Saints icon Barker clear for take-off

Saints Daryl Cunningham, brother Geoff and Trevor Barker celebrate after beating Richmond. Barker was captain from 1983-86 and a dual winner (1976 and '81) of the best-and-fairest award, which is now named in his honour. Source: Herald Sun

A flamboyant high-flyer, Trevor Barker was more than just an exhilarating player. Source: Herald Sun

ST KILDA has nominated Trevor Barker for induction into the AFL Hall of Fame.

The surprise is not that Barker has been nominated, but that it comes 24 years after he played his last game for the club.

No one really knows why his name had not been presented to the AFL for consideration before last Friday, though Chinese whispers have it one senior member of the Saints' Hall of Fame selection committee did not rate him as highly as others within the club.

Changes to the selection panel have prompted a change in thinking.

The main change has been the departure of former coach Allan Jeans, who was coach when Barker won the first of two best-and-fairests in 1976. Jeans died in 2011.

Former teammate and current chief executive Michael Nettlefold is none the wiser.

"I asked of the Hall of Fame committee, 'Why hasn't Trevor Barker been nominated for the Hall of Fame?' and Gary Colling looked at me and said, 'Trevor Barker was this football club for a long period of time'," Nettlefold said.

"He set up all our school programs, he was the promotions officer at the club for five or six years, and a lot of that support through the bayside suburbs was because of the work Barks did those days."

AFL: Buddy goes, we might pay

Barker, who died of cancer aged 39 on April 25, 1996, is a Saints icon. He is a member of the club's Hall of Fame and a possibility to join Jeans, Ian Stewart, Daryl Baldock and Tony Lockett this year as club Legends.

Cloke and dagger TV deal done by dad

He was also captain from 1983-86 and a dual winner (1976 and '81) of the best-and-fairest award, which is now named in his honour.

Footy comes first at Etihad

A flamboyant high-flyer, Barker was more than just an exhilarating player.

Wines hailed as new club linchpin

"He was one of the best tacklers you've seen off a half-back flank, he was incredibly courageous - like Ken Hunter-courageous - and remember he was 183cm and 70kg, so he was shorter and lighter than Nick Dal Santo and he used to play state full-back," Nettlefold said.

Crows miss chance to lift game

"He was a freak. I saw him leap-frog teammate Gary Sidebottom one night at training, and Sidebottom was six foot five or six (195cm).

"I reckon he was in the air what Peter Daicos was on the ground in that era."

Nettlefold said Barker was a highlights reel as well as being "incredibly team-oriented". "He played full-back, half-back in poorly performed sides and was rarely beaten, and then they'd play him full-forward, and I think he kicked 134 goals in his career," he said.

Barker played 230 games, mostly wearing the famed No.1 jumper. "There wasn't a kid at the ground who didn't have No.1 on their back," Nettlefold said. "He certainly deserves real consideration because through that period he was a star."

The AFL Hall of Fame ceremony will be held in Canberra this year.

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Mick v Bucks in NAB Cup final?

Collingwood Magpies dominate West Coast Eagles in 20 point NAB Cup win on Sunday.

Mick Malthouse is unbeaten as Carlton coach. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD and Carlton are on course to clash in a blockbuster NAB Cup final.

Carlton sits atop the pre-season ladder after a big win against Fremantle on Saturday, while the Pies are third after a road win in Perth last night.
 
Collingwood plays pre-season bolter Brisbane - sitting second - in a virtual preliminary final at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

The Blues have to travel to Adelaide on Friday night but given the Crows' pre-season form, another win seems a distinct possibility.

North Melbourne is the other unbeaten team but has a lower percentage than the Blues, Lions and Magpies and plays its third-round fixture against Geelong at Simonds Stadium.

Port Adelaide is the surprise packet, sitting inside the top eight with two wins, while remarkably the only two teams yet to record a win are 2012 Grand Finalists Hawthorn and Sydney.

NAB CUP LADDER

1. Carlton 3-0 185.5%
2. Brisbane Lions 3-0 143.2%
3. Collingwood 3-0 129.9%
4. North Melbourne 3-0 111.2%
5. Geelong 2-1 129.8%
6. Richmond 2-1 113.5%
7. St Kilda 2-1 99.4%
8. Port Adelaide 2-1 123.5%
---
9. Essendon 1-2 111.8%
10. GWS 1-2 111.7%
11. West Coast 1-2 101.2%
12. Melbourne 1-2 89.6%
13. Gold Coast 1-2 76.1%
14. Western Bulldogs 1-2 74.1%
15. Adelaide 1-2 64.0%
16. Fremantle 1-2 60.1%
17. Hawthorn 0-3 83.2%
18. Sydney 0-3 63.3%

NAB CUP FIXTURE

Round 3

Friday, March 8
GWS v Essendon (Manuka Oval, 6.10pm) FOX FOOTY
Adelaide v Carlton (AAMI Stadium, 8.10pm) FOX FOOTY

Saturday, March 9
Hawthorn v Richmond (Aurora Stadium, 1.10pm) FOX FOOTY
Melbourne v St Kilda (Casey Fields, 2.30pm)
Fremantle v Western Bulldogs (Northam), 3.30pm
Geelong v North Melbourne (Simonds Stadium, 3.40pm) FOX FOOTY
Collingwood v Brisbane Lions (Etihad Stadium, 6.40pm) FOX FOOTY
West Coast v Port Adelaide (Alice Springs, 7pm)
Sydney v Gold Coast (Blacktown ISP, 7pm)

Grand Final

Friday March 15 or Saturday March 16
(Venue TBC) 7.40pm FOX FOOTY/Channel 7

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Rioli slams new all-indigenous team

Dean Rioli, with Andrew Krakouer, during his playing days at Essendon for the launch of the annual Dreamtime clash between the Bombers and Richmond. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Former Geelong and Adelaide forward Ronnie Burns believes an all-indigenous team will not work in the TAC Cup. Picture: Norm Oorloff Source: Herald Sun

INDIGENOUS community leader Dean Rioli has labelled the introduction of an all-Aboriginal team in the TAC Victorian under-18 competition as racist.

Rioli, who played 100 games for Essendon, said there would be a public outcry if an all-white team was introduced.

"I don't really like the fact that they will be discriminating against a person," Rioli said from Darwin yesterday.

"If a young white kid was good enough to play, he can't play because he's obviously of a different race.

"To me, we want to stamp out any sort of discrimination and this is what this is."

The AFL announced last week the establishment of the Laguntas Indigenous Tigers program at Richmond's Punt Rd headquarters.

It will be supported by AFL Victoria and the Korin Gomandji Institute.

The Laguntas - the Aboriginal word for tiger - will play three games in the TAC Cup this year with more games likely in 2014.

Indigenous players tied to a TAC Cup side but who fail to get a game can play for the Laguntas Tigers.

Footy comes first at Etihad

While Rioli conceded the program aimed to halt the decline of indigenous players in the AFL, he said smart decisions, rather than rash ones, had to be made.

Cloke and dagger TV deal done by dad

"With the numbers being down in the AFL on indigenous players compared to previous years, they are trying as many things as possible to increase that number but, at the same time, you have to do it the right way," Rioli said.

Summit to hear conflict

"You can't exclude anyone from being part of any organisation and that is exactly what this promotes."

Saints icon Barker clear for take-off

Rioli said it was important indigenous people got a fair go, the same as non-indigenous people receiving a fair go in Aboriginal organisations.

AFL: Buddy moves, we might pay

"Imagine the uproar if you could only be white to play in this side," he said.

"It's just ridiculous."

Rioli, who is assistant coach of Wanderers Football Club, is involved in supporting indigenous people into employment in Darwin and working with Aboriginal businesses to become involved in gas and oil plants.

Rioli said he fully supported the Indigenous All Stars match, which features a team of indigenous AFL players. He also supports the Fitzroy Stars side that plays in Melbourne's Northern Football League.

"The Fitzroy Stars team have non-indigenous players playing and coaching, but if it is just all indigenous and you have to be indigenous to be part of it, to me that's just very wrong," Rioli said.

Former Geelong and Adelaide forward Ronnie Burns, who was born in Darwin, said an all-indigenous team would not work in the TAC Cup.

"The non-indigenous players would feel left out," he said. "The white kid next door could be as good as the indigenous kid. It's unfair for that young kid."

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Reid escapes serious injury

Collingwood defender Ben Reid will miss this weekend's NAB Cup match against Brisbane. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

COLLINGWOOD defender Ben Reid will miss Saturday's clash with the Brisbane Lions, but has escaped serious damage to his right knee.

Reid was the only injury concern to come out of the Pies impressive win against West Coast in Perth on Sunday night, which set up a virtual NAB Cup preliminary final with the Lions.

Carlton currently sits atop the NAB Cup standings and could await the Pies or Lions in the final.

A Collingwood/Carlton decider would be an enticing match-up given it would be the first time Mick Malthouse coaches against his former club.

It would also be the first time the two clubs have played in any grand final in 32 years.

The AFL yesterday said if the Lions won the right to host the game it would be played at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast.

A final involving two Melbourne clubs will be played at Etihad Stadium.

