Port Adelaide Power

Eagles Power On

rickb — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 04:33:23 -0500

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

Port Adelaide traveled west to take on the in-form West Coast Eagles on a rare rainy day in Perth. Of late the Power have been anything but, looking unlikely to win a kick in a stampede. The Eagles had already trounced Port once this season in Round 2, but Port generally play well at Patersons Stadium and in Round 13, they gave the home side a scare or two.

The first part of the game was woeful. Port Adelaide looked like lawn ornaments standing around on a paddock. They had no run in their legs and were kicking at only 53% efficiency. Mark LeCras scored first after an unselfish handball from Mark Nicoski but for the rest of the quarter the Eagles kicked poorly in front of goals. Josh Kennedy kicked the Eagles’ second goal after a long 50 yard kick into the zone by Quinten Lynch. Port started to emerge from their slumber and a good passage of play from the center saw running forward Robbie Gray marking strongly and converting on goal. LeCras kicked his second when the ball spilled off a pack in the pocket to give the Eagles a 15 point lead at the end of the quarter. The Eagles had 106 possessions to the Power’s 71 which showed their dominance in field play had not been translated on to the scoreboard.

After play restarted Shannon Hurn got the Eagles on the board early with a massive 70 yard goal and Adam Selwood followed up soon after from a free kick. Everything was going according to the West Coast script. LeCras was denied a goal when he soccered off the ground, with the umpire ruling the football was touched by an opposition player as it left the boot. Port lifted their rating, hitting targets and running for their team-mates. Their increased pressure saw Jack Darling turn the ball over and Travis Boak scored a major for the Power. West Coast was off the boil and another turnover gave Danyle Pierce a goal. Suddenly the Port Adelaide players were up and about but the Eagles managed to regain some composure with goals to LeCras, Kennedy and Matt Priddis. West Coast entered the main break with a commanding 33 point lead.

Half-time gives the coach a chance to regroup and this worked wonders for the visitors. Justin Westhoff, unsighted for most of the first half, came to life in the third quarter. He kicked the all-important first goal of the second half after some slick work through the middle by Port Adelaide. Daniel Stewart kicked their next and when Simon Phillips kicked their third in five minutes, it looked as if the tide had well and truly turned. Port’s kicking efficiency had risen to 80% and they had 20 possessions to 12, clearly lifting their intensity and desire to win the contested ball. Nic Naitanui steadied the West Coast with a goal from a free kick, but Boak took advantage of another turnover and goaled. Hurn, the master of the long kick, scored next with a thumping kick that sailed straight through the middle of the goals. Port players were pulling out all the stops at this point, begging the question as to why it took half a game before they showed desperation for the contest. A goal by Jackson saw Port trailing by only 23 points going into the last quarter.

West Coast needed to lift their work rate. They had been trading punches with Port instead of showing the dominance that was needed to land the killer blow. Substitute Brad Ebert was activated to replace Darling and injected some much needed power when he kicked the first goal of the final term for the Eagles. Scott Selwood goaled quickly after with a sensational effort, kicking the contested ball out of mid-air right in front of the big sticks. Still Port would not go away, and when Boak kicked his third for the game, there was absolute silence around the ground. Turnovers hurt the Eagles once more when Hamish Hartlett scored and Cameron O’Shea followed up to have the visitors within three kicks of a win. The Eagles steadied towards the end of the game with back-to-back goals from Hurn (another 70 yard long bomb) and LeCras. Although Port Adelaide kicked the next two goals, it was all over with the Eagles running out 30 point winners in the end. Port had their chances in this game and gave the Eagles a scare in the third and fourth quarters. If they hadn’t taken so long to get their game face on, the result could have been different.

Port play a revitalised North Melbourne next week at home while the Eagles travel to Melbourne to take on the high-flying Carlton. West Coast is in fifth position on the Ladder and a win next round would firm up their chances of playing Finals. The money will be against them but they find themselves a long way from their Wooden Spoon position of last year.

