AFL NEWS
Thursday, 4 June, 2009
RUTTEN SAYS “TAKE THE CHANCE”
Richmond assistant coaches have been urged to apply for the Tigers' interim position by Brett Ratten, who says it is a golden opportunity to shine. Jon Ralph of the Herald Sun reports that Ratten was Carlton's caretaker coach for the last six rounds of 2007 after Denis Pagan was sacked, before being given the job fulltime. He won the job despite six consecutive losses. Yesterday Ratten backed Blues assistant Mark Riley as a potential senior coach, and said Richmond's assistants should embrace the opportunity. Riley was the caretaker coach at Melbourne after Neale Daniher re-signed in 2007 and is considered one of footy's astute thinkers. "He could go and coach a senior team tomorrow. He's got all the skills to do that. If he said he wanted to go for it, he would get a reference from me any time. I think he's outstanding and he has the skills to do that," Ratten said.
Richmond assistants Wayne Campbell, Craig McRae, Jade Rawlings, Brian Royal and David King are being interviewed by the club for the position, before it is ticked off by the Tigers board. "I would say for anyone if you are in doubt, take it, because history shows there have been a lot of caretakers that have gone in and won the job," Ratten said. "I think Paul Roos has done it and he's a premiership coach, so if I was any of those blokes, I would recommend they go for it. It's a great opportunity for anyone to display their skills. You get to do that through meetings, game day, quarter-time, halftime speeches, you get to really put it out there and show what you are capable of doing, which is the greatest thing of all time. How do you gain experience? Through going out and doing it, so it's a great experience for somebody."
TENSIONS BUILD BETWEEN DOGS AND DEMONS
Tension between the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne have boiled over, according to the Herald Sun, with claims the Demons are copying Bulldog ideas. Mark Stevens reports today that the Bulldogs, already willing to fight for their turf in Darwin despite Melbourne's interest, were surprised on Friday to learn the Demons had joined forces with the Victorian Women's Football League. "Leaders are always copied. The best form of flattery is someone takes your idea and claims it as theirs," Bulldogs chief executive Campbell Rose said. Rose said the club had spent several years supporting the VWFL after president Debbie Lee knocked on his door in 2004 in search of a job in football. But Rose said Lee was "poached" by the Demons late last year and he was disappointed to see an article in the Herald Sun on Friday spruiking a Melbourne-VWFL partnership. If they (Melbourne) think it's a massive coup or a game of one-upmanship, they've got it terribly wrong," Rose said. I am terribly disappointed in Debbie Lee. After five years of work in this area, I learnt of a new relationship with Melbourne via newspapers and a cryptic letter. I would have thought she could have picked up the phone and called."
The latest development comes almost five months after the Dogs beat the Demons to sign major sponsor Mission Foods. There was angst at the time, but Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab last night denied the club had gone to the AFL to raise its concerns about the process. But with the Dees now openly eyeing Darwin and joining with the women's league, Rose conceded he had wondered if there was lingering resentment because of the close call with Mission. "There is not a skerrick of animosity or resentment towards Melbourne in any fashion from our president, myself or our club, however I've often wondered if those sentiments have been reciprocated," Rose said.
The Dogs won a deal worth $4.5 million over three years with Mission Foods and Melbourne was forced to keep searching, finally coming up with joint sponsors. Melbourne last week confirmed it saw Darwin as a good fit for up to two home games, but the Dogs are willing to fight on that front if they have to. Schwab strongly disputed the "copycat" claims. "Our club admires what the Bulldogs have done to build their club," Schwab said. "We've got a little saying we use, which is what we do is special, not unique. You learn a lot from other clubs. The special will be the application to our club."
Schwab said there was no connection between Mission, Darwin and the VWFL arrangement. He said there was no lingering resentment over Mission. "There's a lot of competition in our sport. We went a long way down the track with Mission and they made a choice -- we ended up with two fantastic sponsors," Schwab said, also defending the partnership with the VWFL. "We've formed a group called the Women of Melbourne and the initiative came through there," Schwab said. "We have a board member, Karen Hayes, who chairs that group. Debbie Lee has been a real important figure in women's football and runs our community programs."
