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Reasons for all the Optimism!!??
by 'yipper'
Just picking up on a very interesting comment from Rodgerfox re: what has Lyon done that has sent us all into a footy frenzy, can't wait for it to start sort of thing??
On the surface the club has sacked a proven coach who re-built the club over 5 long years and made finals for 3 successive seasons. No-one can say that he didn't coach superbly in 2004. He developed that list, retained the young guns, and changed the culture / fabric of our club from a complete rabble into a professionally run outfit well respected in the industry. So what's with all the optimism??
For a start, I suppose we selected the best candidate from a very transparent and professional process. The players - who were obviously initially a bit fragile about it all, are now completely re-focussed and enthusiastically embracing the new coach and his methods.
The Draw is remarkably a very good one!! Would GT have got such a draw? The conspiracy theorists would say no - but I'm not so sure, I reckon this draw would have happened anyway this year. Anyways we have 17 games in Melb either at TD or the G' - where we play both very well. Initial training observations show are concerted effort at building a very good fitness base BEFORE the season start - rather than during the season as GT tried to do. The preparation for the season seems to be a very thorough one - if this is what Sydney did over the past couple of seasons - then it is worth a crack.
GT was exposed a few times over the past 2 seasons for his tactical nous - unfairly at times, but maybe there have been justified concerns - he never really looked outside the square to resolve what became obvious weaknesses - in that sense he coached a lot like Tom Hafey - who was a great coach, in that he kept faith in tried and proven performers instead of changing and adjusting when things weren't working.
So we are seeing, at training, an emphasis on ruck clearanes and stoppage set-ups that are going to be unique to a Saints team that has played a fairly competent - but one dimensional type of game over the past few years.
There is a feeling amongst us all that our luck will change on the injury front - it never did for GT - but hopefully will for Ross Lyon.
There is also a feeling that glaring weaknesses in our team - such as lack of pace has been addressed, hardness in the midfield and around the stoppages. And we seem to have acquired more depth over the summer recruiting period. And finally - a coach that has just come in and got on with it - no procrastinating, dilly-dallying. I spoke to someone today, who is on the Swans match committee - he said that he thought that as good as Longmire could be, he would have struggled at the Saints due to his demeanor being a bit to soft / nice. Lyon has the grunt / mongrel to just get blokes jumping and was the perfect fit for a fragile and confused list as ours surely would have been following the GT sacking. I think that signs are good - no doubt. Time will tell - but perhaps our optimism is justified due to the process our club followed in the wash up of what was undoubtedly a major shock and surprise at the GT sacking. Our players have appeared to have taken to RL like a duck to water. Roll on Rd 1....
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The Post 'yipper' saintsational.com
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Membership Tally Reaches 18,700
The Club is now back in the swing of things after the break and absolutely pumped about the 2007 season. St Kilda's membership tally is currently at 18,700 and rising. We are processing all of the Reserved Seat changes, and hope that this will be finished in the next two weeks and be in the mail early February. Fulfilment packs will consist of your Player Calendar (if you joined before 24th December, 2006), an official Saints Member car sticker, any upgrades such as Social Club medallions, kid's packs and any optional extras you may have purchased.
The Article saints.com.au/18Jan06
Memberships tallies and information This site
AFL clubs seek Victory training secrets
Such has been Melbourne Victory's success this season that AFL clubs are seeking the team's training secrets . . . several AFL clubs are keen to see if they can pick up any tips from the rival code. "Its a sharing of information and ideas. We have had several footy clubs come along (to see what the Victory are doing)" Merrick said yesterday. "We have had a few clubs that we have been sharing information with, from Neil Craig (an old friend of Merrick's with a similar institute of sport background ) at Adelaide to St Kilda, Collingwood, and North Melbourne. At the moment we have got Gavin Brown and Blake Caracella with us spending some time. And we will spend some time with their team in the pre-season cup."
The Article Michael Lynch/TheAge/18Jan07
Plenty of wear left in Thompson
If Robert Harvey is part of the furniture at St Kilda, then Andrew Thompson must be a much-loved couch that completes the decor at Moorabbin. That's because along with another favourite sofa, (aka Max Hudghton), no other player has been on St Kilda's list - except for the remarkable Harvey - than Thompson and the full-back. With Harvey making his AFL debut in 1988, Hudghton and Thompson are the next two longest serving members of the red, white and black. But had the pessimists got their way, Thompson may have been replaced by a sleek, modern piece of furniture long ago. "I certainly get a laugh every year when I read that I'm definitely going to retire at the end of every year, but I'm proud of the fact that it took me a long time to get into the game and people still wonder why I'm still playing at 34, but it's because I still love it," Thompson said.
