Crows overrun Dockers in trial match

HOLDING ON: Fremantle's Clancee Pearce looks to outmark Adelaide's Sam Kerridge. Picture: Simon Cross Source: PerthNow

COMMITMENT: Adelaide forward Josh Jenkins crashes into the post as he tries to mark. Picture: Simon Cross Source: PerthNow

FREMANTLE isn't concerned by game-ending injuries to Stephen Hill and Michael Walters in their five-point loss to Adelaide in today's trial match.

Hill copped an arm injury and Walters hurt an ankle but neither ailments were serious, Dockers coach Ross Lyon said.

The Crows, fielding five more players, over-ran the Dockers to win 13.11 (89) to 13.6 (84) at a heat-baked AAMI Stadium.

Adelaide used 30 players and their numerical advantage proved decisive in the result, particularly as Fremantle lost Walters and Hill during the game.

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Walters limped from the ground in the second quarter and Hill, who had off-season shoulder surgery, favoured his left arm when departing in the third term.

But Lyon was unfazed.

"(Walters) just had a niggle in an ankle and then he got a cork on his calf so we just tapped him out, the same as Hill," Lyon said.

"Hill had a bit of a numb arm for a minute and was just a bit vulnerable, he's pretty important to us so we tapped him out.

"He had a bit of a dead arm but he had full strength, which is a really good sign."

The Dockers booted the initial six goals and led by 35 points at halftime.

But they wilted in the 34 degree temperature as Adelaide's pre-arranged advantage in player numbers took effect - though it took the Crows until the 21st minute of the final quarter to take the lead.

Fremantle veteran Kepler Bradley had a set shot from 35 metres out with 15 seconds remaining to tie the final scores, but missed.

Lyon said he was missing eight of his top 22 but prime movers David Mundy and Nat Fyfe were influential in their first outings this pre-season.

Mundy gathered 17 disposals over four quarters while Fyfe collected 19 touches in three terms.

The dynamic duo helped Michael Barlow (27 possessions) and Tendai Mzungu (20 disposals, two goals) form a dominant midfield for the Dockers.

Adelaide's Brodie Martin kicked three goals, Josh Jenkins and Lewis Johnston both booted two and defenders Matthew Jaensch and Richard Tambling were among the Crows' best with 18 possessions each.

ADELAIDE      1.3    4.4   9.10  13.11 (89)
FREMANTLE  6.2  10.3  11.4   13.6 (84)

Goals: Adelaide - B Martin 3; L Johnston, J Jenkins, T McIntyre 2; R Henderson, T Lynch, I Callinan, S McKernan.
Fremantle - H Crozier, T Mzungu 2; M Walters, N Suban, D Mundy, Z Clarke, L Spurr, T Sheridan, L Neale, N Fyfe, C Pearce.
Best: Adelaide - M Jaensch, R Tambling, B Crouch, B Martin, S McKernan, C Ellis-Yolmen.
Fremantle - M Barlow, J Crichton, T Mzungu, D Mundy, Z Clarke, H Crozier, N Fyfe.
Umpires: L Hanssen, S Hay, C Bowen, C DeBoy.
 

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My fight with deadly virus: Cassisi

Former Power captain Dom Cassisi with daughter Eva. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

THE illness hit Dom Cassisi like a sledgehammer.

One day he was looking forward to a break in pre-season training and spending a second Christmas with his 18-month-old daughter, Eva.

The next he was struggling to get out of bed and felt like he had been through 10 rounds with Muhammad Ali.

"It was the worst pain I had ever experienced," said the former Port Adelaide skipper, breaking his silence on his secret pre-Christmas battle with the life-threatening viral meningitis.

"The headaches were crippling, they were so bad they felt like concussions.

"They came one after another and were almost unbearable. There's no doubt I was pretty sick there for a while."

Twelve-year Power veteran Cassisi said what began as a mild fever and he thought was the start of the flu saw him quickly deteriorate and within two days he was rushed to the emergency department at Wakefield Hospital.

"I went home from training because I was a bit feverish and then all of a sudden I got these really bad headaches," he recalled.

"They would last for about half an hour and then clear and then come back again, so I was pretty much bedridden.

Port Adelaide's Dom Cassisi in action against Fremantle Dockers last year. Picture: Sarah Reed.

"I was waiting for the headaches to go away but they just wouldn't.

"In bright light the pain became so unbearable I would almost pass out and become incoherent.

"It was a pretty worrying time for me and my wife (Maiya)."

Power club doctor Mark Fisher, who had been visiting Cassisi at home to monitor his health, decided he couldn't wait any longer and sent the 30-year-old to hospital.

