Thursday, March 20

AFL will take no action on Liberatore claims
Carlton has no case to answer on the back of former assistant coach Tony Liberatore’s claims of ‘tanking’ on The Footy Show on Channel Nine last week.

Both Liberatore and members of the Blues’ coaching staff met with AFL officials this week, but no further investigations will be conducted into the game in question against Melbourne in Round 22 last year.

The former Western Bulldogs player confirmed it was his view that at all times Carlton’s players played to win matches and also confirmed that at no stage was anything said to him, or did he hear anything, to the effect that Carlton should not try to win matches.

A different view – Pro-Stats ...
n Throughout Round 1 try the Stats Alternative for up-to-date information –
http://www.pro-stats.com.au:80/

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The ultimate fan site
where passionate supporters gather!

u Hawthorn at the MCG in 2008, 2007, 2006 –

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u Melbourne at the MCG in 2008, 2007, 2006 –

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Worth noting ...
n NAB Cup 2008 Match Review and details – more
n Tribunal 2008 – more
n Traded, Retired, Delisted, Acquired – more
n 2007 financial forecasts and results – more
n Footystats Classifieds – more

u Kangaroos at Docklands in 2008, 2007, 2006 –

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u Essendon at Docklands in 2008, 2007, 2006 –

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"Not them again!"

Team(s) which each club has the worst match win ratio over the last 20 seasons, 1988-2007 ...

"Why can't we play them more often?"

Team(s) which each club has the best match win ratio over the past 20 seasons, 1988-2007 (excluding Fitzroy).

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Wednesday, March 19

Brendan Fevola fined $10,000
Carlton give Fevola "last" chance warning
Carlton's Brendan Fevola will play against Richmond on Thursday night at the MCG, but the Blues have warned the 27-year-old that another slip up will push him out the door at Princes Park.

Instead of suspending Fevola, the Blues have elected to remove him from their leadership group, fine him the maximum penalty of $10,000 and direct him to alcohol counselling after his latest off-field indiscretion – urinating on the window of Prahran's Candy Bar nightclub in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Blues’ chief executive Greg Swann said the club was pleased with the way Fevola had trained and conducted himself on the training track during the off-season, but admitted the Coleman medallist had a significant problem.

Jake Niall reports in The Age: Carlton consulted not only a psychologist and welfare workers – along with its leadership group, headed by new captain Chris Judd – but with the AFL Players Association and the AFL before making its decision, which led to Fevola being ejected from the leadership group, given the maximum fine of $10,000 and sent for counselling for his alcohol problem. The counselling will be organised through the AFLPA.

The decision to allow Fevola to play and give him only one chance was made by chief executive Greg Swann, coach Brett Ratten and football operations manager Stephen Icke, in conjunction with the leadership group. The club board discussed Fevola on Monday night, but left the decision in the hands of the executive.
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Comment: A big percentage of Carlton supporters will be happy that the repetitive slobbish behaviour of a drunken Fevola is an image the club can well do without.

l Demons name Paul McNamee as new CEO
High-profile former tennis star Paul McNamee is the new chief executive of the Melbourne Football Club, replacing Steve Harris in the role.

McNamee was a key figure in the birth of the Hopman Cup tennis tournament and was CEO of the Australian Open from 1999 until 2006. The 53-year-old will leave his position at Golf Australia after a successful two-year stay and will officially begin in the role on April 7.

International rules
l Series against Ireland set to resume
International Rules is off life-support and on track to resume in Australia in October. The Irish counties, appalled by the violence of the 2005 and 2006 series, have given the green light for clashes with Australia to resume.

At least 24 of 32 counties backed the revival of the series at a St Patrick's Day meeting of the Gaelic Athletic Association's central council.

Talks with the AFL will now resume and it seems a formality that the league's players will get another opportunity to represent Australia – Herald Sun

Stab Kicks ...
n New Hawthorn captain Sam Mitchell signed a new three-year deal with the club on Tuesday until the end of the 2010 season.

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u West Coast at Subiaco in 2008, 2007, 2006 –

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u Brisbane in Perth, 1997-2007 –
*1997-R22(n) played at the WACA ... all others at Subiaco Oval.

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u Bulldogs at Docklands in 2008, 2007, 2006 –

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u Adelaide at Docklands, 2000-2008 –

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Tuesday, March 18

Victorian Government invests in our future
$10.5 million windfall for nine Melbourne clubs

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou believes the gap between the Victorian clubs and the non-Victorian clubs in terms of player facilities will be bridged enormously thanks to a $10.5 million grant from the Victorian Government; announced on Monday.

Victorian Premier John Brumby announced the grant at Richmond's Punt Road Oval with all nine AFL clubs based in the Melbourne metropolitan area set to benefit.

