Hawthorn Hawks

Pies Defy Hawks In Thriller

janetl — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:22:07 -0500

Janet Linn reporting for AFANA from Australia

A disappointed Hawthorn side will rue the impact of poor kicking on goal and a lack of desperation in the final quarter against Collingwood in the first Preliminary Final. The Hawks had been on top of the much-fancied Minor Premiers for most of the first three quarters but are now doomed to wonder what might have been as the more determined Pies’ outfit looks forward to a Grand Final against Geelong next Saturday.

It was the first time in history that Collingwood and Hawthorn had clashed in the Preliminary Final. Both teams started close to full strength with Hawks’ stars Lance Franklin and Josh Gibson much-talked about after excellent games in the Semi-Final against Carlton. Ben Reid and Dale Thomas were important inclusions for Collingwood with their selection in the All-Australian team during the week underlining how crucial they are to their side’s chances for consecutive Premierships.

Momentum was with the Hawks during the first quarter but they could not get the advantage on the scoreboard. The quarter was high intensity and pressure football at its best. The Hawks’ risky short kicks and indirect play proved troublesome to Collingwood who seemed thrown either by the occasion or by the Hawks’ tactics. Travis Cloke was a target up forward for the Pies and Franklin loomed, as usual, as a danger man for Hawthorn.

Collingwood star duo Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury gained prominence in the second quarter. Hawthorn had early chances but both Cyril Rioli and Brendan Whitecross missed easy shots before Franklin took a strong grab against Tarrant and scored a major. Minutes later, he loomed large again in front of the goal posts and Hawthorn took a 13 point lead. Collingwood could not find the time or the space to get their running game going but Darren Jolly was awarded a free kick and converted. At the half time break, it was an absorbing contest with a small eight point lead to Hawthorn.

Hawthorn’s Brent Guerra scored the opening goal in the third quarter and when the Pies’ skipper Nick Maxwell was caught holding the ball minutes later, Sam Mitchell put another goal through for the Hawks to provide a 21 point buffer. The upset of the Finals was brewing but the Pies were not done with and goals to Leon Davis and Cloke brought the margin back to 11 points. A superb goal to Rioli gave the Hawks the ascendancy at the final break but missed opportunities by Puopolo, Burgoyne and Hodge would have put the game almost beyond doubt. As it was, the misses gave Collingwood the small window of opportunity it needed.

With early last quarter goals to Chris Dawes and Davis, the Pies were closing with the margin back to four points. Captain Luke Hodge kicked one for the Hawks before Swan booted a brilliant goal from a stoppage deep in the forward pocket. When Cloke took a strong pack mark with seven minutes to go, Collingwood took the lead and fans were on the edge of their seats. Franklin conjured a remarkable goal out of nothing and the Hawks were back in front. It was heart-stopping football and everything fans could hope for from a Final. Just when it looked like Hawthorn might get over the line, Luke Ball snapped a goal from another stoppage and the Pies stole the lead. Hawthorn had one more attacking move but as Rioli charged across the centre line with the ball, Dale Thomas, very down on form to this point, chased hard and caught him holding the ball.

It was game, set and a Grand Final appearance for Collingwood. As Dane Swan said in his Brownlow Medal acceptance speech on the Monday night after the thriller, good teams find a way to win even when they don’t play well. Such was Collingwood’s performance and they now move into solid contention for consecutive Premierships under Mick Malthouse in his final game as coach. Alastair Clarkson, Hawthorn coach, was devastated after the game and acknowledged the fact that the Hawks did not play four quarters of football and had effectively denied themselves the win.

Scoreboard
Collingwood: 2.3 3.5 5.6 10.8  (68)
Hawthorm:    2.4 4.7 7.11 9.11 (65)

Best players
Collingwood: Cloke, Swan, Pendlebury, Ball, Tarrant
Hawthorn:    Burgoyne, Sewell, Lewis, Mitchell, Hodge

Hungry Hawks Over Sluggish Swans

janetl — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:36:01 -0500

Brook Kilpatrick reporting for AFANA from Australia

Hawthorn will meet Collingwood in a Preliminary Final after comfortably defeating Sydney by 36 points at the MCG on Friday night. The Hawks dominated the contest early and at one stage in the third quarter held a 46 point lead before the Swans fought back. In Adam Goodes’ 300th game the Sydneysiders worked their way back to trail by just 18 points late in the third quarter. However Hawthorn showed poise under pressure to wrest back the initiative and cruise home with a six goal victory.

