THE OVAL OFFICE – CRACKERS KEENAN
Injury info flowing on a knee-to-know basis
The knee carnage has started with Mark LeCras, Brent Macaffer and Nathan Grima the first names on the casualty list. Already blokes are looking at a fair bit of surgery and doing rehab for up to a year. The speed of the game is such that one little false twist or turn and knees go ping. A lot of old football coaches believe the game is too fast and isn't meant to be played this way. I won't say who these famous coaches are, but one is named Ron and the other is Tom. I think they may be right. The pace of today's game is lightning fast. It would be good to be an old, slow centre half forward with a good pair of hands. These fleet-footed little midfielders are going to have heaps of knee and groin problems.
Pigeons flock to Fev
As Yarrawonga's new star attraction Brendan Fevola went to the Pigeons' season launch and did it in style. He drove up with Joel Smith, the 200-gamer from St Kilda and Hawthorn who was born and raised in Yarrawonga. This was Fevola's chance to dress to impress and he delivered the goods. He signed autographs for kids and went out on to the ground where he spoke to young blokes about kicking and how he would help them for the year. He had a bit of run and felt some tightness in the hamstring, so he adjourned to the medical room for a quick rubdown. In the rooms the club president was talking earnestly to him about his role in the community when suddenly the fold-up rubdown table gave away under Fevola's weight, skinning the president's leg and leaving a scar which he proudly displayed on the weekend. Then they all headed upstairs to listen to Fevola. He gave the 450-strong crowd hope as they have been beaten in the past two grand finals – by 10 points and nine points. He spoke very well and was a big hit. Even the old doubting Thomases that played in the 1950s were won over. Then they all went out on the famous "barbecue boats" and cruised Lake Mulwala while sharing a few convivials. Not surprisingly, at the end of the night Fevola confided to his new teammates: "This is my sort of town." Fevola wants to bring an entourage of nine to his first game at Easter. He wants to stay at "something smart on the water" in his own words. With a big local tennis tournament on the same weekend and accommodation heavily booked he might have to stay on a couple of barbecue boats tied together. I just hope they don't have a north wind blowing up at Mulwala. And I hope the story ends happily for everybody.
Keep Witts about you
The Collingwood bandwagon has started rolling already. The Magpies staggered across the line in a couple of games last weekend. They would have blown out the candle under Mick Malthouse's picture and lit it under Nathan Buckley's. And now they have another hero in Jarrod Witts. There's one thing about Collingwood; it is the best at propaganda and pumping up the latest big thing in black and white. They risk putting so much pressure on this young kid that he won't know whether he is coming or going. If I was Buckley I would let him play the entire 2012 season in the VFL. At the end of the year I'd sit him on the senior bench for the last four games and let him ease himself in.
Expectations drilled in
There is a training drill that AFL clubs do called "designer game". It's played in half a ground with the blokes crowded in. It's not the real thing, it's just a way of feeding the public's appetite. The old sages nod their heads and say "this blokes coming up", "Buddy is on fire", "Sam Mitchell's still got it" or "Hamish will need some time". Let's all draw a breath. It's mid-February and there's a long, long way to go.
Not debt and buried
Oh my God! The AFL is in debt. The sky is going to fall in. Well you would think so after reading one weekend newspaper. Of course anybody in business with any brains at all will realise that setting up two new franchises in 12 months requires a huge outlay of tens of millions of dollars. What really matters is how quickly you can turn it around. The AFL has spared no expense with the Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney Giants. It has paid rugby league stars Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau fortunes to come across. We all know they're overpaid and hadn't played Aussie rules before switching codes, but these deals stole the public's attention away from rugby league and you can't buy that sort of publicity. Everyone knows AFL clubs are in debt because wages are going up all the time. We all blame the players, but have a look at the costs of people on the other side of the fence such as administrators and coaching staff. If you are a coach on less than half a million dollars you are considered to be on the mentoring poverty line. It's almost the same with CEOs. If you are an assistant coach on less than $300,000 you just don't know how to negotiate. There might come a time when the league cannot sustain these sorts of salaries. If you don't believe me, just look at the Swans' move to Sydney in the 1980s. For a quarter of a century the AFL poured money into the Harbour City. But for all those doomsayers jumping up to sink the boot in, you should wait five years and see how it develops. Andrew Demetriou will undoubtedly come under pressure as people conveniently forget all of the things he has achieved. I say get off his case and see what he can do in the next three years.
In Goddard I trust
One player who was well below his high personal standards in the first half of last year was Brendon Goddard. A rumour bubbled away that Greater Western Sydney was getting in his ear. I didn't believe that and thought it might have been down to the bitter after-effects of two Grand Final losses in as many years – despite his stellar performances on the biggest stage. So it was great to see him declare last week that he would be a one-club player. I would like to think he may be the next captain of St Kilda after Nick Riewoldt.
Lloyd able to pitch in
It's good to see to see retired footballers get out to the suburbs and play local sport. Matthew Lloyd has been having a hit at Bentleigh ANA Cricket Club and on the weekend the team knocked off the top side, which hadn't lost a game in two years. The ANA boys chased down the target with just one over left as Lloydy launched a six over midwicket. It's not the first time he has headed back to the grassroots to help out. Perhaps I'll grill him about it as I'm due to have a chat with Lloyd and Chris Johnson at the season launch for Avondale Heights Football Club. Apparently Lloydy has enjoyed the cricket season even though his teammates have noted the occasional smart-arse comment from opposition fans and players who get their kicks by trying to niggle a famous name. But everyone got a laugh from a couple of opposition bowlers who paused at the top of their run-ups and tossed some grass clippings in the air – in true Lloyd style – before coming in to bowl at the former Essendon star.
