ABC Sport: force

Showing posts with label force. Show all posts

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Tighter alcohol controls in force for AFL game

By Lisa Mosley

Updated February 29, 2012 08:20:37

Sales of cask wine will be banned in Alice Springs this weekend because authorities fear the influx of spectators for an AFL game will stretch police and hospital resources.

The Northern Territory Licensing Commission has banned the sale of takeaway cask and fortified wines this weekend, to coincide with the Adelaide Crows and Brisbane Lions clash at Traeger Park on Saturday.

Andy Hood from AFL NT supports the restrictions and says only mid-strength and light beers will be sold at the ground.

"In the past, I guess there was sometimes a little bit of trouble," he said.

"We are just really keen to ensure that people who come to the football ... enjoy the game.

"We are really keen to ensure that we get families to the footy."

More than 4,000 spectators are expected at the game.

Mr Hood says bars around the outer area of the ground will close 10 minutes into the last quarter.

"This year the restrictions have probably become more severe than years gone by," he said.

"Look, to be honest, the liquor commission and the police department probably have very good reasons for that."

Tags: australian-football-league, alcohol, alice-springs-0870, brisbane-4000

First posted February 28, 2012 16:17:21

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

Boyd backs Dogs to remain a force

Updated December 08, 2011 18:33:32

Western Bulldogs captain Matthew Boyd has scoffed at any suggestion that their AFL premiership "window" is closed.

After three straight preliminary finals, the Bulldogs slumped to 10th this year.

The Bulldogs now have a new-look coaching staff, with Brendan McCartney taking over the senior role from Rodney Eade.

Speaking at the launch of a new marketing and membership campaign on Thursday, Boyd said the Bulldogs' immediate on-field fortunes were in their hands.

Boyd said he does not believe in the AFL premiership cycle, where a team has a "window of opportunity" for a few seasons before inevitably dropping out of contention while it rebuilds.

"If you talk about a window, the window is open if you want to keep it open," he said.

"That's what we're doing, we're working as hard as we possibly can to give ourselves a chance to compete and be competitive in finals.

"(We want) to get that premiership that we've been going for for 60 years or whatever it is.

"We're striving to improve, we're doing that gradually and slowly, and if you keep on improving then the window stays open."

This is McCartney's first senior coaching job and he has a strong reputation as a teacher and communicator after assistant roles at Geelong and Essendon.

He has made a quick impression, ramping up contested ball work and match simulation during the preseason.

"The contested ball component of training has really stepped up," Boyd said.

"We do a bit of contested ball stuff, but not so much pre-Christmas, so that's been a bit of a change."

Boyd was careful not to compare McCartney's regime to his predecessor.

"But what we're seeing now is guys who are really having a crack at getting in and winning the contested ball and trying to make themselves bigger and stronger to be able to play that way," he said.

The feature of the club's new campaign is a video that highlights the Bulldogs' strong links to the rapidly-growing western region of Melbourne.

The theme of the new campaign is "Welcome to the western front".

"It's no longer a tired area ... there's something powerful brewing west of the city," Bulldogs chief executive Simon Garlick said.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, footscray-3011, vic, australia

First posted December 08, 2011 18:33:32

View the original article here