Connors: They still don't believe me

Tripped up, but back on his feet: Daniel Connors is tackled by David Armitage during his playing days with Richmond. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Daniel Connors says he's back on the straight and narrow and wants another chance at AFL level. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: Herald Sun

"WHAT happened?'' It's the question Daniel Connors has been asked more than any other since he was sacked by Richmond.

Four months later, the former Tiger wants to set the record straight as he mounts a bid to revive his AFL career.

According to Connors, the day and night in early July that led to his dramatic dismissal hardly warranted a forensic examination.

But he is realistic enough to acknowledge the compulsory 10am training session he and former teammate Dustin Martin missed after taking sleeping pills was enough to crack the wafer-thin ice his career was standing on at Punt Rd.

Speaking to the Herald Sun this week he almost smiles at the irony of it all.

``A lot of it is my fault from the times I have been in trouble, but it's funny that the time I actually didn't do anything wrong was the time I got the a---,'' Connors says.

The beginning of the end for Connors took place on a Tuesday night. Connors says he and Martin had gone to a mate's house to play some pool and darts.

Martin had a couple of bourbon and cokes. Connors, who hadn't touched alcohol since November the previous year, didn't drink.

Connors had lent his car to a friend who was moving house so he and Martin were given a lift back to Connors' Northcote home where they sat up until about 2am watching TV.

It's at this point that Connors took diazepam, a powerful drug used to treat, among other things, anxiety and insomnia.

``I couldn't sleep, that's why I decided to have a sleeping tablet because I knew I needed to get some hours in because we needed to train the next day,'' he says.

"They were prescribed sleeping tablets from the doctor at the club so it wasn't like I wasn't allowed to have them. People say `Why were you taking sleeping tablets that late?', but that's why I took them.

"I've tried a few other sleeping tablets and they hadn't worked so these ones were a bit stronger.''

Connors and Martin, who had taken a non-prescribed sleeping tablet, then went to sleep. Connors set his phone alarm, but it ran out of battery power in the middle of the night and failed to go off.

While their teammates started training, Connors and Martin were still in Northcote pushing up zeds.

"I woke up and me and `Dusty' looked at each other and looked at the time and we realised we'd missed a fair chunk of training,'' Connors said.

"They had tried to ring us. I got down stairs and (assistant coach) Wayne Campbell was in my house. I don't know what he was looking around for. We said we'd slept in and they said, `Get in the car we'll drive you to the club'.''

The pair were put in separate vehicles amid concerns they would use the trip to Richmond to concoct a story.

"When we got the club it was: `You're in one room, you're in the other', but there was nothing really to tell them. We'd just slept in,'' Connors said.

"I was waiting in (football manager) Craig Cameron's office and then `Dimma' (coach Damien Hardwick) came in ranting and raving.

"I pretty much picked up my bag and knew that I was gone so I started walking off. He told me to pretty much get out of there. I knew that I was on my last chance and this was the last straw.

"I just sort of sat down and let it all sink in. It wasn't a great day wondering what I was going to do.''

Connors doesn't want sympathy and doesn't want this interview interpreted as a grasp for pity. He is a man who realises his wrongs, but he rejects the accusation that the penny hadn't dropped.

"It had. I'd been training well and I got back into the side after missing most of the pre-season and I was playing some good footy,'' he says.

"It wasn't as if I went out on the piss and got drunk and belted someone or was pissed the night before training. It was as simple as I slept in and that's what cost me.

"The way that Dimma came in I just knew that there was no point (defending myself). They obviously didn't believe me and even now they still don't believe me that I just slept in. I couldn't plead my case because no one was going to believe me.''

He has been stopped in the street by strangers. Some wish him the best, some call him a d----head.

But now, four months on, Connors is a 24-year-old who simply misses footy.

"I certainly miss that environment and working as a team,'' Connors said.

"The state I was in I thought I didn't need it. I was pretty upset with the whole thing, but now I miss it and I'd definitely rather be doing three-a-day trainings than not doing anything.''

He admits regrets, but says the incident that lead to his demise isn't one of them.

"When I was a lot younger the hiccups I had then were just being young and not knowing how to be a professional,'' Connors said.

"But the last incident that happened there's not much I can really regret. I regret sleeping in and not charging my phone, but it was the earlier ones that had come before, the earlier stuff ups, I regret them.

``This one just happened to be the last one and it was probably the smallest of them all.''

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Swans' recruiting looks the Goodes

Sydney's Adam Goodes was one of the best bargains in AFL draft history. Source: Herald Sun

BARGAINS such as Adam Goodes, who was pick No. 43 in 1997, come once in a lifetime. But if there are any gems in tomorrow's AFL draft, Sydney's recruiting team will be favoured to find them.

That the Swans have won flags seven years apart without dropping to the bottom of the ladder and collecting high draft picks is down to the ability of their talent-spotting team.

The team of list manager Kinnear Beatson, Ric Barham and Michael Agresta, can lay claim to some of the best recruiting in recent years.

"Kinnear's one of the very best," Swans boss Andrew Ireland said.

"You can't say it's luck because the good guys do it more often than not."

Beatson and his team know how to make a little go a long way - and this year's team was a case in point.

In 2009 the Swans snared two of the best youngsters in the league in Lewis Jetta (pick 14) and Sam Reid (38). In 2010 they got Luke Parker (40) and Alex Johnson (57). And Dan Hannebery was snapped up at selection 30 in 2008.

So, how does Beatson do so well at the draft? His philosophy is to pretend you're spending your own money.

"Every time we call a kid's name it's roughly around a $250,000 investment," Beatson said. "If it was your $250,000 what are you going for? High risk/high return or low risk/moderate return?"

Coach John Longmire and his assistants spent all of last week with the recruiting staff, watching Australia's best young talentand ranking them.

But not just physical talent is considered. "Lots of players are highly skilled and highly athletic but don't make it," Beatson said. "A few are unlucky with injury but, for the majority, it's the work rate. The grunt to do the work."

And it's not just youngsters they find - they trawl their opponents for diamonds in the rough. Josh Kennedy (Hawthorn), Shane Mumford (Geelong), Ted Richards (Essendon), Marty Mattner (Adelaide), Rhyce Shaw (Collingwood) and Mitch Morton (Richmond) were "surplus to requirements".

Longmire already has a premiership but he has asked Beatson and his team to freshen up his list of players.

Sydney have picks 23, 45, 47, 66, 67, 96 and 104. GWS Giants have 1, 2, 3, 12, 14, 28, 65,69 and 84. But Beatson knows how to manage a shopping list.

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AFL throws book at sliders

Sydney's Gary Rohan is stretchered off with a serious leg injury after a sliding incident at the SCG. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: News Limited

PLAYERS can now be reported for making forceful contact below an opponent's knee in changes to the match review panel soon to be announced by the AFL.

The league is also set to clamp down further on sliding tackles - or approaching a contest feet or knees-first - which will now be a reportable offence.

The crackdown on contact below the knees has been rapid fire.

In October, the AFL Commission announced it would tighten the forceful-contact-below-the-knees rule, informing clubs umpires would pay free kicks on the spot from next season.

Yesterday, the commission was told those rules had been further tightened to the extent that dangerous front-on contact could lead to a player being reported.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said yesterday the crackdown was simply to protect players.

"Sliding knees or feet first can now be a reportable offence for rough conduct and forceful conduct below the knees if it's unreasonable in the circumstances," Anderson said.

"Now it's backed up as a tribunal offence.

"Players owe a duty to their opponents players."

Already players have raised concerns about how incidents and impact below the knees can be policed and in fact be avoided.

"There's always interpretations, debate and discussion and that's the part of the tribunal, but no more than anything else," Anderson said.

"PLayer welfare, that's the consistent theme."

This season the league took a strong stance against players sliding into opponents, sending a memo to clubs in May warning of the potential risk of injury.

Sydney's Gary Rohan suffered a sickening broken leg when Kangaroo Lindsay Thomas slid into him at the SCG in April.

Thomas was charged with rough conduct and initially banned for two weeks, but later cleared by the tribunal on appeal.

Charges are expected to be more common place next season.

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Dees put balance before Viney dream

Tough, courageous and a born leader. The Dees have a steal in Viney, who will play Round 1 next year.

