Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
Hawthorn recruit to be charged over pursuit
Hawthorn AFL recruit Brad Hill is expected to be charged after a police pursuit overnight.
Officers allegedly tried to stop the 18-year-old's high-powered sedan on Connolly Drive in the Perth suburb of Merriwa last night.
A pursuit ensued but police were forced to abort as the car turned into a residential street.
Police later tracked the car's registration back to Hill's address.
The Hawthorn Football club says Hill panicked, turned a corner and drove away from police to a friend's house nearby.
The club says blood alcohol tests have confirmed that Hill had not been drinking.
He will be charged by summons with failing to stop and reckless driving.
The car will be seized under Western Australia's anti-hoon laws.
Hill was selected by the Hawks in November's AFL draft and is the brother of Fremantle Dockers midfielder Stephen Hill.
Tags: australian-football-league, police, perth-6000, melbourne-3000 First posted December 29, 2011 18:57:13Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Gillard announces Adelaide Oval funding
The Federal Government will provide $30 million towards the Adelaide Oval redevelopment.
The money will help to pay for 375 underground car parks and a wetland walk on the oval side of the River Torrens.
The Prime Minister Julia Gillard made the announcement at the oval this morning.
She says the funding will ease concerns about traffic congestion in the city during sporting events.
"What we've announced today is going to meet the needs of the local community so they're going to be reassured there will not be cars across their driveways," she said.
Three hundred of the car parks will be built beneath the new eastern stand with the remaining 75 to go beneath the indoor cricket centre at the oval's southern end.
The Prime Minister was flanked by South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) president Ian McLachlan, Acting Premier John Rau and Member for Adelaide Kate Ellis.
Ms Ellis conceded the contribution was less than the State Government initially asked for.
"I think South Australians would expect their treasurers to be asking for perhaps more money than they're going to get in the end. We think that this is a fair contribution."
SACA president Ian McLachlan says the funding will cover most of the remaining costs of the project.
"This extra 30 million really rounds out most of the important things that need to be done. There are some other things that we could do, but they're not essential," he said.
The State Opposition's treasury spokesman, Iain Evans, says the purpose of the funding is to cover the cost of a budget blow-out.
"Before the election, the State Government were telling everyone in South Australia that they could build the oval for $450 million and not a cent more," he said.
"The total cost now is well over $600 million, and the $30 million today primarily goes to paying for car parking that was already part of the project anyway."
The chief executive of the Infrastructure Department, Rod Hook, says the main purpose of the money is to provide extra parking space in the parklands.
"The two underground car parks, whilst they will contribute to support parking for major footy or cricket games, they will be mainly used for functions down here at the oval in non-major event days. That's 375 cars that otherwise may be parked around the surface in the northern parklands. Those cars can go underground and out of sight for the normal non-major event day," he said.
"We were already intending to do the 300 car parks underneath the eastern stand because that's part of the contract documents. The fact that the Federal Government is paying for that gives us roughly 15 million to redirect into other aspects of the project.
"We hadn't made a commitment to do the car park underneath the indoor cricket centre. We knew that we had to make a decision by the end of January on whether we had the funds to commit to that or not.
"This announcement today means we'll immediately commit to that."
The decision ends uncertainty about the Federal Government's contribution to the redevelopment, which was one of several infrastructure projects put on hold after the Queensland floods.
The State Government will spend $535 million on the redevelopment.
Work has begun on the project and is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2014 AFL season.
Tags: states-and-territories, federal-government, sport, cricket, australian-football-league, adelaide-5000, sa First posted December 28, 2011 08:25:12Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
Rich ready to fire for Lions
A step backwards may yet help gun Brisbane Lions midfielder Daniel Rich take his game forward in 2012.
Rich, 21, claimed he not only had second year but also third year syndrome after bursting onto the AFL scene two years ago, claiming the Rising Star award.
The low point came when his run of 59 consecutive games since his 2009 AFL debut was snapped by a foot injury last season, sidelining him for six weeks.
But Rich saw a silver lining in the injury cloud.
"You want to contribute as much as you can to the team ... but it was good in a way to take a backward step, watch a bit of footy and come back fresh going into a new season," he said.
"The second and third year personally weren't up to where I needed to be.
"There were a few bits and pieces I needed to improve on, little things ... like endurance and strength.
"So it's been a big focus this preseason to get fitter and stronger and have a good year.
"It's only Christmas time and I've made inroads ... (and there's still) a couple of months to go before the season starts."
It must be music to the ears of coach Michael Voss, who sees Rich as a key plank to rebuilding the Lions.
After they finished third-last with just four wins, it could be argued the only way is up for the Lions.
But Rich believed there were already encouraging signs.
"There's a lot more guys training than at this time last year and the percentage of our training is up by about 20 per cent, so it can only be a good sign," said Rich at the Lions' final pre-Christmas training session.
"I don't know about the doldrums but we are a young side and the club is on the way up - we believe there are exciting times ahead."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted December 19, 2011 20:24:56Watters wants high-scoring Saints
New St Kilda coach Scott Watters wants a greater emphasis on attack as he brings elements of the Collingwood forward press to the AFL club.
Watters wants the Saints to be better at trapping the ball in their own attack, saying they were defending too deep.
Under former coach Ross Lyon, the Saints boasted the league's best defence as they made the 2009-10 grand finals.
But 11 teams scored more heavily than the Saints this year as they dropped to seventh.
Watters was an assistant coach at Collingwood before joining St Kilda.
Asked about the Magpies' famed forward-line press, Watters said: "Obviously, it was a club that strongly focussed on that, but it's pretty much entrenched with my own philosophies on the way the game needs to be played.
"There will be a really strong defensive element to the way we play.
