Dees backs lead time trial

Melbourne defenders Tom McDonald and Daniel Nicholson win today's time trial. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Source: Herald Sun

Melbourne mature-aged recruit David Rodan edges out emerging swingman Jack Watts. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Source: Herald Sun

Melbourne father-son selection Jack Viney toughs it out during the three-kilometre time trial. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE defenders Tom McDonald and Daniel Nicholson led the Demons in today's three kilometre pre-season time trial around Princes Park.

Nicholson, who turned 22 yesterday, put in a strong performance just days after being promoted to the senior list.

The rebounding defender played 20 matches as a rookie including 11 of the last 14 in 2012.

He missed two matches late in the season with a jaw injury.

Mature-aged rookie James Magner was next over the line followed by co-captain Jack Trengove and Rohan Bail.

The Demons No.26 pick in the national draft, father-son selection Jack Viney, finished in the forward half of the field.

Melbourne elite performance manager Dave Misson was buoyed with the results ahead of "structured" pre-season training on Monday.

"Today was about showing what they really did in the off-season and whether they've come ready to go in the pre-season," Misson told Melbourne's website.

"We've had probably 10 PBs (personal best) out of 20 odd players, a lot of players reached their target times and the ones that didn't, weren't too far over it.

"The boys have got a really good foundation to work from and we're really pleased with the program in place."

Tagger Jordie McKenzie put in a bold front-running effort in his first time-trial while co-captain Jack Grimes ran on his own at AAMI Park.

Meanwhile, veteran David Rodan edged out swingman Jack Watts on the finish line.

The delisted Port Adelaide goal sneak was handed a lifeline by the Demons during last month's trade window.

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Stevens ready to take next step

Western Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney (left) urged recruit Koby Stevens to train hard and put his best foot forward after playing a bit-part role at West Coast. Picture: Getty Images Source: Herald Sun

THERE were a variety of reasons why Koby Stevens left West Coast and one very big one for joining the Western Bulldogs.

The chance to play with one of his best mates from childhood was a no-brainer and one which has made the people at Bairnsdale's Patties Pies factory very happy.

Stevens and Dogs midfielder Clay Smith played junior football together for Lucknow in the East Gippsland Football League.

Their families have been close for years with Stevens' father a manager at the pie factory where both of Smith's parents work.

"We've known each other for 10 years," Stevens said. "Clay and I grew up together and played footy together. He would play in the U/14s and I was playing U/16s but most week's he'd come up and play in the U/16s.

"At Lucknow my old man was the coach and Clay's old man was the runner."

Smith, who was the Dogs first-round pick last year, said the pair spent most weekends together growing up.

"My mum and dad were in a cleaning business and then they got out of it," he said. "They were looking for a job and Koby's dad pretty much got them a job which they've been doing for the last eight or nine years.

"It's pretty exciting how it's all worked out now."

Stevens spent three years at the Eagles and played 11 games but the Bulldogs had kept an eye on his progress and made their move in trade week snaring the 21-year-old in exchange for pick No.44.

"It was a great experience the three years I had there, I had some great coaches and learnt a lot," Stevens said. "I suppose my body over the three years I have got it in good condition that it's AFL ready now.

"There were some pretty good players in my position at West Coast and I was pretty much emergency all through the year which made it tough.

"When I spoke to Macca (Dogs coach Brendan McCartney) he said there was an opportunity here as long as I trained hard and put my best foot forward."

It was a Gippsland Power reunion yesterday with two of Stevens best mates, John Butcher and Campbell Heath, in London with Port Adelaide for the AFL's exhibition match.

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Gambling addict has a lucky break

Former Melbourne footballer Daniel Ward has been free of his gambling addiction for two years. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Melbourne and North Adelaide footballer Daniel Ward can feel his senses heighten this time of year, when the papers are packed with Spring Carnival stories and office talk turns to the tip of the next major race.

Ward is a gambling addict, now "sober" for two years and four months after blowing all of the spoils of a successful football career, but he knows he's only one bet away from falling into a black hole again.

He was a dashing back-flanker with the Demons and gambling began as part of the good life, only to consume him and threaten to tear him apart from his family and consider the worth of his life.

Ward speaks openly about his demons, works with the AFL players' union and wants to help others at risk.

And he fears other footballers - at all levels of the game - have never been as vulnerable as today.

Only a few years ago, gambling still required an effort. With today's smartphones, you can gamble your life away in minutes if you have been monstered by the addiction.

Ward hit rock bottom, but still shudders at the prospect of being a gambling addict armed with today's technology.

