DELAY ON COAST RULES
An announcement of the Gold Coast start-up player-access rules will be delayed following the third meeting yesterday in Melbourne of the AFL's list development working party, reports The Australian. The access-rule recommendations for the 17th license were initially scheduled to be presented to the commission this month, but appear a long way from being finalised. Yesterday's meeting of the sub-committee of club representatives and the AFL included a presentation on free agency from the AFL Players Association. It is understood one reason for the extension of the start-up process is the implementation of an initial league proposal to allow the Gold Coast 15 national 17-year-olds outside the draft system at the end of next season. It appears the working party and the expansion club both want to have a better look at the available talent pool, which will be on display on the Gold Coast this month when the national under-16 championships are held. For this reason the AFL recently employed former long-standing North Melbourne recruiting manager, Neville Stibbard, to provide an independent analysis of the quality of talent available to the expansion club.
An announcement of the Gold Coast start-up player-access rules will be delayed following the third meeting yesterday in Melbourne of the AFL's list development working party, reports The Australian. The access-rule recommendations for the 17th license were initially scheduled to be presented to the commission this month, but appear a long way from being finalised. Yesterday's meeting of the sub-committee of club representatives and the AFL included a presentation on free agency from the AFL Players Association. It is understood one reason for the extension of the start-up process is the implementation of an initial league proposal to allow the Gold Coast 15 national 17-year-olds outside the draft system at the end of next season. It appears the working party and the expansion club both want to have a better look at the available talent pool, which will be on display on the Gold Coast this month when the national under-16 championships are held. For this reason the AFL recently employed former long-standing North Melbourne recruiting manager, Neville Stibbard, to provide an independent analysis of the quality of talent available to the expansion club.
GALE JOINS HALL CIRCUS
AFL players boss Brendon Gale was last night trying to contact ousted Swan star Barry Hall in a bid to clarify the circumstances of the public saga that he described as "most un-Sydney-like', reports The Age. Although club chairman Richard Colless stressed to The Age that the Swans were not about "casting your own adrift", Gale said the players association had a number of concerns about the manner in which Hall's personal problems had been exposed by Sydney and the length of the troubled forward's enforced lay-off. "My issue is with the indefinite nature of this situation that Barry is facing," Gale said. "When the Sydney decision first became public I thought: 'Well this is a club with a strong leadership group and Barry has already put it on the record that he has got personal issues'. In a sense you treat those issues as you would an injury and you go away and deal with the injury and I'm encouraged by that if it's true. But I wasn't initially aware of Barry's thoughts on the situation until I read his comments (in yesterday's Age).”
AFL players boss Brendon Gale was last night trying to contact ousted Swan star Barry Hall in a bid to clarify the circumstances of the public saga that he described as "most un-Sydney-like', reports The Age. Although club chairman Richard Colless stressed to The Age that the Swans were not about "casting your own adrift", Gale said the players association had a number of concerns about the manner in which Hall's personal problems had been exposed by Sydney and the length of the troubled forward's enforced lay-off. "My issue is with the indefinite nature of this situation that Barry is facing," Gale said. "When the Sydney decision first became public I thought: 'Well this is a club with a strong leadership group and Barry has already put it on the record that he has got personal issues'. In a sense you treat those issues as you would an injury and you go away and deal with the injury and I'm encouraged by that if it's true. But I wasn't initially aware of Barry's thoughts on the situation until I read his comments (in yesterday's Age).”
SWANS HIT OUT AT FEVOLA SUGGESTION
Sydney have hit out at media suggestions that they were moving Barry Hall aside for Brendan Fevola. Chairman Richard Colless moved swiftly to quash the suggestions. "I think there's as much chance of Brendan Fevola playing for Sydney as there is me," Colless declared.
Sydney have hit out at media suggestions that they were moving Barry Hall aside for Brendan Fevola. Chairman Richard Colless moved swiftly to quash the suggestions. "I think there's as much chance of Brendan Fevola playing for Sydney as there is me," Colless declared.
POLAK IMPROVING
Cleve Hughes yesterday was expected to visit Richmond teammate Graham Polak for the first time since seeing him hit by a tram, and club officials believe the young forward's emotional health has improved enough for him to play against West Coast on Sunday, reports The Age. Coach Terry Wallace has admitted that he was shaken after visiting Polak several days after he was struck by a tram on Dandenong Road two Saturdays ago, and feared for the 24-year-old's quality of life, let alone his football future. A more recent visit to the Epworth Rehabilitation Centre, on Monday, has made Wallace more optimistic that Polak will recover from the brain injury that initially moved doctors to induce a coma and rendered him unable to recognise some visitors in the days following the accident. The club has gone to great lengths to care for Hughes and Jordan McMahon, the two players who were with Polak at the time, and were particularly concerned about Hughes, 21, who is understood to have been badly traumatised by the experience.