Fearing he had been struck down by meningitis, a disease which causes inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, and is classified as a medical emergency, doctors immediately put him on an intravenous drip.

I've never experienced anything like it ... the virus knocked me out for a month

He was administered antibiotics and given a lumbar puncture to drain fluid out of his spine.

Tests were undertaken on the fluid to determine whether Cassisi had viral meningitis or the more serious bacterial meningitis.

Fortunately it was the former.

But Cassisi was still violently ill.

He spent four days in hospital recovering and estimates he lost at least 6kg in weight before being released on Christmas morning so he could spend the day with his family.

"I still wasn't feeling great so I couldn't eat much for lunch," Cassisi said.

"But I was just over the moon to be back at home with Maiya and my little one on such a special day."

Cassisi said it took another two to three weeks and "a few more bad headaches" before he felt "fully well".

"I've never experienced anything like it," he said.

"Overall the virus probably knocked me out for about a month. It was a tough time and certainly a worrying one, especially for Maiya."

Once he recovered, Cassisi hit the gym to try to stack his weight back on.

Then once he returned to training he pinged a calf muscle which kept him out of the opening round of the NAB Cup.

"I injured myself pretty much at my first session back, so I think the fact I had missed a few weeks of training was the reason that happened," Cassisi said.

"It's a little bit of a setback but I'm feeling pretty good now and can't wait to get back out there with the boys again.

"But at this stage of the year I won't rush back. I need to make sure I get a full four-week block of solid training in before I play a game.

"This is a big year for me and the club so I don't want any more hiccups before Round 1."

andrew.capel@news.com.au

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It's Tex's time on Crows' frontline

Adelaide Crows coach Brenton Sanderson with key forward Taylor Walker. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

CROWS coach Brenton Sanderson speaks of his now big-gun forward Taylor Walker as if he is correcting popular perception of the history left by Neil Craig.

By year's end, if Walker proves Adelaide can live without Kurt Tippett, Sanderson may find fewer eyebrows being raised when "Tex" is the topic of debate.

Walker is an extraordinary talent. But he also is just 22 - and he has played only 64 AFL games. It is a skinny record on which to place extraordinary faith for an AFL premiership tilt in 2013.

But Sanderson is not one to look at any glass as half empty.

"He is, he is," says Sanderson to the question of Walker's readiness to carry the major burden in Adelaide's attack.

"He is still really young and he has so much to learn about the game.

"But, fortunately for him, it comes naturally. Some players work really hard to get better.

Taylor Walker, centre, working hard in the pre-season with Jason Porplyzia and Scott Thompson. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

"He is already good and he will, and is, working hard to get even better.

"He has a lot of things to learn but the beauty is he is easy to coach.

"That might come as a surprise to some people, but he is one of those players who takes in everything we give him.

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"We have a meeting that goes for 45 minutes, he absorbs the information, he understands it. So when you reflect with him or you ask him questions, he has picked it up straight away.

"So he is a really easy player to coach in that regard.

"He has come a long way in 12 months. I know the players really respect his leadership that he has improved on the past 12 months.

"He's a really important player for our footy club now."

So important that every AFL rival will be aware of the theory that double-teaming Walker - as Sydney did in its qualifying final win at AAMI Stadium last September - exposes the Adelaide attack as impotent.

"We've talked about that a lot," Sanderson said.

"It is something we are going to have to overcome.

I know the players really respect (Walker's) leadership that he has improved on the past 12 months

"First, we need other players in his area, the other five forwards must make sure they are in form and they're getting respected (by the opposition).

"There is going to be lots of strategy going into preventing (Walker being double-teamed) from our point of view. It certainly is going to an option for the opposition."

All this would never have consumed Adelaide's strategy sessions in the summer had Tippett not defected to Sydney in a move that exposed the Crows to draft penalties for its secret deals with the Queenslander.

Sanderson does not hide how he was rocked by Tippett's decision to leave.

"I was confident he was going to stay," Sanderson said. "(When he quit) I spent two hours with that sick feeling in the stomach. I was disappointed.

"Kurt rang at 9am on a Monday when we were just going into a coaches' review meeting of the season and a planning-strategy meeting for the 2013 pre-season.

"I came in and told the coaches and we sat around for a couple of hours, not so much in shock, you always prepare for the worst, but  ...  

"After those two hours of going through alternatives we pretty well got on with business. You can't dwell. We got on with things pretty quickly.

"So did the playing group. Some players shrugged their shoulders and got on with it. Some of the guys he was closer too may have taken longer to get over it.

"As a footy club we now are well and truly looking forward.

"For me, I probably spent two hours on it, which probably sounds a bit shallow. You can't look at the rear-vision mirror for too long in this industry."

