Off-season drug risk a concern

Don McLardy at a press conference at youth support foundation Reach, which gives him a unique insight into issues facing young footballers. Picture: Darren McNamara Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE president Don McLardy has backed Collingwood counterpart Gary Pert's concerns about illegal drug use and says players may rebel in the off-season because of the AFL's "pressure-cooker environment".

McLardy is chairman of the youth support foundation Reach, which gives him a unique insight into issues facing young footballers.

He believes that players are under such tight constraints during the season that some are determined to cut loose with illicit drugs when they hit their mandated holiday period.

Players cannot be tested for illicit drugs during their break, except when they return to their club for occasional fitness tests.

McLardy's concerns were yesterday echoed by coaches Mark Neeld and James Hird, who said the AFL echoed many of society's concerns.

"I am chairman of Reach so it is something I have a fair bit to do with," said McLardy, who has no concerns with Demon players.

"There is absolutely no reason why the AFL wouldn't have the same issues the general community has got.

"It is a very high-pressure environment during the year, and no doubt at the end of the year there is that let-down and people do things they wouldn't normally do.

"Sometimes we forget we are talking about 18 and 19-year-old kids with enormous expectations on them and an enormous effort by them to chase their dreams.

"They are more susceptible because of the pressure-cooker environment.

"What we do with AFL footballers is we put them in a cocoon."

McLardy said he would welcome an industry-wide discussion after Pert called for a January symposium on drug use in the AFL.

Hird said he shared concerns about drugs in the community, which crossed over to the AFL.

"There are a lot of issues in society and they come into football," Hird said.

"Whether it's drugs, or gambling, or guys with a lot of money and time on their hands, we have got to make sure they are making the right decisions and help them make the right decisions."

Neeld said AFL clubs were in a perfect position to play a leading role in the fight against illicit drugs.

"As a parent all you have to do is pick up a newspaper or listen to radio and there will be a story about drugs," Neeld said.

"Drugs are becoming an issue in society, and it affects everyone, so I think Perty is on to it. And I think we could use our game and some of the faces in it to get the issue out there and discuss it."

DISGRACED Adelaide chief executive Stephen Trigg will be barred from communicating with Crows personnel during his six-month ban, the AFL said yesterday.

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Expensive outcome for Trigg

Apart from the financial hit, the AFL has put in place some rigid guidlines as part of Steven Trigg's punishment for salary cap rorting and draft tampering. Source: The Advertiser

BESIEGED Crows chief executive Steven Trigg will pay a heavy price for his six-month AFL ban.

Considered lucky to keep his job, Trigg will lose a small fortune and be treated like a leper until he is allowed back into Adelaide's West Lakes headquarters on July 1 next year.

Apart from his once-glowing reputation copping a hammering, Trigg will lose half-a-year's salary, estimated to be worth about $200,000 and be forced to pay his $50,000 AFL fine out of his own pocket.

The Crows also have confirmed they will not contribute "one cent" to his fact-finding national and overseas sporting trips when he is officially suspended on January 1.

"Steven will have to pay the fine and all costs he incurs from January 1 to July 1," Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman said.

"As a club we will absolutely not be contributing to any of that - it is an AFL requirement.

"Steven will not receive one cent of remuneration from the Adelaide Football Club in the six months starting form January 1, 2013."

Apart from the financial hit, the AFL has revealed the full extent of Trigg's punishment for salary cap rorting and draft tampering in the Kurt Tippett scandal.

A notable spectator alongside Chapman at yesterday's Crows training session at Max Basheer Reserve, Trigg cannot have any involvement in the AFL at all from January 1 - when his ban kicks in - to June 30.

The league's guidelines include:

NOT being allowed to step on to the club's grounds or into its offices.

BEING banned from all Crows training sessions and pre-season and home-and-away matches.

NOT being able to attend any AFL match.

MAKING no contact with any Crows or AFL official in person, on the phone or through social media.

If Trigg is found guilty of any offence, he will automatically cop another six-month ban, which would almost certainly end his time in football.

Chapman, who will take over as interim chief executive from January 1, said he would spend the next four weeks working closely alongside Trigg to "ensure all tasks of the chief executive are taken care of".

"I'm not going down there just to keep the chair warm," Chapman said.

"We will be going over the process to make sure we grow from this, we are not going to tread water. I'm across all of the agenda items and there are decisions to be made about Adelaide Oval, the licence and the structure of our football department."

Chapman said Trigg had paid a massive price "for an error of judgment" and had only retained his job after "six weeks of debate, discussion and probing".

"It wasn't an easy decision, we didn't just roll up, have a cup of tea and simply reappoint him," Chapman said of the board's decision not to sack him.

"We did take into consideration every fact that is known to us and we reached the conclusion we did.

"Steven accepted the breach of breaking a rule in sport and while it is a severe case it is not one which should condemn him to life out of football."

Chapman said Trigg would return to the club next year "as a better CEO".

"The one change he will probably make is to share more of the load and make sure the board is aware of every risk involved in the football club," he said.

"He's made an error of judgment, he's admitted that and he's suffering a large sanction, obviously to his reputation and integrity but also personally with a fine and six months with no pay."

Football operations manager Phil Harper, who copped a two-month AFL suspension for his role in the Tippett saga, will today fly to Hawaii for a long-planned holiday. His position will temporarily be filled by list manager David Noble.
 

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Top Dog puts money on table

The kennel gang: New Bulldog president Peter Gordon with the Bulldogs' new-look football department (left to right) Rohan Smith (assistant coach), Ben Graham (strategic football operations manager), Shannon Grant (assistant coach), James Fantasia (general manager football), Steven King (assistant coach), Ashley Hansen (development coach), Brendan McCartney (senior coach), Graham Lowe (high performance coach), Andy Barnett (strength and conditioning coach) and Brett Montgomery (strategy and opposition coach). Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

INCOMING Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon has already exerted his fiscal clout by making a substantial donation to the club.

The high-profile lawyer is refusing to talk numbers, but yesterday confirmed he had written one cheque.

It is expected there will be more to come from Gordon and a collection of powerful supporters who are rallying behind him.

"I am both making a contribution and working hard amongst my contacts to maximise their contributions," Gordon said.

"It's fair to say there are a number of people who I've been friends with over the years and who have been very generous supporters over a long period of time.

"If you are after numbers, you are not going to get them from me ... I am choosing not to talk about my own contribution."

It is understood there are at least eight to 10 key backers, both individuals and families, prepared to dig deep.

Gordon, who officially takes over as president at the club's annual general meeting on December 20, wants to use the funds to significantly boost football department spending.

He is also rallying rank-and-file supporters to ensure membership revenue remained high enough to ensure money can be spent in areas that will have an impact on on-field performance.

The Dogs are burdened by a $10.5 million debt, but Gordon is adamant that it is manageable as the focus switches to football.

"We want to do the extra things in the football department and to accelerate the development of our young players," Gordon said.

And he is intent on making sure the supporters, desperate for on-field success, feel part of the reinvigoration.

"The overriding thing is, I want the Bulldogs to be a team off-field as well as on-field," Gordon said.

"I don't want to over-emphasise what a particular group is doing, and not value the contribution of others.

"This club was saved in 1989 out of the pockets of pensioners and unemployed people. My mum turned up with her big money box and turned it over.

"The contribution of those supporters is just as important as the support for those businesspeople and higher net worth people who have been very generous.

"I've been thrilled with the letters, emails and phone calls to my office from people really excited about 2013."

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Mark Neeld pours on the heat

Coach Mark Neeld says there are significant benefits from training in heat and humidity as the Dees prepare for an eight-day training camp in the Northern Territory. Source: Getty Images

MELBOURNE coach Mark Neeld says he plans to turn the club's Darwin heat and humidity-based training camp into a permanent fixture.

The Demons leave for the Northern Territory on Thursday for an eight-day camp that will include a 35km hike in Kakadu National Park

Temperatures are expected to reach 35C with 75 per cent humidity during the camp, which is designed to test the players' mental and physical strength.

