Bombers dump Lonergan, Reimers

Updated October 30, 2012 13:23:07

Essendon has ditched experienced players Sam Lonergan and Kyle Reimers from its 2013 playing list.

Lonergan played 14 games last season in an Bombers midfield that was hit hard by injury, and is a somewhat surprising omission.

The 25-year-old has played 79 games for Essendon after being drafted with pick 50 in the 2005 National Draft.

The 23-year-old Reimers, who has played 60 games for the club, only featured five times in 2012 as he continued his inconsistent form.

"Sam and Kyle have been terrific contributors for the Essendon Football Club and we wish them all the best for the next chapter in their careers," said coach James Hird.

Essendon acquired former St Kilda star Brendon Goddard through free agency, while signing Alwyn Davey, David Hille and Scott Gumbleton to one-year contracts.

The Bombers also traded Angus Monfries to Port Adelaide and will select Joe Daniher under the father-son rule in this upcoming National Draft.

Meanwhile, Geelong released Tom Gillies, veteran ruckman Orren Stephenson and rookie Jonathan Simpkin after a busy trade period.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, essendon-3040, vic, australia

First posted October 30, 2012 13:20:30

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Bulldogs call on champion Cats

Updated November 15, 2012 11:23:00

The Western Bulldogs have brought Geelong premiership duo Matthew Scarlett and Cameron Mooney to the club as part-time specialist coaches for 2013.

Scarlett, who retired at the end of the 2012 campaign, will mentor and work closely with the Bulldogs' defenders, while Mooney - who ended his career in 2011 - will work with the club's forwards.

Brendan McCartney, who coached both players as a long-time Geelong assistant, says the champion players' experience will prove invaluable to his young side.

"Along with our current coaching staff, we are fortunate that people of this ilk want to come and help our club get better," McCartney said.

The players will work with the club for a day a week through the preseason and 2013 campaign and Mooney is excited to get to work with the young squad.

"We're lucky enough to have a great mate in Macca, so we were both pretty keen to get down here, and try to help him out as much as we can," Mooney said.

"The great thing about the Bulldogs is that they're such a young group."

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, geelong-3220, west-melbourne-3003

First posted November 15, 2012 11:23:00

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Melbourne chief seeks 'natural justice'

Updated November 02, 2012 12:49:05

Melbourne president Don McLardy said the club has been assured by the AFL it will be receive "natural justice" over the tanking scandal, which attracted fresh headlines on Friday morning.

An ongoing AFL investigation is looking into the events of the 2009 season where the Demons won just four games allowing them to take Tom Scully with a priority pick.

It has been alleged that football manager Chris Connolly told the coaching staff they would lose their jobs if they reached the five-win threshold.

McLardy said the club will fully co-operate with the AFL and insisted his priority is to ensure there is minimal impact on the current players on the club.

"The Board of the MFC is concerned to ensure that the MFC is treated fairly and properly," McLardy said.

"The Board will fully co-operate with an independent, lawful and transparent process.

"The Board has sought an assurance from the AFL that natural justice will be afforded to the MFC, its players, employees and staff through the investigation.

"The Board is also concerned to ensure there is minimal impact on our current football department and playing group.

"Since the significant restructure by the Board of our football department in 2011, we have had a clear plan and settled staff, and every effort will be made to ensure they can continue to focus on the upcoming season."

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

First posted November 02, 2012 12:48:01

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Magpies make defensive changes

Updated October 26, 2012 07:21:39

Collingwood has made changes to its defensive stocks, trading Tom Young to the Bulldogs and grabbing Jordan Russell from Carlton.

Russell was runner-up in the Blues' best and fairest voting in 2010, but had a disappointing 2012 campaign, making just seven appearances.

Magpies recruitment manager Derek Hine is sure the 116-game veteran can prove a valuable asset though.

"The facts are Jordan is only 25 years of age, a top 10 draft pick in his year and a player with attributes you would expect of a high order selection," Hine said.

"He finished top six in Carlton's best and fairest twice and being a versatile type of player he can give us real flexibility through the half-back/wing areas. He is keen to re-establish himself and he was very keen to come to Collingwood. We think we can help Jordan recapture his best and if that happens he will be a very good footballer for us."

Russell takes a spot vacated by Young who was traded to the Bulldogs in exchange for the number 71 pick in the draft that has now been passed on to the Blues.

The 20 year-old defender played seven times for the Magpies in 2012 after making his debut in 2011.

The signing of Young was the second in 24 hours for the Bulldogs who snared midfielder Koby Stevens from West Coast for a second-round pick on Wednesday.

Jason McCartney believes this signals the intentions of the club to build for long-term success at the Kennel.

"We see him as a long-term prospect after he showed really promising signs at Collingwood over the past couple of seasons, particularly with his willingness to take the game on and his cleanness around the contest," McCartney said.

"Along with Koby Stevens, Tom is a person of sound character and is a welcome addition to our list."

In other trade news, Port Adelaide has grabbed defender Lewis Stevenson from West Coast for a fifth-round pick that the Power initially gained from Melbourne for the services of David Rodan.

