Another inciddent at Geelong has again raised the security issue

G'Day Footy Fans -

AYRES INCIDENT RAISES SECURITY ISSUE
Adelaide Coach Gary Ayres was fined $5000 by the league last week for gestures he made toward Geelong fans at Skilled Stadium - including a 2-finger salute. The Crows defended Ayes by saying he was harrassed, abused, and insulted from the moment he got off the team bus right through to the end of the match. While Ayres expressed some remorse over his actions, he and club said he had been povoked to the extreme by boorish fans. In light of the circumstances the fine was suspended.
However, it has raised the issue once again of security for coaches at the grounds.
Both Ayres and Hawk Coach Peter Schwab, in his role as president of the Coaches' Association, have called for better security for coaches. Schwab suggested that the ares in front of the coaches box be cleared of seating to form a buffer zone.
There was also a suggestion that those seats be reserved for club officials only.
The AFL was also trying to identify the fans through video footage of the incident in order to speak with them. The AFL has also written a letter to Schwab detailing possible security improvements.

Media Icons Pass Away
Alf Brown, one of the most respected sports journalists in Australia, passed away last week.
Alf Brown, former chief football writer at the Melbourne Herald, covered more than 1000 VFL games during his career, including 34 consecutive grand finals, and is recognised by the Australian Football Media Association with the Alf Brown Award recognising the best media performer of each year.
Former player and broadcaster, Doug Haywood also passed.
Doug Heywood played 54 games for Melbourne during the 1940s, then became one of the game's most outstanding broadcasters on radio and television.

More Night Games At Telstra Dome
The league is pushing for more night games at Telstra next year. Already the ground has more night games than the MCG, with 25 night games this year to the MCG's 15. Eight of those are Friday night games.

No Change to Veteran Rule
Essendon and Carlton have unsuccessfully lobbied the AFL to relax the veteran rule. Under the current rule, a player who is 30 years old or over AND has played 10 years at the same club can be placed on the veteran list, with half his salary not included in the cap. Only two players can be listed at any given time as veterans.
Both clubs wanted the age factor to be abolished, with just the 10 years' service as the sole requirement.
The league knocked back the suggestion, saying the current rule is part of the current CBA and that a change would only come with the next CBA agreement if deemed suitable. The AFLPA supported the league's opinion.

Had the change been approved, Essendon would have been able to put James HIrd, not yet 30, but with 10 years service, on the veteran list, thus relieving the huge salary cap problem. It would have also given the Bombers a better chance of fitting Wayne Carey, in whom they have expressed interest, within their cap.

Color Change For Umpires
Because of all the blue in the uniforms of Geelong and the Kangaroos, the umpires, for this week's game between the two, wore red socks. Umpire director Jeff Gieschen said the move came so that there wouldn't be the possibility of players getting confused at ground level and possibly handballing to an ump thinking he was a teammate.
He also said it could be the beginning of an overall change which he has been suggesting to the AFL for some time.

TRIBUNAL
Kangaroo Glenn Archer was reported on video evidence by umpire Colin Rowston for wrestling Bulldog Ben Harrison.
Ben Harrison was reported on video evidence by umpire Colin Rowston for wrestling Glenn Archer.

Arche was fined $4500 as this was his 4th offence He admitted to holding Harrison to the ground, after Harrison had him in a headlock. Archer was previously fined $4000 in 2000 for a melee, $2000 in 1996 for wrestling, and $750 in 1993 for abusive language.

Harrison also pleaded not guilty, saying he had been provoked. He admitted to holding Archer in a headlock and the panel ruled it constituted wrestling. Harrison was fined $3000. He copped a $1200 fine last year for the same offence.

Demon Craig Ellis was suspended for two games fo striking Port's Barnaby French. Ellis pleaded not guilty, saying he was trying to break French's hold on him after taking a mark. French admitted to milking the incident for a free kick. The panel ruled that while the contact made was "on the bottom rung" of the offence, it was an unncessary act. They also took into consideration Ellis' poor record. It is his 5th suspension in 5 years.

Sydney's Michael O'Loughlin pleaded not guilty to charging Carlton's Anthony Franchina. He refuted the umpire's testimony that his focus was on the player and not the ball. He said he was attempting to take the mark and did not realize that Franchina also was attempting to mark. The panel cleared O'Loughlin, describing the collision as an unfortunate incident.

Peter Everitt and Justin Murphy were interviewed by the AFL investigations officer which led to a meeting between the pair in which Murphy accepted Everitt's explanation that his reference to Murphy as a skunk was not a racist remark, but a slang term used by Saint players to refer to a player who gathers cheap kicks at the back of packs. Murphy said he regrets calling Everitt a racist during the match.

MILESTONES
200 games - Nathan Buckley, Collingwood
200 games - Corey McKernan, Carlton
150 games - Simon Garlick, Western Bulldogs
150 games - Craig McRae, Brisbane Lions
100 games - Jonathan Hay, Hawthorn
100 games - Darren Milburn, Geelong
100 games - Warren Tredrea, Port Adelaide. Warren is due to become the seventh player to reach 100 games with Port Adelaide since the club joined the AFL in 1997, following on from Josh Francou (123 games), Darren Mead (118 games), Adam Kingsley (110 games), Stephen Paxman (105 games), Peter Burgoyne (105 games) and Matthew Primus (101 games).
50 games - Shannon Motlop, the Kangaroos
50 games - Dean Rioli, Essendon
150 club games - Glenn Manton, Carlton

HAWTHORN
Injury Update:
- Glen Bowyer (bruised lower leg) is suffering recurring pain in his leg after receiving a knock three weeks ago.
- Ben Dixon (ankle, flu) is available this week.
- Daniel Harford (stomach muscles) is likely to miss another two to three weeks.
- Tim Hazell (osteitis pubis) will miss the rest of the 2002 season.
- Luke McCabe (shoulder) is at least another fortnight away from resuming.

And there is a flu bug running rampant through the Hawk camp. Several players missed last week's AFL game and VFL game due to illness - Ben Dixon, Adrian Cox, and Lance Picioane to name a few. Even Coach Peter Schwab was feeling a bit under the weather. Luke Hodge was sent home from training last week to recover and quaratine him away from teammates. According to Schwab, anyone looking like they have it or are still recovering are sent home.
Cox, Dixon (also ankle), and Robert Campbell (groin) returned to the side this week.

MELBOURNE
Gabriel Szondy, David Neitz and Shane Woewodin presented a check for $39,000 to the Royal Children's Hospital last week
The donation from the Club follows the MFC's Annual Banquet Auction which was partnered by Medtronic, a leading manufacturer of specialised medical equipment. . 

This weekend's match against Richmond was played for the Berry Street Cup
Berry Street is a non-profit child and welfare organisation that works with over 4,500 vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people, and is elebrating its 125th anniversary of service to the Victorian community.
The Berry St Cup was initiated in 1997. The cup is one of Berry Street's flagship fundraising and promotional events, and educates the general public about the work they do in the community.  Melbourne won the Cup in the inaugural year and again in Season 2000. The cup is currently held by Richmond from their round 16 victory last season.
Volunteers were collecting donations for Berry Street outside the ground this weekend.

Rookie ruckman Mark Jamar has been promoted to the seniors to replace Guy Rigoni.

Injury Update:
James McDonald, ankle, 1 week
Luke Williams, jaw, 3-4 weeks
Luke Molan, ankle, season
Scott Thompson, knee cap, season
Guy Rigoni, back, season
Alistair Nicholson, knee, season

RICHMOND
Lost one of its favorite sons last week with the passing of Roy Wright at the age of 83. Wight was descibed as a gentle giant and was named in the club's team of the century. Leg weakness which required bracing and a bout of rheumatic fever prevented him from playing sports until he was 15. He began at Richmond a year later in 1946, won the Brownlow in 1952 and 1954. He played 195 games over 14 seasons.

Matthew Richardson has suspended contract negotiations until the end of the year so he can concentrate on playing.

Injury Update:
Ezra Poyas, broken collarbone, 6 weeks
Marc Dragicevic & Ben Holland, ACL rupture, season
Rory Hilton, shoulder dislocation- arthroscopic repair, Indefinite
Scott Homewood, shoulder dislocation, season

ESSENDON
Coach Kevin Sheedy took a swipe at the AFL last week for its new requirements for the father/sion rule. He said the new stipulation of a father having had to play 100 games in order for a son to be claimed was stupid and ridiculous. He said it would severely inhibit a long tradition.

Essendon chairman Graeme McMahon is angry at the AFL about the Gary Ayes incident. He is furious at the lack of consistency with the league handing Ayres a suspended fine while, two years ago, Kevin Sheedy had been hauled before the AFL Tribunal after making a "slit throat" gesture at Eagle Mitchell White after an incident between White and Jason Johnson. Sheedy was fined $7500.

