Kernahan: Carlton in the clear

We don't have a problem: Carlton club president Stephen Kernahan. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON president Stephen Kernahan has assured supporters there are no drug issues at the club ahead of a meeting with the AFL tomorrow.

As the supplement scandal continues to dog Essendon, Kernahan declared the Blues were clear of any wrongdoing.

"I'd like to assure everyone ... the Carlton Football Club is confident we've had the right governance controls in place," he said. "We've got excellent chains of command to not have any issues with the supplement saga.

"I thank our club doctor (Ben Barresi), who works closely with our high-performance manager (Justin Cordy) and sports science manager (Aaron Coutts) that we've had no issues at all."

 

23.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Demons probe decision imminent

Dean Bailey could face possible suspension when the Demons learn the outcome in the Melbourne tanking investigation. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE expects to learn the outcome of the AFL's tanking investigation today or tomorrow.

The Demons, who have assembled a team of lawyers and wealthy benefactors in anticipation, believe they will hear from the league at the start of this week.

Melbourne remains confident any AFL sanction won't involve the loss of draft picks, with Dean Bailey and Chris Connolly the only individuals likely to be suspended.

But reports have suggested the club could be hit with a fine of up to $500,000.

The Demons have been accused of deliberately losing matches during the 2009 season to secure draft picks.

23.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gordon pledge of hard work

Heart and soul: Club president Peter Gordon fires up the Bulldogs fans at Whitten Oval. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

WESTERN Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said yesterday it would be a rollercoaster year for fans.

The passionate second-time president, speaking at the Bulldogs family day at Whitten Oval, described supporters as "gold, our family, our heart and soul".

"I want you to know that over the course of this year, we are all - on the field, off the field, on the board, in the management - going to be working our butts off to build, to rebuild, to make this club improve on the field and off the field," Gordon said.

"Stick with us. There's going to be great moments this year; there's going to be tough times, too.

"As long as you know we're working our butts off, that's what our commitment is to you."

Kicking let down the Bulldogs in their NAB Cup losses to Essendon and Collingwood on Friday night. Coach Brendan McCartney hoped that was an aberration.

"We got all of our bad kicks out of our system in one fell swoop on Friday night hopefully," McCartney told supporters.

"There's still five weeks to go and people have got to remember that.

"We've got some great champions of the club that have been here for a long time who want success and want to go back up the ladder in a hurry, and we've got a big group of young people who just want to be good at the game."

Young midfielder Clay Smith expressed optimism.

"We want to be in the top eight for defence and we want to look to play finals this year," Smith said.

"We don't want to rely on the older boys all the time.

"We're trying to get a nice even contribution from everyone. The younger boys this year in the midfield have come along a fair way in the pre-season.

"We've put on a bit of size and we've all got a fair bit fitter, so it'll be good."
 

23.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rebuilding the Roos

North Melbourne skipper Andrew Swallow. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

ANDREW Swallow remembers the day North Melbourne was re-made.

Off the field, it had been coming for a while - there were the class facilities at Arden St and growing belief in coach Brad Scott.

But something was seemingly missing.

Wind back a season and a half and the players were, we were told, one-paced, dour battlers.

Radio was full of experts and talk-back callers disparaging the Kangaroos as one-dimensional after a string of big losses to strong opponents.

But something significant happened last year, when, in one of the storylines of the season, the team was reborn.

Drew Petrie and teammates last year. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

That same collection of supposedly slow inside midfielders began to play electrifying football, handballing slickly and running and carrying the ball at their opponents at high speed.

They were the kamikaze Kangaroos, who, by the end of the season, were one of the most dynamic and exciting sides in the AFL.

After nine wins from 10 games late in the season, they were finals-bound for the first time under Scott.

It all clicked, Swallow said, in the 17-point win against Geelong in Round 3.

"It's funny because it just sort of happened," North's skipper said.

"It wasn't anything in particular that we were told to do - it (our game style) just sort of evolved.

"To some extent, you've got to play to the strengths of the team and our strengths were we had some good runners and guys who could break the lines and it worked for us.

"Especially in that second half of the year when the confidence started to grow in the group.

"We won a couple of games in a row and it was probably the most enjoyable footy I've been involved in.

"We were beating teams, and winning convincingly, which hadn't been like that for a long time."

