Pies deliver $7m in black and white

Thinking big: Magpies chief executive Gary Pert says the club will use part of the profits to boost its football department expenditure, which this year rose to $21.16 million. Picture: Jay Town Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD has underlined its status as an AFL financial powerhouse with a $7.83 million profit.

The Magpies announced the stunning result as the AFL considers revenue restructuring to address the growing divide between the rich and poor clubs.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert confirmed yesterday the club had registered a profit of $7,835,080 - $4.86m through club operations and $2.97m from the AFL as part of the media rights deal.

The Magpies have chosen to use the media rights money to help fund the redevelopment of the training and administrative base at the Westpac Centre.

Pert said the club made no apologies for its strong return, which comes as many AFL clubs find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

"I'm proud of what the Collingwood Football Club - the board, the executive and the football department - has been able to achieve over the past four or five years," Pert said.

"It is a strong result for the club and is reflective of the strategies and work that in many cases has been under way for a number of years.

"From an industry perspective, it is a healthy sign whenever you see a club produce a strong profit because they won't be requiring further support from the AFL."

When asked about a proposed AFL gate-receipt tax, Pert said: "Taxing gate receipts is not the solution. It takes one single revenue stream for the industry that largely affects only two or three clubs in the competition as many clubs have their own stadiums.

"It would be inappropriate, for example, for Collingwood supporters to be taxed every week to push their money into opposition clubs."

The Magpies will use part of the profits to boost their football department expenditure, which this year rose to $21.16 million.

Pert said the club planned an annual increase of between $1 million and $1.5 million on football during the next three years. The rest of the profit will be channelled back to the Westpac Centre.

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Giants seek pay ruling on Tippett

Kevin Sheedy keeps the ball rolling in the Kurt Tippett merry-go-round by asking AFL for a ruling on payments in 2013 to the former Adelaide spearhead. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

GREATER Western Sydney's interest in Kurt Tippett is likely to rest on how much of his nominated salary it would have to pay him for 11 games next season.

Coach Kevin Sheedy re-ignited the Giants' interest in Tippett yesterday, although Sydney is still confident it will secure him in Tuesday's pre-season draft.

Tippett and Sydney have agreed to a $3.5 million deal that would pay him $700,000 next year, $900,000 in 2014, and $975,000 in both 2015 and 2016.

But GWS has requested a ruling on how much of that $700,000 it would have to pay Tippett, considering he has been suspended for 11 games by the AFL.

Sydney is not as concerned about the suspension with finals probable, but GWS is likely to miss the finals, so it needs bang for its buck.

If Tippett refuses to play for the team that picks him in the draft, he will be banned for the season.

Meanwhile, the AFL Players' Association yesterday launched its investigation into Tippett's agent, Peter Blucher.

 The player union is set to announce an investigator who will have access to the AFL's files from its Tippett inquiry, and then announce any potential charges.

Blucher will have time for an official reply, with the AFLPA's agent accreditation board to decide on any penalty.

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Sheedy backs Izzy's honesty

GWS Giants coach Kevin Sheedy defends Israel Folau in the wake of his recent contract saga.

As Israel Folau jumps to yet another sporting code, we take a look back at some of the best and worst athlete defections.

Israel Folau announces his retirement from Greater Western Sydney with support from coach Kevin Sheedy. Picture: Sam Ruttyn. Source: The Daily Telegraph

ISRAEL Folau's former AFL coach, Kevin Sheedy, has defended the character of the NSW Waratahs recruit, saying he is one of the more honest people he's dealt with in his 45-year career.

Folau has copped fierce criticism this week for not signing with NRL club Parramatta after it helped secure his release from the AFL, with coach Ricky Stuart saying his side would be "genuinely better off without him".

However, the GWS Giants coach said yesterday he had no problem with Folau's character as he was always upfront and honest.

"I actually admired him for that," he said.

"So, from my point of view as a person, and I've been around the game for 45 years, I think Israel Folau is one of the (more) honest people I have ever dealt with.

"I am glad that when he felt that AFL wasn't his game in the end, that he actually told us the facts and let us get on about our business, which is what I think is a fair thing to do."

However, Sheedy said Folau's switch to rugby union hadn't been in his thinking.

"Everything was pointing towards the Parramatta Eels," he said.

"But he puts himself in the direction of Karmichael Hunt now as a player of all three codes. It's a pretty good effort."

Sheedy said he had no regrets signing Folau, labelling the move as one of the best marketing strategies "since Tina Turner singing Simply the Best  with the NRL".

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Former Pies gun no goose on hunt

Simon Buckley during his days with the Magpies. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Sharpshooter: Former Magpie Simon Buckley is certainly no goose when it comes to using the shotgun. Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Collingwood player Simon Buckley might soon be known as "The Hunter".

A keen fisherman - he provided photographic proof in this column last week of two big snapper he caught off Mordialloc - Buckley now has demonstrated his shooting skills.

He was lured to Darwin to play for the Buffaloes in a deal that includes flying in on Friday, playing on Saturday, then fishing before returning to Melbourne on Sunday night.

He made his debut last Saturday, but a change in the tide ruined his fishing plans, so club officials took him goose shooting. And he didn't come away empty-handed.

Buckley is staying in Melbourne this weekend for his mum's birthday, but will head north again for the clash against the Tiwi Bombers on Tiwi Island - and who knows what he might hunt down?

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Dees spend up in AFL arms race

Melbourne chairman Don McLardy concedes the push is on for clubs to spend more on football departments and gain an edge on rivals. Picture: Darren McNamara Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE is determined to prosper against the AFL's heavyweights, despite being blown out of the water by cashed-up rivals on football department spending.

The Demons were 11th in football department spending in 2011, but made a concerted bid to lift that figure this year.

Yet clubs such as Collingwood continue to declare large profits and spend up to $20 million on the football arm of its business.

Melbourne increased its outlay by $1.67 million this year from $16.3 million in 2011, with president Don McLardy saying yesterday the club would be smart with the extra spending.

The Demons have been able to clear their debt, declare a small profit, and lift the football department spending so they could secure elite coaches and fitness staff including David Misson and Neil Craig.

Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab confirmed yesterday major sponsors Webjet and Opel had recently re-signed after being lured to the club after the Energy Watch controversy in April.

McLardy conceded the push was on for clubs to spend more on football departments and gain an edge on rivals.

"It is an arms race, but we feel like we are competitive in that area," he said. "Our spend is healthy. We don't feel hamstrung.

"We are prudent with that spend. It's not about throwing money everywhere. We want to keep up in key areas and be experimental and at the forefront of new technology and sports sciences."

McLardy this week lauded Schwab for his recent work at the helm of the club, as the league continues its investigation into tanking claims.

Neither McLardy or Schwab will comment on the investigation, but McLardy indicated this week the Demons would use every available tool to fight attempts to sanction them.

The league seems to have finished interviewing Melbourne employees, but has given no indication whether it will lay charges.

There is an AFL Commission meeting this month at which the league could deal with the issue, but it would need to charge Melbourne soon to allow a proper response.

The AFL's concern centres on a comment from then football manager Chris Connolly, which former coach Dean Bailey is known to believe was a comedic throwaway line in a two-hour match committee meeting.

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Power to snap up unlucky Sam

Sam Colquhoun starred for South Australia in the national championships and will earn a chance with Port Adelaide. Picture: Simon Cross

TEENAGE star Sam Colquhoun is heading to Port Adelaide.

In a recruiting coup, the rebuilding Power has committed to taking the Central District running machine with its first pick at next Tuesday's AFL pre-season draft.

Surprisingly overlooked at the national draft, Colquhoun trained with Essendon on Monday but returned to Adelaide yesterday after Port sealed a deal with his management team.

The Power - with pick three - selects before the Bombers in the pre-season draft. Only GWS (one) and the Western Bulldogs (two) have picks before Port and neither has shown interest in drafting Colquhoun, clearing his passage to the Power.

Colquhoun, an All-Australian half-back at under-18 level, trained with Port last week but kept his draft options open by trialling with Essendon, which was "super-impressed" with his running ability on Monday.

But when former Bomber Brent Prismall turned his back on a one-year contract offer from the Power, the Alberton-based club turned its attention to Colquhoun.

"We've liked him for a long time and were very surprised that he wasn't taken at the national draft," Port football operations manager Peter Rohde said, noting the club's last pick at the draft was No.30.

"We were considering taking him as a rookie selection but given Essendon's interest we had to jump in ahead of it. So hopefully we'll officially have Sam on board next week."