Jack Viney wins the hard ball and dashes off at the under-18 national championships at Ethihad Stadium. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

Ollie Wines may not be reunited with his good mate Jack Vines, with Melbourne now looking elsewhere after the news GSW may be set to reshuffle its top three selections. Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE is set to crush Jack Viney's fairytale by overlooking his best mate with pick four at tomorrow night's draft after a last-minute reshuffle of Greater Western Sydney's top three picks.

The Dees will land South Australian captain Jimmy Toumpas in a draft bonanza, pushing Viney's childhood friend Ollie Wines to the Western Bulldogs at pick five.

Melbourne had not seriously entertained the idea of jagging Toumpas until recently, believing he was Giants-bound with their second pick.

But the Herald Sun can reveal GWS will instead nab devastating outside midfield stars Lachie Whitfield and Jono O'Rourke with its first two picks before calling the name of key defender Lachie Plowman at No.3.

Toumpas will complement Viney supremely, with his polish and slick ball movement the missing ingredient in Mark Neeld's fledging midfield.

The Herald Sun understands the Dees are seeking midfield balance, with Toumpas's outside edge and goalkicking nous pipping hardnut Wines.

Melbourne is known to rank Toumpas ahead of Wines with his outstanding leadership and ball use outweighing fears over his troublesome hips, which underwent surgery mid-year.

The coup gives a major boost to Melbourne's list, with the aggressive Viney set to provide the grunt midfield edge and power forward Jesse Hogan to add significant potency in 2014.

Toumpas dominated in the 2011 SANFL premiership and won All-Australian honours this season.

Viney and Wines were desperate to be reunited, adamant it would drive the competitive duo to reach their potentials.

"No doubt it'd be a dream come true (to get drafted by Melbourne), but I'm not pinning my hopes on it," Wines said.

"But if it did come off then whoah, I'd be over the moon. But fairytales don't always come true, do they?"

Wines learnt his fierce tackling technique from Dees recruiter Todd Viney and only began his junior career when the Vineys moved to Echuca.

"We've always been friends but rivals, too. We're both real competitors and we're never going to let one be better than the other," Viney said.

The draft bombshell means Wines will likely join the Dogs, with his contested-ball winning ability and stoppage brilliance tailor made to coach Brendan McCartney's game plan.

Wines would join a band of six of the toughest young inside midfielders in the AFL at Whitten Oval, along with Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore, Koby Stevens, Clay Smith and Lachie Hunter.

As late as last week O'Rourke was believed to be Whitten Oval-bound, but his destructive mix of inside-outside work will add another dynamic to the band of blue-chip ball winners at the Giants.

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Second grab for ex-Lion Clouston

Crows to keep draft plan simple

Former Brisbane Lion Scott Clouston, 25, is hoping for a second chance in the AFL. Picture: Peter Wallis. Source: The Courier-Mail

SCOTT Clouston insists he is better equipped to handle his second, and final, chance in the AFL.

The former Lions player has nominated for tomorrow night's national draft.

At 25, Clouston could be a ready-made senior player.

Clouston is only just realising his potential after discovering the code as an 18-year-old.

"I got there and then injury robbed me of another chance," the Redland forward said.

"I think I'm good enough and I just need an opportunity to prove it."

Clouston was rookie listed by the Lions in 2007 and played two matches for the Lions in 2008. Groin injuries ruined his 2009 season and he was de-listed.

But Clouston established himself as one of the NEAFL's dominant key forwards.

The 194cm target made the state side and in September finished only one vote shy of winning the Grogan Medal for the NEAFL's best and fairest.

Clouston has been interviewed by a handful of AFL clubs.

Melbourne are set to crush Jack Viney's hopes by overlooking his best mate, Ollie Wines, with pick No.4 after a last-minute reshuffle of Greater Western Sydney's top-three picks.

The Dees will choose South Australian Jimmy Toumpas, pushing Wines to the Bulldogs at pick No.5.

Melbourne had believed Toumpas was Giants-bound with their second pick.

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Crows can weather Tippett storm

Adelaide Crows should be able to buy themselves out of the trouble caused by the Kurt Tippett scandal. Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE will be able to buy its way out of trouble as it battles future draft sanctions, with confirmation the Crows will still have full free agency and trade rights.