Suddenly, a club that for so long had fought against the perception it was downtrodden was being applauded by supporters at three-quarter time, with the result in the bag.

Young key forwards Robbie Tarrant and Lachie Hansen emerged from packs and clunked marks and defences were confounded by the Roos' frantic run.

Membership reached record levels and the club was buzzing.

"It was great to see the crowd, (enjoy it)," Swallow said.

"It was exciting to see them come and sing the (club) song at half-time, and in the last quarter."

But the campaign that gathered momentum during July and August hit a brick wall against West Coast in the elimination final - resulting in a 96-point hiding.

Thirteen players tasted finals footy at Subiaco on that steaming day.

It was game over by quarter-time, but Swallow insisted the Roos, who have the fifth youngest list in the competition, had learnt their September lesson.

Andrew Swallow and his teammates at Arden St. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: Herald Sun

The focus over summer has been on defence.

The Kangaroos know they can score, but stopping their opponents will be a priority as they confront the most challenging fixture of any club this season.

"Just the pace of the game (against West Coast), it just showed up that we have still got a bit of work to do," Swallow said.

"Especially defensively, and we have been working hard on that, because we think when we get the ball, we are a pretty good attacking team.

"But we are still getting scored against too much."

The club remains locked in a constant battle to make a dollar and develop its supporter base in new markets, notably Hobart and Ballarat.

In his analysis of the playing list, Swallow can see a premiership in the making.

Otherwise, he would have left by now.

"You start to realise that (as a club) if we had not made the changes, it probably would have got to the point where you think, 'Actually, if I want success I'm going to have to go elsewhere'," Swallow said.

"But the club's worked pretty bloody hard on this facility (Aegis Park) with a new coach and a lot of talent around the place.

"Whether it (a flag) happens this year, next year or five or 10 years, hopefully it comes sooner rather than later.

"Hopefully, when we do get there people will give us the recognition we deserve."

According to Champion Data, West Coast was the only other 2012 finalist that matched the number of games the Roos pumped into players aged 23 and under.

But there were significant hurdles to jump last year.

A 117-point drubbing from Hawthorn tested the club's belief to the extreme.

"When you get a result like 117 points, it's a bit of a wake-up call and you think, 'I could have done that a lot better'," Swallow said.

After the defeat, which coincided with the resignation of chief executive Eugene Arocca, a "pretty dark mood" descended on the club, Swallow said.

North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

Rather than wallow in the gloom, the onballer remained positive.

"We just tried to lighten it up, make the place enjoyable for the boys to be around and just enjoy their training," Swallow said.

"We knew we still had a fair bit of work to do and we started to get a couple of wins. It just built from that.

"We probably ran out of steam towards the end of the year, but we showed when we were playing some good attacking footy that we are a pretty good side."

The man Swallow replaced as skipper, North legend Brent Harvey, said the new leader performed brilliantly on and off the field, snaring his third best-and-fairest award.

"He came on a lot better and a lot quicker than a lot of us maybe thought he would have," Harvey said.
"But to sum it up in one word, I would say he was outstanding.

"We've got myself and Drewy (Petrie) to take care of a little 'rough business', but when he needs to be firm, he is.

"He speaks well in front of the group.

"There's little things to pick up which will take him a few years, but he's done a fantastic job."

23.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Drugs breach hard to Swallow

Andrew Swallow is frustrated by renegade players abusing the illicit drugs policy. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

NORTH Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow has hit out at renegade players abusing the AFL's illicit drugs policy.

Swallow, 25, backed the league's three-strikes code but said the game's stars were being let down by a group of players exploiting loopholes in the system.

The three-time club best-and-fairest winner said it was frustrating for players and a concern for league chiefs that some players felt they could manipulate the policy.

"I think it's a worry that the processes that are put in place and the guidelines put in place exactly to help those people are being abused," Swallow told the Herald Sun.

"I think that's what annoys, especially the majority of the AFL.

"The policy that we've got might need to be tweaked, but it is looking after the welfare of the guys that need it.

"The guys that are abusing it, well, we expect better than that."

A loophole allowing players to dodge a drugs strike by self-reporting use is under the most scrutiny and is expected to be limited to one chance only.

One player is believed to have "self-reported" three times last year.

The Herald Sun has reported six players from one club reported their own drug use to the AFL a total of 10 times last year.