For David Woodley's photos of this match, go to http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2011_season/2011_season_photo_essays/round_13_west_coast_v_port_adelaide/14

Scoreboard
West Coast:    3.6 8.11 11.14 15.20 (110)
Port Adelaide: 1.3 3.8   8.9  13.10  (80)

Best Players
West Coast:    S Hurn, M LeCras, L Shuey, M Priddis, M Rosa
Port Adelaide: D Cassisi, T Boak, D Pierce, M Pettigrew, T Logan

Clubs Make Leadership Changes

Lisa Albergo — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 22:08:28 -0600

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

WESTERN BULLDOGS
In December, the Bulldogs announced the appointment of former player Simon Garlick as the new CEO, replacing the recently departed Campbell Rose. Garlick studied and worked during his 181 game career. After his retirement, he held a number of management roles with LeasePlan Australia, gaining commercial experience. He was also a member of the AFLPA Executive Board and appointed to the Bulldogs' Board of Directors in 2007. In 2009, he was appointed the club's Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing key areas of the business, membership, sponsorship, events, marketing, communications and fan development.

In announcing the appointment, club president David Smorgon acknowledged other candidates' credentials but said Garlick was the outstanding candidate with his "detailed understanding of the AFL industry, ... high level of commercial acumen, ... successful track record, ... deep appreciation of our organization and the wider AFL industry, (and) ... his determination and commitment to succeed".

Source: Anna Mitchell, Club Media Release

SYDNEY
In mid-February, the Swans announced Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh as joint captains for 2011. Goodes has been co-captain since 2009 while McVeigh has been a member of the leadership group for the past several seasons. In making the announcement, Coach John Longmire said both players "... epitomized the team-first values ... and would work well together". Longmire, who praised Goodes as a leader, believes the two will compliment each other. He was considering one, two or three captains (the Swans had three captains 2005-2009), but opted for Goodes and McVeigh whom he said were the best options at this time. He praised McVeigh for his onfield discipline, confidence to say what he thinks and his honesty.

McVeigh grew up in NSW and played junior football with Pennant Hills in Sydney's north. He also represented NSW in under-12, under-16 and under-18 state sides. He was drafted by the Swans in 2002, debuted in 2004 and has played 149 games. He won the club's best and fairest award in 2008 and played in the International Rules series in 2010. He missed out on selection for the 2005 Premiership team, but did play in the 2006 losing Grand Final team against West Coast. McVeigh, a lifelong Swans supporter, said it was an honor to captain the team he had supported all his life.

Goodes, 31, said he was excited to be reappointed as captain and is looking forward to working with McVeigh. He said the co-captaincy policy was a "... true reflection of the ... leadership we value ... and a real positive for us". He further stated that there were many leaders at the club and each led in a different way. He believes McVeigh will be a stand-out.

The Swans have had co-captains since 2005. Goodes was co-captain with the recently retired Brett Kirk for the past two seasons and Craig Bolton. Bolton gave up the captaincy in order to concentrate on regaining full fitness after a long injury layoff. He played only four games in 2010.

Longmire, who is in his first season as senior coach, said he was open-minded about the Club’s captaincy structure. “I considered having one, two or three captains but decided a joint captaincy between Adam and Jarrad was the strongest option for us at the moment,’’ Longmire said.

“I chose Jarrad as co-captain because he plays a disciplined role for the team and has done so for a number of years now. He understands the game well and is prepared to help drive the group,’’ Longmire said.

“He has taken his football to a level where he is confident and prepared to say what he thinks, and we value that honesty.’’

Source: Jenny McAsey, Club Media Release

WEST COAST
West Coast official Steve Woodhouse has been forced to retire from his role at the club due to Parkinson's disease. He was diagnosed with the condition five years ago but continued with the club. He was general manager of football for eight years before moving into the role of list and contracts manager two years ago. He was planning to remain with the club in a more limited role in 2011 but his condition has worsened, preventing him from doing so. He said he had enjoyed his ten years with the club and was proud to be part of a successful team and club. He said he was proud of his contributions and could leave satisfied with the job he had done, with highlights being the 2006 Premiership and two Brownlow winners (Chris Judd and Ben Cousins). He praised fellow staff members and the players for their hard work, calling it exceptional.

CEO Trevor Nisbett praised Woodhouse for his "... loyalty, dedication, attention to detail and ... professional standards", saying that Woodhouse handled the difficult job of football manager very well. Woodhouse remained with the club until the Christmas break in mid-December.