"We'd like to defend more in the front half of the ground - we probably defended a little bit too deep over the last year or two.
"If we get the balance of that right and the way we defend, we'll get better offensive input as well."
Zac Dawson's departure to Fremantle and James Gwilt's absence until the middle of next season following a knee reconstruction means the Saints will have a new-look backline.
Youngster Tom Simpkin and former West Coast utility Beau Wilkes are players who could have key defensive roles.
Jason Blake, whose first senior game next year will bring him to 200, will again be part of their defence.
The Saints de-listed Blake and then put him back on their list through the pre-season draft to relieve pressure on their player payments.
"It was just one of those things that has to be done, to help the club out," Blake said.
Watters said the Saints felt that there was minimal risk in putting Blake back into the draft, because he was clearly not going to leave them.
"There's always a risk, but to pick up a player who's on 199 games with no intention of playing anywhere else would have also been a risk for those who perhaps had taken him," Watters noted.
"From our perspective, we knew he was going to be here.
"If you had more Jason Blakes on your list, you'd be a stronger club.
"He always thinks of others before himself, sets a really high standard with the way he prepares."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, st-kilda-3182, vic, australia First posted December 20, 2011 13:51:33Footy talks stalled
The ABC is finalising a deal to continue televising state league football in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.
But negotiations with the Tasmanian state league remain deadlocked.
The ABC has been negotiating with state leagues to continue televising football for the next two years.
The broadcaster wants leagues to contribute more money towards the coverage and is also looking to reduce travel costs.
Talks in Tasmania broke down last month with the state league insisting it couldn't afford to meet the ABC's demands for an extra $50,000 a season.
AFL Tasmania has since written to clubs asking them to help cover the extra costs.
Tags: australian-football-league, tas First posted December 20, 2011 20:43:00Final strike sees AFL star banned for life
Three-time AFL premiership player Darryl White has been banned from playing football for life.
White, who is playing with St Marys in the Northern Territory Football League this season, received a one-match suspension for striking Tiwi Bomber Donald Mungatopi in last weekend's round of matches.
The transgression took White's career number of match suspensions to 16.
This is one above the maximum allowed under a new AFLNT deregistration policy.
If a player is deregistered, he cannot play any AFL-affiliated football.
The ban is recognised Australia-wide and could bring to an end the 38-year-old's playing career that has included almost 700 games, including premierships with the Brisbane Lions in 2001, 2002 and 2003.
White says he will fight the ban.
"I'm a little bit disappointed and downhearted, but the sun comes up every morning I suppose and life goes on," he said.
"Hopefully I'll get the right people in place to fight it because I think it's pretty crude. I've been playing the game for 28 years."
White has the backing of club president Shaun Hardy.
"We think the intent of the rule is applicable in different circumstances, but in this case, in particular Darryl's long career has worked against him," he said.
"It's very, very, very disappointing. We think that not taking into account the number of games played is not a fair rule."
But AFLNT chief executive Tony Frawley says White may even still be able to play football this season.
Frawley disputed the deregistration constituted a lifetime ban.
"He is currently deregistered and he now has the right of appeal to go to an independent tribunal to make an assessment on whether he can remain playing."
Frawley says there are a number of NTFL players who are in danger of being deregistered.
"We have got two players who are currently deregistered, and Darryl is one of those," he said.
"We have got 21 other players with a letter of warning.
"Those players are on somewhere between 12 and say 14 games suspension, and they actually know that if they get reported again they could be deregistered."
Tags: australian-football-league, darwin-0800, brisbane-4000, vic, nt First posted December 22, 2011 13:04:40Patton to miss start of AFL season
Greater Western Sydney has suffered a major blow ahead of its maiden AFL season, with number one draft pick Jonathon Patton to be sidelined until May next year.
The Giants have confirmed Patton will travel to Stockholm in January for treatment on his left knee.
GWS's sports science manager John Quinn says the club is confident Patton will be able to resume full training in early April and should be available for selection in May.
"Patellar tendinopathy, or jumper's knee as it is also called, is not an uncommon condition in young players and something the club was aware of before it drafted Jonathon," Quinn said in a statement.
This means the young key forward will miss the first five rounds at best, with the Giants slated to play Carlton in round six on May 6.
Patton will be treated by the same specialist that number two pick Stephen Coniglio saw prior to being taken in this year's draft by the Giants.
Quinn said GWS would take a long-term view while assessing Patton's recovery from the condition.
"The club is aware that there are expectations of all draftees, particularly the number one pick, but we also believe Jonathon will be a 10-year player for the Giants.
"We want to give him every chance to achieve full fitness and fulfil his potential at the highest level."
The Giants start their preseason campaign with clashes against Collingwood and Western Bulldogs in Blacktown on February 18.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, blacktown-2148, nsw, australia First posted December 20, 2011 16:35:52Monday, December 19, 2011
Swans lock in Longmire and Reid
Sydney has extended the contract of coach John Longmire by two years to 2014 and locked in outstanding young key forward Sam Reid until the end of the 2017 AFL season.
Reid 19, made his debut for Sydney in the final round of the 2010 season and missed just one game this year.
He kicked 22 goals in 2011, second only to co-captain Adam Goodes, and won a Rising Star nomination.
"It was always my main goal to stay in Sydney, and that's what we were working towards the whole time," Reid told reporters in Sydney on Friday.
"To get a really secure deal is, fantastic, I was really happy with that."
Sydney chief executive Andrew Ireland, who had re-signed Sydney legends Michael O'Loughlin and Goodes to five-year deals in previous years, said the club was conscious of the changing nature of the sport.
"With the new teams coming into the competition, free agency and the like, it's really pleasing that Sam was agreeable to a long term contract with us," Ireland said.
