Viney, Daniher continue family traditions

Updated October 08, 2012 11:44:25

Melbourne has snared Jack Viney for a bargain and Joe Daniher will continue his family's remarkable tradition at Essendon under the AFL's father-son rule.

Lachie Hunter, who joined Western Bulldogs, was the other recruit in Monday's father-son bidding meeting.

The Bombers were forced to use their top pick in November's national draft, number 10 overall, but that was considered a good deal for tall forward Daniher, the son of Anthony, who played 115 matches for the club.

Joe will become the sixth Daniher to play for the Bombers, joining Anthony's brothers Terry, the 1984-85 premiership captain, Neale and Chris.

His brother Darcy was also at the club for four years before his career was cut short by injury in 2011.

"They've looked after my family for so many years and I'm looking to repay them for what they've done for my family and what they've done for me," Joe Daniher said.

The Demons had only to use their fourth draft pick, number 26 overall, to gain midfielder Viney, the son of Melbourne 233-gamer Todd, who is now on their recruiting staff.

Demons list manager Tim Harrington says they would have been prepared to use their top pick, number three, to snare Viney, who they had declared they wanted two years ago.

"We rated Jack at that pick at least and there's other clubs who would have rated him there or higher as well so we're just really thrilled," Harrington said.

Their top pick was not needed after Gold Coast, who had pick number two, decided not to bid for either Viney or Daniher.

The Suns instead traded their number two pick to Greater Western Sydney in exchange for the rights to draft exciting 17-year-old Jack Martin.

With the Demons having spent the past two years overseeing Viney's training program and the teenager spending this year with their VFL affiliate Casey, Harrington says he could step straight into senior football.

"The whole program this year was based around Jack getting prepared to play round one," Harrington said.

The deal left the Demons with picks number three, number four and number 13 available to assist their trade aims of snaring Collingwood pair Chris Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham, who has said he wants to join West Coast, and the Suns' Josh Caddy.

Hunter was drafted with the Bulldogs' pick number 46.

AAP

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

First posted October 08, 2012 11:34:10

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Giants vow to continue to tie down talent

Updated May 17, 2012 22:26:47

Greater Western Sydney chief executive Dave Matthews has fired the first shot in the club's battle to retain their young talent, re-signing five players until the end of 2015.

Dylan Shiel, Tom Bugg, Adam Tomlinson, Matt Buntine and Adam Kennedy all agreed on terms to stay with the competition newcomers for the next three seasons.

While all the talk is about GWS trying to lure star recruits to Sydney, the club will soon become the hunted when rivals swarm to sign up their prized talent on initial two-year draftee contracts.

Matthews is confident others are poised to follow Thursday's quintet.

"We have got a number of discussions progressing at the moment and we hope to have further announcements in the coming week," Matthews said.

"It's an absolute priority for us to secure the ongoing commitment of the young talent that we have."

It's testament to the club's welfare department that Shiel - a 19-year-old former Carlton supporter who studied at Caulfield Grammar, the same school Chris Judd attended - already feels like western Sydney is home.

"Our investment in welfare has been significant. Breakfast Point has been a great strategy, but the staff in and around the football department and the club have given these young players and their families great comfort," Matthews said.

Shiel, who was pre-listed by the club in 2010, suggested he wanted to be a one-club player.

"(Giants' sports science guru) John Quinn told me it takes about two years to get used to a new home," Shiel said.

"It definitely takes time, but this feels like home for me.

"(Friends in Melbourne) like to stir me up a little bit, but I've told them I'm very happy here and I plan to be a Giant for life."

GWS coach Kevin Sheedy said his club would continue to rotate draftees in and out of the team - to keep them fresh and spread experience evenly.

"We're trying to give players as many games as possible. We feel it will be great for their confidence and their belief," Sheedy said.

"We want 80 to 90 per cent of the list to get a game or more this year. That's a pretty good start ... whereas maybe if they were at another club, they might not have even played a game."

AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000, blacktown-2148

First posted May 17, 2012 17:54:46

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Eagles continue home dominance

Updated June 19, 2011 19:50:00

West Coast notched up a fifth straight home win to the tune of 22 points on Sunday, but was made to work all the way by a determined Port Adelaide side.

The Eagles were always in control of the contest, taking a 33-point lead into half-time before seeing off a Power rally to claim a 15.20 (110) to 13.10 (88) triumph that consolidated their place in the top eight.

Port got the margin back to 14 points early in the third term and again back to 17 in the fourth quarter before West Coast settled with the next two goals.

The Eagles' eighth win of the season moved them into fifth spot on the table, with their top-four hopes to be put to the test next Sunday against third-placed Carlton at Docklands.

Mark LeCras was at his elusive best in the Eagles forward line with 4.3 while Josh Kennedy and Shannon Hurn, who was brilliant across half-back with 25 touches and seven inside-50s, booted three goals apiece.