Brenton Sanderson's side is bracing to be hit hard by the AFL Commission over the Kurt Tippett affair, potentially losing their first two picks for 2013 and 2014.

But while they face the loss of draft picks and even premiership points, the league will not stop the club from accessing talent from other pathways.

With a young talented list, an emerging star forward in Taylor Walker and mini-draft recruit Brad Crouch starting next year, they are well placed to weather the storm.

The Crows will lose Kurt Tippett in the pre-season draft but it will create as much as $700,000 a year of salary cap room which the club can use to chase free agency or trade targets.

In effect, the Crows now have 12 months to plan for the loss of Tippett and those picks.

It remains to be seen whether the commission will take into account Adelaide's position of power and ability to recruit elsewhere when it makes its ruling.

Carlton was powerless to rebuild when it lost high picks from its 2002 salary cap rorting given the premium placed on top-ten selections a decade ago.

But with multiple pathways including international rookies and free agency, Sanderson would still believe the Crows could survive and even prosper.

It would be restraint of trade not to allow players to be traded, so the Crows have access to the rookie list, free restricted and unrestricted free agents, and late picks in the draft.

Even if they lose early picks in coming drafts, they will still have to take three draft selections in every draft.

Yesterday after consulting with the AFL Players Association delisted Crow Nick Joyce decided to withdraw from the national draft and instead nominate for the pre-season draft.

The Crows now have two picks in the national draft - 20 and 54 - and will elevate rookie Ian Callinan with pick 64.

Some list managers believe Adelaide would have been better suited to start serving any penalty from Thursday's draft given they have just two live picks and will lose Tippett anyway.

But a submission from Adelaide and football manager Phil Harper saw the AFL put back the AFL Commission meeting at which they will judge the Crows.

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Kristian's a Jaksch of all trades

Swings like a pendulum between attack and defence and has Michael Hurley-like versatility

The always smiling Plowman not only blankets forwards but can also out-mark them, and could develop in to a burst midfielder.

Tough, courageous and a born leader. The Dees have a steal in Viney, who will play Round 1 next year.

Key forward Kristian Jaksch in action for the Oakleigh Chargers. Picture: Darrian Traynor/AFL Media. Source: Herald Sun

NOT so long ago, Kristian Jaksch might have settled for giving only one or two efforts at a contest.

These days, the best available key-position prospect in this year's AFL draft is more likely to muster three or four strong cracks at the ball as part of a more desperate edge to his game.

The improvement was manifested in a somewhat unexpected move to send the gun goalkicker into defence for Oakleigh Chargers in the TAC Cup this season.

The 194cm Jaksch thrived so much in defence, after years in front of goals, that talent chiefs are now split on which end of the ground suits him better.

Up forward, he glides above packs and is a beautiful long kick for goal. In defence, his timing to spoil the ball and rebound is also a class above.

The Phantom Draft

 While Jaksch would prefer to start his AFL career forward, he is happy he has become a much more well-rounded and versatile player, in the mould of Bomber Michael Hurley.

"I admire the way he can play either end to a high level," Jaksch said.

"I like his aggression. He is a real competitor."

THE KRISTIAN JAKSCH FILE

Age: 18

Height: 194cm

Weight: 83kg

From: Oakleigh Chargers

Plays like: Jarryd Roughead

Draft range: 7-14

In the mix: Brisbane (No. 8), Carlton (No.11), GWS (No.12)

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Lions spoiled for choice with No.8

Brisbane could target small forward Troy Menzel, who plays for Central District in the SANFL. He is the brother of Geelong's Daniel Menzel. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: adelaidenow

DRAFT guru Kevin Sheehan says Brisbane will be spoilt for choice at pick No.8 in tomorrow night's national draft on the Gold Coast.

Sheehan, the AFL national talent manager, said this year's draft was blessed with one of the deepest pools of talent for several years.

"Its depth is fantastic," Sheehan said.

"We've tested 220 players from all over the country and 150 to 180 of them you could entertain as good enough to be drafted or rookie listed, so some good young footballers are going to miss out at that bottom end.