Sanderson is not vindictive, although the cost of losing Tippett has become far more than just the headache of restructuring an attack.

Being denied first and second-round draft picks last year and this season is a lingering sting.

"The money situation - I know money is important in most people's lives. The money Kurt was being offered was very similar from Adelaide and from back in his home state (Queensland at Gold Coast and Brisbane)," Sanderson said.

"But the Sydney offer was for him a little bit like Nathan Bock, Phil Davis and Gary Ablett at the expansion clubs. The money from Sydney was too hard to ignore."

Money cannot get Adelaide beyond its draft problem but Sanderson expects his club to be sharp in negotiating outside the draft table during trade week and with free agents.

"We have spent a lot of time on that," Sanderson said.

"We have a great list manager. David Noble is doing a tremendous job in that area. We have to really explore opportunities to get back into the first round.

"With the depth of our squad we can be quite aggressive with that.

"At the same time we have to explore free-agency, mature-age recruits in the SANFL, VFL and WAFL. Our age profile is still quite young. So we can still have the opportunity to bring in a mature-age player.

"We'll try to trade. There are lots of different ways to bring quality into your club.

"It's not ideal. You can't keep not having first or second-round picks forever. Two years is a really harsh penalty."

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Old rivals set to face off again

New Carlton coach Mick Malthouse comes up against rival GWS mastermind Kevin Sheedy today. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

MICK Malthouse will take his first steps back in to coaching at Blacktown today.

And when Carlton takes on Greater Western Sydney at 4.40pm the legendary coach will be confronted by the reality that as much as things change, they also stay the same.

Since leaving Collingwood after the 2011 Grand Final loss to Geelong, the Giants have come in to the fold as the AFL's 18th club.

That's the new bit.

But as unfamiliar as Malthouse might feel coaching against a team based in the western suburbs of Sydney, Malthouse can take a sense of comfort from the fact he will once again be pitted against his old sparring partner Kevin Sheedy.

The old Richmond teammates have been the greatest of coaching rivals across the decades.

First there was Essendon's "scarf-waving'' brinksmanship with Malthouse's West Coast during the 1990s and then of course years of Anzac Day battles when Malthouse made the switch to Collingwood.

Whether they thought they would ever get the chance to compete again when Sheedy left Essendon in 2007 -- let alone when Malthouse appeared done 18 months ago -- is a fact unknown.

But the duo wasted no time in getting back in to old habits this week, trading barbs ahead of the NAB Cup opener at the Blacktown International Sports Park.

Responding to suggestions that Carlton is primed for an assault on this year's premiership, Sheedy said: "I don't think they've got much chance at all.

"Not with Grumpy in charge,'' he said, referring to Malthouse. "We've got a better chance than Carlton, don't worry about that.''

The insult hit its target -- even if Malthouse had to feign annoyance.

"He calls me grumpy? That was actually my nickname for him,'' Malthouse said.

"Is he coaching? Or is Leon Cameron coaching? You should ask him.''

But there was no faking the smile that sprung to his face when asked how he was feeling about his return to coaching after a year out of the game.

"It is exciting,'' he said. "I'm rapt to be back.''

WESTERN Australian Josh Bootsma yesterday withdrew from the Blues squad to take on Greater Western Sydney and Sydney because of illness. He was replaced by rookie Frazer Dale.

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Pokies tax scorned

Carlton chief Greg Swann slams pokies tax idea. Picture: Smith Ellen Source: Herald Sun

CARLTON chief executive Greg Swann has slammed the idea of "pokies tax"' proposed by the Western Bulldogs.

The plan, as outlined in the Herald Sun yesterday, would see large gains from pokie machines split between all AFL clubs.

Carlton owns 360 gaming machines which made more than $4.5 million in revenue across five venues last year and as such would be one of the hardest hit under such a scheme.

But Swann said the tax "won't be happening'' and said the Dogs were missing the point in the ongoing equalisation debate.

"The issue is the stadium deals, that's the difference,'' Swann said. "The big interstate clubs don't have pokies and their reaping a fortune out of their stadium deals.

"And unless that's addressed then all this other stuff is just a redirection of money from Victorian clubs to other Victorian clubs when it should be an issue that's addressed the competition.''

Conversely, Swann backed plans raised in the Herald Sun this week that would see ticket prices raised for blockbuster games and potentially even lowered for lower-drawing matches.

In submission to the AFL the Western Bulldogs said it believes in "a system in which club poker machine profits over a certain proportion of gross club revenue were contributed to a common pool for equitable distribution''.

"(It) would be a preferable model for a `luxury tax' and might have the additional benefit of reducing the incentive of clubs to increase their own dependence.''

