Swans peaking at right time: Kennedy

Updated September 25, 2012 13:36:04

Sydney's star midfielder Josh Kennedy believes the Swans' finals form gives the side reason to be confident of upsetting Hawthorn in Saturday's season decider.

Hawthorn go into the grand final as favourites but has been the less impressive side in the finals and only just squeezed past Adelaide on Saturday.

Sydney had a patchy end to the home-and-away season but bounced back superbly outplaying Adelaide and Collingwood in its finals matches.

"I think in the last few weeks we've internally been really confident in the way we've come into the finals our preparation and the games that we've played," Kennedy said.

"On the weekend our pressure was right up there and if we can bring that intensity it will go a long way to winning the game."

Kennedy, who joined from Hawthorn after the 2009 season, comes into the game looking to emulate his father and grandfather who achieved legendary status with their finals achievements.

The Swans midfielder's grandfather John Kennedy Sr led the Hawks to three flags as coach and father John Kennedy Jr won four premierships as part of Hawthorn's awesome 1980s team.

Kennedy said the only advice he had received from his grandfather was to treat the final as he would any normal game.

"They're always pretty brief and direct that's just how he operates but it was just about trying to stay focussed on Saturday and making sure that I did my best," Kennedy said.

"Just to take the ball and keep it as simple as possible"

The grand final will also be notable for goal umpire Chelsey Roffey has been named as the first woman to officiate in the AFL showpiece.

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

First posted September 25, 2012 13:36:04

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We're on the right track, Dees boss insists

Updated May 30, 2012 21:06:22

Melbourne president Don McLardy says the Demons are breaking their necks to improve their on-field performances and he insists they are on the right path to future success.

McLardy has kicked off a series of meetings with supporter groups to brief them on what he calls the facts, rather than the newspaper headlines, about the club being in crisis after an 0-9 start.

Melbourne won eight-and-a-half games in 2011 and is widely regarded as having gone backwards this year, although McLardy says this will only inspire the Demons to prove people wrong.

"No doubt some of the papers will again run with something that we've got a crisis meeting," McLardy said on Wednesday night.

"It was the first of probably a series of five or six meetings.

"We've done this because we're a little bit tired of all the incorrect information that is put out about our football club.

"Pathetic and disgusting, that's what's on the back page of the paper about our footy club and our supporters read that and we highly object to it.

"So we've just started a range of meetings with all our key supporters, foundation heroes, coterie groups, to bring them in over the next six to eight weeks.

"We'll put me, along with (chief executive) Cameron Schwab, the coach (Mark Neeld) and (sports performance director) Neil Craig in front of them.

"They can ask us whatever they like and we'll detail them on what our plans are, how we're going about things and why we think we're on the right path.

"If last night is anything to go by, it will be a great thing to do and we got some great support out of it."

McLardy said he was not dismissing what has been happening on the field.

"We are breaking our necks and working as hard as we can to fix that," he told Radio 3AW.

"Clearly we have significant issues on the ground. I am not putting my head in the sand over that.

"What is happening is absolutely not acceptable.

"It was a very open and honest discussion and I think everyone left feeling a lot better.

"We have a plan going forward which is revised all the time."

McLardy said the Demons had worked closely with the AFL in the past four years to rebuild Melbourne from a financial embarrassment to a strong, credible football club.

One of the major criticisms levelled at Melbourne has been the decision to appoint 20-year-old Jack Trengove as co-captain.

"His form's not very good so everyone's going to say 'it's the captaincy'," McLardy said.

"Time will tell."

AAP

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

First posted May 30, 2012 21:06:22

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AFL has right mix on gambling: Demetriou

Updated May 25, 2011 19:31:00

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou insists the league's partnership with betting agencies helps improve integrity within the sport.

Demetriou on Wednesday hit out at critics, including independent senator Nick Xenophon, who had attacked the AFL for its promotion of gambling at matches.

It also came as the league faced questions about recent plunges on exotic bets, leading to concerns that playing lists might have been deliberately leaked.

Demetriou said the AFL had long been keeping an eye on such issues, and partnerships with betting agencies only helped.

"It was so bad when we weren't partners that they use to bastardise our players with caricatures, misuse our intellectual property," he told Canberra's National Press Club.

"We decided after lots of consideration that we were far better to be involved with betting agencies so that we could enhance the integrity in our code.

"We now have access to all the betting schedules, all the information that was not at our disposal beforehand."

Recent concerns have erupted over alleged incidents in which a defender has been named in the forward line, after which the odds of him kicking the first goal have plummeted.

Demetriou said such cases could easily be explained.

"A betting plunge which might seem to be a bit unusual could involve a $100 bet," he said.

"It might only be $100 because the bookmaker doesn't want to take a risk with it."

He backed the AFL's efforts to tackle cheating and corruption, noting it had recently hired an investigator formerly with the United Nations as an integrity officer.

"We started this process long before, you know, there was this 'betting explosion' in our game," Demetriou said.

The AFL this week sought to get tough on cheating in the sport, calling on the Federal Government to make it punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Senator Xenophon, a seasoned anti-gambling campaigner, has also proposed legislation to ban gambling ads at the football, during commentary as well as exotic bets.

But Demetriou said the senator was without the facts.

"He's more than welcome to come and get a briefing about what the AFL is doing, rather than sitting in the grandstand and taking pot shots," he said.

"We promote responsible gambling, we promote responsible drinking."

With wider poker machine reforms also being floated at the federal level, which the industry said would cut deeply into profits, Demetriou would not comment about the potential hit to AFL clubs.

Nine out of the 10 Victorian clubs have bought gaming licences which will run until 2022.

"Some people are concerned, but it's a community-wide issue, it's not just a football issue," Demetriou said.

-AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia

First posted May 25, 2011 18:43:00

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