Colquhoun's manager Justin Reid orchestrated his return from Melbourne yesterday after talking with Bombers football manager Danny Corcoran.

"Essendon seemed very keen on Sam but when Port made a commitment to draft him it seemed pointless for him to keep training with them," Reid said.

"We're just really pleased that he's found his way onto an AFL list because he's a real talent who was very unlucky not to get drafted last month (at the national draft)."

Colquhoun, 17, starred for SA at this year's national under-18 championships, winning SA's MVP award and making the All-Australian side. He averaged 28.4 disposals and six marks in five games, reading the ball brilliantly at half-back, running hard and using his possessions with great effect.

SA coach Brenton Phillips took some of the blame for Colquhoun's draft failure because he used him as a loose man in defence, which raised questions about his accountability.

But Phillips said he has no doubt Colquhoun has the talent and work ethic to make it in the AFL.

"Once his (AFL) chance comes, that club will stand to benefit enormously," Phillips said.

Colquhoun said he was delighted to find an AFL home after his national draft disappointment.

"Having had a taste of training with AFL clubs in the past couple of weeks it's made me even more determined to have a crack at it," he said.

Colquhoun, 179cm and 72kg, will resume training with Port today. His pre-season selection means the Power can only rookie-list former Melbourne forward Liam Jurrah.

Jurrah, 24, is training at the club every day in the hope of reviving his career, which netted 81 goals in 36 games with the Demons.

Port says it will make a decision on Jurrah's future on Friday after taking into account his attitude, fitness and looming Alice Springs court case in March.

The Power has two picks in the rookie draft, which is shaping as the smallest in history.

Less than 30 picks are likely to be used after the AFL slashed rookie lists from six to four ahead of 2013 following a two-year spike as new franchises Gold Coast and GWS were introduced.

Clubs can list a maximum of 40 senior players and four rookies next year, but many will adopt a 39-5 or 38-6 breakdown for salary cap purposes.

Adelaide has committed to re-drafting Nick Joyce in the pre-season draft and will have one rookie selection.

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Laycock in the draft and on Giants' list

Possible GWS draftee Jason Laycock playing for Burnie in the TSL grand final. Picture: Chris Kidd. Source: news.com.au

FORMER Essendon big man and Burnie premiership ruckman Jason Laycock has nominated for next week's pre-season AFL draft.

He confirmed there had been talks with his former mentor, Kevin Sheedy, now coach for GWS.

Laycock, 28, enjoyed his best season in years as the TSL's most dominant player, including winning the Darrel Baldock Medal as the best player in the grand final.

He played 58 games for Essendon between 2004 and 2010, mainly under then Bombers coach Sheedy.

Laycock said he had caught the AFL bug again last season.

"You sit there watching the footy on the TV on the Friday and Saturday nights and you see players running around that you know you can beat or you've beaten in the past and it gets to you a bit," Laycock said yesterday.

"So I'm keen for someone to give me a chance and get me over there and give me a crack at it again."

Sheedy has visited Laycock's home town of Burnie in recent months.

"Sheeds' has been over in Tassie a couple of times for talks on the North-West Coast and he's always said that I could always do it if I put my mind to it," he said.

"He's one person who has shown a bit of interest but I don't think he actually has a whole lot of say.

"I'm a bit of a long shot, I'm pretty unfit and that, but the body has been really good for a couple of years now. But it is a bit of a long shot for someone to take me.

"But I did have that little bit of interest from three or four clubs towards the back end of the year, so I've put my name forward."

His TSL coach, Brent Plant, has been sounded out by at least 10 AFL clubs - including the Greater Western Sydney Giants - during Laycock's two seasons at Burnie where he got through the vast majority of games after being injury-riddled at the Bombers.

Sheedy was always a big fan of the 201cm, 108kg North-West Coast giant.

With the Giants unlikely to be tempted by the financial demands of former Adelaide tall Kurt Tippett, it is expected they will redraft Dean Brogan.

However, with Brogan turning 34 later this month, there has been some speculation GWS may look for a younger mature-age recruit.

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Tippett manager faces punishment

Player agent Peter Blucher, right, with Brisbane coach Michael Voss. Picture: Scott Fletcher. Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

BRISBANE-based player manager Peter Blucher would face either a reprimand, fine, suspension or have his AFL agent accreditation revoked if found guilty of playing a role in the Kurt Tippett saga.

