Richmond Tigers

More Post Season News

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:55:38 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Telstra Dome Renamed
While it was under construction, the Dome was known as the Docklands, then it became Colonial Stadium when it opened. Communications giant Telstra then bought the naming rights several years ago. Starting in March, the ground will be known as Etihad Stadium. United Arab Emirates airline Etihad Airways has signed a five year sponsorship deal for the naming rights. The deal also has an option for a further five years. The effective date of March coincides with the airline's first flight into Melbourne next year. Etihad Airways also sponsors British soccer team Chelsea, the Ferrari racing team and the English rugby team Harlequins.

Source: Herald Sun

AFL Drug Warning
The league has taken a page from the Olympics and issued a stern warning to clubs. Should a player be found to have taken performance-enhancing drugs which affect the outcome of a game could see the results be changed. Such change could even be retroactive if evidence surfaced later. According to Andrew Demetriou, even finals would come under the rules. Demetriou added that penalties could include the overturning of match results, fines to the club, loss of premiership points and the club being suspended. Retrospective punishment would require evidence against more than one player, but any single player testing positive on match day would allow the league to take immediate punitive action.

Source: abc.net.au

Frawley For CEO
Former Richmond coach Danny Frawley has been appointed to replace former Demon coach Neale Daniher as CEO of the AFL Coaches Association. A fellow Tiger administrator, Paul Armstrong, has also joined the Association as coaching development manager. Daniher stepped down to take up a position as assistant coach with the West Coast Eagles. Former Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy will remain as the Association president.

Source: Melbourne Age

BRISBANE
Star forward Jonathan Brown has been named team captain. He has served as co-captain for the past two seasons with Simon Black, Luke Power, Nigel Lappin and Chris Johnson (in 2007).

Brown has built an impressive leadership CV over that time. In 2007, he was named the AFLPA Best Captain, was vice-captain of the 2007 All-Australian team and captained the Victorian team in the AFL's celebratory Tribute game this past season. He has also been named the AFLPA"s Most Courageous Player for the past two years, won the Coleman Medal in 2007 and has twice won Brisbane's best and fairest award.

New Coach Michael Voss and his coaching panel decided to revert to the traditional policy of one captain after an extensive review. Voss captained the club 2001-2006. He shared the captaincy role with forward Alistair Lynch 1997-2000. Black and Power will continue as part of the leadership group.

The just retired Beau McDonald has replaced former ruckman Clark Keating as ruck coach. Keating had to step down from his position due to his business interests.
The Vodafone Brisbane Lions wish to advise the following changes to the Club's Football Department in

Irish player Colm Begley has been delisted by the club. Begley was nominated as an international rookie in 2005. He played a total of 29 games for the Lions but was restricted to just eight this past season due to a quad injury. Begley will nominate for the national draft. If that fails, he will go into the preseason draft. Should all else fail, he said he would be content to return to Ireland and resume playing Gaelic football and continue his education.
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Source: afl.com.au & Source: Stephen Buckley, Club Media Release

PORT ADELAIDE
Long time club sponsor Allan Scott passed away in late October at the age of 85. He had been hospitalized and had been ill for several weeks before his death and was surrounded by family at the time of his passing.
Scott, who ran a large trucking firm, was a prominent businessman in South Australia. He began Scott Transport 1952 with just one truck and built it up into a major national and international business. Tributes poured in from all sectors of the community. Club president Greg Boulton said Scott's legacy would always be a part of the club and described Scott as a "hero" of Port Adelaide.

Scott first became involved with Port Adelaide in 1992. He was a joint major sponsor when the club joined the AFL in 1997 and remained a patron of the club. He was awarded life membership last year and helped set up a player development academy at the club, which is named in his honor. The club's training and administration facilities are also named in his honor.

His contributions to Australia, sport and business have also been recognized over the years. In 1986, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia and named South Australian of the Year. In 2006 he was named an Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia. He also won awards for his service to the transportation industry and, in 2002, was inducted into the National Road Transport Hall of Fame.

Source: Melbourne Age

NORH MELBOURNE
The club, the only one in the competition to have private stockholders, held a meeting in late October to vote on the issue. Members and shareholders voted to dissolve the stocks and revert to a membership based structure. Voters also voted to uphold a board proposal to put a moratorium on board elections until the end of 2010.

Club Chairman James Brayshaw acknowledged the contributions the shareholders had made to the club over the years but said the interests of the club would be best served in the future by membership support. Sixteen former shareholders were nominated as club patrons while six were nominated for life memberships.

Carey Escapes Jail Sentence
Former North Melbourne and Adelaide star Wayne Carey and his girlfriend Kate Neilson appeared in a Miami court in mid-October. Carey was facing serious charges stemming from an incident in a Miami hotel in which he hit her with a wine glass in the hotel restaurant. Carey said he did not mean to strike her with the glass but only intended to toss the wine over her. Prior to the hearing, she wrote a letter stating she would not press charges.