NO.1 DRAFT PICK TO PLAY
The wait is finally over for Melbourne fans desperate to see No. 1 draft pick Jack Watts in action, reports Martin Boulton of The Age. Not since St Kilda star Nick Riewoldt played his first game in round 15, 2001, have footy fans waited until midway through a season to see the AFL's top-ranked draft pick make his debut. Watts earned his spot in Monday's game against Collingwood on the back of two strong games with Casey Scorpions in the VFL — collecting 22 and 23 disposals in the past fortnight. His AFL debut follows two games this year with Casey Scorpions reserves and four with the club's senior team. Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said the Brighton Grammar student had successfully combined his studies and training loads and could even hold his spot with the Demons in the second half of the season. "There's certainly a possibility … we've just got to monitor him," Bailey said yesterday. "If Jack had shown signs he was unable to handle (school and training) then his program would have been pulled back football-wise, but he's shown really strong time management (and) he's doing very well at school. What he's shown the last couple of weeks, he deserves the chance to play this weekend."
This time last year, Watts — still wavering between a career in football or basketball — booted four goals playing for Vic Metro against Vic Country during the under-18 national championships at the MCG. His fourth goal that day, which followed a strong pack mark, won the match for Vic Metro in the last few seconds and he returns to the 'G on Monday for the first time wearing No. 4 for the Demons. "I've worked pretty hard the last few months and to be with the boys on game day will be a great thrill," he said. "I'm obviously very lucky — it's going to be a massive game and I wouldn't have played in front of more than 2000 people, let alone 70 (thousand) … hopefully I can do my bit for the team."
The 18-year-old said he felt ready for the challenge, which comes the day before a year 12 accounting exam. "To be honest, I think accounting will be the last thing on my mind on Monday," he said. Not that his studies have been neglected, said Bailey, who emphasised that maintaining a balance between study and football was crucial in Watt's first season at the club. "His school has been unbelievably helpful," the coach said. "It's almost like he's got a full-time job with school and he's expected to be a full-time footballer — that takes a lot out of anyone and we've got to manage his loads and ensure we're not overtaxing him.
IS SCARLETT THE BEST FULLBACK ALL-TIME?
Mike Sheahan has put Geelong’s Matthew Scarlett among the best AFL fullbacks of all-time .. possibly even the best. Writing today, Sheahan says for more than 20 years on, North Melbourne's David Dench remains his favourite full-back. He was before his time - a mix of rare athleticism, strength and aggression, coupled with a sense of daring highly unusual for defenders of the day. He won four best-and-fairests in 11 seasons (1971-81) among players who were to fill half the positions in North's Team of the Century.
Since Dench retired in 1984, the list of full-backs immediately behind him has stretched to six or seven. Stephen Silvagni, full-back in the AFL's Team of the Century, obviously is one; Hall-of-Famers Geoff Southby, Kelvin Moore and Chris Langford are there, too; Ashley McIntosh was much underrated, and Dustin Fletcher must be included. Then there's Scarlett.
Not only is Scarlett the pre-eminent full-back of the 2000s, in my view, he now stands alongside Dench. When a team contains Gary Ablett, Steve Johnson, Jimmy Bartel and Joel Selwood, several others are going to be denied the recognition they deserve. Scarlett, Joel Corey, twice club champion at Geelong in the past four years, Paul Chapman, Corey Enright and Cameron Ling all are cases in point. If the All-Australian team for 2009 were named now, he would be full-back - for the fifth time.
Just as Dench was, Scarlett is both defensive and offensive. He knows the precise moment to turn from negative to creative, hence his remarkable numbers for a full-back. He was superb again on Sunday, playing on probably his most regular opponent, Essendon great Matthew Lloyd. Lloyd won his first kick at the 10-minute mark of the second quarter. He hadn't actually been swamped with opportunities, yet Scarlett got him comprehensively for the afternoon. Lloyd had seven disposals, three in the meaningless last quarter, and kicked one goal.
