Opinion drives much of the world’s sporting discussion. Whether it is vitriolic, measured or passionate there is no doubt it can cause controversy.

All sports have different approaches to the censorship of opinion.  The A-League recently made … Continue reading →]]> By Anthony Colangelo

Opinion drives much of the world’s sporting discussion. Whether it is vitriolic, measured or passionate there is no doubt it can cause controversy.

All sports have different approaches to the censorship of opinion.  The A-League recently made the choice to allow coaches, players and officials more breathing space in what they can say so as to benefit media coverage.

The AFL on the other hand is generally regarded to be slightly more black and white in their appraisal of opinion. It is reprehensible to accuse or critique certain aspects of the game. Umpiring is probably the most protected. This is for good reasons.

However, following the aftermath of Manchester United’s defeat of Liverpool in the English Premier League two weeks back, what was displayed was a different approach to the AFL. The game was marred by contentious refereeing decisions. Liverpool had a player sent off and in a separate incident gave away a penalty. Both decisions were wrong. As were the decisions to not award Liverpool a penalty and to not send off a Manchester United player.

These were some comments made by Liverpool players and their coach:

Coach Brendan Rodgers, “There were a number of poor decisions that cost us”

Defender Glen Johnson, “In the big games they (referees) are the difference. We expect referees to make the right decisions because we are working hard every day in training. To have it taken away like that you can’t really explain it… It wasn’t a penalty, I didn’t touch him”.

Captain Steven Gerrard on the missed penalty, “But if its clear give it to him…the one against United was a penalty”.

You don’t see comments like this to the media in the AFL and if you did there would be consequences. But is this necessarily a bad thing?

The AFL is often attacked for being too harsh on any dissidence they receive. The Premier League, by looking at the above examples, are obviously more liberal with what they let through. But is there a possibility for middle ground? Can there be a balance where some things are allowed and others are not?

The realities are, in relation to umpiring, that officials need to be encouraged to stick at their craft at grassroots level. The AFL’s stance is that umpire abuse or even criticism needs to be frowned upon so they set the example for others at lower levels to follow.

The AFL are acting in response to abuse that, due to crowd size, can be considered as more pointed and audible in lower leagues.

This also goes for players and coaches. Directly after a game, like the Liverpool comments, such opinions can be extremely inflammatory. When you captain, coach and other players confirm the crowd’s grievances to them, they see it as further validation to continue abuse.

Referee in the Liverpool vs. United match, Mark Howsley has made complaints to police over Twitter abuse after the game.  Whilst he may have made mistakes, the coach and players have a responsibility to take the defeat with grace and move on. A measured response from them could somewhat quell a fans frustration.

It is because of this that the AFL is justified in their approach. They need to protect those who make the game possible.

Even if it may make media performance less dramatic and passionate.

- Anthony Colangelo

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au

B: Steven Baker, Max Hudghton, Jason Blake

HB: Austinn Jones, Sam Fisher, Jason Gram

C: Brendon Goddard, Nick Dal Santo, Luke Ball

HF: Andrew Thompson, Nick Reiwoldt, Aaron Hamill

F: Stephen Milne, Fraser Gehrig, Leigh Montagna

Cliché –

A trite expression, often a figure of speech

whose effectiveness has been worn out through

overuse and excessive familiarity.

After Buddy Franklins stunning proclamation that he was ‘just happy to get the four points’ … Continue reading →]]> By The Holy Boot

Cliché –

A trite expression, often a figure of speech

whose effectiveness has been worn out through

overuse and excessive familiarity.

After Buddy Franklins stunning proclamation that he was ‘just happy to get the four points’ after Hawthorn’s win over Collingwood in the qualifying final, it got me thinking about the clichés we hear in football. As in Buddy’s case, clichés are often used as a coping mechanism by players so that they can ‘toe the party line,’ avoiding controversy and trouble. Or as Captain Blood so eloquently put it, “I won’t say anything in case I say something!” This still has linguists scratching their heads but I think we all know what he means!

In this specific instance, Mr.Franklin was so desperate to “not say anything in case he said something” that the ‘four points’ routine was the first line to pop into his head. But this is not a Buddy-bashing exercise. It is good to see the game’s best player on screen!

Post-game interviews offer up a multitude of footy clichés. There’s the oft-used ‘the boys gave 110%,’ this one sending mathematicians into a frenzy. Whatever happened to ‘everyone had a crack,’ or ‘it was a great team effort?’ Have these fallen by the wayside? At least mathematicians can rest easy as players and coaches talk up the supreme ‘four quarter effort,’ a mathematically sound cliché, while players honour their comrades, giving ‘full credit to the boys’ and coaches either praise or bemoan whether their ‘boys’ had ‘come to play.’

‘Taking things one week at a time.’ This cliché is so ingrained that it spawned its own television show last season. It’s a well-worn classic, however it does hold true. I genuinely believe that in club land, to not take things ‘one week at a time’ would equate to taking your eye off the ball, spending it before you have it. Still, a wry grin often accompanies a players’ use of this cliché; a great fall back when asked a question they don’t feel like answering.