After concerns about players' "volcanic" off-season behaviour were raised by Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert and an industry-wide summit was held, the AFL established an illicit drugs policy working party to refine the league's drugs code.

While the working party process is under way, league executives will begin meeting with club officials this week to discuss the findings of the Australian Crime Commission report into drugs and crime in sport.

"At the moment the club meetings with the AFL executive are a priority, but the IDP testing continues as normal," AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said.

The AFL has defended its drugs policy, as the first of its kind in Australian sport.

But the country's top crime watchdog has warned drug use is far more wide-spread than testing results would indicate. Players are tested for illicit drugs twice a year on average.

Swallow said North's leadership group would discuss the drugs crisis with the rest of the players immediately.

"From a leadership point of view we don't want any of our players taking or being a part of any illicit drugs," he said. "But then there's the other hand where you've got to create an environment where blokes who are having certain problems and addictions feel comfortable enough to come and actually speak up.

"We will definitely be extremely strong on coming across that it is not on and it is not acceptable.

"It is not part of being a premiership footballer.

"We still need to make sure they understand and they know if they are having issues they can come and open up and feel like they have the trust of us and that we actually want to help them."
 

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saints burn out in furnace

St Kilda intend to use the NAB Cup to focus on the development of young players.

Adelaide, Port Adelaide and St Kilda fight for bragging rights in their NAB Cup triple-header at AAMI Stadium.

Saints players cool down during the round one AFL NAB Cup match against the Adelaide Crows. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

ST KILDA coach Scott Watters wants a review of the AFL's heat policy after breaking even in a scorching start to the club's NAB Cup campaign.

The Saints thumped Adelaide by 26 points but then wilted in a 50-point loss to Port Adelaide, before the Crows downed the Power by 16 points in the final game.

Watters said St Kilda's medical staff were on "high alert" during their games, played in 38C at AAMI Stadium.

The only concession to the searing heat was each club being allowed two extra drinks carriers.

"Maybe a few extra players, maybe shorter halves, but at the same time we're trying to get some mileage into our players (and) we have limited rotations coming up in NAB (games) two, three and four," Waters said.

"With 80 rotations per game in those three games, it's really important that we get mileage into players today because we're going to have no flexibility at all in (games) two, three and four.

"So next week you've got to be really cautious in exposing your player to a game where there is only 80 rotations. Our medical staff will have a lot of work to do over the next couple of weeks."

According to Champion Data, Port Adelaide made 100 interchanges to St Kilda's 72 in their clash.

Watters said St Kilda had got a lot out of both games.

"To expose players like Jimmy Webster, Nathan Wright (who) played both games today - and if you look at the 34 players we had, there were 20 who had played less than 20 games of footy for this club," he said.

"It was great learning for our young players on how we need every player to lead regardless of whether you've played five, 10 or 200 games."

Gold Coast recruit Tom Hickey and WAFL draftee Tom Lee stood out.

Hickey impressed with his ruck work and marking around the ground, showing he'll be a likely partner for Ben McEvoy, while Lee was lively as one of two focal points in the forward line.

"I thought he (Hickey) was good and marked it well," Watters said.

"(He's) still developing some good centre-bounce work. I don't think our inside mids capitalised on that, so just building that understanding is still happening. But he took some really good marks in testing conditions so it was a good start."

Arryn Siposs was trusted with the kick-ins against Adelaide and was the go-to man as St Kilda rebounded from defence while Terry Milera, Ahmed Saad, Stephen Milne and Trent Dennis-Lane ran amok at the other end.

St Kilda's next game is against Sydney at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, March 3.

Watters said Nick Riewoldt and Lenny Hayes were chances to play.

"Roo is knocking down the door but he would probably be NAB three or four and we'll assess Lenny ... possibly next week but certainly the week after."

For Port Adelaide, first-round draft pick Ollie Wines, from Echuca, was a standout.

Few teenagers are built as strongly as the bullocking onballer, who kicked a goal and had eight disposals against the Saints.

Former Bomber Angus Monfries looked dangerous up forward as well as adding to Port's midfield numbers. He saved his best for the second game when he had a game-high 11 possessions and kicked a goal.

Former Swan Campbell Heath was rock solid in the back half and Kane Mitchell and Lewis Stevenson had their moments in both games.