Champion Data statistics show Scarlett conceding 13 goals from 10 games this year. Not bad when Tom Harley, Josh Hunt and Darren Milburn have been missing for so much of the time. It is the third year in a row he has held opponents to an average lower than 1.5 goals a game. He was in Geelong's best three players in the Grand Finals of 2007-08, and many considered him unlucky to miss the Norm Smith Medal in '07. His finals series that year was amazing, much like Silvagni's brilliant series in 1995. Like Silvagni, he did not concede a goal, and he averaged 22 disposals in three games.
CARAZZO SET TO RETURN
Andrew Carrazzo is among several Blues in contention to bolster Carlton's midfield for the clash with Brisbane at the Gabba Saturday night. AAP reports today that Carrazzo has played just two games this season, missing the first four with a broken arm then fracturing a finger in round six. But, after having a pin removed from the finger on Tuesday, Ratten said the 2007 best and fairest could return against the Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night. Heath Scotland, who missed the past two rounds with hip soreness, and Shaun Grigg, who has impressed in the VFL over the past fortnight after overcoming an ankle injury, are also under strong consideration. "(Carrazzo's) fitness levels are outstanding ... from training, running around half touching the ball with his other hand," Ratten said on Wednesday. Now he can fully touch it, so he's right. Grigg's right in the mix, he's had two performances in the reserves of over 30 possessions and Scotland's right to go."
When the clubs last met - a 19-point Blues' win just two months ago at Etihad Stadium - Carlton dominated the midfield to kick eight goals to one in the second term, before the Lions turned the tables in the centre and kicked five goals in 10 minutes in the third. "The stats show that Brisbane score a lot from centre bounces and they're very effective from there," Ratten said. "It was a bit like that (in round two), in the third quarter they really got going again from centre bounces. It will be a big stat for the game, we'll reflect on that and say who won the centre clearances actually got to score a lot easier."
HIRD ON THE HAWKS
James Hird says its just about d-day for Hawthorn if they are to defend the AFL premiership they won last year. Writing in the Age today, he even admits that if you’ spent last year out of the country and watched the Hawks last weekend, you would say there is no way they can win the 2009 flag. And if they they finish outside the top four they can’t win it, which means they have to win nine of the last 12 to be a legitimate flag contender.
Injuries, confidence and lack of form have all played a part in Hawthorn's season so far, writes Hird. Five wins is a reasonable reward for the way the Hawks have played. The loss of several premiership stars is a legitimate factor, but it is coming to the point where Hawthorn needs to start getting players on the park who are match-fit and capable of playing at their best. A failure to do so may see a team that resembles the premier of last year in personnel but not in form or results.
Coach Alastair Clarkson stated the common view on his team after its defeat to Adelaide on Sunday - that it would struggle to play well consistently until "we get our best cattle on the park". But getting the cattle back is only part of the solution - they also need time to find match fitness and form. It is almost halfway through the season and the point at which it becomes too late to have the team ready for a serious premiership tilt is fast approaching. Hird says this from the experience of trying to play with players who are underdone, and of playing myself as an underdone player.
Supporters, opposition and media experts read the names on the team sheet and have an expectation of performance, but because of a lack of training and match intensity, the players named are well below their best. Luke Hodge is a clear case in point. Hodge is one of many premiership players who has been missing or played injured - last weekend the Hawthorn team was missing seven players from the side that won the Grand Final. But it is the way Hodge played before he took some time off that is the worry, and illustrates why Hawthorn's problems run deeper than just having players out. Hodge is almost my favourite player. At his best he is aggressive, smart and a great deliverer of the ball. Unfortunately, the Hodge we saw in the first seven rounds was a very different player. He was hampered by injury, lack of training and match practice.
This is the reality when you miss most of pre-season and do not get a consistent run at training and in games. Sadly for the Hawks, Hodge is not the only one of their group in this position. They have several players who lack any real training or match time. Trent Croad, Stephen Gilham, Xavier Ellis, Rick Ladson, Clinton Young and Michael Osborne, who all played key roles in the Hawks' rise last year, have played fewer than seven games for the year and had little influence. Among these names are mostly key defenders and hard, aggressive runners.
