Adam Goodes

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

Tenacious Tigers Top Struggling Swans

janetl — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:43:49 -0500

Brook Kilpatrick reporting for AFANA from Australia

Sydney arrived at the MCG for the last game of Round 21 expecting to strengthen their Finals claims with a victory over Richmond. The Tigers have had a disappointing second half to the season and, while looking to regain some respect from the football public on the back of a six game losing streak, were not given any chance against the Swans.

Sydney had added the consistent Jarrad McVeigh and youngster Brett Meredith for the clash, while the Tigers welcomed back key position prospect Jayden Post and impressive first year defender Jake Batchelor to bolster an inexperienced defense that has been under siege in recent games.

Perfect weather greeted the teams as they ran on to the hallowed MCG turf and as proceedings got underway, it was Richmond who looked the hungrier of the combatants, dominating possession in the first ten minutes of the game. The Tigers entered their forward 50 consistently early but failed to make the most of their opportunities with poor disposal marring what could have been a sensational start. Diminutive Robin Nahas did manage the opening goal for Richmond but the Swans worked their way back into the play and kicked their first goal through the in-form Adam Goodes. Dustin Martin had the chance to put the Tigers further ahead but inexplicably dropped a perfect pass from Jack Riewoldt just 20 meters out from the Tiger goals. The frustration for the Tigers was compounded when Josh Kennedy snapped a goal for the Swans after some nifty work from Goodes. As the quarter time siren sounded the Swans led by eight points after a quarter in which Richmond dominated possession.

The second quarter started off as a scrappy affair, but the Tigers worked hard with Martin picking up a lot of the football. Trent Cotchin was relishing his role as stand-in Captain and racked up numerous contested possessions at the ruck stoppages. Full forward Riewoldt was pushed up the ground in an attempt to gain some touch, while Sydney’s Goodes had his influence quelled up forward by the much improved Alex Rance. Ex-Essendon midfield battler Bachar Houli once again made the Tigers’ recruiting staff look good with some blitzing runs out of half-back, waltzing through the centre at one stage and slotting a sensational goal from outside the 50 meter arc. Coach Damien Hardwick had clearly instructed his players to take the game on and despite some costly errors they gained the ascendancy over a somewhat flat Sydney outfit. At half time the Tigers held a tenuous 11 point lead, enough to have Swans fans concerned that their Finals tickets may not be stamped just yet.

After the long break, it was Brett Deledio who joined the red hot Houli in keeping Richmond’s running game going. Sydney’s Kennedy looked ready to fire up the Swans with some solid marking and fine finishing. While on the ball Goodes was being controlled by the tag team of Shane Tuck and Daniel Jackson and this match up proving crucial in reducing the influence of the Swans’ number one game breaker. With the game in the balance, young Matt Dea received a free kick right on the 50 meter arc for the Tigers. Sydney coach John Longmire would have been mortified when Richmond’s best long distance goal kicker Deledio was allowed to waltz alongside Dea, receive a casual handball and launch a perfect drop punt through the sticks to restore the Tigers’ two goal buffer. A pinpoint pass from Mitch Farmer on to the chest of the lively Nahas, running back towards goal, set up a snap goal to stretch the lead to 19 points and the Tiger Army was roaring in approval at the thought of a potential upset.

As the final quarter commenced the scoreboard showed Richmond leading 8.12 to 5.11. The Swans had the hard work ahead of them with Richmond not only having the momentum but a boisterous home crowd behind them. Sydney was desperate to score the first goal and increased their pressure on Richmond. As Goodes ran towards goal it looked like a sure six points. Enter the best on ground Houli who lunged and brought Goodes down for a holding the ball decision that relieved the pressure and showed the desperation the Tigers had been lacking for weeks. When the Tigers brought the ball into their own forward line where Riewoldt was starting to have an influence, a howler of a mistake by Sydney defender Heath Grundy allowed Brad Miller to tackle him for another holding the ball decision in favour of the home team. Miller lined up and calmly slotted a goal to extend the Tigers’ lead to 26 points and the game looked gone for Sydney. Martin, Riewoldt and substitute Mitch Morton joined the celebrations and slotted through majors. While the Swans managed a couple of goals through the solid Ryan O’Keefe and Sean Bird, Richmond had the game well and truly wrapped up. When the final siren sounded, Richmond had comprehensively dented the Swans' Finals hopes with a 43 point demolition.