Security staff called police who entered Carey's room while he was asleep. Carey and his lawyer stated he did not realize they were "...genuine police officers...". His lawyer, Richard Sharpstein, further stated that Carey's fame resulted in the incident getting blown out of proportion and that Carey, who reacted "...as anyone would...:" upon being awoken by strangers in his room, did not mean any harm. At the time, Carey was verbally abusive towards the officers and attacked them and was eventually handcuffed. He was subsequently charged with two counts of battery against police and one count of resisting arrest. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was facing a maximum of 15 years in jail. Instead, he was required to write a letter of apology to the officers, attend anger management and alcohol abuse sessions and donate $500 US dollars to a police benevolent fund.

Carey, however, is still not out of trouble. He will again appear in court, this time in Melbourne next February to face charges of assaulting police (three counts) and resisting arrest at his Port Melbourne apartment. He was arrested last January and had to be subdued with pepper spray after a party at the apartment.

Source: Melbourne Age & John Murphy, Club Media Release

WEST COAST
Former Eagle Ben Cousins has applied to be reinstated with the AFL but will be required to undergo a series of tests to prove he is clean from drugs and has remained so for a significant period of time. One of those tests will be a hair test, which can indicate whether a person is using or not for a much longer period than other standard tests. Cousins will have to face the AFL Commission when they meet in November and they will base their decision on medical opinion and advice. That information will include psychological assessments which will, in part, report on his progress in battling his addiction. Should Cousins be re-registered, he could nominate for either the national draft or the preseason draft.

Source: Melbourne Age

Gold Coast News
The group in charge of putting together the proposed Gold Coast team recently presented the AFL Commission with a 400-page document regarding the support infrastructure and other requirements to obtain the AFL license. Andrew Demetriou described the report, prepared by chairman John Witheroff, board member Graeme Downie (formerly of Brisbane) and Coach Guy McKenna, as "impressive" and noted that they had put in a significant amount of work for months to ensure community and business support of the new team. According to Demetriou, the report also showed "...how an AFL team would return significant economic and social...and...sporting benefits to the...community through increased jobs, greater economic and tourist activity and greater opportunities for local families".

As part of the effort to establish support for the Gold Coast team, the AFL has convinced Carlton, St. Kilda and Richmond to each play a "home" game on the Coast over the next two seasons. It is hoped the move would help boost fan support before the team joins the league in 2011. As compensation to members of the three clubs, who are entitled to 11 games in Melbourne, those members will be allowed free entry to any one designated away game over the two years to replace the Gold Coast games.

The three clubs were decided upon due to the large fan support they have in the area. All three have also attracted large numbers to the games they have played at the Gabba (Brisbane) and the Gold Coast Stadium (Carrara) over the past three years. The star attraction of Carlton's Chris Judd, Tiger Matthew Richardson and St. Kilda's Nick Riewoldt and Sam Gilbert are originally from Queensland as are Tigers Luke McGuane and Andrew Raines. Nick's cousin Jack also plays for Richmond.

Carlton CEO Greg Swann, St. Kilda CEO Archie Fraser and Richmond CEO Steven Wright are all enthusiastic about the prospect of their clubs playing up north. All three were in agreement that it presented an opportunity to further increase their clubs' supporter bases in the area as well as help promote the game.

As further compensation to the existing 16 clubs for the potential loss of players to GC17, the AFL will allow rookie elevations next year. The clubs will not have to have a senior player on the long term injury list to elevate a rookie. The elevations will be allowed from midseason next year and in 2010. In previous seasons, a club only elevate a rookie if a senior player was placed on the long term injury list for a minimum of eight weeks. Once that senior player returned, the rookie have to be dropped back. Currently, clubs without veteran listed players can nominate a rookie to play during the season.

A number of current stars began their careers on the rookie list before becoming senior players. Among them are Eagle Dean Cox, Sydney's Brett Kirk, Port Adelaide's Dean Brogan, Magpie Tarkyn Lockyer and Crow Ben Rutten. The Gold Coast club will have access to 16 uncontracted players plus selections 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 in the 2011 national draft. The current 16 clubs will be allowed compensatory future draft selections for uncontracted players who sign with the new club. The AFL will have a formula in place at that time to determine the draft selection order.

Source: Melbourne Age, canberratimes.com.au, Herald Sun and Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release

RICHMOND
The Tigers are on the verge of signing a guernsey sponsorship deal with AIG (American International Group). This comes in spite of the fact that the company recently received an $85 billion bailout by the US government due to the economic downturn. The American based global insurance and finance company also sponsors British soccer giant Manchester United.

