That event was overshadowed by the chicken video North Melbourne players published on facebook. Depicting various sex acts, the video was condemned by the AFL and saw senior players Adam Simpson and Daniel Pratt each fined $5000 after the Roos initially said they would educate rather than punish those involved.
Later in the month, Fremantle players were briefly accused of dressing up as Ku Klux Klan members, but the reality proved less alarming.
There was sadness for the AFL community as former Carlton president Richard Pratt, ex-Hawk and filmmaker Robert Dickson and Clint Bartram's dad died, while Demon Nathan Jones' dad was bashed by Collingwood fans outside the MCG, leading the AFL to threaten fan bans.
The Tigers lost their first four games, putting coach Terry Wallace under the pump. President Gary March made the ‘no Sheedy’ message clear, Denis Pagan slid his hand up, while skipper Chris Newman begged for calm. The pressure eased with the club’s first win, against North Melbourne in round five.
Contact with umpires again became a touchy subject. Collingwood's Heath Shaw missed a match for intentional contact, the AFL warned on using the umpires as screens, Jeff Kennett was ordered back to school, while Collingwood escaped penalty for umpire talk.
Down at Geelong, CEO Brian Cook offered Skilled Stadium as the answer to clubs’ stadium woes. His club is spending big ahead of the Gold Coast expansion, as the league defended the concessions offered to the new team.
The AFL was right behind Port with their financial woes, while the suggestion that Freo should wager its fortunes by trading Matthew Pavlich left Mark Harvey bewildered.
On the field, St Kilda’s form had John Worsfold and Neil Craig excited, with Woosha saying his team was mentally weak.
Luke Ball said he wasn't ready to be Saints skipper, Gary Ablett's awesome month had him leading the Brownlow betting, Daniel Cross said his side could win it all, and Dean Laidley confirmed North was the place for him.
Anzac Day rocked for young Bombers David Zaharakis and Patty Ryder, while Leigh Matthews looked back to the way it started. One round later, Don defender Dustin Fletcher racked up 300 games.
The Hawks’ injury problems left them marooned midway down the ladder, but plenty of others shared their woes.
Essendon best and fairest winner David Hille and Fremantle's 2008 NAB AFL Rising Star Rhys Palmer were sidelined for the year with ACLs, a 'chicken wing' tackle crippled North gun Boomer Harvey for months, Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens damaged his medial ligament and had an arthroscope, star midfielder Cameron Ling injured his achilles and highly-rated draftee Mitch Brown also saw his season wrecked.
Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney had a quick knee cleanout, Melbourne defender Colin Garland and Port's Justin Westhoff suffered bad foot injuries, and Grant Birchall busted a thumb. Adelaide's Chris Knights fractured his eye socket, and the Lions got smashed in the rucks. losing first Matthew Leuenberger and then Jamie Charman, plus midfielder Bradd Dalziell.
The good news? Bombers Jason Winderlich and Scott Gumbleton were going well after back ops, Kayne Pettifer and Mark Coughlan returned after knee reconstructions, Colin Sylvia now knows who Kevin Rudd is – and North coach Dean Laidley and Daniel Wells finally cleared the air.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
