Saturday, September 29, 2012
Coaches set aside friendship for grand final
John Longmire thought he'd be back on the farm. Alastair Clarkson joked he might be in a mental institution.
But when they met as teenage players at North Melbourne in 1987, neither man could have predicted this in his wildest dreams.
The long-time friends and former team-mates are rival coaches in Saturday's AFL grand final.
Clarkson is on the verge of his second premiership in charge of Hawthorn, while Longmire has been superb since taking over from Paul Roos in Sydney's coaching succession plan.
There have been one or two awkward moments over the years when the rival coaches shake hands at the end of the grand final.
But these two will have no trouble showing each other respect once the premiership is decided.
"It's been a great story, the Longmire story, and one that I've obviously shared with him for a fair bit of the time," Clarkson said.
"Jobs are so hard to secure at AFL level, it's hard enough to think we'd be coaching against each other, let alone coaching against one another in a grand final.
"I'm sure there will be someone shattered tomorrow night and someone obviously overwhelmed with the victory.
"At some point in time over the next few weeks we'll get together and have a quiet ale and enjoy the fact we've been up against each other in an AFL grand final."
Longmire met Clarkson on North Melbourne's infamous trip to London in 1987, when they played Carlton in the exhibition match that became known as The Battle Of Britain.
Clarkson enraged the Blues when he broke Ian Aitken's jaw.
A decade later, as their playing careers were ending, Clarkson and Longmire had key roles in the evolution in the AFL players' association.
Then came coaching and now they are on the verge of another premiership.
Clarkson has his 2008 flag as Hawthorn coach, plus he was an assistant when Port Adelaide won their first premiership in 2004.
Longmire played in North's 1999 premiership team and was an assistant coach under Roos for Sydney's drought-breaking 2005 success.
"Whether it's mates or whatever, you try to find a little bit extra and I'm sure Clarko will be trying to find a little bit extra our way," Longmire said.
"We are good mates, we've known each other for a long time, but it doesn't change anything in regards to our preparation.
"Both of us will be trying to beat each other tomorrow and that's the way it should be."
AAP
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000, hawthorn-3122 First posted September 29, 2012 08:35:20Swans snatch victory in classic grand final
Relive ABC Grandstand's live coverage of the AFL grand final, as Sydney upset Hawthorn by 10 points in front of 99,683 fans at the MCG.
Franklin - 3.4
Gunston - 2.1
Hale - 2.2
Breust - 2.1
Malceski - 2.0
Morton - 2.0
McVeigh -2.0
Kennedy - 2.0
Sewell - 33
Franklin - 24
Mitchell - 24
Burgoyne - 21
Hannebery - 29
O'Keefe - 28
Kennedy - 26
McVeigh - 21
The critics said Hawthorn was the best team all season, but Sydney's famous pressure was matched by admirable poise in a wrenching final term as the Swans took out the premiership by 10 points.
The grand final surprised no one with its intensity - it was a game of bursts, and savage swings of momentum, with first one, then the other team looking down and out, before the Swans won 14.7 (91) to 11.15 (81).
Both teams found kicking for goal difficult in blustery conditions, although thankfully earlier predictions of heavy rain and hail proved unfounded.
There was a symmetry to Sydney's grand final, as Nick Malceski kicked the Swans' first and last goals of the day.
In between there was only slightly-controlled chaos at the MCG, with six lead changes - each more improbable than the last.
After the game, Hawks captain Luke Hodge was gracious in defeat.
"Congratulations to Sydney, you're not only a well-respected side, but you're a well-liked side in the AFL," he said.
"To my team-mates throughout the year I couldn't be more proud of the way you fought back. With the group we've got I know we'll be back next year."
Swans' coach John Longmire, who won a premiership flag in only his second season as a senior coach, praised Hawthorn and his counterpart Alastair Clarkson.
"You're a fantastic club we really admire the way you go about it, we've had some fantastic tussles this year, this was another one - I'm sure there's more to come," he said.
"Thank you to our fans, we saw that much red and white at the parade on Friday we knew we would have big support (today) and we have ... Lastly, I'd like to thank our footballers led by Macca and Goodesy ... never say die is a great attitude, and you did it boys."
By the usual metrics, Sydney should not have won the game - the Swans were beaten at the clearances (by 23), in contested possessions (by 26) and forward entries (by 18).
The missing piece of this puzzle was Sydney's defensive pressure and rebounding out of defence, which kept the Hawks much-vaunted attack quiet for long enough - just - to get over the line.
Sydney had 46 rebound 50s to Hawthorn's 26, and a massive 110 tackles to the Hawks' 84.
The Swans' defensive line absorbed the wave of Hawthorn attacks and more importantly did damage on the way back, with counter-attacking football that created goals at key points during the game.
There were many game-changing moments, but if one encapsulated the reasons behind Sydney's win, it came at the 14-minute mark of the second term.
The Hawks had appeared unstoppable, with goals from Lance Franklin, Luke Breust and Jack Gunston threatening to break the game wide open.
Sydney had regrouped, however, with three on the trot from Josh Kennedy, Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh to regain some momentum.
The Hawks needed to stop the flow, and they looked likely to do so, delivering the ball deep inside 50 to a contest.
Standing in their way was 20-year-old Alex Johnson, who corralled the ball and pivoted quickly to turn defence into attack.
He switched the ball to Malceski, who went straight up the corridor and found another Swans' young gun Daniel Hannebery, who booted it long to spearhead Sam Reid, and the 20-year-old bounced the ball clear from 40m.
Within 15 or 20 seconds the Swans had engineered an effective 12-point turnaround, and they would go into half-time 16 points to the good.
There were real and logical reasons why Hawthorn was favourites going into the grand final, and their playing group proved why in the third term.
Goals to Kennedy and Roberts-Thomson had pushed the Swans out to a 28-point lead in the first 10 minutes of the quarter.
Cue the usual suspects for the Hawks, with two goals to Lance Franklin along with majors to ruckman David Hale, forward Jack Gunston and Isaac Smith, as Hawthorn gave a vivid display of the kind of football that had made them the highest-scoring team in the league in 2012.
There was a point the difference at three-quarter time, and the tension switched to the Sydney side of the equation.
Dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes had jarred his knee and was struggling to run, ruckman Shane Mumford was limited by a hamstring problem, Jude Bolton was running on empty thanks to partial tears of his knee ligaments.
The bangs and dents of a physical grand final were beginning to take their toll on the Swans, and when Luke Breust and David Hale opened up the final quarter with goals for Hawthorn, a second premiership in five years was on the cards for Alistair Clarkson's men.
But as the bounce of the ball began to elude tiring muscles on both sides, Sydney found another effort.
Daniel Hannebery was the first to score, followed by Kieren Jack - the son of Sydney rugby league royalty - and when Adam Goodes chopped a kick into the ground which bounced agonisingly slowly over the line, the Swans were seven points in front again two minutes into time on.
There was still time enough for the Hawks, and they had their chances, but misses from Breust, Gunston and Brad Sewell - whose 33 touches and 11 clearances could easily have made him Norm Smith medallist in a Hawks' win - cruelled their chances.
Finally the ball fell to Malceski, who snapped truly to seal the game.
The victory gave Sydney its fifth premiership (including three as South Melbourne), joining triumphs in 1909, 1918, 1933 and 2005.
Veteran Ryan O'Keefe took the Norm Smith Medal, with 28 disposals and an amazing 15 tackles.
There were enough sub-plots to fill a book.
Canadian rugby international Mike Pyke was an unsung hero, taking vital marks in defence and spelling the injured Shane Mumford in the ruck.
The crowd of 99,683 had an early highlight, with the real running of the grand final sprint, as Sydney's Lewis Jetta raced down the boundary with Hawthorn's Cyril Rioli in hot pursuit.
Jetta proved he had the faster legs and disposed of the ball, with Rioli giving away a cheap free for a push in the back after the ball had gone.
On the Hawks side, captain Luke Hodge had his face cut open in an early contest, and played a brave match swathed in bandages.
Once again for Hawthorn it was a mixed match for Franklin. He showed his superstar status with huge, team-lifting goals, but again his kicking arc was a worry on set-shots, and his five misses could have made the difference.
Hawks forward Jarryd Roughead summed up the heart-breaking game for his team.
"Grand finals ebb and flow, unfortunately for us when the siren went we were gone," he told Grandstand.
"If Buddy had kicked that (third quarter) goal puts us up by three goals ... but they're all what ifs at the moment.
"I think we had 60-odd inside 50s but only six or seven marks. That just proves how good a defensive side Sydney are."
6.50pm: Swans veteran Jude Bolton admits he wasn't sure if he would ever get back to a grand final. The 301-gamer said it felt like the right time to retire, but he will hold off his decision when the emotional wears off. "The fire still burns".
6.35pm: Back in the sheds. Adam White caught up with Ted Richards, who has gone from playing in the Sydney magoos to being named an All Australian half-back and winning a premiership in 2012.