"That's likely to be on the Friday night,'' AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said.

The league also confirmed yesterday that Malthouse would meet with the AFL laws of the game committee tomorrow.

Malthouse blasted the cap on interchange rotations currently being trialled in the pre-season competition after the Blues defeated Fremantle on Saturday night.

He also questioned whether committee was in touch with the modern game.

Keane said the laws of the game committee intends on having a ``guest'' at each of its meetings this season.

Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh said Reid was assessed by a specialist after returning from Western Australia early yesterday.

"He's hyper-extended his knee which means he won't play next week,'' Walsh said.

"But from then on the specialist is happy just to see how he responds to treatment. There's no major structural damage so that's the main thing.''

Walsh said the club's coaching staff was pleased with the side's performance in the 20-point win against the Eagles.

"It was a good win against good opposition in trying conditions.''

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Footy comes first at Etihad

Etihad Stadium boss Paul Sergeant expects playing surface to bounce back after KISS concert. Picture: Stuart Walmsley Source: Herald Sun

ETIHAD Stadium boss Paul Sergeant yesterday assured the football world that the playing surface would be in "fantastic'' condition by Saturday night, despite hosting two KISS concerts this week.

His assurance came as the Herald Sun revealed several players have privately raised concerns about the surface the hardest they had experienced.

Etihad Stadium had major problems with a shifting surface in 2010 that were blamed on three AC/DC concerts in February, but Sergeant said this week's KISS concerts were different because they would only infringe on about 15 per cent of the surface.

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said that fact, plus the installation of turf protection, meant the league was comfortable the concerts would "cause minimal impact on the grass''.

He said readings of the surface's firmness, taken on the eve of last Friday's Western Bulldogs-Hawthorn game  were "well within our guidelines for stadium surface''.

"We're not anticipating any concerns when it comes to next weekend's game,'' Keane said.

Sergeant denied the ground had been prepared with the concerts as the priority, and if anything the surface was "a little soft''.

"We haven't prepared the field with KISS in mind; we've got sportsmen to look after,'' Sergeant told Triple M.

"When we say it's in that 'preferred range' [of readings], in fact, if anything, it's probably a little bit soft. I know that's not the feedback that's coming back ... There's a bit of 'divoting' so we're going to be looking into that, but in terms of the hardness, it's something the guys monitor very, very closely.''

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Adversity to make Dons

At Essendon's season launch, coach James Hird and chairman David Evans ensure the club will not be brought to their knees by the drug scandal hanging over them.

Essendon president David Evans says the club will get to the bottom of the drug scandal. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: Herald Sun

AN emotional David Evans has described the drugs furore surrounding Essendon as a watershed moment for the club.

The Bombers chairman apologised for the mistakes that had led to an Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority investigation into whether Essendon players had used performance-enhancing drugs.

Speaking at last night's season launch, Evans promised the truth would come out eventually.

"Mistakes have been made, and I sincerely apologise that they have occurred," he said.

"We will get to the bottom of what happened, we will make sure those mistakes never happen again.

"It is hard to say much more than that right now because while we know some things, there is so much we don't know.

"And we're continuing to piece together a long and complicated jigsaw puzzle."

Last week Essendon employed former Telstra chief Dr Ziggy Switkowski to ascertain how and why the club found itself in an anti-doping investigation.

The AFL seems certain to penalise the Bombers for bringing the game into disrepute in regards to its off-site injecting program last year.

Evans called on the club's faithful to stick together despite the enormous challenges they were currently facing.

"The issues of the last month are galvanising the Essendon Football Club together," he said.

"We will get through this and we will be a better, stronger organisation.

"We will look back on the start of the season 2013 as a difficult time, but as a watershed moment. A moment when we confronted our mistakes, when we learned some tough lessons, and we took stock."

Evans said he was confident the players would be cleared of any wrongdoing. "We will do everything we can to make sure they get to play," he said.

The Bombers last night inducted former champions Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas into its Hall of Fame.

Others to also be recognised included former premiership players Roy McConnell, Fred Baring and Daryl Gerlach; long-time committeeman Bill Brew and last year's No.1 ticket-holder Bruce Heymanson.

The Bombers fly to Canberra to play Greater Western Sydney at Manuka Oval on Friday night and will again have the luxury of plenty of tall forward options with ruckman Tom Bellchambers coming through last week's clash with Richmond unscathed.

Bellchambers spent much of the pre-season recovering from a freak accident, when he broke a bone in the right ankle after landing on the foot of an assistant coach during the warm-up before last year's Round 23 game against Collingwood.

"He (the development coach) normally doesn't do the ruck stuff before a game. It was his first time and I think it will be his last time as well," he said.

