics, never coached them. The Magpies’ Cameron Wood (C. Wood) joins the list of those perfectly named for their club. KEVAN CARROLL

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timeon

KIDS’ CORNER

IVE F TO FIND

Sudoku

� 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.

J. ROUGHEAD O

E U

O G

R J

U D

R H

3 Which Hawthorn premiership player ayer is an

D A

when they joined the competition in 1987?

U E

1 When did Carlton win its last premiership?

A E

assistant coach at Collingwood?

4 Docker Kepler Bradley started his s AFL

career at which club?

5 Who is Melbourne’s only 300-game me player? playerr? THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS 5 QUICK QUESTIONS: 1. 1995; 2. Peter Knights; 3. Paul Hudson; 4. Essendon; 5. David Neitz (306). SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Dane Swan’s tattoo removed from right ankle; his right boot has red stripes; dirt removed from Sharrod Wellingham’s jumper; white stripe missing from Darren Jolly’s right shoulder; white strip beneath Swan’s number missing.

QUICK QUESTIONS

2 Who was the coach of the Brisbane Bears

HAWTHORN

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

timeon

NAB AFL RISING STAR

Tiger on the rise

Tenacious midﬁelder Dustin Martin has already won over the Richmond faith faithful but says his best is still to come. CALLUM TWOMEY

2010 NAB AFL Rising Star Nominees

espite averaging g 20 POLISHED PERFORMER: is nine possessions in his Dustin Martin’s toughness on, it and poise under pressure games this season, have been features of his says a lot about young debut AFL season. artin Richmond star Dustin Martin d with that he is far from satisﬁed his performances. ssion Following his 21-possession st effort in heavy rain against nd, Port Adelaide last weekend, AB which earned him the NAB on, AFL Rising Star nomination, Martin said there was stilll much improvement left in him for the rest of the season. “I want to keep playing my role, but hopefully I mightt also be able to play a few moree better games,” Martin said. “I haven’t really played a ve great game yet. I think I’ve just been playing OK, so I want to start I haven’t really having a few better played a great ones soon.” game yet. I think I’ve The Richmond faithful would be just been playing pleased enough competition, OK. I want to start with what they where he was having a few better able to test have seen already, ones soon but Martin’s path himself against DUSTIN MARTIN to selection by the better players. Tigers with pick Martin admitted No. 3 in last year’s NAB his move back home at AFL Draft was probably less the end of 2007 was, in part, conventional than most of his to match up against a higher ﬁrst-round counterparts. standard of football in the TAC Martin moved to Sydney when Cup for the Bendigo Pioneers. he was 16, having left school “I moved back but I had in hometown Castlemaine missed the Pioneers’ try-outs in central Victoria, and even so I started training with contemplated trying his hand at Castlemaine and I played seniors rugby league but “pulled out at there most of the year in 2008. last minute”. “I was lucky enough to get four He played football at games with Bendigo at the end under-16s level in Sydney of 2008 and made the Pioneers but found it “a lot easier” so squad in 2009 and played with jumped up into the under-18s them all year.”

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) Round 10 – Dustin Martin (Rich)

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW 1 He played pretty well, too, finishing second in the best and fairest award after playing only 11 games. His toughness, attack on the ball and poise under pressure, lauded at under-age level, has been evident in his AFL games. Just as noticeable has been Martin’s maturity. Following media speculation about his future and possible ties with new club Greater Western Sydney, the 18-year old played his best game for the Tigers. Perhaps that level-headedness at the top level is a reflection of a stabilising influence at home, with Martin having recently moved in with Richmond president Gary March.

Martin is interested in moving into football media work following his playing career.

2 His father, Shane, has a Maori background.

3 He regularly plays

PlayStation 3 in his spare time and says he is the best FIFA exponent at Richmond.

“It’s been awesome. I was living with (teammates) Jayden Post and Ben Nason earlier in the year, having originally been at a host family, but I moved in with Gary two weeks ago,” he said. “I felt like going back to a family environment and Gary said I could jump in with him, which has been really good.”

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

More Give, Less Take NAB has been awarded the 2010 Socially Responsible Financial Institution of the Year by Money magazine. “NAB has led vital discussion around social and environmental responsibility in the last year, and backed it with action. NAB stood out for its pioneering leadership and sustained effort. We reward NAB for using its muscle to benefit consumers, for real environmental leadership, and for supporting vulnerable Australians through a world-class micro-lending program. Its microfinance program has helped thousands of disadvantaged people build local enterprises and afford essential household goods and services during a time when credit was very tough to find.” - Chair of the Money Magazine award judging panel, Ms Mara Bun, CEO of Green Cross.

Learn more at nab.com.au

timeon

LAST LINE

Applying data laterally

Unravelling the vagaries of goalkicking

t’s weird. This season, the fourth quarters have been the lowest scoring terms. Historically, final terms have been the highest scoring quarters for good reasons. Maintaining defensive pressure gets harder towards the end of games and this leaves gaps open for late scoring bonanzas. Sometimes, teams with a chance late in the game throw caution to the wind and attack at all costs. Or, when the result is beyond doubt, players indulge in party-time scoring junkets. Why we are seeing a drop in final-quarter scoring in relation to the other three quarters – defying history and going against all logic – is anyone’s guess. Equally intriguing is analysis of overall scoring trends provided by sports statistician Darren O’Shaughnessy. His findings, noted in the graph featured, highlight how variations in scoring accuracy over time are directly linked to the number of scoring shots in a game. According to the evidence, games with more scoring shots have significantly higher goalscoring accuracy, and conversely, games with fewer scores have lower goal-scoring accuracy. The analysis shows, on average since 1997, 53.5 per cent of all scores have been goals. In a game with an average of 51 scoring shots, there will be slightly more than 27 goals and about 23 behinds. However, if there are more than 51 scores, about 59.7 per cent of the additional scores are goals. For instance, matches with 61 scores have about 33 goals (six extra) and about 27 behinds (only four extra), for an accuracy of 54.5 per cent (1.0 per cent above average). Games with low

78 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

at other venues, and hence The O’Shaughnessy analysis result in more consistent scoring adds another dimension. It helps accuracy than elsewhere. explain why scoring accuracy As expected, overall scoring varies from season to season accuracy at Etihad Stadium is and between rounds: variable higher than at other venues. climate conditions and game But given its controlled weather characteristics. and surface environment, After 10 rounds this season, the difference between its the average of 26 goals a game scoring accuracy of 55.8 per is less than the long-term cent compared to the average of 28 goals a competition average game. According of 53.5 per cent to the analysis, a is surprisingly decline in scoring Games with modest – an more scoring shots accuracy is improvement predicted and have signiﬁcantly of only 1.4 has occurred, higher goalgoals and is tracking a game. at 51.7 per cent, scoring accuracy Previous AFL the lowest since Record articles, 1990. The highest (rounds six and scoring accuracy eight) explained year, 2000 (55.2 per why scoring accuracy even cent), is notable for severe in the ideal conditions of Etihad drought conditions through Stadium has reached a ceiling much of Australia and the home level of about 57 per cent. and away season was played Unless there are improvements earlier to accommodate the to the aerodynamic ﬂight Sydney Olympics. characteristics of the football Invariably, players and poor and goalkicking is restricted to coaching will always be blamed specialist-trained shooters, the for seemingly easy ng g goals b goa chances of breaking this ceiling being missed. Bu ut it are rare. But it’s the weather, ma mate, is what sshould be said. TREND FOR ACCURACY vs NUMBER OF SCORES So far this season, it 56% appears the 55% drought has broken and I 54% will be more AVERAGE: 53.5% % forgiving 53% before saying, 53% “Ya mug, you missed!” 51%

numbers of scores ‘lose’ goals at the same rate so, in a match with 41 scores, we can expect about 21 goals (six fewer) and about 19 behinds (four fewer), resulting in an accuracy rating of 51.9 per cent overall (1.6 per cent below average). Whether a game is a scrappy affair or a free-flowing one impacts on scoring accuracy outcomes. A game’s characteristics can best explain why scoring accuracy varies as it does round by round or season by season. Factors influencing characteristics include weather conditions and ground surface. To test this proposition, further analysis of individual venues was done. Etihad Stadium, with its unique roof and replaceable turf, presents a good test case. Unlike all other stadiums, the results show consistent scoring accuracy irrespective of the number of scoring shots. It is reasonable to assume the controlled environment means games at the venue are more consistently freer-flowing, compared to games

50% 49% 48%

28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72 74 4

SHARP: Eagle Josh Kennedy is one of the most accurate goalkickers in the game.

TED HOPKINS IS A TE T CARLTON PREMIERSHIP CAR RLT PLAYER FOUNDER R AND A OF CHAMPION DATA. CHAM M HIS CURR CURRENT RE PROJECT IS TEDSPORT, A HIGH TEDSPO O PERFORMANCE DATA ANALYSIS PERFORM MA AND CONSULTING SERVICE. CON NS

We got Lance Franklin to hang up his boots≥

Artist: David Williams, Gilimbaa

‘Buddy’ is one of the most exciting players in the AFL today and is now one of the Hawks leading goal kickers. Which is why we asked him to hang up his boots. Buddy’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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