Too harsh, no consistency say some

G'Day Footy Fans -

RULES UNDER FIRE, LAWS COMMITTEE MEETS
AFL Coaches Peter Schwab, Mick Malthouse, and Leigh Matthews last week criticized the new deliberate out of bounds rule, saying the interpretations have been too harsh.
Schwab was especially unhappy as 3 Hawks were penalized in the game against Brisbane last week. One controversial call was against Sam Mitchell whose 40 meter kick eventually crossed the line,
Hawk Joel Smith conceded a free kick when he appeared to try to force a behind, only for the ball to go the other side of the point post.
Some members of the Laws Committee believe that the distance the ball travels before going over the line should be considered. The rule will remain as it is for now and be reviewed at the end of the season.
Schwab said he would prefer that the rule was interpreted as it was when he was umpires' boss, giving players the benefit of the doubt if their disposal gained metres for their team before it crossed the boundary.
Schwab said the umpiring department indicated that decisions were made on the player's intent - a policy he disagreed with."They're saying they're interpreting as to the intent. They're saying if your real intent was to kick the ball out of play, they're going to penalize it. "Every rule seems to be in favor of the offensive side of the game, not the defensive side. What's wrong with a player kicking at that distance to get the ball out of play? It's a skill." Jeff Gieschen backed Darren Goldspink's call on Mitchell. "The kick and how it was executed fits into the deliberate out of bounds [rule)," he said. "The player took the ball at the back of the square and it was kicked straight out over the line. It went 35 metres straight, it was not a dribble kick, it was a forceful kick. "Gieschen said umpires were now penalizing kicks that go forward because players were using it as a way of stopping the game. "What we saw was a lot of players becoming extremely effective at dribbling the ball out creating extra stoppages and throw-ins," he said. Umpires consider four issues when deciding if the ball was deliberately put out of bounds: What was the player's intent? What was the force of the kick? Were there teammates in the area? Was the player under pressure?
Malthouse was also in agreement that players should not be penalized for efforts to gain territory for their team.

The other rule which has been criticized from day one is the holding the ball penalty against ruckmen who grab the ball at center bounces instead of tapping it out.
Brownlow medallist Scott Wynd has renewed his call for the AFL to appoint a retired ruckman to its rules committee, describing the revised rules governing ruckwork this season as unfair and discriminatory.
The former Bulldog captain likened the changes to Essendon full-forward Matthew Lloyd being told he could no longer shoot for goal with his left leg, and said they had robbed players of a genuine skill.
Wynd, who would like to see Simon Madden or Gary Dempsey added to the eight-man rules committee, was concerned about the three amended rules that penalize players who are caught after grabbing the ball directly from the ruck, thumping it straight over the boundary line after a throw-in or bounce, and crossing the line at centre bounces to block their opponent.
Madden also expressed disappointment with the way ruckmen who grabbed the ball from contests were being penalized, and suggested the rules committee call in expert advice when deciding different rules for particular positions, while Dempsey described the rules as "silly".
Wynd said several players' games had been affected by ruck rules being tweaked over recent seasons. He said it was a fundamental skill being taken away.
Madden was less concerned with the "crossing the line" rule, which prevents players from wrestling at centre bounces, but said ruckmen should be given as much time as any other player who grabbed the ball straight from a contest before being penalized for holding the ball. "They talk about the player having prior opportunity but I keep thinking, in any other part of the game, a bloke can choose to knock the ball on or choose to grab the ball," Madden said.

The AFL has also ordered a crackdown on illegal blocks and tagging off the ball after the laws of the game committee met last week.
The umpiring department would be asked "to pay greater attention" to incidents of blocking and tagging, with umpires told to use the rules already in place.
Last week, Adelaide Coach Gary Ayers called for better protection of players from illegal tactics employed by taggers. He used the example of Andy McLeod often being subjected to illegal blocks and shepherds by opposition players.

The Laws Committee met last week to discuss these issues as well as trial rules and new rules for next year
The rules used in this year's Wizard Cup will be used again next season. Demetriou said the extended centre square - enlarging the square by about five metres - that stopped congestion at centre bounces would be put forward to the AFL Commission for introduction in the 2004 home-and-away season. The expanded centre square resulted in far fewer secondary bounces of the ball and a greater clearance rate from the middle," Demetriou said.
At the end of the season, the committee will also look at rules to protect the player who has his head over the ball. "Players bent over the ball are currently subject to a heavy front-on approach by a player intending to bump or tackle and this will be reviewed after this season," Demetriou said. "Further, there must be a greater emphasis on protection given to a player on the ground, preventing any other player sliding into him with his knees."

A number of technical matters applying to the Laws will be addressed, including prior-opportunity considerations for a player taking a kick-in after a behind who is called to play on, after a time delay, and the ruling on out-of-bounds for a player who has been forced to kick from over the boundary line after a mark, and has then been called to play-on after using his allotted time in preparing for a kick.
The Laws Committee is Andrew Demetriou (chairman), Stan Alves, Kevin Bartlett, Nathan Buckley, John Halbert, Dr Rob Kerr, Rowan Sawers, Michael Sexton and Dr Ross Smith.  

Shortlist For New Chief
The search for Wayne Jackson's successor has moved into the final stages with Andrew Demetriou and Geelong CEO Brian Cook moving on to the shortlist to face the AFL Commission early next week. There is also speculation that Ford president Geoff Polites has also made it to the final shortlist to meet the commission, despite Polites repeatedly denying interest in the job. Polites, an unofficial but weekly member of the Swans coach's box, has continued to be mentioned as the dark horse for the job.
The commission subcommittee, headed by chairman Ron Evans, has also interviewed former Carlton and United managing director James King and West Australian Football Commission chairman Neale Fong.
Former Carlton premiership captain Mike Fitzpatrick will meet the AFL Commission within days before deciding whether to confirm his interest in a position on the AFL board to replace the departnig Graeme Samuel. Fitzpatrick was strongly recommended to the commission by his former Carlton chief executive and now president Ian Collins. Should Fitzpatrick put his hand up for the job, he is the unofficial favorite. Samuel's replacement will be decided this month, with the new chief executive to be named as early as next week.
West Coast deputy chairman Mark Barnaba has also been approached by the commission. Barnaba's name was put forward by Hawthorn president Ian Dicker.

Happy Birthday MCG
The G is 150 years old this year and the AFL has chosen GF week to celebrate.
The MCG will celebrate its founding on Tuesday, Sept. 23 – 150 years after Governor La Trobe granted the present site of the MCG in the ‘Police Paddock’ to the Melbourne Cricket Club.
And after the AFL grand final – on 27 September – the MCG will open its doors for a public open week.
The public will have the chance to view parts of the famous stadium – including the historic Members Pavilion and Australian Gallery of Sport - for the last time before they are demolished for rebuilding in early November as part of the MCG redevelopment.
Special features of the week will include access to the MCC Long Room, radio commentary boxes, kick-to-kick on the arena (weather permitting) and VIP guest appearances.

Show Cause For Cuts, Says AFLPA
The AFLPA wants clubs to show business plans and financial statements to players to prove the need for pay cuts. The AFLPA believes that players should not be made to feel they are being "selfish" for demanding that the terms of their contracts are met or expect that they be paid to their market value when they renew their contract.
"If the club is going to go to a group of players and say, 'We need you to make a sacrifice,' then the club has got to spell out to the players how that is going to impact on them and how the club is going to move forward," AFLPA chief executive Rob Kerr said.
The matter of player payments surfaced again last week when Richmond general manager Greg Miller said the club intended to approach players about taking pay cuts to allow the club to develop its playing list. Wayne Campbell, Darren Gaspar, and Matthew Richardson all earn more than $400,000 a year, with Richardson last year signing on until 2005 on a performance-based deal.
Already this year Adelaide captain Mark Ricciuto and vice-captain Ben Hart agreed to pay cuts of up to $40,000 a year to help the club keep other players such as Andrew McLeod without having to put pressure on their pay deals.
Players at Brisbane, Carlton, and the Bulldogs have also agreed to reduced remuneration.
Kerr said the requirements on clubs to justify pay cuts and regularly update players on the club's financial situation were included in the AFLPA's draft Collective Bargaining Agreement with the AFL. He was confident the clause would be finalized with the rest of the agreement by the end of the season and come into force in November. Player manager Dan Richardson, from Elite Sports Properties, said the issue was a particular problem for players who were asked to give up money within existing contracts.

Lyon To Coach
Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon has been reappointed as Australian coach for the 2003 International Rules Series against Ireland. His former teammate Jim Stynes ll be assistant coach.
Brownlow Medallist Gerard Heady was also re-confirmed as Match Committee Chairman with Stephen Silvagni to join AFL Football Administration Manager Rod Austin on the Australian team panel, replacing the retired Robert Walls and Graham Cornes.

TRIBUNAL
Bombers Dustin Fletcher and Daemon Cupid were cleared of striking and unduly rough play charges respectively.
Cupido was pardoned despite the finding of the tribunal chairman that the contact he made with the head of Adelaide’s Tyson Edwards was a ‘crude act’.
The two reports – Fletcher’s for striking Adelaide’s Brett Burton and Cupido’s for engaging in rough play with Edwards – prompted Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy to publicly bemoan the sometimes undisciplined acts of his players.
It was Fletcher’s tenth report in his ten-year career, but it took the tribunal a matter of minutes to decide that he was not guilty.
Fletcher was excused of his charge after the tribunal found the contact he made with Burton’s upper body or head did not constitute a strike.
The tribunal made the decision in spite of umpire James’ evidence that Fletcher’s cocked left elbow ‘spun’ Burton’s head.
The umpire was 20 metres away from the incident, and said he had an unimpeded view of Fletcher’s elbow contacting Burton’s head. However James could not specify the degree of contact that was made, and instead advised the tribunal panel to ‘ask the player’.
Burton said he had anticipated clashing with Fletcher, but that contact was only made with their forearms. The video replay of the incident showed Burton push his arms out in a fending motion as a jumping Fletcher brushed past him. Burton denied he had received any contact to the head.
Fletcher said he had merely hoped the ball would spill free when he bumped Burton, who was running into the Adelaide forward line.

Cupido was cleared of his charge of rough play, in that he kneed Edwards, but received a firm verbal reprimand from the tribunal chairman.
Collis said Edwards had been in a ‘vulnerable’ position when Cupido slid into his head and neck area, but that his minimal contact didn’t warrant a suspension.
Cupido argued he was making a legitimate attempt to win the football, which was trapped under Edwards - who was lying on his back on the turf - and Bomber Mark Johnson.
Cupido said the wet conditions at Adelaide’s AAMI Stadium had contributed to him sliding close to Edwards’ head, but refuted the claim of umpire Scott McLaren that he had kneed him in the head, saying he only made contact with Edwards' shoulder.
Edwards remonstrated momentarily with Cupido following the incident, but said he only felt contact to his shoulder region. Tribunal chairman, Brian Collis, told Cupido that he should exercise more care in wet and slippery conditions because of the potential to cause serious injury. But Collis also gave Cupido the benefit of the doubt because of the wet conditions.
Both Fletcher and Cupido also escaped further sanction foreshadowed by Sheedy in the form of fines if they had been found guilty.

Bulldog Mitchell Hahn was not as fortunate. An unblemished record in senior and junior football could not save him from a one-match suspension after being found guilty of striking Port Adelaide's Brendon Lade. Hahn agreed with the reporting umpire, Dean Margetts, that he swung his arm into Lade's midriff, but he told the tribunal it was a push to get around the Port big man so he could run to his immediate opponent. He said he pushed with reasonable force because Lade was a big man.
Lade fell to ground momentarily and admitted he had been winded by the contact, but said he had no lasting injury.
Hahn denied he had used a clenched fist, and argued he had used both hands to fend off Lade before attempting to make a run at the ball.
But the tribunal accepted Margetts' interpretation of the incident, from some five metres away.

MILESTONES
150 games: Paul Barnard (ESS)
100 games: Luke Power (BRIS), Clive Waterhouse (FRE)
50 games: Daniel Giansiracusa (WB)
50 club games: Brett Voss (STK)
100 games as captain: Nathan Buckley (COL)
Nathan Buckley He is the fifth player in the history of the club to achieve this milestone, joining Syd Coventry (153 games between 1925-34), Tony Shaw (123 games between 1987-93), Wayne Richardson (117 games between 1970-75) and Phonse Kyne (107 games between 1938-50).
AFL Life Membership: Mark Thompson (GEEL),
Coach Mark Thompson qualified for automatic AFL Life membership during the 2003 Wizard Home Loans Cup competition, due to his combination of matches played and matches coached. The AFL did not notify the media at the time of his achievement but Mark will be inducted with Life Membership after 223 official games played (202 premiership games for Essendon, 20 preseason games and one state game) and his current coaching record of 94 official games coached (82 premiership games for Geelong and 12 preseason games.

TEAM NEWS
HAWTHORN
John Barker will miss the next three weeks with a calf injury.
He had just returned to the line up a few weeks ago after recovering from a nasty bout of OP.

Injury Update:
Chance Bateman, OP, 2 weeks of rest
Campbell Brown, shoulder, will play for Box Hill next week as the team has a bye this week
Peter Everitt, torn hamstring, 3 weeks
Nick Holland, back related hamstring, 3 weeks

ESSENDON
Essendon youngster Jobe Watson is likely to be sidelined for the next month due to osteitis pubis.

Injury Update:
Jordan Bannister, broken collarbone, 7 weeks

RICHMOND
Has backed coach Danny Frawley for the duration of his contract and urged its supporters to have faith in its long-term plan to build a premiership side.
Director of football Greg Miller said Frawley was "secure" in his position - his contract expires next season - and the beleaguered coach's confidence was not significantly battered by the onfield horrors of the past two months.
Miller said that while Frawley was secure, underperforming players have been given notice to improve and show they are worthy of challenging for a premiership.
Miller said he could understand supporters' anger watching their team drift from the top four to the lower reaches of the ladder, but asked them to have faith in the process the club was putting in place.

Matthew Richardson will captain the Tigers for the rest of the season with Campbell now out for the rest of the year.

Injury Update:
Darren Gaspar, knee, season          
Duncan Kellaway, foot, 1-2 weeks
Ray Hall, psoas, 1-2 weeks
Wayne Campbell, ruptured achilles, season
Wayne will have a plaster cast on his lower leg for 2 weeks and then will wear a cam walker for a further 4 weeks. Indications are that he will be in rehabilitation for 3-4 months.

Former Richmond great Billy Barrot was taken to hospital after he had a heart attack during a Tiger Legends' game at Punt Road Oval. Barrot, 59, who played in the 1967 and 1969 Richmond premierships, became ill after the half-time break. A club spokesman said Barrot was in a stable condition.
The game came after the Tigers' Hall of Fame dinner, at which Kevin Bartlett and Tom Hafey were inducted, joining Jack Dyer in the hall of fame.

ADELAIDE
The padding around AAMI Stadium’s goal and point posts will be bolstered.
The SANFL, which manages the ground, met with the Adelaide Crows on Monday morning and will widen the protective padding.
While a media release from the SANFL did not disclose the extent of the additional padding, it is believed the thickness will increase from 35mm – the AFL’s minimum requirement – to 75mm.
The issue surrounding the posts arose during last week's match at the ground, when, chasing a loose ball, Wayne Carey slid into the point post and his knee made strong contact with the post.
Luckily for Carey and the Crows, no structural damage resulted from the incident, with only 14 stitches required to close the wound.
Television replays showed a definite tear in the padding at the point of impact.
AAMI Stadium’s goal and point posts are aluminum and are square with rounded corners’, according to the statement.

Injury Update:
Mark Stevens, general soreness, 2 weeks
Simon Goodwin, broken wrist, 3 weeks
Wayne Carey, knee, 1 week
Kris Massie, hip, 1 week
Scott Welsh strained his back lifting weights, 1 week

FREMANTLE
Urged all its fans to dress in purple, paint their faces, bring their club flags, etc to greet the Tigers at Subiaco in Round 19. It is move reminiscent of South Korean soccer fans donning red and turning out in numbers last year to inspire their team to the World Cup finals.
The Dockers will wear a special all purple uniform and the guernseys will be auctioned after the match at ebay. The guernseys will also be autographed by their respective player.

WEST COAST
Head trainer Bill Sutherland saved an elderly woman's life last week when she had a heart attack outside the club. A motorist saw the 79-year-old collapse at 9.15am and raced into the club in search of help. The Eagles were scheduled to fly to Adelaide at 10.45am but had altered their plans. As a result, the players were preparing for training and Sutherland was in attendance. He and fellow Eagles trainers Jim Western and David Jones performed resuscitation on the woman until an ambulance arrived.
But Sutherland said he thought the delay between the woman collapsing and him being found meant that there was little hope of survival. "She had no pulse, no breathing and as far as I could see, she had passed away," he said. "To be honest, I thought it was too late. I asked them how long she had been there and they said five or seven minutes and I thought that was too long, but I had a go.
The ambulance arrived and the EMTs put her on oxygen, but it took half the trip to the hospital before she responded.
Amazingly, at Royal Perth Hospital, nurses thought Sutherland was the patient. "I had perspiration running off me and I was as white as a sheet," he said.
The woman remains in a critical condition

Injury Update:
Travis Gaspar, foot, 3 weeks
Chad Morrison, knee, 1 week
Daniel Chick, shoulder, 1-2 weeks

GEELONG
Injury Update:
Josh Hunt (shin) – 2 weeks
Daniel Foster (knee) - 2 weeks

PORT ADELAIDE
Injury Update:
Cain Auckland, hamstring, 2-3 weeks
Adam Kingsley, hand/calf, 1 week
Toby Thirstiness, groin, 3-4 weeks
Michael Wilson, hamstring, 1-2 weeks

COLLINGWOOD
Collingwood players were told to go out and sledge their Fremantle opponents, according to Chris Tarrant - belying comments made earlier in the week by Mick Malthouse.
Tarrant's comments came on television last week when he was asked about Dockers' Coach Chris Connolly's view on trash-talking in the AFL
Tarrant said Coach Malthouse told the boys "to get into them a bit.'
When asked if Malthouse had given Collingwood players a license (to sledge) on, Tarrant said. "Yeah. He gives you license most weeks."
Connolly had warned his young team to expect bullying tactics from the Magpies and claimed his side copped a lot of verbal abuse.
But Malthouse said he was staggered by Connolly's comments. "I think if you spoke to any player I've coached, I don't say don't, I don't say do, I don't encourage it," Malthouse said. "It is ridiculous."
Malthouse was also asked if the young Dockers were vulnerable to physical intimidation. "Well, I've coached Collingwood for four years, and we've been the youngest side for three of those years - what happens, happens out here - that's part of growing up."
Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley rejected Tarrant's assertions that Malthouse had encouraged the Magpies to sledge Fremantle.
Buckley said Collingwood's aim was to wear down opponents through actions, rather than words. He said Collingwood was probably the least verbal team in the comp with their focus on the ball.

Injury Update:
James Clement, hamstring, 2-3 weeks      

KANGAROOS
The Kangaroos and the AFL have signed a new agreement with the ACT Government that will ensure matches are played at Canberra’s Manuka Oval until 2006.
The agreement for 2004 to 2006 builds on the current arrangements. It will see the Kangaroos play one preseason and three premiership games each season. Currently the mix is two preseason and two home-and-away games.
The ACT Government is matching the AFL's investment in the game in the territory, with the 2001 upgrade and continued maintenance of Manuka Oval being a prime example.
The Kangaroos will continue their work in supporting the development of AFL through clinics for schools and junior footballers, working with the ACT Coaches Association and NSW/ACT RAMS and fundraising for the Canberra Hospital Children's Wing - their dedicated charity.
The Kangaroo presence has also led to a jump in participation of the Auskick program with less than 700 children in 1999 to an expected 1600 participants this year.
As part of the new agreement, the AFL will schedule a mix of games against Victorian and non-Victorian teams at Manuka, including the Sydney Swans.    Canberra, through the Australian Institute of Sport, will also remain the venue for the annual AFL National Draft Camp. The Camp brings the best 100 up-and-coming players together with the coaching staff of all 16 AFL clubs for a week of testing and interviews.  The AFL and Kangaroos hope the people of Canberra will show their support again in a couple of weeks time when to the Kangaroos take on the Geelong Cats at Manuka Oval on Saturday 26 July.   A special "March to Manuka" fundraising walk will be held before the game from Kingston Oval to raise funds for the Children's Wing.  

Glenn Archer, goal umpire?!
Yep, as part of a promotion for the Round 17 Canberra match, Archer will visit the area to be part of the Cup finals named for him.
Archer will be in Canberra on Tuesday to present the trophy to the winning school.
But not content just to cheer on from the sidelines, Archer has volunteered his services as a goal-umpire for the Grand Final.
The Glenn Archer Cup is a 12-a-side primary schools competition for boys and girls in grades 5/6, in SE NSW
The Glenn Archer Cup is similar to the James Hird Cup played in ACT and Paul Kelly Cup played in greater Sydney.
Combined, the three school competitions have attracted over 17,000 children this year – many of whom are playing the AFL code for the first time.

Leigh Colbert could be back playing as early as next month, after a stunning recovery from a serious abdominal injury that was originally expected to keep him out for the rest of the season. Coach Dean Laidley confirmed that Colbert was well placed to give the side a finals boost, with club doctor Con Mitropoulos saying the 28-year-old could be back for the final last two matches.
Mitropoulos said Colbert, who had lost 11 kilograms after the operation, had gained more than half of it back.
Colbert was taken to hospital after a round-11 collision with teammate David King left him with a damaged pancreas. He had emergency surgery and the Kangaroos placed him on the long-term injury list.
Laidley said the club would have to decide on Colbert before the end of this month, as the club has to tell the AFL by round 18 if it wishes to bring a player back from the injury list. Colbert's replacement in the senior list, Michael Firrito, might then go back on to the rookie list.

SYDNEY
Has appointed Myles Baron-Hay as its new CEO.
Myles is Sydney based and has worked with great success in a range of senior positions in the financial services industry in Australia and New Zealand for the past 13 years. He has an MBA from the AGSM and an honors Degree in Engineering.
Myles has had a long association with Australian football as a player (including a period at the Claremont Football Club in the WAFFLE), and as a member and supporter of the Swans.

Injury Update:
Stephen Doyle, knee arthroscope, returning to training next week, 1-2 weeks
Brad Seymour & Ben Fixter, hamstring strain, sprint training at present, 2 weeks
Amon Buchanan, patella subluxation, 3 weeks
James Meiklejohn (rookie), cheekbone fracture, 2-3 weeks

BRISBANE
CEO Michael Bowers announced that for the first time the club is on track for a football-generated profit. Bowers reported that revenue, memberships, gate receipts, corporate box sales, and TV ratings were all up this year while expenses have only marginally increased at .8%
Current membership is at 25,000, all corporate boxes at the Gabba were sold out, and the club has a new 3 year deal with major sponsor AAPT.

Injury Update:
Jared Brennan, hamstring, injured during a reserves' game. 2-4 weeks
Anthony Corrie, finger tendon surgery, long term injury list, 3 weeks
Chris Johnson, back related hamstring, 1-2 weeks
Beau McDonald, knee, 4-5 weeks
Daniel Pratt (rookie), finger tendon injury similar to Corrie, 11-15 weeks

Jason Akermanis missed this week with a hamstring strain but the side regained Tim Notting, Blake Caracell, and Jonathan Brown.