DEMON WINS STAR AWARD
Melbourne defender Colin Garland's rising star nomination has been greeted as a rare bright spot in a poor season for the Demons, reports The Age. The 20-year-old, who had played just two senior games before this year, has performed well on some of the AFL's best, including Lance Franklin, Nick Riewoldt and Alan Didak. While Garland did not rate his job on Brisbane Lions spearhead Daniel Bradshaw as one of his best in the Demons' upset one-point win last round, coach Dean Bailey said the nomination was a fitting reward for hard work. "Colin works particularly hard and he's got a real inner determination in him, which has just come to the fore more and more as the weeks go by," Bailey said. He is Melbourne's second Rising Star nominee this year, following Austin Wonaeamirri in Round 7.
AKERMANIS’ LATEST MOVE
Controversial Western Bulldogs star Jason Akermanis is pushing for his side to play matches in Shanghai, reports AAP. "We are going to go to it," Akermanis told SEN. "Playing in Darwin and Canberra and all those places is lovely, they are great for the people there, but why can't we play in Shanghai? "We are looking at our membership. Ideally we'd play one, two or up to four home games over there a year," Akermanis said. Akermanis said there was real potential to boost the club's membership and also pick up some recruits to add to the Bulldogs' rookie list. Akermanis said that he would talk to club president David Smorgon about the proposal when he returned from holiday.
Cleve Hughes yesterday was expected to visit Richmond teammate Graham Polak for the first time since seeing him hit by a tram, and club officials believe the young forward's emotional health has improved enough for him to play against West Coast on Sunday, reports The Age. Coach Terry Wallace has admitted that he was shaken after visiting Polak several days after he was struck by a tram on Dandenong Road two Saturdays ago, and feared for the 24-year-old's quality of life, let alone his football future. A more recent visit to the Epworth Rehabilitation Centre, on Monday, has made Wallace more optimistic that Polak will recover from the brain injury that initially moved doctors to induce a coma and rendered him unable to recognise some visitors in the days following the accident. The club has gone to great lengths to care for Hughes and Jordan McMahon, the two players who were with Polak at the time, and were particularly concerned about Hughes, 21, who is understood to have been badly traumatised by the experience.
DEMON WINS STAR AWARD
Melbourne defender Colin Garland's rising star nomination has been greeted as a rare bright spot in a poor season for the Demons, reports The Age. The 20-year-old, who had played just two senior games before this year, has performed well on some of the AFL's best, including Lance Franklin, Nick Riewoldt and Alan Didak. While Garland did not rate his job on Brisbane Lions spearhead Daniel Bradshaw as one of his best in the Demons' upset one-point win last round, coach Dean Bailey said the nomination was a fitting reward for hard work. "Colin works particularly hard and he's got a real inner determination in him, which has just come to the fore more and more as the weeks go by," Bailey said. He is Melbourne's second Rising Star nominee this year, following Austin Wonaeamirri in Round 7.
AKERMANIS’ LATEST MOVE
Controversial Western Bulldogs star Jason Akermanis is pushing for his side to play matches in Shanghai, reports AAP. "We are going to go to it," Akermanis told SEN. "Playing in Darwin and Canberra and all those places is lovely, they are great for the people there, but why can't we play in Shanghai? "We are looking at our membership. Ideally we'd play one, two or up to four home games over there a year," Akermanis said. Akermanis said there was real potential to boost the club's membership and also pick up some recruits to add to the Bulldogs' rookie list. Akermanis said that he would talk to club president David Smorgon about the proposal when he returned from holiday.
ABLETT WON’T PLAY THIS YEAR: THOMPSON
Even if Nathan Ablett is "super-fit" and plays well in the VFL, Geelong has "no intention of playing him in the AFL" this season, Cats coach Mark Thompson told The Age yesterday. The younger son of club legend Gary Ablett snr returned to Kardinia Park on Monday evening after a seven-month hiatus and trained with the supplementary list before returning for more work yesterday morning and, while Thompson said he was pleased to see Nathan return, his training was effectively the start of his 2009 pre-season.
Even if Nathan Ablett is "super-fit" and plays well in the VFL, Geelong has "no intention of playing him in the AFL" this season, Cats coach Mark Thompson told The Age yesterday. The younger son of club legend Gary Ablett snr returned to Kardinia Park on Monday evening after a seven-month hiatus and trained with the supplementary list before returning for more work yesterday morning and, while Thompson said he was pleased to see Nathan return, his training was effectively the start of his 2009 pre-season.
"I don't think there's any way he could get back into the AFL team, even if he's super-fit and played VFL and played some great footy, I don't think it could happen, so we shouldn't get our hopes up. We're happy that he's decided to see if he's still got what it takes to play. We're willing and able to support that. He might end up playing (in the VFL) in a month or five weeks or he might play in two weeks." Thompson said that after Ablett's departure, when the 22-year-old had claimed in a statement that he "didn't have the passion or commitment to continue playing at the highest level", it was pleasing that without being put under any pressure, he had returned to the fold.
