AFL 2012

[Aerlik]

 

Well, the 2012 season is on us.  Damn it has been a long wait. 

All the talk is whether or not Geelong can withstand the retirement of quite a few of their most experienced players; whether Hawthorn can take the big step this year; whether Collingwood will maintain its recent good form (let's face it, the AFL does everything but hand the feckers the cup) and whether St. Kilda will maintain it's recent top 4 form.  Who knows?

What I do know is that Fremantle are looking forward to getting out on to the pitch with a fit squad.  Last year was a nightmare with all the injuries, but a new coach (must admit I was a fan of Mark Harvey and didn't like the way he was sacked) and a fit squad and there is a quiet confidence about the port city.

As for the Beagles, well they have started the excuses already s ti why they won't win the premiership this season; they lost Mark LeCras yesterday with a ruptured ACL.  Not that anyone should gloat over a player getting hurt , but it was gratifying to hear the whinging and gurning all today.

C'maaaaaaaan the Dockers.

PS, one or two familiar faces to some of you in the following advert 

http://www.foxtel.com.au/shop/get-foxtel/default.htm?videoID=P_076365

[Aerlik]

Well, Round 1 is nearly over and it was some start to the season especially for the Irish lads, with Tuohy at Carlton, McKeever and Hanley at Brisbane (http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/131954/default.aspx) enjoying significant wins, and Marty Clarke featuring for Collingwood in its loss to Hawthorn.

I was at the Freo v. Geelong game yesterday and what a day.  Fantastic resolve by the Dockers to hold out to win by 4 in the best game I have ever been to, for pure aggression, skill, excitement, tension and Freo kicking straight  .  The noise was something else.  35,000 Freo fans screaming the team to a win.   I never thought that the win of two years ago against Geelong would be surpassed in the normal season.  And to think that we still have to add two of our star midfielders and a defender to the playing group.  If we can stay clear of the injuries that plagued the team last year, we will make a damned good effort.

Swans next week.  Would be the perfect birthday pressie for me if they win.  C'maaaan Freo.

[stephenite]

Great win for the Dockers alright, savage game.

[laoislad]

Don't really follow this anymore but went to plenty of games when I was in Oz back in 2002.
How's Zach Tuohy getting on with Carlton is he getting any games?

[muppet]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T9LvnJrDMI&feature=related

What a loss he is.

[Aerlik]

Another night of mixed fortunes for the Irish.  The Brisbane lads will be licking their wounds after an awful trouncing Zac Tuohy's Carlton.  This team is starting to look like serious contenders but they have to make the most of the time left in Chris Judd's tank cos the superstar of the game will not go on forever.
Clarke's Collingwood had a handy enough win over Richmond which saw a bit of handbags at one stage.

Freo ran out of steam against Sydney losing by 13 points, in a game which we really should have won.  Next weekend it's Brisbane which I will not be able to go to cos of work.

[Aerlik]

Well, the clash of the Irish saw Zac Tuohy's Carlton take on Marty Clark's Collingwood, and what a win for the former it was.  Superb performance from the ol' navy blues. 
The two Brisbane Irish didn't fare so well over here in the west, in the first game I have missed in ages, and by all accounts I didn't miss much.  Pretty average affair despite Freo's win.
Setanta's Greater Western Sydney got walloped by the Eagles in a match where someone bet $1m for an eagles' win to ensure a $10,000 gain.  fair enough if you have it.

[Never beat the deeler]

Was at that game in Subi, Aerlik.

As you say, poor fare. Freo should have won by a street but couldnt hit a barn door. Lions kept it tight for 3 quarters but didnt offer enough around the middle of the park and as a consequence had very few scorable marks.

Game further marred by an injury to Matthew Leuenberger with an achilles injury. Leuenberger's loss meant the Lions were left with first-gamer Billy Longer facing the tough task against Sandilands. Jonathan Brown returned after injury, but was not at the rraces. He had 3 disposals, all in the first quarter.

Pearse Hanly is travelling well. He has the most kicks in the Lions squad with 47, 5th in disposals on 59, 2nd no of marks with 18. One of their better performers, but that doesnt say a lot as Lions are rubbish!!