But Swann disagreed, saying it would be unfair to strip such revenue away from clubs who have gone out and sourced such an income.

"We've worked hard for our gaming interests,'' he said.

"We've invested a lot of money and we're carrying a lot of debt, so we don't think that's a viable option.

"There's all sorts of legalities from the casino and gaming point of view, the legislators, so it's not feasible.

"The issue of equalisation is more about the funding that's made within the game, this from our point of view is a separate thing.''

Swann said his club would be happy to entertain a hike on ticket prices for marquee games throughout the season.

"They're things that can be looked at because that's money from the game,'' he said.

"It's like anything else in life, you go to the theatre, you sit in the best seats, you pay more money than you do if you sit up the back.``So personally we don't have an issue with that.''

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Elliott's hard work pays off

Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott soars high above the pack during the Magpies NAB Cup match against Essendon. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

Collingwood small forward Jamie Elliott is looking to make his mark in 2013. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

CHASING and laying a tackle on an AFL footballer is hard work.

Doing it 15 times in a match is bloody tough.

But that epitomises Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott.

He's worked harder and done it tougher than most.

When your father dies in your first teenage year, and your brother nearly does when you are 16; when your footy dream looks to have passed you by and you get overlooked in the AFL draft; when you have another crack at the big time but break your collarbone after just a few weeks... it tends to put busting your gut on the footy field into perspective.

JAMIE ELLIOTT was 10 years old and living in Dongara, 370 kilometres north of Perth, when his father Gary was diagnosed with melanoma.

"Dad had driven across to visit family in Queensland and one night he was having a shower and he found a couple of lumps under his arms. He had them checked. It was skin cancer. It was spreading all through his lymph nodes.

"Mum and dad kept it pretty quiet for a while. I knew he was sick but it was only maybe a year or two later that I really found out how sick and began to understand. I can remember there were times when mum would get really upset late at night.''

Jamie was 13 when his father passed away and he struggled to grasp what it all meant.

But just a few short years later he was forced to contemplate mortality once again.

By now his mother Fiona had moved her four children to Victoria to live with their grandmother Dorothy in Euroa.

It was Dorothy who answered the phone and went ashen-faced when the voice on the line told her that Jamie's older bother Matthew had wrapped his car around a tree and was lying in a coma in hospital.

"That was pretty tough. We went to visit him and he was lying there with all these tubes poking out everywhere, from his face and his body. It was something you never want to see,'' Elliott recalled.

"It feels like that was harder to deal with than my father. I was older, maybe 16, and I understood more and thought about it more.''

After a few days the doctor raised the possibility of switching off the life support system. Fiona would not countenance the idea.

Matthew came out of the coma after 25 days but remained in hospital for weeks.

"He's actually really good now. There are a few things he has trouble with, his memory's not the best, but he's my brother and I just love having him around.''

The experience scarred Elliott, though.

"I had to mature quicker than most other blokes,'' he said.

For a long time Elliott would not even entertain the idea of driving a car -- "I feared the worst'' -- so it speaks volumes that he not only overcame the phobia but  this year is contemplating spending his time away from football having lessons so that he might gain a helicopter licence.

OVERCOMING adversity has helped Elliott to tough it out on his football journey, as well.

He was overlooked in the 2010 AFL national draft but returned to play for the Murray Bushrangers as a top-age player.

"There was this realisation after not being picked up as an 18 year old and feeling I hadn't worked hard enough,'' he said.

"The people around me helped me to realise there's a lot of hard work goes into making it as a footy player.''

Early in the 2011 season he was chosen to represent Vic Country, but upon returning from the U18 national championships he broke his collarbone in the Bushrangers' next match.

Rather than curse his luck he sought out a local trainer to help him come back stronger.

Three times a week Elliott would ride to work, then pedal his bike 10 kilometres out of town to the gym for rehabilitation, ride back to work and then head off to footy training.

Collingwood recognised his commitment, selecting him to play in two VFL games that season before securing him later in the year as part of a trade with Greater Western Sydney (in which Elliott, Marty Clarke and pick  67 headed south in exchange for pick 25 to the Giants).

The Pies coaches love what Elliott has brought to their team since.

Attributes like passion, hunger and defensive pressure.

"Billy'', as he is known at the club, strung together 15 games in his debut season and in one of them -- the Round 14 win against Fremantle at the MCG -- he set a club record for the most "defensive indicators'' or DIs.

"You get marks for tackles and one-percenters and that sort of thing,'' Elliott explained.

"It's just a pretty good indicator of your desire for the ball and for helping your teammates.''