Source: Gary Stocks, Club Media Release

PORT ADELAIDE
In November, the club announced its new leadership group for 2011. Jacob Surjan, vice-captain in 2010, has been dropped from the leadership group due to missing most of the season through injury. The club has added Jay Schulz and Jackson Trengrove to the group. Both had impressive seasons in 2010 with Schulz, in his first season with Port after being traded from Richmond, kicking 33 goals in 16 games. Trengrove, drafted in 2008, made his debut in 2010 and had a fine season, playing 19 games rotating between the ruck and defense. Trengrove has already been earmarked as a potential future captain. Schulz, according to coach Matthew Primus, filled in admirably in a forward role after Warren Tredrea was sidelined with injury. Primus also said Schulz impressed with his leadership off the field. Others in the leadership group are captain Dom Cassisi, Dean Brogan, Troy Chaplin, Alipate Carlile and Travis Boak. Primus said younger players such as Boak and Trengrove were the future of the club. The club had just Cassisi, Brogan and Surjan as "official" leaders in 2010.

Source: heraldsun.com.au

ADELAIDE
In early December, the Crows named midfielder Nathan van Berlo as the new captain. Scott Stevens, Ben Rutten, Michael Doughty and Scott Thompson complete the five-player leadership group for 2011. Van Berlo becomes the sixth captain in the club's history. He follows Chris McDermott, Tony McGuinness, Mark Bickley, Mark Ricciuto and Simon Goodwin, who retired at the end of last season. Van Berlo, who has played 119 games, said he was honored to be named captain and is looking forward to "... leading the group into a new era" and believes the team can be successful. CEO Steven Trigg said van Berlo had worked hard on improving his natural leadership skills. He believes that van Berlo will do an excellent job as captain after being part of the previous leadership group.

Source: David Burtensahaw, Club Media Release

Big Names Sign With Giants

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 13:13:24 -0600

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

The Western Sydney Giants have signed former Carlton fullback Stephen Silvagni as the club's list manager. Silvagni will play a key role in putting together the team list ahead of their 2012 entry into the AFL. Silvagni has been an assistant coach with St. Kilda for the past four seasons. Silvagni sees the challenge as a different role to what he has been doing and as an "... appealing opportunity. .. to help build a new team." He admitted it is a personal risk although the concessions from the AFL will help. Success is not a given and the club will have to make the most of those concessions and draft opportunities. Silvagni will spend most of his time in Melbourne with stints in Sydney. He said that most football managers were based in Melbourne and it would be the best place for him for the time being. He will begin his new role in January.

Giants' football operations manager Graeme Allan, also working out of Melbourne, said the club was thrilled to have Silvagni and that his experience and understanding of what was required to build a strong list would be crucial. He pointed out that Silvagni had served at St Kilda during one of the most successful periods in their history and believes that experience, as well as being a premiership player with Carlton, gives him the insights needed to help develop a "... culture of success. "

Silvagni is regarded as one of the best fullbacks of all time, having gone up against some of the best forwards in AFL history such as Wayne Carey, Jason Dunstall, Tony Lockett, and Gary Ablett Sr. He debuted for Carlton in 1985 and played 312 games. He played in Carlton's 1987 and 1995 Premierships, won Carlton's best and fairest award in 1990 and 1996, was named All-Australian in 1988, 1990, 1994-1997, 1999 and represented Victoria in 11 games. In 1996, part of the AFL's centenary celebrations was the naming of a Team of the Century. Silvagni was the only current player at that time to be named in that team in the fullback position.

His father, Sergio, played 239 games for Carlton (including the famous come-from-behind win over arch-rival Collingwood in the 1970 Grand Final), placing the duo second on the AFL's all-time list for total games played by father and son (551 games combined). Topping that list is current Essendon defender Dustin Fletcher (328) and his father Ken (264).

Just a few days after the signing of Silvagni, a coaching partnership was reunited with former Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams signing a three year contract as Kevin Sheedy's assistant at the Giants. The deal has been in the works since Williams departed Port Adelaide just ahead of Round 15. Sheedy said he had always wanted Williams at his side as his senior assistant. Williams said that, even while he was still at Port, the idea of working with a new young team sounded exciting. Williams, who had been an assistant under Sheedy at Essendon as well as an assistant under John Cahill at Port when they entered the AFL, believes his experience of bringing through and developing young players such as Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Warren Tredrea and the Cornes brothers, will be of great value at his new club. He said, "It's a great experience ... to see their progression, their inconsistency, their anxiety ... dealing with a new environment."

Williams also has the experience of playing with a struggling club as he finished his career at the Brisbane Bears after playing for Collingwood. He said the AFL had realized the mistakes they made in establishing Brisbane by introducing the concessions granted to the Gold Coast and the Giants. When asked about eventually taking over as senior coach, he told reporters he had no problem playing second fiddle to Sheedy, saying the two understood each other, had a great friendship and a long history. He also made it clear that Sheedy is the boss and that he will do whatever is required of him. He added that the team will be in good hands when Sheedy is not present. Williams had previously interviewed for the Essendon coaching job which went to favorite son James Hird. Williams said the hardest part about leaving Port was not being able to coach and teach, which he said he loved doing and is thrilled to be able to do so again.