The Article Matt Burgan/Sportal/AFL/saints.com.au/12Jan06
Recruiting rules set to be overhauled
An overhaul of the AFL's trading and drafting rules appears imminent as clubs consider a number of novel options including increasing the rookie age and tightening the father-son bidding system. The AFL Players Association has also suggested a "free agency system", which would allow experienced players to move between clubs more easily, as part of the draft review. AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the 16 clubs and the state leagues had been asked to comment on the proposed changes as part of collective bargaining agreement discussions for the 2007 to 2011 seasons. "It is vital for the ongoing health of the competition that the AFL maintains the effectiveness of the game's trading and drafting rules," he said. "The player-trade rules and the draft operate with the salary cap to ensure that lower-placed clubs have the opportunity to move back up the ladder." New suggestions include condensing the existing national and pre-season drafts into a one-off event or holding the rookie draft on the same day as the national draft to create a more efficient process.
The Article Vanessa Burrow/TheAgeRealFooty/16Jan06
Blackout plan not a big hit at the footy
An environmental campaign to reduce greenhouse emissions by 5 per cent this year from Sydney residents turning off their lights for one hour has failed to win the backing of the city's sporting stadiums. While the World Wildlife Fund and publisher John Fairfax would like Sydneysiders to flick the light switch off for an hour at 7.30pm on March 31, at least 60,000 footy fans are expected at Telstra Stadium at the same time for a rematch of last year's Sydney Swans-West Coast Eagles AFL grand final. And the stadium's lights will not be switched off, or even dimmed. "As far as I know we are not doing anything," Sydney Swans spokesman Stephen Brassel said.
The Article Ilya Gridneff/TheAustralian/15Jan07
GSP wins photo deal
The AFL has appointed Geoff Slattery Publishing (GSP) as its exclusive photographer and photographic agency for the Australian Football League, starting from the beginning of the 2007 NAB Cup. GSP will cover all AFL matches, events and commissioned shoots . . . "This partnership offers all of those involved in the AFL Community, most importantly our fans, another opportunity to engage with the game via the fantastic action and behind the scene images that GSP will be able to provide," McLachlan said.
The Article AFL/saints.com.au/12Jan06
Darwin All-Stars Squad for 2007
Dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes heads a galaxy of AFL stars in the 2007 Indigenous All-Stars squad released yesterday . . . The Michael McLean-coached All-Stars meet Essendon at Darwin's TIO Stadium on Friday, February 9 . . . All-Stars coach Michael McLean . . . The squad includes: Andrew McLeod, Chris Johnson, Michael O'Loughlin, David Wirrpanda, Shaun and Peter Burgoyne, Daniel Motlop, Darryl White, Richard Tambling, Aaron and Alwyn Davey, St Kilda's Xavier Clarke and Richard Cole . . . Matthew Whelan (ankle) and St Kilda midfield player Raphael Clarke (shoulder) will miss the game . . . The players are expected in Darwin on February 7 and will train under McLean on Thursday night.
The Article Grey Morris/TheAustralian/12Jan06
Summer hopes spring eternal
As a supporter of an AFL club going through a tough patch, you'll hang your hat on pretty much anything. January is a particularly good time to do it. Training is in full swing, the reality check provided by actual competitive games is still a good couple of months away, and for just a little while, you're entitled to dream. The players your team picked up in the off-season might well become popular choices as recruiting blunder of the year come June or July, but for now, they're the potential difference between the disaster that was last season and a finals appearance this time 'round. The injury-prone star who seems perennially to be stuck in the medical room or on the surgeon's table is reportedly having his best pre-season in years. The bloke who habitually carries a spare tyre or two is, of course, "fitter than he's ever been".
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAustralian/14Jan07
Same Article Rohan Connolly/TheAgaRealFooty/14Jan07
Moorabbin's muddy waters resurface
Chalk one up to the "I told you so" brigade. This is after the revelation that former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas is trying to sort out a substantial debt (reported to be around $1 million) he owes to one-time best friend and Saints club president Rod Butterss - the man who over saw his appointment as St Kilda coach in 2001.