In the Dockers game Elliott's score was off the charts.

Forwards coach Matthew Lappin wandered up to him at the three-quarter time huddle and whispered:

"Ten tackles.''

He told the youngster to keep going and he would spring for dinner.

By the final siren Elliott had almost doubled the previous club record for DIs.

"I've got no idea what that was,'' he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. Pressed about the score, a hint of a smile crept over his face before he sheepishly revealed "yeah, it was 70.''

"I never consciously really thought about it in my junior days, but obviously Collingwood takes pride in defensive indicators and that's become a little strength of mine,'' he said proudly.

"Being my size you need it, you need to bring something to the team. You find something to really help you.''

Lappin, who conceded he was yet to make good on the dinner offer, said Elliott had made the most of the opening created by injuries to smaller forwards such as  Andrew Krakouer, Brent Macaffer and Alan Didak.

"We like the defensive elements of his game, but on top of that he's got some genuine offensive elements as well,'' Lappin said.

"And he's working hard to bring that good mix of attack and defence to our forward line.

"As he gets fitter and stronger and can sustain his efforts longer, he's going to become a valuable forward for us.

"He's predominantly a marking forward for us at the moment, and as we saw in the first NAB Cup match he can get off the ground for an overhead grab. But we need him to impact a little more at the drop of the ball.''

Elliott has worked over the summer with development coach Craig McRae, a small forward in three Brisbane premiership teams, on his running patterns and crumbing skills.

Lappin, for one, believes Elliott is up to the task:

"We saw some really good quarters last year, and we want to see that translate to halves and three quarters and full games. It's hard to do as a small forward, it's a hard position to play. But that's what he's working on.''

And judging by Elliott's background you would back him to work hard, tough it out and overcome the next challenge.

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Shocking trip north for Hawks

Hawthorn forward Paul Puopolo writhes in pain after landing awkwardly on his left knee. Picture: David Clark Source: Herald Sun

HAWTHORN coach Alastair Clarkson says the Hawks have no concerns from the opening round of the NAB Cup despite a knee injury to Paul Puopolo, Lance Franklin's indifferent outing and the Hawks' twin losses to Brisbane and the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium last night.

The Hawks suffered a one-point loss to the Suns in the opening match of the night while the Lions roared past last year's grand finalists in the second match to claim a 21-point victory in steamy conditions to end Hawthorn's chances of claiming the pre-season silverware.

Puopolo crashed to the turf late in the loss to the Suns and clutched his knee, sending a scare through the Hawks' camp.

He received urgent medical attention and eventually hobbled off the field.

Picture: David Clark Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

Meanwhile, apart from one nice touch to set-up a goal for Sam Grimley in the first game, Franklin had a forgettable start to 2013.
He made high contact with Suns midfielder Matt Shaw midway through the second half and struggled to make a mark on either contest.

The impact with Shaw was relatively minimal but the incident could draw the attention of the AFL match review panel tomorrow given the crackdown on any contact with the head.

Clarkson was not stressed by anything he saw last night.

"I think he (Puopolo) is OK. He's walking around, so he'll be OK," he said.

"We get gametime for our players, that's the most critical thing.

"We were pretty competitive for three quarters and then the heat probably drained a bit out of us the last quarter.

"Brisbane ran over the top of us a bit. They had more legs ... but we'd been out there in pretty stifling conditions for three quarters prior to that.

"We gave exposure to a lot of younger players on our list tonight and they'll really benefit from that."

Clarkson claimed to have missed spotting the Franklin-Shaw incident.

"I didn't see. So I couldn't tell you," he said.

He said the humid conditions were not ideal for Franklin, who finished with five touches and no goals against the Suns.

He was pushed into the midfield against the Lions and had nine touches, two clearances and three inside-50s.

But he could not catch a cold last night, registering two marks across the two games in a generally unhappy night with his hands.

Picture: David Clark Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

He dropped a sitter of a mark deep inside Hawthorn's attacking 50 when scores were level late in the match against the Gold Coast.

"He competed hard, he was a bit scratchy with the ball from time to time. In hindsight we should have brought a mosquito fleet up here because it wasn't a game where it was conducive to tall players," Clarkson said.

"It was nearly like wet weather footy. He had a bit of a run up there (midfield). With the ball so slippery we thought if we could get the ball in his hands at least he can kick it a mile when he gets it."

The Suns got off to a bright start but could not turn their dominance into points.

Hawks forward Luke Breust kicked the first goal of the match but rising Gold Coast star Harley Bennell handed the home side a well-deserved lead with two quickfire goals.

Hawthorn took a slender one-point lead into halftime after Ryan Schoenmakers booted a goal late in the first half after outstanding build-up work from Matt Suckling.

