Crows need a 'change of atittude'

Adelaide Crows coach Brenton Sanderson says the team needs a change in attitude. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

BRENTON Sanderson has accused the Crows of having an attitude problem.

And after a "confronting" review of Saturday's 63-point thrashing by Geelong, he has warned his players to lift their workrate in Friday night's home NAB Cup clash against in-form Carlton.

SIGN UP NOW AND PICK YOUR SUPERCOACH TEAM

"We need to change our attitude. I need to see a different attitude," Sanderson said 16 days before Adelaide opens its premiership season campaign against Essendon.

"It's a lot about work rate.

"We're not working as hard off the ball as what we've become accustomed to.

We are not playing to the standard expected of this group and the players are aware of that

"That's something that can be addressed really quickly and we need to get back playing our way pretty quickly.

"You can't flick your switch with form but you can certainly flick your switch with attitude and we'll get a much better effort this week, I'm sure."

Sanderson - who was also critical of the Crows' forward structure and the big scores it has given up - said he was not yet panicking but noted the team must quickly return to its established playing style.

"We are not playing to the standard expected of this group and the players are aware of that," he said.

Asked why Adelaide had struggled through its pre-season games with a 2-2 record after going unbeaten through last year's NAB Cup campaign, Sanderson said: "It's a good question because we're not starting well.

"We've started poorly, which is purely an attitude issue which we've addressed with our senior players, and it's something we've got to get on top of pretty quickly.

"The opposition plays a part in that as well because, when they are up and about early in a match, it probably affects us if we're 2 or 3 per cent off the speed.

"I think at one stage last weekend we'd had two inside-50s and they (the Cats) had 20, we were kicking the ball at 30 per cent efficiency and they were kicking at 92.

"Sometimes it's just pressure around the footy. Our boys want to win and they are trying hard, but there are levels of trying hard, if that makes sense.

"So it's not do-or-die that we win this week, but we've got to get back to playing some good footy, to start to play our way - it's important."

Sanderson said the Crows would welcome back five first-choice players against Carlton.

Jared Petrenko (shoulder) and Sam Shaw (knee) will play their first games for the season after recovering from long-term injuries while Rory Sloane, AFL Rising Star winner Daniel Talia and Ian Callinan will return.

Twelve Crows left training early on Monday after being "violently ill" with a gastro bug, but Sanderson said all had recovered and were at training yesterday.

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Blues hit pokies jackpot

Carlton leads its Victorian AFL rivals in pokies revenues. Picture: Sarah Reed News Limited Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON has hit a $16.8 million jackpot thanks to new Victorian poker machine laws.

And combined annual revenues for the nine Victorian clubs with pokies will climb by $42.9 million to $76.8 million.

A Monash University report reveals the Blues will gorge on gaming revenues this year -- more than doubling what they took in 2012.

Hawthorn will also cash in, with their cut of revenues under the industry's new tax regime set to soar to $13.3 million.

Collingwood and Essendon will also smash through the $10 million barrier.

The Blues control 290 money-spinning machines at four hotels gifted by club powerbroker and pokies king Bruce Mathieson.

Ten-year licenses to run Victorian pokies were auctioned at bargain prices by the Brumby government in 2010 and came into affect in August last year.

The new model has been criticised for being far too generous to venue operators.

Nine out of 10 Victorian AFL clubs control poker machines.

North Melbourne is the only Victorian club without pokies because of a no-gambling policy introduced by the club's board last year.

Critics say the move has made it "nearly impossible'' for North to compete financially.

The Western Bulldogs, who control just 50 machines, have proposed a plan forcing clubs to share the spoils of bumper pokies profits in a bid to close the gap between the AFL's richest and poorest clubs.

Carlton said the Bulldogs' plan "won't be happening''.

The Monash University report is based on modelling of the state's new pokies tax arrangements and player losses from 2011-12 tabled by the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.

Blues chief executive Greg Swann said the figures did not take into account the club's $10 million debt and the expenses of running the venues.

"We've still got to pay for the machines and there's a lot of debt that we carry as well,'' Swann said.

"We would be lucky to net $3.5 million out of that.''

Mathieson and his pokies partner Woolworths also take a chunk of the profits in exchange for managing the venues.

But Swann admitted the club's pokies profits would soar in the back end of the 10-year licences after the debt was cleared.

Monash University gambling researcher Dr Charles Livingstone said the government's new tax regime had gifted pokies owners a licence to print money.

"How the venues -- in this case the AFL clubs -- manage this stream of revenue is their business,'' Livingstone said.

"The point is that they are cashing in on a bonanza essentially gifted to them by the government and which has clearly failed to deliver appropriate value to the people of Victoria.''

AFL POKIES LADDER

What your club reaps from the new pokies tax laws

                    Machines   Revenue to club   %increase
                        
Carlton             290                 $16.8m                  130%
Hawthorn         155                 $13.3m                    93%
Essendon        190                 $5.8m                    134%
Collingwood    180                 $5.6m                    119%
Geelong            180                 $5.2m                   141%
Melbourne        172                 $4.7m                    147%
W. Bulldogs        50                 $1.7m                    121%
Richmond           87                 $2.3m                    150%
St Kilda                83                 $1.6m                     203%
N. Melbourne       0                      0                             0

Total                   1397                 $42.9m                  127%

* See the full table in today's Herald Sun

Source: VCGLR, calculations by Monash University

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Vardy pushes to be fit for round one

Injured Geelong ruckman Nathan Vardy, right, alongside Josh Cowan. Picture: Mike Dugdale. Source: Geelong Advertiser

SIDELINED Geelong ruckman Nathan Vardy faces an uphill battle to play Round 1 as he continues to be grounded by a groin problem.

Cats assistant coach James Rahilly yesterday admitted the 198cm big man, who missed the end of 2011 and the majority of last year with a serious hip injury, remained a "week to week" prospect.

Vardy is yet to play in the NAB Cup and has been on a restricted training program, meaning he will enter the home and away season on the back of limited preparation.

Rahilly said Vardy's return date remained unclear but hopes the 21-year-old, who has been likened to a young Nick Riewoldt, will be fit in time for Round 1.

"We're very cautious on Nathan," Rahilly said.

"He's a bit of a week-to-week process. He's starting to get out there and do a little bit as well, but it's a bit week-by-week with him."

Mathew Stokes, who injured his ankle against West Coast in game one of the NAB Cup, is earmarked to return next week for the last match of the pre-season.

Stokes is still in Geelong's injury rehab group but is getting more confident with every session and moved well yesterday.

"He might struggle to play this week but he is training quite well. He's doing a lot of the running, a lot of changing of direction, he's coming up really well," Rahilly said.

Luckless forward Daniel Menzel remains on track for a Round 1 comeback via the VFL in his recovery from a third knee reconstruction.

Menzel trained with the forward group and also tested his knee with a series of individual drills, including tackling, changes of direction and marks on a lead.

Veteran Paul Chapman has been declared fit to play against the Kangaroos after being subbed out with a minor quad injury against the Crows and moved well in yesterday's session.

Rahilly said Menzel was in good spirits and counting down the days until his footy comeback.

"His progress has been really good," he said.

"Being the forward coach, I have him in my office once a week and we go through how he's going.

"There's been weeks where it hasn't been as good, but now he's getting closer (to Round 1) - he's getting the football boots on, he's doing a bit of running around and getting the ball in his hands - the season's not too far away and he's pretty excited and we're excited as well."

The Cats will have some tough decisions to make in regards to their ruckmen for Round 1 against Hawthorn.

While they hope Hamish McIntosh and Trent West will be available, their combined lack of match practice will create headaches at selection.

"That's going to be a tough decision," Rahilly said.

"I think all three (McIntosh, West and Vardy) will be reasonably close to Round 1.

"So it's up to the match committee to decide - and the physios and fitness guys - `have they done enough conditioning?', `are they right to go?'.

"We are pushing them to be close to Round 1. But if that happens, we're not sure yet."

Young forward Shane Kersten is also carrying a heel injury but the Cats are confident a managed approach will ensure it does not develop into a bigger problem.

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Your SuperCoach shopping list

Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett is king for SuperCoach players. Picture: David Clark Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

JUST as AFL clubs argue over salary caps, so must Supercoach players as you attempt to land the $50,000 for winning in 2013.

Naturally the NAB Cup can be used as a guide, not a definitive one, but a showcase that has already shown us the talents of Brad Crouch, Dean Terlich, Nick Vlastuin, Kane Mitchell and Koby Stevens.

Then there are those who are under-priced after missing large chunks because of injury last season.

West Coast forward Josh Kennedy leads that group along with Travis Varcoe, Jeremy Laidler, Matthew Leuenberger and Luke Ball.

With the considerable assistance of Louie Kebakoski from Champion Data, here is a form guide that might just take you a few steps closer to the $50,000 booty.

Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE

Patrick Dangerfield (Mid) $636,000
Has lost his dual position status but is almost untaggable as his average score per game of 136 points from Round 16 last year proved.

Taylor Walker (Fwd) $536,000
Loves AAMI Stadium where the Crows play seven of their first 11 games and he averaged 100 points last season.

Brad Crouch (Mid) $115,900
The boy from Beaufort is ready to announce himself in the AFL after a standout season as a 17-year-old for West Adelaide.

BRISBANE LIONS

Tom Rockliff (Fwd/Mid) $520,500
Now that he has dual position status, Rockliff becomes a lock.

Matthew Leuenberger (Ruck) $301,100
Because of injury last year Leuenberger is ridiculously cheap. He averaged 102 points per game in 2011.

Brent Moloney (Mid) $362,400
On the nose at Melbourne last year, Moloney is a clearance king set to thrive in a new environment.

CARLTON

Marc Murphy (Mid) $602,900
Since 2010 he has broken 100 points in 46 of 59 matches and averaged the fifth-most points of any player.

Matthew Kreuzer (Ruck) $494,100
Averaged 92 points per game last season and seems set to crack the ton.

Jeremy Laidler (Def) $288,900
Reads the game so well that he will always win possessions and uses it well.

Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD

Dane Swan (Mid) $675,300
Nothing to suggest he won't continue to average around 125 points per match as he has since 2009.

Luke Ball (Mid) $301,800
Enticing price for a ready-made midfielder. Similar in situation to Lenny Hayes last season.

Travis Cloke (Fwd) $436,300
You want key forwards then it comes down to Cloke, Franklin, the Riewoldts, Pavlich and Hawkins. Travis is well priced.

ESSENDON

Brendon Goddard (Def/Mid) $541,500
The Bombers will want the ball in his hands given his superb disposal skills.

Joe Daniher (Fwd) $154,500
Looks something special down the track and appeals as a bench player this year.

Michael Hurley (Fwd) $391,300
Might we see him in defence more? Hurley is cheap if he plays to his best.

FREMANTLE

Jonathon Griffin (Ruck) $491,400
Start off with him given Sandilands is injured and don't forget there are extra trades this season.

Paul Duffield (Def) $496,700
Duffield was the top-ranked defender in the AFL from Round 17 onwards last season, averaging 114 points per game.

David Mundy (Mid) $477,300
In 2011 he was the fourth-ranked midfielder in the first 11 games behind Marc Murphy, Gary Ablett and Scott Pendlebury.

Picture: Michael Dodge/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

GEELONG

Joel Selwood (Mid) $629,500
Selwood averaged the eighth-most points of any player in the AFL last season, recording 100 or more in all but three matches.

Travis Varcoe (Fwd/Mid) $268,900
Looks to be flying across half-back where his speed and creative delivery could make him a standout.

Tom Hawkins (Fwd) $508,800
Their aren't many key forwards you should look at, but Hawkins is clearly one.

GOLD COAST

Gary Ablett (Mid) $740,500
In his past 40 games "Gazza'' has scored more than 120 points 30 times. He has been the No.1 scorer in the game across the past two seasons.

Jaeger O'Meara (Mid) $115,900
O'Meara may be the most popular pick in the competition this year given his rating from all quarters.

Greg Broughton (Def/Fwd) $441,900
If used in defence he can surpass his average of 91 points per game in the first half of last year before he was moved forward.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

Toby Greene (Mid) $506,300
Would appear to be a ball magnet who can only improve after a stellar debut season.

Lachie Whitfield (Mid) $199,500
The No.1 draft pick averaged 141 points per match at last year's national under-18 championships.

Jonathon Patton (Fwd) $242,300
With another pre-season under his belt expect him to show us why he was a pick one.

HAWTHORN

Sam Mitchell (Mid) $592,600
An excellent option if you don't want to pay the extra for ``Gazza'' or ``Swanny''.

Brian Lake (Def) $430,700
Consider him cheap given his ability to notch huge numbers from a key defensive role.

Lance Franklin (Fwd) $618,000
Led the competition for scoreboard impact last year, averaging the most disposals and points of any forward.

Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE

Dean Terlich (Def) $109,500
Similar to Nick Duigan, Terlich is a mature-aged half-back from Norwood who can get plenty of the ball.

Shannon Byrnes (Fwd) $230,100
Would be surprised if he remains at this price for long given Mark Neeld clearly rates him.

Colin Sylvia (Fwd/Mid) $433,400
Just needs an injury-free season to become a standout given his dual status.

NORTH MELBOURNE

Todd Goldstein (Ruck) $497,900
With Hamish McIntosh gone, Goldstein can get back to his 2011 form when only Dean Cox scored more points as a ruckman.

Leigh Adams (Fwd/Mid) $442,600
Just a very honest team member who can rack up the numbers when set free.

Andrew Swallow (Mid) $585,100
His past record says Swallow deserves to be well over $600,000.

PORT ADELAIDE

Kane Mitchell (Mid) $126,200
The 2012 Sandover medallist just needs senior list promotion to repeat his WAFL form.

Hamish Hartlett (Def/Mid) $489,000
If he can stay on the park then his price is cheap for a player with dual position status. He can seriously find the ball.

Lewis Stevenson (Def) $115,900
Can win the ball across half-back and is ready to go as a mature-aged recruit.

RICHMOND

Brett Deledio (Mid) $624,100
Looks to be near his peak after an excellent year of possession-winning in 2012.

Dustin Martin (Fwd/Mid) $473,500
Has dual position status. Write him off at your peril.

Nick Vlastuin (Def) $159,500
Richmond coach Hardwick is happy to play the good ones young and Vlastuin is seriously good.

ST KILDA

Tom Lee (Fwd) $115,900
At 24, the former Claremont forward is well worth a punt at a bargain basement price given he can find the goals.

Nick Dal Santo (Mid) $544,800
Watch him rack up the numbers early against the Gold Coast and GWS.

Sam Fisher (Def) $444,100
Depends what role he plays, but if allowed to be unaccountable then he is a must.

Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

SYDNEY

Josh Kennedy (Mid) $643,000
At 24, possibly has his best football ahead of him. His elite inside work makes him very hard to tag.

Dean Towers (Mid) $114,500
Sydney has signalled its intention in the pre-season with a player it secured with pick 22.

Shane Mumford (Ruck) $486,900
Another cheapie given what he is capable of. After a good pre-season he is set to rival Cox as the highest scoring ruckman.

WEST COAST

Josh Kennedy (Fwd) $299,600
Arguably the cheapest gun forward going around and an absolute must for any forward line.

Dean Cox (Fwd/Ruck) $600,700
With Nic Natanui injured early, expect Cox to repeat his 2012 average of 112 points per match.

Luke Shuey (Mid) $553,100
Not far off moving into gold class after topping 100 points in 11 of 21 games last year.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Matthew Boyd (Mid) $605,800
For someone who costs slightly below the elite, Boyd is one of the safest bets.

Koby Stevens (Mid) $176,600
Starved of opportunities in his time at the Eagles. Expect him to slot straight into the Bulldogs' midfield.

Adam Cooney (Mid) $405,100
Showed glimpses of his brilliance in his final two games last season, scoring 90 and 129 points.

Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

SPORTSBET.COM.AU ODDS

2013 Highest-scoring rookie

$3.50 Jack Viney (Melb)
$7 Ollie Wines (Port)
$7.50 Jimmy Toumpas (Melb)
$9 Jake Stringer (WB)
$9 Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
$9 Jono O'Rourke (GWS)
$13 Jackson Macrae (WB)
$13 Nick Vlastuin (Rich)

Full list: sportsbet.com.au

SUPERCOACH WILDCARDS

Luke Thompson (Adel, def) $219,400
Clay Beames (Bris, mid) $355,100
Kane Lucas (Carl, mid) $217,400
Brent Macaffer (Coll, fwd) $128,000
Nick Kommer (Ess, mid) $109,500
Lee Spurr (Freo, def) $367,700
Josh Cowan (Geel, mid) $115,900
Jesse Lonergan (GC, mid) $139,500
Adam Tomlinson (GWS, fwd) $258,000
Jonathan Simpkin (Haw, mid) $198,000
Jack Viney  (Melb, mid) $109,500
Aaron Black (North, fwd) $212,600
Campbell Heath (Port, def) $115,900
Chris Knights (Rich, fwd ) $248,300
Arryn Siposs (St K, fwd) $316,600
Tom Mitchell (Sydney, mid) $115,900
Easton Wood (WB, def) $302,300
Brad Sheppard (WC, mid) $296,900

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

League chief set to play on

AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou says he's ready to kick on. Source: Herald Sun

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has said his tenure will extend well beyond a decade, hinting he plans to be in the top job for a minimum of three more years.

Demetriou will mark 10 years as chief executive at this year's Grand Final, but football identities such as former Victorian premier and Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett have wondered aloud about whether he should move on.

Demetriou has consistently refused to say when he might call it a day, stating only that he is happy about the challenges of his role.

But when he accepted VicSport's Victorian Sports Leadership Award on Monday night, he made it clear he would be at the helm for the next television rights negotiation.

I am very enthusiastic about the future ... what you see on the park at the moment is brilliant

The AFL customarily signs its TV rights deal in the previous season - Seven and Foxtel agreed on a deal for the 2012-16 seasons in April 2011.

That means Demetriou is locked in for the next three years at least.

"I am very enthusiastic about the future," he said.

"We are about to appoint three new executives, we have some wonderful challenges with expansion to our competition, and we have the next broadcast rights just around the corner. We have a lot to look forward to.

"And football itself - what you see on the park at the moment is brilliant.

"We have been blessed with some wonderful Grand Finals, none as good as what we saw last year, so I am absolutely charged and ready to go."

Kennett argued that the AFL needed a cultural shift and that Demetriou and key members of his executive had stayed too long.

AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said last year of Demetriou: "When the commission feels he's starting to flag or tire we'll tap him on the shoulder."

But Fitzpatrick gave his total backing to Demetriou, who he said had "unfinished business" to "get up a good, stable, 18-team competition."

Demetriou joked on Monday that when he moved on from the AFL, "I look forward to putting the tracksuit pants on, and ugg boots and sitting in front of the television".

He said the public's support for him and his family made bearable the scrutiny he faced.

"The public have been very kind to our family," he said. "We don't get abused. We can go to the supermarket and people don't intrude in our privacy.

"From a personal perspective (the scrutiny) doesn't affect me.

"I have four young children and when you try to get them out of the pool and make sure they get dressed and have dinner and they are throwing food at you, it's a great leveller."

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lively Dogs fail to sing

Western Bulldogs young gun Mitch Wallis was keen to sing the club song after defeating Hawthorn. Picture: Mark Wilson Source: Herald Sun

SENIOR players decreed that the Western Bulldogs wouldn't sing the club theme song at Etihad Stadium last Friday night.

It was decided to channel the energy and excitment from the narrow NAB Cup win against Hawthorn into longer term goals.

Understandably, the younger Dogs were eager to belt out "Sons of the West'' for the first time since a round 12 home victory against Port Adelaide at the same venue on a mid-June night last year.

"I went up after the game, I was pretty excited, but I came back to reality that it is a practice match. But I'm still passionate about winning and I've only had a few, so everyone counts,'' midfielder Mitch Wallis said.

"In the rooms after the game, it was just a different feeling. It had been a while since our last win, eight or nine months, and to get that feeling again gives us confidence. Training this week has been great so far, how we feel and how we're going about it.

"It was great in the rooms after the game, it was great in the review. Just a feeling you want to sustain and have more than just a few.