Daniel Kerr continued his tremendous form out of the middle with 27 touches amongst an impressive all-round performance by the Eagles midfield.

Matthew Priddis, Matthew Rosa, Tom Swift, Luke Shuey and Scott Selwood all totalled 20-plus possessions.

Travis Boak kicked three goals for Port Adelaide with Danyle Pearce, Kane Cornes and returning captain Domenic Cassisi the markers in an encouraging display on the road.

Regardless, Port Adelaide (2-10) remains near the foot of the table and faces a tough test next week against rejuvenated North Melbourne at Football Park.

West Coast was inaccurate early but two opportunistic goals from LeCras ensured the home side took a 15-point lead into quarter time.

The margin stretched to 30 when Hurn booted a 58-metre monster and Adam Selwood kicked truly from the boundary, but Port Adelaide hit back through Boak and Pearce to stay within touch midway through the quarter.

However, Kennedy's hard work ensured West Coast as 33 points ahead by half-time, with the former Blue crashing a pack to create a goal for LeCras before kicking one himself.

Port Adelaide launched a ferocious charge early in the third quarter, booting three goals within four minutes to close the margin to just 14 points, with Simon Phillips' dribbling goal the best of the lot.

But West Coast managed to steady, with Hurn's 63m bomb ensuring the margin was 23 points at the final change.

The game looked over when goals to Brad Ebert and Scott Selwood stretched the margin to 35 points, only for three quick goals to the Power to open up the match again.

But it was to be the last hurrah for Port, as West Coast regained the ascendancy through the middle to close out the win.

Eagles: 15.20 (110) - M LeCras 4, J Kennedy 3, S Hurn 3, A Selwood, B Ebert, M Priddis, N Naitanui, S Selwood.

Power: 13.10 (88) -T Boak 3, C O'Shea, D Pearce, D Stewart, H Hartlett, J Schulz, J Trentgrove, J Westhoff, R Gray, S Phillips, T Logan.

-ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, sa, port-adelaide-5015, wa, perth-6000

First posted June 19, 2011 19:38:00

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Lions continue resurgence against Crows

Updated May 29, 2011 16:24:00

Brisbane continued its AFL recovery with its second win on the bounce, triumphing by 40 points over the Adelaide Crows at Football Park.

Wily Brisbane goalsneak Ashley McGrath triggered a turnaround to earn Brisbane a 15.11 (101) to 8.13 (61) victory, kicking four goals alongside Todd Banfield's three, while Mitch Clark capped his dominant display with two majors.

McGrath changed the tune of the contest with a second stanza cameo that stole momentum as the Lions banked consecutive wins after seven straight losses.

"Ash was fantastic today and our young guys are starting to really grow in stature and put in some consistent performances," veteran midfielder Simon Black told Grandstand.

"A lot of them are around the 50-game mark; I remember [former coach] Leigh Matthews used to say if you play 50 games you start to feel really confident out on the field and should be contributing regularly, and that's why our young guys are starting to do so well.

"Obviously it's only our second win for the year but there's some good signs there at the moment.

The Crows had flown to an early lead with recalled forward Taylor Walker among the goal scorers in Adelaide's 3.2 to 1.3 opening term.

But McGrath then kicked three goals and set another up in a devastating 17 minute which stunned the 34,583-strong crowd.

McGrath slipped Graham Johncock for a personal haul punctuated by a creative handball to set team-mate Luke Power up for goal - his third gave Brisbane the lead for the first time.

McGrath's hot streak sparked a 13-goal-to-three period of sustained Brisbane dominance over an Adelaide outfit which wilted alarmingly when challenged.

"We had a good second quarter and come in at half-time relatively confident," Black said.

"We knew that Adelaide would come at us in the third quarter but we had a real focus in the third quarter to come out and at least match them in contested footy and I thought we did that really well.

"That set up the win for us today, our second win for the year. It's fantastic to be able to come down here and get a win."

The Lions grabbed a defining 34-point buffer at the last change and McGrath underlined his match-swinging ways with the opening goal of the final quarter which settled the result.

Brisbane's win was just reward for the feats of roaming utility Clark who collected 23 disposals and eight marks, prolific ball winner Black (31 possessions) and defensive linchpin Daniel Merrett, who kept Kurt Tippett goal-less in a commanding performance.

The Crows, their season tattered with six losses from nine starts, lost Walker who sat out the second half with an ankle injury.

Adelaide's woes would have been worse without the efforts of its prime midfielders Scott Thompson (35 disposals) and Richard Douglas (33 touches).

The Lions host Sydney next Saturday while Adelaide travels to meet North Melbourne on Sunday.