But the surprise packet was 170cm, 67kg lightweight Jake Neade.

The pocket rocket acquired in a trade from the Giants was spectacular inside-50 in the first game against St Kilda.

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

One leader for Blues

Marc Murphy (above), Andrew Carrazzo and Kade Simpson are officially in contention to replace Chris Judd as leader at Carlton, but it has effectively become a two-horse race between Carrazzo and Murphy. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Front-runner: Andrew Carrazzo is Mick Malthouse's preference for the top job. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON has ruled out appointing co-captains, with the race for the leadership to start in earnest this weekend.

Sydney has exploited the co-captaincy model with excellent results over the years, winning the 2005 and 2012 flags.

But Blues coach Mick Malthouse is not a supporter of the concept, which has been swiftly dismissed as an option at Visy Park.

Andrew Carrazzo, Marc Murphy and Kade Simpson are officially in contention to replace Chris Judd, but it has effectively become a two-horse race between Carrazzo and Murphy.

It's believed Malthouse's preference is Carrazzo, but all three will get a turn to lead Carlton during its pre-season campaign, which starts in Sydney on Sunday.

"For me it's just an honour to be mentioned in the running with the likes of Marc and Andrew and we'll see how we go in the NAB Cup and Mick will make a decision after that," veteran Simpson said yesterday.

"I'm sure Mick has got a fair idea of who he wants, but he said at the start of pre-season that everyone will have a run (as captain) during the NAB Cup so we're looking forward to that."

Bryce Gibbs yesterday admitted his 2012 form was the reason that he didn't nominate himself for the club's leadership group on the pre-season camp in Arizona in November.

"My performance last year wasn't up to a high level and that's something I really want to focus on this year - just getting that consistency in my game," Gibbs said.

"I thought I could step out of the leadership group and focus on a few areas of my game.

"I'm looking forward to hopefully spending a bit more time in the midfield this year."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Johnson to learn fate today

Best of mates? The field umpire asks Cats Steve Johnson and Hayden Ballantyne to cool it. Source: Getty Images

Geelong's Steve Johnson crunches Fremantle's Hayden Ballantyne during their Round 1 NAB Cup match at Patersons Stadium. Source: Getty Images

GEELONG will learn today if mercurial forward Steve Johnson has any case to answer after his tangle with Fremantle antagonist Hayden Ballantyne on Saturday night.

The Cats returned to Victoria late yesterday, with Mathew Stokes sporting a moon boot after wrenching his ankle in Geelong's game-one win over West Coast.

The Cats say they are yet to know the full extent of the injury but admit Stokes is unlikely to play in the short-term.

Johnson appeared to make slight contact to Ballantyne's midriff with a swinging right arm during Geelong's game two loss against the Dockers at Subiaco.

If Johnson is suspended he will have to serve the ban in the home-and-away season under a change to the tribunal system.

Johnson is walking a suspension tightrope, given he has 80 carry-over points after accepting a one-match ban for rough conduct against Sydney's Dan Hannebery in Round 23 last year.

But changes to the tribunal system mean his loading for past offences, which was 40 per cent last year, has been dissolved.

Calculations for a player's poor tribunal record now only take into account the previous two seasons, down from three.

And to qualify for a poor record, a player needs to have been suspended for two or more matches within the previous two years.

Johnson's only suspension since the start of the 2011 season was that incident with Hannebery.

His three-week suspension for his infamous tangle with Steven Baker in 2010 no longer counts against him.

Cats coach Chris Scott denied there was any lingering ill-feeling from last year's heated Round 1 match against Fremantle, in which Ballantyne was suspended for striking Paul Chapman behind play, before being floored by Matthew Scarlett.

"I would be amazed (if there was still friction), none that I've seen. There tends to not be too much friction in NAB 1," Scott said.

"I didn't see what happened. I know (Ballantyne) was down for a long time. I was more concerned with how quickly he got up and set up the next goal he didn't look too bad did he?"

Stokes was on crutches during Geelong's second match, with Scott admitting post match the injury looked serious.

"It doesn't look great at the moment but, with those sort of things, they can blow up and be sore for a few days and then come good really quickly," he said.

Cats football manager Neil Balme said he did not know if Stokes would need scans.

"It's not too bad I don't think, but he'll miss something, most certainly," Balme said last night.
 

