Wayne Carey is like the rest of us when it comes to "Buddy" mania, but stops short of declaring him the best player in AFL, reports The Herald Sun’s Mike Sheahan. The man named this year as the greatest AFL player ever says Jonathan Brown still shades "Buddy" Franklin as the No. 1 player. "If I had to make a choice, I'd take Browny," Carey said. "Under the extreme pressure of finals and those type of games - the real tough, hard- BROWN STILL NO.1: CAREY
fought games, I'd have Browny just in front. Just the contested marking situation when players up the ground don't have the time to pinpoint passes, when the ball's being bombed in. (But) they're the two best key position players in the league. By a long way." The former North Melbourne champion ranked his fellow forwards ahead of elite midfielders Chris Judd, Gary Ablett and Daniel Kerr - in that order.
GOVT STANDS FIRM ON STADIUM ISSUE
The Queensland Government is playing hardball over where a new Gold Coast club will play its games, saying the AFL will need to fund construction of a new stadium before it will consider varying an agreement forcing the new club to play its games at the Gabba until 2015, reports The Age. Premier Anna Bligh said she had given no commitment to tear up the Gabba deal in a meeting with AFL boss Andrew Demetriou. "If the AFL were to 100% fund a new stadium we would be prepared to have another look at our current arrangements," she said. "I am not aware of any AFL commitment to do so." The statement provoked a furious response from mayor Ron Clarke, who said that the Gold Coast City Council and State Government were "at war" over the issue and said the council could not support a Gold Coast club that played its home games in Brisbane. "It's obvious that for some reason the Premier and the Sports Minister don't want the AFL to come up here. There's no way the Gold Coast can host a team training here and playing in Brisbane, that's ridiculous." Clarke said a new team could give a percentage of gate receipts to the Government by way of compensation for varying the agreement. "This is just being bloody-minded. I interpret it as a real go at the Gold Coast, frankly, they don't want another team and another sport on the Gold Coast," he said.
PORT SUPPORT BATTLERS
Struggling Melbourne clubs yesterday received support from outside Victoria, with Port Adelaide president Greg Boulton supporting an AFL debt-reduction initiative, reports The Australian. A day after Adelaide chairman Bill Sanders called for the league's annual special distribution (ASD) package to cease at the end of 2009, Boulton said he was sympathetic to clubs having their debt eliminated by a special one-off AFL payment.
fought games, I'd have Browny just in front. Just the contested marking situation when players up the ground don't have the time to pinpoint passes, when the ball's being bombed in. (But) they're the two best key position players in the league. By a long way." The former North Melbourne champion ranked his fellow forwards ahead of elite midfielders Chris Judd, Gary Ablett and Daniel Kerr - in that order.
GOVT STANDS FIRM ON STADIUM ISSUE
The Queensland Government is playing hardball over where a new Gold Coast club will play its games, saying the AFL will need to fund construction of a new stadium before it will consider varying an agreement forcing the new club to play its games at the Gabba until 2015, reports The Age. Premier Anna Bligh said she had given no commitment to tear up the Gabba deal in a meeting with AFL boss Andrew Demetriou. "If the AFL were to 100% fund a new stadium we would be prepared to have another look at our current arrangements," she said. "I am not aware of any AFL commitment to do so." The statement provoked a furious response from mayor Ron Clarke, who said that the Gold Coast City Council and State Government were "at war" over the issue and said the council could not support a Gold Coast club that played its home games in Brisbane. "It's obvious that for some reason the Premier and the Sports Minister don't want the AFL to come up here. There's no way the Gold Coast can host a team training here and playing in Brisbane, that's ridiculous." Clarke said a new team could give a percentage of gate receipts to the Government by way of compensation for varying the agreement. "This is just being bloody-minded. I interpret it as a real go at the Gold Coast, frankly, they don't want another team and another sport on the Gold Coast," he said.
PORT SUPPORT BATTLERS
Struggling Melbourne clubs yesterday received support from outside Victoria, with Port Adelaide president Greg Boulton supporting an AFL debt-reduction initiative, reports The Australian. A day after Adelaide chairman Bill Sanders called for the league's annual special distribution (ASD) package to cease at the end of 2009, Boulton said he was sympathetic to clubs having their debt eliminated by a special one-off AFL payment.
Port Adelaide carries a $3 million debt and Boulton's comments met with strong support yesterday from North Melbourne chairman James Brayshaw and Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon. The debts of the Power, the Kangaroos ($3m), and the Western Bulldogs ($4.5m) are largely caused by inequalities of stadium arrangements at Melbourne's Telstra Dome and Adelaide's AAMI Stadium. Boulton said Port Adelaide's break-even figure for home games at AAMI Stadium was about 27,000. In 2007 it had the 15th worst stadium return in the competition, with only the Kangaroos behind it. "There's no point throwing millions of dollars at the two new clubs on the Gold Coast and in the west of Sydney until all stadium arrangements are optimised," Boulton said.
