Teams: Demons leave out Davey

Matt Windley and Glenn McFarlane name the rookies and left-field picks to give you the SuperCoach edge.

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Aaron Davey shows the strain of pre-season training. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

Jack Viney tries to evade James Frawley at Melbourne training. Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE has left veteran Aaron Davey out of the team to face Port Adelaide on Sunday.

Melbourne cut its bench this afternoon, with Davey named as an emergency alongside mature-age South Australian recruit Dean Terlich.

Davey, 29, has played 158 games.

The Melbourne bench for its clash against Port Adelaide on Sunday is Sam Blease, Luke Tapscott, former Kangaroo Cam Pederson and 25-year-old Matt Jones, who will play his first AFL match after being recruited from VFL side Box Hill.

Port Adelaide named top draft pick Oliver Wines on the bench, setting up a head-to-head match-up with his best mate, Demon Jack Viney.

Last year's Sandover medallist Kane Mitchell is also on the bench.

It was a good day at the selection table for mature-age recruits, with Collingwood selecting 26-year-old Sam Dwyer on its bench for Sunday's clash against North Melbourne.

Dwyer was recruited from VFL side Port Melbourne in last year's rookie draft and was promoted to the senior list yesterday.

Former Carlton defender Jordan Russell is also on the bench, alongside Marty Clark and Ben Johnson.

Paul Seedsman, Josh Thomas and elevated rookie Jack Frost are emergencies.

The Kangaroos decided not to play Majak Daw, leaving Todd Goldstein as the Roos' only ruckman.

The final benches for Monday's Geelong v Hawthorn game will be named tomorrow.

Scroll down for Round 1 teams

SuperCoach Round 1 formguide: Captain picks, lockout info and more!

Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions, Etihad Stadium, Saturday 1.40pm

WESTERN BULLDOGS
B: Dale Morris, Jordan Roughead, Liam Picken
HB: Jason Johannisen, Tom Young, Brett Goodes
C: Adam Cooney, Nick Lower, Koby Stevens
HF: Tory Dickson, Liam Jones, Daniel Giansiracusa
F: Rob Murphy, Ayce Cordy, Luke Dahlhaus
Foll: Will Minson, Ryan Griffen, Tom Liberatore
I/C: Mitch Wallis, Daniel Cross, Shaun Higgins, Clay Smith
Emg: Jason Tutt, Lukas Markovic, Tom Campbell

NEW: Tom Young (Collingwood), Brett Goodes, Nick Lower (Fremantle), Koby Stevens (West Coast)

BRISBANE LIONS
B: Elliot Yeo, Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull
HB: Jed Adcock, Matt Maguire, Pearce Hanley
C: Patrick Karnezis, Tom Rockliff, Mitch Golby
HF Dayne Zorko, Stefan Martin, Josh Green
F: Rohan Bewick, Jonathan Brown, Ashley McGrath
Foll: Billy Longer, Daniel Rich, Brent Moloney
I/C: Claye Beams, Jack Redden, James Polkinghorne, Aaron Cornelius
Emg: Sam Docherty, Andrew Raines, Ryan Lester

NEW: Brent moloney (Melbourne)

GWS v SYDNEY, ANZ Stadium Saturday 4.40pm

Panic Room: Cooney good to go, Cats in trouble

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
B: Adam Kennedy, Tim Mohr, Stephen Gilham
HB: Tomas Bugg, Phil Davis, Curtly Hampton
C: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield
HF: Stephen Coniglio, Jeremy Cameron, Tom Scully
F: Liam Sumner, Jonathon Patton, Devon Smith
Foll: Jonathan Giles, Adam Treloar, Toby Greene
I/C: Taylor Adams, Dean Brogan, Lachie Plowman, Dylan Shiel
Emg: Sam Frost, Rhys Palmer, Nathan Wilson

NEW: Lachie Whitfield, Lachie Plowman

SYDNEY SWANS
B: Rhyce Shaw, Heath Grundy, Nick Smith
HB: Martin Mattner, Ted Richards, Nick Malceski
C: Ben McGlynn, Daniel Hannebery, Lewis Jetta
HF: Kieren Jack, Sam Reid, Ryan O'Keefe
F: Mike Pyke, Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton
Foll: Shane Mumford, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh
I/C: Tony Armstrong, Luke Parker, Dane Rampe, Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Emg: Andrejs Everitt, Jed Lamb, Jesse White

NEW: Dane Rampe

Hawk Jarryd Roughead joins the panel to provide inside SuperCoach info on the Hawks.

GOLD COAST v ST KILDA, Metricon Stadium, Saturday 6.45pm

GOLD COAST
B: Joel Wilkinson, Matthew Warnock, Tom Murphy
HB: Dion Prestia, Rory Thompson, Greg Broughton
C: Matt Shaw, Gary Ablett, Jarrod Harbrow
HF: Harley Bennell, Charlie Dixon, Brandon Matera
F: Luke Russell, Sam Day, Steven May
Foll: Zac Smith, Karmichael Hunt, David Swallow
I/C: Aaron Hall, Jaeger O'Meara, Jared Brennan, Michael Rischitelli
Emg: Maverick Weller, Jack Hutchins, Kyal Horsley

NEW: Jaeger O'Meara, Greg Broughton (Fremantle)