Sheedy said Williams was "... exceptionally talented ... with a wealth of experience" pointing out that he took Port to two Grand Finals and one Premiership in his eleven years as senior coach. As such, Sheedy said that securing Williams, Stephen Silvagni, Craig Lambert and former Essendon conditioning coach John Quinn was needed in order to build a strong club as well as developing the game in NSW. He further stated he wanted to make sure he had the best and most talented in the business. Lambert played 123 games 1988-1993 for Richmond and 96 for Brisbane 1994-2000. He later served as an assistant coach and player welfare officer with the Lions. John Quinn was Essendon's fitness coach 1999-2008 before establishing his own high performance and sports rehabilitation business.

On the other side of town, former Swans' player Jared Crouch has returned to the club as assistant coach of Sydney's reserves team. He will work with the recently retired Henry Playfair. He will also work closely with fellow former Swan Stuart Maxfield, the club's development manager. Crouch played 258 games for Sydney 1998-2008. After his retirement, he returned to his native South Australia and began his own wine business. Coach John Longmire described Crouch as a "... fantastic Swans' person ... very passionate about the club and keen to help the next generation ...".

Source: themercury.com.au, theaustralain.com, afl.com.au, theage.com.au, sportsnewsfirst.com.au, Encyclopedia of League Footballers; Jess Ries, GWS Club Media Release; AFL Record 2010 Season Guide

Bomber Thompson Lands At Essendon

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 13:56:53 -0600

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Mark Thompson, who walked out on Geelong at the end of the season, has changed his mind about not taking up another coaching role. He has returned to Essendon, the club he played for and captained to a Premiership, as an assistant to James Hird. Thompson had one year to run on his contract with the Cats but said he was exhausted and needed a break from coaching. According to an article in the Geelong Advertiser, this about-face raises several questions. One would be whether or not his excuse for quitting was simply a ruse to get out of his contract so he could return to Essendon. This leads to the second question of whether or not the rumors he was being courted by the Bombers were true. Essendon has steadfastly denied making overtures to Thompson during and after the season. However, in announcing the appointment of Thompson, football manager Paul Hamilton was unapologetic for luring Thompson back home. Nor did he deny that the club had approached Thompson during the season.

Former Geelong player and current Port Adelaide assistant Jason Davenport commented on his Twitter page that Thompson was "officially the biggest hypocrite in the business." That was only part of a scathing attack he made against Thompson. He recently removed the comments from Twitter. Davenport's comments may have been fueled by Thompson himself. In a May radio interview, Thompson reportedly questioned the loyalty of star Cat Gary Ablett as speculation mounted about whether Ablett would leave for the Gold Coast or remain at Geelong. A recent online poll at News Limited resulted in a majority of fans saying Thompson himself had been disloyal to the Cats.

In other news, the Bombers have delisted Jay Neagle, Jarrod Atkinson and Bachar Houli. Atkinson debuted in 2008 and played 17 games. Houli debuted in 2007 and played 26 games. He managed just five in 2010.

Source: geelongadvertiser.com.au; Cara Pelchen, Club Media Release

Laidley Stays With Port Adelaide

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 15:06:33 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Port Adelaide assistant coach Dean Laidley has decided to remain with the Power, after previously informing the club he wanted to return to Melbourne. However, he will have the best of both worlds as he will split his time between the two cities. In essence, he will be a "commuter coach". He will spend four days in Adelaide and three in Melbourne.

Laidley's decision came after his unsuccessful bid for Essendon's senior coaching position. Port's new senior coach Matthew Primus is happy at the prospect of Laidley continuing as Port's midfield coach. Primus said that Laidley, who joined Port last year after stepping down as North Melbourne's senior coach, has a great relationship with the playing group and that his experience will benefit both the staff and players.

Port has promoted Cameron Hitchcock and Danny Meyer from the rookie list to the seniors. Hitchcock played 17 games in 2010. Meyer played 20 games for Richmond 2005-2008 before being delisted by the Tigers. He was rookie listed with the Power in 2009 and played six games for Port in 2010. Port has delisted Jay Nash, gained in 2009 via a trade with Essendon. Nash played 43 games with the Bombers 2005-2009 but managed just eight with Port in 2010. Also gone is Matthew Westhoff, younger brother of forward Justin Westhoff. Mathew played only six games 2008-2009 and no games in 2010. Westhoff will continue to train with Port until the draft later this month. The club has the option of re-drafting him to their rookie list.

Source: Daniel Norton, Club Media Release; AFL Record 2010 Season Guide, AFL 2010 Grand Final Record

Pies Get Easy Ride In 2011 Schedule

johnson — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 03:21:41 -0500

by Johnson Leung reporting for AFANA in Melbourne

Collingwood's chances of winning consecutive Premierships have been boosted by the 2011 AFL schedule, revealed in Melbourne last week. The club have been given 18 games in Melbourne next year, with 14 at the MCG, and do not travel outside Victoria until Round 14. The Pies will finish with three interstate games in the last seven rounds of the regular season. This year, the Pies played seven matches at the MCG from Round 16 to Round 22 on their way to claiming top spot, then four finals (including two Grand Finals) at the venue to break their 20 year premiership drought.

AFL Chief Operating Officer Gillon McLachlan rejected the suggestion from Hawthorn President Jeff Kennett that the schedule favored the defending Premiers, saying nearly every Melbourne club asks to play at the Pies at home. "(Collingwood) travel the least of anyone in the competition ... because when we match all the games and club requests and where we try to put them, they become a bit landlocked," McLachlan said. "It's a quirk and it's just how it is."

Carlton and Richmond will open the season for the fourth year in a row, on Thursday March 24. The following night Geelong hosts St Kilda at the MCG, while the Pies get the premiership defence underway with a Saturday afternoon home game against Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium. However the Pies are not expected to unfurl their 2010 flag until their Friday night Round 3 clash against Carlton. Other highlights of the opening round include a Saturday night contest between Adelaide and Hawthorn at AAMI Stadium to commemorate the Crows' first official match in 1991. A day later, James Hird will coach Essendon for the first time in a home and away game against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

Gold Coast's entry into the AFL means byes will return to the schedule for the first time since 1994. Next season will consist of 187 matches across 24 rounds. There will be 19 rounds of eight matches with one bye and five rounds of seven matches with three byes. All clubs will play 11 home games and 11 away games with two byes. The new schedule means the domestic TV broadcast arrangement will change. While pay-TV broadcaster Foxtel will be guaranteed a minimum of three games each week, free-to-air networks Seven and Ten could broadcast as little as one match each week, depending on the schedule.

Gold Coast will have the bye in Round 1 and will make their debut in Round 2, against Carlton at the Gabba in Brisbane. The Suns will play three home matches at the Gabba. Their first home match at the redeveloped Gold Coast Stadium will be in Round 10 against Geelong and will mark Gary Ablett's first match against his former club.

Rounds 5 and 6 have been dubbed a "footy fiesta" with the AFL scheduling 14 games across nine of 11 days, with only two days separating the last match of Round 5 (Hawthorn v Geelong on April 26) and the first match of Round 6 (West Coast hosting Melbourne in the first Thursday night game at Patersons Stadium, formerly Subiaco Oval). Traditional rivals Essendon and Collingwood will clash at the MCG on Anzac Day, followed by a night match between Fremantle and Western Bulldogs at Patersons Stadium.

The AFL has abandoned its policy of the previous year's Grand Finalists only playing once the following season. Collingwood and St Kilda will clash twice next year, at the MCG in Round 11 and Etihad Stadium in Round 21. The League has again scheduled a "floating" final home-and-away round to give it more flexibility for the final week of games before the finals. Essendon will have the bye in this round.

Other features of the 2011 schedule include:

Two Monday night and three Thursday night games.
Geelong, Fremantle and Sydney will have games against teams coming off the bye four times, while Collingwood, Hawthorn, Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs have none.
Essendon have the most games of any club against this year's top-eight clubs (12) with five matches against top-four finishers. By contrast, the Western Bulldogs only have three games against their fellow top-four finishers.
Adelaide are either at home or in Melbourne in the first 19 weeks of the season. They will only travel to Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland. The Crows will play three Saturday afternoon games (against Fremantle, Gold Coast and West Coast) at home, and at least eight of the Crows' 11 home games will have live telecasts against the gate.
Brisbane Lions will play three games at the MCG and three at Etihad Stadium for Victorian-based supporters. The Lions and the Suns will clash Saturday night at the Gabba in Round 7 and Round 21.
Essendon will play five 2010 finalists (Western Bulldogs, Sydney, St Kilda, Carlton and Collingwood) in a row to start the year. They go to Perth twice in five interstate trips and play Gold Coast only once.
Fremantle have been rewarded for their breakthrough 2010 season with three games at the MCG compared to none last year, that is until they reached the finals. They also get to play two Friday night games against St Kilda (Round 20) and Collingwood (Round 23)
Geelong will face a unique challenge in the 2011 schedule when they have three straight weeks of games against teams coming off the reintroduced bye: Collingwood in Round 8, Carlton in Round 9 and Gold Coast in Round 10.
Identical twins Brad and Chris Scott will coach against each other for premiership points when Geelong play North Melbourne at Skilled Stadium on Saturday afternoon in Round 7. Channel Ten had requested that the match be played at Etihad Stadium on a Saturday night to maximise TV ratings, but the Cats objected.
Gold Coast will have at least 18 matches on Saturdays, eight of which will be played at night. The Suns are the only club that won't play at least one match on either a Thursday or Friday night, with Sydney playing their first home game on a Friday night since 2003. The AFL has stated that matches involving the Lions and the Suns will never be played in the same timeslot.
Hawthorn will play nine games outside Victoria, including four home games at Launceston's Aurora Stadium. This compares to just seven interstate games this year, including one trip to Adelaide and Perth.
Melbourne have one less interstate trip than this year, with four away matches in Darwin, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. They also have 10 Sunday games next year.
North Melbourne have to visit Paterson's Oval (formerly known as Subiaco) twice in their first three games and also play Hawthorn in Launceston. In all, the Roos will travel six times. They will also confront Grand Finalists Collingwood and St Kilda twice and the bean counters will not be happy with only one Friday night game. The Kangaroos' only Friday night game will be in Round 19 against Carlton.
From Rounds 7 to 17 Port Adelaide will have a demanding schedule: home, Sydney, home, Darwin, home, Perth, home, Brisbane, home and Darwin. The Power will play three Saturday afternoon games at AAMI Stadium, against West Coast, Gold Coast and Fremantle.
Richmond play their first nine matches in Melbourne, including their first four at the MCG. The Tigers will not play in Victoria for a 35-day period from May 21 to June 25, during which time they will travel to Darwin, Sydney and Brisbane, along with the first of their two byes. Cairns in tropical north Queensland will host an AFL match for competition points for the first time when the Tigers take on Gold Coast at Cazaly's Stadium in Round 17. It will be the first of three matches to be played between the clubs over three years at the venue.
St Kilda have the most games played at night with 16 games, including one Thursday night game, one Monday night game, six on Friday nights and six on Saturday nights.
Sydney will play eight games at the SCG and three at ANZ Stadium (against Essendon, Collingwood and St Kilda).
In a new concept, West Coast will tackle the Western Bulldogs in an indigenous-themed clash at Patersons Stadium in Round 9, the same weekend as the Richmond-Essendon "Dreamtime at the 'G" clash. The Eagles will host the HMAS Sydney tribute match for the first time against the Swans at Patersons Stadium in Round 4 and will have just three six-day breaks and two night away matches.
Patersons Stadium will be empty for a weekend in Round 17 when West Coast take on St Kilda in Melbourne on the Saturday while Fremantle will be in Sydney on the Sunday.

Sources: theage.com.au, heraldsun.com.au, AAP, The West Australian, adelaidenow.com.au

Carlton Departures

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 11:01:57 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Carlton forward Simon Wiggins has decided to retire after failing to play any senior games in 2010. Wiggins, who played alongside Coach Brett Ratten, debuted in 2001 and has played 116 games for the Blues. Wiggins thanked his family, teammates and the coaching staff for their support and said it had been an enjoyable journey. Ratten described Wiggins as a loyal and selfless team player as well as a popular club man.

Both Shaun Grigg and Sam Jacobs have asked to be traded. Grigg has nominated Richmond as his preferred club while Jacobs wants to return home to South Australia. Grigg debuted in 2007 and played 43 games. He managed just eight matches this year due to injury. Jacobs debuted last year after being promoted from the rookie list and has played 17 games.