CARLTON
Brett Ratten announced his retirement last week. A shoulder injury suffered in May that turned out to be much more serious than originally expected was the final straw, coming only weeks after a knee problem ruled him out for three games. He had already missed 15 matches - including the 2001 finals campaign - in the preceding two years with shoulder, thumb and elbow injuries.
Coach Denis Pagan described Ratten as "a great champion, a great ambassador for the football club".
Ratten knew his time was up when the prognosis on the shoulder injury suffered kept getting worse. "I've got two boys and they'll probably want me to bowl Warney legspinners at them and I want to be able to do that. "I've had eight arthroscopes on my right knee, three on my left and a medial ligament so my knees are no good anyway," Ratten said. "If I was a racehorse I might have been put down a little while ago."
He could have persevered in the remote hope of making one farewell appearance, but put discretion above valor, family above football and, as throughout his career, the club above himself.
It was a bit about lifestyle, making sure my body was not completely wrecked, he said.
Ratten will have another surgery on the shoulder next week and go through several weeks of rehab.
Ratten made his debut in 1990 as a rugged back pocket and went on to become one of the best onballers in the competition. In a seven-year span from 1995-2001 he was never outside the top four in the Blues' best and fairest.
Only John Nicholls (five) and Bruce Doull (four) were named Carlton's champion player more often. Ratten replaced games record holder Craig Bradley as skipper last year and plans to ask one of the club's promising youngsters to take over the No.7 guernsey he was so proud to receive from another former Blues captain, Wayne Johnston. Ratten has already nominated the player he wants to see inherit the #7, but refused to say who just yet.
He took a lap of honor around Optus Oval before the game this weekend.
Ratten's retirement means Carlton will be looking for a new skipper in 2004. The only upside is that it will now have more room to move under the salary cap next year when Anthony Koutoufides, becomes eligible for the veterans' list. As Andrew McKay will be Carlton's only other veteran-listed player next year, the club will only have to count half of their salaries under the cap. That becomes particularly significant with Koutoufides due to be paid more than $1 million in the final year of a back-loaded contract.

BRETT RATTEN
Number 7
Games: 255
Goals: 117
Recruited from: Yarra Glen
First Senior Game: Round 22 1990 v Fitzroy
Final Game: Round 10 2003 v Fremantle at Subiaco
Premiership Player in 1995
Preseason Premiership Player in 1997
Appointed Captain of the Carlton Football Club in 2002
Robert Reynolds Trophy (Carlton Best & Fairest)
First: 1995, 1997 and 2000
Runner Up: 1996, 2001
Third: 1998
Equal Fourth: 1999
All Australian in 2000 and 2001
International Rules Series representative in 2000

Andrew McKay will captain the side for the remainder of the year, but believes Lance Whitnall would be the most logical choice for captain next season.

Injury Update:
Scott Freeborn, OP, season
Adam Mathews, dislocated shoulder, indefinite
Brett Ratten, dislocated/fractured shoulder, 3  weeks
Trent Sporn, fractured foot (metatarsal), 2 weeks.

Lance Whitnall will miss the rest of the season after straining his medial ligament at a training session last week. It's a grade two strain, a 3-4 week injury in itself. However, scans revealed that the ligament was also loose and the medical staff, decided that it is in Lance's long-term interest to operate on the knee and have the ligament tightened, thus rendering his season over.

MELBOURNE
Injury Update:
Scott Thompson, hamstring, 1-2 weeks
Ezra Poyas, fractured cheekbone, 3-4 weeks
Gary Moorcroft, strained medial ligament, 5 weeks
Paul Wheatley, hamstring, 2 weeks
Peter Vardy, groin, indefinite
Daniel Bell, ruptured finger tendon, 3 weeks
Nick Walsh, groin, 1 week
Michael Clark (rookie), ruptured spleen, 3 weeks
Luke Molan, knee, season

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Injury Update:
Cameron Faulkner, foot, 3-4 weeks
Nick Bruton, Knee, 3 weeks
Marcus Picken, Knee, 3 weeks

GENERAL SILLINESS
Kevin Sheedy was asked about his players being reported and admitted that Fletcher had a poor record at the tribunal.
But he joked that his own Tribunal record was probably worse.

On to the scores