Source: davesfootballblog.com

Round 20 Tribunal Results

Lisa Albergo — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 19:43:32 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

TRIBUNAL
Charges Laid:

Justin Westhoff (PA), wrestling Collingwood's Nick Maxwell: fined $1200 for a first offense. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% TO $900.

Nick Maxwell (COL), wrestling Port Adelaide's Justin Westhoff: fined $1200 for a first offense. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% TO $900.

Peter Burgoyne (PA), rough conduct against Collingwood's Shane O'Bree: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points), equaling four points, in a Level One offense, 125 demerits and a one game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand.

Luke Hodge (HAW), striking Richmond's Brett Deledio: assessed as reckless conduct (two points), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points), equaling five points,. a Level Two offense, 125 demerits and a one game suspension. He has a previous record of one game suspended within the past year, increasing the penalty 10% to 137.50 demerits. He also has 91 demerits held over from the past year, further increasing the penalty to 228.50 demerits and a two game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 171.38 demerits and a one game suspension.

Simon Wiggins (CARL): charging North Melbourne's Leigh Harding: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point), equaling three points, a Level One offense, 126 demerits and a one game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 93.75 demerits and a reprimand.

The match day report against Richmond's Troy Simmonds for rough conduct against Hawthorn's Tom Murphy dismissed. The Match Review Panel (MRP) ruled that there was no bump or forceful contact.

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release

News From Around The AFL

Lisa Albergo — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:27:53 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting from AFANA from Chicago

Collingwood Dumps Three

A drunk driving incident after the Round 18 match has resulted in Heath Shaw and Alan Didak being suspended for the remainder of the season by the club. Shaw was driving under the influence when he hit a parked car. Neither Shaw nor his passenger Didak were injured in the incident. Shaw and Didak were not forthcoming with the truth about the incident and the club decided on the suspensions. Both players were also fined by the club with Shaw $10,000 and Didak $5,000. On the same weekend, Heath's brother Rhyce Shaw was also reported to have been out drinking against club rules and fined $5000 as well as incurring a two game suspension. While Heath, who is currently sidelined with a back injury, may have a chance to redeem himself, the club has decided that neither Didak, a serial offender, nor Rhyce will be with the club in 2009. Both will be put on the trade market at the end of the year.

Source: Nick Hulett, Club Media Release

Docker Champ Says Farewell

Shaun McManus retired after the Round 18 game against the West Coast Eagles. McManus leaves the game as the longest-serving Docker, having played 228 matches. He is the last of the inaugural Dockers, having joined the club in their maiden 1995 season. At the time of his announcement, in the week leading up to the game, Coach Mark Harvey and team captain praised McManus, complimenting his courage, passion, commitment, hard work and a resolve to overcome adversity. All those attributes helped him overcome two knee reconstructions in 1997 and 1998. A loss of form in 2005 saw him sent back to the WAFL, but he fought his way back into the seniors.

His best season was in 2006 when the team made it as far as a preliminary final. He went on to play all 22 games in 2007 and was the first Fremantle player to receive a testimonial tribute that year.

Pavlich said McManus was Fremantle and was quoted in a club media release, "When you think Shaun McManus, you think Fremantle.” Pavlich praised McManus for his professionalism and work ethic and said that McManus valued mateship, loyalty and integrity. He also praised McManus' leadership, determination and tenacity, describing his fightback from the knee injuries as inspirational.

Coach Mark Harvey was equally effusive about the hardworking midfielder, saying his desire to compete, tackling and ball-winning ability always impressed the selectors. Harvey said McManus was the type of player who never gave up on the field and helped build the club with his camaraderie and passion for the club.
Incoming CEO Steve Rosich echoed those sentiments, saying there wasn't anyone who had connected more with the club's members and supporters than Shaun.

SHAUN MCMANUS FACT FILE:
DOB: 2/.9/76
Nickname: Macca
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 81 kg
Games: 228 (including round 18)
Finals Games: 4
Goals for FFC: 95
Debut: 1995
Recruited From: East Fremantle
Playing Honors:AFL Rising Star nominee 1995; Fremantle Co-Captain 2000-01; WA State of Origin team 1995, 2003; Fremantle Best Clubman 2002

Source: Luke Morfesse, Club Media Release

Power Comeback Fails

Michael Wilson has been forced to retire due a degenerative knee which has already undergone two reconstructions. Wilson has endured nine surgeries in the past eight years, including the knee surgeries as well as two shoulder reconstructions. He was hoping he could make a comeback, but medical staff advised him that it was not possible.

Michael Wilson:
192 games, 51 goals, 1997–2008
Inaugural AFL Port Adelaide team
AFL Premiership 2004
SANFL Premiership 1995, 1996
Preseason premiership 2001
AFL Rising Star 1997
3rd Best and Fairest 1997 and 2004
Best Team Man 2004
Coach’s Award 2004
Vice captain 2005–2007
Fos Williams Award (players’ choice) 2004, 2005, 2007

Source: Daniel Norton, Club Media Release

Another Krakouer To Jail

Former Tiger Andrew Krakouer and his brother Tyrone have both been sentenced to jail for assault. The incident happened in 2006 in Fremantle. The pair were found guilty of assault on Justin Martin as part of a long-running feud between the two families. According to testimony, Andrew, 25, and Tyrone confronted Martin outside a nightclub and a brawl ensued.

Despite excellent character references from current Richmond players, Andrew was sentenced to 32 months in jail with the possibility of parole after 16 months. His brother received an eight month sentence. Their father, Jimmy, a former North Melbourne player who also did jail time for drug smuggling, was present. Andrew played 102 games for Richmond 2000-2007. He managed only 9 games in 2007 and was delisted at the end of the season.

Source: theaustralian.com.au

Pair Guitly For Records Theft

In August of last year, medical records were stolen from a Melbourne rehab clinic and sold to Channel Seven. The station used the confidential records for a story which implicated several players at an AFL club. It sparked a storm of controversy and station officials were initially told someone had found the documents in the street outside the locked clinic.

Extensive investigations led to a man and woman being questioned and eventually charged with stealing the files. Robert Crouch and Catherine Mitchell, both residents of a Melbourne suburb, will plead guilty to theft charges when they appear in Magistrates Court at the end of this month.

Source: news.com.au

Three Sign With Expansion Team

Several months ago, the AFL put in place plans for two new expansion teams. One will be on the Gold Coast in Queensland and the other will play out of western Sydney. The Gold Coast effort has been proceeding at pace, with a group of investors already in place and the hunt for a senior coach. Both teams are scheduled to debut in 2011 or 2012.. The GC17, as it is currently known until a team name is chosen, has already signed several Queensland players for their inaugural squad. Charlie Dixon from Cairns, Jesee Haberfield and Jack Stanlake from the Gold Coast are all 17 years of age. The trio are the first of 20 Queensland players promised by the AFL to the new team. Those 20 will be drafted to the team in 2009 and 2010 should the GC 17 plan be acceptable to the AFL and a license granted. Any and all players tentatively signed will play in the TAC Cup junior competition or the VFL until they are drafted. If the AFL's criteria is not met, any and all contracts signed by potential Gold Coast players would be void and they would then be eligible for the AFL Draft.

Source: Michelle Morgan, AFL Qld Media Release

Young Man Goes West

I t was previously reported that former Eagle Ben Cousins would play with VFL team Port Melbourne. Cousins recently met with senior coach Gary Ayres. However, last week, Cousins decided not to sign with Port Melbourne, preferring to continue training with WAFL clubs Perth and East Fremantle. Recent reports are that Cousins, who is still hoping he can resurrect his AFL career, will play for WAFL club Perth. While in Melbourne, he also had a series of meetings to discuss a self-produced documentary about his battle with drug addiction.

Source: afl.com.au

Round 18 Tribunal Results

Lisa Albergo — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 20:28:58 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

TRIBUNAL

Charges Laid:

Ivan Maric (ADE), fined $1200 for wrestling Carlton's Simon Wiggins. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $900.

Simon Wiggins (CARL), fined $1200 for wrestling Ivan Maric. He accepted, reducing the fine 25% to $900.

Steven Browne CARL), rough conduct against Adelaide's Jason Porplyzia: assessed as negligent conduct (one point), severe impact (four points) and high contact (two points), equaling seven activation points, a Level Four offense, 425 demerits and a four game suspension.

The club decided to contest the charge against Browne. Browne told the panel that, at the time of the collision with Porplyzia, he was running with Porplyzia's teammate Mackay to prevent Mackay from getting within range of kicking a goal. He further testified that the collision was accidental when his teammate Brett Thornton pushed him into Porplyzia and that he tried to evade the inevitable collision when he saw Porplyzia out of the corner of his eye. The panel accepted the testimony and dismissed the charge.

Darren Milburn (GEEL), rough conduct against Richmond's Shane Edwards: assessed as reckless conduct (two points), high impact (three points) and high contact (two points), equaling seven points, a Level Four offense, 425 demerits and a four game suspension. He has a clean record over the past five years, reducing the penalty 25% to 318.75 and a three game suspension.

The club contested the charge and was partially successful in getting the sentence reduced to a one game suspension. Milburn and his advocate used a loophole technicality to have the high contact reduced by arguing that Edwards' head hit the ground due to Milburn pinning his arms in a legal tackle. Milburn's advocate, Peter Murdoch, told the Tribunal that, although Edwards was slung to the ground by Milburn, the classification should be reduced to body contact and that the AFL rules did not cover this type of tackle. The panel agreed, reducing the classification and knocking off 25% for Milburn's plea to rough conduct and good behavior over the past five years. It reduced Milburn's demerits to 182.81 demerits and a one game suspension.