Neeld said he expected former Collingwood forward Chris Dawes to participate fully in Darwin after overcoming a minor calf strain.

Another key forward, Mitch Clark (foot surgery), has now run three times at training in another boost to the club's pre-season.

Several clubs have headed to high-altitude US locations in Utah and Arizona, as they follow Collingwood's cutting-edge training programs.

But Neeld said Melbourne's players would benefit just as much from a more modest financial outlay.

"The research is telling us there are significant benefits from training at heat and humidity," Neeld said.

"But the research is also saying it's not just a one-off thing. A one-off is a period which tests pure mental resilience, but what we plan to do is make it something we do every year so it's part of our permanent summer training program.

"My experience with altitude is that it's outstanding. But it's the same with all problems - there can be more than one solution.

"We are not ruling out altitude in the future, but we are going down the heat and humidity line for now. It needs to be done season after season."

The Demons will train at the Palmerston football ground and TIO Stadium and stay at the Robertson Barracks army base, which has a full-sized football ground.

While Dawes will have fully recovered from his calf issues, Neeld said Clark's recovery would be more complex.

"He ran last week on Wednesday and Friday and again this morning at Casey Fields," Neeld said yesterday.

"It gives everyone a bit of a kick-along including the coaching group."

The Demons yesterday registered a fourth consecutive profit ($19,486).

"We believe our result is very creditable, given the extremely competitive environment we work in and the extraordinarily difficult year we have had," president Don McLardy said.

The latest profit was achieved despite the Demons increasing their football department spending by $1.674 million this year.

But they could face more pain when the AFL finalises its investigation into claims they tanked for draft picks in 2009.

Heavy sanctions are expected if the allegations are proved, though McLardy said the club planned a strong defence.

"I can assure you we will use every resource available to us to defend the integrity of the Melbourne Football Club in the strongest possible way," he said.

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Crouch backed to be next big thing

Brad Crouch and Taylor Walker are off and flying at the Crows' first pre-season training session at Max Basheer reserve. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

IT took Adelaide 20 years to win its first AFL Rising Star Award.

Now a Crows teenager has been heavily backed to make it consecutive young player of the year awards for the embattled club.

Last year's mini-draft pick-up Brad Crouch - whom coach Brenton Sanderson continues to rave about - has been backed into third favouritism to win next season's Rising Star trophy.

Defender Daniel Talia this year became Adelaide's first winner of the award after a standout 23-game season at centre half-back.

Midfield ball magnet Crouch - who has set his sights on debuting in round one against Essendon at AAMI Stadium - trails only Gold Coast mini-draft selection Jaeger O'Meara and Melbourne father-son pick Jack Viney in early betting markets.

The 18-year-old has been backed in from $15 to $13 with sportsbet.com.au.

O'Meara is favourite at $6 and Viney is $10. No. 1 draft pick, GWS's Lachie Whitfield, and Croweater Jimmy Toumpas, who has joined Melbourne, round out the top five fancies at $14.

Port Adelaide's top draft pick, Ollie Wines ($16), also is tipped to make a big impact in his first year,

"The Crows have lost a heap of draft picks but they still have Crouch up their sleeve," sportsbet.com.au's Shaun Anderson said. "He killed it in the SANFL last year and has easily been the best-backed player."

Victorian Crouch spent last season playing SANFL football for West Adelaide because he was too young to make his AFL debut.

He starred in the local league and improved his game enormously while training alongside Adelaide midfield stars Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane.

Crouch said he was now ready to step up to AFL ranks.

"I think I'm pretty lucky because I've had the year to develop, so I think that's the big thing," he said. "But I'm not trying to put too much pressure on myself.

"I just want to get through the pre-season and keep things pretty simple.

"I try not to think about next year at all at the moment. I just want to complete every session in the gym and out there (on the training track) and I know that'll keep me in good stead."

When Crouch does finally don a Crows jumper, his debut will be one of the most anticipated in Adelaide's history.

Sanderson described Crouch as "a beauty" and said he would benefit enormously from having a year developing in the club's system.

"He knows the game plan already and he's got an AFL body now compared to the kids in this year's draft pool," he said.
 

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One more might be enough for Black

Triple premiership player Simon Black may call it quits at the end of next season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

SIMON Black says there is every chance that 2013 will be his 16th and final AFL campaign. The Lions legend wants to have no regrets.

From training in the lung-busting high altitude of the snow-capped Arizona to the sweltering Queensland summer, the 33-year-old is determined to be in the best shape possible ahead of what could be his last hurrah.

On a modified training schedule until the new year, Brisbane are slowly but surely getting Black back to peak fitness so the Rolls-Royce midfielder will be purring come Round 1.

"I'm under no illusions that this may well be my last year so I'm just trying to get my body right and into some short of shape so I can play some good footy and really enjoy the year," Black said.

"When you look back at your footy career, you want to have memories of playing good footy and being around your teammates in a winning dressingroom so that's what I'm hoping to do next season.

"If it is my last one, then I can walk away knowing I've had a very enjoyable finish to a very enjoyable journey."

Black signed a one-year contract extension after Brisbane's 2012 home-and-away season and is putting no pressure on himself about a retirement decision.

He said the two-week training camp in Flagstaff had been invaluable.

The triple premiership player, Norm Smith medallist and Brownlow medallist was restricted to swimming, bike riding and some running and football training but even modified work at high altitude can reap great rewards on the return to sea level.

"The first week to 10 days is a real struggle because you are constantly short of breath but you feel better the longer the camp goes on and you really feel the benefits of training at high altitude," he said.

Jordon Bourke, the son of former Geelong and Bears ruckman Damian Bourke, joined the Lions for training yesterday ahead of next week's pre-season and rookie drafts.

Bourke, a 193cm key forward, was overlooked by the Cats as a father-son selection in last month's national draft.

The Suns also bypassed the Brisbane-born Bourke with their local zone selection.

Bourke played for Morningside in the NEAFL last season and represented Queensland in the under-18 national championships.

Both Bourke and injury-plagued onballer Callum Bartlett have been given permission to train with the Lions by the AFL ahead of the drafts.
 

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Crows will trade to get draft picks

Crows chairman Rob Chapman has vowed Adelaide will be a big player in the free agent market next year. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: Herald Sun

LIST manager David Noble says the Crows will consider trading away players to get their teeth back into the first round of next year's AFL national draft.

Noble said having effectively lost three first-round selections in two years because of the Kurt Tippett salary cap scandal, the club would carefully examine the significance of gaining one of Australia's gun teenagers next year.

"That's a good opportunity which fortunately is still open to us," Noble said.

"We've copped a fair whack from the AFL but we are still allowed to trade our way back into contention for the top-end talent at the draft if we feel that's the right move for the club.

"It certainly is a mechanism that we can use and something we'll consider next year."

The Crows willingly gave up their first and third-round national draft picks this year to lighten future draft sanctions.

But they also lost Tippett for nothing after the Swans had offered a first-round pick and player (Jesse White) for him and were banned from the first two rounds of next year's draft, which is considered strong.

Noble described it has a "reasonable penalty" but a problem for the club. "That is potentially three very good players we have missed out on," he said.

"But there's no doubt things could have been a lot worse, so we get up and keep batting on."

It was feared Adelaide could have been banned from as many as four drafts for salary cap cheating and draft tampering, rocking the club for a decade.

Armed with an extra $750,000 a season in salary cap room from losing Tippett, the Crows' timing for losing draft picks could not have been better. The advent of free agency will let the club invest heavily in recruits and "fill holes which might be on our list".

Chairman Rob Chapman has vowed Adelaide will be a big player in the free agent market next year.

"Free agency certainly gives us more options," Noble said.

Adelaide will be only a minor player in next week's pre-season and rookie drafts.

Noble confirmed the club would redraft second-year midfielder Nick Joyce - the Crows' fall guy in the Tippett scandal - at the pre-season draft and take only one rookie.

