Neeld is sure he can mend a down club

Melbourne Football coach Mark Neeld is taking steps towards rebuilding the Demons. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Source: Herald Sun

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld has high hopes for former Port Adelaide star David Rodan and believes his finals experience will benefit the club. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Source: Herald Sun

DAVID Rodan is a short man with a long job description at his new employer, Melbourne.

The Demons want him to win contested ball, break the lines, add some pizzazz . . . and in his downtime become a father figure.

Melbourne has been criticised in some quarters for a scatter-gun recruiting approach, but coach Mark Neeld is adamant Rodan and others were targeted for a reason.

"One of David's roles will be to take Jack Viney under his wing and give him a little bit of support on and off the field," Neeld said.

Viney, Melbourne's prime father-son pick, will be carefully managed and not rushed, with Neeld delivering more than a passing hint that the club got it wrong with another glamour pick, Jack Watts, four years ago.

"We want to do it correctly. We don't want unrealistic expectations," Neeld said.

"The role David will play with Jack we see as really important.

"There's a couple of examples at our club where there's been some unrealistic expectations on some guys and they're still battling through it now four years into their career."

Rodan, offloaded by Port Adelaide, is often derided for being a human highlights reel without a team-first mindset, but Neeld is adamant he will be an invaluable addition to a developing list.

"Why we were keen on someone like a Rodan is his experience. He'll be our most experienced player . . . he's played in finals . . . a Grand Final," Neeld said.

"When we sat down and chatted with David we acknowledged there are still certain things in his game that he needs to improve.

"We made it very clear these are the reasons we want you . . . experience, very good in contested ball, very good in clearances and you've got that dynamic speed that simply we don't have.

"There's very few perfect players, I get all that. It is his third AFL club, we're across that. We just need to make sure we're getting the balance right."

Like Rodan, other high-profile Demons newcomers Chris Dawes and Shannon Byrnes have played finals and Grand Finals. It was a key criteria when the club went hunting.

"I was really keen to get some players in who had been in really good footy clubs and had played finals or Grand Finals," Neeld said.

"There is a lot of internal leadership that can be built within a group.

"I've had finals and Grand Final experience in coaching teams. I can tell them. Leigh Brown, Dave Misson and Neil Craig the same thing . . . but it is more powerful if it comes internally from the players."

A year after recruiting Mitch Clark to be the deep forward, Dawes will be the man to play closer to goal this season, allowing Clark to roam further up the ground and help out in the ruck.

"The role we want Dawesy to play is the stay-at-home forward. I was involved with Dawesy at Collingwood when he played that role really well.

"Mitch (Clark) has got great agility and between he and Cam Pederson they will share the second ruck role. It allows Mitch to get on his bike a bit more and we're keen for that."

Neeld indicated it would have been irresponsible of the club not to chase Dawes.

"You've got a 24-year-old key position player on the move . . . the right thing for our footy club to do was go and ask the question," Neeld said.

"We're rapt. He is a minimum 100-game key position player for us."

Bringing in so many recycled players has led to questions about Neeld looking for a quick fix - a respectable seven to eight wins next year to escape the heat.

But he said self-preservation was never a factor.

"I maintain strongly that the role of a senior coach is every decision you make needs to be for the betterment of the footy club, otherwise you've got the wrong role," Neeld said.

"All the decisions we make are for three, five, 10 years down the track. I'm really big on that. I see that as my role."

Neeld said nobody should be shocked at the turnover, saying it would become more common with free agency and a tendency to more closely mirror player movement in US sports.

"In my experience (at clubs), 10 to 12 list turnovers is normal," Neeld said.

"What I can gather from the reaction of the Melbourne supporters is that's not the norm here.

"I'm really clear on the type of footy we want to play, we're really clear on the type of training we want to see and we're really clear on the type of people we want to build a culture we think will take the club forward. All the decisions we made were based around that."

Matthew Bate and Ricky Petterd were delisted, Brent Moloney and Jared Rivers walked under free agency and Cale Morton left in a fire-sale trade to West Coast.

Neeld was typically pragmatic about the exits of Moloney to Brisbane and Rivers to Geelong.

"Brent's decided with what he wants to achieve and the way he goes about it, it is best suited elsewhere. That's OK," Neeld said.

Asked if his relationship with Moloney became strained, Neeld said the pair continued to talk.

"We had regular conversations. No doubt, he must have been thinking 'Hang on a minute, this is not the way it's supposed to pan out'," Neeld said.

"Brent didn't have -- and I hope this is not seen as dumping on Brent -- he didn't have a great year."

The departure of Rivers was about the opportunity to play finals.

"He believed this was going to be his last contract, and he wanted to, if he could, ensure himself that he could play finals immediately," Neeld said.

"That's one of the reasons free agency was pushed so hard by the AFL Players' Association. That's OK."

Morton was given every opportunity, but did not fit the Neeld mould and "the Eagles offered him the opportunity to move back to Perth and continue playing footy there".

Neeld said it was an era of "more mature conversations" between players and coaches and out of all the talk it was clear Melbourne was not the best fit for Morton right now.

Asked if the prodigiously talented but frustrating Morton had the ability to bite the Dees on the backside, Neeld said: "I don't look at it like that. Everyone hopes he does do well."

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Izzy 'had no idea' about AFL: Black

Lions' Simon Black tried to give his rival Israel Folau some helpful onfield tips but Izzy just did not catch on. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail

Israel Folau excelled in rugby league but struggled to make the transition to AFL. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail

AFL great Simon Black has revealed he tried to coach Israel Folau during a premiership game last season.

But he said that even with direct instructions on how to earn possessions, his rival ``had no idea".

Late in May, the Brisbane Lions were on track to record a 100-point victory against Folau's Greater Western Sydney.

The hulking rugby league experiment was out of breath. He had had only two kicks by the fourth quarter and Black sympathised with his unrewarded efforts.

''I remember playing against him earlier this year at the Gabba, we were up by 70 and I was confident we would win.'' Black recalls.

''The ball came into Izzy's forward line so I told him where to run. I said to Izzy '... `mate, run over there and you will get the ball'. But he didn't. He just had no idea."

The Lions eventually won 132-40 and Folau finished with two kicks and five disposals.

Black's unsuccessful attempt at in-game coaching is the crux of why the State of Origin star's bold cross-code foray failed.

He simply never got it.

Folau was born in western Sydney and grew up in the Polynesian-centric Logan, near Brisbane.

AFL was not even mentioned, let alone played.

Black, Giants coach Kevin Sheedy, premiership-winning coach Mark Williams, fullback of the century Stephen Silvagni and Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton all tried to make Folau a regular first-grader.

They failed.

Sheedy tried him as a defender, a key forward and even a ruckman, which looked to be his most natural position as he did not need game sense to prosper.

When Folau received the ball, he was solid but he could not position himself to receive it.

''This saga just shows that if you have not played the game before it is very hard to come in and play it at the AFL level," Black said.

''You don't have a feel for it.

''You have a lot of good kids coming through there at GWS and Izzy might not have got a game next year.''

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss said Folau's potential in the game was hampered because he played a key position as opposed to the flanking role of fellow code-hopper Karmichael Hunt.

''It was always going to be harder for Israel,'' Voss said.

''It is harder trying to adapt to a key position where you have constant attention all the time.

''It is not just the game itself, it has to do with where you play.''

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We're not chasing Buddy yet, says Freo

MARKED MAN: Lance Franklin is set to spark interest from rival clubs as a potential restricted free agent next off-season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

FREMANTLE has denied it is already amassing a war chest aimed at luring Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin through free agency at the end of next season.

Dockers CEO Steve Rosich left the door open to joining what is expected to be a frenzied fight for Franklin's services if he delays signing a contract extension with the Hawks.

Franklin, 25, becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next season.

Hawthorn hopes he will sign an extension as early as possible to avoid a Travis Cloke-style contract saga, potentially providing a distraction next season, but the club is yet to reach an agreement with the WA product, who is arguably the most marketable player in the AFL.

Franklin, who enjoys the Melbourne lifestyle, said he hoped to be a one-club player, but the longer this draws out, the more speculation will mount over his future.

Rosich said Fremantle could not formulate any plans for next season's free-agency period until the upcoming drafts were completed.

"Once we go through the national draft and the pre-season draft  and I think there's a possibility we could be have a live pick there - then you start to reassess and address your strategy for 2013," Rosich said.

"This would include free agency and potentially looking at experienced players, maybe former West Australian players and key position players.

"But there's a lot of things to be done and executed prior to that and they clearly impact our ultimate strategy."

Earlier this year, Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said the biggest stars in the AFL were worth $1.5m a season and that he would be prepared to offer the massive figure to lure Franklin to the Dockers.

Commenting on reports Greater Western Sydney were preparing a war chest to prise Cloke from Collingwood, Lyon said he believed the figure was realistic for select players.

"I'll tell you what, I'd give Buddy Franklin $1.5m tomorrow," a lighthearted Lyon said in Esperance during Fremantle's community camp in February.

West Coast's ability to make a genuine bid to bring Franklin home may depend on the playing futures of champion veterans Darren Glass and Dean Cox.

Glass and Cox are both out of contract at the end of next season and are among the Eagles' highest-paid players, so their retirements would free up space in the salary cap.

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Hirdy has Bombers off and running

Essendon's Michael Hurley is enjoying the club's switch to a more run-based pre-season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON'S Michael Hurley has backed the switch to a more run-based pre-season, saying it could have a big impact on his aerobic effectiveness.

Speaking before he left for a training camp in Colorado, Hurley said the evolution of the game meant pre-seasons would always change.

And Essendon's decision to move away from its weight-building plan, which came in for criticism after a wave of soft-tissue injuries in 2012, sits fine with the key position Bomber.

" 'Hirdy' (coach James Hird) touched on those things that we can do, some longer distance-type running, that can harden the body and might help," he said.

"That's an area that I would like to find in my game."

The 22-year-old said a greater aerobic capacity was important to the game now as it was "non-stop".

Hurley maintains faith in the club's fitness staff to adapt and do the things required to ensure the club does not fade away as it dramatically did in the second half of 2012.

"We've got full faith in the (fitness) guys," he said. "And we are lucky enough to have the chance to go to America for three weeks, which is a new challenge.

"It (the camp) will be about fitness for starters, but also a bit of leadership as well. The leadership is coming over as well as the core midfielders."

Hurley will join nine other Bombers for 18 days on the fitness and bonding trip.

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Freo fans in rush for memberships

LINING UP: The success of Nat Fyfe and the Fremantle Dockers has sparked plenty of membership inquiries at the club. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

FREMANTLE could be forced to cap its seated membership and create a waiting list for the first time in its 18-year history.

Dockers CEO Steve Rosich hailed the early interest in memberships for next season as "extraordinary" following Fremantle's gutsy finals campaign in its inaugural season under new coach Ross Lyon.

"We've got bold aims - on and off the field," Rosich said.

"And that includes being a very big footy club and that's important for us as well, because we prepare for a new stadium in 2017/2018.

"We will unashamedly give priority and preference to our current members at the new stadium, and that's an important aspect of people continuing to be a member of our footy club and becoming a member of our footy club."

Rosich said he believed it was possible the club could break its 2008 membership record of 43,654 next season and that any need for a cap on seated membership would be assessed in December.

"At this stage we're all but at the 20,000 member mark, which is extraordinary, given it's early November," he said.

"It's tracking ahead of where we thought we'd be. It's ahead of this time last year, and also ahead of our targets."

Interest was spurred this week by the release of the AFL fixtures for 2013, with Fremantle hoping to sell out its first four home matches.

The Dockers host West Coast in a Round 1 Western Derby, before Subiaco clashes against big Victorian teams Essendon, Richmond and Collingwood.

The games against the Bombers in Round 3 and Tigers in Round 5 will be played on Friday nights and telecast live on free-to-air television into the east by Channel 7.

The club's strong membership outlook is also a coup for Lyon, whose game plan was criticised as negative and one that would drive away fans by some onlookers early last season. Membership of the Eagles has long been capped because demand outstrips the small capacity at Patersons Stadium.

The club offers an "In the Wings" membership, which places fans on a waiting list for when a seat becomes available.

Any cap on seated membership is likely to present the Dockers with another problem shared by the Eagles; that of fans being locked out of games, despite thousands of seats being left empty due to members not turning up.

Despite having a membership of close to 43,000 this season, and nearing the limit of seated members of about 40,000, Fremantle's average home crowd was just 33,386.

Meanwhile, Fremantle defender Dylan Roberton has been offered a new contract by the Dockers and could yet remain at the club next season.

Roberton, 21, requested a trade back home to Melbourne for personal reasons but no deal was done during the recent trade period.

It is believed the Dockers, who understand Roberton's desire to return to Victoria, genuinely tried to offload him for next to nothing but there was little interest in his services from the Melbourne-based clubs.

The Dandenong Stingrays product is still a Fremantle player.

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Hinkley primed for coaching debut

Rival coaches Ken Hinkley and Brendan McCartney at The Oval ahead of tonight's London exhibition match between Port Adelaide and Western Bulldogs. Source: Getty Images

THEY planned premierships together, but today on the other side of the world two former clubmates will be the public faces of the AFL's return to Britain.

Ken Hinkley and Brendan McCartney were part of the coaching panel which engineered two premierships in three years under Mark Thompson at Geelong.

Today Hinkley will be in charge of his first game as Port Adelaide coach, while McCartney will start his second year in the job at the Western Bulldogs in the opposing coach's box at The Oval.

"He is a lot more competitive than he gives up," McCartney said about going up against his former colleague.

"We have both known each other for a long time, we're both competitive people and we want our boys to play well on the weekend.

"We are a bit different and we used to box on a little bit at the old place. He loved some things that I didn't care so much about and things I really like he'd just say that's just part of it."

Hinkley has had a whirlwind introduction to the main gig, being introduced to his players at a training camp in Italy before arriving in London for the exhibition game.

"To get away with the boys to spend some time in Milan and now here in London, it's just a great opportunity to get to know them and your first week of coaching I think the first thing you do need to do is get to know the players that you are going to work with," Hinkley said.

"To be honest, between trying to work out if I was sleeping or standing it has been a bit hard. But we had a training run yesterday and for the first time it felt like I was coaching my team."

Both clubs will field inexperienced line-ups, with Shaun Higgins the Bulldogs' acting captain and Hamish Hartlett tossing the coin for the Power in the 16-man-a-side game.
 

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Hunt free to walk: McKenna

Gold Coast coach Guy McKenna says he would not stop Karmichael Hunt from returning to rugby league if he wanted to. Source: Getty Images

SUNS coach Guy McKenna has revealed he wouldn't block Karmichael Hunt from returning to rugby league if he ever lost interest in AFL.

McKenna, who masterminded Hunt's shock defection from the Brisbane Broncos, conceded he would be disappointed, but would not hold anything against the former Origin star if he had a change of heart.

Hunt has publicly declared his intention to remain in the AFL.

"I would try talk him out of it, but why talk him out of it if that was the case and his heart wasn't in it?," McKenna said.

"Once you've made your mind up its hard to turn them around, but I don't think that is going to happen (with Hunt), that's for sure."

McKenna said Folau's decision to leave AFL demonstrated just how monumental Hunt's rise was.

"K represented Australia (in rugby league) and won titles at the Broncos," McKenna said.

"He was elite at that sport and he came back to be the 700th player in the AFL and has had to work his way through.

"I know we finished 17th last season, but he was in our best midfield most of the year and it's a great testament to his drive and coachability."

McKenna said it was often under estimated how difficult it was to change codes.

"At times I think we do take it a bit for granted what they have to go through," he said.

"You look at K and (Sydney's) Mike Pyke is the same.

"We shouldn't see this lightly and it's massive for these blokes who haven't grown up in the sport."

Hunt has been one of the Suns' strongest performers during a pre-season altitude camp in Arizona.

McKenna praised Folau's decision.

"Only speaking from afar, I take my hat off to him to realise that he has had a go at it and he is more the man to make that courageous decision," he said.
 

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Door still open for code-hoppers

Lions coach Michael Voss says AFL will quickly move on from Israel Folau's return to rugby league. Source: Getty Images

BRISBANE Lions coach Michael Voss says the AFL should not shut the book on raiding rival sports for athletes, despite the failed Israel Folau experiment.

Folau is set to return to rugby league with the Parramatta Eels after two unsuccessful years playing AFL, where he kicked two goals valued at $1.5 million each.

Voss said the AFL's costly punt on Folau was not necessarily a failure and any move to grow the game in an expansion market was welcome.

"It has been an experiment that hasn't worked, but it could work in the future," Voss said while announcing the Lions' new major sponsor was insurance company Vero.

"Anything that reinforces our emerging markets is a good investment.

"This area is growing significantly and it must continue to grow.

"Any investment in this region is critical to AFL's expansion plans.

"Him moving back to league is highlighting that it really takes a passion for the game to make a success of it.

"Just because one doesn't work, doesn't mean another won't."

Voss stuck up for his code yesterday and said Folau dumping AFL was just a "mossie bite" the game would easily overcome.

"If it was Chris Judd or Jonathan Brown it would hurt," he said.

"Our code will carry on. It is bigger than one person.

"There's no black eye. A blemish, a mossie bite maybe."

Legendary AFL coach Mick Malthouse said Folau's stint in AFL had enhanced, rather than diminished his reputation as a footballer.

As the focus of Folau's early exit from Greater Western Sydney turned to the clamour between his prospective new employers, the premiership coach argued that the code-hopping Queenslander was now a fitter, and perhaps more skilful athlete.

"I don't think anyone's a loser out of this," Malthouse said yesterday at the Queensland leg of his book launch at the Aspley Hornets football club.

"Kevin (Sheedy) is an old teammate and an adversary of mine and he said (Folau) wasn't fit enough.

"By the end of the season he certainly was. He'll take a very strong fitness element back to the code he takes on.

"The win situation is that he had a go at (AFL). I take my hat off to him for having a crack."

Malthouse: A Football Life sheds light on Carlton's new coach and reveals some critical moments from those closing days at Collingwood, including Malthouse heading off a 2011 player revolt.

In the biographical book, Christi Malthouse wrote about her father hosing down a player petition that wanted him reinstated as head coach at the Pies for 2012.

Christi enjoyed the experience of interviewing her father for the book, insisting she learned much about the wily AFL survivor.

"No subject was off limits. It was very honest," she said.

"I found out a lot more about his upbringing, and I learnt a lot more about the way he thinks about football and what makes him tick."
 

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Port's first game without McCarthy

Port Adelaide Power footballer John McCarthy in action. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: adelaidenow

PORT Adelaide midfielder Hamish Hartlett has revealed John McCarthy's tragic death has "galvanised" the playing group.

 Set to play their first match since McCarthy's shock passing in September, Power players will be permitted to honour their former team-mate against the Western Bulldogs in London tomorrow morning.

While the exhibition match at The Oval isn't an official commemoration for McCarthy, Hartlett says the talented utility's spirit remained strong at Alberton.

"There's no doubt," said Hartlett, when asked if Port players would be sparing a thought for McCarthy before their clash with the Dogs.

"The guys have been thinking about him a fair bit. Not a day goes by that one of us isn't thinking about him in some capacity. There's no doubt it has galvanised the group.

"If players want to wear armbands or make a tribute to him they are certainly able to do that."

Charged with being Port's acting captain, Hartlett - embarking on his first pre-season without off-season surgery - is eager to make a good early impression on new coach Ken Hinkley.

"Ideally I would love to get up the ground a little bit more," said Hartlett, who played as a playmaking half-back this year.

"But to play a role, no matter where that is, I'm happy to swing in any of those lines whether it be up forward, in the midfield or in the backline."

Now with 46 AFL games under his belt in four seasons, Hartlett recognises the time to take the next step has arrived.

And by getting a head-start on summer training with team-mate Matthew Lobbe, the 22-year-old is giving himself every chance to deliver on his enormous potential.

"I've spent two or three weeks over here prior to the rest of the team getting here with Matt," Hartlett said.

"He's unbelievably diligent in his training and is fantastic to have around. It's been a frustrating first two or three years. The last couple of years have been a little bit better in terms of being able to get on the park a bit more. But not only for myself, there's a whole bunch of guys in the same category, wanting to take the next step."

Port has named a youthful 23-man squad, with recruits Angus Monfries, Jack Hombsch and Campbell Heath all set to don a Power guernsey for the first time.

Forgotten midfielder Ben Newton, who has struggled with soft-tissue injuries in his two years at Port, will be given plenty of chance to shine while Nick Salter (foot) and Cameron Hitchcock (hamstring) have an opportunity to prove they've recovered from persistent ailments.

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Hird takes aim at slow Ryder

Essendon's pre-season is underway with the Bombers focussing on fitness this summer after fading badly in the second half of the 2012 season and missing the finals.

Dustin Fletcher, Paddy Ryder and Scott Gumbleton during their 2km time trial. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON ruckman Patrick Ryder has already found himself in the crosshairs of coach James Hird after the Bombers yesterday reported for time-trial duty.

Hird, desperate to arm his players with a greater aerobic base this pre-season, was left unimpressed by Ryder's performance at Princes Park.

The 24-year-old finished dead last in one 2km run, despite starting with the lead group in front of several teammates.

"You've got a lot of work to do," Hird told Ryder within earshot of onlookers.

Hird was half-joking, but his intent was clear, even going on to suggest that the pair should swap jobs.

Essendon training this morning. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

One player who didn't need that message was Brent Stanton, who again proved the man to beat.
The endurance machine posted the best times in back-to-back 2km time-trials before declaring the Bombers were "on a mission" to make amends for their dramatic slide this year by returning to the finals.

Hit by a crippling injury list, Essendon lost eight of its last nine games to slip out of the top four, finishing 11th.

Stanton said there was a clear resolve among the players to turn things around next season as they kicked off their pre-season campaign this week.

"We were pretty disappointed in how we finished," Stanton said yesterday.

"We don't stand for that as a football club.

"We felt like we took a few fairly big steps this year, but it's now about maintaining that for 22 rounds rather than 15."

Essendon players hit the pavement this morning as pre-season begins. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Stanton's vow came as Hird revealed the Bombers would ditch their controversial weight-building blueprint in favour of a more running-oriented program.

"It's their third pre-season with us, so we can put a bit more work into them," Hird said.

"The game changes a little bit; we might go with a little bit more of an aerobic focus."

After starting pre-season training on Thursday, Stanton said he was hoping to set the foundations for a strong pre-season when he headed to Colorado today for a three-week altitude training camp.

The Bombers are sending 10 players, mostly midfielders and including recruit Brendon Goddard, to the camp.
They will assess if it is an option for the whole group next year.

"We've never done it before, so it's going to be a good experience," Stanton said.

"It is going to be a good trip to see what benefits that we do get out of it."

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Sheeds sensed Folau's potential

Master coach Kevin Sheedy talks with recruit Israel Folau after a game this earlier this year. Picture: Kym Smith. Source: The Daily Telegraph

KEVIN Sheedy, multiple premiership player with Richmond and coach with Essendon, was one of the few to have a sense of perspective as Israel Folau quit the Australian winter game yesterday afternoon.

Sheedy has always been a visionary, always one to take a punt, and he was saddened to see Folau leave the game and, as expected, return to rugby league.

The core of his sentiments ran like this: "We would never know how good Folau would have become, because it takes time to learn a new sport, but he had been a fantastic young fella to work with."

The industry has watched and scrutinised Folau closely over the past year.

Two camps formed: some argued he was a ridiculous signing, earning money close to the top five players in the competition while being statistically ranked among the worst in the land.

Those views were harsh, because as a player, he was on about the average wage. The rest of his pay packet was for promotional purposes, and he created enough headline to justify every dollar.

He was just an average player, albeit one with above-average promise. But it's not difficult to make a case that the quietly-spoken Folau earned his money.

At 23, there was time for Folau to turn into a player, much like Jim Stynes and Tadhg Kennelly did, and Sheedy, for one, had the patience. The game didn't, and it seems Folau didn't either.

Sheedy knows a punt is worth it  just ask him about Bel Esprit or Black Caviar  or former US footballer Dwayne Armstrong who he had playing in Essendon's reserves.

Not all punts pay off, but it doesn't mean you stop trying.

Sheedy also had Tim Watson come out of retirement, restored the career of ex-Cat John Barnes and will continue to look for an edge.

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Izzy worth every cent for AFL

Neil Cordy discusses where Israel Folau will go next.

Israel Folau attempts a shot at goal against the Kangaroos. Picture: Rohan Kelly Source: The Daily Telegraph

TWO goals for $2 million. It is tempting to view the Israel Folau experiment as an abject failure through the prism of footy performance.

But in terms of his effectiveness as a public relations driver, Folau has been nothing short of a spectacular success.

If you were to conduct a vox pop in the streets of Sydney, asking people to name a GWS player, it's a fair bet the vast majority would baulk after identifying Folau.

And that says plenty about his worth to the code.

Rothfield: Folau retun a triumph for NRL

The AFL's expensive bid to launch a team in western Sydney with a predominantly inexperienced list was always going to be a hard sell, particularly in the formative years.

An identifiable face and an audacious transformation project was crucial in engaging the public and generating awareness in an already crowded sporting market.

So, while Folau might never have cracked GWS's best 22, he more than pulled his weight off the field.

Analysis provided by Media Monitors has revealed that his reported $1 million-per-season wage was offset by the publicity he generated, particularly in that crucial window around the time of the club's launch earlier this year.

I personally think it's a shame he didn't play at least another year in the AFL.

As we have seen with fellow code-jumpers Karmichael Hunt and Mike Pyke, it takes two years of heavy slog to learn a new sport and it is not until season three that benefits are reaped.

Many wrote off the recruitment of Folau as nothing more than a marketing gimmick, but I'm not convinced that was the case.

There was genuine intent and investment from the AFL, GWS and the Giants' coaching staff to transform Folau into a footy player. In time, he might have got there. But now we'll never know.

It's clear, though, that Folau's best game for the Giants was his last one. For the first and only time, he looked in his element against the Kangaroos, kicking a goal and imposing himself upon the opposition.

But now he is headed back to his natural habitat where, at the age of 23, Test matches, State of Origin and perhaps grand finals await.

From bit-part player in AFL to superstar in league - I don't think anyone would begrudge him this move.

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Folau out but Tippett may be in

At the end of the AFL season Kurt Tippett left headed home leaving Adelaide for the Gold Coast. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: adelaidenow

THE ducks are lining up for Kurt Tippett to play for Greater Western Sydney with marquee player Israel Folau yesterday turning his back on Australian football.

His call leaves the Giants clearing at least $250,000 off their books with the former rugby league top-liner announcing he is returning to his first love.

Giants chief executive Dave Matthews said Folau's announcement was an independent consideration to the potential recruitment of Tippett, but recognised it had boosted the club's prospects of snaring the Queenslander.

"We said earlier in the week, and this is before we knew what Israel was contemplating, that we had the selections that would enable us to get Kurt Tippett if we could afford him," Matthews said.

"We've still got to work out what that means and what are the terms and conditions in which he might enter one of the drafts.

"So the next couple of weeks (Graeme) 'Gubby' Allan and Steve Silvagni will work with the coaches to do their due diligence on him, but we're certainly in there for Kurt Tippett."

In Tippett, there is the opportunity to sign up another marquee name, one who was Adelaide's highest-paid player at an estimated $700,000 and another one who comes from a non-traditional AFL background, with Tippett growing up as a basketballer in Queensland.

Folau was understood to have combined a playing wage of $250,000 with the club's $573,000 marketing allowance and a separate AFL promotional deal.

There will be no compensation for the Crows for Tippett, whose last deal with Adelaide may have breached both the salary cap because of guaranteed third-party agreements and conduct prejudicial to the draw because of promises ensuring an easy passage to the club of his choice once he left the Crows.

But Folau has opened up an easy transition for Tippett to move to the city of his choice, Sydney, even though he may not land at the club of his choice, the Swans.

The Swans have not indicated they are out of the race for his services, but the Crows are now expecting it will be difficult for other clubs to pinch Tippett from GWS in the pre-season draft.

There is still a school of thought that he would best benefit the game by returning to Queensland, where he could be the face of Gold Coast as the home-grown player, but that club already has the game's best player in Gary Ablett and is becoming more competitive by the year.

Folau, 23, left the Giants with two years remaining on his contract and there are already rumours swirling about his next destination, with Parramatta chief executive Ken Edwards saying Folau would be an ideal recruit for the 2013 NRL season.

"We think Israel would be a great fit," Edwards said.

Folau's exit will not affect Adelaide, which still has concerns explaining its deal with Tippett signed in 2009.

Folau admits the thought of playing at the same NRL club as his younger brother Eni is appealing but the code-hopping star insists his future is uncertain.

"At this stage, I've had no discussions with any clubs at all," he said.

"I'll leave it up to my management to control that stuff ... I haven't had no discussions with any club so I can't confirm anything.

"My future at the moment is uncertain. I still don't know what to do."

The former Melbourne, Brisbane, Queensland and Australian rugby league star admits he'd like to play at the Eels with 19-year-old brother Eni, who is a member of Parramatta's under 20s side.

"It'd be nice but, like I said, that's not a thing for me ... At this stage, I don't know what I'm doing," he said.
 

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Crows' mettle truly being tested

AFL investigators arrive at the Adelaide Football Club Administration in the wake of deals made with former player Kurt Tippett Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Australian

ADELAIDE is embroiled in two of the AFL's biggest investigations in recent memory and living a nightmare that is testing the foundations of the club.

Adding to the inquiry into Kurt Tippett's 2009 contract with the club, the AFL now has ramped up the tanking probe into Melbourne which led to Crows senior assistant Dean Bailey's departure from the Demons and has been simmering since 2009.

Adelaide's plight was highlighted yesterday with former NRL star Israel Folau quitting Greater Western Sydney which clears the way for Tippett to join the Giants in the drafting period.

The explosive issues have been made more volatile with former players and officials being interviewed again at league headquarters and information leaking out to test the mettle of the Crows, the Demons and Bailey.

This comes as a second player reportedly has backed Brock McLean's claims of tanking by the Demons and a former staffer telling The Advertiser the winning chances of at least two Melbourne games were severely compromised by orders handed down to the coaching staff.

A Melbourne insider told The Advertiser here had been a steady stream of people involved with the club back in 2009 being interviewed by the AFL. That came as the Demons were seen to set up a defence on the basis that disgruntled former employers-turned-whistleblowers were motivated by a wish to sink the club.

The Crows distanced themselves from the investigation yesterday, saying they  were yet to speak at length to Bailey about the matter.

It is understood the two investigations the AFL is conducting simultaneously  into the Melbourne tanking issue and the alleged contract law breaches in Tippett's contract  are stretching the league's resources and potentially could delay proceedings.

Some of those involved with Melbourne in 2009 said they were interviewed for the second time by the AFL last week, having first been called to AFL House in August, and it leaves the league's chief investigators Ken Wood and Brett Clothier with a heavy workload.

The Crows had initially thought the investigation into Tippett would conclude this week and there was speculation yesterday a decision was imminent. But the Crows yesterday feared it would not be resolved until the days leading up to the national draft on November 22.

This much is clear: there will be no compensation for Tippett, who was the club's highest-paid player, and the club is likely to be restricted in both this and next year's draft.

Football operations manager Phil Harper said the club was not in a position to make a comment while the matter was being investigated by the AFL. The draft-tampering issue has cast a cloud over the game and the Crows, with the AFL warning that anyone involved in tanking would never work again in football.

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Vlastuin at home in trenches

Averaging 6.3 tackles per game, Vlastuin knows how to dump opponents in to the turf. Get exclusive vision and expert analysis of his hard-edge approach ahead of the AFL draft.

s04wp970 Nick Vlastuin - TAC Cup footballer who will be drafted at season's end. Picture: Jason Edwards Source: Herald Sun

NICK Vlastuin stood in a field of Australian war graves in France, half a world away from his AFL dream.

The Northern Knights onballer has a reputation as one of the most fearless and physical midfield talents in the draft.

But the pressures he confronted on the football field, managing a troublesome ankle injury and leading Vic Metro to the national championship, seemed insignificant as he remembered the lives lost in war.

For Vlastuin, the personal connection was a strong one. His grandfather, Leedert, served in the Dutch army in Papua New Guinea, before migrating to Australia with his wife, Beth (Oma in Dutch), to start a new life.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch highlights of Vlastuin and get our expert analysis in the video player above

"He worked on the Burma railways where he was a prisoner of war and in some of the Japanese death camps, in the marches," Vlastuin said.

"He was pretty hard done by in some situations throughout the war, and obviously when he came to Australia, not being able to speak English (was tough).

"It's a family thing. I would like to do him proud. He had no idea what AFL is, but looking down I think he would be proud of me if I can make it."

Pick Me started right here today but check out the preview video here

Sadly, Vlastuin's grandmother died, age 94, on the Friday before the AFL Grand Final.

Her funeral the next week in NSW clashed with the AFL draft combine, where the stoppage powerhouse was expected to press his claims as a top-15 choice.

"Dad said right from the start, 'Go to footy camp, family will understand'," Vlastuin said.

"But I knew if I missed it (the funeral), I'll be thinking about it for the rest of my life. So it was an easy decision in the end."

For recruiters, the "family first" attitude was another big tick for his character.

Nick Vlastuin of Vic Metro in action during the 2012 NAB AFL Under 18 Championship between VIC Metro and Western Australia at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne. (Photo: Michael Willson/AFL Media) Source: Herald Sun

Naturally reserved off the field, Vlastuin's competitive streak and strong leadership skills come to the fore when he pulls on the boots.

Around the stoppages, the dual under-18 All-Australian brings an unflinching attack on the ball, which makes him one of the most powerful clearance players in the draft pool.

"One of the reasons his peers really gravitate to him is because of his actions on the field," Knights' regional manager Peter Kennedy said.

"He's very courageous, and one of those players that once he crosses the white line, he becomes a competitive beast.

"He really thrives on the contested side of the game, so when it becomes a little bit brutal, you know he's in there winning the contested footy."

The 187cm midfielder has also acted as a rudder in defence, showing the sacrificial side of his game, helping cover and assist teammates.

His strong frame will probably put him in the frame to play seniors from Round 1 next season, adding to his first-round appeal.

Richmond could take him as early as pick No. 9, while Gold Coast has a strong need for a ready-made inside ball winner at selection No.13.

After finishing his studies last year, Vlastuin, 18, has worked as a lifeguard at a pool this season, allowing him to focus fully on his AFL dream.

Vlastuin said he wanted to develop into the same mould of player as St Kilda midfielder Lenny Hayes and Collingwood's Luke Ball.

"All the recruiters are saying if you can't win a one-on-one (contest), you can't play AFL; that's pretty exciting for me," he said.

"I prefer the way the game is moving to more contested footy, stoppages, body-on-body stuff, because they are my strengths. Hopefully, I get that opportunity."

THE NICK VLASTUIN FILE

Age: 18
Height: 187cm
Weight: 83kg
From: Northern Knights
Position: Midfield/half-back
Predicted draft range: 9-15
Plays like: Brad Sewell
 

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Demetriou welcomes tanking claims

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

Andrew Demetriou says the AFL will improve its integrity policing in 2013. Source: News Limited

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has not ruled out widening the tanking investigation as he revealed the league will boost its integrity policing next year.

As pressure mounts on Melbourne, who are being probed over allegations of secret meetings to plot a tanking strategy in 2009, Demetriou insisted there would be no whitewash.

And he said he would welcome former or current players and officials coming forward if they have tanking claims.

"Of course," Demetriou said when asked if the file was still open on clubs other than Melbourne.

"We say that about respect and responsibility in regard to women; we say it about drugs; we say it about integrity; and we say that about the salary cap. We do not close the file on anything."

Demetriou revealed the AFL recently approved a significant funding increase for its ramped-up integrity department in 2013.

"We have just approved a large (increase) in the integrity area," he said.

"I don't want to discuss what the figure is, but I can tell you we have increased, at Adrian Anderson's request, the spend in the integrity area.

"That's in our budget starting next year."

The AFL has no set time frame on the Melbourne investigation with league football operations manager Adrian Anderson and the integrity unit given as much time as required.

"I am not involved (in the investigation)," Demetriou said.

"I sit on the commission and if Adrian believes it is serious enough to go to the commission, I have to make sure I am at arm's length because I might have to listen to it.

"Adrian has said: 'I will take as long as I have to with Brett Clothier (AFL integrity manager) to finish my investigation'."

Demetriou, who has long dismissed suggestions AFL clubs have tanked for draft selections, said if a club or individuals are found guilty, they had no place in the game.

"I have said pretty consistently I have a strongly-held view that teams don't go out there to lose, but I did say when asked mid-year that if anything comes to light that proves otherwise, then that can't be accepted, and we will deal with it," he said.

"I don't think there is any place in sport for people who challenge the integrity and we have seen what is going on in the (Lance) Armstrong affair."

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Evidence mounting against Dees

Former Melbourne player Brock McLean said he cut ties with the Demons because they weren't trying to win games. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Herald Sun

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

RICHMOND hearts sank when Carlton's Brock McLean fluked a match-winning goal with 42 seconds left on the clock on July 28.

But if the kick hurt the Tigers, it has done more damage to his old club Melbourne.

Three nights later, man-of-the-moment McLean dropped a bomb when invited to appear on Fox Footy's On The Couch.

The Demons, he declared, weren't trying to win games in 2009. He said it was why he quit the club. It was an explosive claim that reignited the AFL tanking debate and triggered a fresh investigation. Only this time the evidence against Melbourne is mounting.

The latest allegation surrounds a secret meeting of Melbourne football department staff at the Junction Oval in 2009.

It is said at least three club officials, past and present, have admitted to league investigators that the importance of losing games to secure a priority pick was discussed at that meeting.

Melbourne's loss to Richmond at the MCG a few weeks' after the meeting of football officials has long been hailed as exhibit No.1.

In laughable circumstances, Richmond's Jordan McMahon kicked a goal on the siren to win the match for Tigers. The Round 22 loss to St Kilda, involving several puzzling moves, has also been identified.

In August this year, the Herald Sun detailed accounts of another suspect game - Melbourne's Round 17 loss to Sydney at Manuka Oval.

Demons figures who attended an inner-sanctum dinner the night before the match say a football department boss openly indicated steps had been taken to reduce the prospects of a win.

"We'll be right - we've made eight changes," the official declared.Melbourne had already announced five key changes at team selection.

Then on the eve of the game, two more pulled out with ailments.Seven changes in all - not eight as predicted - and in a forgettable encounter the Swans got home by 18 points.

Even one of Melbourne's club doctors said "Blind Freddy could tell the team wasn't picked for optimal performance" late in the season.

In the Canberra match, Melbourne used its interchange bench 67 times. Its season average was 85. But Andrew Demetriou's reaction to the Herald Sun story was typical for a tanking non-believer.

The AFL boss dismissed the report as "lots of colourful language to try and determine an outcome".

"We don't go by that sort of story. We go by evidence," Demetriou said. "We've got a guy, (AFL investigator) Brett Clothier, who's very capable.

"If he gets to the bottom of something then we will deal with it but at the moment there's no evidence to sustain this allegation of tanking."

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'Kreuzer Cup' stigma remains

Matthew Kreuzer joined the Blues after their shocking 2007 season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: Herald Sun

IF Andrew Demetriou is adamant any tanking "cold case" can be reopened at any time, then Carlton would be most nervous.

The stigma of the "Kreuzer Cup" in the final round of 2007, and the lame matches leading into it, just won't go away for the Blues.

They lost 10 matches in a row, ensuring they snared Matthew Kreuzer and had another early pick to nab Chris Judd, and assistant coach Tony Liberatore caused screaming headlines early the next season after an interview on The Footy Show.

Liberatore said he had never heard a directive from above for the Blues to deliberately to tank games, but said he could "feel it".

He said there were even jokes made among coaching staff.

"We wouldn't use those words (how do we lose), but another assistant coach would say, 'Tanks very much', or something along those lines in a jocular way," he said.

He added that he believed coaches from both sides had laid low in the Round 22 Carlton-Melbourne clash that would become known as the "Kreuzer Cup".

"In all honesty I think both coaches tried to lose it," he said.

They were extraordinary comments at the time ... even more extraordinary when you re-visit them in the current climate.

Yet, in an era before a fully fledged integrity department, the investigation was limited.

Liberatore's claims were just as explosive as Brock McLean's, but it was not as if every Blues assistant coach and executive was hauled in. It was over in a flash after "Libba" watered down his story on visiting the AFL.

The "Kreuzer Cup" was full of startling stats and moves. The game was a free for all, more NBL than AFL. Both teams had 60-plus forward entries, underlining the shootout and a loose Demon Travis Johnstone racking up 42 disposals.

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Stynes: Dees always did their best

Jim Stynes watches on during an AFL match between Melbourne and Carlton. Picture: Alex Coppel. Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE is expected to strongly reject allegations that it deliberately lost games in 2009, arguing that it never participated in "tanking" as defined under AFL guidelines.

Former Melbourne president Jim Stynes, who died in March, was asked about the 2009 tanking allegations while he and I were co-writing his autobiography, My Journey, towards the end of 2011.

He was adamant there was no strategy to lose matches, saying: "Melbourne never sat down our coach Dean Bailey and instructed him not to win games". Stynes was frustrated about the tanking accusations, asking: "What is tanking?

"It's a really difficult one because sometimes when you put together the team, you put the best players that you can on the ground and then some people will say, 'Oh, you're not playing these players'. So that's tanking, right?

"But sometimes we sack players because their attitude is not good or they're not listening. They might be playing well but they are not playing the way they can play. (We tell them) 'This is the way we need you to play to be part of the team, this is the role or the position we want you to play, not that way'. Otherwise you end up teaching them bad habits.

"So is that tanking? Well that's not tanking because that's saying to the group that this player needs a lesson or needs to go. You have to choose because sometimes they need to play that role in the twos before they can come back again."

AFL Regulation 19(A5) defines tanking as "a person, being a player, coach or assistant coach, must at all times perform on their merits and must not induce, or encourage, any player, coach or assistant coach not to perform on their merits in any match - or in relation to any aspect of the match, for any reason whatsoever."

That definition will be closely scrutinised by Melbourne's legal team, which includes vice-president Guy Jalland, a legal counsel for Publishing and Broadcasting Limited from 2004-07.

Stynes was Melbourne president when the Demons were alleged to have underperformed in the second half of 2009, and when club officials are alleged to have met to discuss strategies to "forfeit matches". It coincided with his cancer diagnosis (June), major surgery (early July) and recovery in Thailand (July-August).

His first game back was Melbourne's 63-point win over Fremantle in Round 20, and he wrote in his diary: "We had the biggest win in 3 years and it felt awesome. It was great to be back passionate again about this great club and these terrific people. This makes it all worthwhile."

Stynes was critical of the AFL's special assistance rules for effectively providing lowly clubs with a disincentive to win games. By winning no more than four games in 2009, the Demons were guaranteed a priority pick (No.1) in that year's national draft.

"People at the club found themselves shrouded in that reality," he wrote. "It went against the grain for each of us to find solace in failure, but that was the system."

Stynes said ladder position "doesn't necessarily reflect how good or bad your team is", and was in favour of a more holistic examination of clubs.

"The number of games you win and lose should be one component and then the way you run your football club or the numbers; the amount of people supporters you get, you know, what you are able to generate - all those things should come into it.

"The AFL could then use its judgment or a broader set of guidelines to award a priority pick. But it certainly shouldn't set a target before a season and give a club a disincentive to win."

Editorial, Page 28

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No guarantees for minor premiers

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

An emotional Lance Franklin sits on the ground after the Swans topped the Hawks in 2012 AFl Grand Final at the MCG. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: News Limited

THE AFL says it is no position to guarantee next year's minor premiers a longer break than their Grand Final opponent.

Hawthorn were upset to be given a seven-day break leading into this year's Grand Final, while an ANZ Stadium double booking handed Sydney a critical eight-day break.

The league was furious that Patersons Stadium scheduled a rugby union test in Week 1 of the finals, but only weeks later put Hawthorn at a disadvantage.

AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said yesterday it could only ensure the minor premier won a seven-day break.

``We do our best to negotiate, and I think in the end everyone understood what happened, but it may well happen again in the future.''

The league said the Grand Final would stay an afternoon game, while the push for Good Friday football seems to have been extinguished for the forseeable future.

The league says that Monday night would be the logical time to play a fourth day of football each week given a crowded calendar.

But despite having two Monday night games this year - up from one last season - it says there is no groundswell for regular Monday night football.

St Kilda and Carlton get their now-traditional Monday night game after Mother's Day, while West Coast and Richmond play in Round 10 at night on a public holiday in West Australia.

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Malthouse: Kurt's not worth $1m

Carlton coach Mick Malthouse says the asking price for Kurt Tippett is too high. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON coach Michael Malthouse has warned clubs Kurt Tippett is worth nowhere near the $1 million that has been linked to his signature.

Malthouse, who spoke to Port Adelaide captain Warren Tredrea on Adelaide radio station Triple M this morning, said Carlton was not in a position to bid for Tippett and let him slide, much like it did ex-Pies Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes in the trade period.

The right price for Tippett was more likely to be $500,000 a season. That was a sharp devaluation from the $700,000 he was paid at Adelaide and the even greater sum he was expected to collect at Sydney before the deal with the Swans fell through as the AFL caught wind of irregularities in his previous contract with the Crows and began an inquiry.

``He wouldn't be worth that ($1 million),'' Malthouse said. ``He's not worth that. If he's worth half of that I think that's about the right amount of money. I say half of that but that's a lot of money. He's a good footballer. But, to my way of thinking, a good footballer has to be good year-in, year-out and the difference between a good player and a very good footballer is on the big stage. You must be able to play on the big stage on a regular basis against the great players.''

Malthouse had an eye on key forwards in the trade period, in particular Dawes and Cloke, with whom he had worked at Collingwood.

Dawes ended up at Melbourne while Cloke stayed with Collingwood as Carlton made no major moves in the player exchange window.

Malthouse said Carlton would have had to make major moves to accommodate the signing of either of the aforementioned or Tippett and suspected the Blues now were out of the picture to gain Tippett through the draft.

``You've got to have the capacity in your salary cap,'' Malthouse said on Triple M radio yesterday morning. ``If your salary cap is up the top end, and you've got to get a Cloke in or Dawes in, something's got to move. And you've got to move those before you can bring those in. It's the same with Tippett.

``It's too late to move players now so we're out of that action.''

Malthouse, who coached West Coast to flags in 1992 and 1994 and Collingwood to a premiership in 2010, is not the first to question Tippett's value.

Tippett widely was regarded to have been overpaid in his last contract with Adelaide as the club sought to ward off the lucrative offer from the Gold Coast to have him in its first AFL side and Sunday Mail columnist Chris McDermott said he had not delivered on his expensive price tag.

At an estimated $700,000, he was Adelaide's highest-paid player.

But even though Tippett closed last season with a fine contribution for Adelaide against Hawthorn, there was growing sentiment Taylor Walker was becoming the club's most important forward.

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Tank 'for the kids'

Melbourne players leave the ground after a loss in 2009. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

A SECOND member of Melbourne's 2009 wooden spoon-winning team has admitted coach Dean Bailey was under fierce pressure to deliberately lose matches.

The player spoke yesterday as league investigators closed in on officials at the centre of the Demons tanking scandal.

Melbourne faces the loss of selections at this year's national draft, including the prized No.4 pick.

"It was disgusting what was going on and you felt for Bails because everyone knew he was under the pump to lose," said the player, who the Herald Sun agreed not to name.

"Players had meetings and asked him what was going on but there was nothing he could do.

"The club had a plan. They wanted the two kids, (Tom) Scully and (Jack) Trengove and you just shook your head.

"You'd work your butt off in the pre-season and hang up all these words in the gym and the change rooms or whatever and what did it all mean? Nothing.

"Players were never told to lose. They were just rested and played out of position. (Backman) Matthew Warnock would play full-forward and (forward) Paul Johnson would play full-back."

Proof the Demons tanked could also have drastic consequences for the AFL, the controlling body under Victorian law for all gambling on football.

Gaming Minister Michael O'Brien last night said the State Government was monitoring the case.

The AFL reaps millions of dollars a year from betting and commercial arrangements with bookmakers.

"Any action which brings into question the integrity of sports and sports betting in Victoria is unacceptable," O'Brien said.

It was alleged yesterday that senior Melbourne administrators held a secret meeting in 2009 to plot their tanking strategy.

The end game was to secure the first two picks in that year's national draft - used on Scully and Trengove.

Club president Don McLardy and chief executive Cameron Schwab did not respond to the latest allegations.

Former Melbourne player Brock McLean triggered the AFL investigation when he claimed in July he quit the club because it had set out to deliberately lose games in 2009.

League investigators have re-interviewed several key figures, including Bailey, former recruiter Barry Prendergast and current football manager Josh Mahoney.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou said yesterday: "It is not appropriate to comment on the investigation itself at this stage.

"However, I would strongly encourage anyone with information that could be relevant to come forward and contact (league investigator) Brett Clothier."

Other Melbourne figures grilled by the AFL include former innovations coach Dave Dunbar, former part-time development coach Scott West and 2009 captain James McDonald.

McLardy, Schwab, then football operations manager Chris Connolly and assistant coaches Sean Wellman, Mark Williams and Josh Mahoney were also on the AFL's interview list.

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AFLPA fury as Gram slammed

Jason Gram has been sacked by St Kilda. Source: Herald Sun

THE AFL Players' Association does not believe St Kilda had grounds to sack Jason Gram, who was sensationally axed last night because of off-field behaviour.

St Kilda revealed Gram had been suspended since September 6, and was dumped after he failed to honour repeated undertakings to the club about his behaviour.

The Herald Sun has chosen not to reveal the behaviour for legal reasons.

But St Kilda said last night Gram had ignored warnings and continued with behaviour he knew could see him sacked.

It is known Gram, 28, and coming off a modest 15th in the best-and-fairest award, was aware he was on his last warning.

Gram was about to enter the last year of a highly paid contract, with the size of a potential payout and the legality of his sacking set to be contested. The AFL said last night it approved of St Kilda's handling of the matter.

But the AFLPA does not support the termination, given it does not believe Gram's actions constitute serious misconduct.

It concedes Gram will not be reinstated by the Saints, but is ready to take up his cause if the club does not pay most of his 2013 contract.

St Kilda and the players' union will continue to discuss his contract, but to sack him without honouring it, the Saints would have to prove serious and wilful misconduct under the collective bargaining agreement.

The Saints would not comment under legal advice last night but said in a statement: "Regrettably, the inappropriate behaviour has continued and his manager was advised yesterday that the club had decided to terminate Gram's contract, which had one year to run. Gram was also advised of the termination in a meeting with club officials."

AFLPA general manager player operations Ian Prendergast said he would work on helping Gram with a resolution of his contract.

"We understand a club's right to delist a player," he said.

"However, while not understating the seriousness of the alleged conduct, the players' association does not believe these matters remove the club from its contractual obligations.

"The players' association will now focus on working with Jason and his management, on a confidential basis, in relation to settling the outstanding obligations of his contract."

AFL spokesman James Tonkin said last night: "The club has kept us aware of what has transpired and we are supportive of their actions."

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Swans list Bolton for now

Jarrad McVeigh and Jude Bolton celebrate with Sydney fans. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun

DUAL Sydney premiership player Jude Bolton will be on the Swans' playing list when it is lodged with the AFL today.

Bolton, 32, played 22 games this season to become one of only three Swans to pass the 300-games milestone, behind Adam Goodes (319) and Michael O'Loughlin (303).

Bolton, who played in the 2012 and 2005 premiership teams, is yet to make a decision on his future, and the Swans still have the opportunity to leave his name off the second list lodgement on November 15, a week before the national draft.

Bolton's management is believed to be sounding out media opportunities, including providing a Sydney presence with Channel 7 now that former Swans captain Brett Kirk has signed as a midfield coach at Fremantle.

But the veteran midfielder has been into the club to do some fitness work several times in the weeks since the Grand Final and it is believed to be leaning towards turning out for a 15th AFL season

Despite speculation he would need major post-season surgery on his battered left knee, Bolton said recently "that is certainly not the case."

Meanwhile, Mike Pyke, Craig Bird and Mitch Morton have all signed new deals with the club.

Pyke, 28, is travelling across the United States and Canada, but said he was "really excited" about the prospect of defending the premiership.

"It is a challenge we're all looking forward to and I feel privileged to have this opportunity," he said.

"I still feel like I have plenty of development left in me and hopefully I can add a few more strings to my bow this year."

Morton, 25, kicked four goals in the Swans' three finals, including two vital goals in the second quarter of the Grand Final against Hawthorn.

"I'm just absolutely pumped to be a part of the club again in 2013," Morton said.

Bird, 23, said the future was "looking pretty bright at the Swans and I'm looking forward to being a part of it."

Sydney has delisted Jarred Moore, Mark Seaby, Brett Meredith and Nathan Gordon, along with rookie-list players Eugene Kruger, Jack Lynch and Dylan McNeil.

The Swans also traded Trent Dennis-Lane to St Kilda, Matthew Spangher to Hawthorn and rookie Campbell Heath to Port Adelaide.

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Hawks cut Osborne on a promise

Hawthorn are hoping to pick up Michael Osborne in the pre-season draft. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: The Daily Telegraph

HAWTHORN has delisted premiership forward Michael Osborne, 30, who is recovering from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

But the Hawks last night said they were "committed to assisting" Osborne.

"Michael will continue to train with the squad with the aim of being re-listed by the club by the pre-season draft in December," football manager Mark Evans said.

Hawthorn also delisted defender Jarrad Boumann and rookies Adam Pattison and Tom Schneider.

Chance Bateman, Cameron Bruce and rookie Broc McCauley have retired.

Essendon told Sam Lonergan and Kyle Reimers they would not be offered contracts for next season.

Geelong, who traded in Jared Rivers and Hamish McIntosh, confirmed the delistings of Tom Gillies, who they fought to keep from Hawthorn a year ago, and Orren Stephenson.

Richmond this week cut key position prospect Jayden Post.

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Neeld's big picture still unfocused

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld has made some interesting recruiting choices in the off-season. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

BILLY Beane never won the World Series.

If you didn't read Moneyball or were too busy gushing over Brad Pitt in the film to notice, this point might have escaped you.

Beane, Moneyball's pin-up boy, found fame and fortune through his controversial baseball recruiting strategy, but the Oakland As are still searching for the ultimate success.

It is a harsh reality worth noting as the dust settles on an AFL trade period in which Melbourne jettisoned 14 players, including four top 15 draft picks.

Melbourne wasn't winning games after its campaign to bottom out, but at least it had a clear point of difference: an extraordinary clutch of high draft picks.

Now the challenge for Beane disciple and Demons coach Mark Neeld is to successfully sell his new methodology, because it now seems a combination of several list management strategies.

Melbourne's fire sale of first-round picks resulted in the exodus of Lucas Cook (pick 12), Cale Morton (4), and Jordan Gysberts (11) only a year after former No.1 pick Tom Scully left for Greater Western Sydney.

In their place come journeymen who either played most of this year in the VFL or were dropped at some stage.

David Rodan, Cameron Pedersen and Shannon Byrnes played 42 state-league games between them, and marquee signing Chris Dawes was dropped by Collingwood in Round 23.

The Demons are pledging to follow the Moneyball theory, bring in underrated talent and have them thrive in a new culture of togetherness and toughness.

Actor Brad Pitt playing Billy Beane in Moneyball. Source: Supplied

But Moneyball was about recruiting cheap, undervalued talent, given Oakland's payroll of $41 million was dwarfed by the New York Yankees' $125 million.

The Demons are the antithesis of Moneyball because they were forced to pay overs for Mitch Clarke and Dawes.

Is the list revamp a concession the Demons are pushing back the window of success three years, given the drafting of kids such as Jesse Hogan (not available until 2014), Jack Viney and the lightly built Dom Barry?

If so, it means Melbourne will run into the emerging expansion teams.

More likely it is Neeld deciding most of those 14 discards did not fit the new culture he wants to instil.

But why recruit Rodan, who has all the frustrating traits you would assume Neeld is trying to eradicate at Melbourne?

He has talent but, to be honest, he plays for himself.

Success has eluded Melbourne, but at least the players were young and talented and rigidly followed a plan they believed in.

Now it is up to Neeld to tell them what their direction is.
 

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Kelly wises up after early lesson

It hasn't been all smooth sailing for Craig Kelly. Source: Herald Sun

ELITE Sports Properties boss Craig Kelly is seen as the ultimate success story - premiership footballer, seminal player manager, and the man who sold his business for $17.5 million and then bought it back for $2 million.

But Kelly says his recent successes have masked his rocky journey with money, one that made him determined to show players there was a better way.

Kelly came from a 1000ha farm an hour north of Adelaide that was the pride of his family.

As his football career was taking off, the family finances were turning pear-shaped.

"We had a beautiful property with two beautiful houses on it, and I came over in 1989," Kelly said.

"By 1990 we had lost the whole farm. Interest rates went from nine to 19 per cent and my mum and dad started a business that went bad. We just went belly up."

Still it wasn't enough of a wake-up call.

"I bought a Ford Maverick 4WD, a house in Charles St, Abbotsford, and I paid $121,000 for it and then interest rates went from 9 to 19 per cent," he said.

Upon his return from a European jaunt after Collingwood's 1990 flag win he was confronted by his bank manager.

"He said, 'What the f--k are you doing', and ripped shreds off me," Kelly said.

Eventually he restructured his finances but said he retired from football having only broken even.

Yet he had a plan - his marketing work with Collingwood helped him segue into the burgeoning sports management business.

Kelly and his player managers now tell players to save hard, invest in bricks and mortar, and plan their exit strategy from footy.

"You have to lose it to appreciate having it," he said.

"You don't want to put yourself in that situation again. It drives you to want to get it right."

Kelly said there was no excuse for AFL players not to get a head start in life.

"Lose the perception of smashing it out of the park," he said.

"You should come out 10 years ahead of the rest, even if you are only 22 years old.

"Lots of people in the AFL have lost their fortunes, but if we are working at a 90 per cent success rate and you come out 10 years ahead, the industry is going OK."

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Another AFL figure departs

AFL football administration manager Rod Austin is the latest senior staffer to exit league headquarters.

The AFL said Austin had resigned after 21 years to "pursue new opportunities".

Saturday's Herald Sun revealed Christina Ogg, footy's first and only female executive, resigned on Friday, while rising star Andrew Catterall announced he was taking long-service leave.

It is understood Catterall, the game's general manager of strategy and marketing, will not be returning to the AFL.

Austin's efforts included formation of the TAC Cup and draft camp programs, list management strategies and the AFL's anti-doping code and illicit drugs policy.

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GWS Giants circle Tippett

GWS Giants chief executive confirms they are looking to select Kurt Tippett in the AFL draft if they can.

Kurt Tippett the Giant? Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

GREATER Western Sydney says it is serious about sweeping in before Sydney and taking Adelaide forward Kurt Tippett in one of the upcoming drafts.

Tippett is expected to be forced into either November's national draft or December's pre-season draft pending the AFL's investigation into illegal third-party payments allegedly handed to him by the Crows.

GWS chief executive David Matthews confirmed last night the Giants had the salary cap room and inclination to secure Tippett.

Matthews, who signed for another three years yesterday, backed Giants coach Kevin Sheedy's endorsement of Tippett as an "exciting prospect".

"If he is affordable we would look to select him," Matthews said on SEN radio yesterday.

"Now that it looks like Kurt is going into one of the drafts, clearly it means he is someone we should be discussing and we did that today.

"He is 25 and in the prime of his career and a big player we lack in the ruck."

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Players warned on shonks

Former Crows coach Neil Craig invested a sum of money into a failed investment scheme and he wasn't the only one at Adelaide to do so. Picture: Calum Robertson Source: adelaidenow

AS shonky schemes go, investing in a dental implant business would seem the perfect way to invest in pain.

But the millions of dollars earned by AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou through his Ruthinium Group show there is money to be made in all manner of businesses.

The problem is the lack of due diligence by some AFL players.

The end game - Easing the pain for delisted players

Or as AFLPA financial counsellor Brad Wira says, "Do I really need $7 million of trauma insurance for $14,000".

Player manager Paul Connors urges his clients to build a 20 per cent cash deposit for their first house, then pay it off quickly.

Fellow manager Adam Ramanauskas says his clients who are playing regular senior football by their third year can buy their first house, with some adding another to their portfolio by their sixth year.

But there will alway be hair-brained schemes.

Firepower was a failed investment scheme involving fictitious shares in a company that claimed to have invested a revolutionary additive pill for fuel.

Yet it lured in most Adelaide stars, with coach Neil Craig also investing $30,000.

The footy trips - Tripping up on travelling

Some Adelaide figures were involved in the Firepower losses as well as the current betting syndicate, which has lured 50 players.

They aren't particularly bothered, because the same Firepower owner tipped them into a mining stock that boomed from $2 to $60.

West Coast star Nic Naitanui recently was offered a cut of a restaurant for $600,000 then when he rebuffed it, told he could have it for free.

Bottom line: AFL players sell merchandise, add buzz to a venture, and also have expendable cash.

As manager Paul Connors says, it is easy to invest $10,000 in a bar or restaurant but almost impossible to get out if your partners don't want to sell.

AFLPA financial advisers Mark Porter and Brad Wira are sounding boards for players and their investments, with Connors having a financial planner and mortgage broker as part of his services.

Says former Hawk and AFLPA general manager of player development Brett Johnson, "There are a lot of people hanging around the players at clubs. If a product or investment is put in front of them we encourage the guys to take it to 'Ports' or Brad Wira.

The success story - Kelly wises up after early lesson

"If all of a sudden you have three more years of an investment and you are delisted, that is where guys can come unstuck."

Some in the AFL believe members of club coteries should be banned from offering investments to players given the mixed fortunes that come as a result.

But player manager Dan Richardson says it comes down to homework.

"It doesn't matter what type of investment, it's more about the principle. You have to treat every investment on its merits," he said.

"If it's too good to be true, it probably is."

Part One - Sports betting a concern for players? You bet

Essendon chief executive Ian Robson says players are now wising up to ridiculous investments.

"If you meet someone in a bar and he says, 'You should invest in this', get his details and investigate, don't just give him $15,000.

"Those guys have been around since Jesus was a boy."

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Betting rife for AFL players

Former AFL star Brendan Fevola used to frequently gamble in poker games. Picture: Nathan Richter Source: The Daily Telegraph

A CHORUS of leading AFL figures have warned sports betting by players has reached troubling levels.

The combination of easy access to betting websites, 24-hour televised sport and high incomes is blamed for the escalating issue.

Player managers, players and former problem gamblers in the AFL say too many sportsmen are splashing money they cannot afford to lose.

Technology such as smart phones, the mushrooming of corporate bookmakers and high interest levels in international sports from AFL players is a dangerous mix.

Anti-gambling counsellor and former Melbourne midfielder Daniel Ward told the Herald Sun: "There is a lot of it out there at the moment."

Pick Me trailer: Exclusive highlights of your club's next superstar

"I know of several cases (of addiction) and it's not really being spoken about.

" It is spoken about behind people's backs and in whispers," he said.

"It's not a witch hunt and it's not being alarmist, but it is real."

Ward echoed North Melbourne coach Brad Scott, who last year said gambling was a bigger concern for AFL players than alcohol or drugs.

More than 50 players - about 6 per cent of the competition - were lured into a racing syndicate, and were battling to get their money back.

Player manager Paul Connors said he was worried players with hours to kill and money to burn were filling that time with gambling on sports other than AFL.

"I think gambling is an issue. It used to be poker, which led to other stuff," Connors said.

"I have been a manager for 15 years now and I just think it's readily available online and in casinos, and I think it's going to continue to be an issue.

"Players will be bored. And if they are not doing things outside footy they have downtime and they spend money and you just can't stop that." AFLPA player relations general manager Ian Prendergast said the player union was working hard to educate players and limit the number with gambling problems.

"I think we are aware of individual players who have issues with gambling. Generally speaking we have a young playing group who are risktakers with a fair amount of discretionary income available," he said.

"We are trying to stay vigilant and be really proactive with our (anti-gambling and (education) programs."

Recently retired Collingwood and Gold Coast player Josh Fraser said it was easy for young players to follow the lead of wealthier teammates who could afford to drop some money.

"Younger guys can get caught up in it pretty quickly. There are just so many avenues to have a bet these days.

"I am not concerned about football but it is the horses and sports, and the younger guys are so impressionable," he said.

"$500 to a guy who has been in the system for eight to 10 years is not much, but for a guy just in the system, it is."

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Pedersen takes baby steps

Cam Pedersen is now a Demon. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

BABIES and big moments in Cameron Pedersen's football career seem to go hand in hand.

He and wife Sarah had their first child, Charlee, just weeks before he made his AFL debut for North Melbourne last year, while the couple's second child, Ruby, came along three weeks ago - just as the key-position player was weighing up his football future.

A month of speculation led to a last-minute trade deal on Friday in which he moved to Melbourne in exchange for Jordan Gysberts and a swap of draft picks.

Pedersen has endured plenty of ups and downs in recent years.

Dees cull another eight players

He had to fight to get on to an AFL list in the first place, while baby Charlee battled health complications after being born five weeks prematurely last February.

The 25-year-old admitted the speculation about his mooted switch had been tough to deal with.

"It was very stressful, because obviously I wanted the opportunity to play more regular senior footy," Pedersen said.

Pick Me: Exclusive highlights of your club's next superstar

"If nothing had happened, I still would have been happy to stay at North Melbourne as well, but I'm ecstatic I'm at Melbourne."

Pedersen said the chance to play regular football at Melbourne had been too appealing to pass up.

"I'll always be grateful to North Melbourne for picking me up and giving me the opportunity. I loved my time there, but sometimes future plans don't work out and so I'm very happy to be at Melbourne now," he said.

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Mick's Blues given dream draw

Carlton's proposed tough draw has turned out to be an illusion. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: Herald Sun

HAWTHORN is set to be handed the opening seven weeks from hell in next year's fixture, but Carlton's proposed tough draw has turned out to be an illusion.

The defeated grand finalist is expected to be slapped with a draw featuring as many as seven 2012 finalists in the early rounds.

It will be a tough ask for Alastair Clarkson's Hawks, trying to recover from a second straight season of finals disappointment.

But while Mick Malthouse has complained about Carlton's testing start, its lowly finish this year has handed it a dream fixture.

Pick Me trailer: Exclusive vision of your club's next superstar

The Blues are expected to be given a fixture on Wednesday in which they play just one finals side twice.

That side is Collingwood, with the blockbuster status of the rivalry and revenue generated over-riding the issue of a double-up against a top-four side.

Malthouse revealed last week the Blues start the year with games against Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong, West Coast (away) and Adelaide.

But the Blues then have a string of winnable games in the following few weeks, including this year's easybeats Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.

"Given what I have just heard about our draw, the (AFL) have done us no favours," Malthouse said last week.

"But I go along with what Andrew Demetriou says - the draw is the draw is the draw, and very rarely does the top four reflect anything but that."

The Blues have benefited from a fixturing formula in which this year's bottom 10 sides are restricted from any more than a handful of double-ups against top-eight sides.

It gives the Blues a chance to leapfrog into the top eight or, given a good run with injury, even top four.

Malthouse has indicated Chris Judd will retain the captaincy if he wants it.

But Judd is known to have told friends he would be happy to give up the role if there was a suitable alternative or if it would help the club's leadership transition.

Malthouse and Judd have not met about the leadership, but the club's Arizona high-altitude camp next month shapes as the perfect chance for the dual Brownlow medallist to discuss his future.

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Crows must sacrifice a player

Richard Tambling could now be delisted due to the Kurt Tippett investigation. Source: Herald Sun

ADELAIDE will have to cut a wanted Crows player on Wednesday as the pain from the Kurt Tippett scandal turns to list management at West Lakes.

And the Crows will have to gamble on which player to turf into the AFL national draft pool where Adelaide may not get a call until No. 83. That gives Adelaide's 17 rivals 82 chances to claim this contracted Crow in the AFL national draft on November 22.

The main candidates remain out-of-favour midfielder Richard Tambling or any of Adelaide's recent draftees Nick Joyce, Mitch Grigg or Cam Ellis-Yolmen.

Pick Me trailer: Exclusive highlights of your club's next superstar

The Crows cannot - after handing Tippett a contract during the year - simply delist the Queenslander and let him fall into the new field of "delisted free agents".

By Wednesday, when all 18 AFL club must lodge their first player lists for next season, the Crows will need to have open their squad for three new draftees and 17-year-old midfielder Brad Crouch, who was pre-drafted last year.

With the AFL rules demanding Tippett stay on the list, Adelaide has opened just two spots - the net result of trading in Richmond ruckman Angus Graham and losing Michael Doughty (retired), Brad Symes (delisted) and Chris Knights (free agent to Richmond).

A third spot for upgraded rookie Ian Callinan will emerge when Tippett delists himself as an uncontracted player next month. The fourth for Crouch demands one of Tambling, Joyce, Grigg or Ellis-Yolmen be sacrificed on Wednesday.

The cut player can then be re-drafted on November 22 when the draft unfolds on the Gold Coast. Adelaide needs to choose a player who will not be stolen by a rival.

The Crows expect to know as soon as Friday how the AFL Commission has assessed the investigation into Tippett's side deal from his 2009 contract talks. The sanctions are expected to involve a heavy fine and a lockout from the first two or three rounds of the draft.

That would leave Adelaide recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie with the unglamourous picks of 83, 101 and 119 at his first draft.

Tippett's preferred pathway to Sydney in the pre-season draft on December 11 is clouded by Brisbane checking its salary cap to assess if it can call the Queenslander at No. 6 before the Swans at No. 18.

Also in question is if Tippett will be playing next season as the AFL Commission considers deregistering him for draft tampering and taking undisclosed third-party deals underwritten by the Crows. Melbourne-based lawyer, South Australian Paul Ehrlich, says that move carries the "extreme, significant chance" of having the Tippett family take the AFL to court.

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Dogs life beckons for Prismall

Brent Prismall could land at the Dogs. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

WESTERN Bulldogs have emerged as a chance to revive Brent Prismall's career if he is cut by Essendon.

Prismall, 26, one of the AFL's unluckiest players, will know his fate before Wednesday's list lodgment deadline.

His career interrupted by injury, Prismall remains uncontracted and will consult Bombers coach James Hird, who is due back from overseas, about his future at Windy Hill.

Prismall, who crossed from Geelong to Essendon in a trade at the end of 2008, is likely to be delisted.

The Bulldogs loom as his next club after showing some interest in securing him.

Dees cull another eight

Prismall has managed only 61 games at Geelong and Essendon because of two knee reconstructions.

Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney worked with him at Geelong and then at Essendon in 2011.

Prismall is hard-working and of exemplary character and the Dogs need more players aged in their mid-20s.

If he is cut by Essendon, the Dogs could secure him in the delisted free agency period, which runs from November 1-13.

Sam Edmund rates how your club fared at the trade table

Essendon backed Prismall after the 2008 season, offering him a three-year deal worth about $900,000, despite him having a knee reconstruction after being injured while playing for the Cats in the qualifying final against St Kilda.

He suffered another serious knee injury in Round 19, 2011, but the Bombers stuck with him, giving him a one-year extension.

Prismall returned this season, but he suffered hamstring injuries and could not break into the seniors.

He is not the only Bomber feeling nervous. A list management meeting set down for Windy Hill today is likely to decide the fate of several other players.

Pick Me: Exclusive highlights of your club's next superstar

Sam Lonergan is in a similar position - out of contract and in limbo - as the Bombers consider refreshing their list.

Melbourne footballer Matthew Bate. Picture: Chris Scott Source: Herald Sun

Melbourne has made its cuts, with discarded Ricky Petterd likely to spark interest.

Matthew Bate is also determined to secure another chance, but with the Dogs believed to be keen on Prismall, the option of moving to Whitten Oval may dry up.

The Dogs were keen to snare Bate in last year's trade period.

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