After the hearing, Tribunal chairman David Jones said it was something the AFL should review at the end of the season.

Jeff Farmer (FRE), striking Eagle Mark Nicoski: assessed as reckless conduct (two points), low impact (one point) and high contact (two points), equaling five points, Level Two offense, 125 demerits and a one game suspension. He has a record of eight games suspended within the past three years, increasing the penalty 50% to 187.50 demerits and a one game suspension. He accepted, reducing the penalty 25% to 140.63 demerits and a one game suspension.

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release, Melbourne Age, & afl.com.au

Around The AFL

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:24:54 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Richmond's Irish Proposal

In an effort to ease tensions over Irish Gaelic footballers being recruited to Australian Football, the Tigers have come up with a plan. That plan would involve an exchange program in which players from both codes who fail to make it at the elite level in their own sport would change codes. Richmond CEO Greg Miller and prominent player agent Peter Jess are planning to meet with GAA officials in early October to discuss the idea. According to Miller, the plan would allow Irish players to play for local footy clubs in Australia while visiting for work, study and/or travel. By the same token, Australian players could do the same in Ireland.

Source: independent.ie

Expand Interchange Bench

After Adelaide players Brett Burton and Jason Porplyzia suffered serious injuries in the Round 15 match against Collingwood, Magpie Coach Mick Malthouse has once again called upon the AFL to increase the interchange bench from four to six players. He would like to see the extra two players used to replace players who suffer game ending injuries. The move would allow teams to maintain an adequate interchange bench instead of depleting the team compliment.

Burton will miss the rest of the season due to a ruptured knee ligament, requiring a knee reconstruction. Porplyzia dislocated his shoulder. Those injuries meant the Crows then had only two players on the interchange bench.

Source: canberratimes.com.au

Michael Voss Joins Eagles

Former Brisbane champion Michael Voss rejected a three year deal to coach the new Gold Coast AFL team, which is planned to launch in 2011. Voss wanted a five year deal, believing he would need that long to really develop and establish the team. He has since signed a two year deal as an assistant coach with the West Coast Eagles. He believes the position will be beneficial to any senior coaching plans in the future. He has not completely ruled out taking on the Gold Coast job.

Voss will take up the role and move from Queensland to Perth in October. He is currently involved with the media and will see out that commitment before joining the Eagles.

Source: Melbourne Age

Cousins To Play VFL

Disgraced former Eagle Ben Cousins had his request and registration approved by the AFL. Cousins, who was deregistered and suspended by the AFL for "bringing the game into disrepute" has joined VFL team Port Melbourne, but is not expected to play senior football this year. He is currently training with WAFL clubs East Fremantle and Perth and will relocate to Melbourne next month. Cousins began his playing career with East Fremantle and his father Bryan played 240 games for the club.

Cousins' battle with substance abuse and addiction has been well chronicled and he was sacked by the Eagles last year, then faced the AFL Commission. He has since undergone rehab to overcome his addiction, but admitted he still has to overcome difficulties associated with addiction.

Source: watoday.com.au

Carey Plea Rejected

Wayne Carey's request for a diversion program, in which he would plead guilty and accept a court penalty rather than conviction and jail time, was turned down by the Melbourne Magistrates Court in late June. Diversion is usually granted to first-time offenders. However, Carey has previous offenses and he has been scheduled to appear in court early next month to face charges stemming from a domestic dispute in January. At the time, he was charged with assaulting police officers and resisting arrest.

The former North Melbourne champion is also facing similar charges in Miami and was due to face US court this month. That hearing has also been delayed at the request of his lawyer. Should Carey be found guilty, he could face up to 15 years in US jail.

Source: Herald Sun

2008 International Cup

Sixteen teams from around the world will be heading for Australia in August to compete in the third Australian Rules International Cup.The games will take place August 27-September 6 with the Grand Final to be played at the MCG.

The participating nations are: Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, India, Japan, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peace Team, Samoa, South Africa, Sweden and the USA. It will be the first participation by China, China, Finland, India, Peace Team, Sweden.

The first tournament was held in 2002 with only 11 teams competing. Since then, according to AFL Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan, there are now over 35,000 players in almost 40 countries. Ireland took the title in 2002 while New Zealand was the 2005 champion.

Source: Michelle Clyne, AFL Media Release

Around the AFL

Lisa Albergo — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:35:02 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

At half time during last weekend's "Dreamtime At The G" match between Richmond and Essendon, former Sydney and Fremantle player Troy Cook was presented with the second annual Nowalenko Award for his service to football and the Aboriginal community. Cook's nomination for the award was submitted by David Wirrpanda Foundation. The selection panel comprises representatives of Essendon, Richmond, the AFL, career training organization AFL SportsReady and the AFLPA..