"It's not easy to find quality key forwards and Sam has filled that role for us really well through the last season."
Longmire continues his association with Sydney, which started in 2002 when he was appointed as an assistant coach to Rodney Eade.
"I'm obviously really appreciative of the decision to extend my contract and I'm really excited by the group of younger players we've got coming through," he said.
"I think we've got some of the more talented younger players coming through that are going around."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted December 16, 2011 13:27:50Sunday, December 18, 2011
Krakouer released by Suns
The Gold Coast Suns admit there is virtually no chance of Nathan Krakouer returning to the club after he was released from his contract on compassionate grounds.
The 23-year-old asked for a release from his Suns deal to return home to Western Australia for unspecified personal reasons - a request that was granted on Monday.
Suns football manager Marcus Ashcroft said Krakouer believed it was in his best interests to move away from AFL as he battles his issues.
Ex-Port Adelaide star Krakouer was one of the Suns' highest-profile signings for their AFL debut year.
But aside from a five-goal haul against Brisbane early in the season, Krakouer struggled for fitness, motivation and on-field impact.
Because Krakouer's departure comes after the AFL primary list lodgement deadline, the Suns will be left with one player less than the 46 allowed for next season.
While it does mean the Suns could trade Krakouer should he ever seek to play with another club, Ashcroft said they had resigned themselves to losing the talented utility and did not expect him to return to football.
"He's pretty firm in his decision," Ashcroft said.
"We have been working with Nathan and supporting him where possible for some time, and while we remained committed to supporting him, Nathan's desire is to step away from football.
"While we are disappointed to lose a player of Nathan's ability, the most important thing is Nathan's well-being."
Krakouer is the second player to seek an out from the Suns in a fortnight.
Teenager Rex Liddy was released by the club after deciding he did not want to play AFL any more.
But the Gold Coast was able to leave Liddy off its list ahead of the lodgement deadline, allowing the Suns a selection in Tuesday's preseason draft to replace him.
Ashcroft said the Suns may consider asking the AFL for permission to place Krakouer on the long-term injury list, allowing them to replace him with one of their rookie-listed players for 2012.
"We submitted a list of 46 to the AFL and now we will only have 45, but having said that we could be able to elevate a rookie and put Nathan on the long-term injury list," Ashcroft said.
"We'd need to ask permission from the AFL to do that of course."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, carrara-4211 First posted December 12, 2011 16:24:49Sporting codes warned about organised crime
Australia's elite sporting organisations are being urged to help stop organised crime from flourishing in sport.
A forum involving Victoria Police, Interpol, the Australian Crime Commission and sporting codes such as the AFL and cricket, is being held in Melbourne today.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Graham Ashton says the gathering will discuss how to tackle illegal offshore betting.
He warned that the risk that organised crime could corrupt players or officials is just as real in Australia, as it has been overseas.
"We're certainly pleased that it hasn't crept into Australia yet, as it has overseas and we want to keep it that way," he said.
"Certainly online gambling and the internet has brought us closer to the world in many respects and this is particularly timely at the moment to better insulate our sport from those threats."
Cricket Australia is one of the 13 sporting bodies attending the conference.
Sean Carroll is representing the code and says cricket already has a strong focus on preventing corruption and a self-regulation process is in place.
"We provide training for all our players and match officials and we have our own anti-corruption officers at match maintaining the integrity of the playing venue," he said.
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, cricket, corruption, bribery, police, gambling, melbourne-3000 First posted December 14, 2011 09:36:01Bock banned over anti-gambling breach
Gold Coast defender Nathan Bock has been suspended for two games and fined $10,000 as the AFL warned it will keep increasing its anti-gambling punishments.
Bock told a family member and a friend ahead of the round 24 game against Hawthorn in September that the Suns would play him forward.
Another family member was also told and the information prompted a successful betting plunge on Bock kicking the first goal of the game.
He was backed from $101 to $21 and an undisclosed number of bets won about $40,000.
Bock knew on the morning of the game about the bets and he told the Suns soon after the final siren.
The AFL announced the penalties on Wednesday after a lengthy examination, drawn out partly because Bock had been overseas.
Bock revealed the inside information only a few weeks after Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell was fined $5,000 for a similar offence.
The AFL had also suspended Maxwell's team-mate Heath Shaw for eight games and fined him $20,000 for betting offences.
"We viewed this case more seriously because it happened after Maxwell and Shaw," AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson said.
"We think more and more, there is no excuse for players not to be aware of the gambling rules and not to act in accordance with them.
"Each time it happens, the sanctions will continue to increase.
"It's not good enough to simply say you didn't place a bet or you weren't aware it (information) was going to be used for betting purposes."
A remorseful Bock said he spoke to the friend the day before the game and became concerned that night about the possible repercussions.
"When you're having a conversation with a family member or a mate, you don't think they're going to pass that information on," he said.
"It was just a recent event with Maxwell and Shaw and I just reiterate how easily a conversation can lead to a little bit of information being passed on.
"It's a careless and reckless mistake by myself."
Asked if he thought about the bets when he kicked the goal, Bock ruefully replied: "It definitely crossed my mind".
Anderson said Bock cooperated fully with the investigation, which backed his version of events.
The AFL said it was satisfied Bock did not intentionally break the AFL's anti-gambling rules or was involved in any bets.
Bock will miss the first two home-and-away games next season.
"It's probably something I look back on and could have done differently," he said.
"It was a careless conversation to my mate."
Asked if he had felt let down by the people who made the bets, Bock said: "Probably, to a degree.
"But as I said, it's my responsibility not to disclose that information."
In September, the AFL banned Essendon development coach Dean Wallis for 14 games and fined him $7,500 for betting offences.
