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Round 22 AFL 2007 Premiership Season - Pre-game Articles - St Kilda vs Richmond Tigers
ROUND 21 POST-MATCH ARTICLES
ROUND 21 POST-MATCH ARTICLES
. . . Harvey, forced to sit out the last round with a strained thigh, moved freely at training yesterday, but restricted himself to full-pace run-throughs on the outer wing when the group worked on set-play ball drills. The Saints onballer and 358-gamer still has another session tomorrow. Coach Ross Lyon described Harvey as "a possibility", more so than key defender Max Hudghton, who is also battling a thigh injury . . . Lyon said he had briefly raised the final-round uncertainty issue with the players. A Magpie win would give the Saints the chance to reclaim eighth place by defeating Richmond on Saturday . . . Sam Fisher is again expected to get the job on Tiger forward Matthew Richardson as the Saints seek to repeat their 17-point win in Round 13. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/29Aug07 Lyon expects switched-on Saints St Kilda coach Ross Lyon expects his team to take the same approach into Saturday's MCG clash against Richmond regardless of whether or not the team can still make the finals come game time. The Saints' hopes of playing in September for a club record equalling fourth successive season are out of their hands following last week's narrow loss to West Coast at Telstra Dome. That result dropped Lyon's team to ninth on the ladder and if eighth-placed Adelaide beat sixth-placed Collingwood at Telstra Dome on Friday night, the Saints' finals hopes will be extinguished even before the opening bounce against the Tigers. But Lyon said if the worst case scenario unfolded for the Saints on Friday night, he still expects his team to put in a professional performance against the bottom-placed Tigers - who will avoid the wooden spoon if they beat the Saints following two wins in their past three matches. "The way we perform on Saturday isn't predicated on whether we can make finals or not," he said. "It's about what we want to stand for as a team and where we are headed and whether we play finals or not we are still building to be a better team next year." The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/28Aug07  Ross Lyon at Moorabbin on Tuesday Sportal (audio file)
Saints to make a stand, regardless of result St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says his team will take the same attitude into Saturday’s clash with Richmond, regardless of what transpires at Telstra Dome the previous night. While all involved at the Saints will anxiously be watching the Collingwood-Adelaide match at the Dome on Friday evening, St Kilda won’t be perturbed by the result. The Saints need Collingwood to beat Adelaide and then have to knock over Richmond if they are to play in this year’s finals. Lyon said everyone at the club obviously understood the significance of what could potentially be on the line against the Tigers at the MCG on Saturday, but the match had greater meaning than just a win or a loss . . . Lyon isn’t expecting an easy day at the office on Saturday, despite Richmond being on the bottom of the AFL ladder. The Tigers have hit arguably their best form of the season in recent weeks, with Lyon suggesting Brett Deledio, Nathan Foley and Richard Tambling could prove tough to stop if given too much latitude this weekend. And Saints defender Sam Fisher – who is likely to get the job – would need to closely monitor key forward Matthew Richardson, who Lyon had nothing but praise for after seeing him first-hand during his time as an assistant at the Tigers. "He’s a monster athlete," Lyon said. "He’s a very special player and we’re all lucky to watch him play." The Article Ben Broad/saints.com.au/28Aug07 Lyon expects switched-on Saints St Kilda coach Ross Lyon expects his team to take the same approach into Saturday's MCG clash against Richmond regardless of whether or not the team can still make the finals come game time. The Saints' hopes of playing in September for a club record equalling fourth successive season are out of their hands following last week's narrow loss to West Coast at Telstra Dome. That result dropped Lyon's team to ninth on the ladder and if eighth-placed Adelaide beat sixth-placed Collingwood at Telstra Dome on Friday night, the Saints' finals hopes will be extinguished even before the opening bounce against the Tigers. But Lyon said if the worst case scenario unfolded for the Saints on Friday night, he still expects his team to put in a professional performance against the bottom-placed Tigers - who will avoid the wooden spoon if they beat the Saints following two wins in their past three matches. "The way we perform on Saturday isn't predicated on whether we can make finals or not," he said. "It's about what we want to stand for as a team and where we are headed and whether we play finals or not we are still building to be a better team next year." The Article Paul Gough/Sportal/28Aug07  Highlights from RL Press Conference Bigpond (free video)
