Fevola is a “Flawed Genius”
Carlton WILL NOT win an AFL Premiership with Brendan Fevola in the side. That is the view of well respected footballing identity and former Carlton Coach David Parkin. Now this coming from a man that is very highly regarded and respected among the AFL Football world and if you have ever heard him speak you would certainly agree. This is not the first time Brendan Fevola has been in strife with alcohol so why is it that it takes 2, 3, 4 occations for Clubs to realise that there is a problem there that needs to be dealt with?
Surely even after the Ireland incident you could see that there was a problem there that needed to be dealt with. I read with interest that David Parkin feels responsible for not being able to change his behaviour in the early years when he was recruited to the club. Again I go back to the early days of Wayne Carey’s career when the North Melbourne Football Club turned a blind eye to his actions. Now look where he is at. A big question I have of the Carlton Football Club is if this was Mark Austin would this have been the same penalty?. Mind you if it was Mark Austin then this issue would probably not have made news. I just reckon Carlton had a perfect opportunity to set a great example going forward into their new phase of the Club and the have stuffed up. Read more
Let’s Get Back To Talking Some Football - AFL Round 1
Well another week goes by with no football and what do we have in the media, more off field contraversy. Tony Liberatore accusing Carlton of “tanking” then not accusing them of “tanking”, Fev urinating outside a Hotel, and of course Wayne Carey and his girlfriend selling their story to a magazine. Compelling Reading……..
Maybe with the Start of Round 1 on Thursday all of that stuff can be swept aside and we can start talking about what is the best game in the world - AFL Football.
Bring on the Footy I say and it will all kick of on Thursday with Richmond and Carlton. The Tigers will be out to put an average pre season behind them and start the season on a positive note but the Blues and Chris Judd will have other ideas. Kane Johnson looks set to take
Chris Judd and if that is the case then pencil the Blues in for the win. I can’t wait to see Judd play and see how he goes about his business in a Carlton jumper and also the flow on effect from teams paying more attention to him than the other mid fielders in Murphy, Stevens and Gibbs. Richmond will need to rely heavily on the skills of Brown and Deludio as last time I watched them they were the only two that could hit a target. And depending on which game Richo pulls out will determine whether the Tigers will kick enough goals. Read more
Carlton Didn’t “Tank” Now?
I was prepared to give Libba the benefit of the doubt last week after he alleged that the Carlton Football Club “Tanked” and went out to lose games in the latter part of the 2007 Season. But after listening to his comments over the weekend I now take anything he says with a grain of salt! On the Footy Show he was very calculated in his answers when asked by Craig Hutchison as to whether Carlton Football Club tanked and his response “Personally, I would say Yes” and then on the SEN Radio Station he said “If they say to me, ‘do you think Carlton tanked?’, I would say, ‘I don’t think they did’ .” What is that all about?
Maybe “Tanking” is not the correct word, although many still believe it is, I have no doubt that lower ranked clubs don’t really care if they lose games at the end of the year and do what they call “list management” and is an issue that the AFL MUST look at and change the prize at the end of the year for the team that finishes last. The fact that they call it list management is something that the clubs and the AFL can hide behind because is doesn’t go against any of the rules, but let’s be honest everyone knows what is really going on! And fair enough why wouldn’t you? I know the Carlton Fans wouldn’t have been that disappointed with it because they know what the “prize” is. They now have Chris Judd and Matthew Kruezer to show for it and last year has been forgotten. Read more
Latest AFL Odds from SportsAcumen
Here are the latest odds for the 2008 Season from my friends at SportsAcumen. for all you reader that like a punt.
Premiership Odds
Geelong - $3.20
St Kilda - $8.00
Fremantle - $11.00
Hawthorn - $11.00
Collingwood - $2.00
Port Adelaide - $13.00
West Coast - $14.00
Adelaide - $17.00
Sydney - $18.00
Brisbane - $21.00
Carlton - $31.00
Kangaroos - $36.00
Western Bulldogs - $36.00
Essendon - $41.00
Melbourne - $56.00
Richmond - $101.00
Read more
The Dreaded ACL Injury In AFL Football
It has been very well publicized over the pre season that the number of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries seems to be increasing. My friends over at Kick2Kick are putting together a nice series of articles on ACL Injuries as one of the guys has gone through the experience first hand. There is 3 parts to the series and it is well worth a read.
Get a bit of an insight and check out Part 1 and Part 2.
Part 3 will be coming next week so subscribe to their feed to get that last part
All Clubs Give The Green Light to 18 Teams
As the AFL launched the 2008 Season at Telstra Dome, the 16 AFL Club presidents unanimously gave the all clear on behalf of their clubs for the AFL to make the move and expand the competition to 18 teams by 2012, tying in nicely with the start of what will be the biggest TV Rights Deal in
the history of AFL Football. In fact they mentioned that the AFL may not be being aggresive enough in their endevours to expand, something that I am sure the NRL and A-League are not happy about. The thing to come out of the meeting between the presidents and the AFL was that in order for the game of AFL Football to be a national game their needs to be games played every weekend in both Sydney and Queensland. There is no work yet on how these clubs will build the playing lists, but the AFL have put forward some proposals that include draft pick and priority picks.
It must have been a pretty compelling case that the AFL put forward to the presidents because Jeff Kennett and Eddie McGuire, two of the heavy weights of the AFL Clubs certainly made their feelings heard when it was first announced that the AFL was set to expand the competition. The clubs agreed that 18 teams would be better than 17 so you would think that both teams will come in during the same year which means that there will be no bye for any team during the year.
Certainly a historic day for the game of AFL Football and exciting times for all those kids that a re dreaming of playing football at the highest level..
phot credit Campbell Imray
Cartlon “Tanked” The Last 3 Games - Libba
Extraordinary claims from former Carlton assistant coach Tony Liberatore that Carlton Football Club “tanked” their last 3 games of the 2007 AFL Season. Little Libba claims that the Blues 
picked players that did not deserve to get a game in the senior side and forced players to have operations then and there rather than wait until the end of the Season. On the back of the Paul Roos match fixing dramas in the last few weeks these claims will rock AFL circles. A lot has been made of the “tanking” issue over the last 12 months and the AFL keep wiping their hands with it and tell the footballling public that it just doesn’t occur. Well everyone knows that it does and now maybe the AFL may consider doing something about the rules to make sure it doesn’t continue to happen. It is the first time that an “insider” has come out and said anything like this, and I am sure Libba will get his fair share of flack about it but I have no doubt that this sort of thing goes on at the end of the year and if the AFL can’t see that then they are kidding themselves!!! Read more
Warren “Tredders” Tredrea Captain Again
Readers of AFL Football Blog will know that this guy is one of “My Most Irritating Players” 
in the AFL”. Nevertheless the Port Adelaide Football Club has announced that he will lead the Power in Season 2008. From all reports and judging by his form this pre season he has completed a good pre season and is priming himself for a good 2008 season. It will be interesting to see the reaction of the players when he kicks a goal this year and whether they give him a high five that he is after or run in the other direction. And will he continue to be as arrogant as ever and bow to the crowd again as if he is “GOD”?
Tredrea will be supported by vice captains Brendon Lade, Chad Cornes and Shaun Burgoyne in 2008. Kane Cornes, Dom Cassisi and the injured Michael Wilson round out the Power’s seven-man leadership group.
Well done Tredders, seriously !!!!!……..
Join In The Chorus, Sing It One And All
It was reported in the Herald Sun that the Kangaroos membership had risen to 24,841 members! That is great news to the club and from a general supporter of AFL Football it is very pleasing to see the Kangaroo supporters getting behind their club. The question I have is why does it take this kind of situation for supporters to come out of the woodwork and buy a membership to support their club?
They are a big chance to reach their goal of 30,000 too with 6323 yet to renew their memberships. Brayshaw has certainly pulled out the big guns with Ricky Ponting securing the money of teammates Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and former Test opening batsman Justin Langer who has purchased a family ticket. Now that the Pakistan tour has been cancelled they may have some time to watch a few games. The Kangas have also secured other high profile people to jump on board as well Lee Freedman, musician Tim Rogers, former Australian Davis Cup representative Wayne Arthurs, and several golfers. Young West Australian golfer Michael Sim has told North he plans to wear the club logo on his golf bag.
Eugene Arroca correctly pointed out though that while the numbers a looking good this year it is a bit of a worry as to whether the “sympathisers” that have purchased memberships will renew them on a yearly basis. Let’s hope the Roos don’t have to rely on that to keep them going.
St Kilda 2008 NAB Cup Champions
After a summer that saw some high profile people of the AFL knock the crap out of the NAB Cup as a competition, the last 3 weeks have seen 
some excellent footy being played and it paints the picture for an interest 2008 AFL Season. Last night was no exception. Adelaide were favourties and being at AAMI Stadium most peopl thought they would come away with the win. No one told the youngsters of the St Kilda Football Club that and they were simply awesome. Read more