Josh Kennedy (who typifies the type of player Sydney has built its club around) told Whitey he was prepared to see his grandfather John Kennedy Sr deliver the premiership cup onto the field representing Hawthorn.
6.30pm: Gutted Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson had to put the loss into perspective.
"It's like Nadal v Federer, it's two heavyweights having a crack at each other," Clarkson said post match.
"You're going to win some, you're going to lose some. We're shattered but we played against a very good football team.
"It's hard but it's not anywhere near the loss of something like what happened to Jill Meagher last week or a brother-in-law that I lost this year to a brain tumour, or what happened to Jarrad McVeigh's daughter (who died) last year. We need to put it into perspective."
6.25pm: Nick Malceski kicked the first and last goals of the grand final. His final effort iced the contest. Despite his dirty, great beard no Hawks decided to sit on him at that critical stoppage.
6.15pm: It's a much different story in the Hawthorn sheds. The Hawks were the underdogs in 2008, stealing a premiership away from Geelong's dynasty. Four years later, in their first grand final since, it has happened to them. An extremely disappointed Jarryd Roughead told Dan Lonergan a lot could have changed if team-mates Lance Franklin kicked truly at a pivotal point in the third quarter.
"It was really disappointing, to Sydney's credit they took their chances and finished up ahead in the final quarter.
"(Turning point?) it's hard to say, throughout the game it ebbed and flowed. If Buddy had kicked that goal that puts us up by three goals ... but they're all what ifs at the moment.
"In grand finals you never think you've got it ... as I said before, grand finals ebb and flow unfortunately for us when the siren went we were gone.
"I think we had 60-odd inside 50s but only six or seven marks. That just proves how good a defensive side Sydney are, able to disallow marks inside 50. They work well as a group and you can't fault them.
Mark Maclure says: "I think they [Hawthorn] should have won it when they hit the front. They should have powered away."
6.00pm: The Swans gather in the sheds. Plenty of family and friends, but just the winners and their coaches clamp into a tight huddle - so tight the Channel 7 cameraman can't even sneak in. They let out a rousing version of Cheer, Cheer the Red and the White which could have carried all the way across the border.
Chris Grant says: "If there is a team you'd love to play with other than your own team, it's the Sydney Swans."
5.57pm: For Jarrad McVeigh it was an emotional moment. Twelve months ago his club rallied around the Swans' midfielder after the death of his baby daugher Luella.
McVeigh was one of the Swans leaders in an intense game, with 21 possessions - 12 of them contested - nine tackles and two goals.
"To get out to a game lead, and then the Hawks came back, then we came back, it was just ebbs and flows. I can't explain it (the feeling), just fantastic, unbelievable," he told Channel 7.
"There's so much belief in these guys, we know if we play our game no one can stop us."
Jude Bolton told Channel Seven he had played the grand final with a partial tear of both his ACL and PCL."It (my knee) was good enough to stand up there."
5.55pm: Fellow ruckman Shane Mumford and young forward Sam Reid where almost lost for words when they spoke with Grandstand's Dan Lonergan on the ground.
5.52pm: Myke Pike has a Canadian flag with him on his victory lap. He was on the front page of the Vancouver Sun today. And might be again tomorrow after this outstanding effort today - 16 touches, 6 marks and 29 hit-outs. Chris Grant says the big Canadian was labelled the "worst player in the AFL" by a rival radio station. He is no passenger, he is a premiership player.
5.50pm: The celebrations have extended to the ABC Grandstand commentary box and former Swans premiership player Tadhg Kennelly.
@GerardWhateley: Tadhg Kennelly does Irish jig on desk in celebration of @sydneyswans Premiership on @abcgrandstand pic.twitter.com/OdaIQA
5.40pm: Fantastic scenes as Sydney begins its celebratory lap of honour with their well-earned silverware. Josh Kennedy is embraced by his father John, who won four premierships with the Hawks but was firmly in his son's corner today.And Adam Goodes. What a warrior.
Goodes - 14 touches, 6 tackles and a goal - played on despite jarring his knee early in the second half, but was feeling no pain after the siren.
"This is the best part of the game (celebration), you work so hard to get here, doing this is why you play football," Goodes told Channel 7.
"It (my knee) is 100 per cent, I'm fine I feel on top of the world!
"I won't feel it for six months."
Goodes praised his team-mates who had also played on through injury, like Shane Mumford.
"That's what our group's about ... no matter how sore (you are) or how difficult (it is), just give something for the team."
5.35pm: The spotlight turns to John Longmire and Jarrad McVeigh as they accept the 2012 premiership cup from Swans legend Bob Skilton. Longmire and McVeigh lift the cup high for the pride of the Bloods.
"You're a fantastic club we really admire the way you go about it, we've had some fantastic tussles this year, this was another one - I'm sure there's more to come. Thanks Clarko and your fantastic football team," Longmire said.
"Thank you to our fans, we saw that much red and white at the parade on Friday we knew we would have big support (today) and we have, thank you all.
"Lastly, I'd like to thank our footballers led by Macca and Goodesy ... never say die is a great attitude, and you did it boys."
5.30pm: The Swans players take the stage to accept their premiership medals. Some amazing stories amongst this group.
5.24pm: Ryan O'Keefe wins the Norm Smith Medal. A worthy winner just ahead of midfield team-mate Dan Hannebery.
5.20pm: Hawks skipper Luke Hodge takes the stage to thank all those involved and is very gracious in defeat.
"Congratulations to the Sydney boys. You're not only well respected but well-liked right throughout the comp."
"To my team-mates, throughout the whole year, I couldn't be more proud of the way you fought back.
"It's a disappointing end. With the group we've got, I know we'll be back here next year."
Sydney wins the 2012 AFL premiership! They've upset the Hawks in the big one. The Swans kicked the final four goals and then did what they do best - fight until the death. Red and white everywhere. An amazing performance. A typical Sydney performance. Seven years since their last premiership, and the resilient Swans have done it again.
Franklin - 3.4
Gunston - 2.1
Hale - 2.2
Breust - 2.1
Malceski - 2.0
Morton - 2.0
McVeigh -2.0
Kennedy - 2.0
Sewell - 33
Franklin - 24
Mitchell - 24
Burgoyne - 21
Hannebery - 29
O'Keefe - 28
Kennedy - 26
McVeigh - 21
20': GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 10 points. NICK MALCESKI! He's kicked the first and last goals of the grand final. He is mobbed by this team-mates with 30 seconds left. He sat free off the ball-up and needed just an inch of space to snap the sealer.
One minute left: Jetta has a shot from 50, it falls short. Players dive in from everywhere. It's locked in Sydney's forward 50.
Two minutes left: Savage takes a goal-saving mark deep in defence but Birchall is taken down by a desperate Marty Mattner on the outer wing.
17': Brad Sewell snaps... and misses to the right. Handy point. Sewell snaps... and misses to the left. The margin is now four points. Sydney out on its feet at the back.
16': Sydney is desperately defending its lead. Smothers, tackles, one percenters all along the broadcast wing. Hawthorn just wanted to get it forward, but the Swans won't allow it.
15': Franklin takes a great grab on 50, opts not to go back and finds an unmarked Jack Gunston in the pocket. He hits the post!! Swans lead by one goal neat.
14' GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 7 points. ADAM GOODES YOU ARE A FREAK OF NATURE! On almost the same patch of grass that Leo Barry took his famous mark in 2005, Goodes crumbs off the contest and rolls home a fantastic goal. How is he doing this? Mike Pyke also took a great mark to stop Hawthorn escaping their defence in the build-up.
13': GOAL SWANS - Scores level. Kieran Jack comes from nowhere to pick Clint Young's pocket an level the scores from the goal-square. Outstanding lead-up work by Mitch Morton, when he was battling two Hawks. Little efforts like that win grand finals.
12': Just like the weather in Melbourne today, it is the calm before the storm. Some inspiration acts of courage out there. Luke Hodge and Adam Goodes in particular are jumping around with no regard for their bodies. So too the midfield warriors from both sides. Mike Pyke is also in bad shape.
11': The official attendance at the MCG is 99,683. A whisker away from the 100,000 mark.
10': Sydney's Alex Johnson comes off the field with an arm/wrist injury.
9': GOAL SWANS - Hawks lead by 6 points. Take a bow Lewis Jetta. Didn't go in hard enough in the third term but put his body on the line and Dan Hannerbery picks up the scraps to level a fantastic and timely goal for Sydney. Meanwhile, there is no reasonable explanation as to how Adam Goodes is still running and having an impact on this game. Other than he isn't from this planet.
6': Swans use their sub. Shane Mumford OFF, Luke Parker ON. Sydney desperately need some run.
4': Buddy Franklin wins a high tackle free-kick from right in front but misses. Three goals from eight shots on goal for Franklin. If he splits the middle there the Swans' heads would definitely have dropped.