Vote for Sam Gilbert afl.com.au (Vid of Gilbo tackle)
St Kilda must win regardless, says Lyon . . . "The way we perform on Saturday against Richmond isn't predicated on whether we can make finals or not - it's about what we want to stand for as a team and where we're headed," he said. "Whether we play finals or not, we're still building to be a better team next year, so every time we train and play, we want to work to becoming a benchmark team. We can't afford to waste a training session or a competitive hitout against another AFL club, that's going to be our focus. We are human though, we're aware of the possibilities, in the positive and negative. But we've got to be mentally strong and really focus on the job at hand." The Tigers have won two of their last three games and will push the Saints, who have improved since the mid-season break.Lyon said regardless of how the season ended, they would go onto next season "with confidence". Lyon is "hopeful" that veteran Robert Harvey will return from a quad muscle injury, but key defender Max Hudghton is likely to miss again with the same problem. The Article AAP/RealFooty/28Aug07 Finals action set to return to Dome Telstra Dome appears certain to host a final for the first time since 2005. If results go as predicted, three matches will be in Melbourne on the first weekend of the finals. Two matches could be held in Melbourne on Saturday - possibly one at the MCG in the afternoon and another at night at Telstra Dome. The MCG would also host another playoff on Friday night, potentially Geelong's home qualifying final . . . Geelong plays the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night, but could be asked to front up on the following Friday. Sydney can no longer host a home final, significantly lifting the chances of three Melbourne finals in week one. The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/28Aug07 THE FINALS How the first week could pan out I hate getting ahead of ourselves, but I suppose this is the one time where it needs to be done. Assuming (something you should never do, but we don't really have a choice here) Collingwood do the job on Adelaide and we grab four points against Richmond, here's how it's likely to pan out for us. Some pointers: • Assuming Port beats Freo and WCE defeats Essendon, there will be three finals (Fri, Sat, Sun) at the MCG and one interstate (must be Saturday - can't have two games at MCG on same day). • The AFL will move heaven and earth to keep games AWAY from the Telstra Dome. • Brackets indicate what day each team played in Round 22. • We cannot play interstate in week one of the finals. • Each team must get at least a six day break. • Each team should be given the maximum possible rest time (can be the difference between a Saturday and Saturday night game). • Note that either Port or WCE could finish second, obviously, but you can substitute in depending on who finished highest. Margins in all games are considered not enough to alter percentages. Scenario 1: Sydney def Hawthorn, Kangaroos def Dogs 1. Geelong (Saturday night) vs 4. Kangaroos (Sunday) – Saturday MCG, 7:40pm 2. West Coast (Saturday) vs 3. Port (Sat night) - Saturday, Subiaco, 2:10pm 5. Coll (Fri night) vs 8. St Kilda (Saturday) - Friday, MCG, 7:40pm 6. Hawthorn (Sunday) vs 7. Sydney (Sunday) - Sunday, MCG, 2:10pm Scenario 2: Sydney def Hawthorn, Dogs def Kangaroos 1. Geelong (Saturday night) vs 4. Coll (Fri night) – Friday, MCG, 7:40pm 2. West Coast (Saturday) vs 3. Port (Sat night) – Saturday, Subiaco, 2:10pm 6. Kangaroos (Sunday) vs 7. Sydney (Sunday) – Sunday, MCG, 2:10pm 5. Hawthorn (Sunday) vs 8. St Kilda (Saturday) – Saturday, MCG, 7:10pm Geelong wouldn't be happy with 24 hours less break, but it still gets them a six day break and avoids the Telstra Dome, which the AFL will love. Scenario 3: Hawthorn def Sydney, Kangaroos def Dogs 1. Geelong (Saturday night) vs 4. Hawthorn (Sunday) – Sunday, MCG, 2:10pm 2. West Coast (Saturday) vs 3. Port (Sat night) – Friday, Subiaco, 7:40pm 5. Kang (Sunday) vs 8. St Kilda (Saturday) – Saturday, Telstra Dome, 7:10pm 6. Coll (Fri night) vs 7. Sydney (Sunday) – Saturday, MCG, 2:10pm. Must have Telstra Dome game, otherwise one team won't have a six day break. St Kilda-Kangaroos is the natural pick, as it is probably the lowest drawing of the three Victorian games, and it's the Kangaroos home ground. Also gives Geelong, as the top placed team, an extra day of rest. The best possible result for us - 24 hours extra then our opponants, a full seven days, plus a real 'home' final, followed up by Hawthorn the next week for a spot in a Prelim Final. The absolute dream run. Scenario 4: Hawthorn def Sydney, Bulldogs def Kangaroos 1. Geelong (Saturday night) vs 4. Hawthorn (Sunday) – Sunday, MCG, 2:10pm 2. West Coast (Saturday) vs 3. Port (Sat night) – Saturday, Subiaco, 7:10pm 5. Coll (Fri night) vs 8. St Kilda (Saturday) – Friday, MCG, 7:40pm 6. Kang (Sunday) vs 7. Sydney (Sunday) – Saturday, MCG, 7:10pm The Post 'evertonfc' saintsational.com 3554 reasons for veterans to put up feet It looms as the greatest spring clean of the modern era. Already, 15 of the 50 oldest players in the competition are gone. That is a loss of 3554 games of experience, an average of 237 each. And more will follow as the retirement season reaches its peak. The two oldest players in the competition, St Kilda great Robert Harvey and Collingwood skipper Nathan Buckley, remain undecided on their futures. Saint Andrew Thompson, the third oldest in the league at 34, is almost certain to pull the pin after 220 games. Another St Kilda veteran, Matthew Clarke, is also in the retirement zone. If Buckley and Harvey go and Chris Grant decides to retire in the weeks after the season, it is possible the 10 oldest players in the competition will vanish in one massive swipe. Harvey 'likely' to play on Paul Gough Sportal/28Aug07 It's down to the wire for Harvey Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/29Aug07 Mark Stevens: Stats Confidential Hawthorn's 'Buddy' Franklin only has to study the statistics, recapture his accuracy, and he can join one of the most elite groups in football, Mark Stevens writes. Steven Baker's father Greg no doubt remembers it well. Having driven to AAMI Stadium from Colac, he still found the energy to jump the fence when Fraser Gehrig threaded his 100th goal in the 2004 preliminary final. Greg tapped his shocked son on the backside and urged him to "keep up the good work". Meantime, Gehrig retreated to the rooms as hundreds of fans converged. Other St Kilda players, realising Baker's old man was on the field, delivered a few steely glares his way. Yet despite the minor embarrassment, there should be no regrets. The G-Train's achievement will go down as an historic moment. It is now almost three years since that dramatic clash against Port Adelaide. No one has kicked 100 since. The Article Mark Hayes/HeraldSun/30Aug07 Mark Hayes: Thursday Debate Imagine it - a barrel girl, 100 lottery balls and your team's future mapped out in 30 gripping prime-time minutes. Welcome to the future - a place where footy fans' perception is actually taken into account. Sounds cynical, but when a host of Carlton greats publicly hope their team loses a match to gain better draft picks, it's clear how farcical the current format has become. And to think the debate will die down any time between now and Monday is naive at best. It has brought the AFL to a critical juncture in its development as an elite professional sport. Does it stagnate in the face of continual tanking claims, or does it take a bold step into the future and tackle the now-annual draft debate head-on? We've sat by this season and watched three teams combine for what will end up the second-worst collective return since the 16-team competition began in 1995. Sure, a host of key injuries, political turmoil, even sackings and early retirements have been factors beyond the control of Richmond, Carlton and Melbourne. But this issue is bigger than that. It's not for us to speculate over who, if anyone, tanks. It is for us, however, to say the constant talk of throwing matches for better draft picks destroys the game's fabric and integrity. The Article Mark Hayes/HeraldSun/30Aug07 Saints Finals hopes stamped out by Crows . . . Collingwood's loss was last night more painfully felt by St Kilda. Collingwood will play in the finals, St Kilda cannot. Playing for St Kilda mustn't be much fun, for even Collingwood didn't want to do it. Last night's 19-point loss to Adelaide at the Telstra Dome established one certainty: the eight is complete, only the placements remain to be decided. St Kilda will miss out. Brisbane Lions miss out and Fremantle seemingly already knew they had missed out. In defeat Collingwood simultaneously cemented Adelaide's place in the finals and denied its own slim hope of claiming fourth place by stealth. The Article Michael Gleeson/RealFooty/01Sept07 Is this all there is? St Kilda co-captain Lenny Hayes cut a forlorn figure in the Saints' rooms after last week's agonising eigh-point loss to West Coast. Perhaps one more disposal - on top of the 30 gems he'd already had - might have been the difference between winning and losing in the dying seconds of a thrilling contest. Tired and sore, Hayes could only wonder as he replayed the final moments in his mind. With two points separating the teams, it was the Eagles who ripped the ball clear, leaving Hayes a spectator as the reigning premiers sealed victory with an audacious goal. "They got it out of the centre, had a bloke free and he kicked the goal, that's all she wrote," he said. "It's disappointing when you have a real crack and come up short. It's always disappointing. Just how long the Saints can "come up short" before their premiership window slams shut is anybody's guess, but coach Ross Lyon can still feel the breeze after a tough first year in the job." The Article Caroline Wilson/RealFooty/01Sept07 Twilight match has Good Friday appeal Good Friday seems certain to become a part of next year's AFL draw, with the once-sacrosanct space on the football calendar likely to be filled by Carlton and Hawthorn. In a massive historic and cultural shift, a Good Friday twilight game between the Blues and the Hawks would be played at the MCG after a joint submission by the two clubs that has received the unofficial support of AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick. The AFL executive in charge of the 2008 draw, Gillon McLachlan, said Carlton and Hawthorn had put forward a compelling case to play football on Good Friday, adding: "I don't have the concerns with Good Friday that others have historically held. The clubs are all looking for special events and these two have some creative ideas about linking the game with the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal. Ultimately, though, it will be a decision for the commission." McLachlan met several days ago with Channel Ten's sport chief David White and the two were believed to have discussed the Good Friday proposal enthusiastically. The Article Martin Boulton/RealFooty/01Sept07 Throwing on a Pies scarf It's a big weekend for us at St Kilda and all the boys have taken to wearing their Collingwood scarves as we cheer on the Pies in their battle against Adelaide. Of course we will still want to beat Richmond regardless of that result but the motivation of moving into the eight will help. We were all flattened in the dressing room after last week's game and the feeling summed up our season to a large extent, but there was no time to dwell on it, because we have a huge game this week. The focus all week has been on playing our game and not worrying about what is going on around us. We need to produce a good performance like we have done over the past 10 weeks and give the fans something to cheer about. Richmond will come out firing, they are not playing like a team who belongs in last place and will want to shed the spoon. They have won two from their last three and have plenty of confidence. They have a young midfield who we can't allow to run with the ball. If they do, they can hit Richo at will and he is a big enough worry at the best of times. The Article Luke Ball/lukeball.bigblog.com.au/31Aug07 Goddard has eye of the Tiger Star St Kilda defender Brendon Goddard expects to begin running in the next month after returning from the United States where he watched Tiger Woods claim another major victory. Goddard spent a month holidaying in the USA as part of his recovery from the season-ending knee injury he suffered in round seven. After seeing his surgeon earlier this week the 22-year-old said he was confident he was on track to resume in time for next year’s season-opener. "I’m well on schedule for making a comeback for next season,” Goddard said. “I should start running probably in a month. By the time the boys start pre-season I should have a month of good straight-line running under my belt…which I’ll do until Christmas," he said. "I’ll do most of the work the boys do in pre-season and then