Lions play Gold Coast next week, a game that GC will have targeted as one of their most likely, especially as this fixture resulted in one of their first wins last year. It will be close, but hopefully JB with a full game under his belt will save the day 

[JimStynes]

Living the dream ...he never actually had



Peter Hanlon
April 21, 2012 Read later
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Finding his feet: Carlton's Zack Tuohy. Photo: Paul Rovere

SOMETIMES, when he's sitting at home or driving to or from the ground — it's even happened during a game, if only for a fleeting moment — Zach Tuohy finds himself checking reality. "It's like, 'This just can't be happening'. Every so often it hits me what I'm doing. It does seem surreal."

He knows the alternative is a grim one, that his life would be oh-so different if the phone call hadn't come that delivered a dream he'd never actually had. Ireland is doing it hard ("things are not flash at the minute," he says, head shaking, "terrible"), which only fortifies his considerable resolve to make this mad adventure last.

"If ever there was a doubt in my mind about being out here, it would be wiped away by knowing what I'd be going back to. The far more intellectually gifted than me are struggling for work back home, so I think I'd be in a spot of bother. So I'm just going to try and bleed this for as long as I can."

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Zach Tuohy with his parents Noel and Marie. Photo: Alex Lavelle

Tuohy is selling himself short; he presents as a resourceful young man who would make a go of things no matter what. Gerard Sholly, who made that phone call after spotting him in a losing under-18 Gaelic football semi-final, was taken by a respectfulness and devotion to family and, although he was just 17 at the time, by the sense that he possesses an uncommon strength that runs deeper than the physical.

He has needed it.

Carlton first brought Tuohy to Princes Park for a few weeks in 2008. He returned home to Portlaoise (pronounced Port-leash), and soon after an old school friend took his own life. He stayed for another year, came to Melbourne and learnt his new trade with Northern Bullants in 2010, then flew home again. While he was there, another contemporary who was neighbour, teammate and friend committed suicide.

"I had no idea [he was in a bad place], it was a massive shock," Tuohy says. "It shook the county, everyone. He was a very good footballer .?.?. it was devastating for everybody involved."

The two human losses have put everything — not least sporting disappointment — in perspective. "I would much rather never play football again than have to deal with some of the things they've dealt with. It is only football, it is only a job, there's much bigger things in the world."

The experience has sharpened Tuohy's spiritual self, although he says he's "a bit choosy about what I take out of it". His mother used to slip a card of St Michael into his pencil case when he was sitting exams, and he likes the notion of an other-worldly being watching over us; his upper left arm was recently tattooed with the image of a guardian angel above the words "Mam" and "Dad".

Inside that bicep is a verse from 16th century poet Edward Dyer, "My mind to me a kingdom is." After his second mate's death, Tuohy sought out writing that spoke of mental wellbeing. "I thought it would be nice to have something about being in a good place, a happy place. It's a bit cheesy."

Before each game, he writes the initials "PM" (for Peter McNulty) on the strapping on each of his wrists. As he lined up for a first-quarter goal in last Friday's rout of Collingwood, Tuohy tapped the letters to ask for his lost mate's help, then coolly hit the target from 50 metres.

"I'm probably a bit of a hypocrite — I love the positive aspects of religion, the idea of a guardian angel looking over people, but some of it I don't necessarily buy into. If I didn't think Peter was helping me I wouldn't put his name on my wrist."

Whatever his source of succour, it's working.

Even in a game whose tales grow at pace with its borders, Zachary Martin Nathan Tuohy is a hell of a story. It's one thing to be playing good football for the premiership favourite, barely two years after you first played the game. To already be rated a better kick of the ball than three-quarters of your teammates is something else.

Tuohy is the youngest of four children, and none of Naomi, Noel John or Hannah, or their parents Noel and Marie — or any uncles or aunts on either side that he can think of, for that matter — showed any aptitude for sport. Yet it's all he's ever wanted to do.

He played hurling, Gaelic football and soccer, often in multiple age groups concurrently, which could amount to running out in seven or eight different teams over two or three sports at the same time. "All of a sudden your week's gone."

Soccer was his love (Noel took him to see Liverpool when he was young; "that gives you the fever like"), but while convalescing with a broken foot aged 15, he realised a coveted professional career wasn't going to happen. Fit again, he threw himself into Gaelic footy, a wise move, "because I don't think I'd be here if I'd picked either of the other two".