On the topic of weeks, ‘a week is a long time in football’ is another phrase used ad nauseum, another beautiful fall back line should ones tips and predictions not eventuate. We can always point to the ravages of time as an excuse. Coaches and players trot out ‘we’ll address that during the week’ and ‘we’ll regroup and look at the video’ when the weekends game throws up obvious flaws a team may possess. But the show goes on, teams are always ‘moving forward’ towards next week.

However there’s a footy cliché that annoys me more than most, and that is the rampant use of the term ‘ticking the boxes!’ You’re playing footy, not filling out a Centrelink form! It is overused and abused and it’s time to call for its abolishment. It’s used when talking about someone’s rehab, on why a player has been selected, on what a dropped players need to do to get back in, even on the process someone employs when choosing the best fitting pair of jocks! There appears to be so much ticking of boxes going on at club land that I expect a spate of RSI wrist injuries to decimate the league, taking the focus of Essendon and their soft tissue fiasco!

If a new coaching appointment is made then clubs are ‘bringing in quality people,’ having ‘gone through a process,’ making ‘football is the winner!’ If a club decides that the season is past redemption then they ‘play the kids.’ Football analysts continue to talk about how a side ‘looks good on paper’ when the number of times that a ‘paper team’ has been defeated has surely made the phrase redundant! Every time a player kicks a goal off the ground then ‘he should be playing for Manchester United’ splashes forth from a commentator’s gob, like they’re the only football team worthy of Aussie Rules players capable of kicking the pig-skin off the turf because they’re too lazy to pick the thing up! Just what Sir Alex is after, I’m sure. (Deep breath)

Well, this piece has built to a crescendo that I honestly didn’t see coming, but I’ve one more cliché to share with you. It’s coach speak.

“You’ve got your McGlynns, your Ben Reids and your Josh Kennedys who can go forward…” Hang on… you’ve got two of each! That’s amazing! You’ll be unstoppable! Oh…you’ve only got one of each, yet you refer to them as multiples. Linguists, world-wide, are again sent into a wild head scratch.

- The Holy Boot

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au

Understanding the parameters and consequences of Free Agency

Chatting with mates on the weekend as every tragic footy supporter does we came to a unanimous conclusion (for once) that we had no idea about the rules of … Continue reading →]]> By Anthony Colangelo

Understanding the parameters and consequences of Free Agency

Chatting with mates on the weekend as every tragic footy supporter does we came to a unanimous conclusion (for once) that we had no idea about the rules of free agency. Despite this lack of knowledge we still managed to have half of us think it was good for the game with the others unsure if it will benefit the league.

So, I opened up the rulebook and had a look for myself.

The AFL is a unique competition. The free agency laws have been brought in to try and open the channels of opportunity for players seeking to move clubs.

Generally, cautious or critical reactions to the rules, announced in February 2010, can be distilled into three categories. One of these is that a player may agree to a deal and play for his current club knowing he is leaving next year.

This fear is compounded if the agreement is announced in the media. John Longmire suggested that, along with other figures, he would be apprehensive to play someone who had done this.

Another reaction by Mark Williams, when he was coach of Port Adelaide, suggested the rules would benefit the ‘richer clubs’. While Jeff Kennett gave a sensationalistic response, making clear his belief that the player management world, amongst other things, would descend into frivolous and immoral behavior. All three reactions are linked below.

It is important to understand that free agency, in the AFL context, does not mean any player can move anywhere. The free agency that exists in our game has its own indigenous characteristics like so much of the AFL.

There are measures in place to protect the best players at your club. It would be hypocritical for the AFL to allow an ‘open slather’ policy as this would undermine equalization systems like the draft.

A player, above all else, must be out of contract or have been de listed by a club to be a free agent. Once out of contract, the player can only be a pure free agent or ‘unrestricted free agent’ if they have been at one club for 8 or more seasons and are not in the top 25% percent paid players at the club. It also must be the first time they have been out of contract since having 8 seasons service to the club. If the player moves the original club get compensation pick.

After 10 years of service to one club any player can be an unrestricted free agent, no matter what they are paid. If a player is in the top 25% paid at a club after 8 years of service another club can approach them and if he wants to go the original club have the opportunity to match the offer. If he leaves there is a compensation pick awarded.

Players who have seven years or less service cannot be free agents.

Compensation picks mean that clubs who cant afford to match an offer of a ‘richer club’ can be remunerated through the draft. However the merits of the ‘richer club’ argument are shaky in my opinion given the salary cap system.

Younger players are protected in the early time of their careers therefore allowing them to become comfortable with their spot in an AFL side. Opposition clubs tempting them with larger contracts are less likely to influence them to leave.

The fact these rules came out at a time when Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney were making signings is also an important piece of context.

These were brand new clubs, selling new visions and opportunities to players. The misconception is that these players went solely for the money. I don’t believe that is the case. Scully and Ablett in particular, but also Brennan, Rischitelli, Davis and Ward along with others, are getting more than they could at there previous clubs.

They have unique opportunities at these expansion sides, chances to be higher up in terms of leadership or standing at the club for example. In Rischitelli’s case he was shopped to Carlton when Brisbane wanted Brendan Fevola.

This helps illustrates my point that there can be other reasons than money for a player to leave. It is naïve to think that AFL players a dollar hungry.