"I was in the moonboot for six weeks overseas and I did all the recovery down to a tee and, touch wood, it has been great so far."

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Tiger uses power for good

Daniel Jackson has made the most of his AFL profile to promote causes off the field.

JUST how do you quantify a player's power for a neat and tidy list of 10?

Their ability to shift vast quantities of AFL merchandise from supermarket shelves?

The price they can demand to appear on the football shows that saturate the media?

Or the quiet work they do behind the scenes that actually influences policy and shapes opinions in our game?

Because Buddy Franklin is the king of merchandise, Dane Swan the must-have interview and Adam Goodes the indigenous statesman with a political career beckoning.

Yet a self-described battler with a self-depreciating wit has swept into the players' power list with a bullet.

When the player union chose a representative to sit on Channel 7s drugs summit panel it was Richmond's Daniel Jackson answering the hard questions with aplomb.

It was Jackson marching alongside Brock McLean at a recent gay rights rally; it was him accepting the Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award at last year's Brownlow Medal.

Jackson shows what an extraordinary platform is avaiable for AFL players prepared to publicly push worthy messages.

Gallery: Count down the 10 most powerful players in the game

But he also underlines the missed opportunity for other players given many are too obsessed with the train-play-recover cycle to put their profile to good use.

Could Chris Judd be a more vocal environmental ambassador given his strong views and immense profile?

Just how effective would Franklin become in the fight against football racism and fan behaviour if he dedicated himself?

Chat live with Jon Ralph from 1pm below

On a mobile? Click here for a better chat experience

Jackson, a Headspace ambassador, board member for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and campaigner against community violence, is an example of the power created when someone is prepared to speak up.

"What we have seen with Daniel is someone who is a professional in every sense of the word, but also a broad thinker about the game,'' says AFLPA chief executive Matt Finnis.

''He is passionate about the lot of the AFL player, but he is also one of those guys who you feel that when his time us up in the game he won't be hanging around because he has so much in life he wants to take on and challenge himself with.

"Daniel has that empathy for the community, but also in recent times he's been able to articulate the views of the players in pressure situations.''

Finnis says it is unfair to expect every AFL player to be an ambassador or spokesman on complex issues.

Encouragingly, he responds to a question about Franklin's untapped potential with a recent example of his determination to use that profile.

''At the indigenous camp two weeks ago there was a vacancy on the indigenous players advisory board and Buddy and Paddy Ryder both stepped up. Adam Goodes is a statesman of the game, but it is wonderful to see younger guys like Paddy and Buddy putting their hand up.

"It will be interesting to see who the next crop of players are who have an influence like we have seen with Goodes or Matthew Pavlich or Jon Brown."

Trent Cotchin, Patrick Dangerfield and Andrew Swallow are just three Finnis believes will lead that charge.

Tomorrow: The backroom boys

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Summit to hear conflict

Carlton president Stephen Kernahan says the club will argue against Sydney's salary cap allowance. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON says it will argue against Sydney's salary cap allowance at the March 20 equalisation summit, but is prepared to accept the AFL Commission's ruling.

Blues president Stephen Kernahan yesterday spoke to both Sydney chairman Richard Colless and chief executive Andrew Ireland as he calmed simmering tensions between the clubs.

He said Carlton agreed it should continue its battle for equalisation behind closed doors, with clubs coming together to discuss the rich versus poor divide before the season begins.

Carlton chief executive Greg Swann's comments in the Herald Sun last week that he was "staggered" the Swans could afford to recruit Kurt Tippett ignited the latest battle between Sydney and Melbourne.

Greater Western Sydney already has two separate allowances - cost of living, and a list-building allowance phased out after seven years - but wants an extra 40 per cent in its cost-of-living allowance.

Kernahan said the Blues did not resile from their objection to the allowances, but would voice their protest directly to the AFL.

Chief executives and club presidents will discuss equalisation measures with the AFL during the March 20 meeting, with clubs having made submissions on ways to bridge the divide.

Kernahan rejected claims Victorian clubs are not behind the two expansion clubs, saying they had voted for their list allowances and the funds to shore them up.

"I spoke to Richard (Colless) about the salary cap and they will defend their position and we will defend ours. The ruling will eventually come from the AFL and we will accept that," Kernahan said.

"The Carlton Football Club has been nothing but supportive of helping all clubs become strong. We want 18 strong clubs but you can't take away (money)- from individual club members and our own revenue."

Swann preferred not to discuss the comments of the NSW clubs yesterday, but there is no chance of him being censured by the league despite Sydney's call to charge him for bringing the game into disrepute.