"It's been over two years now that I've been sober, if you like, off gambling, but if that was around when I was doing it - just pushing a couple of buttons on a phone - it definitely would have made it a lot harder for me," Ward said. "That sort of market has really exploded.

"It's a private problem, if you like. Even when I came out and fessed up, a lot of people had no idea. You put on a mask.

"If somebody has a drug addiction or and alcohol addiction there are obviously tell-tale signs of that, but if you put on that face with gambling you can basically keep it to yourself.

"The gambling advertising and the like is probably a bit out of control and maybe needs to be reined in. "For somebody with a gambling addiction, it's not good. I'm ready for them so it doesn't really affect me."

For that, Ward still knows the threat of a relapse will always be there, having heard of others who have beaten the demons only to fall back into their grip years later.

This time of year is particularly threatening.

"It's been two years and four months but I'm not safe at all," Ward said. "Obviously Spring Carnival ... I need to stay away from those situations.

"I still go to Gamblers' Anonymous meetings and I've been to several when people have been clean for three or four years and then for whatever reason have busted.

"I'm by no means out of the woods; I'm just one punt away from being back on that destructive path.

"But my life has got that much better and I definitely don't want to get back."

Ward, along with former Crows captain Simon Goodwin, are two of the good news stories to come out of North Adelaide's GATS counselling and treatment services run by Robert Mittiga, a former addict himself.

The AFL players' union regularly refers footballers to the centre, and both Goodwin and Ward have spoken openly about their situations after being treated there.

Ward's mission now is for other addicts to seek help.

He opens presentations with a thought along this line: "I hope this doesn't affect anybody in this room," and he means it.

But he's happy to share what he's learned on his battle with addiction and tries to point others who are vulnerable in the right direction before too much damage has been caused.

"Gamblers tend to think the problem's too big," Ward said. "And it's not until the fog clears and you're out of your addiction that you realise that it's not as bad as you think it is and there are people who can help."

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Butcher set for pain-free season

John Butcher's season was hampered by issues with his hips, but he is looking forward to better things next season. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

PORT Adelaide forward John Butcher has revealed he needed regular pain-killing injections "just to play" in 2012.

Butcher, who had surgery on his hips after round 15, kicked only 11 goals in eight matches after making his eye-catching debut in 2011.

And while the 21-year-old says his ailments were no excuse for his poor form, they clearly restricted his output inside the Power's attacking 50m arc.

"It was obviously frustrating when the hips were pulling up sore and I couldn't quite get through the training sessions during the week," said Butcher, selected at pick No.8 in the 2009 National Draft.

"I was getting injections just to play in the latter stage of the year but that's footy.

"I reckon half the list goes through that and half the guys at every other club in the AFL, so that's footy, you've got to deal  with injuries.

"I actually had one of my best pre-seasons last year and played all the NAB Cup games so I felt good coming into the season.

"It was about halfway through (premiership season) when I just started to get some nagging pain. But it was definitely no excuse, I was out on the park and thought I could still contribute to the team.

"Hopefully the body will be feeling better this year to have a big pre-season and have a big  crack at it."

Declaring himself a certain starter for round one of the premiership season, Butcher is even eyeing an appearance in the NAB Cup.

"It's been a pretty long process but it had to be done," said Butcher, 197cm and 90kg.

"I'm not quite back running yet. Once I get back from London I will start with a slow jog and work my way back into it but obviously, getting it done when I did, I should be no problem for round one next year and even the NAB Cup.

"After Christmas I will basically be back into full training so I'm really looking forward to that. That will give me two or three months before the start of the season to really get the body right, get stronger and bigger to have a good crack in 2013."

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Crows' plight mirrors Blues mishap

FORMER Carlton boss John Elliott believes Adelaide should be handed a similar draft penalty to the sanctions that set the Blues back a decade.

Elliott has never weakened his position that he would have taken the AFL to the Supreme Court to prevent them penalising the Blues for salary cap cheating.

He was dumped as Blues president in the months before the AFL stripped two years of draft picks from the club and fined Carlton $930,000.

Yet he remains defiant, saying the extra payments were never handed to the players, some of whom confessed to the AFL.

Yesterday Elliott said the only mitigating circumstance for the Crows would be if they could prove they still had room in their salary cap for the third-party payments for Kurt Tippett.

He said that could help lessen the type of penalties that crushed Carlton, which was then in a much weaker position than the Crows.

"Sitting there as an observer you would expect them to get the same penalties Carlton got," Elliott said.

"It's about the same money. It is just inept management. But if they didn't go over the salary cap, that might lessen it.

"This effort looks very amateurish. They have emails of contracts and all sorts of things.

"We knew we were legal, but Collo (Ian Collins) thought we would get off light if we (admitted it). He wouldn't take them to the Supreme Court. Then he disclosed a few things about (Craig) Bradley and (Stephen) Silvagni to the AFL."

The Blues' salary cap breaches were described at the time as "a complex and deliberate scheme designed and implemented to hide payments and deceive the AFL".

The penalties were also heavy because it was the club's third salary cap breach in recent seasons.

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Izzy 'had no idea' about AFL: Black

Lions' Simon Black tried to give his rival Israel Folau some helpful onfield tips but Izzy just did not catch on. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail

Israel Folau excelled in rugby league but struggled to make the transition to AFL. Picture: Peter Wallis Source: The Courier-Mail

AFL great Simon Black has revealed he tried to coach Israel Folau during a premiership game last season.

But he said that even with direct instructions on how to earn possessions, his rival ``had no idea".

Late in May, the Brisbane Lions were on track to record a 100-point victory against Folau's Greater Western Sydney.

The hulking rugby league experiment was out of breath. He had had only two kicks by the fourth quarter and Black sympathised with his unrewarded efforts.

''I remember playing against him earlier this year at the Gabba, we were up by 70 and I was confident we would win.'' Black recalls.

''The ball came into Izzy's forward line so I told him where to run. I said to Izzy '... `mate, run over there and you will get the ball'. But he didn't. He just had no idea."

The Lions eventually won 132-40 and Folau finished with two kicks and five disposals.

Black's unsuccessful attempt at in-game coaching is the crux of why the State of Origin star's bold cross-code foray failed.

He simply never got it.

Folau was born in western Sydney and grew up in the Polynesian-centric Logan, near Brisbane.

AFL was not even mentioned, let alone played.

Black, Giants coach Kevin Sheedy, premiership-winning coach Mark Williams, fullback of the century Stephen Silvagni and Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton all tried to make Folau a regular first-grader.

They failed.

Sheedy tried him as a defender, a key forward and even a ruckman, which looked to be his most natural position as he did not need game sense to prosper.

When Folau received the ball, he was solid but he could not position himself to receive it.

''This saga just shows that if you have not played the game before it is very hard to come in and play it at the AFL level," Black said.

''You don't have a feel for it.

''You have a lot of good kids coming through there at GWS and Izzy might not have got a game next year.''

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss said Folau's potential in the game was hampered because he played a key position as opposed to the flanking role of fellow code-hopper Karmichael Hunt.

''It was always going to be harder for Israel,'' Voss said.

''It is harder trying to adapt to a key position where you have constant attention all the time.

''It is not just the game itself, it has to do with where you play.''

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Neeld is sure he can mend a down club

Melbourne Football coach Mark Neeld is taking steps towards rebuilding the Demons. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Source: Herald Sun

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld has high hopes for former Port Adelaide star David Rodan and believes his finals experience will benefit the club. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Source: Herald Sun

DAVID Rodan is a short man with a long job description at his new employer, Melbourne.

The Demons want him to win contested ball, break the lines, add some pizzazz . . . and in his downtime become a father figure.

Melbourne has been criticised in some quarters for a scatter-gun recruiting approach, but coach Mark Neeld is adamant Rodan and others were targeted for a reason.

"One of David's roles will be to take Jack Viney under his wing and give him a little bit of support on and off the field," Neeld said.

Viney, Melbourne's prime father-son pick, will be carefully managed and not rushed, with Neeld delivering more than a passing hint that the club got it wrong with another glamour pick, Jack Watts, four years ago.

"We want to do it correctly. We don't want unrealistic expectations," Neeld said.

"The role David will play with Jack we see as really important.

"There's a couple of examples at our club where there's been some unrealistic expectations on some guys and they're still battling through it now four years into their career."

Rodan, offloaded by Port Adelaide, is often derided for being a human highlights reel without a team-first mindset, but Neeld is adamant he will be an invaluable addition to a developing list.

"Why we were keen on someone like a Rodan is his experience. He'll be our most experienced player . . . he's played in finals . . . a Grand Final," Neeld said.

"When we sat down and chatted with David we acknowledged there are still certain things in his game that he needs to improve.

"We made it very clear these are the reasons we want you . . . experience, very good in contested ball, very good in clearances and you've got that dynamic speed that simply we don't have.

"There's very few perfect players, I get all that. It is his third AFL club, we're across that. We just need to make sure we're getting the balance right."

Like Rodan, other high-profile Demons newcomers Chris Dawes and Shannon Byrnes have played finals and Grand Finals. It was a key criteria when the club went hunting.

"I was really keen to get some players in who had been in really good footy clubs and had played finals or Grand Finals," Neeld said.

"There is a lot of internal leadership that can be built within a group.

"I've had finals and Grand Final experience in coaching teams. I can tell them. Leigh Brown, Dave Misson and Neil Craig the same thing . . . but it is more powerful if it comes internally from the players."

A year after recruiting Mitch Clark to be the deep forward, Dawes will be the man to play closer to goal this season, allowing Clark to roam further up the ground and help out in the ruck.

"The role we want Dawesy to play is the stay-at-home forward. I was involved with Dawesy at Collingwood when he played that role really well.

"Mitch (Clark) has got great agility and between he and Cam Pederson they will share the second ruck role. It allows Mitch to get on his bike a bit more and we're keen for that."

Neeld indicated it would have been irresponsible of the club not to chase Dawes.

"You've got a 24-year-old key position player on the move . . . the right thing for our footy club to do was go and ask the question," Neeld said.

"We're rapt. He is a minimum 100-game key position player for us."

Bringing in so many recycled players has led to questions about Neeld looking for a quick fix - a respectable seven to eight wins next year to escape the heat.

But he said self-preservation was never a factor.

"I maintain strongly that the role of a senior coach is every decision you make needs to be for the betterment of the footy club, otherwise you've got the wrong role," Neeld said.

"All the decisions we make are for three, five, 10 years down the track. I'm really big on that. I see that as my role."

Neeld said nobody should be shocked at the turnover, saying it would become more common with free agency and a tendency to more closely mirror player movement in US sports.

"In my experience (at clubs), 10 to 12 list turnovers is normal," Neeld said.

"What I can gather from the reaction of the Melbourne supporters is that's not the norm here.

"I'm really clear on the type of footy we want to play, we're really clear on the type of training we want to see and we're really clear on the type of people we want to build a culture we think will take the club forward. All the decisions we made were based around that."

Matthew Bate and Ricky Petterd were delisted, Brent Moloney and Jared Rivers walked under free agency and Cale Morton left in a fire-sale trade to West Coast.

Neeld was typically pragmatic about the exits of Moloney to Brisbane and Rivers to Geelong.

"Brent's decided with what he wants to achieve and the way he goes about it, it is best suited elsewhere. That's OK," Neeld said.

Asked if his relationship with Moloney became strained, Neeld said the pair continued to talk.

"We had regular conversations. No doubt, he must have been thinking 'Hang on a minute, this is not the way it's supposed to pan out'," Neeld said.

"Brent didn't have -- and I hope this is not seen as dumping on Brent -- he didn't have a great year."

The departure of Rivers was about the opportunity to play finals.

"He believed this was going to be his last contract, and he wanted to, if he could, ensure himself that he could play finals immediately," Neeld said.

"That's one of the reasons free agency was pushed so hard by the AFL Players' Association. That's OK."

Morton was given every opportunity, but did not fit the Neeld mould and "the Eagles offered him the opportunity to move back to Perth and continue playing footy there".

Neeld said it was an era of "more mature conversations" between players and coaches and out of all the talk it was clear Melbourne was not the best fit for Morton right now.

Asked if the prodigiously talented but frustrating Morton had the ability to bite the Dees on the backside, Neeld said: "I don't look at it like that. Everyone hopes he does do well."

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We're not chasing Buddy yet, says Freo

MARKED MAN: Lance Franklin is set to spark interest from rival clubs as a potential restricted free agent next off-season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

FREMANTLE has denied it is already amassing a war chest aimed at luring Hawthorn superstar Lance Franklin through free agency at the end of next season.

Dockers CEO Steve Rosich left the door open to joining what is expected to be a frenzied fight for Franklin's services if he delays signing a contract extension with the Hawks.

Franklin, 25, becomes a restricted free agent at the end of next season.

Hawthorn hopes he will sign an extension as early as possible to avoid a Travis Cloke-style contract saga, potentially providing a distraction next season, but the club is yet to reach an agreement with the WA product, who is arguably the most marketable player in the AFL.

Franklin, who enjoys the Melbourne lifestyle, said he hoped to be a one-club player, but the longer this draws out, the more speculation will mount over his future.

Rosich said Fremantle could not formulate any plans for next season's free-agency period until the upcoming drafts were completed.

"Once we go through the national draft and the pre-season draft  and I think there's a possibility we could be have a live pick there - then you start to reassess and address your strategy for 2013," Rosich said.

"This would include free agency and potentially looking at experienced players, maybe former West Australian players and key position players.

