Pranksters change street signs for AFL grand final

Updated September 27, 2012 10:32:56

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 10:32:56

View the original article here

A season of change

Gerard Whateley

Updated May 15, 2012 12:05:48

The standard will not declare itself. It’s a delightful inconvenience.

There is nothing to support the pattern that the eight changes minimally from this point to season’s end. That was established when the first seven opponents repeated in the last seven rounds. It held through circumstance and coincidence when the fixture construct changed.

It has no relevance to season 2012. This is a season of flux. A season that will change its mind. A season prone to veer off course.

It requires a team to hang tough. To not be unnecessarily wounded by the inevitable bruises. Losses will be suffered. Regularly. They will need to be absorbed.

Conversely, when momentum is harnessed full toll will need to be extracted.

For those who have treated as platitudes the coaches’ insistence there is but the smallest margins between the best and the rest, it has moved from spin to fact.

Hawthorn was spruiked through the preseason but has mixed and matched. It doesn’t get the job done when it matters most.

No sooner was Carlton anointed favourite than it was whacked by an Essendon onslaught. St Kilda replicated the physical assault last night and the Blues revealed a soft underbelly.

West Coast and the Sydney Swans were ordained the chosen ones. The Swans immediately wilted and haven’t won since. The Eagles were only vaguely recognisable and less competitive against Essendon. A six game stretch might be as far as anyone goes this time around.

The Crows have done nothing wrong and an awful lot right.

For now Essendon plays the footy most desired. Brutal and ruthless. Fearsomely fast on the break. It has unforseen depth masking a soft tissue epidemic. James Hird’s team will notionally get stronger by the week. The key to dramatic rise is to break the back of the season promptly then plot the run to September. The Bombers are giving themselves every chance.

In defeat, the task will be to linger long enough.

A hiding from the Crows in Adelaide matters only as long as it takes the Cats to find a result against Collingwood.

It is possible Geelong’s time has passed. As was expected last year.

The perceived and imagined cracks of early last season have been more blatant through the early phases of this.

Battle weariness looks a plausible diagnosis. What has been standard looks wearyingly hard. Perhaps it explains why the Cats are losing contest after contest.

Geelong is losing on the inside. But it is crippled on the outside. The absences of Travis Varcoe and David Wojcinski become more distinct by the week. The penetrating run so vital can’t be replicated.

The personnel isn’t close to what it has been. The retirements are permanent. The injuries have been constant. There’s a critical mass of inexperience that must play. Rarely could a reigning premier have presented so different.

Each of those issues is real. But not necessarily fatal. Not in a season such as this.

The Cats might be spurred by an encounter with Collingwood, a team with its own travails. Neither is the power it has been which makes Friday night so intriguing.

In a season such as this nothing is lost unless it is conceded.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, australia, melbourne-3000

First posted May 15, 2012 12:05:48

View the original article here

Saints not planning to change name

Updated May 05, 2012 17:47:30

St Kilda Football Club has confirmed it will not be permanently changing its name as it looks to cement a second home in New Zealand.

Reports on Saturday said the club was willing to change its name to The Saints and The Saints Wellington when playing games across the Tasman.

"The St Kilda Football Club will not be changing its name," chief executive officer Michael Nettlefold said.

"The Football Club has been St Kilda and the Saints for the past 139 years, and there are no plans to change the name.

"St Kilda may consider using the 'Saints' name to promote the club when playing in Wellington, New Zealand."

St Kilda is reportedly trying to secure a deal with the New Zealand city for three home games from 2014, which may include an Anzac Day fixture.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, st-kilda-3182, vic, australia, new-zealand

First posted May 05, 2012 17:47:30

View the original article here

Vince back as Crows make 4 change

Midfielder Bernie Vince looks set to return to the Crows team for the Round 11 clash with North Melbourne, named on the field for the match on Sunday.

Walker and Smith have been left out with injury, while McKernan and Cook have paid for the poor form of the club and have been omitted.

Vince in the biggest inclusion, while Maric and Moran have been named in the extended squad as the Crows look to replace the height of Walker and McKernan.

B: Johncock, Rutten, L. Thompson
HB: van Berlo, Sellar, Doughty
C: Jaensch, Reilly, Vince
HF: Knights, Gunston, Sloane
F: Douglas, Tippett, Wright
R: Jacobs, Dangerfield, S. Thompson
I/c (from): Henderson, Maric, Moran, Otten, Petrenko, Schmidt, Symes
In to 25: Gunston, Maric, Moran, Otten, Schmidt, Symes, Vince
Out of 22: Walker (knee), Smith (hip), McKernan, Cook.

PORT ADELAIDE

For the Power, Brett Ebert has been called into the 25 man squad, along with Surjan and Banner, while at this stage no one has been omitted from the team that won with such style in Darwin last weekend.

B: Tom Logan, Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove
HB: Michael Pettigrew, Troy Chaplin, Jasper Pittard
C: Danyle Pearce, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
HF: Matthew Broadbent, Jay Schulz, Robert Gray
F: Simon Phillips, Justin Westhoff, Daniel Motlop

Foll: Dean Brogan, Hamish Hartlett, Matt Thomas
I/C: Brett Ebert, Jacob Surjan, Mitchell Banner, Andrew Moore, Cameron Hitchcock, Ben Jacobs, Cameron O'Shea
In to 25: Brett Ebert, Jacob Surjan, Mitchell Banner

View the original article here

One Power change for Freo clash

The Power have made just one change to it's squad for the match with the Dockers at Footy Park, with Jasper Pittard in for Daniel Stewart.

Forward Jay Schultz has overcome injury concerns to take his place in the lineup, but Chad Cornes has been listed as an emergency and is unlikely to play for Glenelg in case Schultz doesn't come up.

Danyle Pearce, Andrew Moore, Simon Phillips and Ben Jacobs will take their place on the interchange bench, with O'Shea and Stewart listed as emergencies.

The Dockers have made 4 changes following their second straight loss, with the classy Rhys Palmer and Hayden Ballantyne back for the visitors.

Zimbabwean born Tendai Mzungu will make his debut for the club despite not having played in the WAFL due to a knee injury, while Dylan Roberton will also return after being dropped last week.

Port Adelaide

B: Tom Logan, Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove

HB: Michael Pettigrew, Troy Chaplin, Jasper Pittard
C: Steven Salopek, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
HF: Matthew Broadbent, Jay Schulz, Robert Gray
F: Brett Ebert, Justin Westhoff, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Hamish Hartlett, Matt Thomas
I/C: Danyle Pearce, Andrew Moore, Simon Phillips, Ben Jacobs

Emg: Chad Cornes, Daniel Stewart, Cameron O'Shea

In: Jasper Pittard

Out: Daniel Stewart

Fremantle

B: Greg Broughton, Antoni Grover, Paul Duffield

HB: Garrick Ibbotson, Luke McPharlin, Dylan Roberton
C: Matthew de Boer, Matthew Pavlich, Nathan Fyfe
HF: Stephen Hill, Kepler Bradley, Ryan Crowley
F: Hayden Ballantyne, Christopher Mayne, Michael Johnson
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy, Nick Lower
I/C: Rhys Palmer, Clancee Pearce, Jesse Crichton, Tendai Mzungu

Emg: Jay Van Berlo, Jonathon Griffin, Jack Anthony

In: Rhys Palmer, Hayden Ballantyne, Dylan Roberton, Tendai Mzungu

Out: Jay Van Berlo, Adam McPhee (Knee), Jayden Pitt, Jack Anthony

View the original article here