"We are rapt with what we've got up front with the top 30 or 40 kids who are certain to be drafted.

"Some years it falls away after the top 20 and it gets a bit thin but we are quite bullish on the depth in this draft.

"There's some terrific talent out there.

"A club like St Kilda is happy to have two picks in the twenties and two picks in the forties because they know they will get some good kids into the club with those picks."

Sheehan said Brisbane had plenty of options at pick No.8 and it depended on what style of players the Lions are after most.

The Lions showed during the trade period that they are keen to bolster both their midfield stocks and recruit some tall timber with captain Jonathan Brown nearing the end of his outstanding career.

"Most of the clubs will have that discussion about whether they go for a tall or a midfielder and Brisbane will certainly be one of those clubs," Sheehan said.

"There's a bunch of midfielders there and some quality talls as well and GWS can't get them all (GWS has five picks in the first 14 selections, including the first three)."

Sheehan said the likes of 194cm-tall key position player Kristian Jaksch, 192cm-tall defender Lachie Plowman or 195cm-tall defender Aidan Corr could come under Brisbane's microscope.

Mid-sized forwards such as SA product Sam Mayes, WA junior Josh Simpson and the 187cm-tall Troy Menzel, the brother of Geelong's Daniel Menzel, could loom as possible recruits for the Lions depending on what other clubs do on the night.

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Crows keep draft plan simple

Adelaide Crows believe they're already ahead of the game, having picked up Brad Crouch in last year's mini-draft. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE has vowed to take a best-available-player philosophy into tomorrow's AFL National Draft, despite the threat of long draft bans hanging over its head.

Having temporarily dodged a draft bullet as the AFL continues its investigations into the Kurt Tippett scandal, the Crows are under huge pressure to make the most of their two "live" picks at the Gold Coast draft.

Depending on the outcome of the Tippett investigation, this could be the last National Draft Adelaide is allowed to enter for two years.

Admitting they have holes to fill with tall players and outside run, the Crows have to get their picks - at numbers 20 and 54 - right.

If not, they could pay a long-term price.

"Clearly it's an important draft for us, but I think all drafts are important," Adelaide list manager David Noble said.

"The threat of being banned from upcoming drafts gives the perception this one has a bit of added importance for us.

"But we'll go about the draft process like we always do, which is to cash-in on all the homework we've done on players to get to this point.

"At pick 20, we're certainly confident of bringing in a player who we think can help round out our list and contribute for a long time."

Despite admitting to wanting to boost the club's tall and running stocks, Noble said he and recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie - in his first draft in the head role after replacing Matt Rendell - would take the best player still on the draft board.

"You want the best talent, especially with a first-round pick," Noble said.

"The bottom line is you want to boost your talent pool at the draft. Positional needs and filling gaps on your list are best solved through trading or when you've got plenty of (draft) picks.

"We've only got two `live' selections so we'll take the best available players to keep building our list. If that means we have to trade in the future to fill holes, so be it."

Noble said he is confident this year's draft has plenty of first-round depth, enabling a young ace to fall into Adelaide's hands at No. 20.

Selection 20 has proven a mixed bag for clubs since the first national draft in 1986.

Port Adelaide premiership player and four times club champion Kane Cornes is the best player who has been snared at pick 20 (in 2000) while Fremantle's Nathan Fyfe (2009) is an emerging star.

But there have been plenty of flops, such as North Melbourne's Brett Hawkey (in 1989), Sydney's Stuart Mangin (1994), Hawthorn's Daniel Elstone (2001), Essendon's Tom Hisplop (2006) and West Coast's Tony Notte (2007), who played 32 games between them.

Noble said he is confident this year's draft has plenty of first-round depth, enabling a young ace to fall into Adelaide's hands at No. 20.

"We like the players who we think will be available to us in the first round, there's plenty of quality there," he said.

"And at No. 54 we think we can find someone who will also be able to come in and play a role for us."

The Crows already say they are a draft winner, claiming last year's mini-draft pick-up Brad Crouch would have been a certain top-three pick this year.

The 19-year-old - who already has spent a year on the Adelaide list - is expected to be in coach Brenton Sanderson's round one side next season.

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