Sydney now has to hold off Fremantle and North Melbourne for a Finals berth and fans must be wondering where the fire was from their team as it was the Tigers, not the Swans, who looked like the team looking for September action. The Swans now have their Finals aspirations on the line as they face St Kilda in Round 22 and the Geelong juggernaut at Skilled Stadium in Round 23 before a more winnable Round 24 match against Brisbane.

Richmond on the other hand had many positives to come out of the win. Cotchin, Houli and Deledio were nothing short of sensational for their club. The continued development of Rance as a key back man and some nice cameos from Martin and Batchelor (the latter unfortunately sustaining a shoulder injury late in the game) are giving Tiger fans something to hang on to going into the last three rounds of the season.

Scoreboard
Richmond: 1.4 5.8 8.12 14.15 (99)
Sydney:   2.6 3.9 5.11  7.14 (56)

Best Players
Richmond: Houli, Cotchin, Deledio, Rance, Martin, Nahas
Sydney:   Kennedy, Hannebery, O’Keefe, Mumford, Goodes

Swans On Song

rickb — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 05:29:46 -0500

Rick Browner reporting for AFANA from Patersons Stadium, Perth

Sydney and West Coast have a history of close, hard fought encounters over the last decade. The Eagles’ form so far this season has been good but Sydney never gives up the fight. This game was billed as a big challenge for the Eagles, up against a Finals team from last year after finishing on the bottom of the Ladder. The Swans were the number one tackling team in the competition up to Round 3 and they were expected to bring their best game west to face the Eagles.

As predicted, the game was closely fought, heavily contested all over the ground and with many stoppages. Jessie White was white hot early, snapping the first goal from a free kick and then following up quickly to have the Eagles reeling. The Swans were getting first hands to the ball in front of their opponents and looked crisp and in control. Big Eagle Quinten Lynch kicked his 222nd career goal from a turnover to put the home team on the board. In a controversial call, the goal umpire signaled a point from an obvious Adam Goodes snap that clearly traveled through on the goal side of the post. The Eagles’ zone was working well with the ball being locked down in their forward line. It wasn’t long before Lynch slotted his second goal for the home side. Nic Naitanui performed some brilliance in the closing seconds of the half when he plucked the ball from the boundary throw in and kicked a handy goal from the pocket. At the end of the quarter it was all tied up at 21 points.

It was an even affair in terms of scoring during the second quarter. The Eagles had most possession of the ball and were finally more efficient in their disposals although they struggled to convert possessions into goals. Lewis Jetta put on the afterburners in a contender for goal of the year. He took possession on the wing and sprinted 40 yards, bouncing the ball before kicking a 30 yard end-over-end kick that went through the big sticks. Lynch was again in form and kicked two of the Eagles’ goals in the quarter, but it was Sydney by three points at the end of the first half.

As the match progressed, it was getting harder and harder for players to get free. There were multiple stoppages and scrums around the ball as both teams worked hard to gain an advantage. The Swans were better at keeping the ball in their forward line and kicked the next two goals to take a 17 point lead. Brad Ebert and Josh Kennedy clawed two goals back, Kennedy’s after some more Naitanui magic from a center bounce. He took off from the ruck contest with the ball and hit his forward target in Kennedy to give the Eagles some spark and a six point lead at the end of the third quarter.

West Coast kept the lead well into the last quarter. There was an air of expectation around the crowd that this game was in the bag. Luke Shuey kicked the Eagles' first goal, playing on to advantage after a free kick to Adam Selwood. The new substitute rule had both teams subbing non-injured players for fresh legs and Sydney got the better result. Their substitute Gary Rohan kicked a goal as the pressure increased from both teams. Step up to the plate Adam Goodes who took control of the final minutes of the game in form that was reminiscent of his two Brownlow Medal years. His goal and goal assist play which saw Andrejs Everitt score a six pointer, were enough to run over the Eagles by 13 points. Vintage Sydney!

In the end Sydney did what it always does so well, stick to the game plan and never throw in the towel. Ten out of the past twelve games between these two teams have been decided by two kicks or less. The Eagles had their chances and will be kicking themselves that they let this one slip, after being ahead late into the final term. The Swans are not quite back to their Premiership glory best and may struggle against the powerhouse teams of Geelong and Collingwood, but for this match they were on song.