Sportal reported that under the 'Victorian AFL Club Facilities Funding Program', the money will be shared between the nine clubs with the funding going to:

n $2.5 million to Richmond's Punt Road Oval for both ground improvements - including drought-proofing - and the building of a new indoor facility.
n $2 million to North Melbourne for their new administration building at Arden Street.
n $1.5 million for re-configuration of Essendon's Windy Hill training ground.
n $1 million to Melbourne for its relocation to the new rectangular stadium being built at Olympic Park.
n $1 million to Carlton for its re-development of Princes Park.
n $500,000 to improve training facilities at Collingwood's Lexus Centre to be shared by the Melbourne Vixens netball team.
n $500,000 to St Kilda to open up Moorabbin for community access and
n $500,000 to the Western Bulldogs for an indoor sports facility at the Whitten Oval.

Mr Brumby said the funding would not only benefit Melbourne's AFL clubs but would also ensure the improved facilities are available for use by the respective local communities.

"This announcement ensures that the Government's vision of transforming former suburban AFL venues into multi-purpose sport and recreation hubs comes to fruition," he said.

"The funding will also allow our Victorian clubs to be as competitive as possible in the national competition, where interstate clubs have historically had better training and administrative facilities."

l No change to priority pick rules
Liberatore backs down on earlier "tanking" claims
The AFL will stick with their controversial priority draft pick system for at least another season and are resigned to ongoing debate about the issue.

League chief executive Andrew Demetriou added there were no plans for the AFL to look at changing the system, despite the "tanking" issue.

Brownlow Medallist and former Carlton assistant coach Tony Liberatore met with AFL officials on Monday to discuss his explosive comments last Thursday night, where he expressed the opinion that the Blues had tanked towards the end of last season.

Liberatore appeared to back down from that opinion over the weekend.

"We debated it (priority picks) 18 months ago and we came up with a new system that rewarded teams over a two-year period," Demetriou said.

"It's certainly not on the agenda for this year, given that we don't like changing things mid-season and we certainly don't like changing things after a year and a half. But I'm sure it will be a topic for discussion and it will probably heat up around about round 16 this year."

Demetriou said he was not involved in the Liberatore meeting, but was receiving a briefing – Yahoo! Sport

l Royce Hart added to Tigers' Immortals
Richmond's champion forward Royce Hart was last night awarded the Tigers' greatest honour when he was elevated to Immortal status in the club's Hall of Fame. Hart, a four-time premiership hero and considered the club's greatest centre half-forward, became the club's fifth Immortal, joining Jack Dyer, Kevin Bartlett, Tom Hafey and Francis Bourke.

Jon Ralph and Bruce Matthews report in the Herald Sun: In an 11-year, 187-game career, he was involved in the 1967, 1969, 1973 and 1974 flags, the last two as captain – a dominant player in the club's great era.

At 22 he famously wrote a book in which he named himself as centre half-forward in the best-ever team, but by the end of his career he was not too far short of that lofty title.

Hart was also a superb state player, captaining Victoria and representing the Big V 11 times.

One of the best players to represent Tasmania, he was recently named at No. 18 in Herald Sun chief football writer Mike Sheahan's best footballers of 150 years.

The Tigers also elevated dual premiership backman Kevin O'Neill and 1980 premiership pair Geoff Raines and Jim Jess into the Hall of Fame.

Raines was a member of Richmond's Team of the Century, and won three best-and-fairest as a slashing centreman. Jess, nicknamed "The Ghost", played 161 games and was centre half-back in the 1980 premiership side.

l Ray Shaw joins Collingwood's Hall of Fame
Another cheeky rover named Shaw joined Collingwood's Immortals last night. Ray Shaw, elder brother of Tony, was inducted into the Magpies' Hall of Fame at the season's launch at Crown. Shaw, father of defender Rhyce, was recruited from VFA club Preston after winning the Liston Trophy in 1973.

He played 146 games from 1974-81, won the 1978 best-and-fairest award and was captain of Grand Final teams in 1979 and 1980.

Collingwood further honoured its brotherhood when Ron Richards was welcomed into the Hall of Fame. Richards, younger brother of the legendary Lou, playing on the wing in the Pies' 1953 premiership team.

After playing 143 games from 1947-56, he returned to the club in 1964 as under-19s coach, then reserves coach and later became a long-standing and astute selector.

Fellow inductee Bob Rush, who died in 1975 at age 94, is as revered in Magpie history as the Shaw and Richards families.

Rush was a member of the 1902 and 1903 premiership teams during 143 games as a backman. And his off-field influence was immense, serving as a committeeman, assistant secretary and treasurer.

That devotion earned the honour of a stand named after him at Victoria Park, the club's former home.

Collingwood last night paid homage to 17 members of its 1958 premiership team, which helped preserve the club's proud place in history. The team, captained by Murray Weideman, upset Melbourne, which was attempting to equal the Pies' record of four consecutive premierships.

Stab Kicks ...
n Carlton's leadership team will decide whether to punish Brendan Fevola for his behaviour outside a bar in Prahran in the early hours of Saturday morning when he allegedly urinated on the window of the establishment and was chastised by management. He has admitted to the club that an incident took place ...

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