In his youth, Portlaoise was a city of around 15,000 known mostly for its maximum security prison, where Noel Tuohy worked as a warder for 30?years. "It's full of terroristy types," his son says. "That sounds like a fearful term."

He remembers visiting as a child, thinking a man would do well to find his way out. "Growing up, I probably didn't appreciate just how dangerous what dad was doing was — he was in there with some pretty dodgy people," he says of a facility that houses the most dangerous incarcerated members of the Irish Republican Army.

Zach was very pro-Irish growing up, without really understanding what that meant in political terms. His father was surrounded by men who had "bombed schools, killed kids, done the most horrendous things you can think of"; it educated him in his land and in life. "I have a reasonable grasp on it now."

Noel Tuohy recently retired, and is writing his memoirs in a study that used to be Zach's bedroom. "It was good to see they were mourning me leaving — it took him about a week to move in!" But he is looking forward to the end product. "He certainly has some stories to tell."

A mad sports fan if not a player, father joined son as they threw themselves into all things AFL after the Blues said they would give him a go, but told a salivating Tuohy they would come back for him in a year. Zach "kicked the leather off" the Sherrin that the club left him, while he and Noel studied every list, every player, every skerrick of footage they could find.

Colm Begley also hails from county Laois, and Tuohy'd seen a documentary on Setanta O'hAilpin, so had some grasp of what he was in for. When he spotted Chris Judd on arriving at the club, he felt "like a schoolgirl .?.?. 'Jeez, I can't believe that's him!'?" He soon got over it, taken by his captain's normalcy. "He just became Juddy."

Core values were quickly implanted. "I knew from day one I didn't like Collingwood, and I really wasn't sure why. I had nothing against them at the time, but I knew I didn't like them."

For months, he took part in drills thinking, "What am I doing? Where do I go? How do I get the footy?" He was comforted by Heath Scotland, "who's been playing AFL for 36 years", telling him how much the game has changed. He has made friends he hopes to have forever, even if hearing every second sentence spoken in a bad Irish accent "gets really old really quick".

If the dynamics puzzled him, football's most fundamental skill never has. Tuohy credits good development coaches who kicked with him for hours, but the foundations were surely innate. "It never felt forced, I just always felt comfortable with the ball in hand."

At the Bullants, he actively sought the responsibility of taking kick-ins, and now he does so in the seniors; coach Brett Ratten this week rated him among the Blues' 10 best kicks. "It's a great way of getting involved if the ball's not coming to you on the ground, of getting your confidence up, even if it's just a 20-metre dink."

Restarting play never disconcerts him, even if stumped for options and with 85,000 voices offering advice. "Then I just whack it as long as I can, and it's someone else's problem!"

He is tough as well as strong, a formidable combination. He reckons he had "a full-body cramp" in his first game, adjusting to the jump from Gaelic contests of 60 to 70 minutes duration to two hours of "the most aerobic, toughest ball sport in the world".

Taking big sister Naomi to lunch in the Yarra Valley last Saturday, he struggled to climb out of the car, but it was a good kind of hurt. "I like that feeling," he said.

Naomi has since flown home, a place he misses at times. His brother plays music in a couple of bands, and he cherishes being back for Christmas now, when everyone is up and about, excited, having fun. "Winter in an Irish pub is a beautiful thing — a hot whiskey and a pint of Guinness." If a love of life is something of an Irish stereotype, it's one Tuohy says his family happily does nothing to confound.

He regrets never meeting Jim Stynes, having quickly realised what his countryman had done, the lives he had changed. "He made you proud to be Irish, proud to have the same heritage as him, but it's almost irrelevant where he was from. He was just an incredible person, an incredible story."

Now 22, with his assurance growing, he wants to add layers to his game. "It's very hard to make it if you're one-dimensional." His short-term goal is simply to be consistent and bed down a place in a team he knows is going places. But his horizon holds a new nirvana.

"My dream now is to win a premiership with Carlton, that would be very nice."


Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/living-the-dream-he-never-actually-had-20120420-1xch4.html#ixzz1sbQMZrcP

[Newbridge Exile]

What about Tommy Walsh? Is he making any progress this season so far?

[Never beat the deeler]

Tommy Walsh is in the squad for today's game against North Melbourne.

A couple of upsets this week - Essendon beat Carlton, who are many people's favourites this year, and West Coast Eagles beat a hotly-tipped Hawthorn.

Brisbane had Jonathan Brown and Simon Black both back from injury (Brown's second game back) and won comfortably in the end against a Gold Coast team that will only improve. It was a tight game despite the 111-46 scoreline, with the Lions only pulling away in the 3rd and 4th quarters. 5 goals in each of the second half quarters for BL compared to only a single major for GC, coming in the final quarter.

Jonathan Brown scored his 500th goal for the Lions.

Pearce Hanley continued to impress, with 25 disposals, including equally highest on the ground with kicks (18).

[Aerlik]

The Essendon victory over Carlton was some effort.  Didn't see it as mini-me was playing his first weekend of footy of the season and I wouldn't miss that. 
I'll not talk about the umpiring in the Hawthorn v. those we shall not speak of.  How the fork can you expect to win a premiership if you only kick 12 behinds by half time. I'd say during half time there were 22 more kicked in that changing room.
I actually thought that Gold Coast would beat Brisbane but the loss of Gary Ablett was a major setback for the Suns.
Clarke's Pie men had their predictable win over the Power.  Not the most convincing and there is talk of several senior players unhappy with the golden child Nathan Buckley's coaching style.  Who cares, it's only the most despised team in the nation.  Suddenly a wee bit of humility might be surfacing.
Walsh was an "emergency" for the Swans on Sunday. By all accounts he is on the way up.

Well, of course, save the best to last - thanks for leaving me my wee spot, Deeler  .  Still on a bit of a high after Freo's solid, disciplined win over St. Kilda.  First win against them in 8 attempts, first win against them in Melbourne in many years.  Alot of positives for the team and considering there still are three senior players to add to the team.  Still many areas to be improved on.  Big challenge on Friday night again v. Carlton, the second time we are on the big game time slot in two weeks - that is not something that happens to Freo very often.  It should be a cracker of a game and I have the strepsils ready.

Proud; Loyal; Passionate.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Haven't been able to keep much of an eye on it now that I live in England.

Anyone in Australia or watching it back home rate Hawthorns doing much this year?

Crazy to see the mid-table teams at the moment to include, St.Kilda, Hawthorns, Geelong and Collingwood, big change from when I lived there about 3-5 years ago. Some fall from grace for Western Bulldogs.

Essadon were very average when I was there and West Coast was bargin basement.

[Aerlik]

Serious questions have to be asked about the E-gulpers from being woodenspooners two years ago to top 4 last year and top of the table at present.  Mind you this season they have only played one decent team, Hawthorn.

Hawthorn will do very well this season but Buddy needs to get his feet sorted, but not before they play Freo.

Aye the bulldogs are not going well with only one win v. Melbourne who are shit.

Pies had an exciting one point win v. Essendon today.    That's three and two and four and one for these teams respectively.

So looking forward to the game on Friday night.  There'll be an amazing atmosphere again as only a Friday night game with a big name team can bring.   Might even post on here if we are doing well.

Proud; Loyal; Passionate.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Serious questions have to be asked about the E-gulpers from being woodenspooners two years ago to top 4 last year and top of the table at present.  Mind you this season they have only played one decent team, Hawthorn.

Hawthorn will do very well this season but Buddy needs to get his feet sorted, but not before they play Freo.

Aye the bulldogs are not going well with only one win v. Melbourne who are shit.

Pies had an exciting one point win v. Essendon today.    That's three and two and four and one for these teams respectively.

So looking forward to the game on Friday night.  There'll be an amazing atmosphere again as only a Friday night game with a big name team can bring.   Might even post on here if we are doing well.

Proud; Loyal; Passionate.

Thanks Aerlick, Hawthorns would be my team since I seen them play in a class close game against Kangaroos a few years. Choose Hawthorns at the start of the game when I noticed a Kerry jersey a few rows ahead of my shouting for the Roos, I was in my Mayo jersey that day.

I really didn't like the attitude of  the Pies fans any time I went to their games, but they do appear to attract alot of Irish support. St.Kilda and Carlton seem to get alot of Irish backpacker support.

Did Buddy get himself in some bit of bother again there recently or am I imagining it.