The AFL Players' Association announced yesterday it will launch an investigation into Blucher's part in the draft tampering and salary cap rorting scandal.

The AFL Commission handed out heavy penalties to Tippett, the Crows and Adelaide officials last Friday after all parties pleaded guilty but has no power to discipline player managers.

The AFLPA can sanction player agents and will appoint an investigator who will report back to the AFLPA's Agent Accreditation Board and recommend any penalties.

Blucher will be given access to the investigator's report and be given the chance to mount a defence.

The AAB will consider the report and Blucher's defence before making a decision.

It will inform Blucher of any penalties in writing before announcing any sanctions.

Blucher has the right to appeal any sanction if he is found guilty.

A spokesman for the AFLPA said the body could not speculate on the severity of any penalties if Blucher was found guilty.

"Following the AFL Commission hearing into breaches of the conduct prejudicial to the Draft and Total Player Payments (TPP) provisions of the AFL Rules, the AFL Players' Association has now commenced an investigation into the role of Kurt Tippett's Accredited Agent, Peter Blucher," the AFLPA said in a statement.

If Blucher is suspended or has his accreditation revoked, he could not deal directly with players, but the staff at his company Velocity Sports could still represent its stable of clients who include Lions Simon Black and Daniel Merrett, Sydney's Rhyce Shaw and a host of Gold Coast Suns.

Blucher said he had been advised not to comment publicly when contacted by aifThe Courier-Mailaif yesterday.

A Velocity source last night confirmed Tippett would be staying on as a client with the company.

The first player manager to have his accreditation revoked was controversial Melbourne agent Ricky Nixon in 2011. He was suspended for two y

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Tippett will find form fast

Kurt Tippett leaving the AFL Commission with legal counsel David Gallbally. Picture: Norm Oorloff. Source: Herald Sun

CONTROVERSIAL ex-Crow Kurt Tippett's return to AFL football is shaping as a must-see event for next year's calendar with experts predicting he will come back in immediate and furious form.

Tippett will miss the first 11 matches of next season because of his part in the Crows' and his dodgy 2009 third-party dealings and draft tampering but those who know him best have warned season 2013 will not be a wasted one for Tippett.

The key forward-ruckman, 25, will not be allowed to play football at any level during his sanction - be it state league, suburban league or country league - but he is free to put in a full pre-season with the club that chooses him in the December 11 pre-season draft and continue to train during the year.

He is expected to be snapped up by AFL premiers Sydney, with whom he has had extensive negotiations.

But former Adelaide Crows physical performance manager Stephen Schwerdt predicted he'd be ready once he returned from his spell.

Schwerdt, a former player and long-serving fitness man now at Gold Coast, has overseen the return from injury from champions such as Andrew McLeod and Mark Ricciuto and put Tippett in the elite bracket.

He didn't agree with the school of thought that suggested Tippett's next season would be wasted as he worked himself back into touch and form.

"He's very professional, has a very good work ethic and I wouldn't rule it out (Tippett returning to league football straight away)," Schwerdt said.

"It's a bit like a race horse - I think he'll be very good first up but then he'll be a bit sore, and he'll probably have to be managed for the second and the third week.

"But they'll prepare him for a 15-week season or so; the 11 games of the regular season and then finals. They'll do a lot of match simulation.

"The thing is, he's not like others who have been out of the game for a long time who need a lot of rehab. It's more like guys who have had hand or wrist injuries: they can do all of the work and when the time comes they're ready to step back in straight away."

If, as expected, Tippett is taken by the Swans, the first game he is eligible to play will be against Port Adelaide on June 22 next year which, if he is selected, shapes as a game almost as anticipated as when Ben Cousins returned from suspension with West Coast and racked up 38 possessions.

Sydney has confirmed it is still keen on Tippett after he was suspended last Friday by the AFL commission.

Tippett has lodged his minimum terms for next week's pre-season draft, but it is understood they are shy of a reported early offer from Sydney of $3.55 million over four years, which had bonus clauses that can no longer be fulfilled because of the suspension.

Greater Western Sydney remains the greatest threat for Sydney, with a pick before Sydney in the draft.

GWS coach Kevin Sheedy played down Tippett's suspension, saying it amounted to no more than 22 hours of football and would not dampen his interest.

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