2': GOAL HAWKS - Hawks lead by 11 points. It is haling at the MCG. David Hale. The big man snaps his second goal and the Hawks are getting reward for their forward entries. Hawthorn now has seven of the last eight goals and is threatening to run away with it. Sydney's tank is emptying and fast.
1': GOAL HAWKS - Hawks lead by 5 points. Cyril Rioli is showing what he can do in big games. His vision combined with Luke Breust's speed for a goal inside the first 60 seconds of the quarter.
Morton - 2
McVeigh -2
Kennedy - 2
Sewell - 26
Franklin - 20
Mitchell - 17
Shiels - 17
Hannebery - 21
Kennedy - 21
O'Keefe - 20
McVeigh - 19
Well, the stage is set. Sydney's lead got as high as 28 points before Hawthorn hit the go button with five consecutive goals. Brad Sewell and Lance Franklin were outstanding for the Hawks in the third term. Ted Richards is struggling to keep up with Buddy. Sydney's run stopped, especially off half-back. It'll just be a battle of wills in the final term.
20': Hawthorn lays siege to the Sydney goal but the siren and a fantastic contested mark by LRT rescues the Swans. Swans lead a point.
18' GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 2 points. Silly from Hawks veteran Sam Mitchell. Gives away a 50 metre penalty and Swans skipper Jarrad McVeigh makes Hawthorn's pay with a perfect shot on goal. Couldn't have come any later. The gold and brown train was leaving the station.
16': GOAL HAWKS - Hawks lead by 4 points. HAWTHORN BURST FOOTY! They're kicking goals faster than I can type. Isaac Smith sprints out of the centre bounce and kicks the Hawks into the lead! Amazing scenes. The minor premiers have finally awoken from their slumber, especially in the middle. Sydney now the ones left shell-shocked.
16': GOAL HAWKS - Swans lead by 2 points. Lance Franklin lets loose with a booming goal from outside the arc. This is typical of the Hawks.
15': GOAL HAWKS - Swans lead by 8 points. Here they come. Hawthorn kick its third goal on the trot, this one courtesy of a lovely drop punt by Jack Gunston. The Hawks have also activate their sub - Xavier Ellis OFF, Shane Savage ON.
13': GOAL HAWKS - Swans lead by 16 points. Sam Reid lines up a shot at goal but tremendous rebound by Hawthorn's Grant Birchall delivers Franklin a much-needed one on one. He takes the mark, plays on, wheels onto his favoured left and sends home a big goal. The charge is starting. Buckle up.
12': GOAL HAWKS - Swans lead by 22 points. David Hale boots the Hawks' first goal in almost 42 minutes from a free-kick in the ruck. You can't give a mug an even break, says Mark Maclure. Have the Swans left the window open? They still look to be tremendous shape.
9': Kennedy hits the post. Wow, that could have really sunk the Hawks. Sydney's pressure all around the ground, but particularly locking the ball in their forward line is outstanding. The Swans lead the tackle count 72 to 47.
7': GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 27 points. Adam Goodes has done the PCL in his knee. Yet he is still out there making a contest! This time his hard work leads to a shot on goal for LRT and the popular swingman doesn't disappoint. His 25th goal of the season. A huge boilover brewing at the MCG.
3': GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 21 points. The speed of Lewis Jetta again kills the Hawks. The Sydney livewire breaks free from the stoppage, finds Jack and then Josh Kennedy stretches the lead with a running goal. Seven straight goals by the Swans.
1': Jarryd Roughead with an early shot on goal. It drifts wide. Not sure the Hawks can afford to leave their run too late.
Mark Maclure: Atrocious second term by the Hawks. Are they up to the fight? The margin is not that big, both of these sides can blow away that deficit with their ability to play burst footy. It has to start in the middle for Hawthorn. Brad Sewell and Sam Mitchell ned to win the ball for Hawthorn or they are going to get smashed. Mitch Morton's story is amazing.
Chris Grant: Sydney's completely dominating Hawks on the outside. Players like Shaw, Johnson, Jetta and O'Keefe. We're set for a great second half. A bit of mind game. Can the Swans continue what they did in the second quarter? They need to do it for the rest of the game. Mumford and Richards clearly not fully fit.
Tadhg Kennelly: John Longmire has brought that outside run for the Swans. Sydney are trying to get the ball outside the stoppage to isolate the lack of Hawthorn's speed at the stoppage. Sydney are just working harder.
Ellis
Franklin
Breust
Gunston
Morton - 2
McVeigh
Kennedy
Reid
Jack
Malceski
Sewell - 18
Franklin - 14
Young - 12
Mitchell - 11
O'Keefe - 14
Hannebery - 13
Kennedy - 12
McVeigh - 12
What a turnaround. Sydney kicks six straight goals in the second term to turn a 19-point deficit into a 16-point advantage at the main break. The red and white faithful rise at the MCG. A simply superb effort by the Swans in that quarter. They got back to what they do best, winning the hard ball and forcing it forward. A hobbled Adam Goodes typified Sydney's determination to offer a contest at all times and, together with Mitch Morton, was vital to Sydney's well-earned lead.
Down back Rhyce Shaw and Alex Johnson have been brilliant reading Hawthorn's forward entries and kick-starting Sydney's attack off half-back. Brad Sewell has been a warrior for the Hawks with 10 contested possessions. But is not getting much help from his team-mates. Ryan O'Keefe has eight tackles, two clearances and six contested possessions.
Sydney finished the half with 24 inside 50s to Hawthorn's 29. The Swans had just seven at quarter-time. Hawthorn's kicking efficiency is at 67.7 per cent, compared to Sydney's 74.9.
Hawthorn won 21 of 22 second quarters this season, kicking an average of 33 points in each. Now, in the biggest game of the year, they return one point to their opponents' six goals.
19': Lance Franklin hooks a set shot out on the full. Shades of last week against the Crows under pressure. Young does likewise under pressure on the boundary line. Maclure says Hawthorn are playing a selfish brand of footy. No teamwork at all.
18': Marty Mattner is smashed by David Hale and Luke Breust. A preview of the NRL grand final with that tackle. Hawks trying to stay competitive. Adam White reports Luke Hodge and Cyril Rioli come to the boundary absolutely gassed.
17': GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 16 points. Another goal for Morton, another goal assist for Goodes. Six goals to nought against the best side in the competition this quarter. This is remarkable stuff by the Swans. They are overwhelming the Hawks all over the ground. The minor premiers are shaken and are screaming for the half-time siren.
15': GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 10 points. It's all one-way traffic at the MCG. Goodes on one leg still makes a contest in front of goal and dishes it out to Mitch Morton, who snaps another goal for Sydney. Hawthorn beat Sydney at its own contested game in the first term, now the Swans are belting the Hawks in their trademark burst footy.
12': Hale kicks a behind - Hawthorn's first score in nearly 18 minutes!
12': A strapped up Goodes is back on the field but he looks limited. This could be a telling blow for the Swans.
10': GOAL SWANS - Swans lead by 5. Sam Reid finally gets over his case of the fumbles and sends one through from 50. Great rebound by the Swans. Rhyce Shaw cuts off a Hawthorn entry and get it going the other way straight through the corridor. Sydney leading the inside 50s 10-4 this term. Swans moving the ball very well against the Hawks defence.
9': Adam Goodes goes to the boundary and is getting some attention on his left knee. It appears he injured it in the marking contest that setup McVeigh's goal. He has been brilliant early for the Swans.
5': GOALS SWANS - Hawks by 1. What a response by the Swans. The City End is the scoring end. Jetta and Goodes work in tandem on the outside and McVeigh marks in the goal-square. They just don't know how to give up, Sydney. Hawks stopped in their tracks. Quarter-time halted their momentum.
4': GOAL SWANS - Hawks lead by 7. A controversial but nevertheless important six-pointer for Sydney. LRT should have been pinged for holding the ball after a great tackle by Ellis, but the ball falls for Goodes, who sets up Kieran Jack for an easy mark and goal. Hawks players and fans not too happy.
1': GOAL SWANS - Hawks lead by 13. Josh Kennedy kicks a very important goal early in the second term with a set shot. Follow me boys, he says.
A fantastic finish to the first quarter by the Hawks, who lead by 19 points at the first change. We know they are capable of this trademark burst footy and the Swans are saved by the siren. The Hawks lead the Swans 43-31 in contested possessions, taking away Sydney's bread and butter. Lance Franklin is looking ominous and Ted Richards is struggling with his ankle injury. Inside 50s favour the Hawks 18-7. Not great signs for the Swans.
X Ellis
B Franklin
L Breust
J Gunston
Franklin - 10
Mitchell - 8
Sewell - 7
O'Keefe - 8
Shaw - 7
Hannebery - 7
19': GOAL HAWKS - Hawks lead by 19 points. Superb finish by Jack Gunston lurking on the half-forward line. Find the ball uncontested and snaps truly to bounce the Sherrin through for a second goal in a minute for the favourites. Hawthorn making the Swans pay for their profligacy.