All the talk leading up to the game surrounded Hawthorn star forward Buddy Franklin and whether he would play after jarring his knee against Geelong in the Qualifying Final. Not only did Buddy play, he appeared unhindered by the injury and ran out the game strongly with three final quarter goals. Sydney had injury concerns of its own, with up and coming midfielder Daniel Hannebery being pronounced fit to play after injuring his shoulder in the Swans' surprise win over St Kilda. Unfortunately for Sydney, Hannebery dislocated his shoulder again and was subbed off in the third quarter.

In the first quarter the Hawks jumped the Swans and completely dominated play. Max Bailey kicked the first goal after a Ben Reid miss for the Swans, and from then on the Hawks continually forged forward with little resistance from the out-of-sorts Sydney defense. Hawthorn’s poor finishing was the only thing keeping the Swans in the game. The wayward Hawks had kicked five points and only one goal before Michael Osborne managed a second goal after a Swans defensive mix-up. The star for Hawthorn was Isaac Smith who racked up 11 first quarter possessions after a ten touch first quarter last week against Geelong. After a Paul Puopolo goal, the Hawks went into the quarter time break with a 22 point lead and a whopping 43 more possessions than the hapless Swans.

It was much of the same as the second quarter got underway. Despite dominating the inside 50 entries, Hawthorn did not hit the scoreboard until Puopolo goaled again in the sixth minute. The Swans fought back with a goal to Shane Mumford, but classy Hawk midfielder Shaun Burgoyne replied to restore the comfortable buffer. After an uncharacteristically slow start, Adam Goodes imposed himself on the contest with a couple of second quarter goals but the Swans could not stop the Hawks from scoring. Puopolo kicked his third goal followed by some good work by Cyril Rioli. The icing on the cake was a sensational Luke Hodge goal from the boundary to extend the Hawks lead to a massive 40 points at the half time break.

When a Chance Bateman goal early in the third quarter extended the Hawks lead to 46 points, the game looked over as a contest. Hannebery was replaced by substitute Luke Parker who immediately had an influence on the Swans’ flagging fortunes. Goals to Matt Spangher and the retiring Tadgh Kennelly made the scoreboard look a little less lopsided before livewire Gary Rohan announced himself with a great mark and goal. X factor Josh Kennedy was seemingly everywhere for the Swans, and when the red-headed Rohan passed to Ryan O’Keefe for another goal, an amazing 20 minutes of play had completely turned the game on its head as the Swans trailed by just 18 points.

After dominating all but 20 minutes of the game, Hawks’ fans could be forgiven for being nervous at the change with a three goal lead but under the pump from a rejuvenated Swans outfit. They would have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Liam Shiels kicked the first goal of the final quarter to regain the momentum. 300-gamer Goodes replied for the Swans to keep the contest alive before Franklin put his stamp on the game with two close range goals to get the Hawks home. Franklin added another to extend the Hawthorn lead to a comfortable 36 points as the siren sounded. The final margin was a fair reflection of Hawthorn’s control of the game barring the 20 minute blitz from the Swans in the third quarter.

Josh Gibson controlled the Hawthorn defense brilliantly with 21 spoils (an AFL record) while the unheralded Hawthron ruck division broke even with the highly rated Mumford. For Sydney, it was a tough end for the retiring Kennelly and a bitter end to game 300 for Goodes. It was also the 12th loss in 14 contests at the MCG for the Swans, a trend coach John Longmire will be keen to reverse in 2012 and beyond.

The Hawks will face Premiership favorites Collingwood in the first Preliminary Final in what should be a ripping contest to decide who plays in the Grand Final against the winner of the Geelong versus West Coast battle.

Scoreboard
Hawthorn 3.5 10.5 12.6 19.8 (122)
Sydney   0.1  4.1  9.6 13.8 (86)

Best players
Hawthorn: Gibson, Hodge, Mitchell, Smith, Burgoyne, Hale, Franklin, Puopolo
Sydney:   Kennedy, Mumford, Goodes, McVeigh, Shaw

Finals X Factors

janetl — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:56:11 -0500

Brook Kilpatrick reporting for AFANA from Australia

With the home and away season in the books, it’s time for footy fans to turn their attention to important matters. Eight teams are about to embark on what should be a fascinating Finals campaign. With so much at stake, which players will take the next step and write themselves into AFL folklore? All who watch know the magic that gun players such as Dane Swan, Chris Judd, Adam Goodes, Buddy Franklin, Dean Cox, Joel Selwood and Nick Riewoldt are capable of week in week out, but what about the lesser lights who have hit some form at the business end of the season?

In this series, AFANA will focus the spotlight on players who might seemingly come out of nowhere to power their teams through September in a quest for Premiership glory. This is a chance to run the slide rule over each of the Finals' combatants by picking one player from each team, players who may just be the 2012 Finals X-Factors.

Dayne Beams (Collingwood)

While opposition coaches struggle to find a way to stop the dynamic duo of Swan and Pendlebury, they would be well served to spend some time thinking about how to put the brakes on the Magpies’ other midfield giant, Dayne Beams. The 29th pick in the 2008 draft has played only 14 games this season due to a broken foot, but one look at his numbers from the last few rounds suggests he is coming into career best form. Beams averaged 29 possessions over the last six rounds, while kicking 11 goals for an average of 1.8 per game. In last week’s surprise thrashing by a rampaging Geelong, Beams was one of the few Collingwood players to stand up, with 29 possessions, one goal and a handy seven tackles to his name.

James Kelly (Geelong)

Selwood, Bartel, Johnson and Chapman get all the kudos but don’t forget James Kelly. With Gary Ablett Jr plying his trade in warmer climes, Coach Chris Scott has rejuvenated the Geelong midfield by injecting the likes of Kelly into the action. The 27 year-old Kelly flies under the radar but gets the job done. With five 30 plus possession games to his name in 2011, Kelly is one to watch in September. His work rate on the defensive end is also impressive, racking up double-digit tackle counts in six contests this season, including bags of 12 and 13 against fellow Finals' contender Sydney and a whopping 14 tackles against the West Coast Eagles.

Jordan Lewis (Hawthorn)

While opposition teams have their hands full with the sublimely talented Buddy Franklin and Cyril Rioli, the Hawks have plenty of other weapons to deploy in the guise of Sam Mitchell, Shaun Burgoyne and Luke Hodge. Add in the developing talents of Isaac Smith, Luke Breust and Matt s**kling, and the Hawks will cause plenty of matchup problems for whichever opposition they come up against in the Finals. The one to watch here is Jordan Lewis. With 144 AFL games under his belt at just 25 years old, Lewis has the right balance of age and experience to cause chaos in big games. In 19 games this season, Lewis averaged 23 possessions and six marks. Amazingly, he has also racked up 60 hit outs for the year, sneaking under the radar as the third man in at many ruck contests. A skilful user of the ball, in his last three games Lewis has tallied 32, 30 and 27 possessions and looks ripe for a terrific performance in the Hawks’ Finals' fling.

Daniel Kerr (West Coast)

While excitement machines Nic Natanui, Andrew Gaff and Mark Lecras can turn a game on its head, the re-injection of West Coast stalwart Kerr is exactly what is needed for this young team in their Finals campaign. Kerr’s Finals experience and midfield nous will be invaluable as a complement to the young guns and the up and coming Matt Priddis in the middle. Kerr has managed 20 plus disposals against opponents who will feature in the Finals in 2011 (apart from an early season loss to Sydney when he managed 13). The addition of Kerr will take the attention of the opposition in the midfield, leaving the younger, less experienced Eagles to take the game on. Barring 2007, Kerr’s 24.1 disposals per game this season are a career best. Whilst injury is an obvious concern with this ten year veteran, if West Coast’s medical staff can patch him up for the Finals, the Eagles can once again soar in September.

Stay tuned to AFANA for Part Two of this series when we take a look at some Finals X Factor players from Essendon, Carlton, Sydney and St Kilda.

Who Will Win the 2011 Premiership?

admincms — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:08:32 -0500

Hawthorn Douses Dockers Finals Hopes

rickb — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 05:28:20 -0500

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

Fremantle’s hopes of playing Finals may have been washed away after their loss to Hawthorn in a torrential rain-soaked Round 19 game. A crowd of over 30,000 fans braved the weather to watch a one sided contest that, in reality, was decided in the first quarter of the match. There was an air of anticipation before the game as last time the two teams met, Fremantle outplayed the Hawks until a spirited fight back saw the Hawks victorious. Coming into the match, Hawthorn was on Final Four pace, having won nine out of their last 11 games.