The Article  Crikey.com.au/12Jan07 (Locked - subsribers only)
Crikey article in full 'St George' saintsational.com
AFL looking at free agency system
The Australian Football League will consider introducing a free agency system as part of a review of its player trade and draft rules. The free agency proposal came from the AFL Players' Association (AFLPA) and is part of a raft of potential changes forwarded by the AFL to clubs today to seek their input. Under the proposal, a player who had been contracted to an AFL club for a specified number of seasons would be able to move to a different club without needing to nominate for a draft. In another mooted change, any player who was out of contract on October 31 would be able to nominate for the national draft. The pre-season and national drafts could then be combined into one, with the rookie draft held on the same day. The changes are aimed at encouraging more player trading, given there has been a steady decline.
The Article Sam Lienert /TheAustralian/15Jan06
AFL to use private firm for testing
The AFL has replaced official anti-doping body ASADA with a firm to run out-of-competition drug tests, effectively privatising its controversial illicit drug-testing program. While the competition's standard anti-doping policy will be run in conjunction with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority, the illicit drugs policy will now use Dorevitch Pathology. AFL general manager of football operations Adrian Anderson claimed the continuation of the policy under Dorevitch Pathology was proof of the commitment to the fight against illicit drugs. "This move is designed to assist in ensuring that the two policies are not only separate, but are seen as separate - separate testers," said Anderson. "We've been talking to ASADA for quite a while, it's a move that ASADA supported." The move, announced yesterday, came with the decision to notify club medical officers after a player's first positive out-of-competition test for illicit drugs.
AFL to use private firm for testing Mark Duffield and Steve Butler/TheAgeRealFooty/08Jan06
AFL changes illicit drugs policy AAP/TheAge/08Jan06
Illicit drugs policy revamp Matt Burgan/Sportal/AFL/saints.com.au/08Jan06
AFL funding decisions crucial in 2007
Funding for Australian Football is always a contentious subject, with literally thousands of clubs across Australia and the world fighting for a "piece of the pie", either directly or through support for their league. This applies to AFL clubs, state leagues, amateurs, country and other grass-roots programs. This is equally true of international interests, but for supporters of the game's spread, it can be argued that overseas concerns should in some cases surpass that of Aussie regions, primarily base on an argument of potential. That case may not stand up so well according to many Australian clubs, especially with an already heavy focus on Queensland and New South Wales and not so much to other states.
The Article Brett Northey/WorldFootyNews/13Jan07
South Africa target 28000 players by 2010, youth Test match confirmed Brett Northey/WorldFootyNews/15Jan07
AFL's revised drugs policy a step in the right direction
Common sense struck up another victory yesterday as the AFL announced that it was tweaking its controversial "three strikes" illicit drugs policy. Under the new regime, club medical officers will now be notified the first time a player tests positive to an illicit drug. Doctors were initially only told of the second positive test, however this new policy will allow club doctors extra time to counsel and treat the player. The offending player will only be "outed" and possibly suspended after a third positive test to illicit drugs, as it was under the previous policy. The other change to the policy will see a private pathology firm performing the out-of-competition testing for illicit substances, with the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority retaining control of testing for performance enhancing substances.
The Article Michael Tormey/crikey.com/09Jan06
AFL refuses to name and shame players ABCSport/08Jan06
Players heed AFL stand on illegal substances Scott Gullan/HeraldSun/09Jan06
The new coaching style Part II!
by 'sasaint' saintsational.com
A list those things that I'd like to see from RL this year. here goes...
• Get Roo to kick straight. Hope RL brings in a specialist kicking coach for Nick.
• Communications with the supporters. GT was pretty good at that and I hope RL can follow suit.
• Get the players fitter pre-season. Seems to be what's happening.
• Decide early if a player will not be able to contribute fully in 2007 due to injury and replace by one of the rookies. (eg Hamill, Raph, Goose?) This will give the injured player a full year to see if they can get their body right. This seemed to work for Fish in 05. We have at least 3 rookies who are probably good enough to step up to the seniors as a backup.
• Play with more team structure and set plays. Again the pre-season reports seem to show more work in this area.
• Keep Kosi at CHB. ATM this seems to be the plan. I think Kosi can star in this role.