They have a responsibility to themselves and their family to earn the most that they can like all of us, yet are in the rare position where their choice of work environment affects others (sponsors, supporters etc).

Free agency helps players in the middle to lower tier of earnings to get the most out of their time in the sport. At the same time they must balance this with propensity for success, club environment and aforementioned outside stakeholders.

Making this process fairer and more transparent can only be a good thing and these rules do that precisely.

AFL supporters must get used to mid season speculation and maybe even eventually accept that a player may announce he is leaving with games left at his club. A player should not be targeted, scorned or not picked for this as Longmire suggested.

Given these are the rules that are provided by the player’s employer, the AFL, a player has the right to use them. Similarly there is nothing apocalyptic, as Kennett suggests, about a player manager operating under these parameters.

- Anthony Colangelo

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au

Little things done well is probably the greatest secret to success. If you do enough small things right, big things can happen.” – John Wooden

Allow me to preface the following ‘editorial’ with the following – … Continue reading →]]> By The Football Tragic

Little things done well is probably the greatest secret to success. If you do enough small things right, big things can happen.” – John Wooden

Allow me to preface the following ‘editorial’ with the following – although a member of the Collingwood Football Club, I have no knowledge of any material facts this piece pertains to aside from what I’ve read and observed. I’ve not made contact with Nick Maxwell or any other Club official or representative, regarding this, it’s not been discussed or otherwise. This piece is purely an opinion, the thoughts of a supporter and football follower, nothing involved has been obtained from anyone with firsthand knowledge of the situation or otherwise.

Over the past two weeks the football media has been littered with conversation regarding the Club imposed sanction handed to Dane Swan – needless to say as a supporter I’ve found much of the discussion ‘hysterical’, yet Collingwood sells papers (or online subscriptions as now is the case) and one has been accustomed to this for nigh on thirty two years.

As a supporter, member and follower, I wasn’t angry with Dane Swan, the overwhelming emotion was that of disappointment. Nor was I upset by the way in which the club handled the situation. For far too long, Collingwood supporters and players alike have had ‘situations’ play themselves out in the media and the gossip circles.  Of recent memory the Shaw and Maxwell betting matter, the Didak underworld involvement, the Shaw and afore mentioned driving issue, plus other all to readily spring to mind. Previously we’ve had the ‘brat pack’ of bygone years with Tarrant, Johnson et al, all of which raising questions about the culture of the Collingwood Football Club. That culture was once again in the reporting of the Swan matter, with media outlets indicating that the previous coaching regime turned a blind eye to said events to achieve results on the field – something that I personally believe would hardly have been the case.  Long after the present powerbrokers and players have departed Collingwood, the culture they implement, develop and maintain will remain and to this end, the suspension rests comfortably with me. I find it bemusing that talk back radio was littered with people indicating that they as supporters and members were being punished by Swan’s absence, additionally that the Club was penalising the playing group by Swan’s absence. It’s far too apparent for mine, that the smaller picture is being observed.

The bigger picture of the suspension must remain the most prevailing aspect of the Club’s intent, however it’s been overlooked with a cautionary glance. In an age of professionalism and the money associated with top level sporting outfits, the spotlight is shone significantly upon our elite sportsmen and women, perhaps more so upon the likes of the Collingwood Football Club than others. Under such social glare, the need to implement and uphold a standard of solidarity, consistency and professionalism is never more evident. As a young consultant in my own profession, the first life lesson I took from my mentors was never deter from the standard, regardless of the cost it imposes upon us. I found Darren Jolly’s article in The Age last week fascinating. He compared the different cultures and the drivers of those cultures at his past club Sydney, and his current club.

The culture that a football club exhibits is transmitted through its behaviour patterns, beliefs, thoughts and ethics and although these attitudes are displayed publicly by the faces of the Club, they are the predominant set of attitudes that characterise the ethos of the entire operations. Although this specific incident was a player driven consensus, the system involved works with all to establish a prevailing attitude that benefits ALL involved, rather than individuals. These attitudes form a bond that binds and it’s crucial that all accept, respect and acknowledge that these initiatives provide the shared experience and foundation for goal setting, accepting the strengths and weaknesses of all associated and allow all to excel. Importantly, as Collingwood demonstrated, solidarity and leadership reflect the culture you create and if anything, this is what disappointed myself more than anything – that a leader, even though he doesn’t ‘hold’ a title, failed to uphold the culture and ethos that he’d been involved in creating.

But this all inclusive punishment is the standard – designed not only to detract but to set a tone, to demonstrate that regardless of your position, achievements or salary, that no one individual is larger than the Club. And to that end, I was bewildered by individuals who questioned Nick Maxwell’s comments from his regular SEN appearance in which he indicated that had this incident been encountered in Grand Final week, Swan would miss a potential premiership, fundamentally the standard cannot be deterred from, regardless of the timing or individual. And lets be serious – if a player was to act in a way that required a suspension in the week before a grand final, you wouldn’t want that person involved in your club ever again!