Current Eagle David Wirrpanda said Cook was a tireless worker within the Aboriginal community. Cook works to establish and promote health programs around West Australia. Wirrpanda praised Cook as a strong mentor and role model.

The name of the award (pronounced NO-WARL-ENK-O) comes from the Woiwurrung language, spoken by the Wurundjeri people, whose traditional land includes the area around the MCG. The word represents a range of characteristics: success on ground and the effect of contribution to club and community.

Troy Cook Playing Career:
Drafted by Sydney in 1996
Debuted 1997
43 games for Sydney 1997-1999
Rising Star nominee 1997
150 games for Fremantle 2000-2007
77 career goals
Fremantle Life Member
Fremantle Best & Fairest 2000 (Doig Medal)
Fremantle Best Clubman Award 2005
Western Australia State of Origin Representative 1997-1998
Runner-up Sandover Medal 1996 (WA equivalent of Brownlow)

Community Contribution
Cook joined the Wirrpanda Foundation earlier this year, setting up health and fitness programs and working to fight substance abuse. Primary targets are high schools, with his programs already implemented in one school and soon to be implemented in three more.

Cook is currently captain of WAFL team Perth and acts as a mentor to younger players at the club.

Cook is also an ambassador for the WA Be Active Program and recently was appointed to the County High School Hostel Authority for three years. He also has an ambassadorial role with the Premier’s Physical Activity Taskforce, which supported his nomination along with the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation. He also acts as an Ambassador for the Department of Indigenous Affairs PALS Project (Partnership, Acceptance, Learning and Sharing) and, in 2007, was appointed a board member of Diabetes WA.

Former St. Kilda and Brisbane player Gilbert McAdam won the award in 2007.

Source: Michele Clyne, AFL Media Release

CARLTON
Last week, the Blues welcomed their 40,000th member. It is the first time in the club's history that they have secured 40,000 members. Young cancer patient Ben Clark was invited to the rooms after a training session last week where he was presented with his membership card by captain Chris Judd. Ben was also presented with a variety of club merchandise which was purchased by the players.

The arrangements were made with the assistance of Challenge, a non-profit community organization which works with children suffering from cancer and other blood diseases and their families. Several Carlton players are also involved with Challenge in voluntary roles.

In 2007, Carlton broke their all-time membership record with 35,431 members.

Source: Ian Coutts, Club Media Release

Bombers Win the DDToss - Tigers the 'Kevin Sheedy' Cup

densham — Sun, 25 May 2008 06:33:41 -0500

by Kim Densham, reporting for AFANA from Melbourne

Dreamtime at the G turns to Nightmare in Bomberland. Even as Paul Kelly belted out his evocative song "From Little Things, Big Things Grow" with the help of Jessica Maubouy, Kev Carmody and legendary "Oils" front man, now cabinet minister, Peter Garrett. The Bombers faithful gathered, fuel tanks empty, ready for another night of pain. The optimistic hoped against all odds for another upset a la the Pies and the Cats.

But even before last sounds of the didgeridoo faded over Melbourne Town, the first quarter was one-way traffic, Tiger traffic, away from the city end to Richmond. The first term was marred by fumbles, mistimed handballs, sloppy marking, no manning up , wild wayward kicks and that was just Richmond, The Dons were worse, much worse. As the siren sounded for the end of the term, the Bombers were booed off the ground. They had failed to score a goal and were down 0 - 5 - 5 to Tigers 5 - 3 -33. To say Coach Knights was animated during the quarter time huddle would be an understatement.

The second term started no better and it took 10 minutes before Essendon, through Captain Matthew Lloyd, were able to score a second. Effectively Essendon had conceded 21 consecutive goals since last weeks match against the Swans. It was a further 13 minutes before McVeigh scored the second. In the meantime the Tigers piled on 5 more and missed 5, by the halftime break Essendon were 50 points behind and headed to the tunnel for what was surely a mammoth 'roasting' by the coach. The biggest cheer of the quarter was when David Hille booted the ball forward to Paddy Ryder ending a string of woeful, mistimed and scraggly handballs. It's not so much that Richmond were good, as much as Essendon were misfiring. Ess 2-6-18 Rich 10-8-68.

The Bombers came out for second half full of desperation that had been lacking in the first, no doubt stung into action by Knights. Lloyd played in the backline and Paddy Ryder was upfront. They clawed back some respectability and opened play with their third goal with Jay Neagle kicking his first. 17 minutes later Lloyd kicked two quick ones and by the end of the third quarter, Essendon had kicked 6 but still trailed by 26 points 8-9-57 to Richmond 12-10-82.

Nathan Brown opened the scoring for the final quarter, Essendon replied seconds later when Lloyd 'shepparded on the line' allowing Jay Nash's punt to slide through. However Richmond's run through Nathan Foley and Brett Deledio created some devastation through the middle and the Tigers piled on 4 more goals. The Essendon faithful left the 'G' in droves.

