Cox Gets an Extension
Sorry I couldn’t help but give this post that title, I am sure there are lots more out there as well. But seriously great news for the West Coast Eagles with superstar Ruckman and member of the new look Eagles leadership group Dean Cox signing a new contract with the West Coast Eagles until 2011. Considering the big fella is 26 you would think that he will now be an Eagles for life. He is the best ruckman in the business and the Eagles have made it quite clear that he is by the length of the contract. You don’t see many long contracts these days and it shows how much the Eagles rate him as a player and as a person.
Cox played 21 games in 2007 averaging 23 hit outs a game clearly in front of the next best for the Eagles (Mark Seaby – 12.75). not only that he was second only to the man mountain Aaron Sandilands who averaged a whopping 26.9. But it is not just in the hitouts that makes Cox a valuable big man it is his ability to run and get a lot of the ball around the ground that sets him apart. He averages just under 19 posessions a game compared to a Sandilands who averages around 12.6. And when you consider he had an outstanding 27 disposals (17 kicks and 10 handballs), 9 marks, 29 hitouts and a goal in West Coasts loss to Collingwood in the Second Semi last year. It proves he can perform when it counts.
Quality player and a great deal for the Eagles. Mind you Cox would be more than happy with a lazy $700,000 per year also.
Has Kevin Sheedy Lost His Mind?
I am a big fan of Kevin Sheedy but his latest comments and thoughts may be just a bit to much for me to take. He was a speaker at the latest AFL Coaching Conference that was held on the Gold Coast and he revealed some of his opinions that I find a bit to far off.
“Round one should always be played overseas in the next 10 years,”
“Round one could get auctioned like the grand prix races do. You could then play the other 21 rounds in Australia – that would be a better way to take the game around the world”.
I know Sheedy is recognised as a man with wild ideas but this couldn’t actually happen in the near future surley? This may just be one of Sheedy’s stunts to promote the game of Australian Rules Football.
I was speaking to a coach that was at the Conference and it would appear that Sheedy didn’t mind the odd drink on the Saturday Night of the Conference. It doesn’t look like the pace of his life will be slowing down any time soon.
(spotted on World Footy News)
AFL Football in South Africa
There are some great stories coming out of South Africa at the moment and some that are just inspiring for all concerned. We have heard a lot from clubs over this pre season about the need for players to not only improve as footballers but evolve as people and it is just about impossible for players involved in the experiences in South Africa to not walk away realising how fortunate they are and how priveledged they should be for being in the position they find themselves in as AFL Footballers. For example the entire Carlton group walked through an AIDS clinic, Sparrow Village, the biggest home for people battling AIDS in the world. If that doesn’t change your view on life then nothing will.
The media outlets generally have nothing to talk about during the pre seasons of AFL Football other the the off field antics of the players and it is great to see these good stories circulate the world. I guess the public at large find great interest in “Player’s behaving badly” news stories and they are the ones that generally fin their way around the world as I saw on Daves’ Football Blog the other day. It is always interesting to see what makes headlines in other parts of the World. Even Mick Malthouse made the news with his outbursts at the AFL over the new interchange rules.
Below is a great news report from South Africa that was aired on Channel 10 in Perth that I first saw on World Footy News. There is some great vision and show what an impact the players are having in the communities in South Africa.
By seeing the enjoyment that AFL Football brings to the faces of these children is quite astounding and is something I am sure will live with these young AFL Players for ever and hopefully will inspire a few new fresh faces in AFL ranks in the near future.
It will be certainly interesting to see how Carlton, Fremantle and Collingwood develop as teams in 2008 and beyond.
Wayne Carey was “Angry at the Whole World”
Well the fallout from the Wayne Carey saga continues, although I am not a great fan of this sort of news everyone else is and I have just read some great quotes an as they say “Only in America”
“I think Mr Carey has some anger management issues, he seems to be angry at the whole world, at least on this particular morning,”
This was the comment from Lieutenant Bill Schwartz from the Miami Police where Carey has been charged with felony charges in Florida over an incident on October 27 last year.
“In fact it looks as though that he used his wine glass to try to knock out his girlfriend, his foot and elbow to try to knock out some cops and his head to try to knock out a police car.” the police spokesman said.
As a fallout from his actions there and in the recent incident here in Melbourne the Nine Network have dumped Carey and will not renew his contact for the upcoming 2008 AFL Season.
But the best comment was this
“To us, he was just another thug,”
Priceless.
AFL Football Blog Interviews Brett Northey from World Footy News
With all the hype surrounding the AFL’s push into the South Africa market at the moment I thought I would catch up with someone who knows a lot more than most about Australian Rules Football outside of Australia. Brett Northey from World Footy News was kind enough to answer a few of my questions relating to his site and also the state of Australian Rules Football across the globe.
World Footy News is a site that focuses on the great game of Australian Rules Football around the world covering news topics from all the different leagues, and many of you may not realize that there are quite a few. We are all caught up with Australian Rules Football here in Australia but what is really happening with the game everywhere else.
1. Where did the idea of World Footy News come from?
It was obvious that footy was becoming entrenched in other countries and their news deserved to be heard, but other than a few leagues or clubs with good websites, getting the information was difficult and really only for the dedicated international footy junkie. So the need was there, and a gentleman in WA started a small blog/news site, and I volunteered to help him. But when he stopped doing it, myself, Aaron Richard and other’s were keen to see the gap filled, and in fact the reporting taken to another level, getting regular news and interviews from all around the world. Aaron and I knew each other as regular posters on fan forum Bigfooty, so we agreed to make it happen and World Footy News was born – it just spiralled from there. Read more
8000 expected for South African Practice Match
It seems the AFL is making it’s biggest push into another country yet, with the organizes of the South African practice match between Cartlon and Fremantle hopeful of reaching 8000 fans for the game.
In an interview with World Footy News AFLSA’s Operations Manager Joel Kelly has said:
“Getting exposure to the game at the highest level is an enormous boost for the code in South Africa – it is all well and good to teach the skills at grass roots but until young South Africans see the game played in the flesh, it will always be hard to establish that unbridled excitement that we readily associate with AFL – for the local FootyWild kids to see their heroes in the townships through the AFL community camps that Fremantle and Carlton will run in the North West and Gauteng respectively, then for those same kids to actually see them play live, is an incredible opportunity that we, as Australians, would probably take for granted – these kids will not and we are genuinely excited about what the AFL club visits will do for the code in South Africa in the longer term”.
It is some what of a reality check when you read this kind of thing, I mean it is just a practise match to us and something we take for granted but for the people of South Africa it is a huge event and will be broadcast live on South African cable channel SuperSport 2. Quite amazing really and something that a lot of us here in Australia can’t really relate to.
Read the full article at World Footy News here.
AFL Football around the World
For those readers here at AFL Football Blog that are interested in what is happening with the game of Australian Rules Football in other parts of the world should check out this great site World Footy News. You won’t find all the general AFL news that is happening here in Australia but you will find some interesting information about what is happening in the game of Australian Rules Football from around the world.
One article that really caught my eye, considering the AFL Clubs currently flirting with the South African region to recruit prospective players, was this one about an American experiment that the West Perth Falcons are undertaking. The experiment involves two brothers James and Jared Brunmeier from the Milwaukee Bombers who undertook a pre season with the Falcons and then played a full year in the reserves but from all accounts made quite an impression and they have been invited back in 2008.
If you remember a while back Essendon dabbled with an American by the name of Dwayne Amstrong, who I remember playing on at Punt Road one day, he was the biggest guy I had ever seen on a football field, as a 17 year old kid it was a daunting task even though he couldn’t really play. I think he was remembered more for dating Ross Oakley’s daughter than for his abilities on the football field.
Considering the work that the AFL has been doing in “growing the game” and brand of AFL Football in South Africa and the fact that they have over 8000 kids enrolled is Auskick in that Country it would be a fantastic opportunity for the AFL if it could grab a small piece of the market share of the US sports market. There has been a bit of tallk about the possibilities of more Americans coming “Down Under” to try their hand at our game, and given the AFL have a scholarship list that enable clubs to have players from 15 to 23 years of age on the list for as little as $20 000 a year which will be used for schooling. I am sure there is some incentive there for the American kids to make the journey.
It is an interesting exercise that the West Perth Falcons have undertaken and one that I will be watching with great interest to see the progress of the 2 American lads. Hey even Kevin Sheedy thinks there is a need for a stadium in Los Angeles. Who know America could end up following the Irish down here.
New Interchange rule too be trialed in the NAB Cup
The NAB Cup is the AFL’s experimental competition where it can trial, what they would like to say are improvements to the game of Australian Rules Football, mind you many would argue the complete opposite. The 2008 NAB Cup looks like it will follow similar lines as in previous years. It has been announced that during this years NAB Cup there will be a cap of 16 interchange rotations per quarter and 64 per match, and also the number of interchange players will go up from 6 to 8.
The AFL are hell bent on slowing the game down and it has been previously reported that they are undertaking a research project into whether there is a link between injury and the increased use of the interchange bench. Adrian Anderson has been quoted as saying:
“The suggestion is that because of the increased use of the interchange the players are hitting each other harder, are moving at top speeds for longer and more likely to suffer collision injuries but we really need to look at that in-depth to see if the theory holds true,”
From a spectators point of view I don’t think there is any need to change the speed of the game and I am sure if there was a survey conducted amongst the AFL players they would say a similar thing. But I guess the AFL have a duty of care to up hold and that looks like the direction they are heading.
It will be interested to watch how this effects teams like Collingwood and Sydney who in last years elimination final used the bench an extraordinary 174 times. There will need to be some new coaching strategies put in place and if the rule comes into the main competition it will be a race between the coaching staffs of the clubs to see who can come up with another work around.
Bring on the start of the season !!!
Carlton Star bashed on New Years Eve
It was bound to happen wasn’t it. Day 1 of the new year and yet another off field incident involving an AFL Footballer. Although I was expecting a Ben Cousins report on New Years Day after a reporter had tailed him on his partying adventures on the night and he had caught him doing something outrageous.
Not to be. This time it was Carlton star Jarrad Waite who was king hit with bottles at Lorne on New Years Eve by 4 men which police have since arrested. Cartlon Football Club have quickly come out and released a press statement saying the Waite was an innocent bystander. It was reported that Waite and his girlfriend were attacked by 4 youths and Waite was hit over the head with bottles suffering facial injuries. Although Carlton cheif Greg Swan has said that his injuries will not affect his pre season training there are rumours on a few AFL Forums that suggest his injuries are more serious than that, a fractured eye socket has been floated around.
I think Swan was being politically correct when he said “The fact Jarrad is an AFL player had no bearing on the incident.” I just don’t buy that at all! There is no way this is what he really believes. These people would have been well aware who he was and they would have had the 10% tougher theory flowing through their minds after quite a few “frothies” I would imagine. I have been around and talked to a lot of AFL players and they all say that people come up to them in pubs and clubs and intend to “have a go”, just because they are AFL players and they can then boast about the incident to their mates.
It is another example of a cowardly act on an AFL Footballer. Let’s hope Waite is OK and there are no serious facial injuries that will affect his pre season program. Waite is an important part of the Carlton Football Clubs plans to make their climb up the AFL Ladder starting in 2008.
Should the AFL amend their Drug Policy?
There is growing momentum among the AFL Clubs towards the AFL to amend its drug policy, which I guess is nothing that is all that new but with the AFL to meet with the Federal Government and the ALFPA in early 2008 the policy will be high on the agenda.
Adelaide and Port Adelaide are the latest clubs to express their opinions towards the policy and how it could be improved. I think most clubs are of the view that the three strikes rule needs at least a review and that more testing needs to be conducted.
The Policy
The AFL’s drug policy is very closely tied into that of the Federal Governments stance on illicit drug use, and both parties have common goals they are trying to achieve. Yet there are still misunderstandings about the AFL’s policy. I remember when the ex Treasurer Peter Costello said something along the lines of: the code was not tough enough because players were not named or sanctioned until their third offence, and that the AFL code allows people to be caught without suffering any consequences. But from what I understand this is not what AFL’s policy does.
A few misunderstandings
Talking to a lot of football followers there are still a lot of people who misunderstand what the AFL’s policy is all about. The AFL have quite a comprehensive policy in the treatment of initial findings of non-performance enhancing drug use in that they use medical intervention as the first response, probably better treatment than you and I would get. Most of the misunderstandings are centered on the 3 strikes rule. The assumption is that the AFL doesn’t take any action until a player is caught on the third occasion.
This is simply not true. Read more
