AFL Record. Round 21, 2010 by The Slattery Media Group

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE AFL GAME

Boom times

300-gamer Brent Harvey predicts big things for the Roos

ROUND 21, 2010 AUGUST 20-22 $5 (INC. GST)

iLFROOMADON.LY $

28,990

DRIVE AWAY ABN HOL DER S ONLY

IT’S ONE TOUGH MOTHER • 2 pallet capacity • Dual sliding doors • 2.4-litre petrol or 2.5-litre CRDi engine • ABS • Steering wheel audio controls • 5 year 160,000km warranty • Best Van of the Year 2009† hyundai.com.au/iLoad or call 1800 186 306

*Applies only to ABN holders. Offer ends 30 September 2010. Valid on existing dealer stock only. Hyundai reserves the right to change, supersede or extend this offer. Campaign price for Hyundai iLoad 3 seater petrol manual model. †Delivery Magazine, Best Van of the Year 2009. IWAu/HMCA1917/FP/AFLR

ROUND 21, AUGUST 20-22, 2010

Features 58

Paul Roos and Brett Kirk

SWAN SONG:

Last Swans home game for a loyal pair.

Sydney coach Paul Roos (left) and inspirational co-captain Brett Kirk will be involved in their ﬁnal home game for the Swans this weekend.

Brent Harvey

A magical 300-game milestone.

Moments of the decade

When Chris Judd left the Eagles.

Regulars 4

Backchat

Your say on the football world.

The Bounce

Views, news, ﬁrst person, facts, data, culture.

Matchday

Stats, history and line-ups.

Dream Team

Advice from Mr Fantasy, our Dream Team expert.

70 74 76 78

Answer Man Kids’ Corner NAB AFL Rising Star Talking Point

THIS WEEK’S COVERS

North Melbourne captain Brent Harvey features on the national cover for his 300th game. There is a farewell home game cover for Sydney coach Paul Roos and co-captain Brett Kirk and a tribute cover to the CFA for the Collingwood-Adelaide game.

Ted Hopkins laments the growing trend of players falling over.

(ROOS/KIRK PHOTO: MICHAEL WILLSON)

20% off accommodation. Because we love a good sport. At Holiday Inn Brisbane we love a good sport which is why we’re proud to be part of the Official Hotel Group of the AFL. Located only a 5 minute drive from The Gabba, stay where your heroes stay next time your home or away, on holidays or catching up with mates for the match. You will enjoy our comfortable rooms, warm surroundings and friendly service. Relax. It’s Holiday Inn.

TO BOOK visit holidayinn.com/aflclub or call 1300 666 704.

The Official Hotel Group Of The AFL

Kids Stay & Eat Free 20% off available on our Best Flexible Rates, subject to availability. Kids 19 and under stay for free sharing parents’ guest room in existing bedding. Kids 12 and under eat free from the Kids menu when dining with an adult guest in the hotel restaurant. For full tems and conditions please visit out website.

Your say on the world of football

feedback

EDITOR’S LETTER

Bock move a sign of the times

Around the grounds scores

(in Melbourne), M my father followed behind as the fol kids k ran out of the rooms, telling people he had never te met m before that the boy wearing the No. 13 jumper w was his grandson. I lost him a few times as he mingled with parents pare of the Northcote boys. Back in the rooms after a three-goal win, the Northcote thre boys gathered in a circle and started start singing their theme song out loud. My father was right behind them. In fact, at one stage, I thought he was going to join them inside the circle, just as a ﬁrst-gamer would. It was a fantastic moment and some of the other parents looked at me and smiled, acknowledging they too recognised the moment the three of us would cherish forever. Aussie Rules, the game we dearly love, had just brought three generations together.

As a keen follower of our game, I continue to be frustrated and disappointed when attending Sydney Swans home matches, whether at the SCG or ANZ Stadium, because of the infrequent and sometimes non-existent display of progress scores from other grounds. Is this because of Sydney’s insular nature or is there another reason? GUS McKERNAN, NORTHMEAD, NSW.

Editor’s response: A spokesperson for the Sydney Swans said scores from other matches were displayed on scoreboards at ANZ Stadium during Swans games and that SCG management had moved to ensure this service would be available at all SCG matches from the start of next season, after a software upgrade on the scoreboard.

Keep the faith, Blues

A fortnight ago, many Carlton supporters wanted to lynch the coaches and half the players. The media also focused on the Blues. Two wins later, with a spot in the ﬁnals for the second straight year secured, the panic appears to have eased. It’s time Carlton supporters showed a little more faith. DAVID, LOWER TEMPLESTOWE, VIC.

GENERAL MANAGER, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS Darren Birch AFL CORPORATE BUSINESS MANAGER Richard Simkiss AFL RECORD MANAGING EDITOR Geoﬀ Slattery AFL RECORD EDITOR Peter Di Sisto

BEWARE THE BLUES: Chris Judd

(left) and Mitch Robinson have that ﬁnals feeling.

HAVE YOUR SAY

United by footy

My father never watched me play sport. Now, he’s watching his eight-year-old grandson, play football. It’s a wonderful thing. Recently, before a game between Northcote Junior Football Club and Mill Park

PRODUCTION EDITOR Michael Lovett WRITERS Nick Bowen, Ben Collins, Jim Main, Cameron Noakes, Peter Ryan, Callum Twomey SUB-EDITORS Gary Hancock, Howard Kotton STATISTICIAN Cameron Sinclair CREATIVE DIRECTOR Andrew Hutchison DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Sam Russell

4 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

GEORGE SAVVIDIS, NORTHCOTE, VIC.

The best letter each round will receive the Gary Ablett jnr Australian Football Training DVD. Email aﬂrecordeditor@slatterymedia.com tterymedia com or write to AFL Record, Slattery Media Group, 140 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, VIC, 3008.

DESIGNERS Alison Wright, Daniel Frawley, PHOTO EDITORS Natalie Boccassini, Ginny Pike PRODUCTION MANAGER Troy Davis PRODUCTION COORDINATORS Stephen Lording, Emma Meagher DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Adele Morton COMMERCIAL MANAGER Alison Hurbert-Burns

� Adelaide’s Nathan Bock this week became the first listed AFL player to declare his hand and align himself with new club Gold Coast, pending a contract being agreed to (see story page 11). Confirmation of Bock’s departure with two weeks left in the Crows’ season will not sit well with some. Adelaide coach Neil Craig this week spoke of a new “culture” emerging in the game. “This is going to be life in the AFL from now on,” he said, suggesting a flurry of in-season announcements on players’ futures becoming the norm. Craig has been at the cutting edge of sports science and players’ preparation in his time coaching the Crows, and he understands well the new professionalism that characterises so many parts of the modern game. Craig is correct when he speaks of a new culture, which in part is being shaped by the addition of two new clubs but also is a result of the industry’s growing professionalism, in line with many world sports. After 2012, a free agency system will be put in place, with the AFL, the AFL Players’ Association and player managers expecting it to increase player movement between clubs. Long-time observers might cringe at Bock’s timing (and the system that will follow), but they are merely examples of a rapidly changing business. PETER DI SISTO

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER – SPORT Shane Purss ACCOUNT MANAGER Kate Hardwick ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR Laura Mullins Advertising (03) 9627 2600 PHOTOGRAPHY Sean Garnsworthy, Michael Willson, Lachlan Cunningham AFL Photos, (03) 9627 2600 aﬂphotos.com.au

PRINTED BY THIS PMP Print WEEK’S COVER XXXXCORRESPONDENCE XXXXX ADDRESS TO TheXXXXXXXXXXXXX Editor, AFL Record, X Ground Floor, Go to aﬂphotos.com.au 140 Harbour Esplanade, to order prints3008. Docklands, Victoria, P: (03) 9627image. 2600 F: (03) 9627 2650 of this E: peterd@slatterymedia.com AFL RECORD, VOL. 99, ROUND 21, 2010 Copyright. ACN No. 004 155 211. ISSN 1444-2973, Print Post approved PP320258/00109

AUSTRALIA’S #1 TELEVISION RETAILER

TRY THESE

UNBEATABLE DEALS! HD

FULL HD

40” FULL HD LCD

42” HD LCD

747

$ PS42C451B2D

200Hz

40” FULL HD LCD

1499

Sony (40”) 101cm Full High Deﬁnition LCD Television. KDL40HX700

Toshiba (40”) 101cm Full High Deﬁnition LCD Television. 40RV700A

MADE IN

JAPAN 50” FULL HD PLASMA

1948

Panasonic (50”) 127cm Full High Deﬁnition ‘Neo’ Plasma Television. THP50V20A

FOR YOUR NEAREST STORE CALL

THE TELEVISION SPECIALIST www.harveynorman.com.au

Product offers ends 29/8/10. Harvey Norman® stores are operated by independent franchisees. *1. Terms and conditions apply. See www.harveynorman.com.au for details.

180149_NAU

Samsung (42”) 106cm High Deﬁnition Plasma Television.

1094

6 AFL RECORD visit aďŹ&#x201A;record.com.au

SNAP SHOT

THE CLASS FACTOR Rd 20 Western Bulldogs v Geelong, Etihad Stadium � With eyes only for the ball and helped by a block from teammate Joel Selwood, it was a case of foot to the accelerator for Geelong champion Gary Ablett last Saturday night. After Channel Ten commentator Tim Lane had earlier proclaimed Geelong’s dynasty had ended, Ablett continued the Cats’ rampage in the third term over the hapless Bulldogs. A deft touch, a quick change of direction and Ablett left Bulldogs (from left) Brodie Moles and Shaun Higgins in his wake.

He charged through the middle of Etihad Stadium and kicked a goal to give the Cats a 75-point lead, which later blew out to a 101-point victory. Ablett ﬁnished with a game- and season-high 39 disposals and his three goals gave him a season tally of 36, his best eﬀort for the Cats. MICHAEL LOVETT PHOTO: ANDREW WHITE/AFL PHOTOS

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 7

IT’S AMAZING HOW MUCH SWEAT YOU LOSE WHEN YOU EXERCISE As you exercise or train, you lose electrolytes and fluid through sweat and you burn carbohydrates. As a result, your muscles start to tire, making your pace slower. The combination of fluid, electrolytes and carbohydrates in ‘Powerade’ Isotonic is scientifically formulated to help you perform at your peak for longer – helping you to achieve your goal – whatever that is.

TO WATCH THE SWEAT SESSIONS AND TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH FLUID YOU NEED TO STAY HYDRATED,

DOWNLOAD THE ‘POWERADE’ ISOTONIC HYDRATION CALCULATOR AT

POW PO POWE POW W RA00 A0000046/A A00 A0 466/A 46/A 46/AFL/R AFL/R FL/R FL/ R

.COM.AU

VIEWS NEWS FIRST PERSON FACTS DATA CULTURE

GETTING IT RIGHT: The Magpies’ best 22, led by captain

Nick Maxwell (middle), can change from week to week, according to coach Mick Malthouse.

TEAM BALANCE

A catch-22 situation

PETER RYA N

ootball euphemisms move around more quickly then a kennel cough or a Brett Deledio dash. The latest virus phrase sweeping football is “in the best 22”. It’s become an epidemic. The number 22 is being heard more often in football than on a Billy Birmingham CD. It’s not the media’s fault either. So many solemn pronouncements are being made by club representatives

(mainly players but occasionally coaches fall into the trap) about players being “in the best 22” it will soon be necessary for some clubs to send 28 players down the race, as that’s how many players they have on the list who are “in their best 22”. The liberal use of this phrase by clubs has led to a trend among questioners to ask whether a particular player is “in the best 22” or not. It’s easy for grumpy pedants

who care about words to become sick of this sort of epidemic. Why? Some sort of mythical best 22 not only misleads those watching and listening, it potentially creates a sense of injustice where none exists, and serves only to sugar-coat the reality that, when hidden, does not allow individuals directly affected to move forward as quickly as they otherwise would. The best 22 footballers at the club – in terms of talent – do not necessarily make up a club’s best team. As is often the case, it took some direct talk from a coach

to cut through the mumbo jumbo. This time it was the master of the non-ﬂowery language, Magpie coach Mick Malthouse, who told it like it was after last week’s game against Essendon. “The best 22 run down the race every week. This is our best 22 and next week if there is a change that will be our best 22,” Malthouse said. That’s the brutal reality. Selection is a tough caper for all involved. No apologies, no shame, yet plenty of empathy. No best 22 players not in the side. Decisions are team-based, so what prevails is the best CON T IN U ED NE X T PAGE

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 9

the bounce

team to beat the opposition, all structures and sizes and requirements taken into account. (In my view, a premiership medallion should be awarded to any player who features in at least one game in a premiership season, but that’s a related issue to argue on another day.) In effect, the battle isn’t to be within a team’s best 22, it’s about being considered the best available person at the club to fulﬁl a particular role. That’s why some end-of-season trades can be win-wins. One club has a surplus of a particular player, another club the demand. When thinking about selection, it is handy to be more forensic. Is the player your preferred small forward? Is the one you would have chosen a ﬂoating defender? Is he a run-with player? These are some of the questions worth considering, before using the emotionally-driven phrase: “in the best 22”.