In the end it was a bottom of the table affair, with one place separating the teams at the start of the match. The silver lining for the Bombers was keeping the score below 150 for the match, they applied them selves in the third term but sorely miss someone of the class of Hird, who carried the midfield and applied sublime service to Lloyd in the forward line. Richmond, in their umpteenth year of rebuilding let themselves down with some inaccurate kicking but showed that Coach Terry 'Plough' Wallace has instilled some run, demanded more of Kane Pettifer and was fortunate enough to have Nathan Brown back this year and Shane Edwards was handy up front.

In the end Richmond extracted revenge for the cruel 8 point loss in last years Dreamtime Game and received the 'Kevin Sheedy Cup'. Nathan Foley was presented the 'best on ground' medal by Michael Long and 'Richo' was, well , just Richo! and Tigers fans love him for that'.

Dreamtime At The “G”.

densham — Sun, 25 May 2008 04:48:26 -0500

by Kim Densham reporting for AFANA from Melbourne

The Tradition of the LONG Walk continues. A journey that started with an idea and a single step, back on 21 November 2004, with Essendon legend and Aboriginal superstar Michael Long undertaking a journey on foot from his home in Melbourne to the nation's capitol, Canberra, continued on a crisp fall day in Melbourne. Michael was also a champion for the Indigenous cause in the AFL. Making a stand against racial abuse, following an on-field incident, asserting that;"racism has no place in sport". Ultimately this led to Michael being one of the pioneering forces behind the racial abuse code that was adopted by the AFL. Michael carried a petition to the then-Prime Minister, John Howard, about the plight, suffering and conditions of Australia's indigenous peoples. The Long Walk also began its mission with the aim of raising Australians' awareness and understanding of the talents and contribution offered by Indigenous Australians. See the full story: http://www.thelongwalk.com.au/3334850/the-long-walk-history.htm"

Another step in "The Long Walk" is the short yet highly symbolic walk from Melbourne's Federation square to the MCG, reminding Australian's of the contribution to the AFL game made by Aboriginals. A theme , as Michael put it; "This is not about White Australia or Indigenous Australia - this is about ALL Australia... and about creating Unity". A concert drew the people to Federation Square and shortly after the commemorative walk began. At the MCG the crowd had gathered - the scene was set with Aboriginal Art in three giant circles and as representatives filed onto the ground and the stadium lights dimmed, the yellow and red ( colors of the Aboriginal Flag ) glow sticks were lit to the haunting sounds of a Didgeridoo, creating a fiery scene as the crowd swayed to the music. This was followed by Aboriginal Dancers and the singing of a specially written tribute song featuring Australian music legend,Paul Kelly, called "From little things, big things grow'. The on-stage line up also featured former Midnight Oils front man, now government minister - Peter Garrett. As the smoke from the ceremony drifted off the field, the two teams ran on to commence their warm up and then lined up to receive the a blessing in the Welcome to Country ceremony by an Elder of the Wurundjeri tribe who are the acknowledged traditional land custodians in this part of Australia.

"Miracle" Cures For Swan & Tiger

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 18 May 2008 12:45:24 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Malceski's Miracle

A player goes down, feels his knee pop, then gets the bad news from doctors. The knee's anterior cruciate ligament , known for short as the ACL, has ruptured. The inevitable knee reconstruction and subsequent rehabilitation puts the player on the sidelines for at least one year.

And so it was for Sydney's Nick Malceski just a little over three months ago when he badly injured his knee. At least that was going to be the original prognosis. However, the club and Malceski opted for a radical treatment. Instead of using a graft of Malceski's own tissue to repair the damage, surgeons used a procedure developed by French surgeon J.P. Laboureau. The procedure, copywrighted and trademarked as LARS (Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System), involves replacing the damaged tissue with industrial strength synthetic polyester fibers. The LARS are purchased in ligament form and are specified to the required needs, as they can be used in shoulders, achilles and hips as well as knees. Each of the over forty different LARS ligaments is designed to meet the required needs of any given natural ligament. Each LARS ligament contains the necessary number of fibers in their required lenghs in order to match the body's natural make-up of ligament fibers. The LARS ligament can then match the body's natural structure.

During the surgical procedure, the LARS ligament is placed placed alongside the damaged ligament to allow the surrounding tissue to grow into it. The natural tissues eventually cover the synthetics.

Malceski, who ran second in the club's 2007 best and fairest voting, lined up for his first senior game in Round Eight. Not only was he watched by the Swans, but most other clubs as well. Should he get through the season without any setbacks, it will bode well for others who suffer similar injuries. Another good sign that the knee is holding up well came during a recent training session when teammate Craig Bolton collided with Malceski and landed on top of his knee. Malceski got up with no ill effects.