WALLACE ADDRESSES BAD LANGUAGE
Body language is again on the agenda at Punt Rd after the emotional outpourings during Richmond's loss to Adelaide on Saturday. Matthew Richardson castigated his teammates for not shepherding through a low-flying set shot on halftime against Adelaide last weekend. Richmond went into halftime with a 13 point lead but were demolished in the second half. Tigers coach Terry Wallace says his players too readily fall into the trap of being "too emotive", reports The Herald Sun. “I think at times we are still too emotive . . . too emotive to the scoreboard," Wallace said. "If it says one thing we get up . . . if it says another thing we get down. We're too emotive with each other at times on the ground. I think good sides control that."
STYNES HAS TEAM TOGETHER
Jim Stynes has invested his faith in business acumen in his bid for control of the Melbourne Football Club, reports The Herald Sun. The Brownlow medallist and former Melbourne great is planning to have just one other former player - current director Andrew Leoncelli - on a revamped board of 10. He has named a team of seven, including himself, to join current directors Leoncelli, Karen Hayes and Peter Spargo. "I'm really excited by the calibre of the people we've been able to bring together," Stynes said last night. "They've all got their own areas of expertise and it's a real team." He is understood to have left a spot for an unidentified 11th director. Stynes is expected to be named MFC chairman at a board meeting tonight, when Paul Gardner steps down after almost five seasons.
PORT-BLUES WAR CONTINUES
The sniping warfare between Carlton and Port Adelaide has escalated with Blues coach Brett Ratten branding Mark Williams a sore loser yesterday, reports AAP. The bad blood between the clubs started when Port's Chad Cornes unintentionally suggested the Blues were easybeats before their clash on Sunday. Ratten responded by saying Port was headed for a fall if it thought it could "downhill ski" over his men. He also accused the Power of playing "outside" the packs - code for soft - and Blues spearhead Brendan Fevola suggested Cornes did not put his head over the ball. Williams said his players would show the tag to be untrue but he added more fuel to the fire by claiming the Blues "hoarded first-round draft picks".
CRESWELL DEBT
Former Tasmanian Devils coach Daryn Cresswell has gone overseas while owing a large amount of money to the Tassie Mariners coach, reports The Hobart Mercury. The debt is in relation to a joint Gold Coast investment property in Mariners coach Andrew Mellor's name. On Monday, Mellor reluctantly admitted the debt, believed to be about $100,000. Cresswell, 37, a member of the Tasmanian and Sydney Swans teams of the century, resigned as Devils coach last Wednesday saying he had lost the passion to coach and did not believe he would be reappointed after this season. He flew out of Tasmania that afternoon and is believed to be in London. "I don't want to go into that sort of stuff but there have been a few issues we're trying to work through," Mellor said. "I'm going to give Daryn a bit of breathing space until he sorts himself out and then we will sit down and talk about those things.”
LAIDLEY BACKS GRANT
North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley has given veteran Shannon Grant his unconditional support, granting him a spot in the team regardless of his form, reports The Herald Sun. Grant has been in indifferent form over past six weeks and has not had anywhere near his usual impact in games. The former All-Australian could manage only six touches against Sydney in Round 6, was kept to 13 possessions against the Brisbane Lions and Geelong in the past two weeks and has kicked just 14 goals in 11 matches. Laidley conceded the 31-year-old Grant, just nine games short of joining the 300 club, was underperforming. But in a resounding vote of confidence, Laidley said the 1999 Norm Smith medallist's spot in the team was safe while he was coaching the Kangaroos. "Shannon Grant will never play in the VFL while I'm coach, regardless of form," Laidley said.
Body language is again on the agenda at Punt Rd after the emotional outpourings during Richmond's loss to Adelaide on Saturday. Matthew Richardson castigated his teammates for not shepherding through a low-flying set shot on halftime against Adelaide last weekend. Richmond went into halftime with a 13 point lead but were demolished in the second half. Tigers coach Terry Wallace says his players too readily fall into the trap of being "too emotive", reports The Herald Sun. “I think at times we are still too emotive . . . too emotive to the scoreboard," Wallace said. "If it says one thing we get up . . . if it says another thing we get down. We're too emotive with each other at times on the ground. I think good sides control that."
STYNES HAS TEAM TOGETHER
Jim Stynes has invested his faith in business acumen in his bid for control of the Melbourne Football Club, reports The Herald Sun. The Brownlow medallist and former Melbourne great is planning to have just one other former player - current director Andrew Leoncelli - on a revamped board of 10. He has named a team of seven, including himself, to join current directors Leoncelli, Karen Hayes and Peter Spargo. "I'm really excited by the calibre of the people we've been able to bring together," Stynes said last night. "They've all got their own areas of expertise and it's a real team." He is understood to have left a spot for an unidentified 11th director. Stynes is expected to be named MFC chairman at a board meeting tonight, when Paul Gardner steps down after almost five seasons.
PORT-BLUES WAR CONTINUES
The sniping warfare between Carlton and Port Adelaide has escalated with Blues coach Brett Ratten branding Mark Williams a sore loser yesterday, reports AAP. The bad blood between the clubs started when Port's Chad Cornes unintentionally suggested the Blues were easybeats before their clash on Sunday. Ratten responded by saying Port was headed for a fall if it thought it could "downhill ski" over his men. He also accused the Power of playing "outside" the packs - code for soft - and Blues spearhead Brendan Fevola suggested Cornes did not put his head over the ball. Williams said his players would show the tag to be untrue but he added more fuel to the fire by claiming the Blues "hoarded first-round draft picks".
CRESWELL DEBT
Former Tasmanian Devils coach Daryn Cresswell has gone overseas while owing a large amount of money to the Tassie Mariners coach, reports The Hobart Mercury. The debt is in relation to a joint Gold Coast investment property in Mariners coach Andrew Mellor's name. On Monday, Mellor reluctantly admitted the debt, believed to be about $100,000. Cresswell, 37, a member of the Tasmanian and Sydney Swans teams of the century, resigned as Devils coach last Wednesday saying he had lost the passion to coach and did not believe he would be reappointed after this season. He flew out of Tasmania that afternoon and is believed to be in London. "I don't want to go into that sort of stuff but there have been a few issues we're trying to work through," Mellor said. "I'm going to give Daryn a bit of breathing space until he sorts himself out and then we will sit down and talk about those things.”
LAIDLEY BACKS GRANT
North Melbourne coach Dean Laidley has given veteran Shannon Grant his unconditional support, granting him a spot in the team regardless of his form, reports The Herald Sun. Grant has been in indifferent form over past six weeks and has not had anywhere near his usual impact in games. The former All-Australian could manage only six touches against Sydney in Round 6, was kept to 13 possessions against the Brisbane Lions and Geelong in the past two weeks and has kicked just 14 goals in 11 matches. Laidley conceded the 31-year-old Grant, just nine games short of joining the 300 club, was underperforming. But in a resounding vote of confidence, Laidley said the 1999 Norm Smith medallist's spot in the team was safe while he was coaching the Kangaroos. "Shannon Grant will never play in the VFL while I'm coach, regardless of form," Laidley said.
RIEWOLDT WORKS ON YIPS
There were no prizes for guessing what Nick Riewoldt was doing at training yesterday, reports The Herald Sun. Goalkicking practice is always near the top of the midweek must-do list of key forwards, but more so for the St Kilda captain at Moorabbin. Riewoldt, one of nine players who worked on their kicking under an instructor, practised his technique for set shots from 45m. Riewoldt, who missed two shots from inside 50 in the opening term against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, was like a golfer on the practice putting green, concentrating on keeping his head still over the ball as he trotted towards the target. Onballer Lenny Hayes leapt to his captain's defence following the most recent scrutiny of Riewoldt's flawed goalkicking style. "He's obviously not kicking it as well as he likes," Hayes said. "But knowing 'Rooey' and the sort of guy he is, he's an extremely hard worker and has been putting a lot of time into it. We're right behind him 100 per cent and I know he'll turn it around.”
WILSON A NON-BELIEVER
Given Geelong ace Gary Ablett's superlative display against North Melbourne last week, and his family's reputation for prodigious talent, it is not hard to imagine the "god" tag being thrown around again soon, reports The Age. Port Adelaide hard nut Michael Wilson, though, went out of his way to make it clear Ablett can be stopped as the Power face up to the near-impossible task of beating Geelong at home, one week after the Power's humiliating loss to Carlton. "He's a quality player no doubt, but he's no bloomin' god of the world, we can still play him, he's just a bloke," Wilson said. "Dom Cassisi's done it in the past, Kane Cornes has done jobs like that, we've had games where he's had very few touches, it won't be just one person, it'll have to be an effort from a couple of taggers and around the ground as well."
There were no prizes for guessing what Nick Riewoldt was doing at training yesterday, reports The Herald Sun. Goalkicking practice is always near the top of the midweek must-do list of key forwards, but more so for the St Kilda captain at Moorabbin. Riewoldt, one of nine players who worked on their kicking under an instructor, practised his technique for set shots from 45m. Riewoldt, who missed two shots from inside 50 in the opening term against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday, was like a golfer on the practice putting green, concentrating on keeping his head still over the ball as he trotted towards the target. Onballer Lenny Hayes leapt to his captain's defence following the most recent scrutiny of Riewoldt's flawed goalkicking style. "He's obviously not kicking it as well as he likes," Hayes said. "But knowing 'Rooey' and the sort of guy he is, he's an extremely hard worker and has been putting a lot of time into it. We're right behind him 100 per cent and I know he'll turn it around.”
WILSON A NON-BELIEVER
Given Geelong ace Gary Ablett's superlative display against North Melbourne last week, and his family's reputation for prodigious talent, it is not hard to imagine the "god" tag being thrown around again soon, reports The Age. Port Adelaide hard nut Michael Wilson, though, went out of his way to make it clear Ablett can be stopped as the Power face up to the near-impossible task of beating Geelong at home, one week after the Power's humiliating loss to Carlton. "He's a quality player no doubt, but he's no bloomin' god of the world, we can still play him, he's just a bloke," Wilson said. "Dom Cassisi's done it in the past, Kane Cornes has done jobs like that, we've had games where he's had very few touches, it won't be just one person, it'll have to be an effort from a couple of taggers and around the ground as well."