It has been a rough off-season so far for the Suns, who have stripped Campbell Brown of his leadership role for 12 months.
Brown and three team-mates were arrested and released without charge for an incident during a trip to Thailand.
This week, the Suns released player Nathan Krakouer from his contract for personal reasons.
AAP
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, carrara-4211, qld, australia First posted December 14, 2011 18:43:00AFL and players agree to new pay deal
After months of wrangling, the AFL has agreed to a new five-year pay deal with the AFL Players Association.
Details of the agreement, understood to be worth at least $1.144 billion, will be revealed at a media conference at 2.00pm (AEDT) on Thursday in the Victorian costal town of Lorne.
Although the deal covers the 2012-16 seasons, it will be reviewed after three years.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, australia First posted December 15, 2011 11:12:32No excuses for AFL betting: Thomas
Collingwood's Dale Thomas says the AFL's latest betting scandal is another warning for players to be more careful about what they say to family members.
But while some argue more needs to be done to educate players on what they can reveal to friends and family regarding team information, Magpies star Thomas says they have run out of excuses.
Gold Coast defender Nathan Bock was banned for two matches and fined $10,000 on Wednesday, with the AFL warning the penalties will get more serious if there are further infringements.
Bock told a family member and a friend ahead of the round 24 match against Hawthorn in September that the Suns would play him forward.
Another family member was also told and the information prompted a successful betting plunge on Bock kicking the game's first goal.
He was backed from $101 to $21 and an undisclosed number of bets won about $40,000.
Bock knew on the morning of the match about the bets and he told the Suns soon after the final siren.
"Players don't have an excuse," Thomas said.
"It has even got to the point of passing on information now. So I think players will certainly be a lot more careful as to who they tell including family members and friends.
"Gone are the days when as a young fellow you got excited and said, 'I'll be starting here'.
"You've just got to be too careful these days that if it does fall in the wrong hands, you can find yourselves on the sidelines for a fair while."
Bock revealed the inside information only a few weeks after Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell was fined $5,000 for a similar offence.
The AFL had also suspended Maxwell's team-mate Heath Shaw for eight matches and fined him $20,000 for betting offences.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, collingwood-3066 First posted December 15, 2011 15:32:09Power record another loss
Port Adelaide has recorded another loss of more than $3 million as the club continues to struggle on and off the field.
The Power reported a consolidated operating profit of $887,981, but that was after financial assistance from the SANFL worth more than $4 million.
Their loss was $3.16 million, which was an improvement on last year's $3.69 million result in the red.
Power president Brett Duncanson says the club needs more improvement in match day and sponsorship revenues.
"We suffered in 2011 through lower-than-expected AFL home ground crowds, which were impacted on by some scheduling issues together with our teams on-field results," he said in a statement.
"It highlights the need for our members and supporters to get along to our home games and support the team and at the same time help our clubs bottom line."
The SANFL help included a $2.05 million grant, held over from last year, and $2 million made available through a loan to the SA Football Commission from the AFL.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, port-adelaide-5015 First posted December 12, 2011 17:52:05Fevola and Davis overlooked in draft
All-Australians Brendan Fevola and Leon Davis lead the group of AFL players unable to find new clubs through the preseason and rookie drafts.
The AFL careers of the two 30-year-olds effectively came to an end on Tuesday when, as expected, no clubs gave them a last chance.
No rookie draft selections were saved by any clubs for their respective training squads meaning, all 2012 season lists are finalised.
Fevola will now attempt a second sporting career as an NFL punter, while Davis will probably play next season in the WAFL.
"Thanks for all your tweets over the past day or so means a lot. Next phase #lifeafterfootybringiton," Fevola posted on Twitter.
Fevola's AFL future was always bleak once Brisbane sacked the two-time Coleman Medallist earlier this year.
But the sudden end to Davis' senior career is extraordinary, given he made this year's All-Australian team and played for Collingwood in the grand final.
Davis left the Magpies over money and wanted to return to his home state of Western Australia.
He was also prepared to play for Port Adelaide because he has relatives in South Australia.
Instead, the Power plumped for former Collingwood midfielder John McCarthy with their preseason selection pick.
While he had spoken with Port, McCarthy was training with Richmond and wanted to stay in Victoria.
But Port football manager Peter Rohde said McCarthy was happy to join the Power, who went one pick before the Tigers.
"We see him as a player who's just waiting for opportunities," Rohde said.
"Collingwood were keen to keep him, but he really delisted himself with a view to getting some opportunities somewhere else.
"John has certainly indicated to us that he's very happy to come and play for us and that's the key thing."
While Davis missed out on another AFL club, his former Collingwood team-mate Brad Dick will go to West Coast as a rookie selection.
Ex-Magpies coach Mick Malthouse rated Dick highly, but the small forward was delisted after last season following a dreadful run with injuries.
In other features of the two drafts:
Controversial figures Andrew Lovett and Travis Tuck missed out. St Kilda sacked Lovett last year before he had played a game, while Tuck was the first AFL player to be suspended under the league's illicit drugs policy.
Gavin Urquhart will stay at North Melbourne as a rookie. There was speculation he would head to Port in the preseason draft
As expected, Fremantle used its preseason pick on key defender Zac Dawson, reuniting him with his former St Kilda coach Ross Lyon
Greater Western Sydney passed on the opening six preseason draft picks and only recruited Sam Frost with the first pick of the rookie draft.
Former Carlton and Adelaide player Darren Pfeiffer has another AFL chance, courtesy of his rookie selection with Port Adelaide
Gold Coast made former St Kilda utility Andrew McQualter a rookie selection, while Richmond also used the rookie draft to recruit former Melbourne forward Addam Maric.
