Swans still set on Tippett

Updated October 27, 2012 10:11:38

Sydney chief executive Andrew Ireland says the club still intends to bring Kurt Tippett to the Swans for the 2013 season.

The AFL released a statement after the end of the three-week trade period that Tippett would not be able to be able to be traded while it investigates claims of an $200,000 payment to the forward when he re-signed with Adelaide three years ago.

Tippett will be allowed to nominate for the AFL Draft pending the result of the current investigation.

Despite speculation that Tippett may face a ban, Ireland says the Swans remain committed to trying to bring him to the side.

"Once Kurt nominated the Swans as his preferred club, we entered the trade period with the intention of securing a suitable trade," Ireland said.

"Our position on Kurt has not changed, and pending the outcome of the AFL's current investigation, we remain committed to recruiting Kurt for the 2013 season."

The Swans concluded the trade period with five draft selections inside the top 70.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000, adelaide-5000

First posted October 26, 2012 19:27:15

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Grand final loss still hurts: McVeigh

Updated September 26, 2012 15:13:48

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 08:56:37

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Hawks still unsure on 'groggy' Buddy

Updated August 20, 2012 20:06:30

Hawthorn remains unsure whether Lance Franklin will play in Saturday's massive match against Sydney, with captain Luke Hodge saying the star forward is still groggy.

Franklin was a late withdrawal from Sunday's regulation win over Gold Coast after he fell ill the night before.

He has now been out of action for six weeks, initially because of a hamstring injury.

Coach Alastair Clarkson admitted after the Suns game that Franklin's continued absence was not ideal with the finals looming.

The Hawks, who are second, have big tests against top side Sydney and West Coast (fifth) ahead of the finals.

"(To) speak to him today, he can't wait to train tomorrow and get ready to go to Sydney," Hodge said.

"I've seen him look better, he still looks a little bit groggy, but he just can't wait for training.

"Five or six weeks for anyone is a pain - he's been 'best on track' the last three weeks."

Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans said they are confident Franklin will have no trouble returning immediately to the AFL.

Evans added Franklin had a light training session on Monday.

"If Lance is ready to come back, he'll play, don't worry about that," Evans said.

"We won't be fearful about that.

"Ideally, we would have got a game into him (on Sunday) ahead of these two important games in the run-up to the finals.

"I'm sure he'll be right once he gets out there, any time he's had a layoff in the past, he's usually come back and played pretty well."

Franklin's surprise withdrawal from the Gold Coast game sparked predictable rumours, which Evans called "absolute rubbish".

"He was ill and we're hopeful he'll play this week," he said.

The Hawks should also regain midfielder Sam Mitchell and Josh Gibson from injury after they missed the Gold Coast match.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, hawthorn-3122, vic, australia

First posted August 20, 2012 17:35:25

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Dad's still better than me: Ablett Jnr

Updated June 1, 2011 16:10:00

The comparisons between the stellar AFL careers of Gary Ablett Snr and Gary Ablett Jnr will be debated for many years.

Former Geelong coach and now Gold Coast Suns' board member Malcolm Blight, who was in charge at the Cats when the elder statesman was in full flight, is the latest to hold the two stars up to the light.

Blight says Ablett Jnr, who runs out on Saturday against West Coast for his 200th AFL appearance, is the superior footballer.

Not so insists the man himself.

The Suns' skipper rated his father and boyhood idol as the greatest to have played the game.

"I still rate my dad the best player of all time," Ablett Jnr said.

"It's very hard to compare us as players.

"I've played a lot more in the midfield. He took a lot more hangers and kicked a lot more goals.

"Until someone special comes along, I don't think it's going to change."

The Brownlow medallist and dual premiership player did make one concession about his father, best remembered for some of the greatest individual on-field efforts during a 248-game career which yielded 1030 goals.

"The only one thing I do better than him is handball," Ablett said with a smile.