Goals to Suns defender Jarrod Harbrow and ruckman Zac Smith brought the home side roaring back into the contest and scores were level deep inside the second half before Luke Russell registered a point after the siren.

Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett had 13 possessions while Jaeger O'Meara caught the eye with seven disposals.

The contest with Brisbane was a horribly scrappy affair.

The Hawks led 1.3 (9) to 0.3 (3) but were no match for the Daniel Rich and Brent Moloney-inspired Lions in the second half.

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Integrity name of the game

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou vows to maintain the integrity of the sport. Source: Herald Sun

THE AFL has vowed to restore the trust it concedes some football fans have lost in the code, insisting it will rid the game of "rogue elements".

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou insisted the competition would not tolerate anyone who puts the integrity of the game at risk.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday Herald Sun columnist Shane Crawford, Demetriou rejected calls for his sacking from former Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett.

"All of us want to have our supporters and our key partners believe in the game and live up to its values, and I think in the main that we do," Demetriou said.

"But it is sometimes the acts of individuals that taint great people at clubs, boards and players. The actions of a particular player at a particular club could taint the whole playing group, so what we have to do is live up to the values that we set ourselves."

Asked if he could understand why some supporters might be questioning the game after a tumultuous off-season, Demetriou said: "I certainly can, because in this organisation we pride ourselves on very, very strong core values, on being transparent, being honest, acting with integrity, acting with the right ethics.

"That's what the public expects. It is something that should apply in any organisation, any club, any business.

"We have drawn a line in the sand. We are going to put a stop to rogue elements at clubs and the insidious nature of some individuals who are trying to spoil it for the rest of the code. It is only a handful of people but it can cause significant damage.

"The public are entitled to be questioning the values of the code because they are wondering, given what has happened with the Melbourne, Adelaide and Essendon (investigations). I have said the issues of values, principles and ethics in the code are absolute non-negotiables."

Demetriou said clubs had been provided with a "road map" of warning signs - "things like ex-players, anti-ageing clinics, gyms and tattoo parlours".

He would not be drawn into criticism by Kennett, who suggested on Footy Classified that the AFL was being run on a culture of fear and intimidation.

 Kennett also said the AFL Commission had to start considering a time frame for change at the top of the AFL.

But Demetriou was adamant that he still had the fire in the belly to help restore the faith that some people might have lost in AFL football.

"I'm not distracted ... I'm not tired," Demetriou said of the criticism being levelled at him. "I am very excited about the season ahead.

"(And) I am very excited about the new people we are about to appoint and bring in to reinvograte the executive."

In his interview with the Sunday Herald Sun, Demetriou also said the AFL would ban the use of intravenous injections other than painkillers and would ensure the club doctor would be the sole person responsible for player treatment.

"There will be a ban on IV at clubs - not just on game day," he said. "We are implementing some very, very serious measures to restore treatments of players under one person and that is the club doctor."

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Demetriou talks drugs, tanking

HERALD Sun columnist Shane Crawford and footy writer Glenn McFarlane conduct a no holds barred Q&A with AFL boss Andrew Demetriou.

GLENN MCFARLANE: Thanks for agreeing to speak with us, Andrew. Does your long service leave seem like a long time again now?

ANDREW DEMETRIOU: It's always a pleasure to speak to you guys. Look, I haven't thought about it. We've been pretty busy since I got back. We had finals; we had lots of stuff post finals, Particularly with the John McCarthy tragedy and other issues we were working through.

SHANE CRAWFORD: Tanking; salary cap and drafting issues; performance-enhancing and illicit drugs. Was it the busiest off-season on record?

AD: Lots of things happened in the off-season. It's not unusual, given when the season is on, there is a lot of focus on clubs, players, performances and coaches.

ESSENDON

GM: Is it a given that Essendon will play out the entire season?

AD: I am very, very confident that the Essendon Football Club will be playing in 2013. I have got no reason to believe that they won't.

GM: What about the players still on their list from last year? Will they play out the whole year?

AD: We have got no reason to believe that they won't be. As you know there is a process underway that Essendon initiated. They should be commended for that. They are involved in a joint investigation that ASADA and the AFL are doing. There is nothing but co-operation and working through its process and we should let that investigation run its course.

GM: Are you more confident about Essendon today than you were in Canberra earlier this month?

AD:  I know a lot more today and more things have come out since. We take the ACC announcement in Canberra very seriously.

GM: Gerard Healy said that he told Adrian Anderson last year about unusual practices at Essendon. Were you aware of that?

AD: Yes.

GM: Did you investigate it at the time?

