Recruitment Now The Key

The performances of the young GWS Giants team in the newly formed NEAFL Eastern Conference have been impressive. It gives an idea of where the team is at regarding their development.

Results have been largely successful. They have dominated the Gold Coast reserves yet were dominated by the Sydney Swans reserves. A bit of mixed bag but there is genuine class amongst the group. At the moment they sit second on the ladder.

This year the team has consisted of predominantly 18 year olds. Remaining as they are there would no doubt they will get flogged and hurt badly when upgraded to the AFL. GWS has a great skeleton but lacking the spine of mature key position players.

Recruitment is important. GWS is allowed certain concessions to lure players from other clubs. Just about any player coming off contract has been speculated for a move. I overheard an official saying, “don’t believe everything you hear in the media” in regards to the signing of AFL players. Time will tell. Right now they van talk but not put pen to paper until the end of the season

But whom can they get? I don’t see much use going for players that are merely disgruntled by their former club. These players wont have the drive to do well and will be chasing the cash. Their bad attitude will leave the club worse off and lighter in the pocket.

Admittedly, the Gold Coast probably has a greater geographical appeal, the coast, sun, sand, surf, etc. But GWS has Kevin Sheedy. Most would aspire to play under him. I was excited just to get a photo with him.

I wont be surprised if GWS recruits heavily from the strong second tier competitions such as the VFL, SANFL and WAFL. Plenty of keen, skilful players with mature strong bodies.

A word on Israel Folau. Can kick, can mark, but too often seems lost in the forward line and needs to improve his talk and his work rate. He has time on his side too.

Look forward to the interesting news come September and October. Not forgetting the draft in November.

NEAFL Footy Action

The NEAFL stands for North Eastern Australian Football League. It’s a newly formed league that includes teams from the ACT and Queensland state leagues. It’s also a platform for NSW and Qld AFL teams to develop their reserve grade players.

I had the joy of experiencing the Greater Western Sydney Giants play the Gold Coast Suns in a NEAFL match at the magnificent Blacktown Olympic Park.

I had heard about the team’s achievements in this league. I’d watched some youtube footage of rugby league recruit, Israel Folau. I’d read about the results so I knew they had some success and won most of their games. But for this footy purist there is nothing like getting to the ground and watching the team play.

I was impressed. The Giants actually dominated most of the play with their flair and run. I was expecting more from the Suns as some of their players have already gained AFL experience. Perhaps the constant tinkering with the senior line-up created a lack of cohesion in the reserve grade.

GWS looked tight as a unit and worked well as a team. Despite lacking some key position height and bulk they owned the momentum for all put half of the third quarter where they allowed Gold Coast back into the game.

Gold Coast had ruckmen rotating off the bench yet the sole recognised ruckman for GWS, Jonathon Giles, dominated all of his opponents giving GWS first use of the ball and hitting to advantage with ease. He had some back up from a top up player whose name wasn’t in the program.

The forth quarter could have gone either way. Gold Coast was close enough to threaten. A young team is always more vulnerable to crack under such pressure.

Class wins out in crunch situations, and GWS already has some classy young players. Dylan Sheil bobbed up to kick the first two goals of the forth quarter to regain the ascendancy. From that point it was a forgone conclusion. Remember the name, Dylan Sheil, he will be a star for the club.

I look forward to the next opportunity to see GWS play. I recommend you do it too. Even for Swans fans like me. Rugby League fans welcome too.

There Is Light

Took a drive down to Canberra with brother Danny to see the 18th AFL team, the Greater Western Sydney Giants, play Carlton at Manuka Oval.

It was a very one-sided contest, going down by 157 points. Just looking at the margin ignores many other factors that should excite the footy fans in the west of Sydney.

Take into account that there was a team from the highest level against one from a second tier competition. Also take into account that the average age of the giants players was 18. The oldest players were 23 years old.

It’s obvious that the Giants aren’t up to the speed of the top competition, yet. The players are very skilled but have not come across such an opposition before. They looked rushed which led to skill errors and turnovers. Some passages of play were brilliant, which demonstrates the potential this squad has.

Recruitment at seasons end will be interesting to watch. The difference some experienced AFL players will make to this line up will be amazing. The right players can be the difference between being competitive and a season of floggings.

Boom rugby league signing, Israel Folau, is still yet to play. The cynic in me thinks he is being protected from the media glare during the nab cup. Although the official word is that he is still getting over an injury. Whatever the reason his involvement will be crucial as the team was lacking big bodies in key positions. Can he play? Only time will tell. He has been given every chance with being coached one on one by team of the century full back, Stephen Silvagni.

What the giants need is more games like this and the injection of the right experienced players. Both will come, which makes the future of this club very exciting.

What Really Matters

It was great to see a spirited Jim Stynes at the Brownlow Medal presentation. He spoke on matters football, life and cancer.

Interesting that it took his serious cancer for him to put his life in perspective. Now he openly claims that in the long run football doesn’t matter and he is now focused on being the best man he can be and making a positive difference to the world.

Football is good, but it has never been the be all and end all of life. It just takes time for some to get it.

Jim Stynes says he was taking too much for granted prior to his cancer diagnosis. Goes to show that we should all know what is most important while we still have our full health. For Jim that means relationships, with family, friends and teammates.

The playing of football is fleeting. Even the night’s winner, Chris Judd, reiterated these sentiments, so refreshing to come form a current player.

Chas

It was a new experience being able to watch the Brownlow Medal live on television. Usually all I get is the result in the paper the next morning as there’s no way I would stay up late to watch a delayed broadcast.

A lot more is made of the fashions by the ladies of course. Ultimately who cares? It is a night to celebrate seasons of our star players.

Dane Swan of Collingwood was the favourite. He was possibly disadvantaged by the equally impressive season of teammate, Scott Pendlebury. It was not to be for Swan as Carlton’s Chris Judd scored best on ground votes in more games to take out the medal.

Good on Andrew Demetriou for firstly getting on with business and reading votes out quickly so that the night didn’t become and epic. But secondly he had a sense of occasion when reading out the votes from matches that had a bearing on the result with a pregnant pause hear and there. Well done.

The Blockbuster That Wasn’t

Collingwood
7.2 13.7 16.11 18.12 (120)

defeated

Geelong
1.1 3.5 6.10 11.13 (79)

@ MCG
Attendance: 95,241

It was an auspicious beginning with Collingwood first two goals coming from incidents where Geelong should have received free kicks. One might wonder whether it would have made a difference. Then it becomes acutely obvious that even that small loss of momentum would have been a slight speed bump to their onslaught.

Collingwood romped in 7 goals to 1 in the first quarter, and then backed it up with 6 goals to 2 in the second quarter. Game over virtually, but with still half a game to play.

Ablett was Geelong’s only shining light in a very lacklustre performance. Geelong had too many stars go missing. Steve Johnson, Brad Ottens and Tom Hawkins are a few of those whom had no influence. Cameron Ling on multiple occasions looked slow and I’m not sure he can last very long. Maybe his leadership is enough to keep him on board, a lot like how Brett Kirk became a mainstay at Sydney.

The pressure was intense and Geelong wilted. They couldn’t get any flow, Collingwood didn’t allow it. Collingwood were skilful and ruthless. Even the ball was continually bouncing in their favour. As evidenced by a wicked off break of a long bomb by Leigh Brown in the first quarter.

The spectacle of the occasion was lost, but what an opportunity to witness a full house at the MCG. I would recommend it to anybody

The Rulemakers

The AFL likes changing rules or the interpretation of rules quite frequently. this naturally results in a change to how the game is played as coaches try to get the most for their team within the rules.

Over the last decade the game has sped up immensely due in part to rule changes.

Players and coaches have responded by manufacturing midfield rotations. A large part of this is for player management, to give them a rest and to prevent injury.

Now the AFL is considering a cap on interchanges. They are forgetting that they caused this, for better or worse. I am curious what they hope to achieve with a cap.

One very probably result will be an increase in injured players. The game doesn't want that. It doesn't need that. The AFL should wisen up and leave the idea of a cap alone.

Soccer – Not For Me

I have apologised to soccer fans four years ago for not being able to get into their sport. I have explained some of my beefs with the sport. I have commented on my struggles to watch games from the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This year was going to be different. I attempted to watch zero games and got 100% fulfilment in doing so.



I accept that there are beefs people have with my game, and that’s ok. It is also ok to refute my claims about Soccer (it’s not football to me).



As stated by David Letterman on his show, “it’s so dull you need to bring something to entertain yourself” referring to the ad nauseum blowing of the vuvuzela. As if 90 minutes for a nil all draw isn’t painstaking enough. The game consists of maybe 2 minutes of excitement. No wonder soccer fans in some countries are so angry after a loss, they haven’t had an outlet for their pent up rage from the working week.



How about these players? They are overpaid pansies. The diving we see in soccer is ridiculous. Some get taken off on a stretcher after a dive only to get up unaided and walk to the bench.



The card system seems inconsistent. Maybe I just don’t know the rules well enough. Some soft ones are given straight red when others just get yellow. It confuses us novices. Then again, the umpires in my game have strange inconsistencies.



In saying all that, I acknowledge the skill involved in playing soccer. Perhaps before you take a shot a my sport think about this, I have played soccer, would you give mine a go??

The Defection

A couple of weeks ago it was hard to avoid the news about Israel Folau’s signing with new AFL franchise, known as Team GWS.

I was actually hoping that the rumours would not come to fruition and he would continue to play rugby league. But he will be an Aussie Rules player as of 2011 and I hope he realises the enormity of the task.

There will be a pressure on him to perform from day 1. He is on pay similar to the biggest stars in our game, yet he is foreign to most of the core skills and will have to severely get out of his rugby league tactical frame of mind. Karmichael Hunt will prove just how hard it will be to adjust.

The high marks he takes out on the wing from a cross field kick are celebrated in rugby league. In Aussie Rules they are nothing special. Anyone can leap over a stationary defender to mark the ball, it’s regulation stuff. Although of all the league players he does get the most height.

Time will tell whether the money was worth it. I can see him going back to rugby league in four years time, and he will be welcomed back with open arms despite what some commenter’s will tell you should happen. They have done as much for many rugby union returners.

I wish him well, the success of the team is riding on him.

The Opposition Factor

Respected AFL journalist, Mike Sheehan, recently interviewed Sydney Swans coach, Paul Roos, for his show on Fox Sports called ‘Open Mike’.

They covered many topics from his career as a player with Fitzroy to his decision to retire as head coach and hand over the reigns to assistant coach, John Longmire. One topic in particular caught my attention, it was the perception that the Swans have a negative and ‘ugly’ game plan.

I have some good friends that get carried away with this notion and even go as far as to say that they “hate” the Swans due to their style of play. I take offense to this allegation as it is baseless.

The Swans were a very successful team during the Paul Roos era of 2003 -2007. As a successful team there is always an opposition wanting to beat you week after week. Teams now are well prepared in working out how to negate the game plan of the opposition.

Roos points out that “people fail to see that there’s an opposition”. Watch them at training, “If it’s 18 on zero we’ll bring it down the corridor every time”. They don’t practice ‘ugly’ football. Of course they have played some shocking games of football, Mike Sheehan used an example against St Kilda. But it is no different to any other team. They have all used negative tactics and have produced ‘ugly’ football.

So why are the Swans singled out? Who knows? Who cares? People who bag my team should instead look at their own team and pump them up instead of hating the Swans.

Conflicted

It was put to me recently that there was no way I could call myself a Sydney Swans fan, as I have done for 17 years, while giving any form of support to the new GWS franchise preparing to join the AFL in 2011.

I have proclaimed that I am a Swans fan for life after a childhood of changing teams on a whim as a rugby league fan.

With GWS one has to look at the bigger picture and put parochialism to one side. Ask what is best for the game. If GWS doesn’t get enough members it will be embarrassing for all fans in this region, and I don’t want the doomsayers to be right. So I will be buying a membership and attending a few games. I might stop short of buying merchandise even though I love ‘the merch’.

I will be doing all this because I enjoy Australian Rules football first and foremost. My support of the Swans comes after this. I have played, coached, umpired since I was 10. It’s officially my sport, there is no other for me.

I understand there would be some conflicts in the hearts of fellow Swans supporters, especially in this region. I believe it is more important for the game to put aside parochialism for a little while and buy a membership of GWS when they come up for sale. In the meantime ‘Sign up for Sheedy’.

Lucky To Even Get Close

St Kilda 15.6 (96) def

Sydney 13.10 (88)

This was the first game of the season. Therefore it had all the necessary excitement of a brand new season with fresh hope and new players. I was in attendance happy that the footy was back and to be seated with a good friend at the best stadium in Sydney.

We arrived a tad late to discover Sydney had scored the first two goals. Then through some skill errors and poor checking gifted St Kilda the next five. Some blatant umpiring inconsistencies didn’t assist matter.

That turned out to be the constant theme of the game – close margin, not quite good enough, our own worst enemy with skill errors at crucial moments, not forgetting the umpiring inconsistencies.

Could be typical of our season. One where we find that we tend to lose those close games such as this one against St Kilda.

That being said, this season definitely does have an air of 2003 about it. If you don’t know the significance then check out what happened in 2005.

Membership Drive

I wonder why it has taken rugby league so long to focus on building membership. Before now they relied heavily on poker machines and strong leagues clubs. Now leagues clubs are blaming pokie taxes from the state govt on their ability to hold up the ailing clubs. Meanwhile at the other end of the Hume Highway some AFL clubs are boasting memberships topping 50,000. Granted Melbourne people are more sports crazy but i feel like that is no excuse. Too many people love a sport here in Sydney yet are unwilling to part with some cash in support of their chosen club. Personally I have bought social memberships to both the Sydney Swans and Parramatta Eels, and when the new GWS team comes into the AFL I will part with some cash there too because it's important to show support by buying a membership.

Although I have my favourite football code and nothing would please me more than everyone jumping on board with an AFL club, what is more important is that people show true support for their team and buy a membership.

Footy Evangelism

Aussie Rules Football is my game (in case you haven’t noticed).

Getting people interested in AFL in western Sydney has to be the biggest challenge since the move of South Melbourne to Sydney way back in 1981. Hopefully learning from those mistakes will create a greater resolve to do things right to make sure the new team (without an official name at the moment) launches as well as possible.

Everyone seems to label this area rugby league heartland. I think league supporters are relying on this adage to maintain their stronghold. However the AFL is cashed up and proactive, spending money on grounds both for professional teams and local teams. Meanwhile the rugby league has been largely inactive and is disorganised with its leadership. Phil Gould has been most critical.

Rugby league is a very different sport and its supporters seem unable (or unwilling) to understand a different sport. They seem to be very rigid to their rules and can’t handle the multi directional nature of Aussie rules.

This is only one aspect of the recruitment of supporters because largely rugby league supporters will stay loyal to league, or at best be a part time supporter of Aussie rules.

There is a large migrant population that are new to Australia and in an effort to assimilate to their new home they send their kids to play the real footy. With long running controversy about the size disparity of junior league players the Auskick program offers a safe and fun alternative for parents to send their children as the physical aspect is introduced gradually.

It is hard to create a passionate supporter out of nowhere. Team GWS has to start from the ground up. Hence their strong efforts to entrench community links. A citizenship ceremony at half time of the Sydney Vs Carlton pre season match at Blacktown I thought was very clever. Those people will remember that game forever and have a positive emotional attachment to the game.

Attaining Kevin Sheedy as coach for the next three years was a massive coup. His marketing ability is priceless. He recently became a league supporter to win (save) the league supporters, heard that method before anyone? He stated that he would buy a membership to the four western Sydney rugby league clubs, if they would let him. Rugby league officials reaction to this only assists in giving greater publicity.

Above all there is a need to stay positive and think about the game before any team support.

Ron Barassi – The Coach

“The Coach” by John Powers

This is the story of the 1977 season of North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League. John Powers had an all access pass and did nothing else except observe all facets of the footballs club from pre season to finals, to premiership glory.

The focus of story is on the coach, Ron Barassi. He commands a lot of attention when instructing his players. He is a hard taskmaster, knowing what he wants and how to get it. He wants to win but win fairly by having the toughest and most skillful team in the competition. His record stands tall with multiple premierships both as a player and a coach.

North Melbourne was a club languishing near the bottom of the ladder before Barassi too over and made them a powerhouse club. One that played in four consecutive grand finals, winning two.

It’s a marvellous read for those interested in the game. Especially if you are a fan of North Melbourne Football Club or Ron Barassi, or both.

An Arrogant Bunch

If it’s Craig Foster’s aim to convince me to support Australia’s bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2018 or 2022 then he is going the wrong way about it. In a recent article in the Sun Herald and in a conversation with Les Murray on SBS he came off as arrogant and conceited. Even suggesting that other sports don’t matter and that football [soccer] would inevitably take over Australia.

It’s true that soccer (I refuse to call it football) is the only truly international sport, but Foster should not be so arrogant when the local A League is on the decline despite the addition of new teams. Soccer does have the highest participation rates in juniors, yet our top competition can only be compared to the 3^rd or 4^th division in England.

Les Murray even got in the act on SBS recently, referring to the behaviour of rival codes as belligerent, inconvenient and unaustralian. He even suggested that we try and attain the bid before sorting out what he considers to be minor details. Getting three other codes that garner more support in Australia to shut up shop for three months is not minor!!

These two want other codes to just lie down and let them have their way. They use the examples of other countries and how they would laugh at the situation we have here. We have a unique situation. I can’t think of another country that has four football codes running professionally.

How about stadiums? We just don’t have them. I’ve blogged about it already. Our best are designed for cricket and Aussie Rules. FIFA want at least 12 stadiums of 40,000 minimum capacities, we have maybe 8. We just don’t have the population to make those kinds of stadiums viable. If Foster’s prediction is true, that soccer will take over Australia, then the sport needs to get cracking on some new soccer only stadiums.

For now, all soccer commentators should pull their collective heads in and show the other codes a tad of respect.

Caught Napping

Rugby League fans are crying poor to the NSW govt after revelations they were on the cusp of granting a multi million cash injection to the AFL for redevelopment of the showground at Homebush Bay.

These grievances are however misguided. Direct your issues at the NRL. It’s them that have failed to be proactive in submitting for available grants. The AFL has also been more willing than Rugby League to invest in grassroots programs. Whereas the NRL has been, by comparison, sleeping.

Now with the inevitable addition of a western Sydney team in the AFL by 2011 the Rugby League bodies are trying to play catch up. If you pay attention to Phil Gould then you might believe that Rugby League has nothing to worry about, if (that’s a big IF) it get’s it’s house in order regarding a national independent body to take over from the multitude of bureaucracy filled state and regional bodies. Due to infighting this may take some time. As an AFL supporter I can’t say I am too disappointed.

They call western Sydney “Rugby League Heartland”. All that can change very swiftly as a cashed up AFL is primed to swoop in and won’t allow the venture to fail.

You Heard it Here First

On my other blog, Hammer Time, way back in 2006 I made comment to the fact that Australia's stadiums just don't cut the mustard when it comes time to seriously bid for the FIFA World Cup in 2018/2022.

As per FIFA's criteria, for a nation to succeed in it's bid it will have to have 12 suitable stadiums. 10 need to have 40K+ capacity and 2 need 80K+ capacity. On top of that, other facilities need to be supplied for training purposes. Also, as I learnt from an ANZ Stadium tour, the soccer federations are quite picky when it comes to the type of grass used. Infact the stadium had recently been completely returfed for the upcoming international friendly.

There is the suggestion that all other football codes will have to halt so that the soccer, that's right I said soccer, boys can have their party. Rugby League bosses have said they hope to come to some agreement if the bid is successful. but 4 to 8 weeks is a ridiculous request and I hope all other codes at least make it very difficult for FFA boss, Ben Buckley.

But who are we kidding. We don't have the stadiums (read the 2006 post) and building anymore would be a waste of money. Rudd has already sunk $43 million just into the bid.

A Mere Thug

I got up early on Sunday morning (25/10) to watch the rugby league test match between Australia and New Zealand.

Something I don’t understand is how Paul Gallen has become an automatic selection at representative level despite performing below par at club level in a team that only just scraped themselves off the bottom of the ladder. He must be the most overrated player in the competition.

In the match there was an incident with New Zealand hooker, Isaac Luke, which confirmed to me that he is more interested in the biff than playing the game. It was minor in the context of the match was unnecessary. He is not a good player, rather a pure thug. I’m even embarrassed that he came from a local club, Wenty Magpies.

Surely there are better players than Gallen that deserve selection next year.

Trade Week

For a few of us the off season player movements during trade week is the next best thing to the season proper, and for a change the Sydney Swans were very active and made some decent acquisitions.

Sydney was already shopping for an established ruckman to back up Darren Jolly and showed early interest in ex Eagle Mark Seaby. Then Jolly threw a curve ball stating his desire to return home to Victoria.

Considering the loss of the All Australian and premiership ruckman the Swans did well to acquire Seaby as well as up and coming Geelong ruckman, Shane Mumford

Seaby played in the Eagles 2006 premiership win against Sydney but always played second fiddle to Dean Cox and has recently been taken over by 1st year player Nic Natanui and the 2nd ruckman. Somewhat out of form at the end of last season he comes to Sydney rejuvenated and with plenty of ability.

Mumford slotted into the eventual premiership with ease with Brad Ottens injured for much of the season. He played understudy to Mark Blake but with Ottens return imminent it almost became a flip of the coin which two ruckmen to take into the final series. They went with Ottens and Blake. The lure of a long term contract and more game time were too good for Mumford.

The Swans also acquired two young players from Hawthorn, Josh Kennedy and Ben McGlynn. A good friend who happens to be a Hawks nut describes McGlynn, nicknamed ‘Mighty Mouse’, as a “great player…. a Luke Hodge in the making.” Of Kennedy she says that he “has showed some good signs, but he’s also made some really poor decisions throughout the year too.”

Overall, the Swans have done well.