In the wake of Sudan-born Majak Daw joining North Melbourne two years ago, Western Bulldogs rookie pick Lin Jong is another great multicultural story. Jong has Taiwanese and East Timorese heritage.AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, port-adelaide-5015, sa, australia First posted December 13, 2011 11:37:46AFL, players sign off on pay deal
AFL players have finally agreed a new pay deal worth over $1 billion with the league for the next five years.
League chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed the new agreement is effectively the same as the $1.144 billion deal rejected by the players earlier this year, with one major concession from the AFL.
The agreement, which runs until the end of the 2016 season, will be formally reviewed after three years, allowing the players to ask for more money if AFL revenues are higher than originally forecast.
The AFL had originally wanted the terms of the deal locked in for the full five years with no mid-agreement review.
Demetriou and AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) chief executive Matt Finnis expressed delight a deal had finally been reached after months of robust negotiations.
The agreement was signed off as AFLPA delegates met at a conference in the Victorian coastal town of Lorne on Thursday.
Demetriou says the deal made AFL players the best-rewarded athletes in Australian sport.
"The deal unequivocally makes AFL the best career choice for aspiring young athletes," he said.
"At times it's been tough and robust negotiations but the outcome is a very good one for the game."
AFLPA president and Greater Western Sydney midfielder Luke Power says the deal is testament to the players sticking to their beliefs and "holding the line" despite the tough negotiations, much of which were played out in the court of public opinion.
"Not one player wasn't happy to be able to go back to their club and their players and tell them that we'd reached a deal that not only satisfied what our objectives were, but didn't compromise any of our values," Power said.
Finnis says player strike action was never formally threatened during the negotiations, as had been rumoured at times.
"Neither party have sought to conduct negotiations where you try to hold a gun to someone's head," Finnis said.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, australia First posted December 15, 2011 14:54:29Hall keen to pack a punch
Barry Hall has been a boxer for less than a week and already he is talking about retirement.
The former AFL hard man, who put fear into opponents during a 289-match career, says he needs to learn the caper very quickly if he is to make a success of his new career.
"I'm 34 now so realistically if you're talking any more than three years you're probably kidding yourself," said the 104-kilogram powerhouse.
"We've got to improve quickly. We've got to make things happen."
Hall started serious training on Monday and described it as a shock to the system.
He says he needs to add weight to his frame so he can pack a bigger punch.
The former St Kilda, Sydney and Western Bulldogs forward says becoming a professional boxer will be the biggest challenge of his sporting career.
He has already got into the ring with Danny Green and copped a few on the chin.
When asked about a possible bout with All Blacks rugby player Sonny Bill Williams, Hall says he had told his management he wants to take on real fighters.
"We can pretty easily make it a celebrity boxing match," Hall said.
"That's what we don't want. I want to fight known fighters, people who've had fights before and I guess earned my respect.
"I'm not here for a money grab. I'm serious about this. It's not going to be a circus."
Hall is a former Victorian amateur junior champion but denies he will quickly establish himself as a top professional fighter.
"I've got a hell of a lot to learn in a short period of time," he said before a training session in Melbourne.
"I'm certainly not thinking I'm going to waltz in here and take over."
Hall says his first fight is a "long way off".
A regular at the AFL Tribunal over his 16-year career, Hall says he no longer has to worry about how a brain fade will affect his team.
"You didn't really want to let your team-mates down with undisciplined acts. I can now not have to worry about that sort of thing," he said.
"It's me in there. There's nowhere to hide."
Australia's best-known boxing trainer, Johnny Lewis, has questioned whether Hall had left his run a little late.
"That's his opinion. I certainly wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't mentally right," Hall said.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, boxing, australia First posted December 15, 2011 18:25:06Demons ruckman Gawn to miss 2012
Young Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn will miss the entire 2012 season after surgeons discovered a tear to his anterior cruciate ligament.
Gawn damaged his right knee at training on Wednesday, with initial scans revealing a medial meniscus tear.
But the injury was worse than first thought, with surgeons finding the 19-year-old had also torn his ACL.
"This is obviously a disappointing result for Max and the club," Demons football manager Josh Mahoney said in a statement.
"We see Max as a long-term player for the Melbourne Football Club.
"He will be fit and healthy to complete a full preseason in preparation for the 2013 season."
Gawn was selected by the Demons with pick number 34 in the 2009 national draft, played four matches in his debut season in 2011.
AAP
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted December 17, 2011 18:56:44Saturday, December 10, 2011
Kangaroos look to bust down debt
North Melbourne is the latest AFL club to launch a "debt demolition" campaign, calling on fans to help end its $5 million financial burden.
The Kangaroos have announced the "Box On" scheme, where North supporters can make financial pledges to the club.
In return, the club will guarantee fans grand final tickets if North makes the premiership decider over the next five years.
Last month, the financially-struggling club announced an operating loss of more than $500,000.
Club chairman James Brayshaw said the club could be debt-free now, but had decided to concentrate on putting more money into the football department and the construction of its new Arden St headquarters.
"We needed to invest in footy, we needed to invest in facility - we've done both of those things and therefore we now think it's appropriate to tackle the debt issue," he said.
He added that the debt was costing the club about $450,000 per year in interest repayment.
The Kangaroos are also mindful that free agency will start in the AFL late next year.
"It's money that (coach) Brad (Scott) should have ... and the footy department should have, not a bank," Brayshaw said of the interest bill.
Brayshaw said the club had started their debt reduction campaign a month ago and had received an "amazing" response from fans.
Under the Box On scheme, fans can donate $300, $1,000, $2,500 or $10,000 to the club in return for a range of benefits, including the guaranteed grand final tickets should the Kangaroos get that far.