RETIRING WITH DIGNITY

Redemption complete as Cousins leaves with a clean slate GEOFF SL AT TERY

here was plenty of joy hanging about Ben Cousins’ farewell press conference at Richmond on Tuesday. No joy in the fact the game was about to lose one of its greats, but joy that a career that had been a train wreck was now on a well-oiled track to unlimited opportunity. What a credit to the person himself, to his family and the long list of friends and mentors he acknowledged that he had been able to rehabilitate himself, under such scrutiny, and pressure, and to do it with such good humour. NEWS TRACKER

IT’S OVER: Flanked by

coach Damien Hardwick (left) and football manager Craig Cameron, Cousins announces his retirement on Tuesday.

And what a credit to the strength of the AFL’s club scene – in this case Richmond, but it could have been any of the 16 – and to the AFL itself, that Cousins o was given a second chance to ply his talent and continue his footy career, and his life. Or in reality, was it the third,, fourth, or ﬁfth chance for thee 2005 Brownlow medallist? This columnist has been something of an evangelist for Cousins during the two seasons he has been at Richmond; for no other reason than we could see a person who was doing all he could to return to the human race and be a positive contributor, while bedevilled by an addiction that will never disappear. It’s easy to forget the stresses this young man faced while being murdered from within by drugs. Remember the airport confrontations by a media looking for a grab, any grab? Remember the photographers swarming around his apartment when he arrived in Melbourne? Remember how quick the commentariat was to forecast his demise – last year, earlier this year, whenever they could? Remember how anxious that same commentariat was to be the ﬁrst with the story that Richmond could not afford to keep Cousins beyond this season? He would, they said, be taking the place of a young player.

EVENTFUL: Ben Cousins’ AFL journey started at West Coast (right) where he won the 2005 Brownlow Medal and played in the 2006 premiership side (opposite) and ﬁnished with Richmond (above).

Did they say the same when ore James Hird gave us one more year of his genius and won a best and fairest? What a joy it was that Cousins was able to make the ﬁnal decision himself, to choose his own time to move on. What a joy it was to hear Richmond coach Damien Hardwick say the Tigers would have loved to see him play on, such was his infectious value to the team, to the club, to the coaching staff. We have never seen Cousins’ like before in the AFL game – an admitted drug addict, celebrating great playing performances with artiﬁcial rewards – and we no doubt hope

The Brisbane Lions conﬁrm they are undertaking a review of their football operations.

10 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

we never see his like, in that regard, again. The past two years surely have absolved Cousins of any sins the community may have plastered upon him, and he can now move into the next part of his life with a clean slate, with the personality, wit, smarts, and capacity to achieve whatever he decides he wants to do. Whatever that choice is, we hope the AFL game is part of it: as an ongoing mentor and counsellor (in footy matters) for the future he sees at Richmond; as a counsellor (in life matters) to the next generation of AFL players, and the young sportspeople of any code,

What a joy it was that Cousins was able to make the ﬁnal decision himself, to choose his own time to move on

anywhere; and we hope his cheeky wit will become an important part of the same commentariat that has looked down on him for so many of his 15 years in the game. Just as the game’s playing personnel needs change, and constantly regenerated with youth and spark and spirit, so too does the media that sits above the spectacle as a constant link between the complexity of the game, and the fans. How delightful it has been to watch and listen to Cousins’ old teammate Matthew Richardson enliven radio and television commentary with his self-

deprecating humour, deep knowledge, broad perspectives and total commitment to the game and its players. Cousins can do all that and more, although he did say, with great wit, that a media career was “maybe a last resort”. The way he handled his farewell had one of the media’s great veteran broadcasters, Kevin Bartlett, describe his performance as “magniﬁcent”. It was certainly that, an unscripted model of selfassuredness, understanding and respect (ironically) for the role the media plays in public life. We know that for some bi reason Cousins C i h has bizarre h tattooed ‘Such Is Life’ across his torso; we’d prefer to think of epitap ph his smile as his epitaph when asked how he wants to bee rememberred. remembered. With d that broad trademarrk trademark sa aid: grin, he said: “Probablyy just as a bloke p a who never put foot wrong”.

HOW HE (REALLY) WOULD LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED: “I think for the guys who have played with me, I think they will remember me as someone who was single-minded about team success. I think the thing about that is that it doesn’t mirror up necessarily with the image that I’m portrayed with from people externally. It doesn’t marry up with someone who’s had drug problems or indiscretions off-ﬁeld, but that adds to the complexity of addiction. That’s what I’ve played the game for – for team success.”

WHAT NEXT? “I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was a little bit of trepidation about entering the next phase of my life.”

WORKING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE: “I enjoy working with young people, but I’m unsure whether it’s in the AFL or in other areas of the community. I’m under no illusions that I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the same sort of support I’ve received.”

THE GAME: “It’s been a huge part of my life. I’m going to miss it dearly. It’s not just a lifestyle, it’s a way of thinking. It’s in my marrow.”

DAMIEN HARDWICK ON COUSINS’ DECISION: “It was really hard for us to hear the decision from Ben. He’s been playing outstanding football for our club. The great thing about Ben is that we sat down in that meeting and he said it’s in the best interests of Richmond. And that’s a measure of the fellow.”

NEWS TRACKER

DEPARTURE

Crow star heading for the Suns

� Adelaide has reluctantly farewelled All-Australian defender Nathan Bock, who is about to become the first major signing for the Gold Coast Suns. Bock, whose contract with Adelaide was set to expire at the end of this season, met with Crows officials earlier this week and confirmed he would take up a three-year offer from the Suns. Both parties agreed it would be best to part company straight away and Bock will not train or play with the Crows for the final two weeks of the home and away season. “It’s a significant offer and something that I found hard to refuse,” Bock said. “I’m 27 years old and I’ve had a few issues with my body this year, so this is something that’s going to help me set myself up after footy. “I would have liked to play (out the season) but in saying that I would probably feel uncomfortable playing the next two weeks knowing that I wasn’t going to be part of it next year.” Bock played 113 games for the Crows since 2004 and won the club’s best and fairest in 2008, the same year he was named centre half-back in the All-Australian team. A formula will be worked out by the AFL to assess Bock’s compensation value, allowing the Crows to claim a future draft pick. � Crows veteran Brett Burton has also played his last game after succumbing to an ankle injury. Burton and skipper Simon Goodwin will be farewelled before next week’s match against St Kilda. MICHAEL LOVETT

Daniel Hannebery signs a three-year contract extension with the Sydney Swans. AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 11

the bounce

PREDICTIONS

MATHEMATICIAN AND IT CONSULTANT DARREN O’SHAUGHNESSY LOOKS AT THE CHANCES OF CLUBS IN THE FINALS RACE. IF IT...

v Adelaide MCG, Saturday night

v Carlton Etihad Stadium, Friday night

v Richmond Etihad Stadium, Saturday

v Sydney Swans SCG, Saturday night

v Hawthorn Aurora Stadium, Saturday

v Geelong Etihad Stadium, Friday night

v Western Bulldogs SCG, Saturday night

v Fremantle Aurora Stadium, Saturday

v West Coast Eagles Subiaco, Sunday

9 10

v Port Adelaide AAMI Stadium, Sunday)

POSITION AFTER ROUND 21

LIKELY FIRST WEEK OF FINALS

FINALS CHANCES

WINS

First

Guaranteed to win its ﬁrst minor premiership since 1977.

LOSES

Still ﬁrst

Will ﬁnish second if beaten by Hawthorn in round 22, unless Geelong slips up.

WINS

Second

Hanging on to a slim hope of top spot, but needs Collingwood to lose twice.

LOSES

Third if the Saints win; otherwise second.

Cannot finish below third, and almost certain to play St Kilda in first week of finals.

WINS

Stays third if the Blues can’t beat Geelong; second if they do.

Will finish either second or third and play Geelong in the first week of finals, unless the Cats can climb past the Magpies.

LOSES

Third

Another loss in round 22 would drop the Saints to fourth, if the Bulldogs win their two matches.

WINS

Fourth

The only way is up. Have guaranteed double chance, but need Saints to lose twice in order to climb to third.

LOSES

Fourth

Cannot ﬁnish higher than fourth. Worst result is ﬁfth, if Fremantle wins both games and the Dogs lose to the Bombers next week.

WINS

Fifth

Will most likely finish fifth, with a shot at fourth if the Bulldogs lose twice. A 99.8 per cent chance to play a home final.

LOSES

Remains ﬁfth if Geelong wins; sixth if Carlton does. A huge loss could drop it to seventh if Sydney wins.

Still most likely to finish fifth, looking at the tough draws of teams below it. Can seal a home final in week one by beating Carlton in round 22. Worst-case scenario is eighth.

WINS

Fifth if Hawthorn wins; otherwise will ﬁnish sixth.

20 per cent chance of ﬁrst ﬁnal being interstate; a win over Fremantle next week would ensure it plays in Melbourne.

LOSES

Drops to eighth if both Sydney and Hawthorn win; seventh if one does; stays sixth if both lose.

60 per cent chance of ﬁrst ﬁnal being interstate. A loss to the Dockers would probably leave the Blues eighth, meaning consecutive matches in Perth.

WINS

Up to sixth with a Geelong win; seventh if Carlton wins. If the Swans and Hawks win by 110 points combined, Sydney could be ﬁfth.

Stays on track for a home final, and might not even need to beat the Brisbane Lions next week to ensure home final. Could still finish anywhere from fifth to eighth.

LOSES

Down to eighth if the Hawks win; otherwise seventh.

To ﬁnish sixth, the Swans would have to defeat the Lions next week and hope Hawthorn and Carlton lose their games against the top two teams.

WINS

Sixth if Sydney and Carlton both lose, seventh if one does; stays eighth if they both win.

Still needs to beat Collingwood next week to avoid seventh or eighth and a probable interstate final. Could finish as high as fifth.

LOSES

Still eighth.

To make the eight, would have to beat Collingwood or rely on North losing one of its two games.

WINS

Ninth

The only way for the Kangaroos to make the ﬁnals is to win both matches and rely on the Hawks losing both.

LOSES

Ninth if Melbourne and Adelaide both lose; 10th if one wins; 11th if both win.

Could plummet as far as 13th by the end of the season.

WINS

Takes the Kangaroos’ ninth rung if the Roos lose; otherwise 10th.

Still alive if the Hawks lose both games. The percentage gap is 8.5, which is about 150 points margin spread across four results; so the bigger the win, the better.

LOSES

Will be 11th if the Crows lose; 12th if they win.

Will ﬁnish anywhere from ninth to 13th.

� It is unlikely that any of the top four clubs will move from their current rungs on the ladder. The computer simulations predict a 96 per cent chance that Geelong will play St Kilda in one qualifying final, and a 94 per cent chance of Collingwood meeting the Western Bulldogs in the other. The other four spots are not as settled, although Fremantle has its fate in its own hands with both matches against direct rivals – a win in either would be enough to ensure a final at Subiaco. The Sydney Swans are favoured to take sixth as they have an easier draw than the others, finishing with the Lions, whose only win since the end of May was over the Eagles. There is a 40-45 per cent chance that both elimination finals will be played outside Victoria. In 30 per cent of scenarios, Carlton will play Fremantle on consecutive weekends in Perth, and in another 20 per cent, the Blues will travel to Sydney. Hawthorn is only a 33 per cent chance to play a final in Melbourne, and might have to beat the Magpies to earn the right.

THESE PREDICTIONS WILL FEATURE IN THE AFL RECORD FOR THE REST OF THE HOME AND AWAY SEASON.

NEWS TRACKER

Essendon champion James Hird conﬁrms interest in coaching the Bombers at some point in time.

12 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

PREDICTED FINAL LADDER 1. Collingwood 2. Geelong 3. St Kilda 4. W. Bulldogs 5. Fremantle 6. Sydney (up one) 7. Hawthorn (up one) 8. Carlton (down two)

VISIT A TELSTRA STORE I TELSTRA.COM/T- HUB I 1300 136 841

GET THE BEST OF THE AFL WITH ONE TOUCH

AFL

Weather

Internet Favourites

The Telstra T-Hub® home phone brings you AFL news and highlights with just one touch. Simply open the BigPond AFL application and you’re totally up to date with news, scores, coverage and stats. Ask us about our pricing options for new customers, and repayment options when the T-Hub is combined with one of our Home Bundles.

Calendar

Facebook

299

FOR EXISTING CUSTOMERS WITH ELIGIBLE SERVICES.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW: Telstra HomeLine® (excludes HomeLine Part) plan, BigPond®Broadband service and compatible home wi-fi modem required. Plus a $9.95 delivery fee for phone and online sales. Prices for the T-Hub may vary at Telstra Licensed Stores, T-Life™ and Telstra’s third party dealers. ™ and ® are trade marks and registered trade marks of Telstra Corporation Limited ABN 33 051 775 556.

the bounce

BRIDGING THE GAP

Young Dons on steep learning curve C A L LU M T WOMEY

ssendon’s 98-point loss to Collingwood last week – its ﬁfth defeat of 10 goals or more for the season – was written off by many as another terrible effort. A sea of negative sentiment swirled for days after the loss, with some critics moved to suggest the Bombers were at the lowest they had been in decades. On closer inspection, however, the result should not have come as such a surprise, for several reasons. The Magpies are on top of the ladder and in red-hot form. For them, a shot at the premiership beckons. Essendon is plainly out of form and down on conﬁdence. Given the comparative differences in age and experience between the two, it was little wonder Collingwood hustled and bustled its way past the Bombers. The average age of the Essendon side was 22 years and 301 days. The Magpies

were, on average, more than two years older. The Bombers’ team had played a combined 1342 games (61 per player) while Collingwood’s had logged 2492 matches (113 per player). In essence, each Magpie had played almost three seasons more football than his Essendon counterpart – and it showed. The Bombers blooded two players last Friday, with Stewart Crameri and Jake Carlisle among the six who had played fewer than 15 games. Thirteen Bombers had played fewer than 50. In comparison, Collingwood had only one player (Jarryd Blair) under 15 games and only six with fewer than 50. The Magpies played with confidence in each other, with a clear game-plan. It certainly helps when you have played a lot of football together. Collingwood had 13 players who had appeared in more than 100 games. The Bombers had only five. Essendon champion Scott Lucas, who retired last year, said the youth factor was relevant when dissecting last week’s loss. “It takes a couple of years to not only be confident in your teammates, but in yourself, and last week’s game saw a very young side matched against a very good, experienced side, so a lot of the younger (Essendon) players would have learned a

they’re just not good enough to compete on a weekly basis,” he said. “They have good performances, but there’s an inconsistency reﬂected in young teams, and when you have an inexperienced team, it can be very hard to stem the tide. “There’s some talented young players at the club, but it’s up to them to develop and become quality players, which will be vital in taking the side forward.”

MEDICAL ROOMS DAUNTING TASK:

Jake Carlisle had a tough debut last week.

lot and now know what’s required,” Lucas said. “Six days earlier, Collingwood had made Geelong look susceptible in ways not seen for many years, so what was the expectation on Essendon, which had two ﬁrst-gamers and several other very young players in the side?” asked Lucas, who played 270 games and kicked 471 goals for the Bombers from 1996-2009. Essendon is not looking for sympathy, and skipper Jobe Watson might have put it best ﬁve weeks ago when he said: “At the moment, we’re not good enough.” Lucas agreed. “Jobe assessed it pretty well –

W H E N T H E Y ’ R E N O T P L AY I N G

Player

Earliest football memory:

Best mark taken at any level of football:

If you could play another professional port, it would be: sport,

The furthest you have been from home:

Alan Toovey Collingwood

Kicking the footy in the paddock

I’ve never taken a speccy

ollf Golf

No Northern Arizona

Travis Colyer Essendon

Auskick in my ﬁrst year in Esperance

Year 12 school football

ollf Golf

Cairns Cairns

Josh Hunt Geelong

Playing under-11ss a in Mildura

H Hav ken Haven’t taken any good ones a

Gridiron in the NFL

Rhys Palmer Fremantle

g me a Pop giving dollar for every goal I kicked

I tthe under-15 In nat national carnival on Chris Masten’s head, almost breaking my neck

Baseball

NEWS TRACKER

ndon London

uth South rica Africa

Adelaide midﬁelder Bernie Vince to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

14 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

Race against time for ‘spiritual leader’ MICH A EL LOV ET T

ime could be Max Rooke’s biggest enemy as he prepares to make a last-ditch bid to join Geelong’s finals campaign. Rooke has only this week’s round of VFL matches to get game-time under his belt, having not played since round five because of a persistent knee problem. The Cats’ VFL team is well out of finals contention and will play its final game this weekend. Rooke was due to return via the VFL last week but was ruled out the day before the game and now has a VFL match and the Cats’ round 22 clash against West Coast to be in contention for a finals spot. Coach Mark Thompson, who has described Rooke as the club’s “spiritual leader”, said recently: “Max has never, ever shirked a contest and he probably goes harder than anyone else. “In many ways it’s why (Jimmy) Bartel, (Joel) Selwood, (James) Kelly, Joel Corey and (Paul) Chapman, go as hard as they do because Max sets the bar so high in that regard.

VIEWS | NEWS | FIRST PERSON | FACTS | DATA | CULTURE “He deserves us to give him every possible chance after what he’s done for the club.” While Rooke is certainly in Geelong’s best line-up, it is hard to see him being ready for ﬁnals action in a fortnight. Last month, Rooke headed to the United States for treatment on his knee and was given different training strategies to assist his comeback. In 2007, he went to Germany for radical treatment on a hamstring injury. Rooke has been an important member of Geelong’s 2007 and 2009 premiership teams, with his early tackle on St Kilda’s Raphael Clarke setting up the ﬁrst goal of last year’s Grand Final.

JUST THINK CAMPAIGN

Cats stars helping to tackle street violence LI V FINL AYSON A ND JOHN RU LE

“

an you give me a blink?” Robyn Macready-Bryan asks her son James. “Liv and John are here. Can you say hello? Give me a blink.” James – better known to his friends as ‘MB’ – blinks, but it’s hard to know if he’s responding to his mum, or just blinking. We are in MB’s room at the newly built Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) facility in

the bounce STRONG MESSAGE:

James Kelly (left), David Wojcinski and Jimmy Bartel in the special warm-up tops the Cats will wear on Friday night. PHOTO: JOSH VAN CUYLENBURG

Alphington. The open space and smell of freshly cut timber is a stark contrast to each resident’s alternative housing option – a nursing home. Its construction signiﬁes new hope for residents and their families. Hope is also driving ‘Step Back Think’, an organisation against street violence that formed after MB’s assault in 2006. Step Back Think recently joined forces with ‘Just Think’, an anti-violence initiative driven by Geelong footballers Jimmy Bartel, David Wojcinski and James Kelly (and former captain Tom Harley). The anti-violence message will be spread at this Friday night’s Geelong-Carlton game, with Just Think aiming to raise awareness of the life-changing consequences of street violence. Before he was assaulted on his 20th birthday, MB was a cheeky character, a fearless footballer and

a hardcore Geelong fan. He began Auskick at five and played footy every season until the assault. Involvement in sport shapes the lives of young people, particularly young men. It provides structure, discipline and allows for the release of energy and aggression in a controlled environment. During the 2007 trial of MB’s attackers, the defendants’ lawyer told the court of one his client’s keen interest in football as a teenager. A broken leg in his early teens kept him off the field and, eventually, he slipped into a pattern of drug and alcohol abuse and violence. AFL players have the ability to reach and influence the key demographic of young men aged 15-28 who are highly susceptible to street violence. A Just Think campaign during the 2009 finals series saw AFL captains condemn

Before he was assaulted on his 20th birthday, MB was a cheeky character, a fearless footballer street violence and recent stories in the media have told of players walking away from violent confrontations. MB’s life, and his family and friends’ lives, have been fractured forever. But hope stems from the growing awareness of the futility of street violence and a change in attitude by AFL players. With the support of the AFL and players such as Bartel, Kelly and Wojcinski, we believe we can put an end to street violence. VISIT STEPBACKTHINK.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION. LIV FINLAYSON AND JOHN RULE ARE FOUNDERS AND DIRECTORS OF STEP BACK THINK.

&!4(%2 3 $!9 7ATCH 3PECIAL

4HE .%7 RANGE OF !&, 7ATCHES ARE lNALLY OUT 0RESENT THIS !D AT ANY !&, 3TORE BEFORE &ATHER S $AY AND GET OFF ANY WATCH PURCHASE AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 15

the bounce

PREMIERSHIP REUNION

MILESTONES ROUND 21

JUMPING FOR JOY: Ron Barassi is congratulated after guiding Carlton to a memorable comeback in the 1970 Grand Final.

300 games

A moment of fame that will live on forever It took just

Brent Harvey North Melbourne

250 games James McDonald Melbourne

HOWA R D KOT TON

one major move t was American by Barassi, to painter and filmmaker Andy replace Bert Warhol who said Thornley with everyone had their Hopkins, to turn 15 minutes of fame. Ted Hopkins, now the game an AFL Record columnist, had more than that, four turn the game in times more in fact, on a sunny Carlton’s favour. September day in 1970 – and his Thornley, who deeds live on 40 years later. travelled from Bundaberg, The story of the ’70 Grand Queensland, for the event, was Final has been recounted many not forgotten. Interviewed by times, and just what former 1987 Norm Smith medallist Carlton coach Ron Barassi said David Rhys-Jones, the former to his Blues at half-time as they East Fremantle player bore faced a 44-point deficit against no malice towards Barassi; he arch rival Collingwood has was just happy being part of a become football folklore. memorable premiership victory. Last week’s celebration of the Thornley had made little greatest comeback in Grand Final impact in the first half, collecting history did not shed any new light only two disposals. on what Barassi did say or do, but Wingman Phillip Pinnell it brought back great memories sat next to the rover inside the for the 700 guests at the luncheon rooms at half-time and thought at Etihad Stadium organised by he might be the player to make the Spirit of Carlton group. way for Hopkins. In the same week the AFL Only when he saw the released proposals to cap the blackboard did he know he number of interchange rotations, would play the second half while the irony of the moment was Thornley would sit on the bench. not lost on most at the luncheon As vision of the game was – that it took just one major shown on big screens in the move by Barassi, to replace Victory Room at Etihad Stadium, Bert Thornley with Hopkins, to memories came flooding back: of

200 games Jonathan Brown Brisbane Lions Josh Fraser Collingwood

100 games Alex Jesaulenko’s mark of the century over Graeme ‘Jerker’ Jenkin, ‘Jezza’s’ goal at the end of the match to seal victory, and Teddy’s four goals in the second half. It remains one of my greatest days, and I can still recall having sat an entry examination for one of Melbourne’s most prestigious schools, Scotch College, followed by a short train ride with my mother from Kooyong to Richmond station to take our seats behind the goals in the Southern Stand at the Punt Road end. Forty years on and the trio of former Magpies in attendance could afford to have a laugh with their old protagonists, but it was clear the pain was still there for Des Tuddenham, Peter McKenna and Ross ‘Twiggy’ Dunne. They were happy to share their memories, but they knew it had been a golden opportunity they had let slip.

Brad Fisher Carlton Marc Murphy Carlton Michael Johnson Fremantle Troy Chaplin Port Adelaide

50 games Lachlan Hansen North Melbourne Jay Nash Port Adelaide The list includes those not necessarily selected but on the verge of milestones. Jonathan Brown was featured last week but was a late withdrawal.

Barassi and Carlton’s skipper that day, John Nicholls, spoke with passion and they were followed by a panel consisting of three former Blues, Ian Robertson, John Goold and Hopkins, and the three former Magpies. The day ended as it did 40 years ago, with the Blues belting out their club song with gusto.

TOYOTA PITCHES IN FOR LOCAL CLUBS � Toyota is this weekend recognising the contribution of some of Australia’s most deserving volunteers. Toyota will donate $5000 for every goal kicked during the Essendon-Brisbane Lions match at Etihad Stadium, with $10,000 for every goal kicked by Toyota ambassador and Lions captain Jonathan Brown as part of the 2010 Toyota

NEWS TRACKER

‘Good for Footy’ program. The money raised will go back to grassroots football. “I am proud to be in my fourth year as an ambassador for the Toyota Good For Footy program because I really believe this program provides incredible, much-needed support for local footy clubs,” Brown said. “I remember what it was like playing local footy, and any

support the club received was gratefully accepted.” To also mark the importance of grassroots footy volunteers, more than 100 footy clubs from across Victoria have been invited by their local Toyota dealer to attend the game. This year, 130 local football clubs will beneﬁt from the Toyota Good for Footy program, with funding helping to improve

grounds, fund renovations of clubrooms and buy equipment, uniforms and medical supplies. Since 2005, Toyota’s Victorian, Tasmanian and southern New South Wales dealers have donated more than $1.4 million to the Toyota Good for Footy program and are committed to reaching a target of $2 million by the end of 2011.

Nathan Krakouer’s manager conﬁrms the Port Adelaide forward will leave the club at the end of the season.