Essendon's relationship with the AFL soured further yesterday, when the club's chief executive Peter Jackson criticised AFL chief Wayne Jackson for his "almost personal" attack on coach Kevin Sheedy at the weekend. P. Jackson flatly rejected suggestions from league headquarters that Essendon had lobbied to have the veterans' rule changed solely to get Wayne Carey.Jackson said the Bombers had approached the league more than two months ago about changing the rule and Carey's name was never raised. Rather, it was to fix inequities in the list - which uses a cut-off date of December 31 for players turning 30 and with 10 years' service."A player must have turned 30 and have had 10 years of service before December 31. That means if he turns 30 on the fifth of January then he's not eligible until the following year, so he'll be in to his 12th season before he's eligible to become a veteran," Jackson said. "(But) the guy who might have turned 30 on the 28th of December, seven days before, suddenly he's eligible in that earlier year and that's just not fair and reasonable.""It had nothing to do with Wayne Carey then, it had nothing to do with Wayne Carey now. If Wayne Carey happened to come to Essendon, which is obviously highly unlikely given our salary cap position, it wouldn't be because the veterans rule changed or didn't change; it would be through other means through the trade process.
Last week, Sheedy hinted at an AFL conspiracy to allow Carey to resume his playing career in Sydney where the league has heavily invested in development. Wayne Jackson rebuffed that suggestion at the weekend, saying the coach wanted the rules changed to "have a crack at Wayne Carey", and defending the decision not to change the veterans' list because it was not there for clubs to manipulate rules. Peter Jackson defended Sheedy, and said the AFL had been inconsistent in its refusal to change the veterans' rule - a change, he said, that was supported by all 16 clubs - when it had authorized changes to the father-son rule.

Football manager Matthew Drain will leave at the end of the year to take up a management position with the Australian Cricket Board.

Injury Update:
Aaron Henneman, hip, 2 weeks

Regained Dustin Fletcher (knee) this week.

PORT ADELAIDE
Has invited Brett Ebert, son of SA legend Russell, to train with the club, and looks likely to pick him up under the father/son rule. Russell played 391 games for the Port Magpies and 29 for SA 1968-85. He played 25 games with the Kangaroos in 1979.
He won the Magarey Medal in 1971, 1974, 1976, and 1980. He won 6 B&Fs, played in 3 premierships, captained and coached the Magpies and was one of the original inductees into the SA Hall of Fame.

Regained defender Stephen Paxman this week. Paxman, who underwent a knee reconstruction after being injured in last year's finals, has been playing in the SANFL for several weeks.
Missing were Gavin Wanganeen (ankle) and Adam Kingsley (hamstring) was out.

FREMANTLE
The Art and Soul of Football
The Fremantle Football Club and deckchair theatre have won the prestigious AbaF Business Arts Partnership Innovations award. The award, announced in Melbourne last week, acknowledges a unique and productive association between sport and the performing arts.
The AFL club and Fremantle-based theatre company have been recognized for a relationship that stretches back over five years and has resulted in a series of groundbreaking arena presentations at Fremantle's home games.
Presentations arising from the partnership under the banner of "The Art and Soul of Football" since 1996 have included the highly regarded annual Len Hall Game Anzac commemorations, the "Sense of Place" four-part exploration of the character and identity of Fremantle, and prematch entertainment for the West Australian AFL derbies and other major games and events, all devised by deckchair's artistic director, Angela Chaplin, and the club's match day management.
According to Fremantle CEO Cameron Schwab, the club's partnership with deckchair has been an enriching experience for the club and its supporters, and has also had a sound business rationale.

Injury Update:
Brad Bootsma, hamstring, 1 week
Andrew Browne, ankle, season
Brendon Fewster, ankle, 1 week
Daniel Haines, fractured fibula, 3-4 weeks
Anthony Jones, pectoralis major tear, season
Troy Longmuir, hamstring, 2 weeks
Graham Polak, shoulder, season
Luke Toia, adductor tear, 3 weeks
Clive Waterhouse & Luke Webster, knee, season

The injury list is getting so critical, the club is thinking of asking Dale Kickett to return and play out the season. Kickett, who announced his retirement and played his last senior game in Round 14, is still playing for Claremont in the WAFL.
With the extensive casualties and the fact that the club began the year with just 36 players due to its draft penalties, they now only have 27 players to chose from. Should any more go down, the club will be in dire straits.

COLLINGWOOD
Lost Nick Davis to a minor case of OP this weekend. Club medicos have been treating and managing the condition all year. He has missed 4 games previously because of the ailment.

SYDNEY
Injury Update:                                         
Nick Daffy, knee, season
Stephen Doyle, ankle, 2-3 weeks
Daniel Hunt, shoulder, season
Stuart Maxfield & Heath James, knee, season             
Mark Powell, hamstring, 2-4 weeks
Adam Schneider, illness, 2 weeks
Rowan Warfe, finger, 2-3 weeks

CARLTON
The club has done a bit of an about face regarding Coach Wayne Brittain. They have continuously stated their unqualified support for Brits all year, but he was told at a recent board meeting that there was no guarantee he would survive after this year. His contract expires at the end of next year.
However, assistant coaches Greg Williams and Steve Kernahan have backed Brittain, saying he has done a good job under the circumstances.