"It's no surprise that when we call upon the supporters, who are the most loyal in the competition, they respond the way they do," Scott said.
"What we're really asking them to do is to be part of the journey with us.
"When you have this debilitating debt, you can't do all the things you want to do."
Scott said reducing debt was also critical so the club could invest more money into the Hobart and Ballarat areas.
North is one of the league's smallest clubs and it hopes to grow its supporter base in those regions.
Brayshaw said the Kangaroos are a "boutique-sized club", but is confident they can secure their financial future.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, north-melbourne-3051, vic, australia First posted December 08, 2011 20:06:10AFL to crack down on off-ball incidents
AFL players caught striking opponents off the ball next season can expect heavier penalties from the tribunal.
The league's annual tribunal review includes a provision that any striking incident away from the play will be classed intentional, unless there is clear evidence that was not the case.
The rule amendment will cover any strike off the ball, behind play or during a break in play.
Earlier this year, Gold Coast defender Campbell Brown only received a two-match ban for striking Western Bulldogs midfielder Callan Ward off the ball.
At the time, AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson admitted that Brown was "a little bit perhaps fortunate".
In other changes to the tribunal guidelines, any strike with a raised forearm or elbow will also now carry an "intentional" classification.
Again, the only exception will be if there is clear evidence that the blow was not intentional.
There will be a higher impact rating for reckless or intentional strikes that "are inherently dangerous and/or have the potential to cause serious injury".
Those strikes can no longer carry a "low" impact rating and this again will mean a stiffer penalty.
The AFL wants to better distinguish between negligent and reckless dangerous tackles by including factors such as lifting an opponent off the ground or using a double action in the tackle.
The league also wants tougher action in the controversial area of staging, with the match review panel instructed that "excessive exaggeration of contact in an unsportsmanlike manner (will) be a reportable offence in addition to feigning contact".
While the current tribunal system continues to attract fierce criticism, the AFL is pleased with the results.
The AFL reported 92 per cent of players accepted their match review panel charges, the highest percentage since the system started in 2005.
There were only 15 tribunal hearings this year, compared to 123 in 2004.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted December 08, 2011 19:06:43Boyd backs Dogs to remain a force
Western Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd has scoffed at any suggestion that their AFL premiership "window" is closed.
After three straight preliminary finals, the Bulldogs slumped to 10th this year.
The Bulldogs now have a new-look coaching staff, with Brendan McCartney taking over the senior role from Rodney Eade.
Speaking at the launch of a new marketing and membership campaign on Thursday, Boyd said the Bulldogs' immediate on-field fortunes were in their hands.
Boyd said he does not believe in the AFL premiership cycle, where a team has a "window of opportunity" for a few seasons before inevitably dropping out of contention while it rebuilds.
"If you talk about a window, the window is open if you want to keep it open," he said.
"That's what we're doing, we're working as hard as we possibly can to give ourselves a chance to compete and be competitive in finals.
"(We want) to get that premiership that we've been going for for 60 years or whatever it is.
"We're striving to improve, we're doing that gradually and slowly, and if you keep on improving then the window stays open."
This is McCartney's first senior coaching job and he has a strong reputation as a teacher and communicator after assistant roles at Geelong and Essendon.
He has made a quick impression, ramping up contested ball work and match simulation during the preseason.
"The contested ball component of training has really stepped up," Boyd said.
"We do a bit of contested ball stuff, but not so much pre-Christmas, so that's been a bit of a change."
Boyd was careful not to compare McCartney's regime to his predecessor.
"But what we're seeing now is guys who are really having a crack at getting in and winning the contested ball and trying to make themselves bigger and stronger to be able to play that way," he said.
The feature of the club's new campaign is a video that highlights the Bulldogs' strong links to the rapidly-growing western region of Melbourne.
The theme of the new campaign is "Welcome to the western front".
"It's no longer a tired area ... there's something powerful brewing west of the city," Bulldogs chief executive Simon Garlick said.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, footscray-3011, vic, australia First posted December 08, 2011 18:33:32AFL sending mixed signals to SA football
The AFL has a message for South Australian football. It is just a little hard to make out what message is being sent.
Millions of dollars have been given to the two South Australian AFL clubs this year by the parent body.
The AFL said there were no strings attached and claimed it just wanted to help the clubs make it to a redeveloped Adelaide Oval in 2014 in a sound financial state.
But that did not appear the case when the 2012 AFL draw was unveiled.
The Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide will play Saturday afternoon games at Football Park eight times next season. It is an unpopular time for AFL football in SA. It always has been, and always will be, unpopular.
Amateur, metropolitan and country football is played on Saturday afternoons in South Australia. Inevitably this means fewer people can attend AFL games on Saturday afternoons.
So the Crows and the Power cannot maximise their gate takings with that timeslot. It would seem counterproductive to the aim of making the clubs financially stable to make them play in the most unpopular timeslot available.
That presents as somewhat of a mixed message.
The AFL introduced a knockout competition for State League clubs this year. The Foxtel Cup takes clubs from each of the State Leagues but is weighted towards the stronger competitions, with the SANFL, WAFL and VFL each providing three teams.
The original concept was to have the top three teams from the SANFL. But both in 2011 and for next year the top clubs baulked at entering the Foxtel Cup, citing a combination of on- and off-field reasons.
Instead, South Australia will be represented in 2012 by South Adelaide, which finished fifth in this year's minor round, along with non-finalists Port Adelaide and West Adelaide.
When the draw for the 2012 opening round was announced, the AFL was effusive in its praise for the Foxtel Cup concept.
"Last season's successful introduction of the Foxtel Cup reaffirmed the AFL's commitment to supporting State League competitions and providing further opportunities for emerging stars or State League player greats," said AFL official Andrew Dillon.