Moreover, it’s just as important to understand that the ‘Premiership’ and ‘Top 4’ that talk back callers and media scribes fervently discussed isn’t the be all and end all here, it is merely the symbol of accomplishment, but not the goal. One would assume that the goals are the work, dedication, rituals, virtues that the Club strives for and upholds the premiership is only one of the achievements along the way; the process in which the Club achieves that reward is the ultimate test of character. As I’ve heard Nick Maxwell and others rightfully attest to, control what we can control, be the best that we can be, play our role and cover the ‘little things’ and the larger will take care of themselves – it’s the process of adopting a premiership structure in which premierships are ultimately achieved.

As a Club, Collingwood takes in and harbours the dreams and aspirations of athletes as young as fifteen years of age (Scholarship holders) and blends them into a competitive environment with individuals twice their age, the need for clarity is paramount. One shouldn’t measure it in terms of multi-million dollar deals, larger than life stars; measure it in terms of how we would readily accept to be treated given the same set of circumstances in our own workplaces and how we go about fulfilling our lives.

With all that being said, I have also heard some news that really excites me. Apparently Swanny has been flogging himself and Saturday night can’t come quick enough. After seeing the ‘outs’ this week, and knowing the importance of the result, I am glad to see our Brownlow medallist back on the park – hopefully at his best!

- The Football Tragic

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au

People will often flick through a newspaper and study what is deemed on that day to be ‘newsworthy’. In doing so you will often hear the reader judge a story as a ‘beat up’ or some … Continue reading →]]> By Anthony Colangelo

People will often flick through a newspaper and study what is deemed on that day to be ‘newsworthy’. In doing so you will often hear the reader judge a story as a ‘beat up’ or some other phrase acknowledging the stories preposterous suggestion.

It is encouraging that a reader is able to have this level of discernment, yet often it will only operate one way. That being the way that suits the reader. Because, contrary to popular belief we can choose how we view a story. That same person can just as easily choose to view a ‘beat up’ report as being true.

This is often the case in sport, especially Melbourne. The Herald Sun have become the first News Limited paper to go behind a pay wall online. They have taken this bold step in Melbourne because they believe our thirst for sports news is un matched around the globe. They believe our love for the best AFL news is so strong that we are willing to pay for it.

A publication with such a large readership has vast power and therefore is a success commercially. To maintain this they must know their readership and admittedly they do. With this comes a unique and highly sort after ability in the world of news. The propensity to shape your audience to see an issue how you want them to see it.

This happened to the detriment (or maybe the benefit) of Collingwood after their round 3 loss to Carlton. Sitting at 1 win and 2 losses, most recent of which was a belting from their arch enemy the club’s two public figureheads came under a barrage from the media.

The Herald Sun, on the back of minimally inflammatory comments at best, by Mick Malthouse and then Eddie McGuire’s mildly defensive response claimed Collingwood was in a crisis. They extrapolated from these statements that Malthouse and McGuire were still at odds over the failure of the coaching succession plan.

Occurring in duality with the Pies poor start to the season the transition was deemed a failure and a disaster by the paper. Luke Ball had done his knee in the Carlton game adding to Macaffer and Krakoeur who’d already suffered torn ACL’s.

The public and rest of the media took the lead from the story and all discussion that week addressed Collingwood as a club in crisis.

It was three weeks into the season.

The club’s fortunes changed in my eyes (but not yet the media’s) on the back of a masterful Nathan Buckley press conference. He took the heat from the media in that conference and diffused every single loaded question he got asked. His message was that Eddie is a passionate man, Mick is in the media doing his job and that those inside the club were worried solely on football and beating Port Adelaide.

They did and then went onto win another 9 in a row. They now sit equal top on points having run ladder leaders Sydney into the ground, away from home without Dane Swan and Dale Thomas (for most of the game.)

Whilst impressive a Premiership is obviously not assured. There are other teams just as capable and this is not the point of this piece.

The point is that it is important to be aware of the influence a newspaper, a single story can have. It is vital we see they way comments are moulded in order to show what one wants to show.

Collingwood were not in crisis, nor was their season over. However after round 3 myself, some Collingwood supporters and most sections of the media were questioning Buckley’s position and that of the club’s.

Looking at it now it is clear to see the opportunistic way the issue was handled by the media. The issue was dealt with so as to be void of balance, reason or clarity of discussion. Sensationalism won out for that 2 week period but now it is clear Buckley’s placidness has had the last laugh.

- Anthony Colangelo

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au

B: Andrew Kellaway, Darren Gaspar, Mark Chaffey

HB: Chris Newman, Joel Bowden, Brett Deledio

C: Kane Johnson, Wayne Campbell, Mark Coughlan

HF: Greg Tivendale, Ben Holland, Matthew Rogers

F: Nathan Brown, Matthew Richardson, Kayne Pettifer

R: … Continue reading →]]> By The Forward Scout

B: Andrew Kellaway, Darren Gaspar, Mark Chaffey

HB: Chris Newman, Joel Bowden, Brett Deledio

C: Kane Johnson, Wayne Campbell, Mark Coughlan

HF: Greg Tivendale, Ben Holland, Matthew Rogers

F: Nathan Brown, Matthew Richardson, Kayne Pettifer

R: Brad Ottens, Shane Tuck, Nathan Foley

I\C: Troy Simmonds, Leon Cameron, Matthew Knights, Ray Hall

Captain: Wayne Campbell

Coach: Danny Frawley

Season 2000 introduced yet another new coach at Tigerland. Ex- St Kilda legend Danny Frawley was brought in, entrusted in spearheading a new era of success for Richmond, who had disappointingly managed to make only two finals series since 1982, once in 1995 and then later in 2001. While finishing 9th (fancy that!) in 2000 was a good starting point, 2001 was the year it all started to really come together, finishing 3rd and winning an unforgettable semi final against the Blues at the MCG, before unfortunately bowing out to the Lions in the preliminary final at the Gabba.

After that promising 2001 season, like it’s happened in the past, the Tigers seemed to slip down a path of destruction, with a combination of less than impressive form, constant injuries, poor recruiting and the departure of legends like Brendan Gale and Matty Knights. The next few seasons appeared to be small steps backwards, culminating with a wooden spoon in 2004. Danny Frawley was moved on, and Terry Wallace took over in 2005. Wallace began very brightly in the first half of the season, then the horror broken leg to star Nathan Brown derailed Richmond’s journey.. Brown was never the same again, a genuine football tragedy, and Wallace was unable to propel the Tigers into finals action.

While this decade was an up and down rollercoaster time for Richmond, there were still some mighty fine players who donned the Yellow and Black!

Across the centre line, Kane Johnson was a fantastic pick up from The Crows. The Tigers got the man they were after in Johnson, a fine wingman who could accumulate the football, racking up possessions, and was a great user of the ball by foot, adding class to the side. Johnson, a proud life-long Richmond supporter, also got the chance to fulfill his dreams in captaining the Tigers, and won a Best and Fairest in 2006. He was a player who seemed to find space, and plenty of time, when he had the footy, and proved to be a brilliant trade choice for the Tigers. Wayne Campbell in the centre, was a champion for a long time, and one of the first I picked in this side. I really feel the guy was unfairly maligned by the Tiger army. Campbo could run all day, finding the footy with ease, using the ball superbly, setting up the play countless times. He retired just three games short of the magical 300 games mark, won four Best and Fairest awards, and earned All-Australian selection, finishing his career as a true Tiger great! Over on the other wing, is the unlucky Mark Coughlan, who started off his career with a bang, winning a Best and Fairest early in his career. Coughlan seemed destined for a long and luminous career, before he was cruelled by injury. But when he was fit, he was a free running midfielder, with excellent skills providing plenty of dash, and was hard at the ball – all reasons I’ve given him a spot.

Andy Kellaway was a much loved member of the back line, adored by team mates and fans alike, for his ‘never say die’ attitude and giving his all every single second to the Tiger cause. He had the ability to play on the tall and small forwards, and was always tough to beat ‘one on one’. Coming from the supp list, he can be particularly proud of his achievements, which included a Best and Fairest award and All-Australian selection. Darren Gaspar was a key part of the Tiger back line since crossing from the Swans, and was a rock at full-back, playing on all the big guns and more than holding his own. He was rewarded with dual All-Australian honours, but injuries towards the latter part of Gaspar’s career brought on early retirement. In the back pocket is a quiet lil’ achiever, one Mark Chaffey. A reliable general in the back half, the little left footer was a handy foil for some of the small forwards in the competition, and again was a player who could be counted on to perform a job for his side . Joel Bowden slots in at centre half-back, and would be the quarter-back of the side, with his high possession game setting up the side, and providing a bit of run and dash. With his booming left foot, Bowden also had the ability to play forward with favourable success, especially in the early stages of his career. He continued on the family tradition at Tigerland, following his father. Joel can be proud of his career, earning due credit for himself, winning a couple of Best and Fairest honours and All-Australian selection. Rounding out the defence are two current day champions, Chris Newman and number 1 draft pick Brett Deledio. Newman overcame a broken leg to be a key part in the revival of the side, whilst Deledio’s pace and skill has delivered for the Tigers. His ability to play in just about every position, his knack for reading the play so damn well, and the fact that Deledio is in the prime of his career, means more big and bold things are expected of him in the coming years.

Matthew Richardson and Nathan Brown are the star attractions up forward, and what a combination Batman and Robin were! Richo Man, universally loved by all football fans, was a complete gun! At 6 foot 5, Richo was as quick as anyone, could take a good mark, and boy could he kick a goal! Who knows what the Tigers could have done in ’95 if Richo hadn’t done his knee? But he overcame many injuries to be a dominant force up forward for his Tigers, and ended up kicking a massive 800 goals in his 282 games, and holds the record for the most goals kicked at the mighty MCG. Richo Man also had the ability to play on the wing with great effect. His athleticism was a tough match up for any opposition. Footy fans across the board were rooting for Richo in the Brownlow in 2008, when he came oh-so-close to nabbing the coveted award. Richo won a staggering 13 goal kicking awards at the Tigers to complement his Best and Fairest and All-Australian awards, and who could forget Richo’s antics on the field? Ha! Very humorous to watch, indeed!

Nathan Brown was a high profile recruit at the end of 2003 from the Bulldogs, and was everything the Tigers needed. A small forward who was capable of kicking bags of goals whilst also being an elite midfielder, Brown started 2005 in a blaze of glory before that nightmare broken leg. Not many people kicked goals on James Clement, but Browny kicked 5 goals on him in one quarter in on memorable day at the G! While Brown probably played his best football at the Bulldogs, he certainly gave the Tigers good and dedicated service.

Joining the star duo up forward is Greg Tivendale, with a booming left foot who loved snagging a goal. Tivendale kept  a fairly low profile in his career, but was a handy player who was quite damaging through the midfield and up forward. Ben Holland is the teams swingman, with ability to play at both centre half-back and also centre half-forward. He was a key part of the Tigers 2001 season and was confidently capable of playing in a variety of positions when the side needed him to. Matty Rogers was a terrific player in his time at the club, very crafty around the goals and able to run through the middle, using the ball with great effect, and always a much loved player by fans. While Kayne Pettifer scores a spot in the pocket. Targetted by hostile fans who were expecting a lot for someone picked so highly in the draft, it took Pettifer a while to hit his straps, but when he did, he was a dangerous medium forward who could take a really great mark. In fact, he took quite a few hangers in his time, and was an accurate kick for goal.

Brad Ottens and Troy Simmonds share the rucking duties. Ottens was a quality ruck/forward before moving to Geelong, where his career really took off – Tiger fans still lament the fact he had a massive impact at the Cats and not at the Tigers! His replacement Simmonds was a promising replacement in the ruck, with his good tap work and the way he got around the ground and competed.

Shane Tuck and Nathan Foley round out the midfield. Tuck, a mature age recruit, has had a remarkable career starting off slowly before evolving into a key player for the side with his applaudable work at the stoppages, and his unique talent to continually find the football. On a few occasions, Tucky looked ‘career over’, but keeps battling on discovering ways to re-invent himself, proving he still has a role to play. Nathan Foley has been a sensational little player, displaying genuine speed and is hard at the ball winning his own football and providing plenty of dash. Injuries have halted his development but I believe, given a chance, he can once again rise to shine as one of the elite players in the comp.

Finishing off, on the bench, with not too many players competing for a spot, I’ve gone for club legend Matty Knights who was still playing a big role for the side in 2000-2001 with his run and carry, and beautiful foot skills. His retirement, forced by coach Frawley in 2002, caused angst amongst supporters who felt Knighta still had something left in him to offer. Leon Cameron was a wonderful pickup from the Doggies, and gave tremendous service in four seasons off the half-back flank with his exquisite skills on both sides of the body. And the last spot has gone to a little known player and forgotten man in Ray Hall. Many people may question this decision, but I think Hall was a handy player in his time. It took a long time to establish himself, but with his height and versatility, Hall who could play roles competently down back, and was very popular amongst his peers.

Benny Gale just misses out due to the fact he retired after the 2001 season. I went with Ottens and Simmonds in the ruck role, which means there was no room for Greg Stafford, who played some really good footy after crossing from Sydney. Current day guns, Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin, were just starting out in their careers and were yet to make their firm mark on the game, but you can bet your bottom dollar they will figure prominently in the next team of the decade! Chris Hyde was certainly in consideration for a spot. He was an unsung player who was great in a variety of roles in the middle and up forward, but misses out to the likes of Rogers and Tivendale. Andrew Krakouer played some exciting football in his time at the club but just wasn’t consistent enough to make it. It’s awesome to see him get another chance at Collingwood, and the same for Richard Tambling who received unfair treatment from fans throughout his time at the Tigers. It wasnt his fault the club selected him ahead of Buddy Franklin. Tambling did some really good things at times in the middle, and often looked like he could be the player they had hoped he would become. In fact, he is stiff to miss out to Coughlan and Knights. Daniel Jackson has played some decent footy as a tagger, and has become more of a ball winner the last few seasons, but probably didn’t hit his straps until 2009. Jake King, Kelvin Moore, and Will Thursfield, all commendable players in the backline, sadly miss out to Gaspar and Bowden.

Where to now for the Richmond Tigers? Looking forward to 2012 and beyond with Damien Hardwick in control, and some genuinely exciting talent in Cotchin, Martin, Riewoldt, Deledio, Grigg. Together, with the experience of skipper Newman and the missing link in ‘The Mullet’, Ivan Maric, the Tigers finally seem back on track. There are big things expected in the coming years for Richmond, and the long suffering Tigers fans can rightfully once again feel the exhilaration of September action, and belt out with roaring passion the best song in the league “Oh we’re from Tigerland!”…

- The Forward Scout

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au

Three of my teammates reach milestones. All 3 are ex-rookie list players. All 3 have been told they weren’t good enough to play AFL – on multiple occasions.

Harry … Continue reading →]]> This weekend there are some significant achievements taking place at Collingwood.

Three of my teammates reach milestones. All 3 are ex-rookie list players. All 3 have been told they weren’t good enough to play AFL – on multiple occasions.

Harry plays his 150th game. I still remember when he paid his own way to come across from WA to follow his AFL dream. On the last day of training before the rookie draft, Harry went around with a disposable camera and got photos with all the players – memories of his time at Collingwood in case the next day didn’t go according to plan.

When he was drafted, he got to work, and has continued to work hard and improve every year. He lived with me for his first 2 years at the club, and we became great mates. I have seen him develop as a player and a person. At one stage, he almost burnt my whole house down! I was woken by a fire alarm at 4am and rushed down to see Harry watching as an altitude tent he was sleeping in burnt down, threatening to take the whole house with it! Lucky one of us knew how to put out a fire!

I’ve met and become friends with his family, and watched as he mourned after the loss of his father. Harry has been through a lot in his career to get to this point. The doubters make him stronger. They make him work harder.

His attitude and philosophies are fascinating. We argue and disagree all the time, but we respect each others views. And rib each other like brothers. He’s destined to play an important role in his life after football, whatever that will be.

Toova is one of the first picked every week in my eyes. He can always be relied upon, and is someone I love playing with. You know he will put his body on the line and never die wondering. Who could forget that run back with the flight of the ball against Geelong when he was absolutely poleaxed?!?! While I felt sick seeing it live, for some reason, because it was Toov, I somehow felt calm. It was Toova. Mr durable. One of the toughest blokes I know. He’ll be fine, I remember thinking. He once played over half a game with a significantly broken foot – all because he didn’t want to be a burden on the team and let anyone down. Well done on 100 games Toov!

Now to Blairy. I am forever throwing small jokes at Blairy. He’s of course heard them all. He was the best player in the TAC Cup playing for Gippsland, but still wasn’t good enough to get drafted. “He’s too small.” “He’ll never match it with them in the AFL.” I didn’t know if he’d make it either when he first got to the club. But I very quickly realised he wasn’t going to die wondering. Right know, I think he is severely underrated. As a player for a start. But also as a leader. Blairy will have a significant influence on the success of the Collingwood Football Club over the next 5-7 years. I don’t think it’ll be long before he’s in our leadership group. He’s a little champ, on and off the field.

All three players weren’t seen as good enough to be drafted. Thank god for the Rookie List! And for the foresight of Derek Hine and co to take a chance on a few blokes that no-one else wanted! I hope we can get them a win on Saturday night, they deserve it!

Well done boys.

Nick Maxwell

No one would have guessed 150 years ago when Australian Rules football first emerged as an amateur pursuit in Victoria, the heights of professionalism it would reach.

Long gone are the days when a club would … Continue reading →]]> By The Iron Sock

No one would have guessed 150 years ago when Australian Rules football first emerged as an amateur pursuit in Victoria, the heights of professionalism it would reach.

Long gone are the days when a club would pick out likely lads from the crowd to play in a side when players suffering from pleurisy or alcohol poisoning failed to make it to a game.  No longer do we have fans, like one old South Melbourne supporter, deriding opposition players as ‘the type of bloke what wear pyjamas and brush their teeth.’

No.

Today the lowest paid player is likely to have teeth so lustrous they make the sun squint.  The hair styles are even more telling.  Hair styles that would have led to a near fatal bashing in zone three two decades ago, are now mothers milk for aspiring young footballers.  The ironic mullet isn’t fooling anyone either, except for Ivan – a mullet which has the odour of menacing authenticity.

Then we have the football fashionistas who are busying themselves trying to make a fistful of dollars selling their cutting edge T-Shirts in Chapel Street.  In the late 70’s, if you weren’t wearing a battle-jacket with an Iron Maiden patch, a leather spike bracelet and a pair of Faberges, you were fit for a bashing.

It’s all indicative of a massive culture shift which should perplex us all.   When I saw one of the Windsor Boys at school wearing a Country Road T-shirt in the late 1980s, I knew some radical culture shift was underway – the storming of yuppiedom by the proletarians.  Oasis did it in the musical sphere, Beckham did it with Calvin Klein undies, then nothing much happened until Buddy, Swanny and Didak created their t-shirt kingdoms.

But all this external paraphernalia is merely the smoke billowing up from the fire below.  Society has changed at the base, as has football.  What interests me is to what extent football has become free of the shackles of the past and what football might look like in the future.  What should and could football clubs do to move from the professional era to the super-professional era?

As a Collingwood fan, I have some recommendations for Eduardo.  Stirred by Alan Toovey’s pending 100^th game at Collingwood, I’d like a very robust genetic program to be instituted at the Westpac Centre.  Inspired by the recent advances in genetic engineering, I’d love to see Collingwood partner with the US Department of Energy and Science to advance the Human Genome Project in order to create an army of super father/son selections for the club.

The step into genetic manipulation creates a new sub-genre of football show that sits somewhere between the TAC Cup show and the other welter of footy shows, concentrating on the pre-born father-sons.  I call it Sperm-Watch.

If Collingwood uses its wealth to recreate the genes of 6’2 Amazon and violent Spartan women for our 100 game players to mix their DNA with, we’re well positioned for the future.  And that’s just from the mother’s side.

A splice of Tooves googly eyes would give future players unheralded night vision, Harry’s legs antelope type spring, Heaters mouth the power of 8 sledgers, Didak the hoof surety of an Andulusian horse and Wellingham the fringe tossing power of a New Romantic.

With the salary-cap and reverse picks evening out the competition, there’s nothing to prevent Collingwood from entering into a radical genetic future.

In the meantime Eddie, hook our 100 game playing favourite Tooves up with a Russian hammer-thrower.