"But there's a lot of things to be done and executed prior to that and they clearly impact our ultimate strategy."

Earlier this year, Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said the biggest stars in the AFL were worth $1.5m a season and that he would be prepared to offer the massive figure to lure Franklin to the Dockers.

Commenting on reports Greater Western Sydney were preparing a war chest to prise Cloke from Collingwood, Lyon said he believed the figure was realistic for select players.

"I'll tell you what, I'd give Buddy Franklin $1.5m tomorrow," a lighthearted Lyon said in Esperance during Fremantle's community camp in February.

West Coast's ability to make a genuine bid to bring Franklin home may depend on the playing futures of champion veterans Darren Glass and Dean Cox.

Glass and Cox are both out of contract at the end of next season and are among the Eagles' highest-paid players, so their retirements would free up space in the salary cap.

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Freo fans in rush for memberships

LINING UP: The success of Nat Fyfe and the Fremantle Dockers has sparked plenty of membership inquiries at the club. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: The Daily Telegraph

FREMANTLE could be forced to cap its seated membership and create a waiting list for the first time in its 18-year history.

Dockers CEO Steve Rosich hailed the early interest in memberships for next season as "extraordinary" following Fremantle's gutsy finals campaign in its inaugural season under new coach Ross Lyon.

"We've got bold aims - on and off the field," Rosich said.

"And that includes being a very big footy club and that's important for us as well, because we prepare for a new stadium in 2017/2018.

"We will unashamedly give priority and preference to our current members at the new stadium, and that's an important aspect of people continuing to be a member of our footy club and becoming a member of our footy club."

Rosich said he believed it was possible the club could break its 2008 membership record of 43,654 next season and that any need for a cap on seated membership would be assessed in December.

"At this stage we're all but at the 20,000 member mark, which is extraordinary, given it's early November," he said.

"It's tracking ahead of where we thought we'd be. It's ahead of this time last year, and also ahead of our targets."

Interest was spurred this week by the release of the AFL fixtures for 2013, with Fremantle hoping to sell out its first four home matches.

The Dockers host West Coast in a Round 1 Western Derby, before Subiaco clashes against big Victorian teams Essendon, Richmond and Collingwood.

The games against the Bombers in Round 3 and Tigers in Round 5 will be played on Friday nights and telecast live on free-to-air television into the east by Channel 7.

The club's strong membership outlook is also a coup for Lyon, whose game plan was criticised as negative and one that would drive away fans by some onlookers early last season. Membership of the Eagles has long been capped because demand outstrips the small capacity at Patersons Stadium.

The club offers an "In the Wings" membership, which places fans on a waiting list for when a seat becomes available.

Any cap on seated membership is likely to present the Dockers with another problem shared by the Eagles; that of fans being locked out of games, despite thousands of seats being left empty due to members not turning up.

Despite having a membership of close to 43,000 this season, and nearing the limit of seated members of about 40,000, Fremantle's average home crowd was just 33,386.

Meanwhile, Fremantle defender Dylan Roberton has been offered a new contract by the Dockers and could yet remain at the club next season.

Roberton, 21, requested a trade back home to Melbourne for personal reasons but no deal was done during the recent trade period.

It is believed the Dockers, who understand Roberton's desire to return to Victoria, genuinely tried to offload him for next to nothing but there was little interest in his services from the Melbourne-based clubs.

The Dandenong Stingrays product is still a Fremantle player.

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Hirdy has Bombers off and running

Essendon's Michael Hurley is enjoying the club's switch to a more run-based pre-season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON'S Michael Hurley has backed the switch to a more run-based pre-season, saying it could have a big impact on his aerobic effectiveness.

Speaking before he left for a training camp in Colorado, Hurley said the evolution of the game meant pre-seasons would always change.

And Essendon's decision to move away from its weight-building plan, which came in for criticism after a wave of soft-tissue injuries in 2012, sits fine with the key position Bomber.

" 'Hirdy' (coach James Hird) touched on those things that we can do, some longer distance-type running, that can harden the body and might help," he said.

"That's an area that I would like to find in my game."

The 22-year-old said a greater aerobic capacity was important to the game now as it was "non-stop".

Hurley maintains faith in the club's fitness staff to adapt and do the things required to ensure the club does not fade away as it dramatically did in the second half of 2012.

"We've got full faith in the (fitness) guys," he said. "And we are lucky enough to have the chance to go to America for three weeks, which is a new challenge.

"It (the camp) will be about fitness for starters, but also a bit of leadership as well. The leadership is coming over as well as the core midfielders."

Hurley will join nine other Bombers for 18 days on the fitness and bonding trip.

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