The loss of Croad and Gilham means the Hawks are more susceptible against big power forwards and Warren Tredrea (six goals) and Brendan Fevola (eight) have both taken advantage of this.
The Hawks have also missed having Hodge to chop off opposition forward moves and set up play from behind the centre. The smaller types in Ladson and Osborne are important, too, as they are aggressive at the ball and man, which often prevents the ball coming into the defensive 50. Without them the Hawks lack the balance they had last year. Ellis and Shane Crawford's run and carry has also been sorely missed, and is one reason why Lance Franklin and Jarryd Roughead are not as effective as they were last year.
The trap then for a club is to say, 'When we get our best players back, we will be good again'. Most of the time this does not happen. In 1994 Essendon was coming off a premiership and won the pre-season grand final, and was then beset by injuries. All through that year we were waiting for Mark Thompson, Tim Watson, Michael Long and others to come back so we could defend the title. It was a wasted year because we all thought we would be back to our premiership form when these guys came back. But when they did return, others got injured and we could never get a run on.
Hird concludes by saying he doesn’t think Hawthorn will miss the finals, but he does think there needs to be a recognition that what Hawthorn played with last weekend could be what it will play with all year. Hodge will return after the mid-season break and, while Croad's immediate future is uncertain, Gilham, Ladson and Young should be back in the side during the second half of the year. Ellis played his first game back from his latest injury setback last weekend. But even if all those players return, the chances are someone else will go down.
To me this creates a great opportunity within a club. Players who have been on the fringe, such as Garry Moss and Brendan Whitecross, have an opportunity to make a career for themselves and own a position. The ethos at Hawthorn is about playing your role. And even premiership defences are subject to a turnover of 20 per cent of players each year. Fringe players who have a spot in the Hawthorn side have 12 weeks to make a name for themselves, but also a chance to put the Hawks into the top four for a legitimate chance at back-to-back flags. Without this effort from those players, the Hawks might get Hodge and Co back, but it may be a little too late. Getting back in the team is one thing, but getting back to the top of your game is another.
TASSIE VOWS TO GET MORE HAWKS GAMES
Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett has vowed Hawthorn will play five AFL games in Tasmania as early as 2011, according to the Herald Sun’s Michael Stedman. The pledge came as he reneged on a commitment to put a new sponsorship deal out to tender to extract the most value from the $15 million investment, he reports. Instead, a contract extension beyond 2011 will be discussed exclusively with the Hawks. In return, the premiers have thrown their support behind a push to play a fifth home-and-away game in Launceston, which Bartlett said could deliver an extra $4 million for the state economy. He did not expect the new contract would cost more. "Tasmanians will see their beloved Hawks return to Aurora Stadium with a new contract," Bartlett said. "Let's put it in perspective, four matches delivers some $16 million to the Tasmanian economy per year."
But the promise of an extra game is still a long way off. AFL media manager Patrick Keane said it was unlikely extra games would be added to the fixture until western Sydney joined the league, no sooner than 2012. Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett said the Hawks would love to play another game in Launceston, but it was not the club's gift to give. "All we can be is active advocates in arguing for a fifth game and I am confident that as the league expands we will get it."
LADE: PORT PLAYERS AT FAULT
Port Adelaide's senior players have put themselves on notice to perform or face the axe, ruckman Brendan Lade says. According to the Age, Lade, a member of the club's leadership group, said younger players can't be blamed for a topsy-turvey season in which the Power had failed to win consecutive games. The 10th-placed Power hosts Fremantle on Saturday night but will be without pivotal playmakers including Chad Cornes (knee) and Shaun Burgoyne (knee). Livewire forward Daniel Motlop (ankle) also missed training yesterday. "We've got three or four leaders out and the other ones aren't playing that well," Lade said. "Everyone says the young guys are inconsistent, but it's definitely up to the older guys to lead and show the younger guys how to play." Lade said Port coach Mark Williams, whose contract expires at the end of the season, was being let down by his players.
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