For David Woodley's photos from the game, click the link below:

http://www.afana.com/drupal5/category/image_galleries/2011_season/2011_season_photo_essays/round_3_west_coast_eagles_v_sydney/14-

Scoreboard
West Coast: 3.3 6.8 10.10 13.10 (88)
Sydney:     3.3 7.5  9.10 15.11  (101)

Best Players
West Coast: D Cox, A Embley, W Schofield, M Priddis, Q Lynch
Sydney:     A Goodes, J Bolton, A Everitt, J Kennedy, S Mumford

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

Australia Reclaims International Title

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 14:48:58 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

After losing the last series in 2008, Australia has reclaimed bragging rights over Ireland with a hard-fought three point win in the second game. Ireland played a more aggressive attacking game this time round, laying a number of tackles, but the Australians held firm even when under siege in the final term.

Ireland paid more attention to first game hero Adam Goodes who, although not as damaging in this game, still contributed two overs. Brad Green and Dane Swan filled the breach. Australia had the better of Ireland in the opening term to lead by five points at quarter time. The second term came to a halt shortly after it started when Australia called for a head count. The Irish were found to have one extra man - former Magpie Marty Clarke - on the field but he quickly headed for the bench and play resumed. The term was relatively even with Australia outscoring the Irish by one point. Paul Duffield and Travis Varcoe tackles helped set up several scoring opportunities for Australia but Dustin Fletcher was the hero of the term with two excellent saves to help Australia hold its lead. A late over from Ireland's McKernan cut Australia's lead to 11 points at half-time.

Ireland came back to within six points early in third term but Australia responded to extend their lead to 17 points. Midway through the term, Fletcher was drawn away from the play which allowed Ireland's Kavanagh to run on to a loose ball and soccer through the only goal for the match. Ireland got to within nine points but Australia managed to hang on for a 10 point lead at three quarter time.

Ireland came out firing early in the final term with a quick six points to be within four points. Some strong defensive work from Australia prevented several more scores from Ireland before two long overs from Ireland's Goulding and Murphy gave Ireland a four point lead. Midway through the term, Swan and Green kicked overs to restore Australia's lead and seal the win.

Swan was again best on ground and capped off his excellent 2010 by winning the Jim Stynes Medal. Others to impress for Australia were Brad Green (the team's leading scorer with 16 points in all), Bryce Gibbs, Todd Banfield, Liam Picken and Dustin Fletcher. Daniel Cross was his usual tireless self in the midfield while James Frawley did well in defense.

Colm Begley, who spent time in Australia with Brisbane and St Kilda, was named best player for Ireland. Ireland defender Stephen Cluxton was also impressive in defense.

The Australian team for this match:

GOALKEEPER: Dustin Fletcher
BACKS: James Frawley, Tyson Goldsack, Garrick Ibbotson
HALF-BACKS: Paul Duffield, Liam Picken, Bryce Gibbs
MIDFIELD: Daniel Cross, Dane Swan
HALF-FORWARDS: Travis Varcoe, Brad Green, Patrick Dangerfield
FORWARDS: Leigh Montagna, Adam Goodes, Todd Banfield

Interchange: Eddie Betts, Matthew Boyd, Sam Gilbert, Kieren Jack, Jarrad McVeigh, Jack Riewoldt, Kade Simpson, David Wojcinski


AUS  0.4.4   0.7.7   0.12.12   0.14.13 (55)
IRE  0.2.3   0.4.5    1.8.8    1.11.13 (52)

GOALS (6 points)
Ireland: Kavanagh

OVERS (3 points)
Australia: Green 4, Swan 3, Goodes 2, Banfield 2, Montagna, McVeigh, Betts

Ireland: Coulter 2, M. Murphy 2, Begley, McKernan, McDonnell, B. Murphy, Brogan, Kennelly, Cavanagh

BEST
Australia: Swan, Green, Banfield, Gibbs, Frawley, Fletcher, Goodes

Ireland: Canty, Begley, McKernan, Coulter, Walsh, M. Murphy, Clarke

UMPIRES: David Coldrick, Brett Rosebury

CROWD: 61,842 at Croke Park, Dublin

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

Malthouse To Ireland

Lisa Albergo — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 19:13:33 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Mick Malthouse, fresh from coaching Collingwood to the 2010 AFL Premiership, had little or no time to relax afterward as he began preparations for the Australian team to play against Ireland in the International Rules Series. The team will play two games against Ireland later this month. Adam Goodes was named captain.