Apart from the rain, there was a strong breeze that favored the Hawks in the first quarter. All started well for the Dockers and much of the early action took place in their forward line. Suddenly the momentum turned and Hawthorn took full advantage of the wind. Sam Mitchell snapped the first goal from the pocket and the floodgates opened as it rained goals for Hawthorn. After kicking six unanswered goals in 15 minutes the Hawks were never challenged. Cyril Rioli was darting in and out of contests and kicked two of Hawthorn's six goals. The Hawks made effective use of their disposals in the trying conditions while the Dockers looked slow and tentative with their ball movement and could not string enough possessions together to have an effect. Fremantle were held goalless in the first quarter and entered the break 37 points behind.

Fremantle was at a disadvantage without injured ruck pair Aaron Sandilands and Jonathan Griffin and third string ruckman Zac Clarke had his work cut out for him. The Dockers struggled to win clearances from stoppages and in the conditions there were many. Mitchell kicked his second goal when he read the ball off one of these ruck contests. David Hale added insult to injury when he took the ball cleanly out of the next ruck contest and snapped it through for a goal. Finally Ryan Crowley got the home side on the board from a free kick with four minutes left to play in the half and Matthew Pavlich kicked a classy Captain’s goal soon after. The Dockers held their heads a little higher as they left the ground at the end of the half, having matched Hawthorn for goals in the quarter, but still trailing by 41 points.

Having stemmed the bleeding somewhat, Fremantle came out with some hope of getting back into the game in the third quarter. Garrick Ibbotson’s kick into the man on the mark soon after the game recommenced was the harbinger of the disaster to come. Fremantle could not do a thing right all quarter. They misjudged marks, overran the ball, kicked poorly, went to ground, kicked into nests of opponents, fumbled and looked disoriented. They were bereft of skills, ideas and confidence. Hawthorn, in contrast, continued to attack with precision. Hale scored two goals, one from a Nick Lower error and the other from a free kick. Dylan Roberton gave away a free kick when he elbowed Xavier Ellis head high and Ellis converted the free kick into a goal. (Ed. note: Roberton received a reprimand for the contact from the AFL Match Review Panel which makes him available to play next round.) Hawthorn scored three goals for the quarter while the Dockers registered a solitary point to trail by 11 goals at the third quarter break.

Disaster struck again for Fremantle in the final quarter when Matt DeBoer injured his knee to finish his season and Rhys Palmer injured an ankle. This left the Dockers two men down for the rest of the game. Despite this adversity, they showed some grit and played on at every opportunity. Clarke kicked a super long ball from 70 yards out for a goal and Hayden Ballantyne, who had been quiet all night, kicked truly from a snap out of a ruck contest. Adam McPhee, playing his 200th game, goaled next for the Dockers from a free kick, but it was too late to do anything other than regain some pride. Nate Fyfe goaled for the Dockers with a 50 yard sprint and carry then a long 50 yard goal before Hawthorn finished with the last couple of goals for the game. The score line looked more respectable in the end than it deserved and, by any standards, Fremantle received an old-fashioned flogging.

Fremantle is falling quickly down the ladder and faces an almost impossible task to stay in the Top Eight with an unfavorable draw for the rest of the season. Injuries to key players have hurt them and while some will be returning before season’s end, it may be too late. Hawthorn is tuning up well for the Finals and will be a hard team to beat come September.

Scoreboard
Fremantle: 0.2 2.3  2.4   6.8  (44)
Hawthorn:  6.3 8.8 11.16 13.17 (95)

Best Players
Fremantle: A Silvagni, G Broughton, T Mzunga, N Fyfe, M Pavlich
Hawthorn:  T Mitchell, B Sewell, B Guerra, P Puopolo, D Hale

To view David Woodley’s photos of the Fremantle versus Hawthorn encounter, click on: http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2011_season/2011_s...

Line In The Sand

densham — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 07:11:08 -0500

By Kim Densham for AFANA in Melbourne.

Two proud teams, Essendon and Hawthorn, have played 152 games against each other. Essendon have won 95 and the Hawks 57. There was a time when these two sides battled each other for season's honors and there is no love lost between the two. The Friday night blockbuster was billed as the 'Line in the Sand ' game and each season it is a highlight. This week the Hawks were without Buddy Franklin but were confident.

The Bombers were quick off the mark and scored within 20 seconds but from then on it was one way traffic, Hawthorn all the way. It was a tough and bruising encounter with injuries on both sides. Hawthorn lost Cyril Rioli and Brad Sewell and the Bombers lost captain Jobe Watson to a recurring hamstring.

In the end, a pedestrian Essendon side was humiliated by a ruthless and dominating Hawthorn team.

All the match action can be viewed here:

http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2011_season/2011_season_photo_essays/rd_14_essendon_v_hawthorn/14-1811

Cats Unbeaten

janetl — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 07:48:57 -0500

Jamie Kloeden reporting for AFANA from Adelaide, South Australia

With half the season completed, Geelong remain unbeaten on top of the Ladder but only after a strong challenge from the Hawks. The Round 12 match was hyped as one of the biggest clashes of the year so far and a free flowing, high scoring start to the game certainly had people looking forward to a tight contest.

James Podsiadly was the big star early, dominating the game inside Geelong’s attacking 50 and giving Hawks’ defender Josh Gibson a lesson in overhead marking. Liam Shiels dominated the stoppages for the Hawks and was an absolute ball magnet with 13 first term touches but it was the Podsiadly-led Cats who went into the first change with a 19 point lead.

A free kick count of 12 to one in the Cats’ favor had Hawthorn fans voicing plenty of negative opinions towards the umpires but they soon changed their tune as the tide turned. Hawthorn rattled off five goals in a row to hit the lead in the second quarter and grab hold of the game. Geelong’s one big advantage was again Podsiadly who had 5 goals before the hapless Gibson was moved on in favor of Ryan Schoenmakers. At the long break, the big Geelong cult figure had half a dozen majors and even with the early onslaught from the Hawks, Geelong maintained a six point lead.

After half time, Hawthorn’s former captain Sam Mitchell and the sublimely skilled Cyril Rioli set up Shane Savage for an early goal to tie the score. The combined dominance of the Hawks midfielders at the clearances and their tight defense held the Cats goalless. It looked like Alastair Clarkson's men were eyeing off an upset. With Schoenmakers limiting the influence on Podsiadly, the Cats looked much less threatening up forward and needed someone to stand up in a big way to get them back into the contest. Hawthorn led by 17 points at the final break and was threatening to run away with the game.

Enter Joel Selwood, the Geelong midfielder whose onfield presence belies his years. Selwood showed exactly why he is rated so highly amongst the football fraternity. Assisted by James Kelly, Corey Enright and the freakishly-talented Steve Johnson, Selwood went about getting the Cats back in front. His attack at the ball was ferocious in the final term and he became a target across half forward where he was able to set up two of the three final quarter Geelong goals. Making the task even more difficult for Hawthorn was a severe Achilles injury to big forward and ruckman Jarryd Roughhead who now seems likely to watch the rest of the 2011 season from the sidelines. As with all good sides, the Hawks never gave up and, with less than a minute on the clock and only fine points down, they pushed forward for one last foray into their attacking zone. Unfortunately for Hawks’ fans, Lance (Buddy) Franklin was worked under the ball while on his lead and the Geelong defenders were able to clear the danger zone as the siren sounded. As Franklin went to ground, every one of the 63,476 fans in attendance had their hearts in their mouths, waiting to see if an umpire’s whistle would sound and set up the kick after the siren for the win. However there was no free kick and the Cats walked away with a classic five point victory.

Scoreboard
Geelong  5.2 10.2 10.6 13.10 (88)
Hawthorn 2.1  9.2 13.5 13.5  (83)

Best
Geelong:  J Podsiadly, C Enright, J Kelly, J Selwood, S Johnson
Hawthorn: L Sheils, S Mitchell, L Franklin, B Sewell, C Rioli

Hawks Demolish Demons

rickb — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 07:42:41 -0500

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from the MCG, Melbourne

Hawthorn has had the edge on the Melbourne Demons over their last six matches and much was expected from them in this clash. Melbourne was coming off a draw against Sydney, while Hawthorn was winless after a discouraging finish against Adelaide in Round 1. Even so the match odds were heavily in favor of Hawthorn coming into the game.

