The window is finally closed

Dan Lonergan

Updated October 28, 2012 22:45:13

In recent years there has been criticism over the length of the AFL trade period.

It has generally stretched 11 days - two working weeks - and most of it has been taken up with nonsensical and inane rumours regarding ridiculous trades, none of which obviously come to pass.

This season the AFL decided to do something different and increase the trade period by a week, but include it with two of the three weeks set aside for the introduction of free agency wheeling and dealing.

Was it successful? How do you measure success If it's all about producing more activity and more players changing clubs and teams achieving their objectives of moving up the draft table with better picks for next month's national draft, you would have to give it a tick. There were 38 deals from either free agency or trades and 35 players will line up in new colours next season.

But in my opinion it's hard to argue against making this period shorter. I still believe a week of free agency followed by a week of trading would virtually produce the same result quantity-wise of player and draft pick movement.

There was plenty of the so-called "steak knives" deals done on the final day. But, with the exception of St Kilda wanting Eagles defender Mitch Brown, homesick Port youngster Ben Jacobs keen on returning to Melbourne to play with the Kangaroos and the controversial Kurt Tippett deal from Adelaide to premier Sydney, most trades were already complete. Every team, in the words of the legendary Hawthorn patriach John Kennedy, did something, although Carlton did the least.

The Blues only secured a late draft selection, 71, for moving Jordan Russell to Collingwood. Melbourne and the Magpies were the busiest, with Collingwood along with Geelong probably the most successful. The Pies lost Chris Dawes to Melbourne and Sharrod Wellingham to West Coast, but replaced like with like. Hawks premiership player Clinton Young is a similar player to Wellingham and so is former Eagle Quentin Lynch in relation to Dawes.

The Cats decided for the first time in several years to bring in players from other clubs, but they targeted specific areas and got their men. The highly talented but homesick Victorian Josh Caddy wanted to come home and will eventually become a key component of the midfield as those greats retire in the next few years. Jared Rivers is a great selection as a key defender from Melbourne to fill Matthew Scarlett's shoes and Hamish McIntosh is an ideal inclusion as their main ruckman from North Melbourne, provided he can stay fit.

The Demons has already made massive alterations to their playing list, losing experienced players such as Rivers and Brent Moloney to Brisbane along with the talented but disappointing Cale Morton to West Coast and Stefan Martin, who joins Moloney at the Lions. But Melbourne welcomes Chris Dawes from Collingwood (which was a win for the club as several teams were keen on him), North Melbourne's Cam Pedersen and David Rodan from Port Adelaide, who has the potential to provide valuable experience and outside run.

Hawthorn and Essendon have also done well, securing probably the best players who changed clubs. The Bombers nabbed Brendon Goddard from the Saints as a restricted free agent. They wouldn't have got him as a trade as the Dons are impossible to deal with in the trade period, while Hawthorn got its big gorilla down back, star full-back Brian Lake, from the Western Bulldogs.

The Dogs are rebuilding and wanted more early draft picks, which they received for Lake. But they now have to use them wisely. Their aim over the past month was to secure more inside midfielders and people of fine quality, which they say they did through Koby Stevens from the Eagles. Whether it helps them win games remains to be seen, but they have selections five and six and must get the best players available.

There was plenty of activity over the past month with the trade and free agency periods, but still many days where clubs, players and their agents were twiddling thumbs. That has to be eliminated.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, australia

First posted October 28, 2012 21:35:39

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'We've closed gap': Clarkson

Updated April 01, 2012 13:55:18

Hawthorn's impressive start to the season shows it has closed the gap a little to grand finalists Geelong and Collingwood, Alastair Clarkson reckons.

The Hawks coach Clarkson was at pains post-match to note that the job is far from complete though.

The Hawks kicked clear in the final term of Friday night's MCG blockbuster to beat the Magpies by 22 points.

It was the first time they had beaten Collingwood since round 22, 2010.

Their next opponents on Easter Monday are the Cats, who they have not beaten since their upset 2008 grand final triumph.

Collingwood broke the Hawks' hearts when they beat them by three points in last year's preliminary final, ending their season.