AD: I can't go into too much detail, but we were aware of it. The information was shared with the appropriate people. There were some people spoken to and it formed part of the ACC report.

GM: Is there a penalty clause in the TV rights deal if you don't have nine games a week?

AD: I am not contemplating in any shape or form not having 18 teams playing this year, nine games a week.

SC: How has Essendon handled this whole situation?

AD: David Evans has shown great leadership. He has taken this seriously since the day he contacted me and said he wanted to come in because he was asking questions and he didn't like the questions he was getting. I know some supporters feel let down and outraged, but they have the best possible person trying to lead them through this.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou vows to maintain the integrity of the sport. Source: Herald Sun

BAN INJECTIONS

SC: How would you feel if your son or daughter went to a sporting organisation and was told they needed to have injections into the stomach to help performance and recovery?

AD: If that is what happened, Shane, and I don't know if it did or didn't, as a parent, I wouldn't be happy.

SC: Will you stop sports science staff from conducting injections on players, especially into their stomachs.

AD: Absolutely. There is an audit going on of all supplements. We have got our AFL medical officers sitting down with club doctors, reviewing practices, particularly use of external people. There is going to be a restriction on the use of injections. There will be a ban on the use of IV at clubs -- not just on game day. We are implementing some very, very serious measures to restore the treatments of players under one person and that is the club doctor.

SC: Does that include pain-killing injections?AD: No, pain-killing injections have a legitimate use, but we'll limit the use of injections.

ROGUE ELEMENTS

GM: Have you read the riot act to the clubs?

AD: There are vulnerabilities at clubs in relation to performance-enhacing drugs, illicit drugs, match fixing and organised crime. We have talked about a road map of things that you should look for at clubs, things like ex-players, anti-ageing clinics, gyms, tattoo parlours.

SC: What are you going to do about it?

AD: We have drawn a line in the sand. We are going to put a stop to rogue elements at clubs and the insidious nature of some individuals who are trying to spoil it for the rest of the code. It is only a handful of people but it can cause significant damage. The public are entitled to be questioning the values of the code because they are wondering given what has happened with Melbourne, Adelaide and Essendon. I have said the issues of values, core principles and ethics in the code are non-negotiables.

GM: Have some clubs let the code down?

AD: Individuals certainly have. Sometimes individuals have let their own clubs down.

GM: Can you understand why some people are having trust issues with the game now?

AD: I certainly can, because in this organisation we pride ourselves on very, very strong core values, on being transparent, being honest, acting with integrity, acting with the right ethics. That's what the public expects. It is something that should apply in any organisation; any club; any business.

TANKING

SC: Are you happy with tanking findings?

AD: I don't know if happy is the right word. There is nothing happy about it. This was a very detailed investigation. It was eight months of nearly 60 interviews and repeat interviews.

An 800-page brief was prepared, We sought the advice of an external QC to make sure we were on the right track.

They came to the view there was insufficient evidence to charge the Melbourne Football Club. But there were two individuals (Chris Connolly and Dean Bailey) who came forward to please guilty and they have been dealt with.

They (Melbourne) were fined $500,000, a significant amount of money, to bear some responsibility.

It is true that some people will find that outcome difficult to comprehend. But you can only deal with the facts.

We do not manufacture outcomes to suit certain situations.

Under no circumstances was the outcome because of the threat of legal action or was it because we wanted to make it all go away or we didn't want to punish Melbourne because they are not travelling well.

We went through a professional process.GM: Was it a big mistake that you were not at press conference?

AD: This was an investigation conducted by the general manager of football operations. In the main that was Adrian (Anderson) then Gil (McLachlan) took over.

I have never read the 800-page document. I am not across all the details.

I wasn't involved in discussions with Melbourne, or with Bailey or Connolly. It was entirely appropriate for the general manager of football operations to conduct the press conference.

It is not true that I didn't go to the press conference because I was running away from being asked about my views on tanking.

I'm happy to answer any of those questions. In hindsight, would it have been better to try and dispel that myth?

Absolutely. I am the CEO and I am on the AFL Commission, I would have happily gone along to the press conferences. I would have answered any questions put to me.

SC: So you regret not being there?

AD: I regret not being there because of the commentary surrounding it, but I do not regret not being there because of the proper process we went through.

GM: Gil said he did not have a proper definition of tanking?

AD: Under the AFL rules, tanking means not playing on your merits. Gil showed me that if you go to the dictionary to look up the definition of tanking, it is not actually in there.

And there is no evidence in this whole eight-month investigation that any player went out there not trying to win or Dean Bailey didn't try to win on match day.

ILLICIT DRUGS

GM: You've admitted there will be a spike in the number of positive illicit drug tests from last year. When will the figures be released and what about speculation it could be four times higher than 2011?

