JUST as Shane Warne and Liz Hurley can barely escape Warney's Brighton home, Melbourne can't stay out of the news. Yesterday, Tom Scully was the name on everyone's lips as it emerged he is - at the very least - one of the names at the top of Greater Western Sydney's uncontracted-player hit list.
On Friday , the Herald Sun's back page reported the club's greatest son, Ron Barassi, was torn between his love of the club - the Dees' much-hyped next generation can't afford to lose Scully - and his love of the game - Scully moving to GWS would give the new club, and football in Sydney, another name to build its future around.
Although Barassi has been a long avowed football expansionist - he envisaged games being played in Los Angeles back in the 1970s - you can't imagine the Dees' are overly impressed by their No.1 ticket holder's conflicting emotions.
The Herald Sun also ran a feature on Demons coach Dean Bailey, where he revealed - shock, horror - his love of football. He was captivated by last year's drawn grand final and likes Lenny Hayes and Daniel Rich's left foot.
Unfortunately, Bailey did not betray any substantive thoughts on topics Dees supporters may be more interested in, such as his side's finals hopes this year and the pressure he feels to perform in the last year of his current contract.
In a separate report, Bailey did, however, concede the decision to delist skipper James McDonald at the end of last season was handled so poorly it was among his biggest regrets in his 25 years in football.
Meanwhile, The Age revealed Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab had commissioned an investigation into all aspects of the club's football department, including its recruiting, coaching, sports science and welfare programs, with a view to forming a five-year strategic plan that would ensure everything possible was being done to win the club's next premiership, hopefully premierships.
Schwab said the review, which will be completed before the start of the home and away season, would not put pressure on Bailey or disrupt the football department's preparations for the season.
One thing's for sure, just as Warney and Liz must be looking for the media pack outside their Brighton love nest to disperse, Bailey must be looking to the start of the season. Then he'll be able to put all these sides issues to one side and concentrate on the one thing that will see him at Melbourne next year and beyond - winning games of football. That's the sort of press he'll happily wake up to on the weekend/Monday morning.
Blind leading the blind
When you hear the words footballer and blindfold in the same sentence, you sense another off-field scandal.
Fortunately, in the case of Lewis Jetta that's not the case. The Sydney Swan has just been trying to find a cure for the goalkicking yips that gripped him so strongly in his debut season last year that he kicked 19 consecutive behinds before breaking through for his first AFL goal.
You can see what he's been up to in his black, Zorro-like blindfold - minus the peep holes the famed freedom fighter enjoyed - on the Daily Telegraph's website. There, in a video, you can see a blindfolded Jetta taking set shots for goal. And as unorthodox as it may seem, Jetta said not being able to see had helped his goalkicking.
"Instead of trying to kick the goal, it's just a matter of letting it happen," Jetta told the Tele.
"I tried it once [and missed] and then I tried it again and it went straight through. It's been going well so far and I've been kicking goals with it. And it's been working for me when I've got my eyes open as well."
Aggravation across the nation
First it was the Victorian clubs panicking about GWS and the players who chief game hunter Kevin Sheedy has in his crosshairs.
Today, things are starting to heat up in South Australia, with The Advertiser reporting Adelaide forward Taylor Walker and Port Adelaide full-back Alipate Carlile are on the Giants' wish list.
Walker and Carlile come out of contract at the end of this season, and Walker has delayed contract talks with the Crows until then.
The Crows' hopes of keeping Walker won't be helped by the fact he was recruited from Broken Hill in New South Wales.
As Sheedy has said previously: "He's from … our zone. We want him back."
Adelaide chief executive Steven Trigg probably spoke for all clubs in similar positions when he said the unresolved situation with Walker was "aggravating".
There'll be plenty of aggravation among clubs this year.
Fighting Tigers
Not sure what Richmond fans will make of today's news. In the Herald Sun, former Tigers coach Terry Wallace said the club's $6 million Fighting Tiger Fund was exactly what the club needed, while it was also reported Jake King will lead the Tigers in their round one NAB Cup fixture, against Carlton and Collingwood tomorrow night.
Wallace's complaint that the club had lacked resources in the football department during his 2005-mid-2009 tenure will be seen, by some, as the sour grapes of someone who couldn't the job done.
King's effort to resurrect his career, after the savage press he copped in the wake of Wallace's sacking, should be applauded - whatever your opinions on his ability, or approach to the game.
The name game
Fans at next week's round one NAB Cup fixture between Greater Western Sydney, the Sydney Swans and Gold Coast at Blacktown Oval will be forgiven for thinking they've stumbled into a pyjama cricket clash.
The reason? The Giants will become the first AFL side to include their players names on the back of their jumpers, the Daily Telegraph reports, having been granted permission by the AFL so they can better connect with their fans. It's something our limited-overs cricket sides have done for years and, while it's a break with tradition, it seems harmless enough.
The report also revealed Giant Israel Folau had chosen to wear the No. 4 jumper, this having been the number he wore in rugby league and the number of the only AFL player he could remember growing up, Tony Lockett.
With friends like him ...
Interesting comments by Brisbane Lions defender Josh Drummond on afl.com.au on Friday. Drummond said the club would "not lose anything" with the departures of Michael Rischitelli, Jared Brennan and Justin Sherman to other clubs, with youngsters like Jack Redden, Tom Rockliff, Daniel Rich and Jared Polec adequate midfield replacements.
In fairness, Drummond's trying to put a positive spin on a bad situation but as a spin doctor he makes a very good footballer.
In short
Fremantle midfielder Rhys Palmer is in peak fitness and eyeing Freo's round one NAB Cup matches, against West Coast and Hawthorn this Sunday, as an opportunity to press for a permanent spot in the midfield, The West Australian reports. After returning from a knee reconstruction last season, the 2008 NAB AFL Rising Star was dropped late in the year and missed Freo's finals campaign.
Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss said the club's decision to axe Albert Proud this week did not mean fellow troubled child Brendan Fevola would be sacked by the club, the Courier Mail reports. Proud was sacked after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer, while Fevola is currently undergoing rehabilitation for alcohol and gambling issues.
Brent Prismall has worked hard on his pace over summer in a bid to win a permanent spot in Essendon's side this season, The Age reports. His hard work appears to be paying off - he recently ran a 20m time trial in under three seconds.
Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin told afl.com.au he is confident Freo's defence can cover the loss of Chris Tarrant to Collingwood with mature-age recruits Peter Faulks and Tendai Mzungu, and resurgent veteran Antoni Grover.
Geelong is expecting big things from Steven Motlop this year, The Australian reports, starting with the Cats' round one NAB Cup games against the Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne at Skilled Stadium next Sunday.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
