Doggies go back to school
BACK TO work for the Western Bulldogs this pre-season also means back to the classroom.

Rohan Connolly writes in The Age on Friday that new coach Brendan McCartney is regarded as one of the best teaching coaches in the game, meaning that football theory will be on the agenda at the Whitten Oval throughout the summer.

McCartney is all about creating an environment at the football club not all that dissimilar to other work places.

"They want to know that there's an opportunity to grow and develop in their job," he said.

"They want to know their work is valued, they want the opportunity to be taught, then when they are taught something and learn and grasp it, that they get the chance to put it into practice. And if it's not at a satisfactory level, they want to know they can get the help and the solution to get it up to that level

And like all good places, there will be times to knuckle down and times to have a laugh.

"You want it professional, but you want it relaxed,'' McCartney said. "What does that look like? It's people doing their job well, people having conversations, but also having a laugh and sharing a joke and enjoying it."

The real test of harmony in the Whitten Oval workplace will come, of course, when the games start. McCartney's plan for the season is for everyone to share in the spoils of a win and to accept responsibility for defeats. "I think then you've got a really good, vibrant, harmonious workplace," he said.

The Eddie v Sheeds show
Media Watch reckons the spat between Eddie McGuire and Kevin Sheedy over Scott Pendlebury was all a bit of theatre, designed to sell tickets for the NAB Cup opener in February and as we understand it, a corporate event in western Sydney that McGuire is appearing at in the next few weeks.

In any event, the likelihood of the star Magpie midfielder swapping the black and white for the charcoal and orange appears remote if reports in the Herald Sun are to be believed.

"We are very conscious of the dynamics of the industry at the moment, but there is certainly no one we would expect to lose," Pert told the newspaper.

Bruce Pendlebury has also spoken up saying his son is excited about the appointment if Nathan Buckley as coach and he expects him to be at Collingwood for the long term.

But he added that he hopes older brother Kris - captain of Collingwood's VFL side in 2011 - gets picked up by the Giants at one of the forthcoming drafts.

Oval out of bounds
One highlight of a forgettable season for Port Adelaide came in the final match of the season with a win over Melbourne that lifted it off the bottom of the ladder. And with a full house at the Adelaide Oval, offered a glimpse into the future as AFL football in South Australia moves to a new home.

The Crows were also hoping to join in the fun, sneaking in a NAB Cup clash at the ground next year before the serious redevelopment work begins.

But at the signing of the construction agreement in Adelaide yesterday, it was revealed that the timing is so tight that work will commence the day after the last one-day cricket international at the ground this summer, either March 6 or March 8. There won't even be time to squeeze in one Crows match before the bulldozers move in.

"It would have been nice," Crows chief executive Steven Trigg told the Adelaide Advertiser. "It is disappointing but the absolute priority is to make sure footy is delivered by the first bounce of 2014, so if it is going to jeopardise that it is a clear cut decision."

Tigers' never-ending story
Richmond pair David Astbury and Dylan Grimes have told the Herald Sun of the pre-season that never really started because both have been in constant training since the end of last season.

Astbury has been having daily rehab on his injured knee, while Grimes is being treated for a hamstring injury.

"Players know that the work is just as important as the actual pre-season is. It's a pretty important stepping stone, because when you come back on October 31st we're expected to be ready to train and get back in to the swing of things," Grimes said.

"There's no time for catch-up really after the off-season."

It should be made clear that neither player was complaining. They want to be up and about and playing for the Tigers by round one of next season and are prepared to take all the necessary measures.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs