Aussie Rules

[Mentalman]

Hope he's turning a corner, good on him for sticking with it. Some of the "highlight" segments from the end of last season of games involving Carlton were truely horrific viewing from his point of view. Then again I imagine, like our own games, they can be very unfair - if the guys up the pitch aren't doing their jobs you as the last line of defense are always going to look like you gota roasting.

[hitzelsperger]

Yeah ur right mental man, so much space on the oval that full backs can be left exposed bigtime, i think what gives setanta the advantage is that at full back he usually marks the big men who aren't as quick so in a sprint for the ball he always has the advantage. he's bulked up somethin serious too which is needed cos the likes of John Brown and Bazza Hall aint easily wrestled!

[hitzelsperger]

Friday April 20
RIC   100     V   132     WBD   
Saturday April 21
COL   66     V   84     POR   
STK   68     V   99     ESS   
ADE   61     V   44     SYD   
KAN   87     V   63     BRI   
Sunday April 22
HAW   76     V   72     GEE   
MEL   92     V   137     FRE   
WCE   100     V   39     CAR

Massive loss for Blues against Eagles and Swans against Crows. West coast going to be hard to stop this yr!

[stephenite]

Collingwood took the Anzac game yesterday - great game, 95-79

[Bod Mor]

Collingwood took the Anzac game yesterday - great game, 95-79

Ya, sat down with a few beers and watched this one. Great game it was too.
I watched Carlton and West Coast at the weekend as well and for the life of me couldn't understand why Carlton had only 2 players in the West Caost half for most of the match. How in the name of Jesus are they expecting to score with only 2 men in the other teams half?! Formation and strategy went out the window from the first minute. I noticed this too in the match yesterday as well, Essendon had about 3 men in the Collingwood half for the last 10 minutes. In a situation like that, with them behind by a few points you would expect the coach would tell them to push up the field a bit. This is something I've noticed in a few AFL games recently. Some of the positioning of players is shocking.

[Bod Mor]

Tadhg Kennelly picked up a bad injury at the weekend, he dislocated his knee cap. Hope he makes a qick recovery. Swans will be fairly fecked without him for the rest of the season I would imagine.

[Aerlik]

I was watching the Swans' game and must admit when Tadhg went down and before we had the two millionth rerun in slow motion of the tackle (fair in all as it was) I knew the lad was in bother.  This weekend has seen quite a few nasty knee injuries.  It is a testament to Tadhg (or Tie) as the illiterates here call him, that it was a topic of quite lengthy conversation of AM radio yesterday morning.

I myself, am recovering from the nailbiter at Subiaco as Freo sneaked a win against the Crows.  What an atmosphere and what a way to say thanks to Shaun McManus for 200 games and loyalty to the club since its founding.  I was just to the side of the Freo cheer squad and the craic was mighty I can tell you.  When Webster kicked the winning "goal" we went ballistic thinking that that was it.  I was directly in line with the ball and it actually landed about three rows in front of me but must admit it did ever so slightly shave the upright.  Actually a point was a better outcome as from the kickout the Crows were forced to play long and who should collect the ball, but none other than Pavlich.  He is one serious mountain of a man.  All in all scoring 16 behinds is really crap, granted that three were rushed.  Still the kicking was woeful.  And to make matters worse Jeff Farmer went and got himself into trouble for clocking a bouncer on Saturday night.  Out to R13, if he's allowed back at all.   He is just too important to be let go as he is easily the best kicker.  The defence was very strong today so I think Shane Parker will have a very hard task getting his position back.  Antoni Grover was a tank again.

Ben Cousins is back in Perth after his rehab.  Joke doing the rounds:
"Hungry Jacks have a new hamburger on sale;
It's called the Ben Cousins happy meal...
Comes with free coke and a straw,
but hurry in and get one before they all run out.

Brisbane next week I think.  gulp.  Jonathan Brown gave a great plug to Begley for his showing at the weekend v. Carlton, but unfortunately Setanta and his chums will have to take a long hard look at one of the last goals conceded when all three went unchallenged for the ball and missed allowing a Lions forward to run in, collect and score. 

[The Real Laoislad]

Colm Begleys Rookie season continued to hit the heights over the weekend as his Brisbane Lions side notched up their 3rd win in 5 games when they defeated Setanta O hÁilpin's Carton Blues 136-124. Begely started the game and kicked his 2nd goal of the season to help the Lions to the win.
PREMIERSHIP stalwarts Jonathan Brown, Simon Black and Luke Power starred for the Brisbane Lions in the 12 point win over Carlton in a AFL shootout at Telstra Dome.
The Lions fought back from a 13-point half-time deficit to win 21.10 (136) to 18.16 (124).

Brown scored three goals and set up many others, picking up 27 disposals and 15 marks in a dominant display up forward.

Black and Power played crucial roles in the midfield to swing the game the Lions' way in the second half, with 26 disposals each, after an exciting first-half performance by the Blues.

The crucial moment of the see-sawing goalfest came 12 minutes into the final term, when Lions speedster Ash McGrath goaled to put his side in front.

The two teams scored an astonishing 35 goals between them in the first three quarters, but neither side could manage a goal in the final term until McGrath broke the deadlock.

It came in almost comical style, with a wayward Justin Sherman snap landing in the goalsquare, where three Carlton players waited.