• Have Doc take a a player coach role for the rucking. Something that would be very valuable for Rix and Luke. Brooks I think can contribute more up forward.
• Keep Xavier out of an "in and under&quat; role. He is too fragile ATM for this. Use him as an outside runner where he can tear up the opposition, similar to Gram.
• Look for an alternative to Max at FB when there is a gorilla forward like Neitz. This is asking too much of Max. Maybe have Rix or the G-train take up the FB role for these games.
• Play as many of the kids in the pre-season comp, particularly 2nd and 3rd year players without particularly worrying about winning the pre-season comp.
Anything to add?
2007 is rich in possibilities and it will be great to see how RL brings this all together. Cannot wait.
Post and Thread 'sasaint' et al saintsational.com
GSP wins photo deal
The AFL has appointed Geoff Slattery Publishing (GSP) as its exclusive photographer and photographic agency for the Australian Football League, starting from the beginning of the 2007 NAB Cup. GSP will cover all AFL matches, events and commissioned shoots . . . "This partnership offers all of those involved in the AFL Community, most importantly our fans, another opportunity to engage with the game via the fantastic action and behind the scene images that GSP will be able to provide," McLachlan said.
The Article AFL/saints.com.au/12Jan06
Darwin All-Stars Squad for 2007
Dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes heads a galaxy of AFL stars in the 2007 Indigenous All-Stars squad released yesterday . . . The Michael McLean-coached All-Stars meet Essendon at Darwin's TIO Stadium on Friday, February 9 . . . All-Stars coach Michael McLean . . . The squad includes: Andrew McLeod, Chris Johnson, Michael O'Loughlin, David Wirrpanda, Shaun and Peter Burgoyne, Daniel Motlop, Darryl White, Richard Tambling, Aaron and Alwyn Davey, St Kilda's Xavier Clarke and Richard Cole . . . Matthew Whelan (ankle) and St Kilda midfield player Raphael Clarke (shoulder) will miss the game . . . The players are expected in Darwin on February 7 and will train under McLean on Thursday night.
The Article Grey Morris/TheAustralian/12Jan06
Camp begins with a lecture in keeping it nice
. . . Over two days, starting tomorrow, the AFL's new recruits will be taken through, in the greatest detail yet, what being an AFL footballer means in these modern times. All 122 draftees will gather to begin absorbing "the required decision making, communication and resilience skills to make the most of their career in AFL football". At least that's the goal as stated in the AFL Players Association's news release. Brendon Gale, the head of the association, might provide a friendly opening welcome. Adrian Anderson, the AFL's general operations manager, will follow. Things will get a little more serious pretty quickly.
The Article Samantha Lane/TheAgeRealFooty/06Jan06
What else would you include? 'saintbrat' saintsational.com
Pre-Season Match Ups !! 'Eastern' et al saintsational.com
Interesting year ahead for AFL
In 2006 the Australian Football League continued to demonstrate its hold on Australia as the dominant football code and winter sport. The year started with the media digesting the news of the record AU$780 million 5-year TV deal. The game also successfully faced the rising challenge of soccer with Australia's surge deep into the soccer World Cup in Germany and unprecedented media coverage . . . Rule changes saw less serious knee injuries to ruckmen and a quickening of the game. There were also promising announcements for funding for footy in South Africa, and a major restructure of the way the AFL approaches international development . . .
The forthcoming season will see several more changes to rules, or to interpretations, such as heavier emphasis on penalising players using their hands in their opponent's back during marking contests, with zero tolerance allowed . . . Despite the money in the game there remain several clubs that are struggling financially and the AFL has increasingly played a role in their administration.
The Kangaroos and Carlton have both made improvements off the field, but are yet to establish themselves free of debt and in no future danger. The Blues appear to be hamstrung by massive political infighting, and some parts of the media don't see coach Denis Pagan lasting the season, if he even gets to round one . . .
So too the International Rules series . . . the television deal has soured somewhat . . . the poaching of top AFL executives . . . allegations of drug use amongst some clubs . . . the decline of the Brisbane Lions . . . the need to find ways to improve facilities and capacity in Perth and Adelaide . . . All in all an intriguing year on and off the field lies ahead . . .
The Article Brett Northey/WorldFootyNews/01Jan07
 Jaspanese Saints FoxSports (video file)
Thomas and Rendall on SEN?