The squad is: Todd Banfield (Brisbane Lions), Eddie Betts (Carlton), Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs), Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs), Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide Crows), Paul Duffield (Fremantle), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), James Frawley (Melbourne), Bryce Gibbs (Carlton), Sam Gilbert (St Kilda), Tyson Goldsack (Collingwood), Adam Goodes (Sydney Swans), Brad Green (Melbourne), Garrick Ibbotson (Fremantle), Kieran Jack (Sydney Swans), Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans), Leigh Montagna (St Kilda), Liam Picken (Western Bulldogs), Jack Riewoldt (Richmond), Kade Simpson (Carlton), Dane Swan (Collingwood), Travis Varcoe (Geelong Cats), David Wojcinski (Geelong Cats).

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release

Aussies Down Irish

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 10:42:25 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Ireland got off to a slow start and, according to their coach, opted to kick the ball more than use their hands. Australian players ran in groups to stymie the Irish. Small forwards Eddie Betts and Todd Banfield applied plenty of defensive pressure while veteran Dustin Fletcher repelled a number of Irish attacks to help put the game in Australia's keeping. Adam Goodes starred with four overs. Australia led by just three points at the first break. Ireland continued their attacks in the second term and briefly stole the lead, but Betts and Banfield both scored overs late in the term to give Australia a five point lead lead at half time.

Leigh Montagna and Betts scored three overs in quick succession in the third term to give Australia an 18 point lead. With Irish forward Cavenagh off target, former Magpie Marty Clarke (now playing for Ireland) being well-contained by Liam Picken and Dane Swan collecting the ball seemingly at will, Australia was 20 points in the lead at the final break. The Irish hit back hard in the final term after Australia pushed their lead out to 20 points. The only goal of the match was kicked by Brogan for Ireland late in the term. It kept Ireland in the contest as they kicked three overs to Australia's four for the term. Fletcher made several important saves in defense to help Australia hang on for a seven point win as the clock beat the fast-finishing Irish.

The second match will be played next weekend. Australia hopes to regain David Wojincski (ankle) and Travis Varcoe (shoulder). Both were injured in a warm-up game last week. The winner will be decided by aggregate points of both games which means the Irish must win by at least eight points to take the series. A draw will leave the teams level while a win of seven points or less by Ireland will see Australia win the series.

Australia's team consisted of:
Dustin Fletcher (ESS - goalkeeper), Paul Duffield (FRE), James Frawley (MELB), Kade Simpson (CARL), Bryce Gibbs (CARL), Garrick Ibbotson (FRE), Tyson Goldsack (COL), Matthew Boyd (WB), Dane Swan (COL), Liam Picken (WB), Adam Goodes (SYD), Jarrad McVeigh (SYD), Eddie Betts (CARL), Jack Riewoldt (RICH), Brad Green (MELB) and Interchange players Todd Banfield (BRIS), Daniel Cross (WB), Patrick Dangerfield (COL), Sam Gilbert (STK), Kieren Jack (SYD), Leigh Montagna (STK), Travis Varcoe (GEEL), David Wojcinski (GEEL)

Scoreboard
Australia 0.4.0 0.7.0 0.10.2 0.14.5 (47)
Ireland   0.2.3 0.3.7 0.5.7  1.8.10 (40)

Goals (6 points)
IRE Brogan

Overs (3 points)
Australia Goodes 4, Banfield 2, Betts 2, Montagna 2, Cross 2, 
          Frawley, Dangerfield
Ireland   McDonnell 2, Brogan, Goulding, Cavanagh, Glynn, 
          McKernan, Walsh

Best players
Australia Boyd, Cross, Swan, Duffield, Banfield, Ibbotson, 
          Picken, Goodes
Ireland   Cavanagh, Begley, McDonnell, Kennelly, Brogan, 
          Cluxton

Umpires: David Coldrick, Brett Rosebury

Crowd: 30,117 at Pairc Na nGael Stadium, County Limerick


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

Demons Shanghai Lions In China

Lisa Albergo — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:24:13 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

It would seem the AFL has succeeded in gaining new territory and fans with Melbourne and Brisbane putting on a thrilling show in Shanghai. It was the very first Australian Rules football game ever played in China and the Demons pulled off a stunning come from behind win over Brisbane. Melbourne's livewire forward Liam Jurrah stole the show with five goals, including the last three of the match. His third goal in the final term came on the final siren to give the Demons the lead and the win.

Both teams were missing key players. The Demons were without Brad Green, Aaron Davey and James Frawley while Jonathan Brown, Simon Black and Brendan Fevola were absent for the Lions. Melbourne was captained by Brent Moloney and the Lions were led by Jed Adcock. The enthusiastic crowd was a mix of Australian-based supporters, expatriates and locals. Some of the locals had clapping sticks which certainly would have been used when Jurrah took a screamer (high-leaping mark or catch of the ball) in the final term and after Brisbane's Amon Buchanan kicked a goal from the boundary. The match was broadcast live in Mandarin and English to a large viewing audience in the Shanghai region on International Channel Shanghai and Great Sports Channel.

Both sides were somewhat inaccurate in the opening term, but Brisbane had the better of Melbourne with three goals to one for a 13 point lead at quarter time. Melbourne came back in the second term and outscored the Lions three goals to two to come within seven points at half time. During the long break, about 80 Chinese kids came onto the ground to show off their own footy skills, recently learned at AFL clinics.

Brisbane cut loose in the third term, kicking five goals to two for a 26 point lead at the final break. Young Demon ruckman Jake Spencer kick-started the Demons' comeback with a great goal on the run from 50 meters out (55 yards). Melbourne youngster Jamie Bennell and veteran Colin Sylvia followed to bring the Demons within striking distance. Enter Jurrah with his heroics and freakish skills to seal the game for Melbourne. His match-winning grab and goal had the crowd on their feet.

While Jurrah was best on ground, other Demons to impress were defender Clint Bartram and Colin Sylvia. For Brisbane, Tom Rockliff starred up forward. Rookies Josh Dyson and Clay Beams will certainly remember their AFL debuts in this match as neither played any senior games during the 2010 season.

AFL development manager David Matthews said the attendance had exceeded expectations and said the match was a "... fantastic exhibition ...". Also in attendance was AFL Commission member Mike Fitzpatrick, who sat alongside Madam Wu, deputy mayor of a Shanghai district. She was involved in the negotiations to bring the game to China. She also attended the 2009 Grand Final in Australia and said she was impressed not only with that game but also the passion shown by Australians for sports. She believes the game would be an excellent platform to increase understanding between the Chinese and Australians.

With traditional Aussie footy staples such as meat pies and Victoria Bitters beer on sale, Fitzpatrick joked that it was "... just like a normal Saturday afternoon in Melbourne ...". The corporate marquees were a bit different with smoked salmon canapes, sausage rolls and Crown Lagers being passed around on silver trays.

The AFL already has a deal in place to broadcast one game per week live on Shanghai television starting next year. They say history is a great teacher and Fitzpatrick pointed out that the AFL did not take advantage of their penetration into the USA market in the 1980s and believes this recent success has potential.


Scoreboard
Melbourne 1.4 4.7 6.9   12.12 (84)
Brisbane  3.5 5.8 10.11 11.13 (79)

Goals
Melbourne Jurrah, 5, Morton 2, Sylvia 2, Bennell, Jamar, Spencer
Brisbane Beams 3, Rockliff 3, Dyson 2, Buchanan, Harwood, Rich

Best players
Melbourne Jurrah, Bartram, Newton, Sylvia, Dunn
Brisbane  Rockliff, Dyson, Beams, Merrett, Rich

Crowd: approx 7100

Source: theage.com.au

Week One Finals Records

Lisa Albergo — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:56:35 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

Most Club Finals Played: Sydney's Jude Bolton, Adam Goodes and Brett Kirk will play thier 18th Finals games in the Semi-Final, equaling the record set by former teammate Michael O'Loughlin.

Most Games Coached: Mick Malthouse (COL) coached his 636th match in the first week of the Finals. This puts him in second place on the all-time League list for games coached. Ahead of him are Jock McHale (714 games with Collingwood) and Kevin Sheedy (635 games with Essendon).