ST KILDA
B: Jason Blake, James Gwilt, Dylan Roberton
HB: Jarryn Geary, Tom Simpkin, Sam Gilbert
C: Jack Newnes, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Aaron Siposs, Nick Riewoldt, Terry Milera
F: Stephen Milne, Beau Maister, Rhys Stanley
Foll: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Jack Steven
I/C: Ahmed Saad, Tom Hickey, Clinton Jones, Farren Ray
Emg: Nathan Wright, Trent Dennis-Lane, Tom Lee

NEW: Dylan Roberton (Fremantle), Tom Hickey (Gold Coast)

Melbourne v Port Adelaide, MCG Sunday 1.10pm

MELBOURNE
B: Lynden Dunn, Tom Gillies, Daniel Nicholson
HB: Jack Watts, James Frawley, Colin Garland
C: Jack Viney, Jack Grimes, Jimmy Toumpas
HF: Jeremy Howe, James Sellar, Colin Sylvia
F: Shannon Byrnes, Mitch Clark, David Rodan
Foll: Mark Jamar, Jordie McKenzie, Nathan Jones
I/C: Sam Blease, Cam Pederson, Luke Tapscott, Matt Jones
Emerg: Aaron Davey, Dean Terlich, Jake Spencer

NEW: Tom Gillies (Geelong), Jack Viney, Jimmy Toumpas, Shannon Byrnes (Geelong), David Rodan (Port Adelaide), Cam Pederson (North Melbourne)

PORT ADELAIDE
B: Tom Jonas, Jackson Trengove, Campbell Heath
HB: Jasper Pittard, Cameron O'Shea, Lewis Stevenson
C: Matthew Broadbent, Brad Ebert, Kane Cornes
HF: Justin Westhoff, Paul Stewart, Angus Monfries
F: Chad Wingard, Jay Schulz, Jake Neade
F: Jarrad Redden, Hamish Hartlett, Travis Boak
I/C: Matthew Lobbe, Oliver Wines, Andrew Moore, Kane Mitchell
Emerg: Aaron Young, Daniel Stewart, Jack Hombsch

NEW: Campbell Heath (Sydney), Lewis Stevenson (West Coast), Angus Monfries (Essendon), Jake Neade, Oliver Wines, Kane Mitchell, Jack Hombsh (GWS)

North Melbourne v Collingwood, Etihad Stadium Sunday 4.40pm

COLLINGWOOD
B: Nathan Brown, Nick Maxwell, Ben Reid
HB: Alan Toovey, Heath Shaw, Harry O'Brien
C: Steele Sidebottom, Dane Swan, Jarryd Blair
HF: Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Quinten Lynch
F: Ben Sinclair, Tyson Goldsack, Brent Macaffer
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams
I/C: Martin Clarke, Sam Dwyer, Ben Johnson, Jordan Russell
Emerg: Jack Frost, Paul Seedsman, Josh Thomas

NEW: Quinten Lynch (West Coast), Sam Dwyer (Port Melbourne), Jordan Russell (Carlton)

NORTH MELBOURNE
B: Shaun Atley, Scott Thompson, Michael Firrito
HB: Jamie Macmillan, Nathan Grima, Ben Jacobs
C: Aaron Mullett, Ryan Bastinac, Kieran Harper
HF: Ben Cunnington, Robbie Tarrant, Daniel Wells
F: Lindsay Thomas, Drew Petrie, Lachlan Hansen
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell
I/C: Liam Anthony, Leigh Adams, Sam Wright, Sam Gibson
Emerg: Taylor Hine, Will Sierakowski, Majak Daw

NEW: Ben Jacobs (Port Adelaide)

Hawthorn v Geelong, MCG Monday 3.20pm

HAWTHORN
B: Josh Gibson, Brian Lake, Brent Guerra
HB: Grant Birchall, Ben Stratton, Shaun Burgoyne
C: Isaac Smith, Sam Mitchell, Bradley Hill
HF: Cyril Rioli, Lance Franklin, Luke Breust
F: Jack Gunston, Jarryd Roughead, Paul Puopolo
Foll: David Hale, Brad Sewell, Jordan Lewis
I/C (from): Jed Anderson, Shane Savage, Luke Shiels, Max Bailey, Ryan Schoenmakers, Kyle Cheney, Jonathan Simpkin

NEW: Brian Lake (Western Bulldogs), Jed Anderson, Jonathan Simpkin (Geelong)

GEELONG
B: Jared Rivers, Tom Lonergan, Corey Enright
HB: Taylor Hunt, Harry Taylor, Travis Varcoe
C: Andrew Mackie, Paul Chapman, Joel Corey
HF: Jordan Murdoch, Shannon Motlop, Billie Smedts
F: James Podsiadly, Tom Hawkins, Mitch Duncan
Foll: Mark Blicavs, Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel
I/C (from): Trent West, Josh Caddy, Mathew Stokes, Allen Christensen, George Horlin-Smith, Josh Walker, Jake Stringer

NEW: Jared Rivers (Melbourne), Mark Blicavs, Josh Caddy (Gold Coast) 

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There's nothin' like a Dane

Who is the real Dane Swan? Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: HWT Image Library

DANE Swan was a nobody when he and a couple of mates touched up a security guard at Federation Square in 2003.

It was act of delinquency that caused pain and hurt.

Now Swan is a somebody, a Brownlow medallist, three-time Copeland Trophy winner and a premiership player.

The road from nobody to somebody has been one of the more impressive journeys for a player in the AFL, although it's safe to say the laid-back and likeable Swan would still like to be a nobody in a somebody's world.

He is a rare bird, Dane Swan.

A knockabout who loves a drink, the nightlife and whatever else that may tickle his fancy, Swan still plays footy at unbelievable levels of speed and endurance and leather-poisoning.

If you believe rumours, and there are hundreds of them, Swan is Ben Cousins Mark II, a player whose behaviour is of major concern who, finally this off-season, realised he had to pull his head in.

If you believe those who know him, Swan is nothing of the sort.

"Dane Swan has not changed one bit from when he was a 17-year-old lad," his manager, Liam Pickering, says.

"He loves footy and he plays great footy and he cares about his footy. People don't think he does care, but they're kidding themselves. You can't be that good if you don't care about it."

Swan is a fascination for all in football and his exploits are front-page news.

He says he doesn't care what is said and written about him, but others wonder whether he tries too hard to project a feeling that he doesn't care about what is said and written about him. Whatever the thinking, there's been plenty to write about.

His parents, Billy and Dee, and his grandparents are hurt by the articles - and that hurts Swan.

"He finds that more frustrating than anything," Pickering said. "All the stuff that goes on about him he takes in his stride, but it homes in a little bit when his grandma or his mum get upset. I understand that. No one wants to pick up a paper and read negative things about their boy, and a lot of factually incorrect stuff as well."

Pickering didn't say it, but clearly he was a talking about a report written by Caroline Wilson in The Age last November.

Some at Collingwood - but not all - think Wilson has a vendetta against Swan.

In the report, Wilson called for Swan to be sacked by the club, arguing his bad behaviour had a terrible influence on younger teammates.

One small sentence said Swan had got into a "nasty fight", which supposedly took place in the Nursery car park on Emirates Day, the last day of the Spring Carnival.

The fact is Swan didn't get involved - it was one of Swan's mates and another man. A former AFL player who was a casual passserby can verify that.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire says Swan gets a heavy media treatment because he's different.

"There's some in the media who haven't met anyone who doesn't live off Page 59 of the Melways," he said, referring to the page that incorporates the well-to-do inner-eastern suburbs.

"He's got that element of danger about him.

"He's from Broady, he's got tatts, he's got a sense of humor, he's his own man, he makes blues and he's sublime on the field.

"They probably think he's white trash from Broady. I'll tell you something, Swanny's a ripper. He's an old-timer, he's a Glasgow boy out of Broadmeadows in a lot of ways."

Dane Swan is a SuperCoach must. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

It must be said, McGuire is a dufflecoat wearer. If any of his boys murdered someone, he'd probably argue it was a misunderstanding. But there's a warmth from McGuire to Swan, borne perhaps from their upbringing.

Both grew up in hardened Broadmeadows, both have climbed the pinnacle of their professions and both are at Collingwood.

The Swan name in Broady is legendary.

Swan is the son of VFA legend Billy Swan, and Billy's cousin is Roy Ramsay, who played for 126 games for North Melbourne from 1976-86.

"In Broady, Roy and Billy were superheroes," McGuire says. "Roy Ramsay's old man basically came out on the same boat as my dad, they were mates from 1958, and we lived two blocks from each other in Olsen Place, which is the Bronx of Broadmeadows.

"The Ramsays lived around the corner and Swanny's old man used to live near Upfield High, and Swanny's aunty taught me, she was my student teacher at school.

"You could say it's been a similar journey for us."

Consequently, McGuire throws a protective rug around Swan, although the rug was ripped off him at a robust meeting between McGuire, Swan and Pickering late last year.

Described recently by McGuire as "tough love", it centred on Swan's behaviour before the meeting descended into a slanging match between McGuire and Pickering.

"People think that if we're blueing or we pull him in (that we're fighting), but it's because we want to get him to the end of his journey in footy and we want him to be a Collingwood bloke forever," McGuire said.

The robustness between McGuire and Pickering continued when Swan appeared in an apparently unauthorised interview on Channel 9 in March, where, among other issues, Swan denied he had a drug problem.

The club was furious Swan did the interview and fined him $5000, fuelling the fire that Swan and the Magpies were the best of enemies.

Meanwhile, the public's fascination in Swan saw the The Footy Show secure close to one million viewers on the night.

That's the thing about Swan, he's watchable.

And he's normal.

The truth is, there are Dane Swans everywhere. Go for a walk down Sydney Rd, or visit Northland, or got a local footy game on a Saturday, or a bar on a Sunday afternoon, and there you'll find your Dane Swans. In some ways, his normalcy makes him a stand-out in the rigid and robotic world of the AFL.

The further truth is, most people don't give a brass razoo what Swan does in his own time, as long he plays good footy at the weekends.

Still, the appetite for everything Dane Swan is evident.

If Swan appears on superfooty.com.au in a story or in photo form, the reader interest is clearly definable.

Pickering agrees the normal bloke relates to Swan.

"There are no airs and graces, what you see and what you get," Pickering said. "He's not trying be someone he's not and that's the beauty of Dane Swan. He's only always been Dane Swan and you either like him, like most people do, or you don't. It's no skin off his nose if they don't like the fact he's got tattoos."

I asked a female friend for an opinion.

She said: "He's a bad boy with a wicked sparkle in his eyes. It's endearing. And he's not caught up with prettiness off the field. From his clothes to his words. He is who he is."

You only have to see his mates to know what sort of bloke he is. When people are that loyal to you, it's because you've got something special in you.

People who know Swan acknowledge he loves a good time, but point out that he's also fiercely loyal, reliable, funny, caring and giving.

True, he can run with the wolves, but he also can graze with the sheep.

He is part of - if not the leader of - the Collingwood brat pack, who think nothing of pulling an all-nighter at Eve nightclub or Tramp or a favorite haunt, the Barkly in St Kilda.

But he's also great mates with skipper Nick Maxwell, who likes to be in bed before 10.30pm.

Just recently Swan and his partner, Taylor Wilson, joined Maxwell and his wife Erin, and a couple of younger players and their partners, for a weekend at Rye, and they say Swan hanging with Maxwell's daughter two-year-old Milla was magical to watch.

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley talks with Dane Swan. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

So much for thinking Swan spends every weekend watching the sun come up. That said, it's not foreign to him.

In August last year, when Swan's behavior drove Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert to despair, as well as his teammates, Swan was suspended for two weeks by the club for arriving at training clearly affected by alcohol.

He had been at the Barkly the night before and kicked on at a private residence. Those at the Barkly claimed Swan was drinking water. Someone apparently in the know said the water bottle was sometimes filled with vodka.

The upshot was suspension, a loss of confidence and respect from teammates, who rightfully wanted to know why the bender was in the month before finals.

Swan was at fault, but perhaps the leadership at Collingwood was at fault, too, for Swan had been getting away with benders for some time.

Under Mick Malthouse, the "bad boys" were tolerated, and certainly weren't suspended. But where Malthouse was lenient, believing the knockabouts played an important role in team culture, new coach Nathan Buckley wasn't as flexible.

The club had suspended Sharrod Wellingham for two weeks earlier in the season for drinking, so when Swan mucked up, the same penalty applied.

Brownlow Medallist Dane Swan is Collingwood's SuperCoach superstar. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

Fast-forward to this pre-season and not a word of criticism can be heard from Swan.

His teammates have noticed a real change. Just little things, such as taking ice baths after training to help the body recover, and answering questions with depth in player meetings, and completing early morning swim sessions at the beach without the complaining. It's called buy-in.

"He is going really well," Maxwell said on SEN radio this week. "He is always casual and calm but this pre-season I have seen him really push himself to levels I haven't seen in the 11 years I have been here."

The belief is Swan has finally grasped the fact that all actions have consequences.

The relationship between Pert and Swan, however, remains strictly professional.

"I think Swanny gets me," McGuire said, "but he's got Perty from a different point of view and he would probably see Perty as petty hard at it. Perty is the boss. We all hate the headmaster until we realise the headmaster was the bloke who was keeping us from falling into the abyss.

"At footy clubs, we all play different. You can't have everybody being the easy touch. You know what, they'll sit down together in 10 years at a reunion and they all laugh at how much pain and suffering was caused and Swanny will say, 'Gee, I wish I knew at the time, I would've pulled my head in'."

Despite the problems last year, at no stage did the club consider trading Swan.

McGuire would never have ticked it off.

"You know my philosophy: how many chances do you get - as many as it takes. If Swanny wasn't a good bloke and a great contributor to the club, you would probably pull the pin. But he is a great contributor, he's got a lot to give and he's a giving bloke.

"You only have to see his mates to know what sort of bloke he is. When people are that loyal to you, it's because you've got something special in you.

"You know, what we've got to make sure is this is a game for working class boys and blokes from all parts of the community.

"To do that, you've got to take into account people that have different backgrounds, different philosophies ... it's a melting pot.

"I've seen Swanny develop and develop and develop, and yes things happen, there's a few spotfires here and there, but there's a lot more of Dane Swan to come, providing he makes sure it happens."

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Magpies to go deep: Maxwell

Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD has greater depth this season than it did during the 2010 premiership season, according to captain Nick Maxwell.

As the Magpies prepare for tomorrow's season opener against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium, Maxwell believes the club is well placed to once more push deep into September.

"We have probably got more depth this year than at any time since I have been at the club," Maxwell said. "I think there is more now than there was in 2010."

He said the club's ability to bring in three free agents - Quinten Lynch, Clinton Young and Jordan Russell - and recruit a few mature-aged rookies boosted the stocks.

"(This pre-season) we have thrown guys in and they have shown that they can play at this level," Maxwell said.

"Even the guys like Jack Frost, Sammy Dwyer and Kyle Martin are new around the club, but they are ready-made players. They have got physical bodies and the way they have gone about it has been really good.

Maxwell said: "When you are finishing high on the ladder, it is hard to get the draft picks to get the quality players.

"I guess that is where we are proud of our systems, to bring through a lot of rookies. We had eight rookies in the 2010 premiership side.

"It shows that you don't always have to have the first round draft picks if you have the right guys and they are prepared to work."

Maxwell said Collingwood prided itself on choosing players with character.

"That's the aim - to pick guys who are the right people," he said.

"They don't have to have the right skills or be perfect - and I am proof of that - but if you get the right characters and they are desperate to play AFL, it makes a difference."

Meanwhile, Collingwood expects to become the first AFL clubs to smash through the 80,000 membership bracket this season.

The Magpies are currently 7000 ahead of the same stage last season and will have signed up more than 70,000 members ahead of Sunday's opening round clash.

"Our target for this year was 80,000 and we are tracking strongly, so we expect to exceed that figure this year," Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert said.

"In the next couple of years we are definitely expecting to achieve over 100,000 members."

Collingwood holds the AFL record of almost 73,000 members from last year, with Pert praising the members for shaping the direction of the campaign.

"We asked our supporters what it would take to make them members." he said.

"We are constantly asking our members what they require from us and what they want in our packages.

"It is a simple model. Whenever we are redesigning our membership packages, and doing our marketing at the start of the year, all of our ideas have come from the supporters and members who have given us feedback."

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Grimes learns from bad start

Melbourne co-captain Jack Grimes with former Demons great Ron Barassi. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

JACK Grimes admits he was "thrown in the deep end" when made Melbourne captain last year, but believes the season from hell has defined him.

Grimes last February was made Demons co-captain at just 22, partnering Jack Trengove - at 20 the youngest skipper in AFL history - as the club set about a rebirth.

But the inexperienced leaders found themselves under unrelenting pressure as a controversy-packed 2012 threatened to rip the club apart.

Melbourne was investigated for tanking, lost much-loved president Jim Stynes, had coach Mark Neeld accused of racism and was forced to terminate its partnership with major sponsor EnergyWatch all in 12 months.

"It genuinely was a massive shock to me. I really didn't expect it and at the time it was almost like, 'What have I got myself into here'?" Grimes said of being made captain.

"Looking back, it really was as hard as it gets, what we went through, but with 'Trenners' in it with me and the new leaders we had around us, we had so much help."

After a summer of reflection, and buoyed by the hope a new season brings, Grimes looks back on that horror initiation as the sort of education money can't buy.

"It's an experience I never want to have to go through again and for all the new captains around the league I would never want them to go through it either, but it's one of those one's where you're almost glad you've seen that side of it," he said.

"Neil Craig (director of sport performance) always asks me the question: 'Who do you think learnt more out of last year? You going through what you did or another new captain at a successful club that won most of its games?'

"There were times when it seemed like it was jumping from one thing to the other and it was tough, not just for us, but for 'Neeldy' as a first-year coach.

"At one stage we were 0-9 and he'd been called a racist and we'd been through all these other off-field issues. It was taking its toll on a lot of people, but at the same time we never fractured as a group and, if we were ever going to, it would have been then.

"Our backs were against the wall and everything was going against us.

"But it felt like we stuck together and began to turn it around in the second half of the year."

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Dog finally has his day

Western Bulldogs footballer Dale Morris at home with his wife Gemma and children Riley and Charlie. Picture: Mark Dadswell Source: Herald Sun

An injured Dale Morris signals for a trainer before collapsing in pain with a broken leg. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

 As Dale Morris lies prone on the Etihad Stadium turf, his wife Gemma is at home "blissfully unaware" that his leg, and possibly career, has been shattered.

Six months pregnant, Gemma is watching the Western Bulldogs' game against Essendon on a half-hour delay.

Then the calls come.

First from her best friend, then Morris's parents.

The friend, who is at the game, makes her way to the Morris house in Keilor to look after their two-year-old son Riley so Gemma can rush to Morris's bedside at The Avenue in Windsor.

But first she has to see the fateful marking contest for herself on the screen.

"Seeing the look in his eyes and him screaming ... I'd literally never even heard him yell before, so I knew then it was bad," she said.

"That's all I was worried about, was how much pain he was in and what he was going through.

"I wasn't even thinking about us and what might happen."

But Morris is.

He is lying in the hospital room already thinking about the burden he will become.

Dale Morris on his way back from a broken leg. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

A couple of hours have passed before Gemma reaches Morris, who is still in his playing gear.

He will stay in his shorts and jumper for two days, such is the pain when he moves.

"He just looked so vulnerable and defenceless lying there on his back," Gemma says.

"He couldn't move, he was in so much pain. If his leg moved a centimetre it was excruciating for him.

"We didn't say anything. I just kissed him and he just stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't even speak."

Rather than insert a rod, surgeons set the broken bone with a view to letting it calcify.

It will heal naturally, but Morris needs a cast all the way from his foot to his hip. For a month he can hardly move.

"We had to set up the house like a rehab centre," Gemma says.

"He had to get from the wheelchair on to the toilet seat with handles ... we had to have ramps all around the house for the wheelchair.

"I couldn't sleep in the bed with him for three months because any movement with his leg would hurt him too much. We set up his bean bag and it had to be positioned a certain way so his leg could sit at the right angle, and then he had to lie flat on his back.

"It killed his back as well. He was in agony, but he just had to be like that. He would take a huge amount of pain-killers just to go to bed.

Western Bulldog Dale Morris at Whitten Oval. Picture: Rob Leeson Source: Herald Sun

"I would wheel him in and it would break my heart to have to put him in to bed and leave him there overnight.

"We had Riley's new bed that we had bought, so I slept on that in the spare room, which was going to be Charlie's nursery.

"And then in the morning he'd ring my phone to say he was ready to wake up and I'd wheel the wheelchair back in and get him in there.

"His cast was too heavy for me, so Dale had to lift his leg up and he would get into the wheelchair so slowly. We'd then sit at the breakfast table, have food and then put him on the couch for the day.

"He had to have a bed pan, he couldn't go to the toilet during the day. It was awful, and that was for the full month."
Nothing is easy.

"We only showered him every second day because it was just too difficult," Gemma says.

"So the days that Riley was at creche we timed it so that Dale's mum would pick Riley up and I would shower Dale.

"Getting him dressed after was probably the hardest part because you had to pull his pants up over this big cast and not move his leg in the slightest.

"I would be in tears because I could see the pain he was in. He was trying not to say anything and I was trying to be as gentle as possible."

Gemma is a midwife. She had not worked for several months after suffering health complications in the early stages of her second pregnancy and, ironically, is due to return to her job on the Monday after Morris's accident.

The injured Dale Morris runs short sprints in front of the locals. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

She would be put to work all right, but she didn't expect her patient would be her husband and she would be working for love, not money.

"I do all these nursing duties, but to have to do it for your husband and know that it's absolutely killing him to let you do this to him - he's lost all his dignity, all of his independence - it was awful," she says.

"People just don't know that side of it. They've seen him come back 18 months later and he looks awesome. He's fit, strong, got the muscles, but to think about what it took to get back to that is incredible.

"You just forget, it was so bad."

After about six weeks the process to gradually shave down the cast on Dale's leg begins. And just in time.

Early in October, Gemma, only 32 weeks pregnant, goes into labour.

She is in hospital for a week as doctors do all they can to prevent the baby from being born. Morris blames himself.

"I just thought with the injury and what I put her through with it all ... there was nothing else that would have caused this except for me," he says.

Doctors manage to halt the birth, but now it is Gemma who is consigned to bed rest - for eight weeks.

"I became the patient," Gemma says. "Dale was still in his cast, but he ended up taking over the house, looking after me and looking after Riley."

Dale Morris does some contesting with assistant coach Brett Montgomery. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Morris is still on crutches, which makes washing the clothes especially difficult seeing as he has to hobble up a flight of steps to get to the laundry.

"In a strange way you start feeling good about yourself," he says.

"You're looking after Riley, looking after myself, looking after Gem, looking after the house.

"I guess it could have been a little blessing in disguise, if you can look at it that way, that I was thrown in that situation because I was forced to start doing things again."

It's now December and Charlie is born. And Morris, after confidence-boosting conversations with fellow broken leg victims Garry Lyon and Michael Barlow, is back in training with an eye on Round 1, 2012.

One morning, as he drives himself to Whitten Oval and Riley to the neighbouring creche, he is confronted by Riley's comprehension of his injury.

After weeks of running on an Alter-G machine - a weight-bearing treadmill - at the club, Dale is preparing to run outside for the first time.

"I remember saying to Riley in the car, 'Daddy's going to go for a run today', because I was excited about it," he says.

"But he started to get upset and said, 'I don't want you to'.

I asked him what was wrong and why he didn't want me to run and he goes, 'Because I don't want you to hurt your leg again'."

The run goes well. Everything, finally, is going OK.

That is, until 16 minutes in to his low-key return with Williamstown reserves on the last weekend of April.

The tightness he feels in his leg is later diagnosed as a stress fracture 3cm below the initial break.

After all this time he requires surgery to put a plate on the fibula bone.

"When they said there was a break in there I just had flashbacks to everything we went through when I was bedridden," Morris says.

The leg ended up feeling better with the plate in for support, but Morris soon accepts the reality he will not play again in 2012.

He also questions whether he will ever play again.

"Especially after the setback I did," he says.

"Early days with the injury I had no idea how everything was going to heal and if everything was going to come back to normal.

"And you hit the age of 30 and everyone starts doubting you anyway, so I had a few things working against me.

"We'd sit there and say, 'I want to believe I can do it', but with such a big injury I just didn't know."

Gemma could have been forgiven for wanting her husband to hang up his boots.

"But I didn't want him to go out like that," she says.

"He'd played almost 150 games straight, he'd worked so hard and I just didn't want it to be taken away with such a devastating injury.

"I always said I wanted him to get back and play and finish on a good note."

Today provides Dale Morris with his first opportunity to start penning the final chapters of his playing career.

Now that he is back to full fitness he even speaks of being able to play until his kids can sit in the stands and appreciate what they are seeing.

For now, though, he is just happy with one game, his 152nd.

And after everything they've been through, that's enough for Gemma as well.

"He never complained once," she says. "He could have just thrown his hands in the air, cracked it and said it was all too hard, but he never did.

"I basically did, because it was. It was just so hard. But he was just amazing and strong minded. I'm so proud of the way he handled it. I just think he's incredible.

"I used to think he was pretty much invincible. Even his fractured back that he had a couple of years ago, he was only out for about four weeks.

"He just pushes through, nothing would get him down, but then to have this happen is a real wake-up call. Now I'm just scared as.

"To see him run out there and just be back to being Dale, he deserves nothing less than to go out there and play an awesome game."

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Thomas emerges unscathed

Collingwood star Dale Thomas collected 25 disposals in the Magpies reserves match against AIS-AFL Academy squad. Picture: Ludbey Wayne Source: Herald Sun

DALE Thomas emerged from his first match hitout of the season unscathed.

Thomas, as planned, played just three quarters of the Collingwood reserves team's practice match against the AIS-AFL Academy team at the MCG tonight, piling up about 25 disposals.

He had ice packs on his right calf and upper left thigh after the match as a precaution, but showed no signs of the ankle injury that has delayed his start to the season.

Magpies football manager Geoff Walsh said Thomas, who played mostly on the wing and booted one goal, had been "pretty lively".

"Things went to plan under the program we have for him and he got a bit of the ball, so we're happy with that," Walsh said of Thomas.

"It's his first real hitout for the year, so I'm sure he's in need of the run, but we don't expect any problems (in the wash-up)."

The Pies also got two goals in an impressive effort from the returning Andrew Krakouer and won the match 15.15 (105) to the AIS's 9.9 (63).

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Finally, the hoodoo is over

Brett Deledio celebrates with Jack Riewoldt after kicking a goal. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

THE streak is dead -- but it took forever to turn off the life support.

Richmond, which led by 42 points 11 minutes into the third term, held on by five points to end a four-year season-opening nightmare against long-time rival Carlton, which had three gilt-edged chances to win in the closing three minutes.

The Tigers, so dangerous and poised for 90 minutes, stopped in their tracks, booting their final goal at the 25-minute mark of the third term as Carlton piled on five in the final term.

Coach Damien Hardwick smiled when asked if he'd contemplated what another Carlton major would have meant, but said he'd always "had faith" his charges would hang on.

Trent Cotchin clears out of the middle. Source: Herald Sun

"But there were a couple of stages where they were just getting (caught) forward of the ball in the last quarter," Hardwick said.

"We controledl the game of footy and should have been a lot further ahead on the scoreboard.

"But Carlton teams don't give up. Mick Malthouse sides don't."

"For us to come away with the win tonight was a really good result for our footy club."

When new captain Trent Cotchin and his deputy Brett Deledio slowed from the blistering speed they offered in the first three quarters, it looked for all money as if the Tigers would add another to the list of six games they lost by less than 12 points last season.

Lachie Henderson after the final siren. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

Only a desperation tackle by Luke McGuane in the forward line effectively stopped the Blues' surge in the final minute -- sparking yellow and black celebrations born more of relief than the joy that appeared likely 30 minutes earlier.

Importantly, after a summer of proofless hype, the Tigers showed signs of significant improvement at all levels, not just their vaunted top-end midfielders.

Hardwick was delighted with a slew of his once lesser lights.

Much-maligned big man Tyrone Vickery booted three goals, two against Lachie Henderson in a first-half torching that set up the the Tigers'

first win in 10 games against Carlton -- the second worst sequence after the 24 they lost to the Blues when they joined the league in 1908.

Chris Yarram misses a goal late in the match. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

"Ever since he wenet down last year. we knew important he was to the side. He's a big man, just 22 years of age ... but we were really pleased to see him work hard and get rewarded like that," Hardwick said.

"He's a tough kid, plays the game hard and he's very competitive. When he ran with the flight of the ball (and clashed with Mitch) Robinson ... it was a sign of (his) fitness and confidence."

Hardwick was also thrilled with McGuane's endeavour -- and the team play of statistically subdued Jack Riewoldt that made both other big forwards viable alternatives.

"It was a significant role for Jack that allowed Ty to get down deep.

It was great team-first footy ... his best game in 12 months."

Chris Judd breaks through the tacklers. Source: Herald Sun

At the other end of the ground, Steve Morris gave Eddie Betts fits.

Normally Carlton's danger man, Betts was incredibly frustrated with the close attention of the antagonistic Morris which extended, on several occasions, to the bench as the pair ran from the ground.

Jake Batchelor was impressive, especially when he was made the loose man in place of new Tiger Troy Chaplin and helped spark the streak of eight unanswered goals in the first half.

Aside from the need for improved match fitness that is expected in Round 1, the Tigers will be desperate to work on their goalkicking which almost proved their nemesis again.

Richmond, which had equal or more scoring shots than their opponents in 17 matches for just 10.5 wins, frittered away several easy chances in the opening term on their way to 14.22.

Ironically, in the end, it was missed chances by Matt Kreuzer and Chris Yarran in the dying minutes that enabled them to wriggle off the hook.

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Tigers survive Blues rampage

Tiger Luke McGuane latches onto Blues youngster Josh Bootsma for a game-saving tackle in the dying seconds of play. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

THEY'RE not called long-suffering Tigers fans for nothing.

For five years they've been waiting to get one over their bitter enemy Carlton.

For 12 months they've watched as their team has found any number of ways to lose close matches.

For 12 years they've fronted up in Round 1 full of hope and optimism only to watch it gradually evaporate at various stages before September.

All of those ghosts from seasons past looked to have been banished midway through the third quarter when the Tigers were dominating, full of energy and run as Brett Deledio kicked consecutive goals to stretch the lead to a seemingly insurmountable 42 points.

Tigers snap hoodoo

Particularly when their coach Damien Hardwick had spoken in the pre-season  about how their primary focus over summer was the defensive structure and the defensive aspects of the players all over the ground.

Yet the Tiger nerves started jangling when Chris Judd produced a two-minute purple patch late in the third quarter, managing three shots -- two of them goals -- to reduce the margin to 21 points.

Those same nerves were soothed, though, when new skipper Trent Cotchin stamped his authority on the match.

Chris Judd breaks through the tacklers during third quarter. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

Cotchin, who had never experienced victory in his previous seven matches against the Blues, looked determined to break his duck.

In one particularyl brilliant passage of play, he gathered a floating ball, produced a Robert Harvey-like body swerve to wrong foot an approaching Blues defender, and drilled a precise pass to Luke McGuane for a goal.

Blues charge falls short

By the final change the margin had been restored to 36 points and all looked well in the yellow-and-black camp.

But the Tiger nerves were fraying again when Carlton kicked the first three goals of the final quarter to reduce the difference to 19 points.

They were numb as they watched their boys simply stop running, tighten up and make poor decisions, leaving the door ajar for the unthinkable.

Tigers fans were contemplating a whole new brand of suffering when Jeff Garlett slotted home two goals to get the Blues to within seven points 23 minutes into the final term.

Ivan Maric and Shaun Hampson battle at the boundary throw. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

They couldn't watch when Matthew Kreuzer pulled in a mark moments later, when Chris Yarran first snapped and then streamed into an open goal.

But thankfully for them all of these shots missed. With a minute to play and just four points the difference, it was anyone's game.

Surely a moment of class or luck or umpiring would decide this match now.

As it turned out, it may actually have been that long-suffering yoke that made the difference.

Only five of Richmond's starting 22 had ever played in a Tigers win over Carlton:  Chris Newman, Brett Deledio, Shane Tuck, Jake King and Daniel Jackson.

Mitch Robinson in the hands of club medicos after colliding with Ty Vickery during the 2nd qtr of the Carlton v Richmond match at the MCG. March 28, 2013. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

In fact, going into last night's match, the Tigers team had played a combined 131 matches for Richmond against Carlton, for a grand total of 13 wins.

One of the 17 was Luke McGuane, who had trudged from the field on the previous six occasions to the tune of ''We are the Navy Blues''.

With about 35 seconds remaining, and the ball in the hands of Carlton defender Josh Bootsma, a desperate McGuane launched himself into a fierce tackle that earned him a free-kick and bought enough time to ensure victory.

His point sealed the five-point win.

In truth it had been set up over the first three terms.

Cotchin was superb, with 16 of his 33 possessions contested.

He also influenced the play numerous times when he didn't have the ball, most notably in the second quarter when he chased down and tackled Andrew Carazzo to set up a Tyrone Vickery goal.

Brett Deledio was the architect early, with clean hands and crisp skills when the ball was hot in the first half.

Live HQ: SuperCoach scores, stats

Ivan Maric produced a typically bullocking display in the ruck, while Alex Rance and Steve Morris stuck at their roles of quelling Carlton's main goal threats.

Judd and Bryce Gibbs tried hard throughout, and Michael Jamison kept Jack Riewoldt out of the match.

In the end, though, the difference was that more Richmond players seemed to want it more.

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A lot to work on: Malthouse

Lachie Henderson after the final siren. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

Blues coach Mick Malthouse lays down the law. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON coach Mick Malthouse admits he is wrestling with the Blues' defence-attack balance after only one game.

The Blues were down by as much as 42 points 11 minutes into the third quarter, but threw caution to the wind in the second half to fall five points short of an incredible comeback.

Malthouse said he made the call to abandon his conservative approach in a bid to pinch the game, which only failed when Chris Yarran missed too good chances in front of goal in the dying minutes.

"I learned a lot, they'll probably learn a lot. Just the methodology, the things you can do that work and things that don't work and you've got to start to get the balance right," Malthouse said.

"By working one way you do rob yourself of some defensive play and we took that gamble so I'm not too sure where I actually sit with that. It got us back in the game, but I'm not 100 per cent sure you can keep having shootouts with sides.

"Nonetheless I guess it was enough to spook Richmond a bit."

Carlton face a daunting start to the season, with Collingwood, Geelong, West Coast (away) and Adelaide to come in the next month, but Malthouse strongly rejected suggestions he needed to "pick players up".

"What, do you think they're walking around with their head down? They've come back and had a crack," he said.

"This is one round. It's Round 1 of a 22-week season. They're not babies, they don't need to be cuddled and caressed and told how unlucky they are. We know we got beaten by a better side and we know we've got a lot of work to do to make us more competitive.

"But this is not a kindergarten. These are grown men."

Malthouse criticised the Blues' use of the interchange, claiming he was unhappy with only 106 rotations compared to Richmond's 133.

But that was the extent of his irritation with his side's first loss to the Tigers since 2008.

"There's enough there," he said.

"I said to the playing group, 'There's no witch-hunt in the rooms tonight'. It is simply that we need to look at why our planning didn't work and why we were able to get back in the game."

Malthouse said Marc Murphy and Chris Judd would continue to get better after limited preparation and said Bryce Gibbs would get more confidence in his game.

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Bailey's return helps Hawks go big

Max Bailey kicks at goal during Hawthorn training session. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

HAWTHORN star Jarryd Roughead says the return of ruckman Max Bailey will enable the team to load up its forward line with big men.

With Bailey slated to fill the first ruck role after a nightmare run of injuries, the Hawks could use Roughead, David Hale and Lance Franklin to stretch the Cats defence on Monday.

The land of the giants set-up was used with great success by West Coast last season and Roughead tipped coach Alastair Clarkson to follow that example.

"I wouldn't be surprised if all three of us play," Roughead said on Fox Footy's The SuperCoach Show.

"I think with Max having a good pre-season and off (his) injuries, I think they (coaches) will give him every chance to play early in the year. You can throw Jack Gunston down there as well and hopefully we can stretch some sides for height and it will benefit us."

The Hawks will try to break a run of nine straight defeats against the Cats following their 2008 premiership win.

Central to that goal is a desire to lighten the goalkicking load on Franklin and make their attack more unpredictable.

Franklin's contract status continues to fuel headlines but Roughead said the interest in his future would not distract the team from its premiership focus.

"I wouldn't have thought (it would disrupt the team)," Roughead said.

"Bud, we've been dealing with him for eight years, so it's not like anything different this year. I expect a big year from him."

The Hawks have reshuffled their defence to cope with the loss of Clinton Young to Collingwood and the season-ending knee injury to Matthew Suckling.

Roughead said youngsters Bradley Hill and Jed Anderson would get their chance to fill the void.

He said speedster Hill had been one of the standouts of the summer.

"His pre-season has been unreal for a second-year kid," Roughead said.

"He's got a lot of confidence, which is what you want to see for a bloke in his second year. Hopefully he plays a number of games.

"A number of blokes might get a chance to fill a role, (such as) Taylor Duryea or Jed Anderson."
 

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