Injury Update:
- Matthew Allan, stress fracture, has commenced work on the exercise bike, season- - Blake Campbell, sprained ankle, season
- Justin Davies, quad strain, 1 week
- Scott Freeborn, fractured right medial clavicle, has resumed light running to regain fitness, season
- Darren Hulme, strained left medial ligament, is now running and taking part in light skills, 2 weeks
- Anthony Koutoufides, sprained right medial ligament. Anthony had a minor operation last week to tighten up the ligament, season
- Michael Mansfield, virus, 1 week
- Brett Ratten, torn thumb ligaments, training with main group, although not using his right hand in ball work, 3-4 weeks  
- Lance Whitnall, Grade three sprain of the A/C joint, surgery, season

Regained Glenn Manton (calf) this week.

KANGAROOS
Wayne Carey met with Glenn Archer and Anthony Stevens for the first time since departing the club. The trio met at Carey's Port Melbourne home for several hours but details of the talks were not forthcoming.

Carey also made a brief appearance at the club to say goodbye. He was overcome with emotion after about five minutes and quickly departed. He again apologized, wished them well for the rest of the season, and told them they were doing well without him.

Coach Denis Pagan dropped a bombshell on the club two weeks ago when he hinted during a radio show that he would consider leaving the club if it could not make a reasonable offer on his new contract. It is believed that the club has asked him to take a paycut of several hundred thousand dollars.
However, a major shareholder and former board member is believed to be working behind the scenes to secure media and corporate roles for Pagan to make up the shortfall. It is believed that he has already appeased Pagan, who had preliminary talks with the club last week, by guaranteeing Pagan at least $200,000 more than what the club is offering.

Injury Update:
Brent Harvey, shoulder, 1-2 weeks
Winston Abraham, knee, season 

Shannon Grant returned from injury this week.

BRISBANE
Alastair Lynch - 500 Goals - he needs 6 goals to become the 37th player in AFL history to post 500 career goals, and the 13th player to play 250 games and 500 goals.

Luke Power posted his 100th AFL this weekend.
Jonathan Brown needs 1 goal for 50 AFL goals after posting his 50th AFL game against Hawthorn last Saturday.

Alastair Lynch - Oldest Brisbane Lions Player
Alastair Lynch became the oldest Brisbane Lions player this weekend. On gameday, he was 45 days beyond his 34th birthday, four days older than Andrew Bews, who posted the previous mark in his farewell game in Round 22, 1998.

ST KILDA
The league has held talks with AFL Tasmania and the state government in a bid to resolve the issue of Hobart vs Launceston for AFL matches. The AFL is willing to agree to spread the games around, but the state government is firm on staying put at York Park. Talks will resume in several weeks. The AFL may propose one game in Hobart in 2005 and 2006 and two games after that.
The Bellerive ground in Hobart is currently under redevelopment which will be finished next year.

WESTERN BULLDOGS
BenQ Australia was this week's event partner for the game against the West Coast Eagles. BenQ branding appeared on the front and back of the Western Bulldogs playing jumper.

Injury Update:
Nick Bruton, shoulder, 2-3 week
s
Bernie Collins, hamstring, 2-3 weeks

GENERAL SILLINESS
When the retired Jason Snell did his lap of honor this week, he tossed Freddo Fogs into the crowd to have a bit of fun.
He rang Ray Card, a former club best and fairest winner who now works for Cadbury, who produced a huge box of Freddo Frogs for the occasion.
As Jason is doing his final farewell lap, the club will also be honoring the 1952 premiership side which has a 50th anniversary dinner at Skilled Stadium after the game.

After the Saints' win over Fremantle last week at Optus Oval, a number fans planted wooden spoons in the middle of ground. A campaign organized through an unofficial Saints website urged supporters to buy wooden spoons to spread around Optus, including the social club. Organizers are also urging fans to mail spoons to John Elliott.

Some Collingwood fans also had a similar idea in mind when they rang the club about selling wooden spoons during this week's game against Carlton. However, club officials, including president Eddie McGuire, knocked back the idea. But it did not stop Magpie fans, whom Eddie said were getting right into it.

And another one of those quirky twists of fate. Hawk Jonathan Hay always wanted to play for Fremantle. But he ended up at Hawthorn as the result of Freo trading its draft selection #36 to Hawthorn. However, he played his debut game against the Dockers and played his 100th this weekend against Freo

On to the scores: