Some of the stars of the AFL Grand Final.
There was no other choice for Norm Smith, except if the Swans had won, as Andrew Embley was everywhere. His 26 possessions were from all over the ground, and he also kicked 2 goals.
Adam Goodes was an unstoppable star in the last quarter, but earlier in the game he couldn't get into the action. That goal in the last quarter was one of the fastest, and best ever, Grand Final goals.
Ashley Hansen didn't play in a loss all season. Was very important early in the game, as he was able to mark the ball at half forward which not only setup his team to score but stopped the Swans rebounding from defense. Hansen kicked the first goal of the game, kicked another later and could be a big target for Victorian teams trying to trade for him.
Hall went goalless, a lot of things will be mentioned before this stat but it is one of the most important. Glass gets most of the credit, but Hunter also covered him. Another player who deserves a mention is Wirrpanda, he often had the task of standing in front of Hall and he successfully cut off several passes to Hall.
Steven Armstrong was delisted by the Demons and a year later he was a Grand Final winner. That is a great story but it was also one of his goals in the 4th quarter that setup the win.
There were plenty of other stars on the day, like Judd and Richards, but there was something else that happened. When loudmouth umpire Goldspink fell over in the last quarter it was something fans of all teams appreciated. Wherever AFL players were watching, and anyone from Paul Chapman to Greg Williams, they would have been happy to see someone get a little bit of what they deserved. Just have to hope that the tribunal doesn't suspend the Swans player because Goldspink bumped into him.
6 Hawthorn : Mitch Thorp (195cm, 85kg)
Hawthorn have a lot of the pieces in place but they could use one more key position prospect. Can play a lot of positions, but in the goalsquare is probably where he ends up, he can be a fullback or full forward. Made the Under 18 All-Australian team as a back pocket. While he is a great marking option he can also play a midfield role and showed in the Under 18 games that he can accumulate plenty of possessions too.
7 Geelong : Leroy Jetta (175cm, 73kg)
Geelong are sometimes a bit slow, but if you watch their reserves they do have some pace with Mathew Stokes, Shannon Byrnes and Travis Varcoe. All of these players could be AFL players but that doesn't mean Geelong can overlook a speedy draftee. Leroy Jetta has the game to go along with his name. Jetta was an Under 18 All-Australian twice, named at half forward in 2006 and in a forward pocket in 2005. Not only is he quick but he can kick goals, something Geelong will need.
8 Richmond : Jack Riewoldt (193cm, 84kg)
Richmond will probably go tall here, and have a choice between several players. Riewoldt is a Tasmanian tall who in the future could replace Richardson, but he also has versatility to play as a defender for a few years too. He can jump into a pack and come down with the mark, not as good as his cousin Nick but better than most others.
9 St. Kilda : Brent Renouf (199cm, 92kg)
Could be a bit of a reach in the first round, but Renouf has size and potential. The Saints want a ruckman and Renouf could be the best available when the Saints pick. Could take a year or two to mature into a senior AFL ruckman. Has shown a bit of versatility, and he could play defense on some slower talls and Renouf can also go down the other end and kick a goal too.
10 Collingwood : Joel Selwood (181cm, 73kg)
Might have gone top 5 but has been injured this season, he still might anyway. Can be a midfield general, winning the hard ball and setting up his teammates. Collingwood might want a quicker player, but it is hard to see Selwood slipping out of the top 10. If Tarrant is traded then Collingwood may have another first rounder to use too.
Click here for picks 1 to 5
The winner of the Grand Final sprint was Brendan Fevola, but as he ran a shorter distance than any other competitor it is not the best result.
They could have given Sandilands or Street a 20m head start and also called it a race.
As there is no other Grand Final halftime entertainment, although the Auskick kids do try, the halftime sprint does belong there. But maybe have it a bit fairer and have everyone run the same distance.
The Oakleigh Chargers have won the TAC Cup today. It was all Calder early on, but 8 goals for Oakleigh in the 3rd quarter set up their win.
Dean Kelly was named best on ground, Batsanis was another star and improved his draft postion. Big man Goldstein also showed he has potential.
The Cannons were led by Caruso and he should be a draft pick this year after getting possessions and kicking goals. Jake Williams was dominating in the first quarter but was stopped by Oakleigh after that.
Allen started up forward for the Cannons and his draft prospects received a good boost. He should be a certainty to go in the first two rounds of the AFL draft.
The Swans had to worry about Jolly making it to the game but he is here. The Swans have no injury worries, or else they have kept them very quiet. But the Eagles go into the game again with problems. While Wirrpanda looks ready it could be Kerr again who isn't fit to play.
Last season Kerr didn't make it through the game and this is something that has to worry Coach Worsfold. But maybe they have taken this into account, they have plenty of runners on the bench in case Kerr can only play sparingly.
Kerr has not trained a lot in recent weeks and the reports of the Eagles training indicate that he is not totally fit. But the West Coast midfield is loaded with talent and Kerr should be able to make it through the game with some rest on the bench, or they may play him in the forward line.
It is a sunny day, so the taller emergencies like Graham and Staker could be brought in to add marking power. But West Coast could still bring one of them in if the injuries to Kerr or Wirrpanda are more serious than they appear.
Some people can't enjoy the AFL games unless they have a particular team to support. This can be difficult for people deciding between Fremantle versus Port Adelaide, and even in Grand Finals some fans struggle to pick a team.
Reasons to support the West Coast Eagles:
Exciting players like Judd and Kerr.
A huge, dominating ruckman in Cox.
It has been a while since they won.
Sydney won last season.
Hall punched a player last season and should not have played in 2005.
The Swans get extra money to spend on players.
Eagles have Victorians like Wirrpanda, Hansen, Selwood, and Judd of course.
Nick Davis plays for Sydney.
Reasons to support the Sydney Swans.
Paul Roos is a popular coach.
Worsfold coaches the other team.
Some players on the Eagles, quite a few actually, are not model citizens.
They are South Melbourne, sort of.
They have an Ablett, who wins Grand Finals.
Goodes is a unique player who can play everywhere and do anything.
Karl Langdon played for the Eagles.
Warrick Capper played for the Swans.
Players from all over Victoria play for Sydney.
So there are plenty of reasons for AFL fans to choose one side over the other. Except for Fremantle fans, they are totally behind Sydney.
Over the years the Grand Final marathon on the night before the game has decreased in time and is barely there now. While in the past you could watch Grand Final after Grand Final all through the night, this time all they had was an old Sheedy special with a few parts of a few Grand Finals.
I don't think it was a recent tv show either, as Sheedy mentioned that Carlton were lucky to get McKernan to join their team for the upcoming season.
Hopefully one of the tv channels next season will bring it back. From 10:30pm to 8:00am Saturday morning it should be all Grand Finals, replayed in full.
They always show 1970, 1979 and 1989 but there are plenty of other games to watch.
1972 and 1988 had some high-scoring demolitions, might be fun to watch, except for Richmond and Melbourne fans.
While 1979 is famous, or infamous, the two teams also went at it in 1981.
Showing two Grand Finals with the same teams but different results would be good. Hawthorn and Carlton in 1986 and 1987, Hawthorn and Essendon in 1983 and 1984 and Richmond and Carlton in 1972 and 1973.
There are a lot of players who achieve greatness in the Grand Final, but there are others who put in a shocker.
Leigh Colbert, 1995. He was on the verge of stardom, a big 6-foot-4 player with midfield skills. He could have been Geelong's matchwinner but only had 6 kicks and was even outmarked by the much shorter Greg Williams.
Rhyce Shaw, 2003. A quick player who had a whole family to help him prepare for a Grand Final. But he didn't exactly play like Tony Shaw in 1990, it was closer to Pauly Shore. Rhyce Shaw fumbled his way through the game and ended up with 5 kicks.
Matthew Allan, 1999. He was a ruckman who had a lot of possessions, but none of them were ever effective. On this day he was playing against Matthew Capuano, but Allan kept gambling and leaving Capuano. This led to several occasions when Capuano was by himself, Capuano sent the Kangaroos into attack several times and helped turn the game.
Matthew Lappin, Tony Brown, Jamie Shanahan, 1997. Lappin and Brown were celebrating on Grand Final day, appearing on tv with Austinn Jones, but this was before the game was played. Not the best preparation and Jones and Lappin combined for 10 kicks. Shanahan has still not caught up with Darren Jarmen, while it may have been a bad move by the coach to play Shanahan at fullback after Jarmen went forward, it will be Shanahan who is remembered as letting the Grand Final slip from the Saints that year.
Michael Gardiner, 2005. A huge advantage in height and weight, nobody for Sydney should have been able to stop him. Gardiner had 5 kicks, 0 goals and as everyone knows the Eagles lost by less than a goal.
When Sydney and West Coast first played each other it was a very different league. Capper was a star, the Eagles were brand new and John Worsfold was a young defender who played 11 games for the season.
Sydney went to Subiaco and won their first ever match against the Eagles by 27 points, 124 to 97. Later that season the Eagles would go to the SCG and lose by 130 points. The 201 to 71 score is the Eagles second worst ever defeat.
The Eagles entered the then VFL with Glendinning as their big star. Michael Brennan, Dwayne Lamb, David Hart, Steve Malaxos and Mark Zanotti were other Eagles players. Along with John Worsfold, other youngsters at that time included Chris Mainwaring, Chris Lewis and Dean Laidley.
Sydney were a VFL power on the field then, Capper at full forward being fed by Williams and Healy made the Swans exciting and high-scoring. Other players of note included Rod Carter, Mark Bayes, Barry Mitchell, Tony Morwood and Neil Cordy.
None of the players need any extra incentive to win the AFL Grand Final, but there are some who think an extra bit of emotion can help. The Bulldogs won against Collingwood and got Rohan Smith to 300 games and last year the Swans had the veterans Jason Ball and Paul Williams who were at the end of their careers.
Like Ball, Banfield won a Grand Final in 1994. Banfield barely made it into the Grand Final team for this season though and win or lose his retirement could occur.
Another Eagles player who could be leaving is Daniel Chick. He has had an injury-filled career with Hawthorn and West Coast. Just a rumour of Chick retiring could bring about ideas of some physical play from him for the Grand Final, something that Worsfold would remember as he and others for the Eagles in 92 and 94 attacked players as well as the ball.
While the Grand Final should be played by all like it is their last game, for a couple of Eagles this could really be their last ever game.
While the AFL Grand Final parade is about the two competing teams, there are also some players who are honoured for their efforts during the year. The AFL Rising Star, the Brownlow Medallist and the Coleman Medallist usually lead out the parade.
Danyle Pearce was there as the Rising Star winner, the Brownlow winner was also there but as Goodes is playing he was with his team. But the Brownlow medallist Brendan Fevola didn't turn up for the parade. He couldn't be bothered attending and said it was embarrassing for him to be there as his team finished last.
Fevola has said he wants to captain Carlton but missing the parade is not a good plan for getting the captaincy. As captain he would be required to attend a lot of events, and the excuse of being embarrassed because his team plays poorly would not work then.
If Carlton haven't already decided on their new captain, this latest misbehaviour from Fevola will surely sway them. Expect Whitnall to captain Carlton now and in a few years it could be Marc Murphy leading them.
1 Carlton : Bryce Gibbs (188cm, 79kg)
The Blues need a ruckman, but in drafts teams have to often choose between the best player available and what they need. Despite Adelaide trying to scare them from Gibbs, and the Power trying to trade for him, it is likely that it will be Gibbs to Carlton at pick 1. Gibbs can play right away and will team with Murphy in the Carlton midfield. Gibbs and Murphy have many similarities, they are both skillful players, there fathers were also accomplished footballers and while Gibbs was named as the top onballer for the 2006 Under 18 All-Australian Team that was the same honour that Murphy received in 2005.
With Kernahan at Carlton, and his friendship with the Gibbs family, that is another reason to expect Gibbs to be picked at number 1. If they don't take Gibbs, then Hansen or Leuenberger are other options.
2 Essendon : Matthew Leuenberger (202cm, 92kg)
Sheedy recently went to WA for a scouting trip, while the media talked about him and Michael Gardiner, it was probably Leuenberger who impressed him more.
While ruckmen are not the biggest need for the Bombers, the potential that Leuenberger has could be too good to pass. Leuenberger was the Under 18 All-Australian ruckman. While some of the taller ruckmen are not the best at marking this is an area that leuenberger has impressed the scouts. His athleticism is also considered to be much better than other young ruckmen. Hansen or Gumbleton may fill a need more, at centre halfback for the Bombers, the addition of Leuenberger could provide the Bombers with a lot of young ruck options. Laycock may not stay with Essendon, but with Leuenberger and Patrick Ryder the Bombers would have a ruck/forward combination that could be dominant in a couple of years.
3 Kangaroos : Lachlan Hansen (195cm, 92kg)
A chance to go higher, but probably does not get past pick 3. A centre halfback prospect who could join Petrie and Watt in the Kangaroos backline. Hansen is a great athlete who can mark the ball or spoil it effectively. He will throw himself into packs, and often come down with the ball. While he was an Under 18 All-Australian defender, with the Kangaroos he could also be played as a forward.
If Hansen goes to Essendon then Gumbleton could be an option for the Kangaroos here, they already have the young ruckmen in Hale and McIntosh.
4 Brisbane : Scott Gumbleton (195cm, 92kg)
The Lions have not been able to find a replacement for Lynch or Leppitsch, Gumbleton can play at both ends of the ground so he would be a good pick. Gumbleton has put on weight since last season, at least 5kg, and he should be able to step into a team and be ready to play next season.
It might depend on what happens to Bradshaw, he is uncontracted at the moment, as to whether Gumbleton would play forward or back. But a forward line of Jonathan Brown and Gumbleton would be a useful combination.
There are not any Queensland players worth picking with this early pick, so no matter who is taken here it will be from another state. If it isn't WA's Gumbleton, then a key position player from Tasmania, South Australia or Victoria could be selected here.
5 Port Adelaide : James Sellar (195cm, 92kg)
The Power won it all a couple of seasons ago so they still have a team that can win. They might trade this pick to get a veteran player but if they keep it then Sellar would be someone they consider drafting. He is a big South Australian key position player and would be a big help to Tredrea in the forward line for the Power. He has also played in the ruck with some success, but in the AFL he will be more of a centre half forward.
While the Power are not afraid to draft from other states, they do like to get the best South Australians. If Sellar is gone then players like Tom Hurley or Chris Schmidt are other options.
The Power have been trying to get the top pick, to take Gibbs, but they would have to offer this pick and a lot more to get it.
Over the next week the top 25 picks will be posted. Then after trade week, and the draft order is officially set, there will be a comprehensive mock draft for all the picks, which will also include some AFL delisted players.
The heights and weight listed for the players are those that were released through the AFL, the upcoming draft camp will have updated official measurements for the players.
Calder Cannons
B McGough P. Smith Farmer
HB Polkinghorne Faulks Young
C Gazzo Williams O'Dwyer
HF Caruso Arrowsmith Long
F Allen Daniher Maric
R Duyndam McErlain Horne
Int Putt Laidler Downes
Considine May Kite
Grant Brennan
Oakleigh Chargers
B Pickett Croft De Bruin
HB Carey Sandilands Carafa
C Coyle Kelly Fermanis
HF Gray Ainger Otten
F Smith Goldstein Reid
R Crozier Batsanis MacKay
Int Melhem Sheldon McCarthy
Rainey Murrie Ozdemir
Burstin
If you have Fox Footy you can watch this game live. You may see some AFL stars of the future in this game.
The Calder Cannons have the Morrish Medallist in Fortunato Caruso, some think he is too small for the AFL but he gets a lot of possessions. Jarryd Allen is a key position player who will be drafted. Greg William's son, Jake, also has a chance to impress scouts, and he is an outside shot at being picked as a father/son by Carlton.
The Chargers have Nathan Batsanis, who accumulates plenty of kicks, and Robert Gray who can kick goals. Andrew Ainger is a tall forward with potential for the AFL too. Sam Sheldon, son of Ken, is also a possible father/son pick and is named on the bench, but he could be injured and unable to play.
AFL fans may also recognize the names of the coaches, Jarrod Molloy and Rohan Welsh.
Barry vs Lynch
Leo Barry may have saved the game last season with one play but he will have a big challenge all game this time. Lynch is big, strong and much improved. If Lynch gets 4 goals it may be enough for the Eagles to win. But there is also something Barry will look to exploit, he will use his speed to run off Lynch and this could spark the Swans.
Hall vs Glass
Every game the Eagles play Hall one-on-one and it seems they lose. If they don't change that strategy then Glass will decide the outcome of the game. If Hall is kept under control then the Swans will struggle to kick a winning score. Hall may also move up the ground, where Glass is not as effective, and play some centre half forward at times.
O'Loughlin vs Hunter
O'Loughlin is still angry about his 2005 performance, especially his kicking for goal, so expect him to be ready to play this time. Hunter will probably start on him, with Embley as another option. If O'Loughlin gets a goal early it could be the start of a big game for him.
Roberts-Thomson vs Hansen
As has been pointed out by a lot of people, Hansen has played 13 games this season and the Eagles have won all of them. That is an impressive streak, but the Swans have some winning streaks of their own too. Hansen is going to be important as he will be responsible for sending the Eagles inside 50, if he does it quickly then it could be Lynch and Barry contesting but if he waits then the Swans will flood back. Hansen has averaged 11 marks in his two finals games this season and if he reaches double-figures again it could be a game-winning effort.
Anthony Rocca was once a Grand Final emergency player. He was with Sydney in 1996 but didn't play in the Grand Final. He would be traded to Collingwood and would eventually reach the Grand Final with the Magpies. While the emergencies this year could be overlooked now they may find themselves as stars in the future. Sometimes the emergencies never get there, but sometimes it only takes one year, as both Quinten Lynch and Nick Malceski were watching last season and get to play in this year's Grand Final.
Sydney Swans
Luke Vogels: Only played 3 games this season but seemed to be an emergency for every other week. He is a key forward prospect who won't play if Hall is there. That is a similar situation to Rocca, who as a young player joined the Swans who already had Lockett in the goal square.
Paul Bevan: Played in last season's Grand Final, but only had 9 games this season for the Swans. Could be traded and a new team would provide a lot more opportunity.
David Spriggs: Went from Geelong to Sydney but couldn't break into the side. Has been a great player for their reserves side but may be delisted.
West Coast Eagles
Jaymie Graham: The Eagles are going small in this Grand Final so Graham misses out. Has played in 24 games this season. He is a young key position player who will get a chance at a Grand Final in the future.
Brent Staker: Was a star for West Coast early in the season, but had a small injury and was a bit less consistent later in the year. If Staker was traded back to his home state he would end up a Swan, that probably doesn't happen and Staker should be a regular player for the Eagles for many years to come.
Matt Rosa: Starred in West Coast's last game of the regular season, against Richmond, but the Eagles have more experienced players to use in the Grand Final. A former North Ballarat player, Rosa could be a target of Victorian teams in the trade period.
While any of these players could still play in this year's Grand Final, it is more likely that they will have to look to future years, and for some they will need a trade to find a better opportunity for regular senior football.
The Melbourne Soccer Club knew they were not going to get any publicity during AFL Grand Final week, unless they did something outrageous.
In a very disrespectful way, the soccer club is complaining that the AFL does not want to promote them in their AFL Record publication. That should not come as a shock to anyone. I am sure the soccer people do not have advertising for the AFL in their books.
Maybe Channel 10 should complain that Channel 9 doesn't want to advertise The Simpsons, or maybe The Age should be annoyed that The Herald Sun doesn't provide information so people can order The Age.
It would have been funny but according to the soccer people they are serious. For a soccer team that has been around for only one year trying to get cheap publicity like this does not win their sport any fans.
Andrew Demetriou has announced that for next season it is expecting to have all games shown on channels 7 and 10.
How this works will be interesting as both channels could be showing a game at the same time on Saturdays and possibly Sundays. In previous years Foxtel would have a live game during the afternoon on the weekend as well as Saturday night.
Demetriou previously said that all games would be broadcast on radio too for next season. The SEN station would become the 4th station to have the rights.
Click here for more information from The Age newspaper
Usually a team on the bottom of the ladder is looking to add some new talent with trades and early draft picks to improve their team, but Carlton is in danger of losing several young players.
This is a tricky situation as they can't afford to overpay for players, but if other teams offer bigger contracts they also need to make sure they get equal value for the players in a trade.
Thornton is the biggest name available from Carlton. He could return them a high draft pick as he is a proven tall defender. If Thornton does not sign a new deal he could go to Essendon in the preseason draft, although if he is traded his manager has said Hawthorn is where he wants to go.
Fisher has struggled with injury during his career but he is healthy now and is a useful secondary marking target. Other teams may need Fisher more than Carlton and if they can offer a ruckman in trade it could be what the Blues want.
Russell was a high draft pick of the Blues but he has been playing more with the VFL Bullants than he has with Carlton. He is a wingman with some height and still has potential. A return to South Australia is possible. Adrian Deluca's brother, Fabian, plays for Port Adelaide so there could be a trade worked out between the Power and Blues.
Carlton will have to weigh up how much they can afford to offer these players and if it is better to trade them now instead of bringing them back. With O'hAilpin a taller option at fullback they might have a replacement for Thornton already. A forward line of Fevola, Waite and Kennedy means there may not be a regular spot for Fisher. Russell doesn't seem to be a favourite of the current coach and that may not change.
Other players who may not be at Carlton include Chris Bryan, who Coach Pagan has not been happy with, Trent Sporn and veterans Prendergast and Bannister.
The trading period is about to start but instead of Carlton scooping up players from other teams they will have to first concentrate on keeping some of their own young stars.
There are always a lot of "neutral" fans at the AFL Grand Final. Some choose a team to support on the way to the MCG, some don't care who wins. But if the Eagles or Swans used some imagination they might be able to get some more people behind them for the game.
FREE WHOPPERS IF EAGLES WIN
Hungry Jack's are once again running TV commercials to tell people they sponsor the Eagles. As they have sponsored them from their first year in the league and often have had their logo on the uniform most fans know that. But if Hungry Jack's offered 2-for-1 Whoppers, or free onion rings with a purchase, then it might sway some fans to support the Eagles.
$5 OF FREE CHIPS AT STAR CITY IF SWANS WIN
The Swans have a lot of sponsors who could chip in. Kellogg's could offer half price cereal, Thrifty Car rental could offer 3 days hire for the price of two and Star City could give people an extra $5 of chips.
The teams could organize coupons for these offers to be handed out at the parade, Federation Square, Punt Road Oval and the MCG.
There are two things that occur in sports. The noise of the fans can have an influence, and fans will get excited about free food. There have been stadiums cheering for points to be scored in the NBA so the home team can get to 100 points and the fans can all use their free taco coupon.
Last season the Swans were sentimental favourites for the non-Eagles fans, but not this time. There are going to be many people unsure of who they want to win, a small gesture from the Grand Final teams could get them a lot more support at the MCG on Saturday.
David Wirrpanda is an important player for the Eagles, and he has single-handedly turned around a couple of games this season. The Eagles went through a bit of a slump in the middle of the season, in games against Geelong and Carlton they found themselves with a big deficit to make up and it was Wirrpunda, and Hunter too, who went forward and saved the games.
Now Wirrpanda has been declared fit to play and as that is great news for the Eagles it also means that a September tradition has to continue, a player is dropped for the Grand Final. While it won't be as big as Derek Kickett missing out there will be at least one disappointed Eagles player.
The player, or players, who could miss include Seaby, Armstrong, Banfield, Fletcher and Rowan Jones.
Seaby will definitely play, they won't go in with one ruckman, so Seaby will be named on the bench to backup Cox and Worsfold might even go with a new strategy this year and use both ruckmen on the ground at the same time, with one of them playing in front of Hall to fill up his space to lead.
Armstrong is a tough one, he is new to the club this season and has not cemented a regular spot. It might depend on where they play Wirrpanda, as Armstrong usually plays more forward while the Eagles may drop a small defender to clear a spot at Wirrpunda's regular position.
Banfield is the only Eagle with the experience of winning a Grand Final. He also played a lot of games with Worsfold. Teams need players like Banfield in AFL Grand Finals, he is a tough veteran who will play well if the physical play is at normal Grand Final levels. Banfield is a player who can take a hit, get up and set an example for his teammates.
Chad Fletcher was close to joining Judd, Kerr and the others in the Eagles' elite midfield but in the finals he hasn't had a big role. His spot should be safe but if the Eagles want some more height in the team he could miss out.
Rowan Jones missed last year's game but he should get a go this time. His extra height compared to some of the Eagles running players could be useful against Kennelly or Malceski.
The Eagles might use Wirrpanda as a forward in the Grand Final. This could surprise the Swans, lessen the running and risk of injury on Wirrpanda, add a creative playmaker to a forward line that can struggle for goals and also put a player in their forward line with defensive skills to stop Sydney's run from the back.
So if Wirrpanda is forward then Armstrong would definitely miss. With Wirrpanda playing in his normal backline role then Banfield and Fletcher would join Armstrong as players who could be dropped. But it might not be the only change they make, the Eagles could also consider Staker or Lecras and if Worsfold wanted to surprise everyone he might pick Sampi, but that is unlikely.
Ruckman Rhett Biglands is unlikely to play next season after injuring his knee during the Crows game against West Coast on Saturday. He will have a knee reconstruction which usually means a year out of the game.
Adelaide forward Trent Hentschel injured his knee against Port Adelaide in round 21and is expected to miss all of next season too.
For 2007 the Crows will have Ben Hudson back at full strength after he spent this season recovering from a knee injury. Hudson has played in the SANFL in 2006.
Matthew Clarke shared the ruck duties with Biglands this season and the Crows will look for one more year from the veteran.
If Clarke does retire then the Crows could find help in the ruck through a trade or a preseason draft pick. Clarke Keating, Cain Ackland and Guy Richards could be acquired by the Crows and wouldn't cost a lot. Michael Gardiner could also be an option.
A more expensive option could be Peter Everitt, he would cost the Crows their first rounder and a useful player too. But Everitt could be the perfect fit as he is a similar age to players like Ricciuto, McLeod, Goodwin, Edwards and Hart.
From now until the end of the AFL trading period, which is October 13, there will be a lot of rumours about where players are going. One of the biggest names at the moment is Chris Tarrant.
As Tarrant is still under contract the Magpies are in a good position to negotiate should Tarrant want to go. Some of the teams after Tarrant are said to include the Swans and the Eagles so a move could be something Tarrant agrees to.
The Eagles have been after a full forward since Sumich left, and they have plenty of assets to trade. The Swans in recent years have raided Collingwood for players like Nick Davis, Paul Williams and Andrew Schauble and could use another marking player to assist Hall and O’Loughlin. Other teams would also be willing to trade for Tarrant. The Bulldogs need a full forward and have plenty of quick midfielders that would interest Collingwood and teams like Adelaide, Melbourne and Fremantle also need a player like Tarrant to improve their forward lines next season.
The Eagles could offer a young player, like Staker or Selwood, and a draft pick and this could be something Collingwood consider. Collingwood could also inquire about Hansen, who is a former Oakleigh player. Sydney would agree to trade their first rounder for Tarrant, and could also include a prospect like Luke Vogels or Paul Bevan.
The Tarrant rumours are very similar to what happened at Collingwood with Saverio Rocca. For two or three years Rocca was almost traded, and in the end the Magpies delisted him and he became a Kangaroo in the national draft. If Tarrant is part of the future at Collingwood they need to state that, but if he isn’t then they can use Tarrant to get some younger players and some draft picks. Tarrant’s trade value may not get any higher than it is now so the Magpies could be seriously considering moving him during this upcoming trading period.
The pregame entertainment at the AFL Grand Final on Saturday will include Irene Cara singing What A Feeling.
The song fits in well, not just for the story about someone achieving their dream, but with the AFL sponsored by Toyota and their slogan of "Oh What A Feeling" too. Although it is a different sponsor, CUB, who are using Irene Cara's song for their advertising and are behind her visit here.
It would have been even better if Michael Sembello was performing Maniac as well ,but Irene Cara should provide some quality entertainment to a pregame that hasn't been too memoreable in recent years.
Here are the lyrics to the song:
What A Feeling
First when there's nothing
but a slow glowing dream
that your fear seems to hide
deep inside your mind.
All alone I have cried
silent tears full of pride
in a world made of steel,
made of stone.
well i hear the music
close my eyes
feel the rhythm
wrap around
take a hold of my heart
What a feeling.
Bein's believin'.
I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life.
Take your passion
and make it happen.
Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life.
Now I hear the music,
close my eyes, I am rhythm.
In a flash it takes hold
of my heart.
What a feeling.
Bein's believin'.
I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life.
Take your passion
and make it happen.
Pictures come alive, now I'm dancing through my life.
What a feeling.
What a feeling I AM MUSIC NOW
Bein's believin'. I AM RHYTHM NOW
Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life.
What a feeling. I CAN REALLY HAVE IT ALL
What a feeling. PICTURES COME ALIVE WHEN I CALL
I can have it all I CAN REALLY HAVE IT ALL
Have it all PICTURES COME ALIVE WHEN I CALL
CALL CALL CALL CALL WHAT A FEELING
I can have it all BEIN'S BELIEVIN
Bein's believin' TAKE YOUR PASSION
MAKE IT HAPPEN
make it happen WHAT A FEELING
what a feeling BEIN'S BELIEVIN' (fade)
Western Bulldogs
They have been trying to get some talls in recent drafts but injuries have hit many of them. They may look for a young prospect at centre half back, or centre half forward, with their first pick. They might trade their next pick, and a player or two, to Brisbane for Jason Akermanis.
Melbourne
Their reserves won the VFL Grand Final so that could indicate that there are some useful players who can step up next season. Players like Lynden Dunn, Nathan Jones and Ryan Ferguson could be playing regularly for the Demons next season. But there isn't a ruckman at Sandringham who is ready to play AFL, and when White's backup Mark Jamar went down the Demons were in a bit of trouble. Paul Johnson should be able to help next season but Melbourne could use one of their better picks on another ruckman. A quick midfielder and a full forward could be other areas they look to address.
St. Kilda
There won't be many quality ruckmen available in the draft, and the Saints are another team that will be looking for one. A tall defender and also a future replacement for Gehrig at full forward are other spots they will consider.
Collingwood
If the Magpies end up trading two of the Clokes and Tarrant they could have a bunch of extra picks to use. They drafted some athletic players in Thomas and Pendlebury last time so some tall defenders might be something to target in this draft.
Sydney
They have been trading their first rounders recently and it has helped them, Jolly from Melbourne filled an important need and then last year they added Richards from Essendon to their backline. If they keep their pick then another quick midfielder or a centre half forward prospect could be the way they go.
Fremantle
The Dockers know they are close, and may use their picks in trades to get players to help now. If they draft players they could target some of the young WA stars, although with where they are picking players like Leuenberger, Jetta and Gumbleton could be already gone. They might use Polak in a trade to move higher in the draft.
Adelaide
The Crows have a great scouting department and are able to find stars in the rookie draft while other teams fail with early picks in the national draft. Tall forwards and quick midfielders are some areas of need. They might also try to trade a ruckman like Maric or Hudson to a Victorian team to move up in the draft.
The Crows have said that in the future they will get Bryce Gibbs, but it is unlikely to occur in this draft as they could not put together a package of players that Carlton would agree to in exchange for the top pick.
West Coast
The Eagles are usually smart traders, sending away superfluous players for useful draft picks, and this time it could be Sampi or Staker that get them a better pick. They may also be able to add a later pick by trading Gardiner. Lynch has been much improved but the Eagles could benefit from adding another full forward. With Graham's development they have enough tall defenders for now but could use a bit more depth there too.
Part 1 of the draft needs for teams that finished outside the top 8.
FB : Gavin Wanganeen, James Hird, Paul Couch
HB : Mark Ricciuto, Adam Goodes, Ben Cousins
C : Chris Judd, Greg Williams, Simon Black
HF : Jason Akermanis, Nathan Buckley, Paul Kelly
FF : John Platten, Tony Lockett, Jim Stynes
Foll : Scott Wynd, Michael Voss, Robert Harvey
Bench: Shane Woewodin, Tony Liberatore, Gerard Healy, Shane Crawford
It is not the easiest task, due to all the small onballers, but here is what a team would look like if made up of the recent Brownlow Medal winners.
As Hird plays for Sheedy, he has played every spot, and is the only real option for fullback. Lockett obviously gets full forward, although there were no other contenders for that postion. Buckley as a mobile center half forward can work, and Goodes can play anywhere and as he is the last key position player to choose from he gets center half back.
The ruckmen Wynd and Stynes would be a great combination and with all the stars around them to use the ball it would be a tough team to stop.
This is a team that would win the contested ball, and then have players who can run with it. Marking options are not a strong point though. But kicking the ball to Lockett all the time is an effective strategy.
They would be competitive against a team of players, from the mid 1980s to today, who didn't win the Brownlow Medal but probably could not beat a team with Kernahan, Carey, Rehn, Dunstall, Ablett, Langford, Peter Matera and many others.
Buckley surprised many at a function at Federation Square yesterday when he announced that it was time for him to relinquish the captaincy of the Collingwood Football Club.
I would wait for an official announcement, as their President usually has a say in these things. He would probably want one more year from Buckley as captain. A few players have been talked out of retirement this season, so even when things are said they don't always happen.
Nathan Buckley said James Clement should be captain. There are not many other candidates for the position, Scott Burns or Anthony Rocca could be an option for the next year or two, while Josh Fraser and Alan Didak are younger players who may get a look.
Collingwood like tradition, so down the road it could be Heath Shaw as captain.
But right now, at least unofficially, it looks like Buckley will step down as captain and James Clement will assume the responsibility.
Sydney's Adam Goodes won another Brownlow medal. His best on ground for the final round got him the votes needed to win, and he finished 3 votes ahead of Scott West. Goodes won with 26 votes.
An interesting note is that Jonathan Brown had 13 votes, but he only played around half a season. Something to remember for next year.
Kerr was ineligible, but had 22 votes. That was one more vote than Judd.
West lost votes to Brad Johnson, Johnson had 19 votes. In contrast to that, no Sydney player other than Goodes reached double-figures for votes.
Sam Mitchell had 13 votes, he could be a player like Greg Williams and win a Brownlow due to his many tough possessions.
Another player who is a chance to win in future seasons is Pavlich of Fremantle. He had 15 votes.
Other highlights, or lowlights of the night, included:
Andrew Demetriou yelling out the votes, maybe he thought his microphone wasn't working although he probably didn't need it.
The Hird and Voss kids were interviewed, and their favourite players were Judd, Cox and Lynch of West Coast.
Demetriou trying to break a speed record for reading out the names, maybe he wanted to finish early to go to the opera, or maybe Channel 10 wanted to make sure The Shadow movie started on time.
Scott West was interviewed during the count, while he was a favourite of most there the people at the table behind him were a bit unkind with their gestures.
Demetriou was a bit excited, sometimes the players and their correct teams didn't come out right. "Sydney: N Riewoldt", the Swans have enough without adding him.
If memory serves me right, for some parts of the show Channel 10 was playing the theme music to the TV show Iron Chef as background music for some of their stories.
Demetriou tried to build it up with his pauses for effect, it wasn't the best but for round 22 it was "1 vote Sydney", long pause, "A", long pause, and then "Buchanan". That got the crowd excited.
The TV commercial with the plane passengers being told, "we will not land the plane until Carlton win the premiership" was amusing too.
Carlton
The biggest need is the biggest player, a ruckman. They tried McLaren, Bryan and the now-retired French during the year but neither was a long-term solution. While the top pick may not go on a ruckman, they probably take Gibbs to team with Murphy in the middle, you can expect Carlton to get a ruck prospect or two in the draft.
The key positions are under control there, as long as Kennedy, Waite and O'hAilpin keep improving. Combine them with Whitnall and Fevola and they are in good shape.
Murphy, Gibbs, Blackwell, Simpson, Bentick and others will provide a youthful midfield. It is going to be necessary to replace Kouta, so a taller, stronger midfielder could be drafted too.
Essendon
The Bombers have said they will be active during the trade period, and one goal could be to get another top 10 pick. Sheedy had tall players like Salmon and the Maddens in previous years and expect him to consider Matthew Leuenberger with pick 2. Hille is a versatile player, Ryder may develop more into a forward than a ruckman, so there is room for Essendon to add Leuenberger.
Stanton has stepped up for the Bombers but they will need to add some more young players to the midfield.
Fletcher is old and Solomon could be gone so a tall backman may be another option at pick 2, someone like Lachlan Hansen.
Kangaroos
The Kangaroos are loaded with height, so while most teams go searching for talls in the draft the Kangaroos can take the most-talented midfielders available. They have Watt, Petrie and Brown in defense, while Thompson and youngsters Hale, McIntosh and Moran can all play forward or in the ruck. Simpson, Harvey and Grant are slowing down and their future replacements may be found in this draft.
Another area to address is full forward. A quick leading player to compliment Thompson up forward would help. Aaron Edwards kicked 100 goals for Frankston in the VFL this season and the Kangaroos may draft him to replace Rocca.
Don't expect the Kangaroos to be trading any early picks either, their fans won't accept that after the Hay trade.
Brisbane
Brisbane may be able to make a big impact in this year's draft with some extra picks. Akermanis will surely get them a high pick, other players like Michael, Keating and Bradshaw could also be traded for picks.
The Lions will need to add some midfielders to replace Voss, Akermanis and Lappin. There are a few quality midfielders from Queensland in this draft so expect Brisbane to acquire at least one of them. Troy Selwood's brother, Joel, is also in this draft.
Roe and Merrett have good potential but some more tall defenders are needed too.
Hawthorn
The Hawks are now showing the rewards from their previous high draft picks. They have young stars at most positions now. Franklin up forward, Roughead in defense, a solid ruck combo of Campbell and Bailey, the exciting Birchall and they also have Xavier Ellis to fit in. While some may want to add veterans to help win now, the Hawks have decided to keep adding talent and to grow the team into a contender.
Another key position player will be added with their first round pick. As Hawthorn will continue to play games in Tasmania, Jack Riewoldt would give them a local who also fills a need on their list.
Hawthorn could be getting an extra draft pick for trading Everitt, so they will be able to fill all their draft needs. After adding one or two key position players Hawthorn may look at some running players as future replacements for Crawford, Smith and Vandenberg.
Port Adelaide
With a healthy Tredrea the Power can contend next season. They have most spots covered so expect them to take the best player available. That could be South Australian James Sellar. Sellar is a centre half forward prospect.
Wakelin and Bishop are getting to the end of their careers so a couple of tall defenders will be on Port Adelaide’s list of draftees.
Geelong
The Cats get the top player in the draft through the father/son rule so that is a good start. Hawkins probably starts at full forward for Geelong next season.
Geelong has never had a high draft pick so maybe this year they try to trade up. They have several players that seem out of favour so Geelong have assets to make a move.
Their needs are a tall defender prospect and some more speed in the midfield.
Richmond
As Richmond will lose Stafford and Kellaway, and Gaspar is close to the end too, their focus will be on adding some more talls in the draft. A prospect at fullback or a ruckman might be taken with their first pick. Coach Wallace has always taken small, quick players in previous drafts so after adding some height Richmond will get some speedsters later in the draft.
Will have a look at the top 8 teams and their draft needs tomorrow, and check back here for draft news in the coming weeks.
Adelaide may yet have something to celebrate as Simon Goodwin is a good chance to win the Brownlow Medal. His main rivals will be Scott West, who led the league in disposals, and Adam Goodes, a former winner.
Where Goodwin may have an advantage is that he won’t have a teammate who is a potential Brownlow winner to compete with for votes. Players like Ricciuto and McLeod missed games, so Goodwin will have been noticed by the umpires as he led the Crows in both kicks and handballs. With Adelaide’s great start to the year, Goodwin should be leading the vote count at the halfway stage.
Scott West led the league in disposals, and was also someone who the umpires were aware of as he also led the AFL in free kicks. Brad Johnson could be a player who gets a few 3 votes ahead of West, Johnson led the Bulldogs in marks and goals this season. Cross and Gilbee also had plenty of possessions and Adam Cooney is another player who could get votes.
The Swans started slowly this season so Adam Goodes won’t be an early leader in the Brownlow, but he could have a big finish to the count and get another one. Goodes was Sydney’s best when it came to kicks and total disposals, but he also got his share of hitouts and some goals. The big threat to his votes is Barry Hall, who led Sydney in goals and marks. Kirk, the two Boltons and O’Keefe could also get some votes.
West Coast have a few players who can win, but the votes could be shared around with Judd, Cousins and Kerr. Chad Cornes might have been a chance if Port won a couple more games, both he and his brother should poll well. Some long shots are Luke Power of Brisbane, Cameron Bruce of Melbourne and Paul Chapman of Geelong.
The 2006 AFL Draft will have names that are familiar to most fans. A speedy Krakouer, a high-marking Riewoldt, a skilful Selwood and another Josh Kennedy will be drafted.
Nathan Krakouer: Right now he is considered too thin for senior football, but Nathan Krakouer has the skills of his cousins and his name will be read out on draft day. Both Fremantle and West Coast will think about using a second rounder on him, while the Tigers and Kangaroos would also like another Krakouer.
Jack Riewoldt: He won’t be the top pick like his cousin was but Jack Riewoldt has a lot of the same traits and skills. Riewoldt is a great mark and can take over a game, as he showed in the Under 18 games. Jack can play forward or back and will likely be a first round pick. Expect the Saints to have interest, but Jack Riewoldt could be gone a pick or two before they select.
Andrejs Everitt: A chance to play on the same team as his brother, although where Peter Everitt ends up is unknown right now. Andrejs Everitt is shorter than his brother and is better suited to a role as a tall defender, but it might take him a year or two to add some bulk and strength to play regular AFL football. Everitt could be a late first round pick, but probably goes in round 2 or 3.
Nathan Brown: This will be confusing for two reasons, not only will there be three Nathan Browns in the AFL next season but this Nathan Brown will also have a double with his twin Mitchell Brown expected to be drafted too. Both Browns are versatile talls and Nathan made the Under 18 All Australian Team at fullback. Nathan and Mitchell Brown will be drafted somewhere around picks 10 to 30.
Joel Selwood: The third, and possibly most talented, Selwood to join the AFL. Will be taken high in the draft, so more likely to join brother Troy in Brisbane.
Josh Kennedy: Being related to the Hawthorn Kennedys, and not the Carlton player, means that this Josh Kennedy already knows where he is going in the draft. Hawthorn will use their third round pick to take him with the father-son rule.
The teams contesting this year's AFL Grand Final are the same, and while most of the players are back there are three veterans from 2005 who won't be playing.
Jason Ball started his career with a premiership for the Eagles and retired after winning it again for the Swans against his former team. Jolly and Ball shared the ruck duties last time, now Jolly has to do a bit more although the Swans will have Doyle to support him.
Paul Williams wanted to help the Swans win another one but after 12 games this season he was injured and retired. Malceski didn't play last year and he may be the player in the midfield who has a big game if the Eagles concentrate too much on Kirk, Goodes and Bolton.
The Eagles are just changing one huge forward for another as Gardiner was their hope last year and now it is Quinten Lynch who the Eagles need to kick a winning score. Unlike Ball and Williams, Michael Gardiner didn't retire. Coach Worsfold gave him several chances but Gardiner didn't grab them, he also didn't get many grabs in the last AFL Grand Final. Gardiner had only 2 marks, and no goals, against a shortish Sydney defense. If the result is going to be different this time, then it could be Lynch who is the reason.
Jason Akermanis is going to leave the Brisbane Lions, his destination is very likely going to be a Victorian club. He wants to be a Western Bulldog, but if a trade can't be worked out with Brisbane then there are other options.
The Bulldogs are the frontrunners for Akermanis. He has announced they are his preferred team. There is money available with Smith retiring and the Jade Rawlings contract is gone too. The Bulldogs also play a fast style that would suit Akermanis. Rotating through the midfield and up forward, Akermanis could be the final piece they need. With Akermanis and a healthy Luke Darcy the Bulldogs would be a serious contender.
But the Bulldogs know better than others that players sometimes don't make it to their preferred team. When Rawlings left the Hawks he wanted to be sent to the Kangaroos, but during the trading period the Bulldogs got involved and Rawlings became a Bulldog in the preseason draft. Although with Akermanis it is even more complicated, as he is still under contract for another year with the Lions. So if the teams can't agree to a trade then Brisbane may try to deal with another Victorian team. Some of these teams might be acceptable to Akermanis, especially Melbourne and Essendon.
Melbourne should be on top of the list after the Western Bulldogs. Melbourne have to win now, as Neitz won't be playing forever, and adding Akermanis may be enough to win it all. They have also had success with adding Pickett so they may go again for a veteran star. A forward line with Neitz and Robertson as marking options and the exciting Davey and Akermanis would provide plenty of goals. Towards the end of Peter Matera's career the Demons looked into acquiring him, as they wanted to add a player who could make a difference in September. Akermanis knows how to perform on the MCG when the pressure is on too.
Essendon are always looking to make a big signing, and will be able to offer Brisbane what they want in trade. Akermanis also has said Essendon would be a team he would move to. While the Bombers have plenty of holes to fill on their list, a forward line of Lloyd, Hird, Lucas and Akermanis would be very powerful. Sheedy has also said he wants Akermanis at Essendon.
Richmond are a team stuck in mediocrity, but they are willing to make a move to improve. Akermanis could be the player to take Richmond to the next level. He could provide assistance to young midfielders like Delidio and also go forward to ease the burden on Richardson.
Geelong have to figure out if they have a Top 4 team or if they need to rebuild. If they think they are a chance now then Akermanis makes sense. He would be another star to join Ablett and Chapman as players who can get the ball as well as score goals. Collingwood have been closer to success than Geelong in recent seasons but also have to decide how close they really are to winning to it all. They obviously need a player with Akermanis' speed and talent, but the window may be shut already. They can offer the big stage for Akermanis to play on but he may not be enough for them to get any further in September.
The Hawks, Kangaroos and Blues are too far away from contending to interest Akermanis. The Saints have other needs right now so don't expect them to look at Akermanis. Of the non-Victorian teams, Sydney is a chance for Akermanis. There have been rumours before and Sydney have also shown a willingness to trade their early picks to keep their current team loaded with talent.
While it looks like Akermanis will go to the Bulldogs, a lot of things can change between now and the trading period. Brisbane have to agree to a trade and if the Bulldogs don't offer useful draft picks and players other teams will be approached, then Akermanis will have to choose between another Victorian team or else he may have to sit out a year, as the Lions don’t look agreeable to him returning to play out his contract.
More Posts
2162 Posts dating from January 2006
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
Add Comments
Comments (5)