after Christmas is when, hopefully if everything goes to plan, I’ll start competitive work and start football skills and all that sort of thing." After a superb 2006, Goddard had again started this season in a rich vein of form before rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament. The injury – the first long-term sidelines stint he has had in his career – was a devastating blow. The Article Ben Broad/saints.com.au/31Aug07 Tigers' fringe playing for AFL contracts Richmond coach Terry Wallace has given his players a stark warning as they prepare to end the club's disappointing AFL season on Saturday - last game, lasting impression. The Tigers play St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday, with many on Richmond's list playing for their careers as inevitable end-of-season changes loom at a club which has won just three matches and drawn one this year. Already injury-racked Ray Hall and Trent Knobel and forward Kent Kingsley have retired, while other Tigers face delisting or being used as trade bait. Wallace warned his players the decision on some futures may well be made from their performance against the Saints. The Article AAP/TheWest/31Aug07 Saints close to securing Kosi Justin Koschitzke could sign a long-term deal to remain at St Kilda as early as next week. Although Koschitzke's manager Liam Pickering last night refused to put a time frame on an agreement, discussions are progressing well. With Nick Riewoldt and Nick Dal Santo locked away, Koschitzke is the No. 1 priority for the Saints. Out of contract this season, Koschitzke has enormous currency in the market given his flexibility as a ruck and key-position option. But Pickering has eased the fears of St Kilda fans, declaring Koschitzke has not considered a move. "All I'm talking to at the moment is St Kilda," Pickering said. "There's no dramas from my end. We're down the track and everything seems to be progressing well. I don't expect there to be too many issues. I haven't spoken to other clubs about him." Negotiations have been taking place for the past two to three weeks. "St Kilda put an offer through and we're working through it at the moment," Pickering said. The Article Mark Stevens/HeraldSun/31Aug07 Richmond v St Kilda Preview After languishing most of the year without threatening anybody the Tigers have suddenly come alive when it doesn't matter, scoring wins over Collingwood and Essendon. Before this late burst of form the Saints would have been confident of ending the season on a high note - now at least some doubt has crept in. But there is a lot at stake for the Saints with a place in the eight still a possibility, provided Collingwood beat Adelaide. The Saints have the personnel in Fraser Gehrig, Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke to make a solid assault on the scoreboard. The Tigers simply don't have the defence to stand up while in the middle they will also be fully stretched by St Kilda's runners Nick Dal Santo, Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna. Richmond's two late wins will mean they will be taken seriously by St Kilda and with what is at stake, the Saints' high-profile players should be inspired to perform to their peak. The Preview RealFooty/31Aug07  THE FINALS FORMULA Maurice Goul/RealFooty (Graphic)
AFL Record: Footy Influential . . . NICK DAL SANTO (St Kilda) Why he’s influential: When he plays well, and particularly when he gets his hands on the ball forward of the centre, the Saints tend to win. Although the St Kilda star perhaps hasn’t performed up to his own lofty standards in 2007, largely because of the persistent stopping tactics of opponents, he has still ignited the Saints at various times and has averaged 21 possessions a game, with six 25-plus-possession efforts. Impact stats: Leads the AFL in loose-ball gets (81), and is equal 11th in goal assists (19). The Saints have won each match where he has had six or more inside 50s. Scrupulously fair, he has also attracted 27 free kicks, while giving away just nine for the season. At one point, this count was 21-4. The Article Ben Collins/afl.com.au/31Aug07 St Kilda's Selection Table Robert Harvey returns, and the big question remains as to whether or not this could be his last ever game of AFL football. Youngsters Clinton Jones and James Gwilt also return to the side, while Matthew Clarke and Brett Voss have been omitted. Jayden Attard (knee) had surgery this week to repair his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament St Kilda match preview