19': GOAL HAWKS - Hawks lead by 13 points. Luke Breust take a bow. Fantastic work on the broadcast wing, pushing the ball forward, running hard and finishing it off with a tidy little grubber.
18': Lewis Roberts-Thompson with a crunching tackle on Hodge, who is already sporting a bandaged head, and wins a holding the ball free-kick. But LRT misses! Both sides struggling with their set shots early.
17': Jetta takes off on an electric run on the outer wing. Rioli gives chase. I thought we had already done the grand final sprint? Fantastic moment. Craig Bird gets a free-kick but his shots fades wide.
16': GOAL HAWKS - Hawks lead by 9. Lance Franklin takes an uncontested mark and kicks a beauty from right on 50 at a tight angle. Worked it around wonderfully and the Hawks get some much-needed reward on the scoreboard.
15': Fantastic grab by Daniel Hannebery over Hale!
15': Bullet dodged by the Swans. Heath Grundy caught holding the ball but Jarryd Roughead opts to play on and kicks a behind. Chances going begging early.
15': Ryan O'Keefe starting to make his impact on the contest. Sam Reid also takes a great mark on the lead ahead of Ryan Schoenmakers. The play breaks down with Alex Johnson kicking a behind.
14': Plenty of stoppages on the outer wing. Sydney attempt to run it out but the Hawthorn zone is all over it and send it back for ruckman David Hale to take a strong contested mark over opponent Shane Mumford. But Hale misses from point blank range. Inaccuracy hurt the Hawks last week.
12': Free-kick to Liam Shiels against Craig Bird, but the Hawk utility's shot on goal goes across the face and is rushed for a behind by the Swans. Hawks lead inside 50s 9-4. Hawks by two points.
10': Some fantastic build up by foot from the Hawks ends with Cyril Rioli dishing it off Franklin, who steadies, lines them up and... hits the post! Two shots, two behinds for Buddy.
8': GOAL SWANS - Scores level. WHAT A GOAL! Nick Malceski, who only has four majors this year, snaps an unbelievable goal from arguably the toughest pocked on the MCG. The Swans fans behind the goal are both stunned and jubilant. Nice response by the underdogs. Typically physical and intense all around the ground.
7': GOAL HAWKS - Hawks lead by six points. The pressure finally tells. Xavier Ellis, who has just come off the bench, reacts first from a Mumford tap right in front of the sticks and snaps the first goal of the grand final.
6': Luke Hodge gets the first free-kick of the afternoon for a high tackle. The Hawks skipper is bleeding from the right eye and Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy also has claret coming from his ear. Two hard nuts going at it early.
5': Adam Goodes has had a fantastic start for the Swans. He is everywhere. The Sydney co-captain comes up with a fantastic tackle of Isaac Smith as the Hawks go forward again.
4': Sydney, with its typical forward tackling pressure, has the Hawks locked in their defensive 50. Lewis Jetta attempts an audacious snap from the pocket but it is rushed through by Isaac Smith who was manning the goal-line.
1': Nervous start for both sides but Hawks get their hands on it early in the middle and Lance Franklin takes his first mark of the game on the edge of the forward 50. But his shot of goal goes through for a behind.
A full house at the MCG, according to boundary rider Adam White. An amazing atmosphere. The ground has held up well after plenty of rain. The wind had died down. Luke Hodge wins the toss and decides to run towards the City End.
Finals tip and Norm Smith medal winner:
Mark Maclure - Hawks, Josh Gibson
Tadhg Kennelly - Swans, Dan Hannebery
Chris Grant - Hawks, Sam Mitchell
Gerard Whateley -Hawks, Brad Sewell
Drew Morphett - Hawks. No tip for Drew as he is on the official voting panel.
2.26pm: John Kennedy Sr and Bob Skilton bring out the premiership cup before Marina Prior belts out a fantastic version of Advance Australia Fair. Here we go!
2.21pm: The sun is shining at the MCG and even a bit of blue sky. Melbourne weather - it's anyone's guess. Here is hoping we are in for just as wild and unpredictable grand final.
2.20pm: Kennelly says Adam Goodes, Josh Kennedy and Ted Richards are the three key men for the Swans.
2.15pm: Paul Kelly wraps up with another quality tune and here come the teams. Sydney the first out on to the field. Hawthorn waits in the race with the premiership cup sitting enticingly jut a fingertip away from Brad Sewell and his team-mates before Luke Hodge leads them out.
2.07pm: Geelong premiership winners Cam Mooney and Brad Ottens tell Adam White they want the Swans to win. Ottens is even wearing a Sydney scarf. Footballers have very long memories... Listen here.
2.05pm: Injured Hawks defender Brendan Whitecross tells the Grandstand team he still feels part of the team despite going down with an ACL injury against Collingwood in the opening week of the finals.
"We've worked really hard for four years now since the 2008 grand final and I hope the boys get over the line," Whitecross said.
"I feel very much a part of the side."
Whitecross, who admitted to being the pest of the Hawks side, said the atmosphere in the dressing rooms was too intense for him.
"It's too quiet for my liking," he said.
"They boys are pretty focussed and pretty serious down there.
"I think they are ready to go."
1.55pm: Hawthorn premiership player Chance Bateman chatted with Adam White before the opening bounce. Listen here.
Whitey also caught up with Olympic champion Sally Pearson, who is about to enjoy a lap around the MCG with her fellow London medalists. Listen here.
1.48pm: Mark Maclure says it is a disgrace how few AFL players come to watch the grand final. The Blues legend says they should be keen to experience it to help motivate them to one day get there themselves. Kennelly said the first time he went to a grand final was when he realised how big the occasion was. He went on to win a premiership medal in 2005.
1.42pm: Both sides are facing the elements out on the 'G for their 'warm-ups'. Good luck, lads. Lots of rain and hail expected soon!
1.40pm: The weather is getting really wild at the MCG. The Auskick goals are being blown over. The flags are almost being ripped from their poles. Mark Maclure says the weather could slow the contest down further and help a hobbled Mumford.
1.37pm: The PM (a Bulldogs fan) has had her say.
?@JuliaGillard: Swans had a sensational season. Can never write off Hawks with stars like Buddy Rioli & Hodge, but Swans to triumph in #AFLGF cliffhanger.JG
1.35pm: Former Sydney premiership player Tadhg Kennelly joins the Grandstand team and says Swans ruckman Shane Mumford suffered a hamstring complaint in training. He has been declared fit, but could it hamper the big man in tough conditions? Meanwhile, could Swans veteran Jude Bolton be playing his last game? Bolton is going into today's decider with torn ligaments in his knee, as reported by Channel 7 and confirmed by Bolton's wife.
1.31pm: No late changes for either side. Shane Savage is the sub for the Hawks and Luke Parker for the Swans. Savage in particular has proved influential coming off the pine this season, and could play a big role in the final quarter, barring any unforseen, early injuries.
1.25pm: Hawthorn legend John Kennedy is favouring family over club. He tells the Grandstand team he hopes son Josh can win a premiership with the Swans today even if it comes against Hawthorn, the club John and his father represented with such distinction.
@GerardWhateley: John Kennedy Jr compelling listening on @abcgrandstand Family over club for the father with son Josh today.
1.15pm: Grandstand's Patrick Dangerfield (yes we are claiming him) goes back-to-back in the grand final sprint. The Crows speedster absolutely smashes the field with Sydney's Harry Cunningham second and Hawthorn's Angus Litherland third.
1.05pm: Things warming up at the MCG. Not weather wise but out on the field. Tim Rogers and the long kick competition has entertaining the crowd as they roll in, while the grand final sprint is moments away.
12.52pm: Afternoon all. Raman Goraya here reporting for duty. Just in - pictures from inside the Sydney rooms show an upbeat Shane Mumford stretching and listening to music. The chances of the Sydney ruckman missing out today look very unlikely. Gotta love grand final rumours.
12.45pm: Shane Mumford is said to be testing his hamstring amid rumours he is in danger of missing out on the grand final. He would leave a big hole in the Sydney lineup.
12.40pm: ABC footballer of the year Patrick Dangerfield reveals how close he was to leaving the Crows and entertained the Grandstand team with his range of impressions. Have a listen:
12.15pm: The Pre-Match show is underway - Listen here
"I hope it stops raining," Isaac Smith told Grandstand.
11.45am: We have the first reports of rain at the MCG ....the sun just failing to hold out until the afternoon.
11.30am: We're just over half an hour away from the AFL grand final pre-match show which features the ABC's AFL player of the year, Patrick Dangerfield.
11.20am: The Hawks will wear a black armband in today's game to honour long-time staff member Scotty Finlayson who died last week.
11.00am: The atmosphere outside the MCG is already building with fans milling around ... including a certain Olympic gold medallist.
10:30am: The sun is out in Melbourne this morning, but forecasters remain convinced rain, wind and quite possibly hail will arrive in four hours' time when the game gets underway.