Also moving on from his position as an assistant is Brett Montgomery who has rejoined the Western Bulldogs. Montgomery played 78 games for the Bulldogs 1997-2000 and 2006-2007. In between, he played 126 games with Port Adelaide 2000-2005 and was a member of Port's Premiership win in 2004. He has been an assistant at Carlton for the past three years and was a candidate for the Port Adelaide coaching job which went to Matthew Primus. Bulldog manager James Fantasia said the club was excited to have Montgomery back in the fold. He still had strong ties to many of the current players and his knowledge and game approach would be beneficial.

Montgomery said he is looking forward to the new challenge. He had always wanted to return to the Bulldogs and described the players as exciting and talented and on "... on the verge of something special."

Source: heraldsun.com.au, afl.com.au

Three Club Winners

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:24:56 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Brisbane midfielder Michael Rischitelli is the 2010 club best and fairest, despite his earlier announcement that he would be joining the Gold Coast. His previous best finish was sixth in 2008. His win ends Jonathan Brown's streak of three consecutive wins. Rischitelli polled 37.5 votes, three clear of second placed Simon Black and nine votes ahead of Jonathan Brown. Following Brown were Luke Power (27.5), Jack Redden (26.5), Ashley McGrath (25.5), Brent Staker (25), Daniel Rich (24.5), Matthew Leuenberger (24) and Todd Banfield (23.5).

The match committee rates each player 0-5, recognizing durability, consistency and excellence.

Rischitelli played every game this season and led the club in kicks, handballs, marks and contested possessions. He also averaged 24 possessions per game.

Other Awards
Players' Player of the Year: Simon Black
Most Courageous Award: Jonathan Brown
Most Professional Player: Daniel Merrett
Rookie of the Year: Tom Rockliff
The Courier Mail Player of the Year: Simon Black
Members' Player of the Year: Jonathan Brown

Source: Sam Lord, Club Media Release

Young West Coast forward Mark LeCras has won his first best and fairest award. He polled 294 votes to edge out Matt Priddis (286 votes). Beau Waters (281), Dean Cox (271) and Nic Naitanui (252) completed the top five. Finishing in the top 10 were Josh Kennedy (251), Matt Rosa (247), Andrew Embley (246), Brad Ebert (241) and Scott Selwood (227).

LeCras had a fine season, kicking 63 goals in 21 games. His best game was in Round 16 when he kicked 12 goals against Essendon. LeCras expressed surprise at being named along with past champions. He said he felt honored at the recognition as well as a bit uncomfortable being in such elite company. Past winners include Darren Glass, Dean Cox, Ben Cousins and Chris Judd. He believes the West Coast football club will be big improvers in 2011.

Each member of the five-man match committee votes for each player in a game on a scale 0-5 scale.

Other Awards
Chris Mainwaring Award (best clubman): Mark Nicoski
Nicoski, who played just six games due to a shoulder injury, used his time on the sidelines to take on a mentoring role with draftees Lewis Broome, Ryan Neates and Gerrick Weedon.

Rookie of the Year: Nic Natanui
Naitanui, who was an early favorite for the Rising Star Award, won the award as recognition of his determination to play out the season even though he was carrying a shoulder injury.

Source: afl.com.au

Kane Cornes has won Port Adelaide's best and fairest for the third time in four seasons. His previous wins were in 2007 and 2008. His consistency over the years has seen him place in the top three in seven consecutive years. There was only one game in 2010 in which he did not garner a vote from the match committee.

Each member of the committee awards 0-4 votes to each player. The most any one player can receive per game is 20 votes.

Following Cornes were Troy Chaplan, Alipate Carlile, Travis Boak, Danyle Pearce, Domenic Cassisi, Dean Brogan and Justin Westhoff. Tom Logan, Brett Ebert and Jay Schulz tied for tenth spot in the voting.

Other Awards
Best Under-21Player: Jackson Trengrove
Fos Williams Medal (voted by the players): Domenic Cassisi
Best First Year Player: Cameron Hitchcock
Most Improved Player: Paul Stewart

Source: Daniel Norton, Club Media Release

Port Favors Primus

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:18:25 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Former Port Adelaide ruckman and club captain Matthew Primus has been appointed senior coach of the club. The selection panel interviewed several candidates over a two month period before signing Primus to a three year contract. In making the announcement, club president Brett Duncanson said Primus, who was unanimously approved by the board, was the best candidate for the job and that his Port heritage did not play a part in the decision.

Primus took over as caretaker coach after the departure of Mark Williams just before Round 16. In the seven final weeks of the season he led Port to five wins. Port's only losses in that time came against the Western Bulldogs in Round 16 and St Kilda in Round 19. Primus thanked the club for the opportunity, saying coaching the club has always been a dream of his.