Grant Thomas admits that he needs to get out of the house and pretty soon. What with eight children on school holidays, it is scarcely any wonder the former St Kilda coach is happily fielding inquiries from media organisations seeking to put together commentary teams for the new AFL season, which, it should be said, is only 44 days away. Thomas recently had a trial for an expert commentator's role at SEN, the new kid on the broadcasting block for 2007, and also is keen on picking up some television work. SEN, which is also courting Dermott Brereton, is keen . . . Thomas might well be reunited with his old assistant coach at SEN, with Matthew Rendell also talking to the station. As for Thomas, he says the football world will hear a different person from the straight-laced coach he was required to be.
Axed Saint jumps fence Martin Blake/TheAge/10Jan07
G'day - first post from a forty-year Saints fan
by 'Fidelis' saintsational.com
The jumper's given me more than my share of pleasure and pain over the journey; plenty more to come, nothing surer. Allow me to share a few highlights and lowlights.
My grandmother, bless her, lived in the shadow of the Linton St stand and bought me an annual membership when I was a nipper. I can still taste the excitement of the walk to the ground, smell the cigarette smoke and see Big Carl Ditterich, indestructable, athletic and lethal, causing havoc around the (then) new oval.
I remember the scene in our kitchen in Sept '66 with the wireless up full and the glasses rattling in the overhead cupboards as my mother and her friend (an impossibly large nun) stamped the floor as those final sweet seconds ticked over. Never tasted that intoxicating excitement since.
Almost did in '71 when Wayne Judson nearly took out Hudson and Cowboy Neale had us with a warm glow at 3/4 time. I cried all the way home on the train and will never forget that feeling of hopelessness as an inspired Keddie took his opportunity at immortality.
Thought we were a show in '91 when we hit the finals playing such a slick brand but ran into the steel shoulder of Ablett and a day out from Billy Brownless. His shootout with Plugger that day was glorious - heartbreaking but glorious.
I was there in '97 when we were unbackable favourites against the upstart Crows. Others blame Jarman's final quarter but for me there was a sort of nervous paralysis that showed itself in our game from the first minutes. True, we led them into 1/2 time but I sat there that day with an unexpected dread on my shoulders and Jarman's parade seemed just to confirm what I'd known deep down all along.
We celebrated long and hard at a hotel in Glenelg on that unforgettable night when Banger's sheer willpower got us over the line in '05. The euphoria of an unlikely win in front of a crowd certain that they would crush us was one to be savoured but matched in magnitude by the frustration of surrendering meekly to the Swans a fortnight later.
Ah yes, the highs and lows. And a decade of wooden spoons watched from the outer wing at Mootabbin made worthwhile by golden moments watching Plugger's first goal at Waverley, Barker in the clouds at Windy Hill, Greg Burns and Joffa Cunningham ploughing through the quagmire (no phase 3 water restrictions then), Mad Dog Muir exploding again, Doug Booth's dog, the silky skills of George Young, the Matrix and Nicky Winmar, the guts and integrity of Banger and Burkey.
Don't we love it. May the glasses rattle again soon and the memories grow.
The Post 'Fidelis' saintsational.com
Hot golf cooks on the course
Keysborough Golf Club held its annual pro-am event last Thursday and a star-studded field turned on the gas for a hot day on the fairways and greens . . . Many of Australia's top professional golfers mixed it with a number of celebrities and club members . . . Celebrity starters included veteran broadcaster John Blackman and a hoard of St Kilda footballers including Nick Dal Santo, Robert Harvey, Sam Fisher and Brendan Goddard . . . One local member, Jason Taylor had the scary task of teeing off in front of Laycock, Dal Santo and Fisher during the day . . . Fisher proved to be the sleeper of the celebrity field and spent the day launching lustful drives and impeccable irons. Taylor said the Saints' defender was the surprise packet of the group . . . But not all the footballers were experts of the fairways. Despite being a star on the football field, Dal Santo demonstrated his lack of golfing greatness and strayed into the thick rough on more than one occasion.
The Article Glen Atwell/DandenongStar/15Jan06
Ivan the adaptable
. . . there have been people within the club keen to help speed up (Ivan) Maric's development. Among them have been Matthew Clarke, who will be with the Saints next year, and team-mates helping him settle into his new environs. "Matty Clarke helped me heaps," Maric said. "We developed a really good relationship last year. Tyson Edwards, as well, helped me a lot. Him and Scotty Thompson. With Matthew it was mainly about ruck work - he's been through it all and had to deal with the time to develop."
The Article Jesper Fjeldstad/Adelaide Advertiser/22Jan07
Give the rule changes a rest
. . . In two decades from 1969 until the final year of the AFL in 1989, there were 18 changes to the official rules, most of them technicalities that made little difference to how the game was played. With the exception of the centre square (which came into existence after two years as a diamond) they were considered long and hard, given time to sort themselves out, and in cases such as out-of-bounds on-the-full, added significantly to football as a spectacle. Compare those 18 amendments in 20 years to the 35 rule changes in just over 16 years since the game officially went national, 22 of them in the past decade alone. Throw in the myriad changes to interpretations of rules, and the rule testing laboratory that has become the pre-season competition, and you start to lose track. Since 1993, there's been at least one change to the rules every year, and in most cases, several. At least half a dozen in two seasons, four in another, and three just last year.
The Article Rohan Connolly/TheAgeRealFooty/21Jan07
Foxtel sweetens pot for AFL deal by extra $10m
A deal to show four AFL matches a week on pay-TV has edged closer, with Foxtel putting as much as $10million extra in advertising and promotions on the table during resumed talks with networks Seven and Ten. The free-to-air stations rejected a bid from Foxtel in late December, which included $5million from regional pay-TV group Austar, to screen four games a week. But the latest offer from Foxtel, which totals about $60 million in cash and contra, as well as a $10 million contribution to production costs, is understood to have resuscitated almost year-long talks. Contra is largely on-air and other advertising and promotions of AFL broadcasts. "A deal is closer than it has ever been," a source familiar with the talks said.
The Article Michael Sainsbury/The Australian/20Jan07
Foxtel reworks AFL rights offer Lisa Murray/TheAgeRealFooty/20Jan07
Foxtel back in the picture Sasha Shtargot/TheAgeRealFooty/19Jan07
Fox ups AFL bid Damien Barrett/HeraldSun/19Jan07
Saints boss seeks $1m from Thomas
St Kilda president Rod Butterss is seeking to recover a substantial sum, believed to be seven figures, from the man he sacked as coach three months ago, Grant Thomas. The once-close friends lost that friendship more than two years ago and now have an outstanding debt - said to amount to more than $1 million - to settle, that predates by a short time Thomas's appointment as coach in 2001. According to Butterss, the pair are scheduled to meet within the next fortnight to begin to find a possible settlement, a process he said he hoped could be kept from the courts . . . One version of events has it that due to the extraordinary closeness they shared in the early years of their relationship, the St Kilda president personally loaned Thomas more than $1 million in 2001 when the then St Kilda director and soon-to-be senior coach bought a $2.3 million Brighton home less than 100 metres from his own palatial residence. Thomas sensationally replaced Malcolm Blight as coach less than two months later, but according to several sources much, if not all, of the full loan amount remains outstanding and with interest attached could mean Butterss is entitled to a figure closer to $1.5 million. Another version has it that in 2001, when Thomas briefly worked as chief executive of the IT recruitment firm Ambit - a company owned by Rod Butterss's brother Peter - Thomas convinced the St Kilda president to buy equity in the company.
The Article Stephen Rielly/TheAgeRealFooty/11Jan06
St Kilda pair's feud comes down to $1 million debt Stephen Rielly/SydneyMorningHerald/11Jan06
Tension rises at St Kilda as billionaire Fox secures stake in sponsor
The suspicion that a confrontation is looming between Lindsay Fox and the board of St Kilda president Rod Butterss has been heightened by the No.1 ticket-holder and billionaire trucking magnate's purchase of a strategic stake in the parent company of one of the club's two major sponsors, Bill Express. Fox, who was critical of the decision to sack coach Grant Thomas in mid-September, spent almost $867,000 four weeks later buying a 9.4 per cent holding in On Q Group Ltd, a company with a controlling interest in Bill Express. The Saints have been the subject of constant speculation since, with the purchase interpreted as an indication that Fox has an interest in changing or exerting greater influence over Butterss and his board . . . Thomas said this week that he considered Fox to be a friend and mentor figure and expressed interest in becoming involved with Bill Express if the opportunity arose. "That opportunity hasn't presented itself but it [Bill Express] is a company I know very well and respect and I understand that industry," Thomas said. Fox did not return calls yesterday.