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Something not adding up in this story

Adelaide Crows chairman Rob Chapman has thrown his complete support behind embattled chief executive Steven Triggs. Source: Getty Images

WHO knew what, and when, were the interminable questions that eventually saw an American President resign before he was formally impeached.

There have been no resignations down at the Adelaide Crows but there are far more questions than answers still hanging around.

Something is just not adding up in this story but dragging the complete picture out of the Crows hierarchy is proving as easy as knitting custard.

Chairman Rob Chapman says he too would be demanding the head of Steven Trigg as chief executive if he didn't have all the facts in front of him.

But those outside of the inner sanctum are yet to hear what are the compelling facts that will enable Trigg to return to his job after a six-month ban.

Looking on from the outer it seems that from August 2011 onwards Trigg did not tell his board everything it needed to know - when it needed to know it. Given what has happened of late that should be a sacking offence.

Apparently Trigg regarded the whole situation as a "manageable risk".

He was dead right about the risk factor and totally over-estimated his capacity to manage it.

In such circumstances, Trigg must have exceptional qualities to be attracting such universal and staunch support to keep his job.

His sabbatical to study "world's best practice" at other sporting organisations is going to have to reveal some serious jewels of wisdom to compensate for the situation in which the Crows find themselves.

What has happened to the Crows is far worse than the club is prepared to admit.

Within the space of a few months its reputation has been trashed, its credibility compromised and on-field success placed in jeopardy.

The primary defence of the Adelaide Football Club seems to be, "we're not as bad as Carlton", which is bordering on embarrassing.

Chapman's determination to head the charge to the brave new world is admirable but ill-judged.

Taking phone calls and answering e-mails from fans shows his passion and commitment to righting the listing ship but filling in for Trigg as chief executive is a step too far. The dual roles are not compatible.

Who knew what and when in the Kurt Tippett affair has not been adequately answered.

The Crows need to address these matters without equivocation.

If not the club motto of Natus Ad Magna Gerenda (Born to Great Things), is in danger of being replaced by, "Oh what a tangled web we weave - when first we practise to deceive."

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Tippett looks at manager change

Who is correct? A source close to Velocity Sports says it is unlikely Kurt Tippett will part ways with the company. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

KURT Tippett's lawyer has hinted the suspended key forward could dump his Brisbane-based management company Velocity Sports.

Tippett's manager Peter Blucher is set to face an AFL Players' Association investigation for his role in the draft tampering and salary cap scandal that saw Tippett receive an 11-match suspension last Friday.

The AFL also fined Adelaide and suspended club officials Steve Trigg and Phil Harper.

The AFL has no power over agents but the AFLPA's Agent Accreditation Board can deregister or suspend player managers.

"For the minute they are," David Galbally QC told Melbourne radio when asked if Velocity Sports was still managing Tippett.

"I say that for the moment because, like with all these things, there was no outcome decided until Friday. That's a matter for the Tippett family."

A source close to Velocity Sports said it was unlikely Tippett would part ways with the company.

Adelaide list manager David Noble said the Crows would consider trading away players to get their teeth back into the first round of next year's AFL national draft.

Having effectively lost three first-round selections in two years because of the Tippett salary cap scandal, Noble said the club would look long and hard at getting its hands on one of Australia's gun teenagers next year.

"We are still allowed to trade our way back into contention for the top-end talent at the draft if we feel that's the right move for the club," Nobel said.

The Crows gave up their first and third-round national draft picks this year in an attempt to lighten future draft sanctions.

But they also lost Tippett for nothing after the Swans had offered a first-round pick and player (Jesse White) for him and were banned from the first two rounds of next year's draft.

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In Goddard we trust fits nicely

Nine out of 10: Essendon recruit Brendon Goddard tries out the No.9 jumper that he will wear next year. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

IT is what Essendon fans have been waiting to see _ Brendon Goddard in a Bombers jumper.

While the former Saint will don the No.9 next season, exciting father/son recruit Joe Daniher will wear the No.6 guernsey worn by his father Anthony and uncle Neale Daniher.

Michael Hibberd will wear the No.1 jumper.

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