16 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

the bounce

THRILL OF A LIFETIME

A kickstart for young indigenous hopefuls C A MERON NOA K ES

ormer footballers Michael Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin and Chris Johnson are giving 50 indigenous teenagers an experience that will change their lives immeasurably. It is also an experience that is changing the lives of the premiership players. When Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin spoke to the AFL Record, the teenagers, all under 16, were pouring on to a bus and were about to head to the Taronga Zoo before a tour of Sydney. It was a hectic morning. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin was on one bus, Johnson on the other, and the kids were excited. Not quite as excited as they were the day before when they met four-time Essendon premiership coach Kevin Sheedy (now coach of Team GWS) and Olympic gold medallist Cathy Freeman. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin explained how the kids were in a Qantas hangar at Sydney airport when Freeman surprised them by walking off

MEETING THE GREATS: Kevin Sheedy welcomes a group of 50 young indigenous players, who were later overjoyed by a surprise visit from former track star Cathy Freeman at the Qantas hangar in Sydney.

the back of an aeroplane, a $300 million Airbus A380, the largest passenger airliner in the world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Their jaws hit the ground. All the boys were on their phones, ringing back home, saying â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;we just had breakfast with Cathy Freemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;,â&#x20AC;? he says. On Thursday, the kids trained on the SCG before meeting Swans Adam Goodes, Lewis Jetta and Byron Sumner and this weekend they will play a curtain-raiser before the Sydney Swans-Western Bulldogs game. The teenagers are part of the annual Qantas AFL KickStart Camp and were selected from all corners of Australia. This is the ďŹ rst year the camp is in Sydney, at the National

Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern. The group will soon be trimmed to 25 and then taken overseas as a team: the Flying Boomerangs. As well as having football ability, the kids need to show a willingness to learn. And who better to learn from than Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin and Johnson? The pair were involved in six consecutive Grand Finals (Johnson from 2001-04, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin in 2005-06), seven Grand Finals overall, and played a combined 567 games. Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin is as excited as the kids he is mentoring. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To spend 15 years playing footy at the elite level and now weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

working for the AFL to deliver these programs to our next generation â&#x20AC;Ś weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pinching ourselves,â&#x20AC;? he says. AFL players who have come through the Qantas AFL KickStart program include Chris Yarran (Carlton), Michael Walters (Fremantle) and Steven Motlop (Geelong). Although most of these kids will not play at AFL level, Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Loughlin says they will all be taught invaluable lessons from high-achieving people to put them on a path to success. QANTAS IS THE MAJOR PARTNER OF THE AFLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INDIGENOUS PROGRAMS.

7KH EHVW LQ WKH EXVLQHVV %ULDQ 7D\ORU DQG 'HQQLV &RPHWWL ,WÂˇV QR ZRQGHU WKH\ÂˇUH 0HOERXUQHÂˇV IDYRXULWH IRRWEDOO EURDGFDVWLQJ FRPELQDWLRQ $V LQGLYLGXDOV WKH\ÂˇUH RXWVWDQGLQJ ,Q FRPELQDWLRQ VLPSO\ EUHDWKWDNLQJ $QG \RXÂˇOO KHDU WKHP ERWK RQ

Melbourneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own 3AW.

AFL RECORD visit aďŹ&#x201A;record.com.au 19

the bounce

PERFECTING SKILLS

Lloyd puts his hand up to test young stars C A L LU M T WOMEY

lthough his specialty as a player was his brilliant, long, left-foot kicking, champion Essendon goalkicker Matthew Lloyd has turned his attention to handballing, devising a handball test for this year’s NAB AFL Draft Combine. In his role as an assistant coach with the AFL-AIS Academy, Lloyd was approached by the AFL’s Jason McCartney (also the AIS-AFL high performance coach) and Kevin Sheehan (the League’s national talent manager) two months ago to piece together a test to introduce to the Draft Combine (formerly known as the Draft Camp) at the end of this season. Lloyd’s test will measure draft hopefuls’ ability to handball at stationary targets. Based on the principles of the Nathan Buckley-developed kicking test introduced at last year’s camp, Lloyd said the handball test would give clubs a strong indication as to whether players could execute the skill with proﬁciency. “They wanted to do something that focused on having clean hands and good execution by hand, so I did some brainstorming with Jason and then took it from there,” Lloyd said. “I took the ideas away and came back with this model, which tests players’ decisionmaking, how ‘clean’ their hands

20 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

are below their knees and at Matthew Lloyd’s ‘Clean Hands’ test chest height, and also their ability to hit a target under pressure.” STARTING POINT The test involves six players standing next to cones, three on the right and three on the left at short (6m), middle (8m) and long (12m) distances. A feeder rolls, handpasses or kicks the ball to the participant who is on the move, and then shouts which side and to which length he must handball i.e. “short right”. The player gathers the ball within three metres, has three metres to steady, then handballs and runs around an adjacent (THROWS BALLS) cone and back to the start, before a 15-second break 12m 12m It’s enough and a further for AFL clubs (KICKS BALLS) five handballs. “There’s no to be confident rocket science the players they involved draft can actually more,” Lloyd with it, but handball on said. Lloyd, who it’s enough GLOBAL GAME attended the for AFL clubs both hands MATTHEW LLOYD first draft camp in to be confident 1994, said he would the players like to see a goalkicking test they draft introduced, although it would can actually handball on both need to be based on a simple hands,” Lloyd said. “They’ll get a NICK TOW NSEND formula so that it could also be fair indication through this test.” reland has won the performed at lower levels. Lloyd, who played 270 games inaugural European “At the AIS-AFL Academy, and kicked 926 goals for the Championships in Australian I work with the sports science Bombers from 1995-2009, Football played in Denmark guys and they had a goalkicking said he rated Geelong star Joel and Sweden this month. test where the players had a Selwood and Brisbane Lions The Irish Warriors clinched facial mask that could track Brownlow medallist Simon the title after a tense Grand Final eye movement, focus and Black as the best handballers in against Denmark in Malmö, concentration,” he said. the competition. Sweden, winning 11.2 (68) to “It couldn’t be too Along with the kicking test the Danes’ 8.3 (51). introduced last year, the handball technology-based, though, The Irish were clear as it couldn’t be replicated test marks a clear move towards favourites from the start of the beyond the AFL testing.” balancing football-based testing tournament, but the Danes Lloyd put players from TAC with tests done to measure came out firing in the first Cup clubs Northern Knights players’ athleticism and fitness. and Oakleigh Chargers through quarter and outplayed their “The camp has been highly fancied opponents. the test when it was officially too much about fitness However, the Irish regrouped launched on Wednesday testing and not enough about in the second quarter and at Marcellin College in the skills of football, but now slowly got on top to claim Melbourne’s north-east. it’s starting to incorporate them

Ireland wins Euro title

CATS STREAK INTO THE RECORD BOOKS

BIG STAKES: Great Britain

and Sweden battled it out for third place at the recent European Championships.

the title as best Australian Football team in Europe. The Grand Final was the culmination of a week-long tournament that saw eight nations compete on full-size ovals, with teams comprised of locally developed players (no Australians). Sweden played Great Britain for third place. In a low-scoring, physical and tightly contested game, Sweden held out its opponent by 10 points to claim third place. Great Britain scored an early goal just after three-quarter time to reduce Sweden’s lead to four points, but the Elks kept their nerve and another goal in the ﬁnal minutes ensured they would claim bronze, much to the

delight of the home crowd. Croatia claimed ﬁfth spot after defeating Iceland in a high-scoring match and Germany ﬁnished seventh when it beat Finland. The tournament was a huge success, with the eight teams playing with passion, enthusiasm and the right spirit. Some of the developing nations also need to be commended for their refusal to give up or be disheartened. Healthy crowds of around 400-700 for each day of play also suggest the sport has potential to grow in the region. The Euro Cup, a nine-a-side tournament, will be held at the Parabiago Rugby Centre near Milan in Italy, in October.

� Although reports of Geelong’s demise were looking a fraction premature early in last week’s clash against the Western Bulldogs, the Cats did have commentators and statisticians reaching for their record books as they went on an unanswered 14-goal streak. The Cats’ burst from the middle of the opening quarter to early in the third term rates with some of the best goal streaks in the history of the game. According to research by AFL statistics and history consultant Col Hutchinson, it ranks in the top 20 goal streaks. “The problem with some of the early reporting of games was that we can only go off scores at the quarter, half and three-quarter time breaks because newspapers didn’t really keep records of sides scoring consecutive goals,” Hutchinson said. The two biggest known goal streaks are 23, and the Cats own one of those records. Geelong kicked 23.24 (162) to St Kilda’s 0.1 (1) in 1899 – amazingly, the Saints’ solitary behind was the first scoring shot of the match. St Kilda’s final score remains the lowest in League history. Just three weeks before that game, Geelong had inflicted more pain on the

Saints, kicking 16.23 (119) to St Kilda’s 0.2 (2), with Cats forward Eddy James scoring ﬁve goals from 21 attempts. The Saints were on the receiving end again in 1919 when South Melbourne piled on 29.15 (189) to 2.6 (18), with the Swans kicking the last 23 goals of the match. In more recent times, the Brisbane Bears kicked 19 unanswered goals against the Sydney Swans in round eight, 1993, at the Gabba. MICHAEL LOVETT

Goals

Team

Opponent Rd

Year

Geel

St K

17 1899

Sth Melb

St K

12 1919

Bris

Syd

1993

Rich

N Melb

1931

Carl

St K

19 1979

Geel

St K

14 1899

N Melb

P Adel

8 2004

Geel

N Melb

Geel

Melb

12 1998

Coll

Univer

16 1911

Fitz

NMelb

Carl

St K

19 1976

Adel

Fitz

17 1996

Rich

Haw

N Melb

Carl

22 2003

Colld

Carl

Geel

20 2010

1930

1947

2003

2005

,7¶6 )227< :,7+287 7+( 58/(6 For a no holds barred view on everything footy, join Gerard Healy and Dwayne Russell, 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday. Sports Today - only on 3AW 693.

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 21

the bounce

COMMUNITY TRIBUTE

Magpies, Crows to honour CFA volunteers

ollingwood and Adelaide are this weekend playing for the inaugural Westpac Community Cup. Each year, the Westpac Community Cup will be dedicated to a speciﬁc community organisation or cause. This year, Westpac and Collingwood are paying tribute to Victoria’s Country Fire Authority and its 60,000 members as they prepare for the coming ﬁre season. Magpie players will wear the CFA logo on their guernseys, which will be signed after the match and auctioned online via the Collingwood website to raise funds in support of the CFA. Before the start of the match, the captain of the Kinglake

RECOGNITION: Collingwood

stars Scott Pendlebury (left) and Dale Thomas with Werribee CFA volunteers Andrew Carboon (left), Dominique Sicura (kneeling) and Lino Zulian.

ﬁre brigade, Craig Lawless, will toss the coin and 100 CFA members will be honoured on the ground. “It’s great that Collingwood, Adelaide and Westpac have come together to recognise the efforts of everyone involved in the CFA,” Collingwood midﬁelder Scott Pendlebury said. “Being from country Victoria (Gippsland, in the state’s east) I know how highly regarded and important the CFA is,

so to be part of the Westpac Community Cup is something to be proud of,” he said. “We are proud to recognise the CFA and its many members whose extraordinary work and dedication protect communities throughout Victoria,” Westpac state general manager Mark Paton said. Westpac also sponsors a fixed-wing aircraft equipped with new fire surveillance technology to patrol bushfireprone areas in Victoria.

Trained, skilled & dedicated Collingwood Football Club and Westpac, proud to support our CFA members.

Westpac Community Cup

Collingwood v Adelaide Crows – MCG, August 21

22 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

The CFA is one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world. The staff and members are trained, skilled and dedicated emergency services personnel who work tirelessly throughout the year. “Many of our members are volunteers who give their time because they want to help the community. These volunteers are trained to national professional standards and perform at the highest levels of incident management,” CFA CEO Mick Bourke said. “Across Victoria, the CFA assists the community in so many ways through education, preparation and response activities and it is great to see our members honoured at the game.” Collingwood and Westpac are also supporting the ‘Firestar Rose’ promotion. The Firestar Rose, the official rose of the CFA, is a variety from Knights Roses and has won international acclaim. The roses are available through firestarrose.com.au. To find out more about becoming a volunteer with the CFA, visit cfa.vic.org.au.

THE ENERGY DRINK FOR YOUR FEET.