TASMANIA PUSH GAINING MOMENTUM
For the first time in all the years Tasmania and her displaced sons have been pushing for an AFL berth, there seems to be belief in the dream, writes The Herald Sun’s Mike Sheahan. There's an impressive level of vigour attached to the current campaign. Perhaps it's energy born of the overwhelming public support in the recent Herald Sun Footy Fans Survey for Tasmania's inclusion in the next phase of the AFL's expansion plan. Perhaps it is yesterday's announcement in Melbourne of the appointment of the high-powered gemba group to prepare Tasmania's bid for an AFL licence. Gemba, whose directors include former Essendon captain James Hird, is a consultancy with a broad experience in the Australian sports market, including an involvement with eight AFL clubs. Hird and fellow directors, Ben Crowe and CEO Rob Mills, attended yesterday's announcement by Tasmania's Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, Paula Wriedt. As usual, the function was attended by several expatriate Tasmanians with profiles in Victoria.
For the first time in all the years Tasmania and her displaced sons have been pushing for an AFL berth, there seems to be belief in the dream, writes The Herald Sun’s Mike Sheahan. There's an impressive level of vigour attached to the current campaign. Perhaps it's energy born of the overwhelming public support in the recent Herald Sun Footy Fans Survey for Tasmania's inclusion in the next phase of the AFL's expansion plan. Perhaps it is yesterday's announcement in Melbourne of the appointment of the high-powered gemba group to prepare Tasmania's bid for an AFL licence. Gemba, whose directors include former Essendon captain James Hird, is a consultancy with a broad experience in the Australian sports market, including an involvement with eight AFL clubs. Hird and fellow directors, Ben Crowe and CEO Rob Mills, attended yesterday's announcement by Tasmania's Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, Paula Wriedt. As usual, the function was attended by several expatriate Tasmanians with profiles in Victoria.
RATTEN SICK OF FEVOLA TALK
Carlton coach Brett Ratten has hinted the constant talk about Brendan Fevola's future is becoming tiresome, according to The Herald Sun. Fevola, who has yet to re-sign with the Blues after reportedly rejecting a three-year deal, has been linked to Sydney. While the Swans have denied making the key forward a $3 million offer over four years, Fevola was understood to have told friends about the prospective deal at the Jeff Fenech-Azumah Nelson fight in Melbourne last month. Although Ratten said it was flattering other AFL clubs were showing interest in Fevola, he would have preferred the spearhead had kept quiet about any contact with Sydney. And he said he would rather the attention was on defender Jarrad Waite and exciting midfielder Marc Murphy, who have both yet to re-commit to the club.
SHEEDY OFFICIALLY A LEGEND
Kevin Sheedy is officially a legend at Essendon after being formally inducted into the AFL club's Hall of Fame, reports The Gold Coast Bulletin. Sheedy, who coached Essendon to four premierships in his 27 years at the helm, becomes the club's 17th Legend. "From Alex McCracken and Bill Cookson through to the likes of Jack Clarke and Dick Reynolds - they have all made an enormous contribution club but it is arguable that none have had a greater impact than Kevin Sheedy," Essendon chairman Ray Horsburgh said. "He is indeed a legend of this club and it is with great pleasure that we induct him into the Hall of Fame.'' Sheedy was replaced as Essendon coach by Matthew Knights this year. The 1984, 85, 93 and 2000 premiership coach now holds an ambassadorial role with the AFL. "In the end you have to say your dreams were pretty much fulfilled to be able to coach the team you barracked for at a young age," Sheedy said. "I tried my hardest and I had a lot of fun and, in the end, personally, I would love to thank the club for giving me the chance of my life." Sheedy joined Essendon in 1981 and coached the club for 635 games over 27 seasons.
Carlton coach Brett Ratten has hinted the constant talk about Brendan Fevola's future is becoming tiresome, according to The Herald Sun. Fevola, who has yet to re-sign with the Blues after reportedly rejecting a three-year deal, has been linked to Sydney. While the Swans have denied making the key forward a $3 million offer over four years, Fevola was understood to have told friends about the prospective deal at the Jeff Fenech-Azumah Nelson fight in Melbourne last month. Although Ratten said it was flattering other AFL clubs were showing interest in Fevola, he would have preferred the spearhead had kept quiet about any contact with Sydney. And he said he would rather the attention was on defender Jarrad Waite and exciting midfielder Marc Murphy, who have both yet to re-commit to the club.
SHEEDY OFFICIALLY A LEGEND
Kevin Sheedy is officially a legend at Essendon after being formally inducted into the AFL club's Hall of Fame, reports The Gold Coast Bulletin. Sheedy, who coached Essendon to four premierships in his 27 years at the helm, becomes the club's 17th Legend. "From Alex McCracken and Bill Cookson through to the likes of Jack Clarke and Dick Reynolds - they have all made an enormous contribution club but it is arguable that none have had a greater impact than Kevin Sheedy," Essendon chairman Ray Horsburgh said. "He is indeed a legend of this club and it is with great pleasure that we induct him into the Hall of Fame.'' Sheedy was replaced as Essendon coach by Matthew Knights this year. The 1984, 85, 93 and 2000 premiership coach now holds an ambassadorial role with the AFL. "In the end you have to say your dreams were pretty much fulfilled to be able to coach the team you barracked for at a young age," Sheedy said. "I tried my hardest and I had a lot of fun and, in the end, personally, I would love to thank the club for giving me the chance of my life." Sheedy joined Essendon in 1981 and coached the club for 635 games over 27 seasons.