saints.com.au AFL match preview afl.com.au Footy stars sued over brawl A woman who claims St Kilda footballer Fraser Gehrig threw her to the floor during a wild pub brawl last year is one of three people suing him and five other footballers for damages. Triple premiership player Michael Voss, Brownlow medallist Simon Black, former St Kilda defender Stephen Lawrence and former Brisbane Lions Craig McCrae and Craig Lambert are also being sued. In documents filed at the County Court yesterday, Jaclyn Cameron, 22, claims Gehrig "forcibly pushed, threw or propelled" her onto the floor of the Prince of Wales Hotel in St Kilda, causing her nose to bleed and bruising her. The incident allegedly occurred during a fight between Ms Cameron's boyfriend, Jarrod Rouse, his friend Julius Smith, and the footballers, on last year's grand final eve. Ms Cameron, Mr Rouse and Mr Smith are suing the group for damages, claiming the footballers "acted in a high-handed, aggressive and insulting fashion" and showed a conscious disregard for their welfare The Article Julia Medew and Kate Hagan/TheAge/31Aug07 Pub trio sue Voss, Black, Gehrig for punch-up Emily Power and Katee Jones/news.com.au/31Aug07 The Security camera footage youtube
Stars sail close to suspension It will take just one stray arm, a crude tackle or late-marking attempt, and some of the game's biggest names could be sitting on the sidelines when the finals begin. Hawthorn onballer Shane Crawford, Port Adelaide counterpart Shaun Burgoyne and Collingwood forward Anthony Rocca head a group of irreplaceable players going into the finals who are only a handful of demerit points away from suspension. . . . Versatile St Kilda big man Justin Koschitzke had to carry over 68.75 points after serving one game for striking Hawk Robert Campbell in Round 16 and teammate Lenny Hayes was lumbered with 66 when he accepted a reprimand for tripping two rounds later. The Article Bruce Matthews/HeraldSun/30Aug07 Ross Lyon on Sport927 Thursday (audio file)
AFL must fix fixturing flaws Flexible fixturing for round 22 of the AFL home-and-away season needs to be put on the league's match scheduling agenda sooner rather than later. In an already compromised draw, the benefits of making the final home-and-away round a 'floating' set of eight games are many – headlined by a fairer system of allocating week one finals dates if top eight teams are spared from the final Sunday of the regular season. In a perfect world, the AFL should follow the English Premier League's lead and play all of its final weekend matches at the same time on the same day. Okay, so that ain't going to happen, but it is still possible to play all games on the same day (Saturday), with staggered starts from, say, 1.10pm AEST in Launceston to 7.30pm WST in Perth. Five day and three night matches on a 'Super Saturday' is possible across three television networks and at eight different venues. Apart from easing the scheduling issues with week one of the finals (this year we have three finalists – Sydney, Hawthorn and the Kangaroos – playing on the final Sunday, which precludes them from playing in the Friday night final after a five-day break), the slightly different idea of a 'floating' draw eliminates teams receiving an unfair advantage in regard to knowing exactly what they need to do to finish in a certain position. The Article Bruce Eva/Sportal/31Aug07
Melbourne has appointed Port Adelaide assistant coach Dean Bailey as its senior coach for the next three years. The announcement was expected to be made next week, however the club issued a statement soon after Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams broke the news during his media conference on Friday. Bailey was selected from a five-man short list which included Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy, former Fremantle coach Chris Connolly, Hawthorn assistant coach Damian Hardwick and Demons caretaker coach Mark Riley. Bailey has spent six seasons at Port Adelaide as an assistant to Williams and was on-board during the club's 2004 AFL premiership campaign. Before that, he was in a development role at Essendon where he also enjoyed premiership success in 2000 and for whom he played 53 matches between 1986 and 1992. The Article Sportal/31Aug07 THE AFL DOCTORS FILES ISSUE Injunction to stay in place The Victorian Supreme Court has ordered the continuation of an injunction preventing the publication of details regarding drug use at an AFL club. The AFL and AFL Players Association are seeking to have the injunction