The 2010 Finals series is also the 18th for Mick as a coach with Footscray (now Western Bulldogs), West Coast, and presently Collingwood. This series will put him in third place on the League's all-time list for Finals series coached. Ahead of him are Jock McHale (27 with Collingwood between 1912-50) and Kevin Sheedy (19 with Essendon between 1981-2007). The first Finals match will also be Mick's 44th individual Finals game. Ahead of him are Jock McHale (59 with Collingwood) and Kevin Sheedy (43 with Essendon).

Most Finals Umpired: Hayden Kennedy: the first week's Finals game will be Hayden's 39th Finals match and will equal the record set by Jack Elder.

Most Finals Series Without a Premiership: This is the 15th Finals series for the Western Bulldogs without a Premiership. It is the longest current streak and fifth longest in League history. The longest Finals streaks without winning a Premiership are held by Collingwood (21 series between 1959-89), Geelong Cats (20 series between 1964-2005), Carlton (16 series between 1916-36), South Melbourne/Sydney Swans (16 series between 1934-2004), the Western Bulldogs (15 series since their only Premiership in1956) and St Kilda (14 finals series since their only Premiership win in 1966).

Semi-Finals
200 consecutive games: the Semi-Final will be the 200th consecutive game for Sydney's Brett Kirk. His streak began in Round 15, 2002. He is just the fifth player in League history to achieve the feat. He joins Jim Stynes (244 games with Melbourne 1987-98), Adem Yze (226 games with Melbourne 1997-2007), Adam Goodes (204 games with Sydney 1999-2007) and Jack Titus (202 games with Richmond1933-43).

200 games: Craig Bolton (SYD)

100 games: Mark Blake (GEEL)

100 club games: Ted Richards (SYD)

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release

Bulldog Coach Eade Record

Lisa Albergo — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:56:11 -0500

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

ROUND 21 MILESTONES

550 games combined games as a player and coach: Rodney Eade.

Round 21 represents the 550th game for Bulldog Coach Rodney Eade as a player or coach. Eade played 229 games with Hawthorn and 30 games for the Brisbane Bears. He coached Sydney in 152 games before joining the Bulldogs. Eade becomes just the 13th person in the history of the League to reach this mark.

Ahead of Eade in the record books are Kevin Sheedy (886 games, 251 games as a player and 635 games as a coach), Jock McHale (878 games, 261 games as a player and player-coach and a further 617 games as a coach only), Michael Malthouse (807 games, 174 games as a player and 633 games as a coach), David Parkin (729 games, 211 games as a player and 518 games as a coach), Leigh Matthews (793 games, 332 games a player and 461 games as a coach), Ron Barassi (719 games, 254 games as a player and player-coach and a further 465 games as a coach only), Norm Smith (659 games, 227 games as a player and 432 games as a coach), Allan Jeans (652 games, 77 games as a player and 575 games as a coach), Robert Walls (606 games, 259 games as a player and 347 games as a coach), Tom Hafey (589 games, 67 games as a player and 522 games as a coach), John Kennedy (575 games, 164 games as a player and 411 games as a coach) and Paul Roos (554 games, 356 games as a player and 198 games as a coach).

300 games: Brent Harvey (NM)

Round 21 will be Brent Harvey's 300th game, making him the 63rd player in League history and the fourth in the club's history to reach the milestone. He is behind Glenn Archer (311 games), Wayne Schimmelbusch (306 games) and Adam Simpson (306 games).

250 games: James McDonald (MELB) becomes the seventh player in club history to play 250 games. He joins David Neitz (306 games), Robert Flower (272 games), Adem Yze (271 games), Jim Stynes (264 games), Steven Febey (258 games) and Brian Dixon (252 games).

Most Consecutive Games

Kane Cornes (PA) will play his 170th consecutive game in Round 21. His streak dates back to Round 17, 2003 and equals the tenth best streak in league history. The leaders are Jim Stynes (244 games for Melbourne 1987-98), Adem Yze (226 games for Melbourne1997-2007), Adam Goodes (204 games for Sydney between 1999 and 2007), Jack Titus (202 games for Richmond 1933-43), Brett Kirk (197 games for Sydney since 2002), Jared Crouch (194 games for Sydney 1998-2006), Jock McHale (191 games for Collingwood 1906-17), Andy Collins (189 games for Hawthorn 1988-96), Kevin Bartlett (173 games for Richmond 1975-82) and Marcus Ashcroft (170 games for Brisbane 1992-2000).

Source: Patrick Keane, AFL Media Release