"He used to always say to me 'mate, why would you bother handballing when the goals are in front of you?'"

Being compared to his father - as Blight did in News Limited newspapers on Wednesday - has been as much a part of Ablett Jnr's career as lacing up his boots each weekend.

From the time he stepped out for his first match against Essendon in round one in 2002, he has had to deal with it.

And any suggestions that he was only drafted back in 2001 because of his famous name had long been deemed absurd.

"There was a lot of people saying the reason I got drafted was because of my name," he said.

"I wanted to prove those people wrong.

"I moved on from that pretty quickly and, hopefully, I've made a name of myself now.

"I enjoyed that challenge a lot."

Not only has Ablett Jnr proved he is a different type of player on the field, he is far more media friendly than his interview-shy dad.

At Kurrawa surf club at Broadbeach on a chilly and wet Wednesday morning, Ablett engaged the media like his father never did.

Yet it was not always like that.

When he arrived on the scene a decade ago, many thought he brought with him his father's reclusive nature and disdain for the media and public speaking.

But there was a reason for his silence and it had little to do with being an Ablett family trait.

"I did for the first couple of years (find it annoying being compared), and it's probably the reason I didn't do a lot of media and didn't take the number five number (the same number his father wore to fame) down at Geelong," Ablett Jnr said.

-AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, qld, carrara-4211, vic, geelong-3220

First posted June 1, 2011 15:06:00

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Tasmanian team still possible: Demetriou

Published:Wednesday, May 25, 2011 7:23 AESTExpires:Tuesday, August 23, 2011 7:23 AEST

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou has given supporters in Tasmania hope by telling media in Melbourne the state is the most logical place for a 19th club.

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Tags: states-and-territories, australian-football-league, vic, melbourne-3000

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Still walking the long walk

Seven years ago Michael Long could not have predicted walking through Melbourne to the MCG would become such an poignant annual event.

The Long Walk from Federation Square to the MCG has become a regular part of the build-up to the Dreamtime at the 'G clash between Essendon and Richmond.

On Saturday thousands of people from across Australia, including the Northern Territory, joined Mr Long in his symbolic walk, which was first held in 2005.

The year before the two-time Essendon premiership player grabbed the headlines and the attention of politicians when he walked from Melbourne to Parliament House in Canberra to raise awareness of Indigenous issues.

Michael Long told Annie Gastin on 105.7 ABC Darwin and Local Radio across the Territory, that the day draws people in from lots of different backgrounds.

"There's long walk supporters, there's football supporters and not just Essendon supporters and Richmond that come together and celebrate, it's just a great weekend".

The Northern Territory Government is heavily involved in this year's walk, and are including the event in their efforts to mark the NT Centenary with Indigenous Development Minister Malarndirri McCarthy among the crowd.

"When Malarndirri approached us, obviously a local boy and I think part of the same theme of the Long Walk was to walk forward and bring people together," said Mr Long.

Mr Long says the aim of the walk has been to raise awareness of the love and attention that needs to be paid to Indigenous concerns at a Federal and Territory level.

"I suppose we're only one small organisation and we've got to focus a lot of our energy on supporting Indigenous leadership, profiling and trying to celebrate what we have got.

"We're not Governments and we don't control what happens ... but I suppose trying to lift the bar on paying more attention, obviously putting more time and effort into those different areas," said Mr Long.

Mr Long says his message to politicians hasn't changed much from that he delivered former Prime Minister John Howard in 2004.

"The answers lie within as well and we've actually got to take and share and be part of that responsibility as Aboriginal people to make change and that's one of the things when we did speak to Howard, you know, that we need to be a part of this approach and not just implementing what you thinks the best."

Mr Long says its very difficult to measure what the Long Walk, and the organisation's other programs, are achieving but he hopes they are having an influence, especially on young people.

"I know what football has done and I've tried to influence the same off the football field and probably what the great man has taught me I suppose, Kevin Sheedy, and about people power."

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