FEEL THE SHOE WITH THE ENERGY BOOST. ITS UNIQUE SOLE PROPELS YOU FORWARD, WHILE REDUCING WEAR AND TEAR BY UP TO 20 % ON KEY LEG MUSCLES.

reebok.com/zigtech

¬zig

WIN your way to the 2010 Toyota AFL Grand Final with

SWYPE is the new way to type. Type an email or text faster by swiping your finger from letter to letter. Visit one of the Samsung “Ultimate In Box” sites to test your SWYPE skills and WIN. Go to samsung.com/au/essendon for locations and terms & conditions. GFEFC 10/104

The quiet achiever JAMES McDONALD

There has been little fuss or fanfare as James McDonald approaches his 250th game this weekend. And that’s just the way the no-nonsense Demons skipper likes it. C A L LU M T WOMEY

his weekend, as he leads the McDonald played 22 games in 1998 Demons on to AAMI Stadium and effectively entrenched himself in to face Port Adelaide, James the Melbourne midfield. McDonald will play his 250th Described by Neitz as an “unassuming” game, becoming only the character, McDonald isn’t flashy. He seventh Melbourne player doesn’t kick a lot of goals. Nor does he to reach the milestone. take many big marks. But McDonald, As he runs through a banner likely now 33, has always been known for recognising the achievement, it’s unlikely the his effort and commitment. expression on McDonald’s face will change. He tackles (in 2006 he had a Nor will his attitude or appetite for the competition-leading 143), he puts contests that will follow. on pressure, he stops opposition In fact, if it weren’t for the banner (and ball-winners and he is as courageous various articles celebrating his achievement), as players come. you probably wouldn’t have even known the Add to that his leadership skills, former rookie-turned-captain was reaching a especially in one of Melbourne’s bleakest number of such significance. periods, and McDonald is much more than McDonald has played 14 seasons of what meets the eye. no-nonsense football, doing things quietly “He’s not overly gifted in terms of pace or but effectively for the red and the blue. silky skills, but to make it at the top level, you Not that it has been an easy road. really have to use your attributes to your McDonald was picked as a rookie advantage and he’s definitely done at the end of 1996 having that,” said Neitz, who played 306 played with Old Xaverians games and kicked 631 goals for He’s really in the Victorian Amateur the Demons from 1993-2008. worked hard Football Association. “He’s really worked hard When he arrived at the to become a great player to become a club, his older brother and champion of the club.” great player and Anthony was already in It took McDonald the best champion of the senior side. Most at part of a decade for broader the club knew James only recognition. In 2006, he the club DAVID NEITZ as Anthony’s little brother, collected 555 disposals for the who was there just having season (averaging 23 a game) a run around. and was named in the Soon enough, it became apparent that All-Australian team. He also won his first James (or ‘Junior’, as he became known) club best and fairest (a feat he repeated in wasn’t there to make up the numbers. He 2007), and played in the International Series had come from the family farm in Ballarat in against Ireland. Victoria’s west to have a crack at the big time To add further weight to a career outside and wasn’t going to die wondering. of the limelight, McDonald was appointed David Neitz, his teammate at the time and Demons captain at the start of 2009, a role whom McDonald would go on to succeed as Neitz said he had grown into. Melbourne skipper, remembers McDonald “He had to be coaxed to really take on the as being determined to establish himself in role of the leader, because he was a leader the senior side. within the team long before it was officially “Early days when he was at the club, acknowledged,” he said. he wasn’t quite getting the game-time he According to Neitz, the beauty of wanted, but he had chronic fatigue syndrome McDonald’s career is that it is marked by so he spent a lot of time in and out of the consistency, not standout games. It’s why, place which probably made it pretty difficult in a week when the likes of Ben Cousins for him,” Neitz said this week. and Jason Akermanis have dominated Soon enough, McDonald’s self-belief headlines, it shouldn’t surprise that started winning people over, with coach McDonald’s achievement has Neale Daniher becoming one of his escaped the attention it deserves. biggest supporters. It’s been his way. AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au 57

LEADERS: Coach Paul Roos (left) and co-captain Brett Kirk have been instrumental in making the Sydney Swans one of the most respected and successful clubs in the AFL. PHOTO: MICHAEL WILLSON/AFL PHOTOS

58 AFL RECORD visit aďŹ&#x201A;record.com.au

PASSING ON THE

BLOODS’

PAUL ROOS AND BRETT KIRK

ETHOS Coach Paul Roos and co-captain Brett Kirk, the heart and soul of the Sydney Swans in one of the club’s most successful eras, reﬂect on great times and also look ahead. J IM M A IN

rett Kirk, footballer and philosopher, used a Buddhist belief in regeneration to describe the impending end of two glittering Sydney Swan careers. Kirk and coach Paul Roos are retiring at the end of the season and this weekend will say their farewells to home fans in the Swans’ SCG match against the Western Bulldogs, their last home and away match in Sydney. However, Kirk insisted the retirements represent a mere transition. “I am a realist and know that I am just passing through the club,” he said. “And the same goes for Paul. Nothing lasts forever and everyone has to make way for someone else sooner or later. “I am just grateful I have been able to be involved in something about which I care very deeply. I am passionate about football and my career with the Swans has exceeded all my expectations.” Kirk has always loved football and even barracked for the Swans as a youngster, mainly because his father played for the Burrumbuttock Swans. “I was always hanging around my father’s club, either kicking end-to-end, climbing

trees around the ground or just smelling the liniment. I just loved it. Still do,” he said. Kirk’s playing career largely coincided with Roos’ coaching tenure in what has been the most successful Swan era for more than 70 years. Roos is 47. He started with the Swans as a player in 1995 after 269 games with Fitzroy from 1982-94. He played 87 games with Sydney, retiring at the end of 1998. The 33-year-old Kirk is a veteran of 237 games. He started with the Swans in 1999 after twice being rejected and never played alongside Roos. Yet he and Roos have represented the Swans’ heart and soul from the time Roos was appointed coach to replace Rodney Eade with 10 rounds to play in 2002. And although they are seen as the twin pillars on which the Swans based their 2005 premiership success, both insist much of the credit belongs to former club captain Stuart Maxﬁeld. Kirk explained how he was with the rest of the playing group at a pre-season camp in 2003 when Maxﬁeld outlined plans to change the club’s playing and leadership culture, now usually referred to as ‘The Spirit of the Bloods’, in honour

of the club’s nickname when, as South Melbourne, it won the 1933 premiership. “I was fairly new to the club and felt deeply honoured to be part of the leadership group and everyone admired ‘Stuey’ because of his work ethic, honesty and dedication,” Kirk said. “I was quite young at the time but, even then, I felt I was part of the ownership of a new and developing club culture. “I take pride even now when people praise us for a win through adhering to the Bloods’ ethos.” Roos echoed Kirk’s praise of Maxfield and said: “Stuey was captain in my first full season as coach (in 2003) and I could not have wished for a better leader as he was a tremendous role model and much of which we built was down to him.” It has been well documented that Roos won the Swans’ coaching position in his own right when players and fans gave him the thumbs up at the end of 2002, when the board was about to hand the position to another candidate. Yet Roos was almost a reluctant coach. He said he never dreamed of coaching when he joined the Swans and, AFL RECORD visit aflrecord.com.au 59

PAUL ROOS AND BRETT KIRK

MEMORIES: Paul P lR Roos and dB Brett Ki Kirk k will be involved in their ﬁnal home game at the SCG this week and no doubt fans will be thanking them for the drought-breaking premiership in 2005 (middle).

instead, thought he would return to Melbourne after a holiday at the end of his playing days. “I never saw myself as a long-term Sydney resident,” he admitted. “On retirement, I thought I’d take the family overseas for 12 months or so and then see what came up. There was no plan to go into coaching.” Roos, who had had discreet nibbles from the Bulldogs and North Melbourne about his future, formulated a three-year plan for the Swans, presented it to the board and rolled up his sleeves. That three-year plan went precisely to script, with the Swans winning the 2005 ﬂag in Roos’ third full season as coach. And he will retire at season’s end as a ﬁnals coach in all but one (2009) of his eight completed seasons. A Swans era comes to a close at the end of the season, but Roos and Kirk will always be exclusive members of a mutual admiration society. Here’s what they had to say about each other, the future and what’s next for the Swans. KIRK ON ROOS

“Paul over his term as coach has been the main driver of the club’s desire for success. He has done a tremendous job, even though most people see him as a little unorthodox. He is seen as the quiet man of football, someone who gets things done methodically without resorting to theatrics or blowing a top. Of course, he has been known to ‘go off’ but they are rare occasions and we would have deserved it for not sticking to team rules or not adhering to what we promised to do. But he is authentic in everything 60 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

h does he d and d stands d up for what he believes in, especially when he is defending the club or the players. He has been under pressure like any coach, and it is not difﬁcult to understand the frustrations of a coach, but I believe Paul has been successful because of his honesty, integrity and balance in life. Football obviously is important to him, but his family means even more and, in a way, the players and the club represent his extended family. He’s also very good at instilling conﬁdence and making every player walk that little taller. I know he makes me grow as a person.” ROOS ON KIRK

“It is difﬁcult to quantify Brett’s importance to the club without going into over-drive. It goes without saying he is a great role model and that the young players look up to him, but there is more to it than that. Younger players look at him and might say to themselves that I am taller, faster and stronger than him, so why is he such a great player? They then look to the way he drives himself and his teammates and realise that there are much more important things than physical attributes. Very few players have been able to get as much out of themselves as Brett and his work ethic carries on from the training track to match-day, week in and week out. He is an absolute inspiration in everything he does and everyone at the club knows that players of his type do not come along very often. But, saying this, we once thought this about Stuart Maxﬁeld and, before him, Paul Kelly and Dennis Carroll. Clubs always miss unique players and it will take someone

very special to ﬁll Brett’s boots, but hopefully it won’t be too long before someone bobs up, especially as the Bloods’ ethos is as strong as ever thanks to Brett passing it on to the younger group.” ROOS ON HIS FUTURE

“I’m not sure. I have always said I am not a ‘life’ coach. I also have said that, if I am not coaching the Swans, I won’t be coaching anyone. I will formalise some plans over the next month. I hope to have some involvement with the club in the future and, of course, I want to spend more time with my family. There also is the new academy starting in New South Wales and I could be involved in that, and possibly do some media work.” (The Swans this week conﬁrmed Roos would take the role as head coach of the Sydney Swans Academy, working with talented junior athletes as young as nine.) WHAT’S NEXT FOR KIRK

“I’m not too sure what I’ll do. I am so passionate about ltt football that it is difficult to see me not having some involvement and itt p would be difficult to step away from the football environment. I certainly shall be spending more time with my family, but I am always learning about the game and I want to learn even more. Some form of coaching would appeal, and I would like to have some w wans, involvement with the Swans, ook too but I find it difficult to look far into the future.”

ROOS ON A NEW SWANS ERA

“John Longmire will be a very, very good Swans coach. He has been a tremendous assistant coach and deserves a lot of credit for the development of an exciting young group pushing through. I have every conﬁdence he will succeed as the club’s work ethic is as strong as ever and the club again is in a position to push higher. With youngsters including Dan Hannebery, Lewis Jetta, Gary Rohan and others, the Swans are well poised for success under John.” KIRK’S TAKE ON HIS CLUB’S FUTURE

“The situation with the Swans reminds me of Paul’s ﬁrst season as coach when he had a ﬁne blend of youth and experience and, although most critics expected the club to be in the bottom four this year, we have surprised everyone even though we have had a horror run of injuries, losing blokes i l di Craig including i Bolton, l Mark Seaby and Daniel Bradshaw for most of the season. Yes, the future looks good.” GRAND WARRIOR: WARRIOR R:

Brett Kirk ha has as worked his way wa ay to the top afte er after being twice twicce earlly rejected early in his career careeer by the Swan s. Swans.

TISSOT PRC 200 LIMITED EDITION 2010 The watch for all occasions with an automatic movement, scratchproof sapphire crystal, water resistance up to 200m/600ft and a 316L stainless steel bracelet, AFL engraved caseback

IN TOUCH WITH YOUR TIME

OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER

Available exclusively at

BRENT HARVEY

Brent Harvey has just about achieved it all in a decorated 15-season career with North Melbourne. But the brilliant small man known as ‘Boomer’, who becomes just the fourth Kangaroo to play 300 games this weekend, hopes there is still a chapter or two to be written, including another ﬁnals tilt this season.

NICK BOW EN

62 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

rent Harvey was taken aback by the large turnout at the press conference ahead of his 300th game this week. “Geez, I thought there’d be two or three people,” Harvey said, as he walked into a conference room at North Melbourne’s upgraded Arden Street headquarters. Awaiting him instead was a room ﬁlled with reporters, cameramen and photographers, while a string of North ofﬁcials, including coach Brad Scott, CEO Eugene Arocca and chief of football Donald McDonald, soon joined them. Despite Harvey’s surprise, it was the type of reception you’d expect for someone of his standing at North and in the AFL. This Sunday, against West Coast at Subiaco Oval, the Kangaroos skipper will become just the fourth North Melbourne player to reach 300 games. In doing so, he will join club greats Glenn Archer (311 games) and Wayne Schimmelbusch and Adam Simpson (both 306). Injury aside, Harvey will comfortably pass the tallies of all three next year. More remarkably, though, his playing record has already surpassed each one of this highly decorated trio. Harvey shares the record for the most North best and fairest awards (four) with club greats Noel Teasdale, David Dench and Wayne Carey. And the only Kangaroo to better Harvey’s four All-Australian selections is Carey,

who was selected seven times (R (Ross Glendinning was also selected fo four times while at North, and a fifth time when he moved to West Coast). The speedy midfielder/forward is also a premiership player (1999) and won the E.J. Whitten Medal as Victoria’s best player in its most recent State of Origin game against South Australia (also in 1999) and the Jim Stynes Medal as Australia’s best player in the 2003 International Rules Series. Roos vice-captain Drew Petrie told the AFL Record last week Harvey had been in the “top couple” of players at North in his time at the club. “He was getting into his fifth or sixth year when I started (in 2001) and he was one of North’s best then and he’s stayed there,” Petrie said. “He’s been able to keep his pace, which has been really important to him, and he’s certainly developed into a great leader too.” But at Monday’s conference, Harvey, like nearly all players today, downplayed the significance of his impending milestone. It was more important, he said, for the Roos to beat the Eagles and hopefully stay in the finals race (North also needs Fremantle to beat Hawthorn on Saturday to keep its finals hopes alive). Dressed in a club hoodie and tracksuit pants, Harvey admitted the fact about 40 of his family and friends were making the journey to Perth to watch him become the 63rd League player to reach the 300-game club would mean a lot to him.