Hawthorn started full of running and hit their targets with slick handball and precision kicking. Jarryd Roughead scored the first goal when he took a strong mark and played on into the 10 meter square. The play was on Hawthorn’s terms early but they were frustratingly inaccurate on goal and could not make an impact on the scoreboard. Melbourne, on the other hand, made the most of every opportunity when they went forward. Goals to Lynden Dunn, Aaron Davey and Jack Watts had the predominately Hawthorn crowd silent. Shaun Burgoyne scored late in the quarter for the Hawks to give them a one point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Melbourne got out of the blocks early starting the second quarter with multiple goal scorers. First Brad Green, then Liam Jurrah and finally big ruckman Mark Jamar goaled to round out the triple play. Hawthorn had stopped running and leading up to the ball while Melbourne seemed to have found extra leg speed and were at the drop of every ball. Green was gifted another goal on an assist from Jurrah who had marked in the goal square and hand passed over his head. Jack Trengove snapped from 40 yards out to score Melbourne’s fifth goal in a row. At this point the siren couldn’t sound quickly enough for the Hawthorn players who were being run ragged. Chance Bateman scored the Hawks’ first goal in more than 30 minutes to add some respectability to the scoreline, but when the half ended the Hawks were still trailing by 19 points.

Coach Alistair Clarkson must have given the Hawks a roasting during the major break. His team came out and played one of the most one-sided third quarters in recent AFL history. With the exception of Ricky Petterd’s goal at the Demons’ end, the entire game was played in Hawthorn’s forward half. An eight goal eleven to one goal one quarter blew the Demons out of the water. Lance (Buddy) Franklin came alive, covering the ground from one end to the other and kicking two fine goals. He was assisted by young Hawk Matt s**kling who contributed two majors of his own. Cameron Bruce (the ex-Melbourne veteran, traded this year to Hawthorn after a contract dispute), Rick Ladson, Cyril Rioli and Roughead added goals to the tally and the game was effectively over. A 19 point deficit had been turned around to a 33 point Hawthorn lead when the quarter ended.

The Hawks didn’t take their foot off the gas in the final quarter. Burgoyne was on fire and kicked three goals. One in particular was spectacular as he stopped the ball soccer style, gathered it, spun out of a pack and kicked truly for a goal. A couple of consolation goals by the stunned Demons made the scoreboard slightly more respectable but their decent first half performance was completely eclipsed by the stunning second half turned on by the Hawks.

Hawthorn looked back to their 2008 Premiership best and players like Rioli, Franklin and Burgoyne seem set to trouble other sides in 2011. The Demons looked fast and hungry in the first half but dropped badly off the pace and were completely outclassed when it counted. This game will have the club looking for answers and doing a lot of soul-searching in the week to come.

Scoreboard
Hawthorn  2.8 3.13 11.24 16.26 (122)
Melbourne 3.1 8.2  9.3   12.5  (77)

Best Players
Hawthorn C Rioli, L Franklin, S Burgoyne, M s**kling, S Mitchell
Melbourne N Jones, A Davey, C Sylvia, L Tapscott, J Grimes

Players On The Move

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 13:42:54 -0600

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Former Brisbane premiership player and Bulldog Jason Akermanis has signed on to play for Glenorchy in the Tasmanian Football League. In his own inimitable style, Akermanis said he wants to add more of an entertainment factor to the league.

Former Swan Luke Ablett (cousin to Gary and Nathan) has signed with the Mulgrave Footy team in the Essendon Football League. Mulgrave is currently in Division One. Ablett played 133 games with the Swans including the 2005 Premiership before being delisted at the end of 2009. He then joined VFL club Box Hill for 2010 but his season was curtailed by injury. Mulgrave won their first premiership in 31 years this past season. Ablett, who has also been working with the AFL developing education programs for community clubs, said he was looking forward to instilling the Sydney team ethos in his new teammates.

Former Brisbane and Essendon player Damian Cupido has quit the North Albury club (Albury is in NSW just north of the NSW-Victoria border) to return to Melbourne where he will take up a position as a playing assistant coach with suburban club Croydon in the Eastern Football League. He will be assistant to former Fitzroy and North Melbourne player Brett Chandler (26 games Fitzroy 1995-96 and 44 games North 1997-2000).

Cupido will return to his home Eastern Football League club after only one season with the Hoppers to play under former North Melbourne and Fitzroy player Brett Chandler. Cupido said it was a tough decision but is looking forward to returning to Melbourne where his parents live as well as returning to his former club. Employment was a factor in his decision.