The Article Stephen Rielly/SydneyMorningHerald/12Jan06
Fox buys into Saints' position of influence Stephen Rielly/TheAgeRealFooty/12Jan06
McLean puts case for Aboriginal mentor role
With a record number of Aboriginal players in the AFL, former star Michael McLean believes indigenous people are under-represented in off-field roles and hopes his All-Stars coaching role can develop into something more permanent. McLean will coach the unbeaten All-Stars for the third time - against Essendon in Darwin next Friday night - having captained the side in its first match in 1994. Now steering Southern Districts to the top of the Northern Territory Football League ladder, the 42-year-old former defender is looking to move back into the AFL. He was the first indigenous player to move directly from the Northern Territory to Melbourne, joining the Bulldogs as a 16-year-old almost 25 years ago. He spent two years as an assistant coach to Leigh Matthews at the Brisbane Lions shortly after his 183-game ended there, in 1999 and 2000. McLean isn't targeting a head coach position, but believes he has a lot to offer in a mentoring or development role, particularly with 70-plus indigenous AFL players.
The Article Melissa Woods/TheAgeRealFooty/03Feb07
The question of free-to-air
. . . The AFL recently made a $60m, five-year deal with BigPond, which, among other things, allows fans to watch match replays online 12 hours after the final siren. The AFL's website has been swamped. Visits last year exceeded 700,000 a week, up by half on the year before. The NRL has had a similar deal, which is being renegotiated. Last year, league fans could watch matches online 24 hours after the whistle.
The Article Philip Derriman/SydneyMorningHerald/03Feb07
AFL on Foxtel
Foxtel and Austar may have reached an agreement with AFL rights holders the Seven and Ten networks. The Australian is reporting the subscription TV operators will show four live games each week. It's understood all parties have agreed on a price and all that remains is to tidy up some program scheduling details. Seven and Ten paid $780 million to broadcast the code until 2011, but the deal meant the networks must show all 8 games live on free-to-air television each week, if it failed to on-sell up to 4 games a week to subscriptionTV. An announcement is expected by the end of next week.
The Article Skynews/01Jan07
Friday games live in QLD
Queensland AFL fans will get Friday night footy live on pay-TV in 2007, with an announcement of a new deal between the free-to-air rights holders and Foxtel and Austar expected within days. A key part of the successful bid by the Channel 10 and 7 consortium for the AFL rights until 2011 was that Friday night football be shown live in NSW and Queensland. However neither free-to-air provider was willing to pit potentially low-rating AFL games that did not involve the Swans or Lions against Channel 9's Friday night NRL double-headers, leaving the consortium in desperate need of a third broadcast partner.
The Article CourierMail/02Feb07
Fox aims to kick a goal Mike Colman/CourierMail/02Feb07
Sheldon joins Kennett to speak at Boort
. . . 350 people came to see the main speakers, Carlton and St Kilda legend, Ken Sheldon, and Beyond Blue's Jeff Kennett. Both shared the philosophies that helped them get through difficult times . . . Ken Sheldon grew up at Canary Island, and started his football career at Mitiamo and Macorna before heading off to Carlton FC when he was 17. Three seasons later, he'd kicked a winning goal in a Premiership. Ken was last year inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame, and has coached and managed football at VFL, AFL and SANFL levels. He's currently the General Manager of St Kilda (Football Department). Ken drew on his football highs and lows to reinforce the importance of looking for positives, even in gloomy situations. "I think it's the key. You kick goals yourself and get thirty possessions, it doesn't mean a lot if you haven't inspired a couple around you to kick two or three goals themselves."
Drought time out ABCRadio/30Jan06
Pfitzner Foward & Ruck in Central Districts
. . . Former Central District under 19s premiership player Dylan Pfitzner has impressed all in his reappearance at Elizabeth. Returning from St. Kilda's feeder club Casey Scorpions, he could be a very important component in the Doggies charge this year. "Dylan has come back with a really positive attitude and is keen to have an uninterrupted season where he can make an impact," Laird said. "His running has improved and we see him as a tall forward who could pinch hit as a ruckman."
In The Zone Peter Argent/BarossaNews/31Jan07
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