Thursday, August 1, 2013
A case of Buddy and buyer beware
Lance Franklin battles Tom Lonergan.
Warwick Capper was a very good forward for Sydney in the mid-1980s and was its leading goalkicker from 1984 to '87. In 1987 he kicked 103 goals to become only the second Swans player to achieve that feat. The great Bob Pratt kicked more than 100 goals for the Swans (then South Melbourne) in each of 1933, '34 and '35.
But at the end of '87, "The Wiz" took the money and ran. He headed north to the Gold Coast and became a Brisbane Bear. It was a disastrous career move. Capper left a top-four team that was coached by Tom Hafey. The small SCG suited him as the likes of Gerard Healy, Greg Williams and Barry Mitchell could hit him with bullet-like passes from the midfield.
On top of that, Mark Bayes and Mark Browning would unload their long left-foot bombs from the half-back line to allow Capper to fly for the screamers he excelled at. The quantity and quality of ball coming into Capper gave him every chance to shine.
Not so with the Bears. The Carrara ground was much bigger, and the ball came to Capper in a slower, sloppier and less frequent fashion. So, in his three years as a Bear, Capper's stocks fell. He averaged just 24 goals a season and, at the age of 27, his career was effectively over.
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It's a true story that Lance Franklin should be aware of as he ponders a move toGreater Western Sydney.
Watch "Buddy" play and his sole focus is to score. He would kill for a goal. That's what excites him. That's how he measures his worth.
Often, he is selfish in his desire to let fly at goals. But that's not such a bad fault. He has been the Hawks' leading goalkicker for the past six seasons. He is eight goals behind Jarryd Roughead this season, and although he wouldn't admit it, will be desperate to secure a seventh award.
A week ago, on Friday night, Franklin lit up the stage and kicked eight goals. The strut was back and most gave him the three votes. But Buddy, 26, should look very closely at how he got his haul.
The first came in a contested mark situation against his Essendon opponent Jake Carlisle. Good. But the next seven were softies. Three were handball receives, and four were from short passes that hit him lace out on the chest. His principal suppliers were Roughead, Sam Mitchell and Cyril Rioli.
Now of course Buddy had to position himself, and a couple of his kick-on-the-curve left-footers from 50 metres were beauties. But the bottom line is, the supply was A-grade, it came from skilled experienced teammates.
At this stage of the season the Hawks rank No.1 for marks taken inside their forward 50 (15) with an average of 57 entries. GWS however is ranked last with just seven marks a game from an average of 40 entries. These are facts and figures that the man who delights in kicking goals should consider. It would be much harder for Franklin to star, going from a very good team to a poor team, than it was for Gary Ablett. Why? Because Ablett, as a midfielder, can put himself wherever the ball is. Franklin, as a forward, can't. As Jack Dyer used to say: “It's no good being where the ball ain't.”
And GWS should seriously consider whether Buddy is needed. The Giants already have a gun key forward in Jeremy Cameron. The 20 year old kicked 7 out of 10 last week against Collingwood. That took his season tally to 50. It's a remarkable effort for a young man playing for a team that has yet to win a game. Could he win the Coleman Medal? Sadly another 20 y.o. big forward in Jonathon Patton has gone down injured. But the former No. 1 draft pick will be back next year. It gives the Giants the two power forwards they need. Plus, it's nice to grow your own, as Brisbane and Geelong did for their trio of premierships.
Realistically, the priority for GWS is to strengthen its backline. They desperately need some quality tall defenders. Former Blues Bret Thornton and Setanta O'Hailpin aren't up to it. Chad Cornes has been forced into retirement, Tim Mohr tries hard, but isn't the answer and Phil Davis disappoints. Surely after four years in the system he can show some muscle definition. He needs to get to work.
As it stands, the average score against the Giants is a whopping 136 points a game. Compare that to Fremantle's 70. Having the No.1 pick in this year's draft, I think GWS should forget Franklin and think how they can use it to get quality height in defence. And forget the Buddy marketing angle. It's not something he enjoys and when you have got Cameron, a young midfield gun in Liam Shiel and a terrific captain in Callan Ward, the Giants should promote what's in their own backyard.
On Saturday, Buddy will step on to the MCG in front of 60,000 people. At the same time the Giants will be playing Melbourne at Skoda Stadium where there might be 6000 in attendance. Just where do you think he would rather be? So it's very much a case of Buddy and buyer beware.
I think it will be a win-win situation if Buddy stays a Hawk and the Giants show patience, promote their own, and use their prized No.1 draft pick wisely.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Collingwood the final round fixture loser
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley addressing his players at training. Photo: Pat Scala
Collingwood will hope its potential elimination final on the first weekend of the finals will be held on a Sunday after the Magpies lost out in the release of the round-23 fixture of the home-and-away season on Tuesday.
The Magpies, in seventh place heading into what shapes as a season-defining three weeks of matches against Essendon, Sydney and Hawthorn, have been slated to play North Melbourne at 3.20pm at the MCG on Sunday, September 1.