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Ansett rebukes Roo board

North Melbourne icon Bob Ansett says a James Brayshaw-led Kangaroos board would need the tick of approval from members to play any more than four home games outside Victoria. Picture: Paul Loughnan Source: Herald Sun

NORTH Melbourne icon Bob Ansett says the club's members deserve a "substantial say" in the number of home games it plays interstate.

Ansett, a former club chairman and major shareholder, yesterday added his name to a supporters' group seeking a change to the club's constitution.

It would require the James Brayshaw-led board to obtain the approval of members before committing to any more than four home games outside Victoria each year.

"It makes sense to me," Ansett said yesterday.

"Given the history over the last 20 years of playing games interstate and pressures to relocate, it's only fair that members do have a say in that - and a substantial say."

But Ansett said he would prefer it if the motion required just 51 per cent of members to approve extra interstate matches, rather than the proposed 75 per cent.

"That (75 per cent) is pretty difficult to achieve under almost any circumstances," Ansett said.

"But a simple majority would put the pressure on the board to justify the means of what they are proposing, whether it be an extra game interstate or two games at another ground.

"It's the right sort of democratic test for a board and I think the club would be the beneficiary of having that motion approved if it was a simple majority."

The Brayshaw board was ready to commit to playing up to seven games a season in Tasmania three years ago but was gazumped by Hawthorn and Jeff Kennett.

It has since signed a deal to play six games over three years in Hobart.

Ansett, who was inducted into the Kangaroos' Hall of Fame at last year's best and fairest dinner, revealed he was annoyed by a snub from the club's board on the night.

"What annoyed me was I had a table there that consisted of John Kennedy Sr, Greg Miller, Ron Joseph, Francis Trainor and Albert Mantello," Ansett said.

"And no-one from the board, not just Brayshaw, saw fit to at least come over and welcome us.

"To me personally it wouldn't have mattered but I felt a little embarrassed that I had all these fantastic North Melbourne people there that no-one bothered to even come and welcome.

"And I drew on my period as president of the club and under no circumstances would I have permitted something like that to occur."

North members will vote at the club's annual general meeting on March 19.

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AFL: Buddy moves, we might pay

Lance Franklin has delayed contract talks with Hawthorn until the end of the season, prompting fears he could be headed elsewhere. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Swans champion Tony Lockett was paid by the league as an ambassador in an expansion market. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

LANCE Franklin could be paid by the AFL outside the salary cap should he choose to leave Hawthorn for Greater Western Sydney.

The AFL would consider making Franklin an ambassador of the game, as it did rugby league converts Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt.

But the league would not enter into an arrangement until after Franklin had committed to the Giants.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou yesterday confirmed a precedent existed where an AFL player - Tony Lockett - was paid by the league as an ambassador in an expansion market.

Lockett joined Sydney from St Kilda in 1995.

Demetriou yesterday stressed the AFL would not be part of any deal to send Franklin north, but would look at a proposal from GWS after Franklin had signed.

"It would be assessed on its merits, and if it made sense, our guys would put a recommendation in," Demetriou said.

"Under no circumstances are they to enter into an arrangement with a club to entice a player to go somewhere on the basis we are going to top up his salary."

The game's most dynamic player has delayed contract talks with Hawthorn until the end of the season, prompting fears he could be headed elsewhere.

His manager, Liam Pickering, said at the weekend he had not fielded offers from another club.

GWS chief executive David Matthews would not comment on recruiting, although it is understood the Giants, who last week re-signed several players, including key forward Jonathon Patton, would now put Franklin on the agenda.

Rioli slams new indigenous team

The club has room in its salary cap to pay Franklin about $1.2 million a season.

Demetriou, who believes Franklin will stay at the Hawks, said an ambassador's role had to be "unique".

Saint icon Barker clear for take-off

"If there's going to be an ambassador, it's got to be because the player is doing something unique and they're helping us promote the game," he said.

Summit to hear conflict

"The last player who went to Sydney on that sort of basis was Tony Lockett, and he was an ambassador, so there is a precedent for it.

Cloke and dagger TV deal done by dad

"We set up Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau because they were two rugby league players and we paid them quite publicly outside the cap. And they did a lot of work in that role."

Footy comes first at Etihad

The AFL also has appointed 11 multicultural ambassadors, including Richmond's Bachar Houli, Collingwood's Harry O'Brien, St Kilda's Leigh Montagna and West Coast's Nic Naitanui.

Demetriou said splitting Franklin's contract was not an option.

"We couldn't have a discussion with GWS to say we'll give him $5 and you give him $2 and we can give him $7 ... we wouldn't be party to that," he said.

It's not fair to the other clubs."

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