Cupido was drafted by Brisbane in 1999 and debuted in 2000 but missed most of 2001 and all of 2002 with a shoulder injury and could not win back his place in the strong Brisbane team. He played 13 games with the Lions. He was traded to Essendon, the club he supported growing up, at the end of 2002 and played 40 games. A knee injury wrecked his 2004 season and he was delisted at the end of 2005 due to injury and poor form. In 2006, he headed to South Australia where he played in the SANFL with South Adelaide and West Adelaide. He was representing SA in cricket during the Australian Country tournament when recruited by the North Albury football club. He plans to return to Albury after Christmas to complete his commitment to the cricket team.

Delisted Hawk Beau Muston has decided to remain with Hawthorn's VFL affiliate Box Hill if he is not picked up by another AFL club in the preseason draft. Also joining NT clubs after being delisted are Cameron Stokes (Hawthorn), Malcolm Lynch (Western Bulldogs) and Relton Roberts (Richmond). Cameron's brother Jason (76 games with Collingwood 2002-2006) has quit the Bendigo Bombers to sign with Spotswood in the Western Region Football League.

Source: abc.net.au, heraldsun.net.au, smh.com.au, bordermail.com.au, Encyclopedia of League Footballers

West Coast has delisted premiership player Ashley Hansen to make room for a younger player via the rookie or preseason draft. Hansen, 27, debuted for the Eagles in 2004 and played 78 games. He managed just three games in 2010 despite showing good form in the WAFL. He was a member of WAFL club Swan Districts 2010 Premiership and starred with five goals in the preliminary final. He kicked a total of 48 goals for the season in the WAFL.

Along with the 2006 Premiership, Hansen was named the Eagles' rookie of the year in 2005 and best clubman in 2007. Coach John Worsfold said it was a tough decision to let Hansen go because he had been a fine contributor and was highly regarded by everyone at the club. He conceded that Hansen's body was not up to the rigors of AFL football as Hansen had missed a number of games each season through injury. Hansen said he was disappointed, believing his body could hold up, but accepted the Eagles' decision. He said he will take some time to consider his future.

Source: Anna Carew-Reid, Club Media Release

Demons Secure Viney And Rally for Austin

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 12:26:11 -0600

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Jack Viney, the son of former captain Todd, has already been earmarked by the Demons for a father/son draft selection in 2012 when he will be eligible for the draft. Todd Viney recently left Adelaide, where he had been serving as an assistant coach, to take up a role as general manager of player development with the Demons. The younger Viney, 16, has been attracting interest from other clubs and the Demons are very pleased to make the commitment to Jack who like his father was recruited by club CEO Cameron Schwab.

Jack (5''8", 171 lbs) is considered one of the best young talents coming through the system. He captained the South Australian team at the Under-16 tournament, helping win their first title and being named MVP. Recruiting manager Barry Prendergast described Jack as a very talented midfielder with clean hands, courage and strong defensive pressure when pushed forward. Coach Dean Bailey said bringing Jack into the Demons now would allow the coaching staff to assist with his training program as well as help him establish himself and make friends with the current players. Jack said it was an easy decision due to his father as well as his uncle Jay (23 games, 1998, 1990-1991) playing for the Demons.

Todd played 233 matches 1987-1999, the tenth most in the Club’s history. He won the best and fairest award in 1993 and 1998, was named to the interchange in the club's team of the century, is in the club's hall of fame and was named as one of Melbourne's 150 heroes in 2008. He also represented South Australia in state of origin games and played in the International Rules series. After he retired, he coached in country Victoria, then had a stint as an assistant at Hawthorn 2004-2008 before returning to his native South Australia as an assistant with the Crows 2009-2010.

A large contingent of Melbourne players and Coach Dean Bailey recently traveled to Darwin to show their support for young forward Austin Wonaeamirri whose father was killed in an auto accident in mid-November. Among those making the trip were Brad Green, Nathan Jones, Aaron Davey, Liam Jurrah and Brent Moloney. Bailey said Austin was very popular around the club and is well liked by his team mates. He described the loss as tragic, not only for the Darwin community but for Melbourne as well, due to Wonaeamirri having been involved with the Tiwi Bombers as well as the Demons. Matthew Wonaeamirri was a former chairman of the Tiwi Land Council and vice-chairman of the Tiwi Bombers. He often traveled to Melbourne to watch his son play.

Also making the trip to show their respect were CEO Cameron Schwab, assistant coach Josh Mahoney and player development manager Ian Flack. Melbourne president Jim Stynes, who often spoke with Wonaeamirri and visited him up north, was unable to make the trip.

Source: heraldsun.com.au, sportsaustralia.com.au