I’m absolutely loving my footy at the minute. I reckon this is probably the most excited I’ve ever been

AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 63

BRENT HARVEY Harvey also took time to reflect on his journey to the milestone. He spoke of the black eye he suffered as a young boy at his first night of football training with Preston RSL Youth Football Club – “I said to mum I wasn’t going back again.” But he did go back, and his life soon revolved around football. His school life was soon punctuated by it – he played at recess, lunchtime and after the final bell – and on the weekends he loved watching his father, Neil, play for Brunswick in the VFA. His dad’s ritual of a shower followed by a shave on the morning of his matches stuck with Harvey and, to this day, me pre-match he follows the same routine himself. POCKET DYNAMO:

He is only small in stature, but Brent Harvey is a giant among the Roos’ all-time greats.

Harvey also recalled the modest start to his AFL career. After being selected with pick No. 47 in the 1995 draft, Harvey made his debut in round 22 of 1996, and was given 15 minutes’ game time, in which he had one handball. “That was riveting,” he said, jokingly. In fairness, that North side was so strong it went on to win that year’s premiership. Asked about a “welldocumented” big-money offer from Carlton several years ago, Harvey said, with a laugh, that had only become public knowledge because of comments by his partner, Shayne McClintock, in the previous day’s edition of a newsp per. newspaper. More seriously, he admitted he had received a “few offers” from rival clubs during his career but said he had never seriously b entertained any of them.

Of the Carlton offer, he said: “I was driving in the car and I just rang my manager and said, ‘Don’t worry about it’. I didn’t want to know what sort of money it was, how long it was, because I couldn’t see myself leaving the North Melbourne footy club.” A remarkably consistent performer, Harvey said he endured a significant form slump four or five seasons ago, when he struggled to cope with close-checking taggers. But he said advice from senior teammates, support from his side and lifting his work rate had helped him emerge from this low point. Harvey also gave an insight into his strong competitive streak, saying iit was “always good” when an opponent beat him because it made him focus on their next cclash and trying to reverse that re revers result. Harrvey said save for a Harvey disloca ated elbo dislocated elbow that sidelined him fo or seven matches last year for – his fi first No skipper – rst as North he had d been la largely injury-free in his career. c me Thiss has meant he is set to reach 300 games gam in the ninth quicke est time in League history, quickest 13 years y an and 354 days. He wil ll also become b will the 14th yo oungest player to do so, at youngest 32 2 years and 100 days. Harve Harvey said teammate Matt Ca M Campbell had also been co b constantly reminding him th that, at 172cm, he would also become the shorte shortest player to reach tthe mil milestone. But he po ointed out Campbell was pointed sho orter th shorter than him, at 170cm, and ssaid, aid, jo jokingly, he hoped Campb bell m Campbell made it to 300 games and cla aimed the record himself. claimed It was w cle clear from listening to Har rvey th Harvey that his focus is not on thee past, rather the present and th he futu the future. Ask ed how ho long he could Asked play on n for, he said, in jest: “Ten yyears, I hope.” Mor re seri More seriously, he added: “I’ve ac ctual got no idea. I’m actually absolu utely loving l absolutely my footy at the minute e. I reckon re minute. this is probably the mo ost ex most excited I’ve ever been. “You u look around, we’ve got the new w fac facility (at Arden Street), a fanta astic new coach, great fantastic coachi ing st coaching staff and a bunch of young gsters who want to learn.” youngsters

FACT FILE

Brent Harvey

Born: May 14, 1978 Recruited from: Preston RSL/Northern U18 Debut: Round 22, 1996 v Richmond Height: 172cm Weight: 75kg Games: 299 Goals: 341 Player honours: 2nd Brownlow Medal 2007 (equal); best and fairest 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008; premiership side 1999; All-Australian 2000, 2005, 2007, 2008; International Rules 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008 (captain); Jim Stynes Medal 2003; E.J. Whitten Medal 1999; captain since 2009. Brownlow Medal: career votes 134

Working closely with the club’s young players has been an aspect of captaincy Harvey has embraced. His extended time on the sidelines last season gave him the opportunity to work closely with the Roos’ next generation of players, something he enjoyed. Petrie said he could see Harvey pursuing a career as a development coach when he retired. “When he hurt his elbow last year, he did a lot of work with our young midfielders and young forwards,” Petrie said. “He watched their video tapes with them, gave them advice before games on how he’s beaten their opponents in the past. He’s got a really good footy brain and I can see him being really successful in player development.” This season, Harvey has continued to work closely with his young teammates. It has been well-publicised he helped defender-turned-forward Lachlan Hansen establish a reliable goalkicking routine, while week in week out, he has encouraged and instructed his young teammates during games. After Monday’s press conference, Harvey spoke with the AFL Record about how he continually had to balance his fierce competitiveness on the field and his role as a teacher.

BRENT HARVEY “I can blast people at times out on the ﬁeld because I really want to win,” he said. “So I have to try to make sure I try to get back to them when I can and tell them what I was on about and what they should have done. “It’s no good for anyone, especially young players who are only trying to learn, if I’m just giving sprays all the time without being constructive.” While Harvey hoped to continue helping fast-track the development of North’s youngsters, he said they had helped keep him young. “I don’t feel old being around all of these kids. I certainly don’t feel 32, I feel more like 28. Then again, I’m fairly immature, which probably helps me relate to them better,” he said, with a laugh. Harvey is also happy to be the butt of his teammates’ jokes, enduring regular taunts that his favourite hobby is going home to count his money. “They think I’m a bit of a tight wad,” he said. “I think this stems from the fact I’ve got a couple of investment properties. I just tell them I’m careful with my money. “But when you’re in a footy club, you’d start to worry if you weren’t copping a bit of grief, then you’d know you really were in trouble.” Sitting and twirling a yellow Sherrin in his hands, Harvey spoke about last week’s loss to St Kilda and why he called his teammates into a huddle before they left the ground. “I said to the boys that the loss should hurt,, but to keep p their

FOCUSED: Brent Harvey (centre)

listens intently as coach Brad Scott addresses his players.

heads up because we’ve got two games to go and can still make the finals,” he said. “I thought, apart from the second quarter when St Kilda kicked seven goals to one, our effort was there and we shouldn’t forget that. “We also lost to a pretty strong team, one that’s going to give the Grand Final a big shake again this year.” As strong as the Saints have been in the past two seasons, Harvey was once part of an even stronger squad, the powerhouse North Melbourne side of the late 1990s. From 1997-2000, Harvey and the Roos played in 11 finals and won seven of them. But in the six finals Harvey has played since, he has enjoyed just one win – the 2007 first semi-final a against Hawthorn – while the five lo losses in that time have been by a an average of 70.6 points.

I don’t feel old being around all of these kids. I certainly don’t feel 32, I feel more like 28 BRENT HARVEY

While proud of the 2007 team’s effort to make a preliminary final, Harvey said the Roos were determined to re-emerge as a side that could regularly win finals. “Finals are what you play footy for. It’s what you work towards from the start of the pre-season every year, so you take every chance you can get to play in them,” he said. “But we don’t want to make the finals and be brushed aside by the top sides like we’ve been in the past. We’ve got to get to

the stage where we can match those sides and beat them.” Harvey is conﬁdent recent off-ﬁeld advances by the Roos will help them do this sooner rather than later. “I think in the past we thought we were being professional with our preparation when we probably weren’t. But with Brad (Scott) coming in and the new facilities, we’ve been able to get that right,” he said. “Also, we’ve now got three development coaches, which is where a club like Collingwood has probably had the edge over most teams recently, but I think the team we’ve got now is as good as any. “It just gives our young guys the best possible chance to make the most of their talent. And we’ll see the results of that in the next few years.” Harvey sees enough talent in North’s ranks to be excited. He points to the fact North has blooded seven debutants this year – 2009 draftees Ryan Bastinac, Ben Cunnington and Jamie Macmillan, along with key position prospects Robbie Tarrant and Nathan O’Keefe, and rookies Ben Speight and Marcus White. He is also encouraged by the impressive development of former rookies Leigh Adams, Cruize Garlett and Nathan Grima. “In the next couple of years we can achieve something pretty special, I really believe that,” Harvey said. “And I also think it will happen quickly enough that I can still be part of it.”

LOYAL, PROUD PRO AND DILIGENT P Drew Petrie (left) is Brent Dre Harvey’s closest teammate Har at N North Melbourne. Here Petrie tells what Harvey is Petr like away from match-day. � “’B ““’Boomer’ “’ B is a really loyal person. pers p pe per errs You’d have to do something ers pretty prett p pr pre ret ett tt bad by him to lose his trust. A a captain, as a person, he’s As very ve vver ery ryy inclusive of everybody. At the footy ffo oo ooty oo oty tty club, he doesn’t think he’s the tth hee k king and doesn’t discriminate between betw b be bet etw tw w a ﬁrst-year player and someone some so ssom om me he’s played with for 10 year ye yyea ear arr He’s always been that way. years. Being B Be e a dad is also a huge part off who wh Boomer is. He’s been talking w 66 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

about his kids (Cooper, six, and Lacie, four) ever since he’s had them. He always rings them after dinner when we’re on interstate trips to say goodnight to them. They’re at the top of the tree for him. He’s a really proud dad. Boomer lives in the northern suburbs and when he can avoid coming into the city he does. He’s always doing something around his house. One of the more extravagant things he did was buy a golf buggy to wheel his bins down his driveway; he says the driveway’s too long to do it himself. Obviously, Boomer has copped a bit of stick over the years

about being short and he does get narky about it every now and then. That’s what makes the boys keep on doing it – they know they can get under his skin. But to be the little fella he is and to get through 15 years of footy, you have to do a lot right and he’s been really professional and really determined. He’s always built his body up by working hard in the gym, which has meant that he hasn’t been battered around on the ﬁeld. Pound for pound, he’s always been one of the strongest players at the club. It’s part of the reason he’s been so good for so long.”

WE WILL PRINT YOUR NAME ON YOUR TEAM’S

2010 AFL Personalised Banner Print

From only $59.95

2010 AFL PERSONALISED BANNER PRINTS Here’s your chance to become a SPORTING LEGEND by owning your own 2010 AFL Personalised Banner print. Order yours now and we will print Your Full Name, Message, Surname & Number appearing on the banner with the 2010 team about to burst through. Surrounded by images of the squad, you too can now be an AFL LEGEND in the 2010 team.

Your Surname goes here Your Number goes here Your Full Name goes here Your Message goes here MESSAGE SELECTION (Team name will appear where the word Team is stated):

Given Gi ive ven n as a g gift iftt just if just iimagine magi gine ine tthe he llook he ook oo k on ttheir heir hei ir fface acee wh ac when hen tthey hey se hey seee th their hei eir ir na name me oon n th their hei eir ir favourite team’s banner with the team about to burst through - it doesn’t get much better than this!!! Each print includes images of the 2010 squad making you the The Legend in the 2010 team. UNFRAMED only $59.95* or FRAMED $99.95* (Size 460mmx635mm). Ideal as keepsake, unforgettable gift for birthdays, supporters,Christmas etc. FATHER’S DAY IS SEPTEMBER 5TH – PLACE YOUR ORDERS NOW. i our entire range of SPORTING LEGEND Personalised Prints including the h AFL To view Personalised Locker Room and MCG Stadium Prints, go to www.iLOVEsport.com.au

GEELONG

1 The 2010 Team regard you as their greatest supporter 2 2010 Team Supporter of the Year 3 Happy Father’s Day from the 2010 Team 4 One day you will play for this mighty Team 5 You are a vital member of the 2010 Team 6 Happy Birthday from the 2010 Team 7 Merry Christmas from the 2010 Team 8 A True Legend lasts forever 9 Your own message up to 65 characters

CREATE YOUR OWN PRINT ONLINE NOW at www.iLOVEsport.com.au and see how it looks before you buy – it’s a lot of fun!!