Quinten Lynch starred in the ruck in the VFL last Saturday. Can he help Travis Cloke in attack? Photo: Pat Scala
The Magpies are the only likely finalist of the six teams to play on the Sunday.
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The clash between Essendon and Richmond, also to be held at the MCG, was given preference to be staged on the Saturday because they currently sit higher on the ladder.
Adelaide, drawn to play in Perth against West Coast, was fixtured for Saturday instead of Sunday. Neither team is likely to make the finals.
The Magpies will push for their potential elimination final to be held on a Sunday, ensuring a seven-day rest.
"Yeah, you would," coach Nathan Buckley said.
"It’s probably another one of those things that we can’t control. If we look after all the elements within our control, within our grasp, the rest is just incidental, to be honest. We have to look after this Sunday before we can worry about a Sunday in five weeks."
Magpies chief executive Gary Pert said he accepted the decision.
"We recognise the competing priorities in the fixturing process and understand the way the system works, in that the rewards go to those who finish highest,” Pert told the Magpies website.
"We’ve got no problem with that. What’s important for us is to concentrate on making our preparation as sharp as it can possibly be and producing our best football which, we know, is good enough to test anyone."
The AFL staged an elimination final between West Coast and North Melbourne on a Sunday last year.
However, the Magpies’ finals schedule would likely change if they were to climb into the top four. This could mean they would only have a six-day break.
They are two matches behind the fourth-placed Bombers, who could yet be stripped of premiership points because of the drugs probe into the club.
As Buckley noted, of immediate concern is Sunday afternoon’s clash against the Bombers.
After a shock loss to Gold Coast, and a scratchy win over Greater Western Sydney, the Magpies hope a string of matches against league heavyweights will lift their intensity.
Buckley said his team needed to improve before it could challenge the league’s elite.
"We are a way off those sides, to be honest. When you look at the ladder, that’s a real accurate reflection," he said.
"We have played every side once now, so we sit seventh, a percentage of 110. That’s where we deserve to be.
"That’s a signal of our best and worst all wrapped into a ladder position.
"We have got a really solid run home and our opportunity is to set an agenda for that this week against a really good opposition who have been playing some really good football consistently throughout the year."
While they sit seventh, since round 10 they are the fourth-best team, with a 6-2 win-loss record. However, they have played just the one top-eight side, and that was a loss to Port Adelaide.
Commentator and former Swans premiership coach Paul Roos has questioned the Magpies’ work-rate, claiming they "don’t appear to be on the same page ... not in sync for four quarters".
Buckley said Ben Reid’s ankle "has come up pretty well compared to initial fears" after he was hobbled against the Giants. Ruckman Darren Jolly is also likely to be in line for selection, having not played since round 12, when he required knee surgery. Luke Ball, Ben Hudson and Paul Seedsman - all battling calf niggles - are hopeful of returning.
A return for midfielder Dale Thomas remains unclear, although Buckley says he could rejoin ball work with the main group next week as he recovers from ankle surgery.
"His application has been really good, he is doing everything within his power. Whether he is coming from too far back, we will only find that out in time," Buckley said.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Clarkson apologises for abusing VFL players
Alastair Clarkson. Photo: Ken IrwinHawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has apologised to two Port Melbourne players he reportedly abused during a VFL game on the weekend.
Clarkson called Toby Pinwill and John Baird on Monday, after Hawthorn received a letter from the VFL asking him to explain his behaviour at the quarter-time huddle of Port Melbourne's game against Hawthorn affiliate Box Hill.
Pinwell had been reported following a clash with Box Hill player Sam Iles.
The club released a statement saying that it had replied to AFL Victoria's letter on Clarkson's behalf, ''taking responsibility for the incident and expressing his regret''.
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Earlier, Hawthorn chief executive Stuart Fox said he had spoken to Clarkson about the incident.''Alastair will obviously respond to the letter, and he's made a formal apology to both the people involved. He certainly knew he'd done the wrong thing,'' Fox said.
''I've had a chat to Alastair this morning. We know it's on the back of a prior incident that we need to work through as a club, but on this occasion he's already seen fit to take responsibility for his actions and apologise to the players he had contact with.
''He took it upon himself to do that.''
Last year, Clarkson was banned by the South Metro Junior Football League for four matches after abusing an umpire's adviser during his son's under-9s match.
That happened a day after he punched a hole in the wall of the coaches' box at the MCG during a Hawthorn game.
''It was a humiliating experience for both myself and the umpire,'' Clarkson said of the incident at the junior game. ''I got myself into a situation because of my profile and experience with the game ... I should have known better.''
AFL Victoria confirmed it had asked Clarkson to explain the episode, which was reported to the league by the umpires rather than Port Melbourne officials.
''AFL Victoria has asked for an explanation from the Hawthorn FC in regards to an alleged verbal incident involving its senior coach Alastair Clarkson at quarter time of the round 15 VFL match between Box Hill Hawks and Port Melbourne Saturday at Box Hill City Oval," said a league statement.
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