The dramatic announcement by Swan Tadhg Kennelly that he will forego the final year of his contract to return to Ireland must have the Swans’ inner sanctum cursing violently.
The timing of the announcement means the Swans are limited to promoting a rookie to the senior list rather than having the option to select a stopgap senior player from the drafting process.
One can only wonder what may have been the real reason. Perhaps THAT shoulder would not stand up to another season of high-impact AFL, but could handle the gentler Gaelic game?
It will be hard for anyone to make the case that Kennelly has displayed disloyalty to his club. Through no fault of their own, clubs in the modern era have foresworn loyalty to all but a handful of ‘untouchables’, with everyone else fair game. In this context, neither club, fans nor media can censure Kennelly whatever their view of the moral position may be.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Swan dive?
The timing of the announcement means the Swans are limited to promoting a rookie to the senior list rather than having the option to select a stopgap senior player from the drafting process.
One can only wonder what may have been the real reason. Perhaps THAT shoulder would not stand up to another season of high-impact AFL, but could handle the gentler Gaelic game?
It will be hard for anyone to make the case that Kennelly has displayed disloyalty to his club. Through no fault of their own, clubs in the modern era have foresworn loyalty to all but a handful of ‘untouchables’, with everyone else fair game. In this context, neither club, fans nor media can censure Kennelly whatever their view of the moral position may be.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Coaching credentials, Part 3
(Click image to view)
I am part way into a study to examine the influences on VFL/AFL Premiership coaches, to determine the extent of influence of participation in Premiership teams as player, coach or assistant coach as a predictor of coaching success.
The above chart records coaches and Premierships since 1960. Premierships are denoted by a magenta panel and Premiership coaches by a yellow panel. I alluded to this data in the previous Coaching Credentials posts.
Further information to be incorporated into the study is the playing careers of the coaches listed and their assistant coaching assignments at the elite level (including VFL/AFL Reserves level), correlated with Premierships won by clubs while the individual was part of their football department.
As can be imagined, this is a great deal of information to be gathered, so it may be some considerable time before a meaningful analysis can be announced.
The starting hypothesis is that significant exposure to Premiership-winning cultures is a useful predictor for a potential coach’s likelihood of Premiership contention. Of course there are many other factors: administration, playing list, financial capacity, and so on, but these cannot easily be quantified.
In the meantime, I am almost endlessly fascinated by this chart on its own. I hope Aussie Rules Blog readers may also while away a few spare minutes. Enjoy!
If anyone detects any errors in the data, I would be most grateful for your alert.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Rags to riches. . .
For those living in news blackout zones, in a quirk of fate, former Collingwood and Kangaroos big man Sav Rocca plays for the Eagles.
Both play as Punter for their respective teams. Their role is to secure the least favourable field position for the opposition when their team has been unable to advance the ball ten yards over four attempts by punting the ball as close to their goal end zone as possible — with as long a ‘hang time’ in the air as possible. This means they may spend only moments on the field each game — and sometimes not even take the field at all! — but a poor performance can materially disadvantage their team.
Graham and Rocca are among the few Aussies to make it to the big time in NFL. Matt McBriar punts for the Dallas Cowboys and was signed to a 5-year contract extension in 2007 (see Graham’s experiences this year pulling on three different jerseys . . .). Former Demon forward Darren Bennett, former rugby player Colin Scotts and Olympic high jumper and Carlton player Colin Ridgeway have all previously played at the highest level. All bar Scotts have played as punters. Scotts was a defensive lineman for the Cardinals and Oilers.
Only McBriar, Graham and Rocca are currently active in the sport.
Update: Graham's Cardinals were beaten by a 35-yard TD pass in the last minute. Reports suggest Graham himself had an indifferent game with three of his five punts being poor. Interesting to see whether he’s still on the Cards’ roster come next season. Still, first Aussie to be there, so history has been writ!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Bombers’ training
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Off topic, but can't miss the chance...
Actually, it was a bit of a dud wicket with Morkel impersonating an opener.
Noticed in The Age today that it is a mere 32 days till the first pre-seaon game (Maggies v Weagles at Subiaco, Feb 7). My goodness, those 32 days are going to drag as we endure various forms of pyjama cricket :-(
[Ed Note: Bollinger is a French champagne label...]
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Rushed behinds
I’ve noticed that deliberately rushed behinds were considerably more prominent than I had remembered. Not the blight taken to hideous extreme by Joel Bowden and Brent Guerra, but defenders punching the ball across the goal line as a defensive relief valve.
I remind readers that the AFL is determined to introduce a trial rule penalising deliberately rushed behinds as part of the pre-season competition, with a possibility for implementation in the season proper.
The AFL website includes the following: “Examples of what constitutes a deliberate rushed behind will be included on the Laws of the Game DVD to be released by the AFL umpiring department early in 2009.” (see full article here) [Note: the DVD referred to is available to anyone. Simply contact the AFL and request one.]
My initial preference had been to penalise only the Bowden Manoeuvre, but in watching a good number of games from the 2008 season, I am convinced that the action proposed will improve our game. It’s not often I hand out bouquets to the AFL, so mark this one down in your diaries!
Vale Weg
For many of the years of my youth, it was a family tradition to turn to the Letters page of The Sun and view Weg’s Day, a cartooned comment on topical issues, but the annual VFL/AFL Premier team poster printed by HWT/News is perhaps the forum where Green made his most well-known impact on Melbourne and it’s semi-official religion.
Every Grand Final since 1954, the Weg poster has captured the essence of the successful teams. Grand Finals will no longer be the same. Vale Weg, and well drawn and observed!
Swan dive?
Coaching credentials, Part 3
(Click image to view)
I am part way into a study to examine the influences on VFL/AFL Premiership coaches, to determine the extent of influence of participation in Premiership teams as player, coach or assistant coach as a predictor of coaching success.
The above chart records coaches and Premierships since 1960. Premierships are denoted by a magenta panel and Premiership coaches by a yellow panel. I alluded to this data in the previous Coaching Credentials posts.
Further information to be incorporated into the study is the playing careers of the coaches listed and their assistant coaching assignments at the elite level (including VFL/AFL Reserves level), correlated with Premierships won by clubs while the individual was part of their football department.
As can be imagined, this is a great deal of information to be gathered, so it may be some considerable time before a meaningful analysis can be announced.
The starting hypothesis is that significant exposure to Premiership-winning cultures is a useful predictor for a potential coach’s likelihood of Premiership contention. Of course there are many other factors: administration, playing list, financial capacity, and so on, but these cannot easily be quantified.
In the meantime, I am almost endlessly fascinated by this chart on its own. I hope Aussie Rules Blog readers may also while away a few spare minutes. Enjoy!
If anyone detects any errors in the data, I would be most grateful for your alert.
Rags to riches. . .
In a modern-day Cinderella story, former Geelong captain, Ben Graham, unceremoniously dumped by two NFL franchises (New York Jets — twice within two weeks! — and New Orleans Saints after ONE game!) during the current season, now has a decent chance at picking up an NFL Superbowl ring (equivalent to an AFL Premiership medallion). Graham’s third team for the season, the Arizona Cardinals, beat the Philadelphia Eagles this morning to secure a place in the Superbowl.
For those living in news blackout zones, in a quirk of fate, former Collingwood and Kangaroos big man Sav Rocca plays for the Eagles.
Both play as Punter for their respective teams. Their role is to secure the least favourable field position for the opposition when their team has been unable to advance the ball ten yards over four attempts by punting the ball as close to their goal end zone as possible — with as long a ‘hang time’ in the air as possible. This means they may spend only moments on the field each game — and sometimes not even take the field at all! — but a poor performance can materially disadvantage their team.
Graham and Rocca are among the few Aussies to make it to the big time in NFL. Matt McBriar punts for the Dallas Cowboys and was signed to a 5-year contract extension in 2007 (see Graham’s experiences this year pulling on three different jerseys . . .). Former Demon forward Darren Bennett, former rugby player Colin Scotts and Olympic high jumper and Carlton player Colin Ridgeway have all previously played at the highest level. All bar Scotts have played as punters. Scotts was a defensive lineman for the Cardinals and Oilers.
Only McBriar, Graham and Rocca are currently active in the sport.
Update: Graham's Cardinals were beaten by a 35-yard TD pass in the last minute. Reports suggest Graham himself had an indifferent game with three of his five punts being poor. Interesting to see whether he’s still on the Cards’ roster come next season. Still, first Aussie to be there, so history has been writ!
Bombers’ training
Desperate for a footy fix, I headed off to La Trobe Uni this morning to watch the Bombers’ training run. As we all know, everyone looks like a champion in pre season. Hopes are always high, but the boys did look pretty sharp. A change of fitness staff seems to have been a breath of fresh air after 10 years of John Quinn. Roll on Feb 13!
Off topic, but can't miss the chance...
Dougie's first wicket: champagne cricket!!!!!
Actually, it was a bit of a dud wicket with Morkel impersonating an opener.
Noticed in The Age today that it is a mere 32 days till the first pre-seaon game (Maggies v Weagles at Subiaco, Feb 7). My goodness, those 32 days are going to drag as we endure various forms of pyjama cricket :-(
[Ed Note: Bollinger is a French champagne label...]
Rushed behinds
Over the festive season, I've been watching some games from 2008 as they’re being replayed on FoxSports (one must have one’s fix...).
I’ve noticed that deliberately rushed behinds were considerably more prominent than I had remembered. Not the blight taken to hideous extreme by Joel Bowden and Brent Guerra, but defenders punching the ball across the goal line as a defensive relief valve.
I remind readers that the AFL is determined to introduce a trial rule penalising deliberately rushed behinds as part of the pre-season competition, with a possibility for implementation in the season proper.
The AFL website includes the following: “Examples of what constitutes a deliberate rushed behind will be included on the Laws of the Game DVD to be released by the AFL umpiring department early in 2009.” (see full article here) [Note: the DVD referred to is available to anyone. Simply contact the AFL and request one.]
My initial preference had been to penalise only the Bowden Manoeuvre, but in watching a good number of games from the 2008 season, I am convinced that the action proposed will improve our game. It’s not often I hand out bouquets to the AFL, so mark this one down in your diaries!
Vale Weg
Sad news this festive season that artist Bill Green, known to most Melburnians as Weg, has passed away.
For many of the years of my youth, it was a family tradition to turn to the Letters page of The Sun and view Weg’s Day, a cartooned comment on topical issues, but the annual VFL/AFL Premier team poster printed by HWT/News is perhaps the forum where Green made his most well-known impact on Melbourne and it’s semi-official religion.
Every Grand Final since 1954, the Weg poster has captured the essence of the successful teams. Grand Finals will no longer be the same. Vale Weg, and well drawn and observed!
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