CARLTON

COLLINGWOOD

ADELAIDE

WEST COAST EAGLES

ESSENDON

FREMANTLE

HAWTHORN

NORTH MELBOURNE

BRISBANE LIONS

MELBOURNE

ST KILDA

RICHMOND

PORT ADELAIDE

SYDNEY SWANS

JOHNKEEN.COM.AU ILS 10109

WESTERN BULLDOGS

3 EASY WAYS TO ORDER: Online at www.iLOVEsport.com.au Telephone & catalogue request 07 5564 0033 (Mon – Fri 9am to 5pm)

* Plus freight

Moments of the

2000-09

Judd the saviour as Blues pull oﬀ coup West Coast champion Chris Judd’s decision to return home to Victoria for the 2008 season sparked a frenzy among clubs bidding for his services, but it was Carlton that won the race for his signature. ASHLEY BROW NE

ith another best-onground performance for the Blues against Richmond last Saturday, Chris Judd moved a step closer to his third John Nicholls Medal. Judd would become the ﬁrst player since Nicholls himself in 1967 to win Carlton’s best and fairest award in three straight years, which would surely elevate him into the pantheon of champions at a club whose song tells everyone it has had a few. Judd left West Coast and lu ues when they were joined the Blues seemingly att their lowest ebb. ju ust claimed They had just ooden spoon their third wo wooden nss. in six seasons. ga an – a dual Denis Pagan c premiership coach at ou urne – North Melbourne arrlton never got Carlton

STANDOUT:

By his second 3,, season in 2003, Chris Judd wass an a ar established star s s. with the Eagles.

anywhere near the ﬁnals in his four-and-a-half seasons in charge although, in his defence, the AFL-imposed salary cap penalties he inherited when he arrived at the club made it almost impossible to embark on any sort of meaningful rebuild. With six games to go in 2007, assistant coach and former skipper Brett Ratten was named as stand-in coach, and despite closing out the season without a win, he was swiftly given the job on a permanent basis at the end of the season. And within a few weeks, he pr could start preparing n for the new wi the w season with rre player regarded be in b as the best com mp the competition as part of his arsena al. arsenal. Ju ud was Judd seele selected wit the w with tth pick third at the s stars studded 2 2001 draft. Luke Hodge was p picked r (by ﬁrst Haw H Hawthorn), aheea of ahead Luk ke Ball (St Luke Killda with Kilda), con nc concerns oveer Judd’s over shou uld shoulders d to have believed caused his ‘slide’ to No. 3. de d Judd made his debut 02 and in round two of 200 2002 H was an instant star. He

represented Australia in the make any major foray into the International Rules Series at local property market with the the end of his first season and type of purchase that suggested by the end of his third, was the he was in Perth for the long haul. Brownlow medallist. So it came as little surprise He won the Norm Smith that just two days after a Medal as best on ground in West wretched (by his standards) Coast’s 2005 Grand Final loss 2007 campaign in which Judd to the Sydney Swans and was missed several games because captain the following year, as of a groin injury – including the the Eagles beat the Swans to win semi-final loss to Collingwood their third flag. – that he announced he was Judd was the biggest sports returning to Victoria. star in Western Australia. He It was a credit to Judd, his and his partner Rebecca Twigley management and West Coast, (a weekend weather presenter that there was none of the on Channel Seven) were Perth’s ‘Will he or won’t he?’ circus biggest celebrity couple. surrounding Gary Ablett, who is But there was an elephant in the final year of his contract in the room. Judd was a with Geelong. But once Melbourne boy. Judd announced his He started his intentions, it became As Judd footy at leading a story almost as junior club East big in Victoria as explained it, Sandringham, that year’s finals he loved playing where there series. for the Eagles, is no more As Judd prominent explained it, he but they weren’t name on the loved playing for based in club’s honour the Eagles, but Victoria board. He then they weren’t based went to Caulfield in Victoria and that’s Grammar and, where he wanted to towards the end of high school, finish his career. split playing duties between his It also quickly emerged that school team and the TAC Cup’s in his new contract negotiation, Sandringham Dragons. the tables would be turned. It Judd re-signed with West wasn’t Judd pitching his services Coast when his first contract to the clubs; it was the other way expired, but never appeared in a around, with the clubs making hurry in 2006 to commit to the their presentations to Judd. Eagles again. Every club was keen, After he signed, some West although salary cap restrictions Coast teammates confessed they precluded several from making had concerns when Judd did not realistic offers.

T H E A F T E R M AT H

ON THE MOVE: Chris Judd (far left) shows his old team a clean pair of heels in round 10 this year at Etihad Stadium; (middle) a packed media conference in Perth in 2007 hears that Judd will be leaving West Coast; (right) celebrating the Eagles’ 2006 premiership with Ben Cousins.

Before long, there were four serious suitors: Collingwood, Melbourne, Essendon and Carlton. The Demons, who Judd followed before he was drafted, were a surprise, and from all reports, made an impressive presentation. Collingwood was also a serious suitor but was unable to seal the deal, with one of Judd’s key criteria being that the Eagles

receive adequate compensation through draft picks or players. So in the end, the selection was Carlton. The Blues were able to swing the deal, sending emerging key forward Josh Kennedy and the third draft pick to the Eagles. Judd was also given a position as an ambassador for Visy, the company owned by then-Blues chairman Richard Pratt. Questions were raised about the arrangement and possible salary cap implications, but AFL investigations ofﬁcer Ken Wood gave the arrangement the green light. Judd was hailed as the saviour of the Blues and was soon

installed as captain. He spent much of his first summer at the club recuperating from groin surgery, but more than 10,000 fans attended his first hit-out with the club, a NAB Challenge e ern match against the Western Bulldogs on a Friday afternoon, while 72,552 attended the season-opener against Richmond at the MCG, which the Tigers won by five goals.

� Chris Judd has been as good as the Blues could have hoped, and was a key factor in the club making the finals in 2009, the first time it had done so in eight years. But his season came to a sour end at the Gabba in the elimination final, with Carlton squandering a lead at the last change. blow Judd Jud Ju In another blow, or was suspended fo for ro three weeks on a rough ge. conduct charg charge. di The Blues did roll the dice by ud trading for Ju Judd. p They gave up promising keyy h forward Josh (leftt) as a Kennedy (left) dea d part of the deal, dy with Kenned Kennedy as one emerging a er of the bette better n the t forwards in h 40 AFL with a goals and mar 117 marks this yye year.

ASHLEY BROWNE IS EDITOR OF BACKPAGELEAD.COM.AU

ANGUS

THE THIRD

LIMITED

TIME ONLY

WITH TOMATO CHILLI RELISH

Available after 10.30am at participating restaurants.

McDONALD’S® TASMANIA. PROUD GRASSROOTS PARTNER OF HAWTHORN FOOTBALL CLUB AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au 69

Col Hutchinson

timeon Our AFL history guru answers your queries.

AFL mystery men

FEELING THE BLUES: Carlton lost

11 games before reaching the 1999 Grand Final .

Which team has lost the most matches in a season (including ﬁnals) before reaching the Grand Final in that season? After looking at results in recent years, I think that team could be Carlton in 1999, which lost 11 games before the Grand Final, consisting of 10 home and away defeats in reaching sixth position and the qualifying ﬁnal loss to Brisbane. JAMES GRAPSAS, VIA EMAIL

CH: You are quite correct regarding the Blues in 1999. There are four cases of losing Grand Final clubs suffering defeat nine times during a home and away season. In 1899, South Melbourne lost ﬁve consecutive games (rounds 7-11) and was unlucky to be pipped by a point by Fitzroy in the

premiership-deciding encounter. Six of the Southerners’ 10 losses were by seven points or fewer. In 1988, Melbourne lost nine matches, including five in a row late in the season. Geelong in 1994 and Collingwood in 2002 also suffered nine losses before the finals. The Magpies’ eventual 10 losses in 2002 were to 10 different clubs. The record number of losses by a club in a flag-winning season has been 10, by Adelaide in 1998, including the qualifying final. WRITE TO ANSWER MAN The Slattery Media Group 140 Harbour Esplanade Docklands, 3008 or email michaell@slatterymedia.com

NAB Community The Alannah and Madeline Foundation

Ronald David Fisher � Born on August 7, 1911, Fisher represented St Kilda as a productive 188cm, 85kg ruckman/forward in 82 matches from 1933 until 1938. He was recruited from Port Melbourne via South Melbourne seconds and Footscray seconds. Fisher kicked 71 career goals and polled eight Brownlow Medal votes, initially wearing guernsey No. 36 for two seasons before switching to No. 14. His brother, Clem, played for South Melbourne and the Saints between 1931 and 1932. Stephen Roy Stevens � Stevens was recruited from St Kilda Juniors as a 17-year-old half-back ﬂanker. In his only senior appearance for the Saints, in round 17, 1920, against Richmond at the Junction Oval, he wore guernsey No. 21. He was born on February 5, 1903. Should you have any further information regarding the above mystery men, including their date of death, contact Col Hutchinson on (03) 9643 1929 or col.hutchinson@aﬂ .com.au.

NAME GAME

Political football

� On this election weekend, we look at the names Abbott and Gillard. Eight Abbotts have played at AFL/VFL level, the best being Gordon Abbott, a three-time premiership player with Geelong and Essendon in 133 games (1936-47), and Paul Abbott (111 games with Hawthorn and Fitzroy), a dual premiership player with the Hawks. Abbott could have a few origins; usually it was either an occupational name for someone who worked in the household of an abbot or a nickname for a sanctimonious person. The word “abbot” derives from the Aramaic aba (“father”) and comes to us via the Latin abbas (“priest”). Only one Gillard has played League football – Wal Gillard (37 games with Collingwood, 1897-99). However, Julia’s Bulldogs did have tough 1960s defender John Jillard – a variation of Gillard. Among several possible origins of Gillard are: it could be a variation of Gaillard (a happy-go-lucky person) or it could be a variation of Willard (“strong and hard”). Over to the voters. KEVAN CARROLL

Every child has the right to reach their potential We all understand how formative the school years are. Sadly for many children, bullying at school can cause a lifetime of problems. Children who are bullied often grow up with little or no self-belief, making it difﬁcult to reach their true potential. Through our support of The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, we are working to teach children the importance of looking after each other to reduce bullying in Australian schools. Show your support by purchasing a set of Buddy Bands in any NAB branch or visit nab.com.au/community

70 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

timeon

Rick Milne

COLLECTABLES

‘Boots’ a beauty!

A weekly look at collectables,, memorabilia and all footyy things g stored in boxes and garages. RICK’S RARITY

I have a copy of Lou Richards’ hards’ book Boots and All, published blished in 1963. It also contains the autographs of the following wing stars: » WA’s ‘Mr Football’ Jack k Sheedy, who once took a Bible to oa tribunal hearing to swear ar that he was telling the truth. » East Fremantle’s Ray Sorrell, rrell, rated by Richards as the best centreman in Australia. » Melbourne and East Fremantle mantle ho ruckman Bob Johnson, who was nicknamed ‘Autumn Leaves’ because he was always ways falling in front of umpires, and » Footscray’s Arthur Olliver, who guided the Bulldogs to ﬁnals ls appearances in 1944, 1946 and 1948. Value?

POPULAR: A reader

has a copy of Lou Richards’ book Boots and All, signed by four well-known players.

RM: As a long-time

Lion, I ha hate to say this, but Brisbane memorab memorabilia is the least collec ctable of any club. I collectable feew of these b bought a few banners at $200 each h a few years ago, but yours ha as extra value has because of Voss’ V i signature and you might get $400 for it.

GEOFF WALLACE, VIA EMAIL

RM: This book is quite common

as Richards was hugely popular d at the time and Boots and All sold in big numbers. It is a very funnyy read but, with the autographs, your copy is worth $150.

I have one of a limited run of 1000 of the Sydney Swans’ 2005 premiership panorama. It is framed and signed by coach Paul Roos and co-captain Barry Hall. Value? HARRY HARVEY, SEAFORTH, NSW

RM: The problem with many

‘limited editions” is that they are not really limited at all.

Th There are lot of these items ﬂoating around and it is worth $500 at best. I have a 1996 AFL Centenary banner that used to hang from streets lights in Melbourne. It is signed by the Brisbane Lions’ Michael Voss, who won the Brownlow Medal that season. I am keen to sell it and would appreciate a valuation. ROD TAYLOR, VIA EMAIL

I have a football signed by the initial Adelaide Crows’ squad of 52 players just before the 1991 season. Value?

� The items featured here are the rarest of the rare – the only known examples. These cards were issued by Melbourne sports store Cox Bros in the late 1950s and featured caricatures and signatures of VFL stars of the time. Unfortunately, Cox Bros closed soon after the cards were printed, so these copies are the only ones g ever seen. They are being oﬀered for sale at the People’s Paraphernalia auction this Sunday at Carlton’s Visy Park, from 10.30am-3pm. It is diﬃcult to estimate mate a a value, but I would imagine bidding will start at $500 each. For more information, go to guruofgarbage. com.au.

DAVE TAYLOR, VIA EMAIL

RM: As I have explained

several times, signed footballs are not ideal collectables because they go ﬂat and the signatures fade. But, if yours is in ﬁrst-class condition, it would be worth up to $400.

CONTACT RICK MILNE mrpp@iprimus.com.au or drop him a line: 5 Cooraminta St, Brunswick, Vic, 3056 or call (03) 9387 4131. One query per reader.