"We've made up some daylight, I reckon," Clarkson said.

"There was daylight between Geelong and Collingwood and the rest of the competition last year.

"What we've tried to do over the summer is ... bridge that gap a little bit.

"Now beating them in the first round of the season doesn't suggest we're there, we still have a lot of work to do.

"We don't get much respite - we have a rest of eight or 10 days and then we're into the Cats."

Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge missed Friday night's game after aggravating a calf muscle injury at Thursday training.

Clarkson said the star utility is an unlikely starter for the Geelong game.

"He'd be pretty doubtful to play (against) Geelong ... calves are just tricky little things," he said.

Clarkson and Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley separately described Friday night as an ebb and flow game.

Unusually for these two sides, the forwards dominated and Clarkson was disappointed that the 'Pies had so many scoring shots.

"I don't think either side play footy in that type of manner - they're not sides that allow oppositions to kick 16, 18, 20 goals," he said.

"That's probably just a reflection of ... round one of the season, players under fatigue, 130 minutes of footy, a pretty warm night.

"I'd expected that will settle down a bit over the next few weeks."

But it was a great result for fans, with the game producing plenty of highlights.

One of the stars was Hawks forward Cyril Rioli, who helped spark the side with his second-quarter brilliance.

He took a superb mark over Heath Shaw and kicked two goals.

"I got my workrate up in the second quarter - in the first, I was a bit down," Rioli said.

"I was happy with my couple of goals.

"I think it was my second 'speccy' - I was happy with that, I don't take too many of those, so I will take that."

Clarkson also praised former Brisbane ruckman Broc McCauley, who made his Hawthorn debut and was competitive against Magpies star Darren Jolly.

AAP

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

First posted March 31, 2012 16:21:58

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Cats deny flag window's closed

Updated October 03, 2011 22:27:14

Geelong's football manager Neil Balme has told Michael Voss to mind his own business after the Brisbane coach declared the Cats' premiership window closed.

Voss captained Brisbane's premiership sides of 2001-03 and grand final team of 2004, but the Lions finished no higher than 10th in the following four seasons, as their skipper and other premiership stars retired.

The Cats on Saturday became the oldest side to win a flag in 67 years and the fourth-oldest in league history.

Geelong's 38-point win over Collingwood delivered a third premiership in five years and prompted comparisons with other dominant teams of recent history, including the Voss-led Lions.

Voss says the Cats have proven themselves to be a great side, defying history to squeeze a third flag out of their current playing list.

But he says the premiership window is closed for the Cats, while also backing his 2001-03 side by saying it was harder to win three flags in a row than to claim three premiership over five years.

"Is he an expert Michael Voss, is he?," Balme told SEN Radio.

"He was a very good player but I reckon he'd be smart just to make comments about Brisbane rather than everyone else.

"I can guarantee you one thing. We're going to play in the competition next year and we won't be playing to make up the numbers.

"It's very easy to make big statements about what's going to happen next year.

"But our blokes are very competitive I can tell you that.

"We've got a really good bunch of young kids who were watching on Saturday and they are very keen to be part of it.

"So I think we've got some pretty good prospects."

The Cats face an anxious wait on the playing futures of several veterans.

Skipper Cameron Ling, 30, and ruckman Brad Ottens, 31, are unsure over their playing futures, despite strong performances in the grand final.

Triple-premiership speedster David Wojcinski, 31, is out of contract.

Key forward Cam Mooney, 32, has retired while 292-match veteran Darren Milburn, 34, is expected to follow him.

Mooney and Milburn were both unable to force their way back into the side for the grand final.

"Someone like Darren Milburn at his age, you'd think he's going to retire at some stage," Balme said.

"The club and the coach will have a big say in what happens but what the player wants to do will be taken into account. So we'll go through all that over the next few days."

Ruckman-forward Nathan Vardy and forward Dan Menzel, both 20, could not be considered for selection for the grand final because of injury.

Menzel's knee injury could keep him out until the middle of next season.

Others waiting in the wings include 19-year-old utility Cam Guthrie, who was an emergency for the grand final team.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, geelong-3220

First posted October 03, 2011 22:27:14

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