Grandstand's coverage from the MCG begins at 12.10pm. You can stream online here.
Grandstand's Dan Lonergan caught up with plenty of the Hawks and Swans at the grand final parade. You can listen to interviews with Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli, Luke Hodge, Lewis Jetta, Josh Kennedy, John Longmire and more here.
On Friday, Gerard Whateley and Matt Clinch joined Francis Leach and Kelli Underwood to preview the 2012 AFL grand final.
Grant Birchall
Josh Gibson
Benjamin Stratton
Martin Mattner
Ted Richards
Rhyce Shaw
Matt Suckling
Ryan Schoenmakers
Shaun Burgoyne
Nicholas Smith
Heath Grundy
Alex Johnson
Jordan Lewis
Sam Mitchell
Xavier Ellis
Daniel Hannebery
Kieren Jack
Lewis Jetta
Jack Gunston
Lance Franklin
Isaac Smith
Ryan O'Keefe
Sam Reid
Craig Bird
Cyril Rioli
Jarryd Roughead
Luke Breust
Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Adam Goodes
Jarrad McVeigh
David Hale
Luke Hodge
Brad Sewell
Shane Mumford
Josh P. Kennedy
Jude Bolton
Paul Puopolo
Liam Shiels
Clinton Young
Nick Malceski
Mike Pyke
Mitch Morton
Tom Murphy
Max Bailey
Kyle Cheney
Tommy Walsh
Tony Armstrong
Trent Dennis-Lane
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, sydney-2000, nsw, hawthorn-3122 First posted September 29, 2012 10:29:32Reborn O'Keefe wins Norm Smith Medal
The man who did more than any other on Saturday to ensure Sydney would win a fifth premiership could easily have been playing for the opposition.
Four years ago, Ryan O'Keefe told then-Swans coach Paul Roos he wanted to move back to his home state of Victoria.
Hawthorn were foremost among the clubs interested in securing his services.
But when a suitable trade could not be agreed, O'Keefe took it on the chin and signed a new four-year deal with Sydney.
The following year, his transformation from talented half-forward to tough-as-teak midfielder began in earnest.
It was a change in role which reached its high point at the MCG on Saturday as O'Keefe amassed 28 possessions and 15 tackles - five more than any other player on the ground - as the Swans claimed an upset 10-point win over Hawthorn.
His effort was enough to claim the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground.
"This year we have always been about the 22 players - it's never been about individuals," said the 31-year-old O'Keefe, one of only four Swans to have played in the 2005 and 2012 flag-winning teams.
"Today was just the perfect example of that.
"Everyone played their role, cracked in and really dug in when the Hawks had the momentum.
"We always knew Hawthorn were going to give us a red hot contest and to our boys' credit we just kept digging in.
"We got the momentum, then they got the momentum.
"We just knew that's the way the game was going to pan out all day."
O'Keefe now sits fifth on Sydney's all-time games list, having pulled on the red and white guernsey 257 times since making his debut back in 2000.
And he is already looking forward to 2013 - and beyond - as a key cog in the Swans' engine room.
"I enjoy getting in amongst it where the action is and being physical," he said.
"I'm just really enjoying my footy at the moment and my coach has given me the confidence just to back myself."
AAP
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, melbourne-3000, vic, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted September 29, 2012 20:51:25Hawks down but not out
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson says his players are shattered after their loss to Sydney but wished to put the result into perspective.
"It's like Nadal v Federer, it's two heavyweights having a crack at each other," Clarkson said after the match.
"You're going to win some, you're going to lose some. We're shattered but we played against a very good football team."
Clarkson referred to the disappointing loss as part of the "theatre of sport" and told his players that although the loss is hard to swallow it is not as hard as the tragedies that life can throw up.
The 2008 premiership-wining coach referred to the hardships faced by the family of ABC employee Jill Meagher, who was murdered during the week.
And his own brother-in-law's lost battle with a brain tumour this year as well as the loss of Jarrad McVeigh's infant daughter who died last year.
"You have to keep these things in perspective," Clarkson said.
Hawks midfielder Brad Sewell says he expects the Hawks to use their 10-point loss to be the catalyst for an even better preseason preparation.
Sewell admits using the grand final defeat as a spur to go one better in 2013 emerged as a theme in post-match dressing room soul-searching.
"We'll go away tonight, over the next week, over the next six to eight weeks, and lick our wounds," he said.
"We'll prepare for next year in the same manner we did for this year, with probably a little bit more. That was certainly mentioned in there (the dressing rooms).
"Our group will bounce back, no doubt about that. We'll reload, and go again."
Just like their 2008 grand final win against a raft of statistics which favoured Geelong, it was the Hawks who became statistical anomalies on Saturday.
The Hawks had more contested possessions - usually as much a winning barometer in modern AFL as the scoreboard - and more scoring shots, but still lost.
But Sewell - arguably his side's best with 33 touches and 10 tackles - was full of praise for Sydney's efforts, describing the Swans as a remarkable side.
"[Today they showed] terrific resilience, discipline and all those things that they get put up on a pedestal for," he said.
Meanwhile, Hawks captain Luke Hodge insists he was fit enough to play in the grand final.
Hodge missed the preliminary final last weekend because of a bout of gastroenteritis, and lost weight as a result.
He says he did not lack any of his usual energy despite his recent illness but he did finish the game with his head covered in bandages after a cut above his right eye, which required treatment several times under the blood rule.
"It's a grand final, you get up for it," Hodge said.
"There were bodies going in hard left, right and centre and everyone expected that."
ABC/AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, sydney-2000 First posted September 29, 2012 20:55:39Laird signs with Bulldogs for another year
Central District chief executive Kris Grant said he was sure Roy Laird could return the club to the top of the SANFL.
The seven-time premiership coach has agreed to a coaching deal for another year with the northern Adelaide club.
Grant says Laird is the right man to lead the Bulldogs' revival after the team missed the Grand Final for the first time since 1999.
"It's going to be a new ball game for us, the list is going to change quite a bit, we're going to freshen all that up," he said.
"Obviously footy has changed over the period and Roy as a tactician is very, very, very good in that area and he'll be looking at new sort of ways and maybe tweaking our game plan."
Tags: sanfl, adelaide-5000, sa First posted September 28, 2012 14:34:29Friday, September 28, 2012
Swans, Hawks not swayed by wet weather
Hawthorn and Sydney's coaches both say late team changes are unlikely for Saturday's AFL grand final at the MCG despite expected wet, windy weather.
Players from the two clubs were forced to sit inside vehicles to shelter from the rain, rather than ride in the open on the back of them, during Friday's grand final parade through the centre of Melbourne.
The forecast is for rain, heavy wind and possible thunder and hail in Melbourne on Saturday, prompting speculation either club might change their selected 22 to suit the conditions.
But Swans coach John Longmire said that was unlikely to happen.
"At the moment the team's as named. I don't expect any changes between now and game day," Longmire told reporters at Friday's grand final press conference.
Hawthorn counterpart Alastair Clarkson said Melbourne's weather was unpredictable, but both clubs had played in vastly different conditions during the season and would handle whatever they faced on Saturday.
"I can probably speak on behalf of both sides," Clarkson said.
"You play in this game, you play in hot weather, you play in cold weather, you play all sorts of different shaped grounds.
"As long as they've got goal posts and you've got 22 blokes each, you just prepare to have a crack at each other.
"That will be the case tomorrow.
"We know Sydney are tough and hard whether they play in dry conditions or whether in the wet and they know that we're the same.
"It's a grand final, so it's a fierce contest, so we're looking forward to the contest."
Longmire said there might have to be some adjustments to his side's set-up throughout the game, but that would depend on the state of the match as much as the conditions.
"It's always a work in progress, nothing's ever set in concrete to say this is the way we're going to play," the Swans coach said.
"You need to be flexible and adaptable during the course of the game.
"I'm sure both teams will chuck up different forward set-ups at different times."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, east-melbourne-3002, vic, australia, sydney-2000, nsw First posted September 28, 2012 14:43:28Thursday, September 27, 2012
Walters commits to Dockers
Fremantle has re-signed out-of-contract forward Michael Walters for a further two years after the 21-year-old's impressive 2012 season.
Walters will remain at the Dockers until at least the end of the 2014 season.
"Michael's become an important player for the team and we look forward to a successful contribution from him again in 2013," general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said in a statement.
Walters battled fitness issues in preseason but worked his way into an improving Fremantle side in the back half of this season, including finals.
He kicked two goals in the Dockers' upset win over the Cats and another three in the defeat to the Crows during the finals.
Walter has played just 21 AFL games after being selected with pick 53 of the 2008 Draft.
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, fremantle-6160 First posted September 27, 2012 08:22:53The best two teams make it
In this gruelling AFL season, all media commentators often go on about the importance of finishing in the top four.