In 2011, the South Australian clubs were given first-round opponents from Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. In each case there were big wins for the SANFL. Port Adelaide eventually made it through to the semi-finals, along with clubs from the VFL and WAFL.
But in 2012, the SANFL representatives will have to play WAFL and VFL clubs in the first round.
It could be the AFL is trying to ensure clubs from Brisbane, Sydney and Launceston are represented in the next round, in a bid to further develop the game in those states.
On the other hand, it seems counter to the idea of showcasing the State Leagues to have the best of them playing off against each other in the opening round.
The AFL draw for the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide would appear to hinder, rather than help, those clubs' financial positions.
The Foxtel Cup draw would appear to reduce the chances of the best clubs from the leading competitions making it through to the final.
Sometimes the AFL is a little hard to understand.
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, sanfl, victorian-football-league-vfl, wafl, sa, adelaide-5000, australia First posted December 09, 2011 13:33:02AFL and clubs compromise over Territory Thunder
The AFL NT has reached an interim compromise on the 25-game rule, with Northern Territory Thunder players now allowed to participate in three extra local games and finals.
All seven local AFL clubs came out against the rule last week and urged their players not to sign with Thunder.
The temporary agreement will be in place until a review panel is formed to determine what the best formula will be for the future.
The new agreement means players who participate in the NEAFL season, comprising 18 minor rounds and finals, will be eligible to play at least six games with their clubs and finals.
AFL NT board member Bob Elix says he is happy with the temporary arrangement but still does not support players exhausting themselves by taking part in both contests.
"It is a problem playing football at this pace in this heat and that is why this panel is here," he said.
"We need to know what the players can be expected of them.
"If you want my personal opinion, I think they need about a three-month break from the end of the NEAFL season to, say, the end of December some time.
"Give them a break."
St Mary's Club president Shaun Hardy says the clubs are happy to accept the compromise.
"We are very happy with this outcome," he said.
"We have had some concessions on the number of games.
"Obviously, having our best local talent available to local clubs for only a couple of games is unsustainable, so this is a good outcome."
Tags: australian-football-league, clubs-and-associations, darwin-0800, alice-springs-0870 First posted December 08, 2011 17:26:39AFL puts Kennelly in ambassador role
The AFL has appointed Irishman Tadhg Kennelly as a league ambassador to help foster the development of young talent from overseas.
The 30-year-old defender, who quit playing in September 2011 after a career that included Sydney's 2005 premiership, will be an assistant coach and mentor for the AIS-AFL Academy level two squad under head coach Michael O'Loughlin.
Kennelly will also coach the Under 16 NSW/ACT team and will be an assistant coach for Under 18 NSW/ACT team in the national championships.
The 197-game veteran's new role includes mentoring players who come to Australia aspiring to play AFL at the highest level, including players from the Under 16 World XVIII and South Pacific teams.
"There are now more than 100,000 people playing our game throughout the world and with that comes a growing pool of talent," AFL international development manager Tony Woods said on Thursday.
"We hope to create a clearer pathway for international players and Tadhg's life experiences playing AFL at the highest level will be invaluable to young players."
Kennelly said he was keen to take on coaching and mentoring responsibilities.
"I know from my own experience what it is like to learn new skills, understand a different language and overcome homesickness," he said.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted December 08, 2011 18:44:45Thursday, December 8, 2011
Stynes recovering after brain surgery
Jim Stynes' surgeon is "ecstatic" after the AFL great underwent another operation on Thursday to remove a brain tumour.
The Melbourne president and 1990 Brownlow Medallist said earlier this week he had been "written off", but a new treatment had given him an unexpected boost.
Stynes has been battling cancer for two years and this latest operation appears to have been a success.
"Jim has just come out of surgery for the removal of a brain tumour and is in recovery," a Facebook post announced.
"Professor (Jeffrey) Rosenfeld who performed the surgery is ecstatic, saying they got a big removal/clearance rate on the tumour without any damage.
"All in all, (it) looks like a big success.
"Sam (Stynes' wife) is by his side as usual.
"Thanks to everyone for your well wishes and prayers. We all love you big guy."
Stynes looked tired and drawn on Monday when he presented his famous number 11 guernsey to new Melbourne recruit Mitch Clark.
But he was in typical good spirits and said new medication had been an unexpected boost for his health.
"I was sort of written off there not too long ago and now I've been given another crack," Stynes said.
"The doctors saw something they didn't see a few weeks ago, so they got some more medicine that will keep me going for a little bit more.
"They started something new and then they didn't think that was going to work and now they think it might.
"One of the tumours has halved in size, and that was unexpected. That was a real surprise."
The success with the medication led to Stynes undergoing Thursday's operation.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted December 08, 2011 16:56:49Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Power players come to blows
Port Adelaide players Jay Schulz and Jackson Trengove had to be separated after punches were thrown during an AFL training session on Wednesday.
Key defender Trengove seemed to be upset by the way Schulz entered a marking contest and threw two punches at Schulz, which both missed their mark.
Team-mates including skipper Dom Cassisi rushed to separate the pair, who are both in Port's leadership group.
The skirmish was an eye-opener for Port's new draftees Nathan Blee and Brendon Ah Chee, but they liked what they saw.
"It shows how passionate and competitive they are and how much everyone wants success next year," 21-year-old defender Blee said.
"I think it's good for the club."
"It was definitely a positive," Ah Chee told reporters.
"Afterwards everything was fine with them, it's not like they're hating on each other or anything - they're good mates."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, port-adelaide-5015, sa, australia First posted December 07, 2011 16:59:13Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Lake back on track for Bulldogs
Full-back Brian Lake is on target to regain the form that made him an All-Australian according to Western Bulldogs assistant coach Brett Montgomery.