But two of them, Setanta O'hAilpin and Heath Scotland, spoiled each other's attempts to mark, with McGrath rushing in between them to soccer the spilled ball through for a goal.

Lions' full-forward Chris Johnson marked on the lead and goaled twice in the next four minutes to put his side 17 points in front and put the contest beyond Carlton's reach.

Brisbane had earlier stayed in touch thanks mainly to Brown's superb performance up forward and some incredible accuracy in front of goal.

The Lions had 18.1 on the board at one stage in the third quarter and had eight fewer scoring shots than the Blues in the first half.

The game turned Brisbane's way in general play in the third quarter, thanks mainly to Black, Begley and Power, with Cheynee Stiller and Tim Notting also providing some good run.

Oddly, given Brisbane's excellent kicking for goal for most of the match, it was only a string of missed set shots by the Lions late in the third quarter, two of them to Brown, that allowed Carlton to hold onto a one-point lead at the last change.

BRISBANE LIONS 6.1 13.1 18.4 21.10 (136)
CARLTON 5.6 14.8 17.11 18.16 (124)
Goals: Brisbane: C Johnson 3 J Brown 3 J Charman 3 L Power 2 T Notting 2 A McGrath 2 J Patfull 2 R Hadley J Roe C Stiller C Begley. Carlton: K Simpson 3 L Whitnall 3 E Betts 3 B Fevola 3 C Cloke 3 A Walker M Murphy M Lappin.

[hitzelsperger]

ESS   79     V   95     COL   
Friday April 27
POR   96     V   43     STK   
Saturday April 28
RIC   76     V   99     WCE   
CAR   124     V   136     BRI   
SYD   109     V   60     MEL   
Sunday April 29
HAW   93     V   110     WBD   
GEE   102     V   118     KAN   
FRE   58     V   57     ADE   

[stiffler]

Big debut for Martin Clarke today, Live on Setanta.

Good luck lad!!

[hitzelsperger]

Lyon: Irish recruiting a success
26 June 2007   Herald-Sun

WITH the International Rules series no longer a consideration, the door has been flung open to launch the most concerted Irish recruiting drive ever, Garry Lyon writes.

The stunning debut of Martin Clarke for Collingwood at the weekend, after just nine months of familiarisation with our game, has underlined how fertile Ireland is as a breeding ground for future AFL stars.

AFL clubs would be derelict in their duty if they didn't invest heavily in identifying and recruiting these amazing young athletes from the Emerald Isle.

Let the players, and their families, decide whether to take the enormous risk of moving to the other side of the world to pursue a dream of becoming a professional footballer.

The success rate of those that have taken the plunge is nothing short of amazing.

I feel more than capable of passing judgment given that I saw, first-hand, the extraordinary development of the careers of two men who grew up playing a foreign code with a round ball.

Given all of that, and the incredible obstacles they faced when they arrived here, I had no hesitation in nominating Jim Stynes and Sean Wight as two of the five best players I played alongside at the Melbourne Football Club.

What makes their careers more remarkable is that they did not benefit from the environment the likes of Clark, Colm Begley and Setanta O'hAilpin enjoy today.

After an initial period of intense, daily training, they were expected to hold down full-time jobs, or study, while continuing to pick up the nuances of our game.

There were not the resources available to fast track their development to the extent that today's "internationals" enjoy.

Yet, despite that, they prospered to the point that Stynes assumes legend status in our game and Wight retired having blown away many with his strength and athletic ability. He was one of the few players I have seen that was able to compete, on almost all physical levels, with Gary Ablett.

Combine the impact of Stynes and Wight with the current standing of Tadhg Kennelly and you have three players who have not just made the adjustment, but have been able to shape the direction of their clubs.

Brownlow medallist, All-Australian, consecutive games record-holder, Victorian State-of-Origin players and, now, one owns a premiership medal. If that is not incentive enough for clubs to dedicate serious resources to recruiting projects, I don't know what is.

Maybe the form of Clark, Begley and O'hAilpin will provide greater impetus. Clark's progress is astonishing. Begley's is not far behind. They both look set for long and distinguished careers.

What we shouldn't forget is just how much improvement there is in these boys.

O'hAilpin is further advanced than Stynes was at the same stage of their careers. Jimmy, after a couple of years battling in the under-19s and reserves was sent back to Prahran in the VFA to continue his development. It wasn't until his fourth year here that he played his first game of senior VFL football.

O'hAilpin made his senior debut in just his second year. At 199cm and with a similar work ethic and aerobic capacity as Stynes, he is every chance of becoming an AFL star.

For those who have sniggered at some of the Carlton big man's efforts, remember that Jimmy was every bit as awkward. The difference being Jimmy made his mistakes away from the prying eyes, at Prahran.

One of the great things about all the Irish boys is how appreciative they are of the opportunity they have been given. They are tough, they revel in the hard work, they have a huge appetite for learning and they refuse to believe that anything is not possible.

It is about attitude, as much as anything else, and plenty of modern players could learn a hell of a lot from them in that department. Our game is better for their arrival, and long may there be more to come.

----It looks like we'll be seeing alot more young Gaelic players being targetted over the next few years, county boards will be worried surely!

[behind the wire]

what about this for a bit of skill from a fellow down man lads. dont think the aussies are familiar with the chip lift!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHkrqVaxXOM

[Oraisteach]

Did Aussie Rules player Kevin Sheedy ever live in Ireland and play gaelic football for a county?

Thanks