- The Iron Sock

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au

Last week we looked at the issue of tanking and whether early draft picks have been the panacea many people seem to have imagined they would be.  Just to recap, the Crows over the last decade … Continue reading →]]> By The Iron Sock

Last week we looked at the issue of tanking and whether early draft picks have been the panacea many people seem to have imagined they would be.  Just to recap, the Crows over the last decade have an average ladder position at the end of the home and away of 6.7, only dropping out of the eight once in the last eight years.  If the world of football fortune was determined merely by draft picks, we would expect over that time that Adelaide, with its lower draft picks, should have finished in the bottom half of the ladder a lot more often.

The counterpoint to the one dimensional fetish of early draft picks is the dull old maxim ‘success breeds success’.  A club which ends higher on the ladder is more likely to grow its revenue, and by association its’ spending on the football department.  A club that spends a long time on the bottom of the ladder diminishes its capacity to generate revenue for the football department who in turn are essential to player development.  And as should become clear, the development of players is much more important than where they land in the draft.  As we saw last week, the only top 10 pick on Adelaide’s current list is Patrick Dangerfield.

We turn this week to another top 4 club, Collingwood, to see how they fared in the drafts and where they sit currently:

1-10: 6 (Tarrant, Didak, Thomas, Pendlebury, Reid, Brown)

11-20: 3 (Sidebottom, Jolly*, Wood)

21-30: 6 (Dawes, Beams, Ball, Krakoeur**, Elliot/Clarke***)

31-R: 13 (Swan, Cloke****, Shaw, Goldsack, Johnson, Paine, Rounds, Sinclair, S Buckley, Fasolo, Ugle, Seedsman, Yagmoor)

R: 9 (Maxwell, O’Brien, Toovey, Wellingham, Macaffer, Blair, Keeffe, Young, Williams)

Looking at the number of top 10 picks Collingwood has enjoyed over the journey, there are some ominous names: Tarrant, Didak, Thomas, Pendlebury, Reid and Nathan Brown.  Six is a fair total, but that said, in the case of Ben Reid that was part of a savvy deal with Fremantle to trade Tarrant out, a player they picked up again in 2010 for pick 44.

When we look at the later picks, we see as many stars and stalwarts of the list: Swan (58), Shaw (48), Goldsack (63), Fasolo (45), Maxwell, O’Brien, Blair, Toovey, Wellingham and the emerging Keeffe (all taken as rookies).

What this points to is, like Adelaide, an ominous football department with the likes of recruiting manager, Derek Hine, consistently picking diamonds in the rough, then passing them over to Sports Science guru, David Buttifant who gets them into peak physical condition before handing them to the line coaches for skills honing and tactical nous.  Buckley is the icing on the cake, using his strategic knowledge to pull it all together on and leading into game day.

The greatest proof of the development programs success at Collingwood is the meteoric development of young players who have stepped into the breach after the retirement of so many seasoned players over the last few years.  Pundits at the beginning of the year were sceptical about Collingwood’s depth, especially after losing Krakouer, Macaffer, Ball, Johnson and Keeffe to long-term injury.  It looked as though the 2012 bell was tolling for Collingwood, especially when players like Reid, Brown, Thomas and Tarrant were themselves injured early in the season, and more lately Pendlebury and Didak.

But into the breach stepped Seedsman, Paine, Williams and Young who have all played their roles.  More notable have been the efforts of the two bulldog small forwards, Ben Sinclair and Jamie Elliot, who have provided incredible forward pressure.

That Collingwood has managed to achieve top position on the ladder – despite an injury list that might have been more fitting of a football club playing during the Bubonic Plague – says a lot about how to build a resilient, flexible and robust side, and it’s not been by plumbing the depths of the ladder.

Some fans like to imagine that Collingwood enjoyed an extraordinary advantage by picking up Thomas with a priority pick in 2005, but we forget that Hawthorn (Hodge), St Kilda (Riewoldt), Western Bulldogs (Cooney), Carlton (Murphy, Kreuzer), Richmond (Deledio),  Melbourne (Scully) and West Coast (Darling) all enjoyed the same advantage.

Collingwood’s ladder position at the end of the home and away season over the last decade has been as follows: 1, 1, 4, 8, 6, 5, 15, 13, 2 and 4.  On average that’s a finishing ladder position of 4.9 over a decade.  By the logic of the tanking enthusiast, Collingwood should have spent a lot more time in the bottom quartile of the ladder.

Is the phenomenon of consistently staying in the upper echelons of the ladder really ‘defying gravity’ or do we need to recognize that we have been labouring under a simplistic misapprehension – the real key to football success has not been draft position but player development?  Too many teams are defying gravity for the tanking theory to make sense.

It’s a question we’ll return to when we look at the fortunes of Carlton in our next article.

*Jolly was picked up from Sydney for picks 14 and 46

**Krakoeur was picked up from GCS for pick 25

*** Elliot and Clarke were picked up from GWS for pick 25

**** Cloke was picked up from the draft for pick 39 as a father-son pick

- The Iron Sock

These thoughts and opinions are those of the author and are not necessarily aligned with those of Nick Maxwell or the people at nickmaxwell.com.au