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Mick stands by flag belief

We're in with a chance: Mick Malthouse has talked up Carlton's prospects at the club's family day. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON coach Mick Malthouse has made no apologies for declaring the Blues have the makings of a premiership side.

Malthouse, speaking at the club's family day yesterday, was given the opportunity to water down the bold comments he made in his program notes at last week's intra-club match.

Instead, the veteran coach further cranked up the hype, telling a sea of navy blue fans there were "no limits" on Carlton's prospects.

"If you aren't an optimist you're in the wrong game," Malthouse said.

"You've got to come to the football club full of hope so that your playing group, support staff, board and members jump on board and say, 'Right, we've got a chance'.

'We want to make sure that our manta is: 'There's no limit'. Why should we be restricted? That's the thing, too often in our country, our schools and our society, we are suppressed because of what people tell us."

Carlton president Stephen Kernahan said the Blues were on a "journey of redemption" after a hugely disappointing 2012 season saw them miss finals and sack coach Brett Ratten.

"The team is in a fantastic place. It's adapting to a new style and a new attitude," Kernahan said.

"It's very important that we win back respect after a couple of ordinary performances last year."

The Blues believe they are ideally placed leading into Sunday's NAB Cup meetings with Sydney and Greater Western Sydney, with an almost clean bill of health a welcome change from the injury-interrupted pre-seasons of recent years.

Only Chris Judd (hamstring) and Jarrad Waite (calf) are carrying niggles.

Ruckman Robbie Warnock was wearing a knee brace after copping a knock in the second intra-club game, but said he would only miss a week.

This time last year up to a dozen players were still underdone or in rehab programs after operations.

"It's been pleasing as I walk past the medical room over the last few months to see it just about empty. We didn't have that luxury last year which hurt us in the long run," Kernahan said.

Malthouse said it was all part of a carefully managed and cautious summer program that put a strong emphasis on being injury-free.

"It's a real marathon. You need to get people up and feeling very confident about themselves," he said.

"Where will we end up? Everyone wants to be there in September. We are not without taking one step at a time, but we're looking at improving with every step we take."

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More

Silence on Lions drug den claims

No comment: Brisbane Lions chief executive Malcolm Holmes is silent on the drug claims. Picture: Glenn Barnes Source: The Courier-Mail

THE AFL has refused to reveal if it will investigate serious allegations of match-fixing, illegal gambling and drug use levelled at the Brisbane Lions.

Jason McGrath, the cousin of Lions premiership player Ash McGrath, has made a series of threats to expose behaviour at the club between 2002 and 2009, as the fallout continues from Australian sport's doping storm.

The Courier-Mail can confirm that Jason McGrath, a self-confessed drug dealer, was seen in the Lions' dressingrooms and at functions at times during that period.

The newspaper made contact with Jason McGrath after he made a series of Facebook posts claiming he was ready to expose dodgy AFL practices: "If you don't think the drugs and match-fixing is real, I bet on the AFL and was involved in a game being fixed."

He told the newspaper he had been a drug supplier between 2002 and 2009 and named six Lions players from that period who were heavy users of speed, ecstasy and marijuana.

He said members of the Lions' coaching staff knew some players were regular drug users.

Lions chief executive Malcolm Holmes refused to confirm if the club would investigate the claims or pass the allegations on to the AFL.

"The Brisbane Lions do not comment on unsubstantiated allegations, rumour or innuendo," Holmes said.

The AFL has also refused to say whether it will look into Jason McGrath's claims.

The Courier-Mail can confirm the Lions administration at the time had heard suggestions about drug use by two of the players in question.

Jason McGrath claims to have been involved in fixing a match involving the Lions in 2003, another instance of spot fixing, and to have regularly received inside team information from Lions players just before games for the purposes of betting.

Jason McGrath also told of an occasion where he had delivered an ounce of speed to a Mad Monday celebration at the Broadway Hotel, another where a player was hospitalised after a binge on speed, and multiple times where players had smoked pot in his home.

He also said he had supplied cocaine to players on occasion.

Four players named by Jason McGrath are still playing in the AFL.

He also claimed he would provide to the newspaper betting slips and phone records to substantiate his claims about match-fixing, but he has since gone to ground and refused to return phone calls.

He claims to have received threats from a current player after making his Facebook posts.

23.02 | 0 komentar | Read More