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McLaren steps into assistant's position
Former AFL (Saints) player Joe McLaren has committed to Koroit, signing as the club's senior assistant coach for 2007. "It is good for us to secure Joe, he has a fair bit of input and provides leadership already, so it is a natural appointment," Koroit president Dallas Ludeman said yesterday. McLaren played a total of 69 games with St Kilda and the Kangaroos before his AFL career finished in 2001.
The Article Shane Fowles/TheWarrnamboolStandard/09Oct06

Joey keen to tackle 2007 season
Finishing ninth in the Club's Best and Fairest with 107 votes, Leigh Montagna has enjoyed a solid season this year with the Saints. Montagna notched up his 50th game for the Club this season in Round 21 against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome, and has established himself as a reliable team player. Since the finals series came to a close for the Saints, 'Joey' has enjoyed some time off from football. 'A group of the boys recently spent a week in Thailand and that was a highlight, we had a great time' Montagna said.
The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/saints.com.au/09Oct06

AFL considers more rule changes
Modern football is much like screw-top caps on wine bottles: a lamentable development for the purist clinging to tradition but a progression unlikely to be stopped. But the AFL is trying to put the cork back in the bottle. Tomorrow, the laws-of-the-game committee will meet to consider further changes to rules that encourage more individual contests in the game. Among the changes suggested to date is a move for "play-on" to be called when a ball is kicked backwards to a teammate in the defensive half of the ground - a suggestion of limited value, for players seldom pass a ball to a player behind them who is in danger of having to contest for the ball. Other changes include: limiting the number of interchange moves per game to tire players and slow the game; increasing the minimum distance a ball needs to be kicked for a legal mark from 15 metres (possibly to 25 metres) to make the chipping possession game more difficult; and possibly increasing to three (from one) the points conceded for a deliberately rushed behind.
The Article Michael Gleeson/TheAge RealFooty/10Oct06

AFL seeking fan feedback for new rules
The AFL is again seeking the input of footy fans about which of the experimental NAB Cup rules should be extended to the 2007 home and away season. afl.com.au users, through the website's blog functionality, are being invited to offer their views about these possible changes to the playing rules in 2007.
1. The effect of limiting use of the interchange
2. The effect of increasing the distance for a mark from 15 metres
3. The effect of calling play on for any kicking backwards in the defensive half
4. Awarding three points for rushed behinds
5. Changing the Laws of the Game to the effect that no contact could be made to a player's head while that player is over the ball (to helpprevent any injuries such as spinal injuries).
Article and Blog AFL/saints.com.au/09Oct06

Saints name four-man coach shortlist
St Kilda has named a short-list of four candidates from which it will fill its vacant AFL senior coaching position. They are current Sydney assistant coaches John Longmire and Ross Lyon, Collingwood assistant Guy McKenna and Western Bulldogs assistant Chris Bond. All have been interviewed in the past few days. St Kilda assistant Matt Rendell was also interviewed, but was not included in the short-list. The Saints said in a statement they will have further interviews with the four over the coming week, before deciding on who will get the job.
The Article AAP/TheAge/06Oct06
Saints narrow down coaching short-list ABCSport/TheAge/06Oct06
St Kilda Coaching update saints.com.au
Sydney game plan=success=we go for Longmire - 'Trunch' et al/saintsational.com

2007 Draw due soon
The AFL is adamant the on-going uncertainty over the make-up of next year's television coverage will not delay the release of the 2007 fixture. AFL major projects manager Simon Gorr, who is preparing next year's fixture, said the draw was almost ready to go. "We are still going through different drafts but it will definitely be out in the next fortnight," he said.
The Article Sportal/05Oct06

Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductions
Australia's greatest sporting champions have confirmed what everybody already knew - Ron Barassi is a legend. Football's most famous figure for more than 50 years became the Sport Australia Hall of Fame's 26th official Legend at the annual induction dinner in Melbourne last night. In a big night for the AFL, Richmond champion and coach Kevin Bartlett became one of four new members and former VFL and North Melbourne president Dr Allen Aylett was made an associate member.
Ron Barassi joins sporting elite Ron Reed/HeraldSun/11Oct06

Graham's punt pays off
Former Geelong footballer Ben Graham is virtually a punt away from becoming a household name in the US. The former AFL star turned New York Jets gridiron player is the eighth-top punter in the National Football League. And Graham's drop punt is being copied by several rivals trying to find the edge in accuracy and distance.
TheArticle AAP/HeraldSun/11Oct06

Matt Randall
Matt Rendell could not be contacted by journalists, but it has been reported that he has indicated to the club that he has decided to leave. If this is true - 'Thanks for all of your work Bundy, and all the best for the future'. Ed

I'm overrated and under the pump: Kosi
St Kilda's injury-prone talent Justin Koschitzke feels his AFL career is on a knife's edge and after a season of seemingly never-ending drama, has admitted it could take years to restore his confidence . . . For all the promise the 24-year-old has shown over six years, Koschitzke is yet to play an entire season - his 20 matches in his 2001 debut year is, to date, his personal-best. And while the talents of the versatile forward/ruckman are highly regarded - Koschitzke is also considered by some to be the Saints' most important player - he is battling self-doubt . . . Koschitzke considers himself most useful playing in the ruck and has expressed hopes of becoming St Kilda's chief big man full-time.
The Article Samantha Lane/TheAge RealFooty/08Oct06

Kosi backs old-style captain
Justin Koschitzke suspects his club will revert to a traditional leadership structure from next season, believing Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes or Luke Ball to be the most likely candidates to take the captaincy permanently. Whether Grant Thomas' unorthodox system of changing the club's captain annually is retained beyond this year is likely to be determined by St Kilda's next coach. Should Sydney assistants Ross Lyon or John Longmire leave the Swans, where there are three skippers in place, the structure of the Saints' hierarchy could be revamped radically again. But in the case that it becomes one man's job full-time, Koschitzke said he would favour a younger player, even over Aaron Hamill, who has been considered the club's spiritual leader ever since he led the side in 2003, but who is now 29.
The Article Samantha Lane/TheAge RealFooty/08Oct06

Walls. A good move !!
No matter what people think of him, the move to put Robert Walls on the coaching sub-committee was a masterstroke. The fact that he is there has stopped almost all media bagging of the processes the club is using to find a new coach. There has even been a hint of praise in some areas. Whether we choose to believe it or not, Walls has plenty of mates right across the media and his presence has really helped keep the rest of the media on the straight and narrow. It hasn't stopped the speculation. That will continue until a coach is appointed. Mark Robinson from the Herals Sun is the main offender here. He will need to invest in a chook farm to cover for the ammount of egg on his face recently. On the football side of things, there are some very good football brains on that sub-committee. Walls, Ross Smith & Ken Sheldon are all very experienced men in key areas like Captains, Coaches & Premierships. Also, we shouldn't underestimate the talents of Archie Fraser in all of this. He made his name in recruitment before he joined StKilda FC. All things considered, I am very comfortable with the personnel and processes used to find us a new coach !!
The Post and Thread 'Eastern' saintsational.com

SANFL Grand Final
Another Eagles triumph Ashley Porter/TheAge RealFooty/09Oct06
Eagles check in at last Doug Robertson/AdelaideAdvertiser/09Oct06

Steady as she goes for Swans
. . . It's the same system Sydney says allows it to lure a recalcitrant such as Peter Everitt to the club. Barry Hall wasn't necessarily viewed as a pillar of society before moving north, but has adapted remarkably . . . What will they give up for the ruckman they so desperately need if they are to defeat Dean Cox and his Eagles next year? Not their first or second picks, meaning a player will have to be offered with possibly a third-round draft pick. Everitt is 32, so a first-round pick is ludicrous for someone who may not play a lot of football. What about Nick Davis and a third-round pick? The problem Sydney has in letting 26-year-old Davis go is his ability to win a match, so rare in the competition and so evident again on Grand Final day.
The Article Scott Gullan/HeraldSun/09Oct06
Tarrant package deal for Dockers Greg Denham/TheAustralian/09Oct06
Goals required, so Cats make Bradshaw bid Stephen Rielly/TheAge RealFooty/08Oct06

Ball re-signs for three years
St Kilda Football Club is pleased to announce Luke Ball has signed on with the Saints for a further three years. Ball said the decision to re-sign with St Kilda was an easy one. 'I love the Club and they have been so good to me' he said. The playing group is particularly close, with Ball adding 'we have a strong list and I want to continue playing alongside these boys'. With training set to resume in November, Ball is taking a well earned break before he gets back into the full swing of training. 'I'll just be taking it easy, but I am keen to get back to the Club and prepare for next season' he said.
The Article Vanessa Gigliotti/Sportal/saints.com.au/06Oct06
Ball a Saint againThe Article Sportal/06Oct06

Saints shortlist quartet
St Kilda's coaching job is down to a race of four, with John Longmire, the early favourite for the post, now seriously challenged by fellow Sydney assistant Ross Lyon and the Western Bulldogs' Chris Bond. The Saints, who met Lyon yesterday, released a short statement announcing that the trio, along with Collingwood assistant Guy McKenna, were now the only candidates for the position, which could be announced early next week. "The St Kilda Football Club has today finished the preliminary interviews for the senior coach," the statement said. "The club now has four outstanding candidates to move to the next phase, which will take place over the coming week." Saints' assistant Matt Rendell is the first casualty of the culling process. Sources indicate his vocal support for the sacked Grant Thomas had cost him significantly in the race for the job. But the late emergence of Lyon, who impressed the panel appointed to select Thomas' replacement in his presentation yesterday morning, seems to have muddied waters further.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAge RealFooty/07Oct06

Saints name Bluey in final four
. . . The influence of the past two premiership-winning sides on the Saints' selection process is significant. Longmire and Lyon are assistants to Paul Roos, while McKenna has assisted John Worsfold. Longmire, who has been with Roos at the Swans since 2002, has been considered the favourite for the job since the Saints announced last month they had sacked Grant Thomas. Lyon is the wild-card . . . An assistant under Roos for the past three seasons, he has the most coaching experience of the four men on the short list, having started his career as an assistant coach at Richmond in 1995. Bond is rated the outsider . . . While St Kilda did sound out some senior coaches, appointing newcomers to senior jobs has proven successful in recent years, with first-time coaches Port Adelaide's Mark Williams, Roos and Worsfold landing the last three premierships.
The Article AAP/TheWestAustralian/07Oct06

• Trade Articles for this post-season period PAGE 3 l PAGE 2 l PAGE 1
• Draft Articles from this post-season period 2006 NAB AFL Draft

Jack Riewoldt wants to make it by himself
His cousin Nick is one of the hottest properties in the AFL, but teenage sensation Jack Riewoldt wants to make it on his own. Despite Nick being a big star at St Kilda, Jack is beastly careless about being drafted by the Saints and following his cousin to the Melbourne-based club. "I just want to make my own career in the AFL. Hopefully I'll get the chance," Riewoldt said yesterday at the AFL draft camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Jack doesn't even follow St Kilda like the rest of his family, who are passionate Sainters. "No, I'm not a Saints fan," he said. "I did follow them for the past couple of years but this year I've strayed away from them. I'm following individuals more than a club."
The Article James Bresnehan/TheMercury/05Oct06

AFL appoints a trade mediator
. . . The AFL and players association have appointed a trade mediator, Jack Rush QC, whom they hope will facilitate negotiations that threaten to delay key trades. Association operations manager Matt Finnis said yesterday the association hoped players' wishes would be respected in the often-heated five-day trade period. "A player is required to consent to a trade," he said. "We are always concerned that players are treated fairly by clubs, and when a player expresses a desire to get to a new club, that all reasonable steps are taken to ensure a fair and equitable trade. We would hope the emotion of any particular trade is put at the door, and that a trade can be looked at objectively . . . with a view to achieving a reasonable result for all parties."
Aker faces hard-ball tactics Matt Finnis/FoxSports/08Oct06

Managers, clubs, players ready for business
Jilted clubs, crestfallen players, fax machine delays endlessly scrutinised - welcome to the AFL's annual week of pain. Sixteen clubs will embark upon five days of furious horse-trading at Telstra Dome tomorrow, as one key player says, "trying to sell their houses for $100,000 more than they are worth". In the centre of the action will be the player managers, thrust to the forefront after a year of quietly working behind the scenes for the benefit of their clients.
The Article Sunday Herald Sun/FoxSports/08Oct06

Top prospects stand tall
Five players remain in contention to be chosen with Carlton's No. 1 draft choice next month, after this year's draft class lived up to its hype at the AFL draft camp in Canberra. None of the top contenders did anything to dampen their chances in the athletic tests, with the Blues expected to choose from onballers Bryce Gibbs and Joel Selwood, key-position prospects Lachlan Hansen and Scott Gumbleton, and Perth ruckman Matthew Leuenberger.
Draft Results & Article Emma Quayle/TheAge RealFooty/08Oct06

Draft dreams take more than a name
He has a familiar surname and a familiar dreadlocked hair-do. But for AFL draft hopeful Andrejs Everitt - the softly spoken younger brother of larrikin 252-game ruckman Peter 'Spida' Everitt - that is as far as the familiarities stretch . . . Seventeen-year-old Everitt junior, - 16 years younger than dual All Australian Peter - was among a handful of potential draftees at the AFL's three-day camp in Canberra this week who carried the added strain of a big last name. Robbie Tarrant, younger brother of Collingwood star forward Chris, and Joel Selwood, brother of Brisbane Lions second-year player Troy, join Everitt in the 2006 crop of AFL wannabes. Little-known West Coast Eagle Mitch Morton also has a younger brother, Jarryd, in the squad while Nathan Krakouer - a nephew to retired guns Phil and Jim - continues one of the most recognisable Aboriginal names in Australian football history.
The Article Scott Walsh/CanberraTimes/07Oct06

System fails Vic rising talent
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has pinpointed South Australia and Western Australia as the best breeding grounds for AFL footballers and, in the process, left Victorian powerbrokers to consider whether the system there is working. Clarkson, 38, a product of a Victorian system that is no longer, paid tribute to the set-up that produced so many greats in the old days of the VFL and suggested change and the downfall of the old system was at the root of the lack of success for Victorian clubs. Clarkson came back to South Australia to address an SANFL function at AAMI Stadium on Friday - ahead of today's Grand Final between Central District and Woodville-West Torrens. But his speech and his message had little to do with the SANFL and his successful career in South Australia, where he coached the Bulldogs to a flag before moving on to an assistant's role with Port Adelaide in the AFL and then headed to the Hawks.
The Article Jesper Fjeldstad/AdelaideAdvertiser/08Oct06

No draft for NSW - again
Not one NSW junior footballer was among the 72 invitees to this week's draft camp in Canberra . . . Roos was in Canberra yesterday with an army of senior coaches, assistants and recruiting officers to assess this year's blue chip prospects at the three-day camp.
The Article SundayTelegraph/06Oct06

Tassie quintet tipped to be picked
Western Bulldogs' recruiting manager Scott Clayton believes all five Tasmanians at the AFL draft camp in Canberra this week would be drafted next month. That included 17-year-old Mariner Tom Collier, the third-youngest player at the camp despite being eligible again next year. Clayton, a former Tasmanian, has been an AFL recruiting officer for the past 16 years with Brisbane and now the Bulldogs. He believes Mitch Thorp (Northern Bombers) and Jack Riewoldt (Clarence) could go in the first round, Tom Hislop (Burnie) and Colin Garland (North Hobart) would go in the second round, and Collier's height in defence would get him picked up.
The Article James Bresnehan/TheMercury/06Oct06
One-stop shop for talent James Bresnehan/TheMercury/06Oct06

Saints cut candidates down to four
The race for the St Kilda coaching job is down to four, leaving current assistant Matthew Rendell to explore his options elsewhere. Rendell, a close ally of former coach Grant Thomas, was overlooked yesterday when the Saints announced a short-list of John Longmire, Ross Lyon, Chris Bond and Guy McKenna. It means the highly rated Rendell will not be at Moorabbin next year. (Matt) Rendell could not be contacted last night, but sources close to the Saints indicated he had decided to leave the club. A loyal Rendell publicly praised Thomas at the Saints' best-and-fairest award on Tuesday night. "They are the best five years I've had in my football career," Rendell said of his association with Thomas at the emotion-charged function. The other St Kilda assistants -- Mick McGuane, Jason Cripps and Jason Mifsud -- are yet to learn their fates.
The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/07Oct06

St Kilda will appoint first-timer to the helm
St Kilda will try to emulate the past three AFL premiership clubs, after announcing yesterday it will appoint a first-timer to fill its vacant senior coaching position. The Saints named a short-list of four candidates - current Sydney assistant coaches John Longmire and Ross Lyon, Western Bulldogs' assistant Chris Bond and Collingwood assistant Guy McKenna. All have been interviewed. St Kilda assistant Matt Rendell was also interviewed but was not included on the short-list. The Saints said they would conduct further interviews with the four over the coming week, before making their choice. It means they will go through next week's player trade period without the input of a senior coach.
The Article TheBorderMail/07Oct06

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