WATCH BEFORE THE GAME SATURDAY NIGHTS ON TEN

beforethegame.com.au L ADDER SAM 100 ANDY

100

DAVE

LEHMO

FITZY

MICK

TIPSTERS

FITZY Geelong Cats St Kilda Hawthorn Collingwood Sydney Swans Port Adelaide Essendon West Coast Eagles

72 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

MICK Geelong Cats Richmond Hawthorn Collingwood Western Bulldogs Melbourne Essendon North Melbourne

SAM Geelong Cats St Kilda Hawthorn Collingwood Western Bulldogs Melbourne Essendon North Melbourne

DAVE Carlton St Kilda Hawthorn Collingwood Western Bulldogs Melbourne Essendon North Melbourne

LEHMO Geelong Cats St Kilda Hawthorn Collingwood Sydney Swans Port Adelaide Essendon West Coast Eagles

ANDY Carlton St Kilda Hawthorn Collingwood Western Bulldogs Melbourne Essendon North Melbourne

PROTON DRIVE AWAY DEALS DRIVE AWAY – NO MORE TO PAY

SEDANS, HATCHES & UTES, CONTACT A DEALER TODAY 1300 795 698

0 9 9 11

OM FR

DRIVE AWAY

S16 G MANUAL 4 DOOR SEDAN

3 DOOR HATCH

12990

SATRIA NEO G

SAVVY

5 DOOR HATCH

MISS UNIVERSE AUSTRALIA

FROM

DRIVE AWAY

13990

FINANCE

FROM

AVAILABLE

DRIVE AWAY

3 YEARS

WARRANTY

24 HOUR

> Reverse Sensors > Dual Airbags

For more info call

FROM

DRIVE AWAY

> Air Conditioning > Power Steering > 570kg Payload

1300 795 698

GEN•2 G

14990

5 DOOR HATCH

DRIVE AWAY

2 DOOR UTE

FROM

JUMBUCK GLi

4 DOOR SEDAN

PERSONA G

14990

ROAD ASSIST

> Dual Airbags > Lotus Ride & Handling

> Alloy Wheels > Dual Airbags > Reverse Sensors

15990

FROM

DRIVE AWAY

> Air Conditioning > Power Steering > Dual Airbags

www.proton.com.au

*All offers available at Participating Proton dealers and while stocks last on new Proton vehicles ordered and delivered before 30 September 2010. *Price is for S16 G Manual, Satria Neo G Manual, Persona G Manual, Jumbuck GLi, Savvy Manual and Gen.2 G Manual for private buyers. Metallic Paint $490 extra. Proton reserves the right to change or extend these offers. Refer to www.proton.com.au for further details. 1) 3 years 100,000km warranty & 12 months roadside assist on Savvy, Jumbuck & G spec vehicles, 3 years unlimited km warranty and 3 years roadside assistance on all GX & GXR vehicles. Excludes 2010 build stock on variants where pre 2010 build is available. 4050-AFL-1-0810

timeon

KIDS’ CORNER

IVE F TO FIND

Sudoku

� Solve this puzzle by ﬁlling in the empty squares with the nine letters of the player’s name. You must make sure you use each letter only once in each row, column or small box of nine squares. Do not guess, as there is only one correct solution.

N. MALCESKI SYDNEY SWANS

I M

C A

QUICK QUESTIONS

1 Which team won by more than 100 points

last weekend?

2 Ben Cousins announced his retirement this

E C

week. When did he win the Brownlow Medal? L S

M K

E L

3 Who will coach the Sydney Swans next year? 4 St Kilda’s Jason Gram started his career with

which club? 5 When did Fremantle last play in the ﬁnals? THIS WEEK’S ANSWERS SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Travis Boak missing eyebrows; football changed to red; boot changed to purple; red removed from sign in background; Danyle Pearce’s thumb missing. 5 QUICK QUESTIONS: 1. Geelong (by 101 over the Western Bulldogs); 2. 2005; 3. John Longmire; 4. Brisbane Lions; 5. 2006 B IG G MOUTH: MOU MOUT M MO O H: BIG SCRAMBLED SCRA SC S CRA AM MBLE BLE LE L ED FO FOOTBALLER: OTBA BALLER ER: ER CRYPTIC CRYP C RYP YPTIC TIIC T C FOOTBALLERS: FOOT FO F OO OO OT TBALLERS: LE

74 AFL RECORD RE R EC CO COR OR O RD visit RD viis vvis isit it aﬂ aﬂrecord.com.au record..co om m.a .a au

timeon

NAB AFL RISING STAR

Powering into new role Drafted as a defender, Jackson Trengove has impressed impresseed as as a ruckman in his debut deb season with Port Adelaide.

ackson Trengove may prefer to play in the backline as a key defender, but in his education as a back-up ruckman for Port Adelaide this season, he has been lucky enough to have strong teachers. Not only is the 19-year-old playing and learning the craft under Port’s 2004 premiership star Dean Brogan, he also worked with former Power captain – and now caretaker coach – Matthew Primus, who was midﬁeld coach before he took over the reins from Mark Williams after round 15. “The ruck situation has been pretty hard for The body me, but I’ve got Dean sizes of the Brogan in there opposition has who’s a champion surprised me … in that division Opposed to you do get the hits and he and Matty Eagles forward and you really do Primus have been Quinten Lynch great for me this for most of the feel it year,” Trengove said. match, Trengove JACKSON TRENGOVE “Having two guys collected 23 of their ability and possessions and experience teaching you how kept Lynch goalless. to ruck has been helpful, and Though drafted in 2008, especially for me as it’s been my Trengove spent 2009 either ﬁrst real year at the top level. injured or playing in defence for “Playing in a position where the Port Adelaide Magpies in the you’ve got to be pretty big and SANFL, and didn’t make his AFL solid has meant it’s been tough debut until round one this year. to take control, but it’s been “I do like the backline and good for me.” coming into the season I thought Despite his emergence as my opening in the senior side a young ruckman this season, would be as a backman, but it it was Trengove’s performance turned out I got a few games in in last week’s one-point win the ruck,” Trengove said. over West Coast as a defender “But to go back on the that saw him rewarded with weekend and sit on a player the round 20 NAB AFL Rising was a bit different and it was Star nomination. good to get the win.”

2010 NAB AFL Rising Star Nominees

LEARNING:

Jackson Trengove is being tutored in the ruck by club greats Dean Brogan and Matthew Primus.

CALLUM TWOMEY

Round 1 – Chris Yarran (Carl) Round 2 – Daniel Hannebery (Syd) Round 3 – Ryan Bastinac (NM) Round 4 – Nic Naitanui (WCE) Round 5 – Jack Trengove (Melb) Round 6 – Todd Banﬁeld (Bris) Round 7 – Tom Scully (Melb) Round 8 – Jake Melksham (Ess) Round 9 – Nathan Fyfe (Frem) Round 10 – Dustin Martin (Rich) Round 11 – Jordan Gysberts (Melb) Round 12 – Ben Reid (Coll) Round 13 – Tom Rockliﬀ (BL) Round 14 – Ben Stratton (Haw) Round 15 – Jack Redden (BL)

Trengove was selected with pick 22 in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft after he slid down the order following a serious hamstring injury in his ﬁnal season with Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup. After playing 17 games this year, Trengove said he was starting to feel the strain. “The body sizes of the opposition has surprised me – you expect to get bigger hits than you would coming out of TAC Cup or school footy, but then you do get the hits and you really do feel it,” said Trengove, who attended Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School in Melbourne and was a keen Bombers supporter. “I’ve been managed well and I haven’t always taken a battering, but, towards the end of the season, you start to realise you’ve had a pretty big year,” he said.

Round 16 – Phil Davis (Adel) Round 17 – Jarrad Grant (WB) Round 18 – Michael Hurley (Ess) Round 19 – Jeﬀ Garlett (Carl) Round 20 – Jackson Trengove (Port)

THREE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW 1

Trengove lives with teammate Mitch Banner.

2 He wanted to be a

landscape gardener and did some labouring work between ﬁnishing his year 12 studies and being drafted by Port Adelaide.

3 His favourite movie is The Replacements.

Each week throughout the home and away season, a panel of judges will select the nominee for the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star. At the completion of the season, one outstanding player will be chosen as the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star winner. He will receive an investment folio, a dedicated personal banker, a financial planner and the Ron Evans Medal, all courtesy of the NAB. The NAB Rising Star award is the final stage of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.

76 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

timeon

LAST LINE

Applying data laterally

‘Fall-over’ factor adding to the confusion

KEEP YOUR FEET: Game trends

could be causing more players to fall over.

layers diving, tumbling and flopping to the ground appears to be occurring in epidemic numbers in AFL games. Compounded by extensive periods of game time involving all players from both teams cramming into one half of the field while swarming around scrimmages, the constant falling over makes me think I am watching a game of rugby union, featuring ruck and maul-ball releases. Some may like their footy this way, but my immediate response is one of dismay. For instance, a colleague reported witnessing a recent Hawthorn training session in which the players rehearsed diving on to the ball and paddling it between their legs to a teammate waiting behind. I have since heard of similar training exercises at other clubs. What is happening here is foreign, especially when you consider what Malcolm Blight did when he was coaching. Blight had his statisticians collect an intriguing statistic called a ‘fall over’, which was registered whenever a player went to ground. Blight figured a player sprawled on the grass had limited influence on the contest, and hence added little to the team effort. At Geelong post-match, Blight and his coaching panel linked fall-over statistics to video replays for the purpose of showing players where they

78 AFL RECORD visit aﬂrecord.com.au

had gone wrong and could Only cost and available improve. When I became aware resources prohibited a of Blight’s fall-over statistic, fall-over statistic appearing I considered including it in among the category of errors the inaugural list of such as fumbles and officially sanctioned dropped marks. AFL statistics At a stage (published by when football Champion Data is undergoing Has this in from 1998). such rapid turn led to a game As a player evolutionary that is becoming who relied on changes, far too difficult speed and the perhaps a ability to read qualitative to umpire? play patterns, I study involving was more suited to a simple fall-over a faster, open style of statistic could game. When players provide valuable went to ground, it usually evidence as to what is happening led to a slowing of proceedings to the game and why. and frustration. Last week, the Laws of the I recall my junior coaches Game committee released delivering the same message, seven proposed changes to as though it was the first the rules, the most contentious commandment in the football being capping interchanges bible: “Don’t lose your feet.” to 80 a game.

AVERAGES PER GAME: WHAT’S CHANGED IN TWO SEASONS?

� The big increases have been in interchange rotations, handballs, tackles and stoppages. The goals per game are going backwards.

2010

TO END R20

2008

HANDBALLS

340

310

TACKLES

136

108

STOPPAGES

I/C ROTATIONS

232

160

26.24

28.25

GlS/BEHINDS FREE KICKS

In my view, it is important for the industry to gain more knowledge about what material influences unlimited interchange rotations (averaging 232 a game this season) are having on the game. For example, is it possible that excessive interchange rotations have contributed to conditions that are conducive to more fall-over numbers, such as greater density of players around the ball, more pressure on the ball-carrier and off-loading by hand, more opportunities for gang-tackling and higher impact forces at play? Has this in turn led to a game that is becoming far too difficult to umpire? Any further complexity for umpires has to be of concern. Free kicks statistics tell the story of why umpiring is an incredibly difficult job and I see it getting even harder as so many players are now frantically diving and piling on to the grass. If this is so, then the Laws of the Game committee is warranted in a suggested capping of interchange numbers. Part of its role is to make umpire adjudication as clear as possible and also to enhance the aesthetic appeal of the game. The more evidence it can assemble in this regard the better. A good starting point would be a qualitative study of fall-over numbers in a selection of games played this season, compared to those played in the past decade. The great attraction of our football is the fact it is designed to be played on your feet. I would like to see it continuing this way. TED HOPKINS IS A CARLTON PREMIERSHIP PLAYER AND FOUNDER OF CHAMPION DATA. HIS CURRENT PROJECT IS TEDSPORT, A HIGH PERFORMANCE DATA ANALYSIS AND CONSULTING SERVICE.

Proud supporter of dreams≥

Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin’s boots, part of the Qantas Boots & Dreams exhibition.

Qantas AFL KickStart Camp 2010 This week, 50 talented young Indigenous football players from around Australia are in Sydney for this year’s Qantas AFL KickStart Camp. They’re learning from some of the best in the AFL, including Michael O’Loughlin and Kevin Sheedy. And to end the week, they’ll play a spectacular curtain raiser at the SCG before the Sydney Swans V Western Bulldogs game. Qantas is proud to help the next generation of AFL players realise their dreams. Visit qantas.com/kickstart

is mega strong. Own the legend, and you might just have a few legendary journeys of your own.

heaps of room in the tray for your surfboard or motorbike and the crash-absorbing front chassis

with earth-shattering power and handling that’ll help get you in and out of any nook or cranny. There’s

The tightest jams are no match for the unbreakable HiLux. It’s the hardest, most resilient ute there is,

UNBREAKABLE HILUX

toyota.com.au