"A lot of things we had put in place over the pre-season in terms of structures really came into play and was the reason why we won.

"Our ball movement allowed us to defend the ground better. We found targets and we weren't chasing them all day, they were chasing us. The way we were able to hit the scoreboard and hold onto the footy was probably the main thing.

"So, it gave the boys a lot of confidence that what we're doing is the right thing and moving forward to keep developing those things to hold us in good stead against the top teams.

"That has been a main focus, finishing off quarters and not leaking goals late in quarters. The last five minutes was really great and promising signs for this year.''

The developing Doggies face another stern test against Fremantle in expected 30-plus heat after the long flight and then a bus trip to Mandurah, south of Perth on Saturday.

"Going into this week, you're confident the structures and the game plan that we have can hold up,'' Wallis said.

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Players face 'carnage', coaches warned

Collingwood midfielder Dayne Beams heads for the interchange bench as Luke Ball runs onto the field. Picture: Stephen Harman. Source: Herald Sun

AFL coaches have been warned players will be subjected to "carnage" akin to cage fighting if the league leaves the game unchecked by rule changes.

As AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou warned an interchange cap would come in despite the objections of coaches next year, the dangers facing players if the league did nothing was laid bare.

Professor Kevin Norton, the author of an AFL-sanctioned research report about rules and former AFL general manager Adrian Anderson's confidante on the subject, said there was a link between game speed, serious injuries and concussions.

He says without the recent rule changes to make the game more continuous - fatiguing players and slowing them down - AFL would resemble mixed martial arts.

It would be carnage. The players are so big and so powerful. It is frightening

But Norton, a professor of exercise science at the University of South Australia, said football left unchecked would be a brutal, dangerous game which put players at risk.

"I watched AFL 360 last night and people were saying why don't they stop changing the rules," he said.

"I saw Greg Williams interviewed recently (about his brain issues). With the size and speed of players, if we hadn't changed the rules, the carnage would be unbelievable.

"If we let players go for 20 seconds and then rest for 20 seconds, it would be like watching MMA (mixed martial arts). It would be carnage. The players are so big and so powerful. It is frightening.

"If they get enough rest to completely recover they generate such huge power. It makes sense from a physiological point of view to try to take the edge off their power."

Norton, who worked for Adelaide for seven years and the AFL for 13, said the league's rules to make the game more continuous had dramatically lifted the time the ball is in play.

It went from an average passage of play of 21 seconds before a 21-second stoppage, to 40 seconds of continuous play with just 15 seconds of rest.

Player density has reduced those positive changes, but ideally players become tired, and hit with less force, doing less damage to opponents.

Norton said changes designed to protect players heads meant less cases of concussion, but said the connection to player speed could be made.

Norton's recent report - Changes in Player Density 2001-2012 - shows player density has doubled in the past four years, with vast numbers of players regularly crowding stoppages.

Demetriou yesterday was adamant the interchange cap was coming in 2014.

"The fact of the matter is, unless people have got amnesia, the AFL Commission has already passed the rule," Demetriou said.

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Goodes set for return against Suns

Sydney Swans coach John Longmire expects big-name players Adam Goodes, Kieran Jack and Rhyce Shaw to return for the third round of the NAB Cup.

Sydney Swans veteran Adam Goodes with prized recruit Kurt Tippett. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images

CO-CAPTAIN Adam Goodes will headline a list of welcome inclusions for Sydney on the weekend, as coach John Longmire looks to juggle the playing time of some of the pillars of the Swans' premiership defence.

Goodes trained well yesterday and will make his first appearance since his 2012 Grand Final knee injury when the Swans host Gold Coast at Blacktown on Saturday night.

The dual Brownlow Medallist, who spent all summer recovering from a torn PCL, and Rhyce Shaw (calf) will play their first pre-season matches.

Nick Malceski and Shane Mumford could possibly do the same but it is the return of Goodes - the champion who turned 33 in January - that is expected to play only a half against the Suns, that will excite red-and-white faithful the most.

"He has been training really well the past few weeks," Longmire said of the 319-game veteran, who will turn out for his 16th season with the Swans.

"He won't play the whole game, but he'll come in and hopefully get some quality game time under his belt.

"He'll play a half of football this week, hopefully, and then we'll look to give him more game time next week."

Rebounding defenders Nick Smith (knee) and Marty Mattner (hip) will again miss out, but the pair could return next week as they look to prove they are match fit for the Swans' Round 1 clash with Greater Western Sydney on March 30.

"A lot will depend on the next couple of weeks at training, but we're not looking at that just yet," Longmire said of the duo's chances of playing in Round 1.

The injuries, coupled with the Swans' later start to pre-season training due to their premiership success, has made for a difficult start to 2013.

"We've really been limited by some injuries and players coming back into the team, and some little niggles that we've had over the last couple of weeks," Longmire said of his charges, who have dropped their first three pre-season games.

" It's a challenge, but it's a challenge other teams cope with as well.

"So it's not unusual.

"It's just a matter of making sure we maximise all of our training and game time, and that's what we intend to do.

"We think we'll be right by Round 1 - and we've got to be."

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

The back room boys

AFLPA chairman Ian Prendergast, right, pictured here with chief executive Matt Finnis, is one of the most powerful men in football.Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: Herald Sun

EVERYONE knows the role Stevie Johnson played in Geelong's premierships.

But how many know the name or the face of the man who brought him to the club?

We know the ins and outs of Chris Judd's and Kurt Tippett's contract dramas, but virtually nothing about the man who polices them.

Bruce McAvaney is the one we associate with Channel 7's Friday night football, never the bloke on the other side of the camera who controls the footage beamed into our living rooms.

People like Stephen Wells, Ken Wood and Gary O'Keeffe heavily influence Australian football as we know it, and represent a cross-section of the invisible men and women of AFL football.

Geelong, with its three premierships, is the most successful AFL club of the past decade, however the Cats have tended to epitomise better than anyone the no-fuss low-key approach.

Two men who typify those understated methods are Wells, widely regarded as one of the best recruiters in the business, and team performance manager Steve Hocking.

Geelong's general manager of football, Neil Balme, suggested that the pair's low media profiles could be attributed to the fact that they felt secure in their own capabilities and standing within the club, and therefore "they don't feel the need to blow their own trumpets".

"It's not that they are happy being in the background - and they're very much not in the background from club's perspective - it's just that they're consumed by doing what they do, and that doesn't require them being in the public spotlight," Balme said.

Wells succinctly explained what motivated him when receiving Geelong's R.J. Hickey award in 2009 for outstanding service to Australian football.

"I'm so lucky," Wells said.

"It's a joy to come to work ... I think I might have the best job in the world."

THE LIST

1. KEN WOOD
AFL club compliance officer

WOOD is a somewhat mysterious figure loosely known as the AFL's salary-cap watchdog. He makes a conscious decision to keep out of the spotlight (no photograph of him exists in the Herald Sun data base) and the AFL prefers it that way, too. But make no mistake, he carries considerable clout. Wood, who is part of the AFL's football operations sub-committee, heads a team of five that constantly monitors and investigates clubs and players regarding their salary cap, marketing allowance and third-party payments. He is the AFL's go-to man for issues such as Kurt Tippett's contract or Chris Judd's Visy deal.

2. DEAN MOORE
Sydney Swans general manager of football

MOORE was the South Melbourne team manager in the late 1970s before moving to AFL headquarters, where he spent more than two decades, eventually settling into the role of projects manager. His intimate knowledge of the league's inner workings made Moore a great pick-up for the Swans he when returned to club land at the end of 2009. Insiders praise his professionalism, diligence and no-nonsense efficiency. He actively avoids being the focus of media attention and, as a result, most of the population would struggle to identify Moore even if he stood up in their porridge.

3. STEVE HOCKING
Geelong team performance manager

TEN years after his under-rated 199-game career ended with the Cats' 1994 Grand Final loss, Hocking returned to Geelong as chairman of the match committee. After a couple of seasons in that role he sold his picture-framing business and took on the full-time position as Geelong's training services manager. At the end of 2006, a review of the club by chief executive Brian Cook recommended that the straight-shooting Hocking should take on a greater role and relieve the administrative pressures on coach Mark Thompson, freeing him up to concentrate on improving the players and team. Now the quintessential back-room boy, the respected Hocking even fills in as chief executive when Cook takes annual leave.

4. CHRIS LYNCH
AFL commissioner

MOST of the other commissioners would be more recognisable publicly than Lynch, who played five games in the No.31 jumper for Geelong in the early 1970s. A former BHP chief financial officer and Transurban CEO, he has been on the AFL commission since 2008. He is part of the league's audit committee and has a big say in its financial affairs. Has also taken a close interest in the progress of the Suns and the club's administrators on the Gold Coast, where he has property interests. The AFL thinks so highly of Lynch's business acumen that it is attempting to keep him involved, even though he has accepted a London-based job as Rio Tinto's CFO.

5. PHIL WALSH
West Coast's strategy and innovations coach

WALSH, who played 122 games for Collingwood, Richmond and Brisbane in the 1980s, has been an AFL assistant coach for almost two decades, but his stocks have never been higher. His degree in physical education gave him a start as a strength and conditioning coach at Geelong, before a decade spent as Port Adelaide assistant coach, taking in the 2004 premiership. Walsh earned a reputation as one of the game's sharpest football minds, and at the end of 2008 he was poached by West Coast. The Power looked to return the favour a few years later, with Walsh earmarked for the senior coaching job at Alberton in 2012, but the Eagles offered him a new deal.

6. TONY PEEK
Assistant to the AFL chief executive officer

YOU might recognise the face from the days when he was the AFL's media manager and used to tap the freshly announced Brownlow medallist on the shoulder and let him know it was time to come up on stage. Peek, 63, started as a sports journalist and went into sports marketing before joining the then-VFL in 1989. He is now Andrew Demetriou's right-hand man and one of nine on the AFL executive, doing everything from organising Demetriou's diary to scheduling and mapping out AFL commission meetings.

7. IAN PRENDERGAST
AFLPA general manager of player relations

PRENDERGAST, who played 65 games for Carlton from 1999 to 2006, has a hands-on role supporting the AFL players. Has spent time with the Essendon players over recent weeks, as well as supporting and advising players such as Chris Judd and Joel Selwood over third-party deals and their "legitimate right to earn income through these commercial arrangements". Pendergast, who completed a law degree at Monash University, joined the AFLPA in 2009. Apart from acting as an advocate for players, he also oversees the accreditation and regulation of player agents.

8. STEPHEN WELLS
Geelong recruiting manager

WHILE some AFL recruiters strut around with their chests pumped out come draft time, Wells is a more self-effacing type. Yet his record tells you he is the best recruiter in the business. The Cats' under-19s assistant coach in 1986, he was appointed their recruiting manager in 1994. Not only has Wells since recruited the footballers who took the club to three premierships, he has done so with limited access to early draft picks. Players such as Paul Chapman (pick 31), Cameron Ling (38), Corey Enright (47), Steve Johnson (24), James Kelly and Harry Taylor (both 17) help prove why Wells is rated such an astute judge.

9. PAUL ARMSTRONG
AFL Coaches' Association operations manager

WHILE former St Kilda skipper Danny Frawley is the face of the AFLCA, it is Armstrong - who played a dozen games for the Saints in 1982 - who does the grunt work. "Arma" has held a variety of roles in football, ranging from country football and U18s to being football manager at three AFL clubs, most recently during Frawley's coaching stint at Richmond. He now works closely with dozens of AFL coaches and assistant coaches, primarily helping them develop personally and professionally and supporting them in difficult times.

10. GARY O'KEEFFE
Channel 7's co-ordinating producer of AFL

YOU'LL know all of the talking heads, you've probably even heard of a few of the big bosses. But O'Keeffe is the bloke who is largely responsible for how you watch your footy matches on Channel 7. He started out as a Channel 7 cameraman in Perth in 1986 before moving to producing and directing all manner of sports, including AFL Grand Finals, Melbourne Cups and Australian Open tennis finals. It involved plenty of hours sitting in the broadcast truck calling the shots. He now oversees Seven's coverage of AFL matches as well as production of Game Day on a Sunday morning.

23.49 | 0 komentar | Read More