Brisbane: 15.11 (101) - A McGrath 4, T Banfield 3, B Retzlaff 2, M Clark 2, D Rich, J O'Brien, L Power, T Collier

Adelaide: 8.13 (61) - B Smith, C Knights, M Wright, N van Berlo, P Dangerfield, R Henderson, S Jacobs, T Walker

- ABC/AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, qld, brisbane-4000, sa, adelaide-5000

First posted May 29, 2011 15:53:00

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Injury woes continue for Dockers

Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands will miss four weeks after a toe injury made him the club's 13th casualty of the 2011 AFL season.

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Tags: australian-football-league, perth-6000

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Roos continue Dees dominance

Updated May 14, 2011 17:50:00

Six goals to Aaron Edwards and Daniel Wells' midfield brilliance have steered the Kangaroos to a gritty 41-point AFL win over Melbourne at Docklands on Saturday.

Slow to start and in desperate trouble midway through the first quarter as they trailed by 31 points, the Kangaroos somehow conjured a 72-point turnaround for a 19.10 (124) to 12.11 (83) victory.

Three second-quarter goals from Edwards, who booted 10 in the reserves last week, brought the Kangaroos back into a contest they had looked destined to lose.

The much-scrutinised Wells also had a massive impact when needed, with 29 touches and three goals.

"He's been fantastic for us this year, and you don't often hear crowd noise in the box but when he won the ball a couple of times, the North supporters got behind him which was really good," said North coach Brad Scott.

"They've got to support him because he's a terrific player ... I've often said he can't live up to people's expectations because they're unachievable.

"He's getting to where we both know he can and I think he can be a genuinely elite player, and he's starting to show that now."

Their heroics, as well as ruckman Todd Goldstein getting on top against an injury-weakened Demons ruck division, helped send the Kangaroos in just seven points adrift at half-time.

Edwards had a goal on the board just 30 seconds into the third quarter to signal a full momentum shift and lay Melbourne's excellent first quarter to waste.

The 27-year-old had his fifth soon after during an eight-goals-to-two burst from the Kangaroos which punched them out to a 15-point lead.

But Melbourne came again with goals to Addam Maric and Ricky Petterd to reduce the lead to two points, before Edwards' forward partner Lachlan Hansen stepped up with two big marks and goals in the space of three minutes.

Melbourne were also struggling with injuries, reduced to just one fit bench player by the final change, after injuries to Colin Garland (ankle), Liam Jurrah (leg) and Rohan Bail (knee).

North led by 21 points at three-quarter-time, before fittingly, Wells and Edwards combined to ice the game.

Wells' 60-metre torpedo out of defence found Edwards, who sent skipper Brent Harvey on the way to his third goal, giving the Kangaroos an unassailable 28-point lead early in the fourth term.

Maric finished with three goals for the Demons, as did Liam Jurrah.

It is just North's second win in seven matches this season, while the Dees have three wins and a draw from their seven games.

Kangaroos: 19.10 (124) - A Edwards 6, B Harvey 3, D Welss 3, L Hansen 2, T Goldstein 2, B Speight, K Harper, L Adams.

Melbourne: 12.11 (83) - A Maric 3, L Jurrah 3, M Newton 2, R Petterd 2, C Bartram, J Watts.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000, north-melbourne-3051

First posted May 14, 2011 17:10:00

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The Bloods continue to lead the way

West Adelaide leads the way after six rounds in the SANFL.

For the first time this season, there was a full card of four Saturday afternoon matches

The Bloods were the day's biggest winners, as they atoned for last week's disappointing loss to Port with a 76 point thrashing of the hapless Panthers at Richmond Oval.

Daniel Webb booted five majors as the home side won 20-13-133 to 8-9-57.

Reigning premier Central District is second on the ladder after a 24 point win against Sturt.

The Bulldogs kicked 16-7-103 to the Double Blues' 11-13-79 to post their first win at Unley Oval from their past seven attempts.

Alan Obst and Daniel Havelberg kicked four goals apiece for the Dogs, while Matthew Duldig was again impressive for Sturt with five.

There was also a five-goal haul for Glenelg forward Todd Grima.

It helped his side stage its second big comeback at the Bay this year to beat North Adelaide by seven points.

The Roosters had led by as much as six goals in the third term, but the Tigers fought back to win 16-13-109 to 16-6-102.

Chad Cornes pushed his claims for an immediate recall to Port's AFL side with 28 disposals for the Bays.

James Allan kicked four goals for North, all in the first term.

And the Eagles finished strongly at Woodville Oval to defeat Port by 19 points.

The Magpies led by two points at the final change, but the Eagles booted five goals to two in the last quarter to win 15-7-97 to 12-6-78

Out of favour Crows midfielder Bernie Vince kicked two important final term goals for the home side and finished with a game-high 33 touches.

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