Rodan, 29, was drafted by Richmond in 2001 and played 65 matches for the Tigers before joining Port ahead of the 2007 campaign, since then he has lifted his career tally to 176.

Stevenson has not made any appearances for the Eagles since 2010.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, collingwood-3066, west-melbourne-3003, melbourne-3000, carlton-3053, port-adelaide-5015, perth-6000

First posted October 25, 2012 17:15:19

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AFL stiffens preseason penalties

Updated November 21, 2012 16:37:20

AFL players must now serve any suspensions earned in the preseason cup during the regular season as part of a league crackdown on offences and penalties.

The AFL will also introduce two new charges to stop players crashing into opponents below the knees.

Forceful contact below the knees and sliding feet-first into a contest now fall under the category of rough conduct.

The changes mean if a player is suspended because of an incident in the opening week of the preseason cup, he can play for the rest of the lead-up competition.

But he will then have to serve his penalty from round one of the home-and-away season.

The AFL states the change was made "to ensure consistency and to provide a sufficient deterrent for players not to offend".

The league also announced on Wednesday:

It will be tougher for a player to qualify for a good record, which means a 25 per cent discount on any tribunal penalty, with the requirement for clean slate increasing from five to six years;An increase in the penalty points for stomping, making the offence as serious as kicking.And if a defendant in a tribunal hearing makes a claim against another player, "that player must be notified and have the opportunity to appear and be heard on the case as a matter of fairness".

While the changes largely mean stricter penalties and guidelines, the AFL also relaxed the definition of a bad record loading.

A player now qualifies for a bad record, which means a tougher penalty, if he has been suspended for two or more games over the previous two years.

The AFL said it relaxed the bad record definition "to reflect the fact it was felt three years is too long for a player to hold onto a 'bad record' for committing a single offence".

Players sliding feet-first into contests became a hot topic this season, particularly after Sydney speedster Gary Rohan suffered a broken leg.

North Melbourne forward Lindsay Thomas was reported for sliding into Rohan, but the case was thrown out on appeal.

Sydney co-captain Adam Goodes was also suspended for sliding into Port Adelaide defender Jacob Surjan.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, australia

First posted November 21, 2012 16:37:20

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AFL investigating secret Crows business

Updated October 24, 2012 18:32:48

Adelaide says it will cop any penalty handed down by the AFL for its secret deal which could kill Kurt Tippett's bid to join Sydney.

The Crows face fines and loss of draft picks, and star forward Tippett could be deregistered as an AFL player, if an investigation by the AFL finds they broke the league's rules.

Tippett's manager Peter Blucher also faces a possible ban for his role in a murky deal which was hidden from the AFL for three years until last Friday.

Tippett became Adelaide's highest-paid player in 2009 when agreeing to a three-year contract extension with the club.

Since the signing, speculation has been rife of a clause which enabled Tippett to be traded at the end of the contract to the club of his choice, in return for a second-round draft pick - compensation well below the key forward's market worth.

Crows management repeatedly denied the existence of the clause in the contract.

But the Crows admitted to the AFL last Friday they had a secret agreement, outside the contract, with Tippett.

Tippett's contract with the Crows has expired and he has requested a trade to the premier Swans.

The move shocked Adelaide, which believed Queensland-born Tippett would likely return home if he left the club.

And with the AFL trade period ending on Friday at 2:00pm (AEDT), Tippett's future hinges on the findings of the league's investigation.

Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman said the Crows board confessed to the AFL "because it was the right thing to do".

"There was no alternative here," Chapman told Adelaide radio station 5AA.

"The thought not to disclose never entered our mind and (Crows chief executive) Steven (Trigg) and I made that call straight away."

Chapman did not explain why Adelaide kept the deal a secret for three years.

"If we have stuffed up in any way, and I'm not pre-empting that, we'll put up our hand and say sorry and remedy it and move on," Chapman said.

"We will take whatever comes out of it."

Chapman declined to guarantee the position of Trigg as club chief executive.

"We will reach the right conclusions after this," he said.

"Steven Trigg has been a veteran of this world, as has (former football operations manager) Johnny Reid, (current football operations manager) Phil Harper, everyone at our club.

"And they have got a history of complying with the rules and ... I don't want to speculate beyond that because that might prejudice the outcome of the investigation."

The Crows, by confessing the deal, were not ensuring a lighter penalty from the AFL, he said.

"We brought it to their attention ... but there is no assurances," Chapman said.

AAP

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

First posted October 24, 2012 08:37:12

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McCarthy death confirmed as accidental

Updated October 20, 2012 10:33:05

The death of Port Adelaide player John McCarthy in Las Vegas last month has been ruled as accidental by a US coroner.

McCarthy, 22, died after falling from a rooftop at the Flamingo casino and hotel complex.

Assistant coroner in Clark County, Nevada, John Fudenberg, said McCarthy died from injuries sustained in an accidental fall.

"I can tell you that we ruled the cause of death as multiple injuries due to a fall from height and the manner of death is accidental," he said.

He would not say whether or not alcohol or drugs were found in McCarthy's system as the toxicology report was not a matter of public record.

AAP/ABC

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, united-states

First posted October 20, 2012 10:33:05

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