made permanent while Channel Seven, which last Friday disclosed the medical records of two players and the club they represent in a television news report, is opposing the injunction along with the Herald and Weekly Times. Joining the AFL and AFLPA in seeking to extend the injunction was the doctor who has been treating the players named in the Channel Seven report. After taking submissions from counsel representing the interested parties on Thursday morning, Justice Kim Hargrave reserved his decision, noting that he understood the matter was urgent and that he would deal with it as soon as possible. AFLPA president Brendon Gale left the hearing at the luncheon adjournment without comment and did not return for the handing down of Justice Hargrave's decision. The Article Sportal/30Aug07 Players ban on Seven to continue AAP/TheAge/30Aug07 Players pull plug on Seven AFL players have banned Channel 7, one of the league's official telecasters, as a backlash for the network buying confidential files on Melbourne-based players in drug rehabilitation. AFL Players' Association vice-president Brett Burton last night announced the league-wide boycott -- with Channel 7 taping the Crows' forward media conference -- saying it would apply until the Seven Network: Apologises in writing to the AFL and players' union. Withdraws its objection to a Supreme Court injunction banning the publication and broadcast of details from the files that were allegedly stolen from a Melbourne rehabilitation clinic. Guarantees it will never make public the details in the documents. Burton started the ban by refusing to answer Channel Seven's questions at his press conference at AAMI Stadium last night. He said there is no time limit to the boycott that could apply at the Brownlow Medal count telecast by Seven on September 24. "We won't be giving Channel 7 anything at all pre-game, post-game. We won't be answering any of their questions," Burton, whose Crows teammates will apply the ban on Friday night, said yesterday. The Article Michelangelo Rucci and David Hastie/HeraldSun/29Aug07 Seven tries to arrest ban damage The escalating war between Channel Seven and AFL players could be defused today when Seven's Melbourne boss Ian Johnson holds crisis talks with the network's legal advisers over the station's decision to reveal drug use at a Melbourne-based AFL club. As footballers around the country yesterday began black-banning Channel Seven, Johnson phoned the head of the AFL Players Association, Brendon Gale, to discuss how the impasse could be ended. While Johnson denied his network would be apologising for its decision to air the controversial report last Friday night he indicated the network planned to release a conciliatory statement on the issue early today. The Article Samantha Lane and Caroline Wilson/RealFooty/29Aug07 Seven's ratings slump as it seeks peace with AFL Channel Seven's news ratings have plunged since the network revealed drug use at a Melbourne football club. The station is now seeking a peace deal with the AFL as the issue boiled over, with some players vowing to shun Seven's reporters. Seven's Melbourne news ratings plunged 20 per cent on the first weeknight since it broadcast details of the private medical records of two AFL players. On Monday Seven's news drew 316,000 viewers in Melbourne, a drop of 80,000 viewers on the previous Monday's figure. Media analyst Steve Allen of Fusion Strategy said that if the channel's news ratings stayed low, there was no question that "Seven is on the nose with the public over its AFL drug story". Most of Seven's lost viewers migrated to the Nine network's news, whose ratings increased by 69,000. The ratings figures come as signs of a peace deal between Seven and AFL players emerged last night. Seven's Melbourne head Ian Johnson, who was due to hold crisis talks with the network's lawyers over their stand on the story early today, told The Age: "I've spoken to (AFL chief executive) Andrew Demetriou and I've spoken to (AFL Players Association head) Brendon Gale and we are keen to have this resolved." The Article Matthew Ricketson and Caroline Wilson/RealFooty/29Aug07 Players draw line in sand Chip Le Grand/TheAustralian/28Aug07 Players give Seven the cold shoulder Samantha Lane/RealFooty/28Aug07 Players to review drugs policy Damian Barrett/HeraldSun/28Aug07 Theft charges laid HeraldSun/28Aug07 The Steven Baker Tribunal articles: CLICK HERE This site GO BACK TO PREVIOUS PAGE
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The Transcript
