Their Own 911 13 Months Later

G'Day Footy Fans -

Bali Victims Remembered
In mid-October all across Australia, there were various memorial services for those killed in the 2002 bombings, which killed 88 Australians.
In Sydney, photographs of 20 victims were added to a permanent on the northern headland of Sydneys Coogee Beach. It remembers the 20 locals killed in the bombings, including six players from the Coogee Dolphins football team. Forty two people from NSW died in the bombings.
Another permanent memorial was opened in Melbourne. The memorial incorporates the names of the 22 Victorians who died and water jets in a fountain representing each of the 88 Australian victims. The fountain is stopped on October 12 each year to become a reflection pond for the day.
There was a dawn ceremony in Perth's picturesque Kings Park to honor the 15 West Australians who were killed in the attacks.
Premier Geoff Gallop will lay a wreath at the informal ceremony at the park's Bali memorial which is designed to catch the first rays of the sun and illuminate the names of the West Australian residents who died.
Five Queenslanders died in the bombings, two from the Gold Coast, Robert Thwaites, 24, and Billy Hardy, 20. An Australian rules footballer, Mr Hardy, was killed while on an end of season trip to Bali with the Southport Sharks team.
Three people from South Australia, one each from Tasmania and the ACT were also killed.

GENERAL NEWS

Take A Break, Says Judge
October 12, 2005
THE judge presiding over Seven's $1.1 billion media trial called for all concerned to take a breather after Seven boss Kerry Stokes admitted a News Limited consortium paid a "good price" for the AFL pay-TV rights in 2000 which Seven could have afforded.
This almost contradicts Seven's claim that the consortium conspired to drive Stokes' pay arm C7 out of business.
Earlier, he told the court Seven would have been prepared to pay $30 million for just one exclusive, live pay-TV game because there was a "strategic benefit in having our business in subscription television, that outweighed short-term losses".
At a break soon after Stokes evidence, Justice Ronald Sackville told the parties they should consider taking a week-long break when Stokes and the next witness, his closest business adviser Peter Gammell, were finished being cross-examined. "There may be some advantages to the parties just collectively having a pause and having a think about where everybody is and what the issues are and what remains," he said.
Justice Sackville also heard that after losing the AFL bid, the executive in charge of C7, Steven Wise, told Stokes in an email that "we were just not close enough on the cash part of the bid". Stokes told the court he agreed. Unlike the News consortium, Seven did not give the AFL separate bids for the free-to-air and pay-TV rights, although Stokes told the court he later told then AFL chairman Ron Evans he would be prepared to pay $30 million for pay-TV rights. In the email, Wise told his boss that he had contacted then AFL commissioner Bill Kelty about the AFL bid loss but he "seemed reluctant to talk". "In essence he got rolled by (another AFL commissioner, Graeme) Samuel," Wise wrote.
In another email, Wise said time was running out to get C7 on Foxtel, but "while this may seem a problem, I think we never had a product that could fly in the market".
The court also heard that just days before Seven made its bid, the network received advice from Steven Finch QC that it would have no basis for a legal claim under key sections of the Trade Practices Act against the News consortium.
Finch also advised that it would be "severely detrimental" to any future damages action for Seven to withdraw its AFL bid.
Stokes told the court he did not receive this advice. Less than a week before Seven received the advice, Stokes wrote in an email he would "actually like to walk away from the AFL" but he wanted to "retain an action against" News, Kerry Packer's Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd and Telstra for "abuse of market power or whatever actions are available to us, providing that we have reasonable case (sic)".
In other evidence, senior Seven sports executive Harold Anderson told AFL bosses that "pay-TV operators regard free-to-air operators as the competition".

Rights Bidding On
Despite the media trial, the AFL is hoping to have the next rights deals completed by Christmas. To that end, the league wrote to Channels Seven and Ten and exercised its opening bid for the free-to-air rights, to which both networks have 14 days to respond. It is believed the league's opening asking price is $130-140 million. It is also believed that the figure includes all 8 games for the two networks as the AFL's offer did not include any right to broadcast on pay television.
While the figure is a massive jump from the estimated combined total of just over $50 million that current media partners Nine and Ten are paying — Foxtel currently contributes $30 million — sources from Ten, Seven and Foxtel all indicated that the pay television network would join forces with the free-to-air channels to clinch the deal.
The Seven-Ten alliance originally pushed for a five-year broadcast schedule, which would have meant each channel televised three matches a round, with Foxtel dropping from three games a week to two.
Ten seemed to have accepted it would stick to televising two Saturday games back-to-back, with Seven owning Friday night football along with two Sunday games. Foxtel, while owning the rights to three of the eight games each round, was to be allocated three or four exclusive blockbuster games each season.
Seven and Ten plan to share the finals and rotate coverage of grand finals and Brownlow Medal counts. However, the lengthy stalemate that followed Ten's decision to switch alliances from the News Ltd consortium to Channel Seven has produced a series of complex powerplays.
The AFL remains antagonistic towards Seven and the expensive legal action, which is expected to remain in court until next June. The league is also keen to stay with the News Ltd group, including Channel Nine. It also holds a strong grudge against Network Ten for breaking ranks.
Should Seven and Ten reject the AFL offer, then Nine could open negotiations with the AFL. It has been suggested Nine could join forces with Foxtel and each televise 4 games each or that Nine could bring SBS on board to take over its more problematic free-to-air fixtures.
Following any offer from a Nine-led bid, Seven and Ten then would own the right to outbid any competitor under an agreement signed with the AFL in the late 1990s. AFL boss Andrew Demetriou, who heads the league's negotiating team, informed all 16 club CEOs that the opening bid had been put forward to Channel Seven and Channel Ten.
On paper, Channel Nine has lost money on its five-year AFL deal — Channel Ten has boasted a slightly better-than-break-even result — but the big picture shows that Australian football has been good for Nine and the network remains determined to keep Channel Seven out of the football picture.
Nine is delighted with its Friday nights and the AFL likes Channel Nine. The speculation is that Nine and Foxtel have unofficially put forward an offer of $120 million a year. Foxtel is reportedly prepared to pay double the annual $30 million it signed on to at the start of 2002 for four matches each round.
But questions remain, including how Nine could program the remaining four games and whether it would on-sell one of those games to SBS or even to the ABC.
There is also the issue of Friday night football in southern Queensland and regional New South Wales. While coverage has improved somewhat under the current deal begun in 2002, fans in those states still complain about the lack of coverage and/or the time (sometimes replays late at night). There is still conflict at Nine between AFL and NRL, for which Nine recently paid $40 million.
Seven and Ten appear to hold more cards in terms of regional coverage and also offer better value to football fans who favor more free-to-air games.
But, of course, the other hitch is the current lawsuit. The only possible solution to restoring amicable relations between Seven and the AFL would be an out-of-court settlement or some other deal between the two parties before a rights agreement is signed.
Should Seven and Ten pull this off, it will be Channel Ten that has achieved it. After all, it is Ten that has been prepared to take a massive hit in Sydney over the past four years and which will do so again next season with its willingness to broadcast AFL prime time on Saturday nights when so few Sydneysiders want to watch it.
In Brisbane, Ten has proved even more committed for slightly better but still a relatively low ratings reward. Certainly, it has been rewarded with finals — and night finals at that — but neither Channel Seven nor Channel Nine would have been prepared to commit to broadcasting AFL into Sydney the way Ten has.

SBS rejects Nine
SBS has rejected an approach from the Nine Network to join forces in a joint venture to televise AFL from 2007 until 2011. It is believed the proposal would have had SBS airing at least one game per week.
With Channel Ten joining forces with Seven, Nine is seeking a new broadcast partner.
SBS turned down the approach because it believed the AFL did not fit the profile of a national or international sport, given the problem with the Sydney market and the fact that a joint venture with the Nine Network involving Foxtel would have forced it to split its telecasts into various states given the differing demands of various fixtures.
An SBS spokesperson said the station had to look at its own programming and the potential shift to accommodate football and the impact it would have on its current viewers.

Draft Hopeful Injured
Oakleigh Chargers forward Beau Dowler - one of the most sought after prospects in this year's NAB AFL Draft - was badly injured in a car crash last week. The 17-year-old was a passenger in the car and suffered a stress fracture to his pelvis. While too early for a final prognosis, Dowler could be sidelined anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months.
As a player, Dowler is one of the country's best young talls, having been widely regarded as a top 10 pick - with some drafting experts believing he could be a top five selection.
Dowler had an excellent 2005 season, earning All-Australian honors in the U-18 championships. He was also named in the TAC Cup team of the year in 2005 and was a member of the AIS/AFL Academy in 2004.
Some believe clubs will not consider his injury and recovery a problem come draft time, but instead look at him as what he is - a talented, long-term prospect.

Time-Keepimg Revamp
A radical overhaul of timekeeping being considered by the AFL could lead to timekeepers automatically stopping the clock whenever a bounce is called without umpires needing to separately blow the whistle to signal time-on and off. Such a change would likely add minutes to quarters, meaning the AFL could also look at cutting the length of quarters from 20 minutes before time-on is added.
The proposals have come from a broad-ranging review by the umpiring department and has included a study of the time lost in two games during the recent finals series. A separate timekeeper sat with the official timekeepers during the matches and measured the amount of time the clock was ticking but no play was under way. The independent timekeeper discovered that close to 3 minutes of playing time per game was lost in the period between an umpire calling for a bounce and actually bouncing the ball.
One option considered was to automatically stop the clock whenever an umpire crossed his arms to signal a ball-up and then only restart the clock when the ball left the umpire's hand for a bounce or when thrown up, thus eliminating the need for the umpire to signal the clock watchers. Currently, time is lost at ball-ups as umpires wait for packs to clear, then signal their exit path to the players before bouncing or throwing the ball
A decision on when to blow the whistle to stop the clock is now arbitrary and generally influenced by the stage of the game and the amount of congestion around the ball and how long it would likely take to clear.
Before making a final decision, the league will review more matches by video to see how much time is lost in such situations. Adrian Anderson said the league has looked at just two matches so far, comparing the amount of time lost at bounces and the total amount of time-on called.
The issue of time-keeping became topical several times this season. In the Round 13 Collingwood/Sydney game, 19 seconds were seemingly lost, and, after the Sydney/Geelong preliminary final, Cat fans were perturbed that umpires blew time-on in the close final quarter which they felt was not the case in the first three terms. Collingwood lost by less than a goal in that Round 13 game and Coach Mick Malthouse believes those lost seconds cost his side the game.

Aussie Team Named
Coach Kevin Sheedy and the AFL announced the squad which would face off against Ireland.
The team gathered in WA a week before the October 21 match for a training camp.
Unlike past years in which the Aussie team was formed out of those named as All-Australian, Coach Sheedy and his match committee - which included Jim and Brian Stynes - decided to build a team for speed and thus selected players they thought would be the best for the hybrid games. It is a policy that the AFL and Kevin Sheedy want to implement for years to come. The players named to the full squad were:

Heath Black (Fremantle), Amon Buchanan (Sydney), Trent Croad (Hawthorn), Aaron Davey (Melbourne), Nick Davis (Sydney), Brett Deledio (Richmond), Nathan Eagleton (Western Bulldogs), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), Daniel Giansiracusa (Western Bulldogs), Lindsay Gilbee (Western Bulldogs), Shannon Grant (Kangaroos), Brent Harvey (Kangaroos), Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Chris Johnson (Brisbane Lions), Matthew Lappin (Carlton), Andrew Lovett (Essendon), Andrew McLeod (Adelaide), Troy Makepeace (Kangaroos), Darren Milburn (Geelong), Brent Moloney (Melbourne), Dale Morris (Western Bulldogs), Chris Newman (Richmond), Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney), Russell Robertson (Melbourne), Jarrad Waite (Carlton), Daniel Wells (Kangaroos).

Kevin Sheedy, as coach of the team to take on Ireland, couldn't decide between them, and so appointed Andrew McLeod and Brisbane's Chris Johnson as co-captains of the team.
McLeod said it was a huge honor and that he was very excited about leading a team coached by Sheeds, whom he, said had done so much for the Aboriginal cause in football and the wider community.
The remainder of the leadership group comprises the Kangaroos’ Brent Harvey, Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher and Carlton’s Matthew Lappin.

Croad, Eagleton, Harvey, Johnson, Lappin, McLeod and Wells have previously represented Australia against Ireland.

The Irish team arrived in WA several days before the first Test game and the sides played a practice game ahead of the main event.

Heath Black, battling an early week ankle injury was declared fit on Friday morning to be in the team to play the Irish in the first game. Not so, however, for Kangaroo speedster Daniel Wells, who failed to come up from his ankle injury.

Despite overcoming a corked thigh, Troy Makepeace, tough-nut Brent Moloney and the athletic Jarrad Waite were left out of the first team.

The first team to take on Ireland this weekend was:
Andrew McLeod (co-captain, Adelaide), Chris Johnson (co-captain, Brisbane Lions), Heath Black (Fremantle), Kepler Bradley (Essendon), Amon Buchanan (Sydney), Trent Croad (Hawthorn), Aaron Davey (Melbourne), Nick Davis (Sydney), Brett Deledio (Richmond), Nathan Eagleton (Western Bulldogs), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon), Daniel Giansiracusa (Western Bulldogs), Lindsay Gilbee (Western Bulldogs), Shannon Grant (Kangaroos), Brent Harvey (Kangaroos), Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Matthew Lappin (Carlton), Andrew Lovett (Essendon), Darren Milburn (Geelong), Dale Morris (Western Bulldogs), Chris Newman (Richmond), Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney) and Russell Robertson (Melbourne).

Players Want Free Agency
AFLPA director Brendon Gale spent a week in the USA meeting with representatives from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB to discuss, among other things, free agency. The issue will again be on the agenda when the next collective bargaining agreement is negotiated with the current CBA due to expire in 2008.
Gale's predecessor, Rob Kerr, pushed for free agency in 2003 but it was mooted by then AFL chief Wayne Jackson. Andrew Demetriou is also opposed to fee agency as he feels it would disadvantage poorer clubs who would not be able to afford uncontracted players.
Through its annual player survey, the association has noted growing support for restricted free agency, in which an uncontracted player could sign with the club of his choice. A 2004 survey of players found 46.1 per cent supported free agency after five to seven years of service to one club, and 13.1 per cent supported it for seven to 10 years of service. Gale would advocate a seven-year model, but says that until free agency is formally endorsed by the AFLPA executive, it is not the official policy of the association.
Gale said free agency would give players some sense of freedom in the workplace and pointed that they are restricted on where they play, how much they are paid, how to behave, how to dress, and what to do.
Player manager Ricky Nixon agreed, saying AFL was the most restrictive code in the world and that the trade and drafting systems were unsatisfactory. He believes that eventually, someone could even possibly take legal action under the restrictive trade practices act.
Another manager, Dan Richardson, used Lion Brad Scott as an example, saying that the Lions wanted to keep Scott but were under salary cap pressure. He said some sort of free agency would have made things much easier.

TEAM NEWS
NOTE: At the end of each Team segment is a full list of delisted and out of contract players and my comments on how they might fare in 2006 - Lisa

ADELAIDE
Tennis star Lleyton Hewitt and his former best bud Andy McLeod are now on opposite sides of a law suit filed by McLeod. The suit stems from Hewitt's attempt to show his softer side in a documentary which included footage of himself and McLeod visiting Aboriginal sacred sites. The DVD, scheduled for release next month, is entitled Lleyton Hewitt: The Other Side.
In the DVD, McLeod showed Hewitt several aspects of his Aboriginal culture, including bush walking, dancing, fishing and story-telling. However, the footage, considered culturally sensitive, was included without McLeod's permission or that of traditional landowners in the Kakadu region. McLeod has sought an injunction preventing Hewitt from releasing the DVD.
Hewitt's lawyer, Ross Macaw, told the court his client wants the matter dealt with as soon as possible because distributors want the DVD on the shelves in time for Christmas.
The DVD is designed to show Hewitt's life away from the tennis court, where his intensity has occasionally led to accusations of unsporting behavior from opponents.

MARK STEVENS (retired); JAMES BEGLEY (retired); CHRIS LADHAMS (retired); JOSHUA KRUEGER (delisted); JACOB SCHUBACK (delisted); MATTHEW SMITH (delisted); FERGUS WATTS (traded to St Kilda)

Looks to have the right mix of experience and youth to be serious challengers again next season. It doesn't hurt to have a senior coach who also has a degree in sports science and was also the fitness coach before taking over the head job. The Crows had a dream run on the injury front this season, the only major blow being the loss of ruckman Ben Hudson (knee) before the finals. Look solid on all lines. The stability and success of the stingiest defence in years - Hart, Bassett, Bock, and Rutten - allowed McGregor to shift from CHB to the forward line where he adds height and aerial strength to attack.

GEELONG
Veteran Peter Riccardi has finally signed a one-year deal with the Cats.
The club was always keen to sign Riccardi, who was an effective contributor off the bench all season, and was able to fit him in with its decision to pay 100 per cent of their salary cap in 2006. Riccardi, the 1998 Geelong best-and-fairest winner, missed only two games this season, taking his career total to 282.
The long list of injuries to other players meant Riccardi was played by the Cats in 2005 more than they had planned, but he didn't let them down. And the playing group is happy he will be around again next season.

While Riccardi will soldier on, defender James Rahilly announced his retirement. The well-liked defender played 90 games for the Cats in his eight years with the club, but was forced out of the game at age 26 by debilitating foot injuries. He managed just four games this season due to the condition which severely hampered his ability to run at pace and knew his time had come. Rahilly is philosophical about the manner of his exit from the game, saying he would look back on the great memories he had with the club.
He will have surgery to remove a bone from his foot and that would have prevented him from playing next season if he had wanted to continue.
Rahilly was voted best first year player at the club in 1998, was adjudged best on ground in the Falcons' VFL premiership of 2002 and was the best clubman in 2003.
Cameron Ling paid tribute to the hugely popular player, saying Rahilly was hard-working, selfless, and a great clubman who would be missed.
Rahilly said he had thoroughly enjoyed his time at the club and had shared in some special experiences such as playing alongside such champions as Garry Hocking, Barry Stoneham, John Barnes, and others.
Coach Mark Thompson spoke of his appreciation for the way Rahilly had handled himself at the end of his career and praised Rahilly for his honesty in saying he couldn't go on.

Geelong has delisted forward David Haynes and defender Will Slade.
Haynes made three appearances for the Cats in 2005 bringing his total to 19 matches in two seasons. He previously played 46 matches with West Coast after making his debut in 2000.
Slade played the last of his 11 senior matches in 2003 and fought osteitis pubis over the past two seasons. It's understood that both Haynes and Slade will seek to continue their careers through the preseason draft.
With the retirement of Brenton Sanderson and James Rahilly, and Paul Chambers' move to Sydney, the Cats' list stands at 34, leaving the club with draft selections 15, 31, 35 and 47 in next month's Draft.

JAMES RAHILLY (retired); BRENTON SANDERSON (retired); JARROD GARTH (delisted);
LUKE BUCKLAND (delisted); WILL SLADE & DAVID HAYNES (out of contract & delisted);
MARK BLAKE (out of contract); CAMERON THURLEY (out of contract)

Could be thereabouts next year, but could again fall short. They have a great midfield core in the likes of Ling, Kelly, Corey, and Enright, and a rock solid defence but need a backup ruck to Stephen King and a more consistent forward or two. While Kingsley is good on his day, there is often too big a gap between his best and worst. (Sorry, Brian)

SYDNEY
Defender Tadhg Kennelly may not seek a new contract with the Swans when the current one expires at the end of next year. Instead, he is considering a return to Ireland to pursue his childhood dream of winning an All-Ireland Gaelic football title for County Kerry.
Should he do so, he would be giving up an estimated $250,000 a year. He would leave the game at just 25 with about 120 games under his belt.
Kennelly said that he wanted to return to Ireland while he was still young enough to make the dream of playing top-line Gaelic football achievable and would feel something missing from his life if he didn't give it a crack.
Sydney CEO Myles Baron-Hay said the club would respect any decision but to its knowledge Kennelly was yet to decide when he would return to Ireland.
Kennelly claimed the main reason he had come to Australia in the 2000 rookie draft was to become a better Gaelic footballer. He believes the professionalism of league football has helped him achieve his own level of professionalism for training, playing, and looking after himself.

ANDREW SCHAUBLE, JASON BALL, STUART MAXFIELD, MATTHEW NICKS, & HEATH JAMES (retired); RYAN O'KEEFE (out of contract but set to re-sign); JASON SADDINGTON (traded to Carlton)

No reason they can't back up this year's flag next season. Their first premiership success in over 70 years will be the spur to do it again. The acquisition of ruckman Paul Chambers fills the void left by the retirement of Jason Ball. The loss of Maxfield, Nicks, and James is minimal as they all missed large chunks of 2005 due to injury. Despite the retirement of Andy Schauble and the trading of Jason Saddington, the defence is still solid. Their strength is an unpredictable and multi-pronged forward line and a no-frills, hardworking, blue collar midfield and a coach who never loses his cool. Over the next few years, the only issue the Swans will probably need to address is long-term building and planning for the next generation when the current group begins to reach the end of their careers.

RICHMOND
The Tigers have the 5th selection in the December draft behind Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn, and Essendon.
The Tigers are interested in Eagle Kasey Green who is also out of contract and is believed to be interested in a change of clubs for more playing opportunities. Richmond is also considering Ben Haynes, who was a Richmond rookie before he crossed to the Bombers.
The Tigers discussed trades for Green and Haynes as well as Travis Gaspar, having identified the trio as players they could afford under the stringent budget that has been imposed on the club's player payments.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace has invited former Richmond and Fremantle midfielder Ashley Prescott to join him as an assistant next year.
Prescott, who is coach of Claremont in the WAFL and a tutor with the Clontarf Football Academy, met Wallace in Perth just before the trade period to discuss a role with the Tigers as a development coach and senior coach of Richmond's VFL affiliate, Coburg.
Prescott, 33, played 90 games in six seasons with the Tigers from 1993 and a further 28 games with the Dockers between 1999-2001.
Wallace already has recast his support team, with former Kangaroo half-back David King moving from a part-time role to a full-time position and tactician David Wheadon moving into a development role. David Flood, who coached Coburg this year, has left.

Richmond has re-signed four of its most promising young players.
2004 Rising Star nominee Brent Hartigan has signed on for two more years while Tom Roach, Kelvin Moore, and promising rookie Will Thursfield, who along with fellow 2005 rookie Nathan Foley will be elevated onto the senior list, have all agreed to contracts for the 2006.
Richmond also finalized one year deals for veteran ruckman Greg Stafford and new recruit Patrick Bowden from the Bulldogs as the club looks to build on its improved 2005 season.
Shane Tuck, Daniel Jackson, Kayne Pettifer, and Andrew Raines finalized new contracts with the club shortly after.
Tuck's new 3 year deal reflected his much-improved status after he finished third in the club's best and fairest in 2005, despite being the last player to be offered a place on the senior list at the start of the season.
The son of Hawthorn's games' record holder Michael only played on a one year deal for the minimum base payments this season and has received a pay increase as well as a longer deal with his new contract.

The Tigers have only one selection in the preseason draft and have their eye on 3 players - West Coast pair Travis Gaspar and Kasey Green and Essendon's Ben Haynes, who played five games with the Tigers in 2000-01 before joining the Bombers.

Nathan Brown's comeback moved up a gear in mid-October after he successfully completed his first training run. It was the first time Brown had been able to run since suffering his serious broken leg injury against Melbourne in Round 10. Much to the delight of the Tigers, he is on schedule to be ready for the start of the season.
Football manager Greg Miller said the support of family, friends, and well-wishers played a large part in his recovery and said there are still a number of boxes of letters in his office to which there had not been time to respond for which he apologized. He thanked everyone for their support of Brown. Miller said the support of so many football fans helped boost Brown's spirits during those early weeks when he couldn't even walk.

Three time Hawk premiership player Andy Collins has been appointed as the new senior coach to Richmond's VFL affiliate Coburg.
Collins played 212 senior games for the Hawks from 1986-96 and was most recently coach of Hawthorn's VFL affiliate Box Hill. Collins quit as coach of Box Hill because the club wanted a full time coach to also assist with the senior Hawk side and Collins was unable to commit due to his role as Career and Welfare Manager at Cricket Victoria. His role with Coburg is part-time.
Collins took Box Hill into successive finals appearances in 2004-05 before accepting the job with Cricket Victoria. And despite his busy schedule, the Tigers are confident it won't affect his ability to develop the young Richmond players in the VFL.
Collins will work with the Richmond coaching staff and Coburg to develop the young Tiger players and as well as having a match day role.
Collins, played 212 senior games for the Hawks from 1986-96 including the premiership triumphs of 1988, 89 and 1991.

Richmond last week delisted three players - Rory Hilton, Shane Morrison and Kyle Archibald, bringing the number of changes to 5 with the retirements of Wayne Campbell and defender Mark Graham.
Hilton played 91 AFL matches - including 82 with Richmond - from 1998-05. He played nine matches for Brisbane in 1998 before shifting to the Tigers. The third player selected in the 1996 Draft by Brisbane, Hilton battled knee and hamstring injuries, particularly in the early and latter part of his career.
Morrison, also a former Lion, played five matches for the Lions from 2002-03 before he was delisted and then drafted by the Tigers in 2003.
Archibald spent 2 seasons on Richmond's list, but played just 4 games with Coburg in 2004, his year ruined by OP. He managed to play a full season in the VFL in 2005 but was unable to play a senior AFL match. He was the final player selected in the 2003 Draft.

WAYNE CAMPBELL & MARK GRAHAM (retired); DAVID RODAN (out of contract); KYLE ARCHIBALD (delisted); RORY HILTON (delisted); SHANE MORRISON (delisted)

Richmond officials have already earmarked 2007 as the year of the Tigers. Still rebuilding, but have a core group which can lead the younger brigade. Johnson, Tuck, and Deledio will again be the driving force in the middle. And the hugely talented Richard Tambling (12 games) should get more game time next year as well. Forward line will be dangerous with the return from injury of David Rodan and Nathan Brown. Should improve considerably in 2006 and might even challenge for a spot in the finals.

HAWTHORN
The Jeff Kennett regime has yet to officially take the reins at Hawthorn but already Ian Dicker's successor has made his presence felt with the Hawks' poaching of key Collingwood financial officer Terry Dillon.
With four board members having already resigned in recent weeks and Kennett determined to streamline his directors from 12 to eight, the nature of Dermott Brereton's position at the club also remains unclear.
Dillon, who last year applied for the Hawks' CEO position which was taken by Ian Robson, and who moved from Hawthorn to Collingwood soon after Eddie McGuire had taken over the financially crippled Magpies, told Collingwood CEO Greg Swann last week that he would be moving back to Hawthorn as Robson's second in command.
While the club continues to claim that it will achieve a break-even result, speculation surrounds a loss that could have proved as much as more than $1 million without outgoing president Dicker's financial support.
Dicker's lavish auction night early this month at the Athenaeum Club raised some $270,000, with further bids still being received by the club, but it is understood that Dicker will also give a further substantial amount of money to Hawthorn to keep the club in the black.
Former vice-president Martin Jolly - Dicker's one-time nominated successor - Ken Carnie, Denis Hogg and Ian Hogg have all announced they would not be standing for re-election at the AGM in December with Kennett joined only by Martin Ralston as new directors.
As yet there have been no other nominations.
Robson said that Jason Dunstall's appointment as CEO of the Australian Jockeys Association would not preclude his role as a club director.

Club VFL affiliate Box Hill has appointed former Geelong player Damien Christensen as their full-time senior coach for 2006. Christensen, who coached the Geelong Falcons from 2000-05, replaces Andy Collins who has joined the Coburg Tigers in a part-time capacity.
Box Hill had also interviewed former Hawk Paul Hudson for the job.
Hawthorn Coach Alastair Clarkson said Christensen had a fine track record of successfully developing players during his time at the Falcons while also enjoying on-field success.
Christensen said he was "elated" to have the opportunity to coach at senior VFL level, seeing it as the step in his coaching career. He coached Hawks Luke Hodge, Jordan Lewis, and Tim Boyle during his time at the Falcons.
Christensen played 17 matches for Geelong from 1983-86, before successful playing stints in the Northern Territory, South Australia and for Werribee in 1989. He was also a recruiter for Port Adelaide in 1998-99.

Angelo Lekkas, recovered from the stroke that might have ended his career this year, has decided to play on in 2006. Lekkas has indicated to the Hawks that he wishes to play again next year and is awaiting the details of Hawthorn's one-year contract offer.
Lekkas is also waiting for a medical all clear, but his manager believes there should be no obstacles.
Lekkas had a stroke during the pre-season that forced him to take a break from the game in the early rounds of 2005. He resumed training mid-season and was able to play the last nine senior games, kicking Hawthorn's first three goals in his comeback game against Geelong.
He was widely praised for his effort in returning to the game, with his coach, Alastair Clarkson, calling his professional approach to rehabilitation "outstanding".
Lekkas had the stroke following a Perth practice match against Fremantle in late February. Lekkas maintained the stroke was the result of an on-field collision, but Hawthorn's medicos thought otherwise.
Had he been forced into retirement, under the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the AFL Players Association and the league, he would have been entitled to 50 per cent of his base salary. The association took the view that he would receive that amount, given the uncertainty over what caused the stroke.
Lekkas turns 30 in 2006 and, as such, is eligible for veteran's status, but it is unclear whether Hawthorn will make him a veteran, which would mean only half his wage would count under the salary cap.

While John Barker is keen to play on in 2006, Hawthorn has given him until the end of the pre-season to prove his body can stand up to the rigors of another season.

Clinton Young has been elevated to the senior list from the rookie list but the Hawks have delisted senior list players Ben Kane, Bo Nixon, Steven Greene, and Doug Scott.
Rookies Ruory Kirkby, Kristan Height, and Tom Willday have not been offered a second season on the rookie list.
Young played the final seven matches of the 2005 season, after he was drafted last December onto the club's rookie list. Hawthorn general manager of player personnel and strategy Chris Pelchen said the list changes were in line with the club's new recruiting model, which is based on selecting the best young talent to further the team's progress.
The Hawks now have selections three, six, 14, 18, 22, 38 and 70 in the upcoming November NAB AFL Draft.
Other players no longer with the Hawks are Nick Holland and Simon Beaumont, who have both retired, while Jonathan Hay (Kangaroos) and Nathan Lonie (Port Adelaide) were both traded during the recent exchange period.
Greene is the son of former Hawthorn and St Kilda player Russell, and Scott is the son of former ruckman and board member Don.
Nixon, who was selected in the second round (pick 21) of the 2002 national draft with a pick traded for Nick Davis to Sydney, played just three games for the Magpies before being traded to Hawthorn at the start of last season. He managed one game for the Hawks this season.

SIMON BEAUMONT & NICK HOLLAND (retired); ANGELO LEKKAS (out of contract);
STEVEN GREENE (out of contract & delisted); JONATHAN HAY (traded to Kangaroos);
NATHAN LONIE (traded to Port Adelaide), Bo Nixon (delisted), Doug Scott (delisted), rookies Ruory Kirkby, Kristan Height, and Tom Willday (delisted)

The youth policy continues and the Hawks should also be big improvers next year if the kids progress further and the second tier players step up a notch. Need to continue the development of Simon Taylor and Robert Campbell as back up ruckmen to Peter Everitt. Has talent in the midfield in Hodge and Mitchell and the return of Mark Williams up forward will help. Should climb the ladder next year, but only a few rungs.

WESTERN BULLDOGS
Chris Grant recently signed a new one year contract and will become the club's games record holder next season when he passes Doug Hawkins and Ted Whitten.

2006 will be Grant's 17th season and his last. He debuted in 1990 and became the youngest player in history to kick 50 goals in a season.
Grant managed only 16 games in 2005 but still booted 26 goals and took his game tally to 312, leaving him behind only Bulldog immortals Hawkins (329 games) and Whitten (321) on the club's all-time list meaning he will become the club's longest serving player if he can manage to play 18 games next season.
If he plays every match next year until reaching the milestone, then he will break the club record against Richmond at the MCG in round 18.
Coach Rodney Eade said the versatile Grant, the Bulldogs' skipper from 2000-04, still had much to offer his developing side with his professionalism and the example he sets for the younger players.
Grant, who will be 33 by the start of next season, says he is looking forward to the Bulldogs making even further improvement in 2005 after this year just failing to reach the finals in Eade's first year in charge.

Utility Ben Harrison has announced his retirement. Harrison, who started his career at Carlton before moving to Richmond, has been a Bulldog since 2001.
Versatile and courageous, Harrison retires with 161 games to his credit - 85 with the Dogs.
Harrison only managed 3 games in 2005 because of a serious knee injury sustained early in the season, but was invaluable at VFL level with Werribee, especially during their finals campaign.
Coach Rodney Eade said Harrison was a great role model for his teammates and was a hard worker at training.

The Bulldogs have delisted Iszac Thompson. Recruited from Woodville-West Torrens as a fourth round selection in the 2003 Draft, Thompson didn't play a senior match in his two seasons with the club.

Former Bomber Dean Wallis has been appointed an assistant coaching role with the Bulldogs. The ex-defender will be the team's forward coach.
Wellman, who started his career with Adelaide before moving to Essendon in 1996, finished his professional career in 2004, reaching a games tally of 212 senior matches. His decorated career includes All Australian selection, a premiership for Essendon in 2000 and runner up in their 1998 Best and Fairest.

Sean Wellman – Player honors: Adelaide 1994-1995 (34 games); Essendon 1996-2004 (178 games); 2nd best and fairest 1998; All-Australian 1998, 2001; International Rules Series 1998; AFL Rising Star nominee 1994; Premiership side 2000

BEN HARRISON & STEVEN KOOPS (retired); ISZAC THOMPSON (delisted); ADAM MORGAN (out of contract); KIERAN MCGUINNESS (out of contract); SHANE BIRSS (out of contract); PATRICK BOWDEN (traded to Richmond); JADE RAWLINGS (traded to Kangaroos)

The Dogs have every right to feel stiff about just missing out on a finals berth this year. They have a hugely talented and young list and Coach Eade has them playing some great running and attacking football. The likes of Robbins, Giansiracusa, Gilbee, Cooney, and Cross are only going to get better. Will Minson was excellent in the ruck with the loss of Luck Darcy early in the year. Darcy's return will give the side another ruck/forward option, freeing up Grant to play forward or back. The midfielders can kick goals and veteran Brad Johnson can play midfield and forward. The Dogs will definitely be contenders next year.

CARLTON
David McKay and Ken Hunter played a combined total of more than 400 matches for Carlton and shared seven premierships. Both remained on the board when Ian Collins took over from John Elliott 3 years ago, but last week informed the club they would not seek re-election. Hunter believes there is nothing more he can do for the club and that "new blood and potential leaders" were needed. McKay, a close friend of Hunter's then followed suit at last week's board meeting.
It is believed that Ian Collins may be looking for a successor due to his recent health problems (a midseason heart attack and subsequent by-pass surgery and, more recently, a broken leg from a fall) and his ongoing role as manager of Telstra Dome.
The board approved the appointment of two new part-time assistant coaches — one of whom will specialize in ruck work — or one full-time assistant who can cover both bases.
It is also believed that the club will soon announce a loss of close to $1 million dollars for 2005.

Carlton has begun work to upgrade the coaching and playing facilities at Optus Oval.
Though the club is not expecting to break even financially for another two years and is soon to complete various funding submissions for around $10 million to completely overhaul the stadium, the Blues' board has ruled that a short-term arrangement is necessary.
The Bruce Doull room with be revamped to become a high-tech lecture theatre and video room and the football department will be relocated to a redesigned Alex Jesaulenko room in the Richard Pratt stand. The works, expected to be completed by Christmas, will cost around $80,000.
Coach Denis Pagan and football manager Grant Williams continue to look for one and possibly two additions to the existing coaching panel, after unpaid specialist coaches Wayne Carey and Justin Madden finished with the Blues this year. Either one full-time or two part-time coaches will join Pagan with a match-day requirement.
The club is also seeking to expand its small recruiting department, currently headed by Wayne Hughes.

Brett Johnson, Digby Morrell, and Karl Norman were delisted by the club and rookie listed players Sam Pleming and Nick Becker have also been dropped. Becker was a first year rookie and Pleming has been rookie listed for 2 years.
They join David Clarke who was delisted following the season and Glen Bowyer who retired after the 2005 season. ,
Brett Johnson joined Carlton at the end of the 2003 season in an exchange with Hawthorn (selection 51) and played 33 games for Carlton in two seasons, including 11 in 2005. Originally from Swan Districts in Western Australia he played 38 games for Hawthorn after being the number 25 selection in the 1999 National Draft. Bret turns 24 later this month.
Digby Morrell, 26, also joined Carlton at the end of the 2003 season as part of the exchange with the Kangaroos that saw Digby and David Teague join Carlton in exchange for Corey McKernan. Like Brett he also played 33 games for Carlton in two seasons, including 11 in 2005. Originally from West Perth, Digby was a Rookie List player with the Kangaroos before being elevated to the senior list.
Karl Norman was Carlton 7th round selection (number 79 overall) in the 2002 National Draft and he played 27 games for Carlton in three seasons after making his debut in 2003. Recruited from the Wangaratta Rovers he was awarded a Rising Star nomination in 2004 in a season where he played 16 games. Karl is 22 years of age and played four games in 2005.
Nick Becker was recruited from Strathmore via the Calder Under 18s with Carlton’s third selection in last year’s Rookie Draft, while Sam Pleming was recruited from Maffra via the Gippsland Under 18s with the Blues fourth round selection in the 2004 Rookie Draft.

SCOTT CAMPOREALE (out of contract); MATTHEW LAPPIN (out of contract); DAVID CLARKE (delisted); GLEN BOWYER (retired); KARL NORMAN (delisted); DIGBY MORRELL (delisted); BRETT JOHNSON (delisted)

Only one way to go and that's up. Now that they finally have full access to the draft after completing the penalties for cap cheating (thanks to A--hole Elliott), the rebuilding can begin in earnest. One big need is some more experience in the midfield. Nick Stevens and Heath Scotland are experienced and Andrew Walker, and Adam Bentick have talent but the side could use a few more onballers, especially with the likely loss of Scott Camporeale. Livingston and Thornton are talented defenders but can be exposed against burlier forwards such as Hall, Tredrea, Neitz and the like. The side needs a big body down back. As Coach Denis Pagan said a few years ago in recruiting Mick Martyn, they need a "gorilla" to play on a "gorilla". Jason Saddington will be a welcome addition down back but might take time to settle coming back from a knee reconstruction and into a new team. Has the height and possibly the strength to stand the bigger opposition forwards. The ruck division seems solid with Barnaby French and the mobile and long-kicking Chris Bryan. Adrian DeLuca and Ian Prendergast can also pinch hit in the ruck. If Pagan can get Fevola to play more consistent football, it will be a big boost. The Blues have the firepower in him, Whitnall, Betts, Waite, and Davies. They just need better delivery from the center. If the Blues can come to terms with the out of contract Matthew Lappin, that will help as well. Slot in another half back flanker and Lappin could return to the forward lines as a crumbing goalsneak.

BRISBANE
Several Brisbane players were among a group of rowdy air travelers detained by Thai Customs officials and refused entry to the Asian country 2 weeks ago.
Some of the players involved were Saint Fraser Gehrig and Lions Jonathan Brown, Justin Leppitsch, and Tim Notting. The players were traveling within a larger party of 10 who, because of behavior on the flight to Bangkok, were refused immigration clearance and returned to Sydney. .

Carlton and Hawthorn have expressed interest in recruiting Brisbane Lions ruckman Dylan McLaren in the preseason draft. McLaren, 23, is out of contract and weighing up whether he wishes to continue with Brisbane or return to Victoria and establish himself as a ruckman with a less-seasoned team. St Kilda pursued McLaren during the recent trading period, but was unable to reach a deal with Brisbane.
Both Carlton and Hawthorn have been in the market for a relatively inexpensive ruckman, with the Blues having little back-up for Barnaby French. Chris Bryan, 23, who made his debut this year, is the only genuine ruckman, besides French, on the senior list; Adrian Deluca has played most of his senior football as a forward.
While Peter Everitt has been in sparkling form in recent seasons with the Hawks, his back ups are the young and inexperienced Robert Campbell, who suffered a season ending knee injury in Round 1 and Simon Taylor who was elevated to the senior list ahead of schedule.
While the Lions are well stocked for ruckmen, with Jamie Charman, Clark Keating, Beau McDonald, McLaren, and talented teenager Cameron Wood, their ruck depth was still tested this year as a result of injuries to Keating and McDonald.
McDonald, recovered from a knee reconstruction, opted to accept a one-year deal to remain with the Lions, while Keating's fragility - and sizeable contract - meant there was little interest in him in the trading period.
While McLaren, recruited in the 2001 preseason draft, has not yet proven himself, he has demonstrated durability and a competitive ethos in his 46 games with the Lions.
McLaren is unlikely to be delisted by Brisbane before the national draft if he is not re-signed, which makes the preseason draft in December the probable avenue if he is to join either Carlton or Hawthorn.
The Hawks have six selections up to pick No. 38 in the national draft and would probably need to pass on their next choice - pick No. 70 - to participate in the preseason draft for uncontracted and delisted players.
The Lions have another young Victorian out of contract in Troy Selwood, whom Collingwood has earmarked as a potential preseason draftee. Selwood has already met with Magpie officials but the Lions hope to retain him and will continue negotiations for a new deal.

The Brisbane Lions are intent on securing two Irish recruits before the end of this month's International Rules series in a bid to bolster their playing ranks while exploiting a loophole within the AFL salary cap rules.
Irish international Sean Cavanagh, a midfielder with this year's All-Ireland champion County Tyrone, recently turned down a two-year contract to join Brisbane next season as an "international rookie", while County Down captain James Colgan and forward Martin Clarke have also held negotiations.
Under provisions for international rookies, AFL clubs can secure up to two players from non-AFL backgrounds. There are no limits on what international recruits can be paid as their contracts fall outside the salary cap.
The rarely used provision has immediate appeal for Brisbane, which is facing a salary cap squeeze which will force the club to cut several senior players to come in under the cap. Following lobbying from Melbourne-based clubs, the AFL will have phased out Brisbane's 10% per cent retention allowance by the end of the 2007 season.
Nine Lions remain out of contract. Among them are Beau McDonald, Robert Copeland and Brad Scott and emerging senior regulars Troy Selwood, Daniel Merrett, and Dylan McLaren.
Brisbane also has the advantage of being able to take up to nine players on its rookie list under an AFL program designed to fast-track the development of Queensland-born players. This would allow the cash-rich club to invest in two Irish recruits at little risk.
Collingwood has also been chasing several Gaelic players with the very first Irish AFL player Paul Earley (Melbourne) acting as a Dublin-based talent scout.
Former Collingwood recruiter Gerard Sholly is acting on behalf of Brisbane, interviewing potential recruits. Sholly has been an active scout and recruiter for some years. He was behind the recruitents of Tadgh Kennelly to Sydney and the O'hAilpin brothers to Carlton.

Brisbane re-signed Joel Macdonald and Daniel Merrett on two-year contracts.

Versatile big man Llane Spaanderman, the Brisbane Lions' first pick in the 2003 national draft, was among three players delisted by the club last week.
Spaanderman, a 198-centimetre ruckman-forward recruited from East Perth at pick 18 in the 2003 draft, was cut by the Lions along with midfielders Tom Logan and Leigh Ryswyk.
All 3 debuted for the Lions this year with Spaanderman and Logan playing 3 games and Ryswyk, who was elevated from the rookie list last summer, managed just one.

DARRYL WHITE & MARTIN PIKE (retired); JOSH DRUMMOND (out of contract); LLAINE SPAANDERMAN (delisted); BEAU MCDONALD (out of contract); TROY SELWOOD (out of contract); LEIGH RYSWYK (delisted); ROBERT COPELAND (out of contract); BRAD SCOTT (out of contract), Tom Logan (delisted)

The Lions began rebuilding to a degree this season through necessity with a raft of injuries to key players. Premiership veterans Michael Voss, Justin Leppitsch, Mal Michael, Clark Keating, Chris Johnson, and the Scott brothers are all a year older and close to the end of brilliant careers. The Lions headed the list in debuting new faces this year. Four of them were Rising Star nominees - Anthony Corrie, Jed Adcock, Justin Sherman, and Troy Selwood. Josh Drummond was a revelation in defence. The rebuilding will continue. The Lions could give the ladder a good shake if they can remain injury free.

PORT ADELAIDE
Has delisted Stuart Cochrane, Stephen Gilham, and Luke Peel. The Power's football operations manager, Peter Rohde described the departing trio as "quality people" and thanked them for their service to the club.
Cochrane played 54 games with Port Adelaide after being recruited from the Kangaroos where he played 60 matches.
A second round draft selection in the 2002 Draft from the Oakleigh Chargers, Gilham made one senior appearance for Port Adelaide - in round 18 last season against the Kangaroos at Manuka, while Peel, selected with pick 34 from Sandringham in the 2003 Draft failed to play a senior match.
Port Adelaide is in the process of negotiating new playing contracts for the 2006 season with Darryl Wakelin, Josh Francou, and Adam Kingsley, while first year player Danyle Pearce will be elevated to the senior list from the rookie list.

STUART COCHRANE (delisted); STEPHEN GILHAM, LUKE PEEL, & BRETT MONGOMERY (delisted); MATTHEW PRIMUS (retired)

Hard to predict this one. Premiers in 2004, but rarely showed that form in 2005. Their biggest weakness is in attack. It's too predictable with Tredrea the primary focus. The loss of James and Primus will be hard to cover although Lade and Brogan can both rotate between ruck and forward. May need to shore up defence with Wanganeen and Wakelin nearing the end. While they show no signs of slowing down, they can't go on forever. The midfield still has talent with Chad Cornes, Dominic Cassisi, Stuart Dew, and the Burgoynes, and will be bolstered by the return of Josh Francou. Recapture their 2004 form and they can be a force again in 2006.

COLLINGWOOD
Nathan Buckley has signed a new one year contract with 2006 being his 16th season. Buckley said the money didn't mean as much as being able to play after he was, as he said ".....one hamstring tear away from pulling the pin..." Buckley went on to say he would be around as long he could make a contribution.
Having had a pay cut last year, the 33-year-old will enter 2006 on a similar financial deal to the one he played under this season.
The club also believes Buckley has another three seasons left, although while the Magpies' football department see him spending more time on the forward line, Buckley seemed less willing to accept a modified role.
Buckley also will enter 2006 as an employee of the AFL, representing the competition's Auskick program and the Rising Star Award. He was unable to sign on as an ambassador of the National Bank — which sponsors both of the above — because of the Magpies' new agreement with Wizard Home Loans.

Brodie Holland and the club are in a bit of a dilemma. No, nothing to do with his playing future or new contract, or anything of that ilk. The problem is the scheduled trip the club is taking to Arizona and Brodie's very, very popular appearances on Australia's version of Dancing With The Stars. Brodie signed the Stars contract before the club planned its trip.
Channel Seven and the club are trying to work something out as it is very unlikely that Holland will be voted off by the viewers.
Seven's Melbourne head, Ian Johnson, recently contacted the dance program producers, Granada, in London in a bid to allow Holland, contracted to the program until November 9, to record a series of dance routines with partner Alana Patience.
Johnson said Seven was considering recording the segments and then crossing live to Holland in the US to face the viewers' scrutiny before a live audience.
The show is a huge hit, recently coming in at #2 in the ratings, behind the rugby league grand final, with a peak of 2.2 million viewers.
Collingwood CEO Greg Swan met Johnson, Holland's manager Craig Kelly, and Granada boss Rory Callaghan, and pointed out that Holland's AFL contract required him to complete preseason with the Magpies. Holland is keen to complete the Arizona training camp.
Seven is considering filming Holland's segments beyond next week in Arizona, which Johnson said would be "horrendously expensive". The only other option, if an arrangement cannot be made, would be for Holland to announce he is leaving the show.

The week before the side headed to Arizona for a high-altitude training camp, the club built a special training room which the players used before departing for the USA. The room thins the air inside and the club believes it will help improve player fitness,
The room, believed to be a first for an AFL club, accommodates up to six players at a time on treadmills and exercise bikes.
Fitness and conditioning coach David Buttifant, who used altitude training extensively when working with Olympic athletes through the AIS in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics before joining Collingwood, said altitude training could deliver 2 to 5 per cent improvements in performance.
The room and the changed training regime could potentially lengthen the career of captain Nathan Buckley by enabling him to achieve the aerobic benefits of a hard preseason without exacting the same physical toll on the body.
It would also assist a player such as Alan Didak who suffered leg stress injuries last pre-season when trying to build his aerobic fitness levels to enable him to play in the midfield. By working in the altitude room Didak could theoretically do less work - with less strain on his body - and still achieve the improvements to his running capacity to move up the ground.
In Arizona, there will be a range of cross-training, bike riding and trekking, including hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back - as well as ball work on soccer fields and at the Superdome.

FRANK Galbally might not be well-known in football circles outside of Victoria, but he was Collingwood through and through. He passed away last week and the funeral was attended by a number of dignitaries as well as Eddie McGuire and former player Des Tuddenham. The mourners included former premier John Cain, former Collingwood captain Des Tuddenham.
His playing career was brief, but he served the club in a variety of ways for many years afterward. He is survived by his wife Bernadette, 8 children, 2 siblings, and a host of grandchildren.

SHANE WOEWODIN (delisted); MATTHEW LOKAN (delisted); DAVID KING (delisted);
TOM DAVIDSON (delisted); BILLY MORRISON (delisted); BRAYDEN SHAW (delisted);
ANDREW WILLIAMS (delisted)

Savaged by injuries to key players - not the least Nathan Buckley's long absence with his hamstring trouble - and Tarrant carried a knee injury most of the year and finally succumbed late in the season. The losses exposed a lack of depth. The positives were the emergence of Travis Cloke, Sean Rusling in just 6 games, Chris Egan, Cameron Cloke, and David Fanning in the ruck for the injured Josh Fraser. If these youngsters can continue to develop and the likes of Rocca, Tarrant, Buckley, and Fraser can stay injury free, the Pies could be big improvers in 2006, although they won't challenge the finals.

WEST COAST
Travis Gaspar finally agreed to a new one year deal to remain with the Eagles. The Eagles were waiting for a decision from Travis Gaspar before making any further changes to their list. The Tigers, were keen on Gaspar and are also interested in the out of contract Kasey Green. Both Gaspar, who has managed just 28 games in five injury-prone seasons, and Green were shock inclusions in the Eagles' grand final side this season.
The signing of Gaspar means the Eagles must cut at least 2 and possibly 3 players in order to have room for the required minimum of 3 draftees in November.
One player believed to be under pressure to maintain his place is Jeremy Humm with Josh Wooden, who managed just one game this season, contracted for another year.

KASEY GREEN (out of contract); JEREMY HUMM (out of contract); ZACH BEECK (delisted); DANIEL MCCONNELL (traded to Kangaroos); David Wirrpunda (out of contract but expected to re-sign)

Good news for Pat and AFANA CEO Rob. The Eagles have the talent, depth, and experience to again be a serious flag contender. They also have a number of young emerging players. They could be a dominant force for years to come, ala Brisbane of previous years.

ST KILDA
The club has retained veteran trio Justin Peckett, Andrew Thompson, and Stephen Powell for the 2006 season. Each have been offered one year contracts as the club finalizes its list ahead of next month's draft. Veteran defender Max Hudghton signed a similar deal late in the season. Fraser Gehrig has also decided to play on. (For Cherry, I hope they can do it for Robert Harvey in his last season)

FRASER GEHRIG (out of contract); AUSTINN JONES (retired)

If 2000 and 2001 were horror years for injury, then 2005 was the nightmare from hell. The Saints did an amazing job to get where they did despite the devastating run of injury, starting with Riewoldt in Round 1. Never was able to field their best 22 in any given round this year, and several key players went into the prelim underdone or with niggles. It showed at the end as a fully fit Sydney simply ran the undermanned Saints off their legs. The injury toll did allow others to emerge. A new fitness staff is coming in and if they can keep everyone reasonably healthy there is no reason the Saints cannot challenge for the flag in 2006.
(Note to Cherry: My Blueboys are no chance next year. So if the Swans can't make it back to back, I'm going for the Sainters - DO IT FOR HARVS!! - Lisa)

ESSENDON
Essendon has delisted Damian Cupido, Ben Haynes, Sam Hunt, Ty Zantuck, and Marc Bullen with Justin Murphy expected to depart.
While none of the departures were unexpected — the prodigiously talented Cupido and Zantuck were publicly exposed for a lack of application and the others had become peripheral contributorse at best. Zantuck was traded from Richmond last year.
Cupido is 23, Haynes 24, Hunt 22, Bullen 23 and Zantuck 23. Ted Richards, who was traded to Sydney, is 22. Bullen played 44 games in five years, Cupido 40 in three (he also played 13 games with Brisbane), Haynes 21 in three (after 5 with Richmond), and Hunt seven in four. Zantuck managed just 9 games this year and was hampered by a knee injury in the second half of the season.
Rookie Adrian Wilson has been told he will not be offered a senior contract at Essendon next year but is still training at Windy Hill in the hope of being picked up in the national draft by another club.

PAUL THOMAS (out of contract); JUSTIN MURPHY (out of contract); MARK ALVEY (out of contract); MARC BULLEN (out of contract & delisted); DAMIAN CUPIDO (out of contract & delisted); BEN HAYNES (out of contract & delisted); SAM HUNT (out of contract & delisted);
TY ZANTUCK (out of contract & delisted); TED RICHARDS (traded to Sydney)

The culling of the list leaves Justin Murphy (29), the Johnsons, Dustin Fletcher, Dean Solomon, James Hird, Scott Lucas, and Matthew Lloyd as the experienced core. David Hille, 24, Adam McPhee, 23, and Mark McVeigh, 24, appear to have long careers ahead of them and Nathan Lovett-Murray and Andrew Lovett, both 23, will be upgraded from the rookie list. That leaves a huge gap between them and the next generation which includes the 2005 surprise packets Brent Stanton and Ricky Dyson.
The Bombers now have 6 vacancies on their list going into the draft and preseason draft with Lovett and Lovett-Murray filling 2 of them. At least 2 more players will need to be cut for the club to have 5 selections in the draft and the 1 in the preseason which is likely to be used to snare disgruntled Blue Scott Camporeale.
While not as severe as St. Kilda, the Bombers still had injury concerns starting with Lloyd's broken arm preseason. James Hird, Aaron Henneman, Adam McPhee, Dustin Fletcher, and Dean Rioli all missed games.
Coach Kevin Sheedy is nothing if not an astute judge of talent and a master at developing the youngsters and giving them a fair go. Stanton, Dyson, Lovett, and Lovett-Murray were all revelations in 2005 and should continue next year. They have the depth and talent to reclaim a finals berth again, although they might not be premiership contenders again for a few years.
The Bombers have missed finals campaigns only 6 times (including 2005) in Kevin Sheedy's reign and only once (1987-88 under the final 5 system) have they done so in consecutive seasons. It is a testament to the club's list management, recruiting, and, not least, the brilliance of the maestro himself Kevin Sheedy, a legend in his own time.

FREMANTLE
ANDREW SIEGERT (out of contract); DYLAN SMITH (delisted); TROY COOK (out of contract); SHANE PARKER (out of contract); DANIEL GILMOUR (out of contract)

This one is the hardest to call. Have failed in the past 2 seasons after making the finals in 2003 for the first time in their short history. Are quickly heading for a tag of perennial under-achievers. Have match winners in Hasleby, Bell, and Pavlich, and young talent in Robert Haddrill, Brett Peake, David Mundy, and Ryan Crowley. Added some much needed depth and experience last year with the acquisitions of Heath Black, Jarrad Schofield, and Josh Carr. Needs the next generation to step up and find some consistency as well as improving their road record (4-7 in 2005). Couldn't string together more than 2 wins in a row until late in the year and then won 5 of the last 7, but it was too little, too late.
Have a reasonable list but need to find some consistent form, especially Jeff Farmer who can be a match winner, but another who can have big gaps between his best and worst. Luke McPharlin can play both ends with aplomb. Spent plenty of time in defence this year with Pavlich establishing himself at CHF. If the Dockers could clone Luke......
Best I can say for the Dockers is they will again be spoilers with some upset wins against the odds but will need to do more to make the finals and even better to be a serious threat.

KANGAROOS
Allen Aylett has officially handed over the reins of the club to his successor, Graham Duff, a lifelong supporter of the club. Duff, a highly successful businessman and head of Racing Victoria Ltd, joined the board a year ago. He said there would be a review of the club's operations. Aylett will remain on the board for at least 12 months, possibly two years, as the baton is handed to Duff, who said taking on the chairman's role in the middle of the spring racing carnival would not be a problem, has already set a priority of improving the club's financial position and developing better facilities.

Former Hawthorn midfielder Lance Picioane has been delisted after just one season with the Kangaroos. Also axed were youngsters Kris Shore, Shane Harvey, and Ashley Watson.
And the club is expected to cut at least 2 more players. With the trading of Daniel Motlop and the retirements of Leigh Colbert and Corey McKernan, the Roos will have plenty of room on its list at draft time.

SHANE HARVEY (delisted); KRIS SHORE (delisted); ASHLEY WATSON (delisted);
GLENN ARCHER (out of contract); JOHN BAIRD (out of contract); BRADY RAWLINGS (out of contract); MICHAEL STEVENS (out of contract); MICHAEL FIRRITO (out of contract);
LANCE PICIOANE (out of contract & delisted)

They have really come to despise the term "Shinboner spirit" and it may well be a term that has been overused. But how else does one describe some of the "great escapes" they have pulled out when all looked lost? Experienced quartet Adam Simpson, Brent Harvey, Shannon Grant, and Glenn Archer were more often than not the side's best week after week. With Sav Rocca and Nathan Thompson up forward, one would have expected a better attack, but Rocca lost form and his place for weeks and Thompson became the main target and did well with 52 goals for the year. If Jade Rawlings can fire, the attack will be even more potent next year. The ruck might be an area of concern with David Hale needing support. Youngster Brad Moran was drafted in 2004 but played no senior games in 2005. Depending on his progress this year and with the retirement of Corey McKernan, he could get his chance next year. Thompson is also handy in the ruck and could also provide backup with Rawlings up forward.
The Roos were the most active team during the trade period and have plenty of draft selections and may need to start planning now for the future as ageing stars retire over the next few seasons.

MELBOURNE
Just 4 days after marrying sweetheart Stacy Pearce in Queensland, ruckman Jeff White made another commitment - signing a new 3 year deal with the Demons.
According to club general manager Craig Cameron, the out of contract White had received lucrative offers from several other clubs, but was always keen to remain with the Demons.
Originally from Frankston via the Southern (Dandenong) Stingrays, White has played 207 AFL matches - including 175 with Melbourne - and kicked 88 goals since he made his debut with Fremantle in 1995.
He was the #1 draft selection in 1994 and spent three seasons with the Dockers before he crossed to Melbourne for the 1998 season.
White won Melbourne's best-and-fairest award - the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Trophy - in 2004 and was All-Australian the same year. He also finished second in Melbourne's club champion award in 2000 and played in the club's grand final side that year.
White played all 23 matches for the Demons in 2005, but suffered a shocking facial injury during the finals match against Geelong when Cat Steven King accidentally kicked him in the face during a contest for the ball. He had five plates and 14 screws inserted into his face and needed a broken nose repaired. He was fully recovered for his wedding.

STEVEN ARMSTRONG (out of contract); DAVID NEITZ (out of contract); JEFF WHITE (out of contract); CHRIS HEFFERNAN (out of contract); BEN HOLLAND (out of contract);
NATHAN BROWN (out of contract); GUY RIGONI (out of contract); LUKE WILLIAMS (out of contract); CAMERON HUNTER (out of contract)

Were lucky to scrape into the finals at the last gasp, but were never going to be a serious challenger. It did, however, break the trend of recent seasons which saw them make the finals in even numbered years and bomb out in the odd number years. Started the year in a blaze and were 9-3 and in 2nd place midseason, but then had a horror stretch of seven straight losses before winning the final 3 games.
Neitz lost form and carried an injury late in the year, Bruce missed a games with injury, as did defender Jared Rivers. White carried the ruck all season, and the Demons need another option to support and spell him. Others to really shine in 2005 were Russell Robertson up forward and Travis Johnstone and Brock McLean in the midfield. Aaron Davey will be a star for years to come. He kicked 30 goals in 23 games, a fine effort from a small crumber in just his second season. If Neitz can get back to his best, the attack is multi-pronged and dangerous with Brad Green also in the mix.
The Demons are another tough side for predictions, but they have the talent to be contenders. They just need everyone clicking and firing at the same time.

GENERAL SILLINESS
The late Frank Galbally was remembered fondly by family and friends at the service last week. They remembered a man with passions for learning, the arts, reading, music, opera, Chivas Regal and Polish vodka. He also loved Collingwood, a meat pie and sauce at lunch, the Marx brothers, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and especially Peanuts.
Frank was a barrister by trade and, according to his son, would sometimes smuggle Peanuts comics into court, disguised by plain white paper, and read them during prosecutors' addresses.

It's Round 15, 1988 and Carlton has traveled to Moorabbin to play the Saints. The ground is a sodden "glue-pot", with Carlton players, at one stage, not keen on getting muddied up. As a result the Saints held a narrow lead for much of the game. Then the runner came out with a message from the coach. Get down, get dirty, get the ball. Ruck giant Justin Madden, all of 6'10", took the message to heart - and body. He scooped up handfuls of the muck and smeared it all over himself - arms, legs, face, and even in his hair. For the remainder of the game, players wouldn't go near him and complained of a foul stench. What Madden thought was mud turned out to be manure from police horses. FYI, Carlton won 10.9 (69) to 9.11 (65)

At the end of 1988, Carlton allowed their ground to be used for the staging of a massive production of Aida. The production featured a cast of 1400 including camels, elephants, horses, and pythons. There was also a guest appearance - Justin Madden as a Centurion.

Sydney finals hero Nick Davis, when first arriving at the Swans from Collingwood, had a well-publicized battle with his fitness and weight. One of his favorite foods is a big no-no from the club dieticians - KFC. As the players were celebrating the premiership win, it was suggested Davis go for a run the day after the GF. Davis said no way, it was going to be KFC instead.

On to the scores

AUS 0.8.1 (25) 1.12.4 (46) 2.19.7 (76) 2.27.7 (100)
IRE 0.4.3 (15) 0.7.8 (29) 1.7.9 (36) 3.11.13 (64)

GOALS: AUS - Lovett, C Johnson;. IRE - Coulter 2, Cavanagh.

OVERS: AUS - Grant 3, Hodge 3, Davis 3, Lovett 3, O'Keefe 2, Davey 2, Giansiracusa 2, Gilbee 2, B Harvey 2, M Lappin, C Johnson, Eagleton, Buchanan, Croad; IRE - Clarke 3, O'Neill 3, Cavanagh 2, Forde, McDonald, Coulter.

BEST: AUS - Hodge, Giansiracusa, B Harvey, Davey, C Johnson; IRE - Coulter, O'Neill, Clarke, Cavanagh, Forde

REFEREES: James (Aus), Coldrick (Ire)

ATTENDANCE: 39,098 at Subiaco Oval

Last year in Ireland, the big-bodied Aussie team was humbled by the more fleet-footed Irish team. Not wanting a repeat on home soil, Coach Kevin Sheedy and his match committee decided to go for speed. He insisted he be allowed to pick his own team and not have to worry about including those in the All-Australian team, which often contained bigger, slower players not suited to the lightning pace of the international game. There were fears, however, that the side would fail against the more experienced Irish players, many of whom have been regulars in the series for several years.
But, as they have been nicknamed, "Sheedy's Speedies" used their pace and slick ball movement to give Australia the most comprehensive win in the history of the series as well as kicking the highest ever score. It was also the first time a team has scored 100 points, and has all but assured Australia of winning this year's series.
With Luke Hodge and Brent Harvey dominating from the outset, Australia led by 10 points by 1/4 time, after helping themselves to eight 'overs' (three pointers) in the first term.
When Bomber goalsneak Andrew Lovett punched the ball into the net to score Australia's first six pointer midway through the 2nd term, the game was over as a contest.
On the few occasions the Irish did set up scoring opportunities, they were run down from behind by Australia's defenders with Richmond's Chris Newman saving one certain goal in the second term with a great tackle.
Ireland coach Pete McGrath looked shell-shocked as his team trailed by 17 points at 1/2 time and it only got worse after the break as the Aussies not only went further ahead but began to inflict some physical punishment on the Irish after Russell Robertson was sent off for flattening Tom Kelly with a hip and shoulder, which is illegal in the hybrid game.
Graham Canty and Newman were later sent off in the final term being accused of sparking a small melee in the final term. Robertson was not reported and so is free to play next week.
Australia scored the first three overs of the 3rd third term to blow the lead out to an embarrassing margin before Brendon Coulter finally scored Ireland's first goal when he beat out goal keeper Dustin Fletcher to the ball and punched it through. That goal was quickly answered by Australia when co-captain Chris Johnson converted a six point penalty goal after Kepler Bradley had been held in the box.
While Ireland virtually relied on the courageous Coulter to score its points, although Ronan Clarke started well but faded, Australia had points' scorers everywhere. Sheedy's tactics were to run the ball rather than risk a turnover by kicking and it paid huge dividends as Australia recorded an astonishing 207 handballs to Ireland's 122. Australia's foot skills with the round ball, particularly in attack, were as good as ever, if not better. Most of the Australian players struggled to kick the ball on their non-dominant feet, but easily twisted past opponents who were committed to laying tackles.
The Irish were also undisciplined, regularly conceding 20-metre penalties for failing to give the ball back after a free kick. They were continually run down from behind by desperate Australians
After the match, Kevin Sheedy described the performance as "terrific" and personally satisfying given his Irish heritage.
Ireland Coach Peter McGrath said the defeat put the Irish "...on their backsides" and saw virtually no chance of winning the series. The Irish would have to defeat Australia by 37 points to take the trophy.
Unlike his counterpart who failed to do his homework on the Aussie players, Coach Sheedy did his leading into the match. The Aussies shut down Ireland's playmakers. Chris Newman blanketed Ciaran McDonald before moving onto the dangerous Brendan Coulter. Irish star Colm Cooper was barely sighted, while captain Padraig Joyce and Sean Cavanagh struggled to handle the fierce pressure applied when they won possession.
The previous best score and winning margin was set in 1987 in Ireland when Australia scored 72 points to win by 25 points

Ireland almost certainly will include Des Dolan, who has been a star in previous series. Hard-nosed Ryan McMenamin was given an extra week to recover from a chest infection and would be a welcome addition.
It will be difficult to change a winning line-up but the Australians do have the option of making four changes. Possible inclusions next week are speedsters Daniel Wells and Chris Judd.
And there is another frightening proposition for the Irish next year as Sheeds is already looking ahead to make the Aussie side even better in 2006.

I'll be back next week with the scores from the next game and any news there might be.

GO BLUES in `06!