History tells us that since this finals format was introduced in 2000, only two teams that finished top four and lost their first final have bowed out of the race without making it through to a preliminary final - Port Adelaide in 2001 and an injury ravaged West Coast in 2007.
There is also strong evidence that if you do finish top four and win the qualifying final to earn a week off, you are an excellent chance of winning the preliminary and progressing through to the grand final.
Under this system, Adelaide was the last team back in 2006 to have a week off and lose their preliminary final.
There have been some close shaves in recent times with Geelong the most dominant team of 2007 just edging out Collingwood by five points after a nervous and jittery display.
St Kilda was the same two years later. The Saints finished the home and away season with just two losses and comfortably accounted for Collingwood in the qualifying final before meeting up with the Bulldogs in the preliminary final.
They were off their game early, but the Dogs couldn't take full advantage and the Saints got over the line.
Hawthorn was in the same boat on Saturday night against Adelaide in their preliminary final. The Hawks dropped marks early and missed easy goals, while the Crows exposed their opponent's defence and put scoreboard pressure on.
However, the Hawks, on the back of the brilliant Cyril Rioli, found a way to get over the line and were very relieved to win after not playing well.
They would need a much better effort to beat the Swans in Saturday’s grand final after a solid display from Sydney in ending Collingwood’s season.
The margin of 26 points flattered the Magpies, who were emotionally spent after a difficult fortnight.
The Swans like Hawthorn had the week off after beating the Crows and it showed as they were much fresher than the Pies and were not as tense as the Hawks, who carried all the pressure.
However, the Hawks got there and will be aiming to put that poor performance behind them.
They have loads of talent especially in the midfield and up forward although the Swans have a solid backline and like Hawthorn have the big bodied on-ballers to win more than their share of the all-important clearances.
Former Hawk Josh Kennedy has been a superstar for the Swans and could come back to haunt them on grand final day.
Sydney would love another power forward like Adam Goodes - who rotates between the forward 50 and the midfield - to really stretch the Hawks, who struggled to cope with the Crows' Taylor Walker and Kurt Tippett.
The Hawks need a fit and healthy Luke Hodge to return and with so many midfielders of both teams always playing like warriors and being hard and tough, the heat will certainly be well and truly on in the middle.
Sydney’s outstanding key defenders Ted Richards and Heath Grundy have got big jobs in quelling the influence of Jarryd Roughead and Buddy Franklin respectively, but are in good enough form to do that.
Then there is the excitement machines for each club, who basically won the games for their sides on the weekend.
Lewis Jetta of the Swans ran the length of the field to boot an extraordinary goal - his pace will test the Hawks.
Then there's Cyril Rioli - every touch he got in the last quarter turned to gold.
He kicked a goal from a pack mark to put Hawthorn back in front and then set up the sealer for Buddy.
I would love to see them go toe to toe for five minutes. It would be the highlight of the year.
Unfortunately that confrontation will not occur, but this grand final will still be full of highlights.
Because Sydney's recent record is so poor at the MCG, I am tipping the Hawks, but not with confidence.
If they don't bring their A-game this week, like last week, they won’t be taking home the premiership cup.
I can't wait for it to start.
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, melbourne-3000, vic, sydney-2000, nsw, australia First posted September 27, 2012 08:40:59Indigenous stars loom as MCG match-winners
Saturday's Hawthorn-Sydney grand final seems set to be a Dreamtime occasion, with five Indigenous stars shaping up as the game's dominating influences.
Lance Franklin, Cyril Rioli and Shaun Burgoyne are all capable of turning a tight AFL grand final single-handedly in Hawthorn's favour, just as Adam Goodes and Lewis Jetta are for Sydney.
All have the capacity to unleash a season-defining burst of individual brilliance.
The grand final could be their time to shine, judging from the impressive list of Indigenous players to win best on ground honours in the premiership decider.
Since the Norm Smith medal was first awarded in 1979, it has hung proudly on the chests of Aboriginal players no fewer than six times.
Two of the winners were Cyril Rioli's uncles - Richmond's Maurice Rioli in 1982 and Essendon's Michael Long in 1993. West Coast's Peter Matera was similarly honoured in 1992, Adelaide's Andrew McLeod twice in 1997 and 1998 and Port Adelaide's Byron Pickett in 2004.
Only a brave man would bet against that list lengthening at the MCG this weekend.
The five Indigenous players on show are not just superstars of the moment. Two certainly, maybe three or four, and arguably all five could end up deserving a mention in discussions about many an all-time best list.
Sydney co-captain Goodes has the medals to prove it. He is one of only 12 players ever to win more than one Brownlow. He won a premiership with Sydney in 2005 and is a four-time All-Australian. He is as towering a role model off the field as he is on it.
No player ever seemed less likely to be involved in anything unsporting or unseemly. When he first won the game's highest individual honour in 2003 he took his mum to the award ceremony.
He was named in the Indigenous Team of the Century and with former Swan Michael O'Loughlin started an Indigenous football academy.
Franklin is freakish, a 196cm, 100kg monster who can move like the wind and kick goals from prodigious distances and ludicrous angles.
Hawthorn great Leigh Matthews has called him the player he most enjoys watching. Franklin in 2008 became the first player in a decade to kick a century of goals in the home and away season. The Hawthorn star is so gifted it somehow doesn't seem fair to the rest.
Much the same could be said of Rioli, at the other end of the size scale. His football lineage is well established, and he has the speed, vision and talent to leave opponents and spectators breathless. He helped Hawthorn to the flag in his debut season of 2008, prompting coach Alastair Clarkson to call him a "sensational acquisition".
Jetta is an excitement machine, too, who is the Swans top scorer this season after starting to find his speedy feet at top level.
Burgoyne is already a premiership winner, with Port Adelaide in 2004, and was named an All-Australian in 2006.
Between them they could decide the fate of the 2012 flag.
All are in match-winning form.
Jetta's inspirational running goal in the preliminary final against Collingwood is destined to become a staple of highlight reels.
He picked up the ball in his defensive half, saw an empty paddock in front of him and, roared on by an hysterical home crowd, "put the afterburners on" to race upfield and goal, taking three bounces along the way. So what if he might have infringed the 15m rule slightly? He made hairs stand up on the backs of necks.
Rioli conjured two magic moments - a key goal from a contested mark and a set-up for three-goal Franklin - that probably made all the difference in the dying stages of Hawthorn's preliminary final win over Adelaide.
Teammate Brad Sewell seemed to speak for everyone when he said later: "Thank God he's on our side. Thank God for Cyril, eh?"
The fellow Hawk who won a crucial clearance and thumped the ball upfield for Rioli to goal was none other than Burgoyne, just after the Crows had edged ahead with five minutes remaining.
Franklin credited Burgoyne's strong performances all season as one reason the Hawks made the grand final.
Indigenous players have achieved a wildly disproportionate success rate in the AFL, which makes a big change from stories about Indigenous over-representation in statistics about prisons, poor health and low education levels.
The Indigenous population of just over half a million represents 2.3 per cent of all Australians, about one in 40.
Yet Indigenous footballers have claimed about one in five Norm Smith medals, and represent one in nine of Saturday's 44 grand final players.
A total of 79 Indigenous players are on current AFL senior lists, appearing at all 18 clubs with at least two and as many as six players at some teams.
They have made such an impact on the AFL that since 2005 round nine has been designated a special week to celebrate the contribution of all Indigenous players.
Its centrepiece is the Kevin Sheedy-inspired Essendon-Richmond match, chosen because the teams' combined jumper colours - red, yellow and black - make up the Aboriginal flag.
It's known as Dreamtime at the G (MCG).
But Indigenous stars are shaping up as such a big influence that they could create a second, unofficial Dreamtime at the G - on the last Saturday in September, the one day that is the stuff of dreams.
AAP
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, australia First posted September 27, 2012 10:49:49Collingwood re-signs Cloke to five-year deal
Travis Cloke has ended months of speculation and re-signed with Collingwood for a further five years.
The 25-year-old key forward has been in discussions with the Magpies over the past week, after both parties earlier this season agreed to leave all negotiations until after the finals.
Cloke was rumoured to be considering an offer from Carlton after former Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse was appointed Blues coach earlier this month.
Collingwood confirmed the new deal included a conditional fifth year, reportedly the sticking point throughout contract discussions between the club and Cloke's management.
Magpies director of football Geoff Walsh says Cloke is worth the long-term investment.
"There's a number of players in our club who will be playing with us in five years time, and not all players get five-year deals," he said.
"I understand that, but we're happy to back Trav in that he'll still be performing at the levels that put him in the upper echelon of the competition in five years time."
Walsh says the drawn out nature of Cloke's future had no bearing on the Magpies' failed finals campaign.
"We understand this was a protracted negotiation," he said.
"I think there was 10 or 11 key players throughout the year signed or had their contracts negotiated during the year, so I can't say that we should be playing Saturday if we had signed Travis Cloke three months earlier.
"I don't think it was a distraction, no."
The Magpies also announced the re-signing of defender Harry O'Brien for a further two seasons.
This leaves Sharrod Wellingham, Tyson Goldsack and Andrew Krakouer as the most notable Collingwood players still unsigned for next season.
Cloke will be 30 by the time he completes his new deal, most likely making him a career Magpie.
He had a patchy season but still kicked 59 goals in 25 matches , led the AFL in contested marks and was one of the Magpies' best in two of their three finals.
ABC/AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, collingwood-3066, vic, australia First posted September 27, 2012 15:09:23Richards ready for Buddy test
As a key defender there is no greater challenge than an on-song Hawthorn feeding the ball to superstar Lance Franklin in full flight.
It is an assignment Sydney's All-Australian backman Ted Richards, who will almost certainly be given the arduous task of stopping Franklin in Saturday's AFL grand final, is all too familiar with.
"It's not something that I haven't done before. I played on him a fair bit this year and last year," Richards said on Thursday.
"But in saying that, I'm fully aware of what he's capable of. He's a gun player."
The last time the two giants came together was round 22 at the SCG, when Franklin returned from injury and the Hawks kicked six goals in the space of 10 minutes to turn the game on its head in the second term.
Franklin was quiet early but came to life, as he so often does, booting three of those six majors.
"He kicked quite a few goals on me and I was really able to see that he doesn't need much room to be able to expose you," Richards said.
"In a couple of minutes he can have a couple of shots on goal ... I'm trying to limit those opportunities."
Richards and his fellow defenders were able to steady on that occasion.
Franklin kicked only one more for the game, but the damage was done and his side claimed an epic seven-point, come-from-behind win.
The 29-year-old knows all too well that another Franklin-inspired burst is on the cards this weekend.
"Early on in my career, I could get a bit flustered when the opposition had momentum," Richards said.
"But I think the strength of us this year is when the opposition's got a couple of quick goals, we've been able to hold the fort.
"It's not easy to do, and it's something I know will happen on the weekend. They're going to get some momentum at different stages of the game and we've just got to hold as a back six.
"I'll be needing as much help as I can get ... we all need to support each other, we're not going out there as a defensive group thinking we've got six one-on-ones - it's six on six."
The Swans held a closed training session at the SCG on Thursday, but Richards said he was a certain starter despite rolling his ankle in last Friday's preliminary final.
"It was a little sore after the game, but a couple of days later it was fine."
AAP
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000, hawthorn-3122 First posted September 27, 2012 13:27:02Hodge returns to fighting weight
Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge is back at his playing weight in time for Saturday's grand final.
Hodge, who missed last weekend's preliminary final win against Adelaide through illness, lost close to two kilograms of body weight because of his gastroenteritis.
But the Hawks say Hodge has trained strongly this week.
And he showed no ill effects as he led his team through an hour-long session in front of more than 10,000 fans at Waverley on Thursday.
"He lost a kilo or two but he's put that back on," Hawthorn director of coaching Chris Fagan said.
"Hodgey's had a good week on the track. He was back training with us on Monday and he's prepared in the same manner that everybody else has.
"As far as we're concerned he's fully recovered. There's been no signs to say otherwise."
The Hawks say they have no other injury or illness concerns going into the clash with Sydney, a team with whom they have duelled in two of the best matches of the home-and-away season.
Sydney beat the Hawks in round five in Launceston.
The Hawks can boast a recent win over the Swans, in which they rolled back a 38-point second quarter deficit to win by seven.
But Fagan disregarded any psychological edge as a result, or any stage-fright for those Hawks who were not part of the flag-winning team in 2008.
"All those games leading into the [grand final] were good for our preparation, but what happened in round 22 bears no relevance to what happens there," Fagan said.
"Half of our team haven't played in a grand final before, but it will be the best day of their lives.
"They've got about 10 or 11 team-mates who've been there before who will be a great help to them.
"But we've played in a lot of big games this year and last year, so they'll be ready for the challenge that's coming."
Wet weather, possible hail and low temperatures have been predicted for Saturday's match.
But conditions could not have been further from that at Waverley Park on Thursday, with warm, sunny weather enticing a huge crowd to pack every possible vantage point to watch the Hawks train.
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, glen-waverley-3150 First posted September 27, 2012 16:43:37Hawks leave out Murphy for Hodge
Hawthorn has dropped Tom Murphy to make way for returning captain Luke Hodge for Saturday's grand final against Sydney.
Murphy's omission was a mere formality after Hodge proved his fitness this week, having missed last Saturday's preliminary final against Adelaide after falling ill with gastroenteritis.
It was the only change made to both grand final teams for the MCG encounter, with the Swans sticking with the same 22 that comfortably downed Collingwood in last Friday night's preliminary final.
Hodge's recovery was confirmed early this week and Murphy, who was the late replacement for the preliminary final, always loomed as the player facing the axe.
"There's always unlucky people at grand final time," Hawthorn coaching director Chris Fagan said earlier on Thursday.
"The strength of the team this year's been our squad, and it's not just the bloke who misses out but the other six or seven players who have trained on - it'll be terribly disappointing for them too.
"But they've helped us get there and been an important part of what we've done."
Murphy has played just six senior matches this season, but they included both of the Hawks' previous two finals.
He made 18 senior appearances in 2008 but was dropped for the preliminary final and could not regain his spot in the side that beat Geelong in the grand final.
It was confirmed earlier this week that the Swans' Ben McGlynn and the Hawks' Brent Guerra had lost their race against time to recover from hamstring injuries.
With forecast wild weather for Saturday in Melbourne, there is still the chance that either side might make a late change.
The Hawks' side includes 10 players who were part of their 2008 grand final win, while Shaun Burgoyne, who played in grand finals with Port Adelaide in 2004 and 2007, is also chasing a second flag.
The Swans' team includes just four veterans of their 2005 premiership - Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton, Ryan O'Keefe and Lewis Roberts-Thomson.
The line-ups:
Grant Birchall, Josh Gibson, Benjamin Stratton
Martin Mattner, Ted Richards, Rhyce Shaw
Matt Suckling, Ryan Schoenmakers, Shaun Burgoyne
Nicholas Smith, Heath Grundy, Alex Johnson
Jordan Lewis, Sam Mitchell, Xavier Ellis
Daniel Hannebery, Kieren Jack, Lewis Jetta
Jack Gunston, Lance Franklin, Isaac Smith
Ryan O'Keefe, Sam Reid, Craig Bird
Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, Luke Breust
Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Adam Goodes, Jarrad McVeigh
David Hale, Luke Hodge, Brad Sewell
Shane Mumford, Josh Kennedy, Jude Bolton
Interchange: Clinton Young, Liam Shiels, Shane Savage, Paul Puopolo
Emergencies: Tom Murphy, Max Bailey, Kyle Cheney
Interchange: Nick Malceski, Mike Pyke, Luke Parker, Mitch Morton
Emergencies: Tommy Walsh, Tony Armstrong, Trent Dennis-Lane
AAP/ABC
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, hawthorn-3122, sydney-2000 First posted September 27, 2012 18:19:26Pranksters change street signs for AFL grand final
Pranksters have changed the name of a well-known Melbourne street in an AFL grand final stunt.
They have switched all the Swan Street signs to Hawks Street in Richmond.
Hawthorn plays Sydney in the season-decider at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.
Yarra City Council mayor Geoff Barbour has told ABC local radio the change is not officially sanctioned and could be a conspiracy from across the Yarra River.
"There's probably more feeling in Richmond and Yarra with the former South Melbourne Swans, working class areas, rather than those silvertails across the river in Hawthorn," he said.
Tags: human-interest, australian-football-league, richmond-3121, hawthorn-3122 First posted September 27, 2012 10:32:56Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Swans' Longmire wins coaches award
Sydney may not have had Brownlow Medal success, but the Swans have had an early grand final week win with coach John Longmire picking up the AFL Coaches Association award for coach of the year.
Longmire won the peer award, the Allan Jeans senior coach of the year award, in only his second year as a senior coach.
He received the award - named after the famous St Kilda and Hawthorn coach who died last year - on Tuesday night, four days before the Swans' appointment at the MCG for the grand final against Hawthorn.
Longmire took over in Sydney from premiership coach Paul Roos for the 2011 season. His team finished seventh and lost to Hawthorn in an elimination final.
Entering 2012, the Swans were not tipped by many pundits to challenge strongly for the flag, but the Sydneysiders had a roaring start to the year, going undefeated until round six when they lost a tight game to Adelaide.
Sydney was 8-3 at the half-way mark, and finished the home and away season with 16 wins, good enough for third spot on the ladder.
The Swans then smashed their two hoodoo sides, Adelaide and Collingwood, in the finals to earn a spot in the club's first grand final since 2006.
But it was the game style, as much as the results, that brought plaudits for Longmire's coaching.
He maintained the core of the hard-running, hard-tackling, defensive-minded style that had been the hallmark of the Swans under Roos, and added an extra attacking dimension.
Longmire introduced a more expansive style of play to make use of the blazing speed of Lewis Jetta and others, and used a range of scoring options from Sam Reid and Adam Goodes to converted defender Lewis Roberts-Thomson and midfielders Kieren Jack and Ben McGlynn.
In other awards announced at the AFLCA ceremony, Richmond's Brownlow Award place-getter Trent Cotchin (107 votes) won the player of the year award by eight votes from Collingwood's Dayne Beams (99), with Gold Coast's Gary Ablett and Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield (92) in equal third.
Essendon captain and Brownlow medallist Jobe Watson came sixth with 89 votes.
Hawthorn and Carlton premiership coach David Parkin was named the fourth "Coaching Legend", following Hawthorn premiership coach John Kennedy senior (2009), Melbourne and North Melbourne premiership coach Ron Barassi (2010) and Richmond premiership coach Tom Hafey (2011).
The best young player award went to Essendon's Dyson Heppell, ahead of West Coast duo Jack Darling and Andrew Gaff.
Fremantle's Peter Sumich won the assistant coach of the year award and Collingwood's Craig McRae took out the development coach of the year award.
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000, nsw, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted September 25, 2012 21:33:27First female umpire gets grand final call-up
Chelsea Roffey will become the first woman to umpire an AFL grand final after being named one of two goal umpires for Saturday's big clash.
She is downplaying her gender, but another leading woman in the AFL says it is crucial to get more women officiating at the top level.
Roffey has been on the AFL umpire's list since 2004 and admits it was an emotional moment when she was told she was in the grand final line-up.
"As an umpire a lot of work goes in to your training, your preparation, and just getting ready for each game and even as a goal umpire I don't think people really realise the amount of work that goes into it," she said.
"So you dream about doing a grand final and getting the phone call, I was pretty much speechless.
"Then I think Jeff [Gieschen] said congratulations and I teared up and had a bit of a cry."
Roffey was born in South Australia and grew up in Queensland. Now living in Melbourne, she says she has loved football since childhood.
"I was fanatical about footy when I was very young," she said.
"I think had I probably had the opportunity to play as a kid, I probably would have tried that, but it just so happened that my chance to be involved with footy came through goal umpiring.
"I just think that's probably the type of person that I am, having the chance to reach the top of whatever I'm doing is what I strive for.
"And there's nothing like going out and experiencing the buzz of a crowd... the buzz on Anzac Day and the grand final."
AFL umpires boss Jeff Gieschen says Roffey's appointment is a watershed moment for the league.
"It's been inspiring to watch her running with the guys, doing weights with the guys, boxing with the guys, out in the rain and the mud with the guys; doing everything that the men have done and I can't praise Chelsea enough for that attitude," he said.
"I'm very proud of her peers as well because they have embraced Chelsea. They have worked with her, they have worked as a team and I'm sure every goal umpire would be thrilled to think that Chelsea's actually achieved this."
Mr Gieschen is encouraging more women to consider becoming AFL umpires and he is confident there will eventually be female field and boundary umpires at the top level.
"There'll be cynics out there that say that a female [is] token but I think the fact that she's banged the door down for four or five years, particularly the last two years where she finished third and sat on the bench to back it up," he said.
"I think the message is to any young women out there that would like to become an AFL umpire, if you've got Chelsea's mindset, if you've got that determination, you can do it as well and if there's any girls out there or young ladies out there that would think about it, go for it."
Businesswoman Susan Alberti is a board member at the Western Bulldogs.
She has made several calls over the years for more female umpires and is thrilled by Roffey's appointment.
"It's a great tribute to Chelsea and it just demonstrates just how egalitarian and embracing the Aussie Rules is," she said.
"Fifty per cent of all spectators attending the AFL matches are women and we have two female commissioners running the game and high-profile female directors at many clubs.
"I met with the umpiring people the other day and they told me how many young women are now joining the academy who want to be umpires, going to go through the same systems as their male counterparts. So we're on the move."
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted September 25, 2012 20:22:26Jetta ran too far: AFL
It was one of the goals of the year, but AFL officials have confirmed that Sydney speedsters Lewis Jetta should have been penalised for running too far without bouncing in the lead-up to his show-stopping score in last Friday's preliminary final.
Jetta took just three bounces while sprinting 80-100 metres, with the rules stating a player must bounce after every 15m.
The league's umpires boss Jeff Gieschen confirmed to the AFL website that Jetta broke the rules and his incredible goal shouldn't have counted.
"We are more than not sure - we are very sure (he did not take enough bounces)," Gieschen said.
However the rule is enforced with noted leniency, as the pace of the game makes it incredibly hard for officials to judge the difference between 15 and 20 metres.
"The umpire on the night does not have a tape measure, he makes a 'guestimate' of how far he has travelled," Gieschen said.
"It happened very quick. In reflection, when we sit down and review that, he has run too far."
Jetta has told Grandstand the Swans are working to improve on their game which just failed to beat Hawthorn at the SCG in round 22.
"(We made) just a couple of mistakes, we've fixed all of that up, (we need to) win the centre bounces, kick a lot of goals, a lot of pressure and do whatever we have to do to win the game," he said.
The Swans star has had a much-improved 2012, which he credited to the support of his partner jess, and the help of Sydney midfielder Kieren Jack.
"Also (thanks to) Kieren Jack, I tagged him on the pre-season, and he was just keeping me in the game, running, running 150m sprints ... and just helping me out with all the pre-season stuff," he said.
"Thanks to him I'm fitter and playing some really good footy."
Asked what he would do if another paddock opened up for him at the MCG like his goal at the Olympic stadium, Jetta replied:
"Look behind and if there's someone there (I'll) just play to my strengths and run and carry and hopefully they're not (still) chasing it by the time I leave them."
AAP/ABC
Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, nsw, sydney-2000 First posted September 26, 2012 16:41:54Grand final loss still hurts: McVeigh
Sydney co-captain Jarrad McVeigh says he is desperate to avoid a repeat of his first grand final, when the Swans were pipped by a point.
A single point stood between McVeigh and the 2006 premiership when West Coast gained revenge over the Swans for the previous season's grand final result.
The 27-year-old had missed out on selection for the 2005 grand final when the Swans broke a 72-year premiership drought.
While the likes of Jude Bolton and Adam Goodes have the highs of 2005 to reflect on this week, for McVeigh, Nick Malceski and Ted Richards there has been no premiership medal to console themselves with since the Eagles' stunning victory.
"Obviously it's very disappointing to lose a grand final. You still think about it, and it still hurts," McVeigh said ahead of Saturday's grand final against Hawthorn.
"I'm fortunate enough now to get another opportunity and I don't really want to waste that opportunity."
McVeigh has played his part in the Swans' immense development since last season, when they were outclassed by the Hawks in the second week of the finals.
"Not really [I haven't been surprised by the improvement], we played a few finals last year and we wanted to improve on that," he said.
"We've done that, but we're not happy with just making the grand final. We want to win it."
The Swans caused a major upset in round five when they downed the Hawks by 37 points in Launceston.
They also held a 38-point lead in the second quarter of the SCG clash in round 22, in which the visitors masterminded an epic come-from-behind win.
McVeigh says his side must reduce the quality of Lance Franklin's delivery, something they achieved with great success in the preliminary final when Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke was starved of the ball.
"First and foremost is the pressure around the ball. Obviously they're highly skilled and can hit targets well," he said.
"So if we can pressure those kicks and get some spoils in with our defenders and midfielders - that goes a long way."
AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, sydney-2000 First posted September 26, 2012 08:56:37Sherrin axes contractors who used child labour
Football manufacturer Sherrin has closed down some of its operations in India after discovering the use of child labour.
The company believes the faulty work of some subcontractors is also linked to the discovery of an Auskick containing a needle.
The find has seen Sherrin announce a recall of all 2011 and 2012 Auskick balls.
Sherrin makes all of its synthetic footballs in India, including those used for Auskick, the AFL's national youth development program.
Most of its work is done in one factory, while the stitching - 5 per cent of the work - is subcontracted to four other companies during peak times.
Sherrin discovered last Wednesday that one of those subcontractors has been using school-aged girls to do the stitching.
The company sacked all four subcontractors immediately and has made arrangements for the stitching to be done at a different Indian factory.
It has also cancelled the use of its promotional balls at Saturday's North Melbourne grand final breakfast.
Sherrin says it was alerted to the ball containing a needle on Tuesday afternoon.
"We believe that this fault is linked to the subcontractor recently discovered to be in breach of our manufacturing standards when they outsourced, unauthorised, the stitching of balls to families within the Jalandahar region," it said in a statement.
"We are also recalling all balls sent to this subcontractor for stitching this year (about 9,000 balls) so we can be absolutely confident that there is no risk that any Auskick balls produced in the last two years have been made using child labour and or are subject to this product fault."
Tags: manufacturing, australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, india First posted September 26, 2012 07:59:47