The 29-year-old had a season to forget in 2011, hampered by injuries to his knee, groin and shoulder.
But at preseason training on Wednesday, Lake - who is still in the rehab group recovering from knee surgery - joined team-mates for part of their running session.
Montgomery liked what he saw.
"His improvement in his running gait is remarkable," he said.
"There was a massive limp there last year. He's improved on that."
Montgomery praised the way Lake had dedicated himself to his rehabilitation and said he was having "a real crack".
"The way he's thrown himself into his rehab, the way he's thrown himself into the education sessions ... he's trying to lead from the front, something he probably hasn't done for 12 months for a number of reasons," he said.
The Bulldogs' draftees Clay Smith, Michael Talia, Tory Dickson and Daniel Pearce were unveiled at the training session at Whitten Oval.
Montgomery said their first choice, midfielder Smith, was among a group of players who would fight to fill the vacancy left by Callan Ward's departure to Greater Western Sydney.
"We've got young (Mitch) Wallis, Libba (Tom Liberatore) - there's guys that are deserved of a crack," he said.
"They'll just go into the mix with Clay and fight it out for those spots."
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs announced they had delisted small defender Jayden Schofield.
The club said the 19-year-old, who had played seven senior games since his debut midway through the season, would return home to Perth to deal with "personal matters".
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, footscray-3011, vic, australia First posted November 30, 2011 22:56:01Bomber players suspended for six weeks
The Chairman of the Tiwi Bombers says four players have been suspended until January for disciplinary reasons.
Ephrem Tipungwuti, Roy Kantilla, Samson Mungatopi and Nathan Pilakui will miss all games for the next two months.
The Chairman, Alan McGill, says all players were told at training last night.
He says the team supports the decision.
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, darwin-0800 First posted December 02, 2011 13:06:03Goodes welcomes 'little brother' Giants
Sydney co-captain Adam Goodes has welcomed the arrival of "little brother" Greater Western Sydney and the AFL limelight the new club has taken in the past few months.
Goodes, who is one week into his 15th preseason, boasts two Brownlow Medals and more sway than any other AFL player in Sydney.
Yet he, and the Swans, have taken a back seat to the Giants over the past few months.
It is a trend likely to continue ahead of their clash to open the 2012 season on March 24 - and that sits just fine with the Swans stalwart.
"I think it's great they're getting the attention," Goodes said.
"They need it. They need it for their membership ... and if it means we get a really big crowd for round one, it's fantastic."
Goodes, who hails from the South Australian town of Wallaroo, was hoping the teams could create a rivalry to match the Adelaide showdown.
"If we can create that sort of rivalry, it's going to be fantastic for both football clubs," he said.
"We are the sort of big brothers up here in Sydney. I've got two younger brothers and as a kid you always used to beat them in the games you play in the backyard.
"Hopefully that sort of rivalry - big brother, little brother - at the start can happen and we've got a lot of respect for them."
While Sydney's first match of the 2012 season has most fans' attention, it is round four that Goodes' mother Lisa Sansbury will be making the trip to watch.
Goodes will, barring injury or suspension, usurp good mate Michael O'Loughlin as the Swans' games record-holder when he plays North Melbourne at the SCG on April 22.
Goodes, who played his 300th AFL match against Hawthorn in a losing semi-final this year to be in touching distance of O'Loughlin's tally of 303, says he is yet to study the draw next year.
However his mum, who lives in country Victoria, certainly has.
"I asked her why she wanted to come up so early in the year (round four)," he said.
"She said, 'that's ... the game, (where) you might beat Micky O's record'.
"I said 'Oh. Yeah. Sweet. When we get there we'll get there'.
"She likes to plan these things in advance.
"Next year's got a lot of things to be excited for - individually and as a football club."
Lisa was Goodes' partner on the night he was presented with the 2003 Brownlow Medal.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, sydney-2000, blacktown-2148, nsw, australia First posted December 02, 2011 18:43:33Judd carrying injury blues already
Carlton captain Chris Judd has suffered a shoulder injury at AFL preseason training.
The two-time Brownlow Medallist has had scans on his right shoulder and will meet a specialist on Thursday to decide on the best course of action.
The Blues were unable to provide more detail on the severity of the injury.
But they were confident that even in the worse-case scenario, Judd would be ready for the opening round of the 2012 season.
"The Carlton medical team and Chris decided it was best to take this action now to ensure, no matter what the outcome of the review, that Chris will be available for the 2012 AFL season," the club said in a statement.
The former West Coast premiership skipper was runner-up to Marc Murphy in the Blues' best and fairest count this season, after winning the award in his previous three seasons at Carlton.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, carlton-3053, vic, australia First posted November 30, 2011 18:24:23Mike Warren Sports Picks
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Bombers shut door on Lovett return
Essendon has ruled out giving speedster Andrew Lovett a second chance, as the former Bomber attempts to resume his stalled AFL career.
The 29-year-old played 88 games for Essendon between 2005 and 2009, but battled disciplinary and personal issues and was traded to St Kilda.
He never played a game for the Saints, who sacked him after he was charged with rape within months of joining them.
Lovett was acquitted in July this year and is aiming to resume his career through the December 13 pre-season draft.
He has said his ideal scenario would be to return to Essendon, but Bombers football manager Paul Hamilton said on Wednesday that would not happen.
"We are in the process of building a list and we are committed to the strategies we are employing," Hamilton said on the club's website.
"We are respectful of Andrew's contribution as a past player but, unfortunately, he doesn't fit our plans for the future.
"We wish Andrew the best with his future endeavours including his ambitions to gain another opportunity within the AFL system."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, essendon-3040, vic, australia First posted November 30, 2011 17:20:41