Source: Melbourne Age & keepmovingusa.com

Coughan Seeks Geelong Cure

Injury-prone Tiger Mark Coughlan is following in the footsteps of Geelong's Max Rooke, all the way to Germany. Rooke traveled to Germany last year to undergo radical treatment for his troublesome hamstrings. Coughlan, who has battled osteitis pubis and undergone a knee reconstruction, will spend several weeks in Germany. The treatment, developed by Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wolfhart, has treated a variety of sports people for soft-tissue injury using an extract from rooster combs. Richmond's rehabilitation and conditioning coach will accompany Coughlan.

Source: afl.com.au

News from around the AFL

Lisa Albergo — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:38:54 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Fame Game Benefits Charities

This weekend's Hall Of Fame Tribute match benefited several charitable organizations with all players involved donating their $5000 match payments to three organizations. The AFLPA Hardship Fund will receive $100,000. The Past Player Hardship Fund was set up several years ago to assist past players with medical expenses and to date has distributed over $80,000. The Fund is run by the AFLPA Past Players Advisory Board, chaired by AFLPA Executive Committee Member Simon Madden.

The organization Ladder will also receive $100,000. Ladder is an initiative which targets youth homelessness and provides housing, employment, education and mentoring for homeless youth. The program is currently working to set up facilities in Melbourne and Adelaide and is hoping to go national. AFL players will also be involved, receiving training to help mentor those in the program.

RedLink will receive $50,000. Redlink is a non-profit organization which works to set up sports and recreation for the disadvantaged. They currently sponsor almost 30 teams in remote Victorian and the Northern Territory communities. RedLink is looking to expand services to central Australia.

Source: Jason Murnane, AFLPA Media Release

Carey To Court

Wayne Carey will appear in a Melbourne court later this month to face a number of charges stemming from his arrest in January after a party at his Port Melbourne apartment. He is facing six counts of assaulting police officers and resisting arrest.

The Miami court date is set for late July and Carey could face up to 15 years in jail. His attorney said Carey is maintaining his innocence. Both he and his lawyer have refused a plea deal of one year in jail. Should he fail to appear, he would be subject to immediate arrest if he enters the USA in the future.

Carey, 36, played 272 games for the Kangaroos and Adelaide Crows. He was forced to resign from the Kangaroos at the start of the 2002 season after his affair with vice-captain Anthony Stevens' wife was revealed. He remained on the Kangaroos' list for the season for salary cap and trade reasons, but did not play. He joined the Crows in 2003 but managed just 28 games in two injury-riddled seasons.

Source: Melbourne Age & author notes

Lloyd Costs Bombers $5000

Essendon has been fined $5000 for Matthew Lloyd's approach to the umpires during Essendon's match against Port Adelaide. Lloyd was instructed by Coach Matthew Knights to ask the umpires why several tackles by his team were not rewarded with free kicks.

AFL rules prohibit any player from approaching the umpires during breaks or when they are leaving or entering the ground.

Source: Herald Sun

Grand Final Terrorist Target?

A dozen men are currently on trial in Melbourne for allegedly planning terrorist attacks in Melbourne. One of the targets was to be the MCG during the 2005 Grand Final between West Coast and Sydney. The alleged leader of the planned attacks, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, told key witness Izzydeen Atik of the planned attacks.

According to Atik, the MCG attack was canceled after raids by Australian Security Intelligence resulted in funds being seized. Atik testified that Benbrika and his group also planned attacks during the 2006 AFL NAB Preseason Cup and Melbourne Grand Prix.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Tigers Membership Record

Richmond has broken their all-time club membership. As of early May, the club recorded 30,070 members. That figure betters the club's 2006 official tally of 30,044 members. The club still has 3500 members who have yet to renew.

While fans can continue to sign up as members throughout the season, the official AFL cut-off date for recording club memberships is June 30.

Source: Judith Donnelly, Club Media Release & author notes

Gehrig Battles Arthritis

Coach Ross Lyon revealed last week that full forward Fraser Gehrig has arthritis in his hands. According to Lyon, numerous broken fingers and dislocations are partly the cause. In warm weather, his hands are OK, but in the cold and wet weather of the football season, the arthritis is more bothersome. Although Gehrig can still catch the ball, he has trouble handling it at ground level.

Lyon described Gehrig's attitude regarding the arthritis as "stoic" and said Gehrig does not like to talk about his injuries and has played while hurt in the past. In 2007, he played half the season with a broken bone in his hand. Several years ago, he played with a planter fascia tear (foot injury) for several weeks.

Gehrig played 115 games with West Coast before being traded to the Saints in 2000.

NOTE: If the arthritis is only in his hands due to numerous injuries, it is probably osteoarthritis, which only affects joints which have been severely traumatized by injury. It does not spread to other joints in the body or become increasingly debilitating as is the case with rheumatoid arthritis - ed.

Source: The Australian