Primus, the grandson of former Geelong great Reg Hickey, began his career with the Fitzroy Lions. He had a fine debut season in 1996, playing 20 games in Fitzroy's final season before the merger with Brisbane. At the end of 1996, Primus returned to South Australia, where he began his career at Norwood, going on to play with the new AFL club Port Adelaide. He was appointed captain in 2001 and played 157 games. He was named All-Australian in 2001 and 2002 and won the club's best and fairest in 2001 and and 2004. He was also a member of the club's two preseason Premiership teams in 2001 and 2002. He retired as a player at the end of 2005 and was named as an assistant coach.

Source: Daniel Norton, Club Media Release, Encyclopedia of League Footballers

Former Rivals Teammates At Suns

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:28:18 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Several weeks ago, Adelaide defender Nathan Bock informed club officials that he was defecting to the Gold Coast (see www.afana.com/drupal5/news/2010/08/18/crow_flies_nest-2229). As a result, he will be teammates in the backline with former opponent Port Adelaide's Nathan Krakouer who has also signed a three year deal with the new expansion team. Both will begin preseason training in November.

Club DEO Travis Auld was delighted with the signing of the duo, saying it was an exciting time as the club builds its list. Coach Guy McKenna said the inclusions would bring experience to the club. He acknowledged Bock's status as a well-respected player who came from a well-organized team. He said the club needed a tall defender such as Bock who "... has the ability to play on big power forwards and ... an attacking mindset with good skills and decision making ... he can set up play from the backline. He has a bold style of play which suits ... our club."

McKenna believes that Krakouer's speed, agility and tackling would complement Bock. He also believes that Krakouer, who has played just 17 games since his 2007 debut, could develop into an exciting player who could play defense, wing or forward. According to McKenna, Krakouer has already expressed a desire to help with the leadership of his indigenous teammates. Bock has also expressed interest in a leadership role with his new club.

The Krakouer name is well-credentialed in football, but also has some tragedy surrounding it. Nathan is the nephew of Jimmy and Phil Krakouer who both starred with North Melbourne1982-89. Their younger brother, Andrew, also played for North but lasted just two seasons. Jim Krakouer's son and Nathan's cousin, Andrew Krakouer, played 102 games for Richmond 2001-2007. He was delisted at the end of 2007 after being arrested and charged with aggravated assault over the the 2006 Christmas holidays. He continued his footy career in the WAFL until 2008, at which time he was found guilty and sentenced to a jail term. He served 16 months but kept his up his footy with the prison team. He was released on parole in 2009 and is currently playing with Swan Districts in the WAFL with the hope of being picked up by another AFL team. His father, Jimmy, was convicted on drug trafficking charges and served nine years in a WA jail.

The AFL notified both Adelaide and Port Adelaide that they would be entitled to compensation draft selections for the the loss of Nathan Bock and Nathan Krakouer to the Gold Coast. The AFL has devised a compensation plan for all clubs who lost players coming out of contract at the end of 2010. The plan can be viewed at www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx.

Under the plan, the AFL determined that Adelaide would be allowed to select another player at the end of the first round of the next five drafts. Port will be allowed an extra selection after the completion of round two of the same drafts. Under the compensation rules, the player selected will be placed on the team list after the club names its full team for that season. In the case of two or more clubs using their compensation picks in a given year, the selections will be based on where those clubs finished in the standings with the the lowest finishing club allowed the first selection at the end of the proscribed draft round with the second lowest finishing club having the next selection, and so on. All clubs who become entitled to a compensation selection will be allowed to trade their compensation selection. The club accepting such a trade will also be allowed the 2010-2014 time frame to activate that selection.

Also under the new rules, the Gold Coast will not be allowed to take another Adelaide or Port Adelaide player who is coming out of contract at the end of 2010.They are, however, allowed access to any delisted player. They are also allowed the same full trading rights as the current 16 AFL clubs.

Adelaide General Manager Phil Harper sad the club believes Bock is worth more than what the AFL is granting under the compensation rules. He and the club plan to appeal for a higher compensation selection. He pointed out the fact that Bock is still relatively young at 27, had won the club's best and fairest award in 2008 and is a two-time All-Australian player.

Source: afl.com.au; David Burtenshaw, Adelaide Media Release; theaustralian.com.au, Encyclopedia of League Footballers; Greg Price, GFC Media Release