AD: The recording will finish at the end of February. We always release the results in May. We knew there would be a spike purely on the fact that there has been a 21 per cent increase in the community. The Victorian police told us that at the summit. These are alarm bells for the community. We are alarmed and we won't be surprised by a spike.

GM: Have you been privy to some of the results already?

AD: Don't forget we are doing more tests; more target tests; we have got hair testing happening in summer for statistical purposes. The issue of an increase is a wake-up call for the community and for our code.

INTEGRITY

GM: You are about to put on three more full-time people into the integrity unit...

AD: And we are investing more in data-base management, surveillance and intelligence gathering. Brett Clothier (AFL competition regulation manager) is finalising this budget now. It will be a substantial investment.

SC: Tell us about the surveillance?

AD: It is a very, very sophistication methodology we have got in place, but we need to beef it up more. I don't want to talk about it publicly. The stuff we know and find out helps protect the industry.

GM: How closely do you deal with agencies?AD: We have good relationships with the police, the ACC, ASADA and all of the bodies we need to have. Information sharing is crucial.

GM: Where do you see the AFL integrity unit in five years?

AD: It will just be a very, very important part of our game. Just take a look at the ACC report. It talks about the people who seek to infiltrate the game. All you can do is try and protect the integrity of the game. The greatest threat to the game is the people who seek to challenge its integrity.

HIS FUTURE

SC: Will we be talking to you, as AFL CEO, at this time next year?

AD: This is my favourite interview I do all year. You can lock it in now (for next year) unless you know something that I don't know.

GM: You've been described as tired and distracted? How committed are you to the role?

AD: You cannot be distracted in this role. You deal with a multitude of issues concurrently. Some of them are unexpected. But it is a great privilege to do this role. No one forces you to do it. I'm not distracted. I'm not tired. I am very excited about the season ahead. I am very excited about the new people we are about to appoint and bring in to reinvigorate the executive.

SC: What about Jeff Kennett calling for you to be sacked?

AD: Jeff has had strong views for a long time on how he believes an organisation should be run, with heavy input from the board. The AFL Commission operates on a different model with the executive running the day-to-day management of the competition. Jeff is entitled to his view but I won't get into a debate with him about the AFL's structure, or his wider views.

SC: What sort of bonus will you get this year?

AD: Probably a mattress for in here (AFL headquarters) because apparently I'm tired (laughs).

SC: Maybe they can send you to the Golden Door health retreat.

AD: Not the Golden Door, because you will see everyone you know. Maybe somewhere with a funky name -- the Banskia Magnolia or something like that.

SC: What about some peptides?

AD: No, Shane.

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Majak dodges the hype

North Melbourne ruckman Majak Daw provided the first highlight of the match with a strong mark backing into a pack. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Quick and getting quicker. Not simply exciting North Melbourne big man Majak Daw's development, but the demands as he reaches higher in his ultra-public football career.

Daw described his impressive NAB Cup form on Friday night as another small step, a sentiment echoed by coach Brad Scott and his crew keeping watch over the Sudanese-born talent.

"I came off the bench a few times and ( said to) some of the strength and conditioning coaches, it was really quick out there. It took me a while to adjust and find my feet,'' Daw said.

"Speaking to the guys after the game, they said it's only NAB Cup and, once the season comes, it gets even faster. I was really nervous early on and Brad came to me and said 'just let your instincts take over and back yourself' and that's what I did.

"It's up to me now. I know what it's like. I guess, all the learning experiences I've gained in the pre-season, hopefully, I can play a few more NAB Cup games just to see where I'm at with my footy. I'm not going to get ahead of myself.

"One of my biggest goals was to get through the pre-season and I've done that. And then getting an opportunity in the NAB Cup. I just want to build on that each week. It would be nice to play round 1, but I've still got a long way to go.''

Daw, now on the Kangaroos' list after three years as a rookie, is being groomed to take a turn as a key forward target as well as assisting No.1 ruckman Todd Goldstein.

"It's a lot more structured. If I'm up there, I've got Drewy (Drew Petrie) and Taz (Robbie Tarrant), they take pretty big marks and I've got to learn how to work with those guys. If that means blocking for one of those guys to get the ball, then I'm happy to play my role,'' he said.

"I knew I was more prepared this time around. My body wasn't strong enough to run out a game, but it's pleasing I can have an impact on the game and I expect more of myself. I've set a standard.''

The 21-year-old exudes a confidence that's not cockiness.

He scoffed at comparisons with Buddy Franklin and Nic Naitanui, but embraced the intrigue with his African heritage.

"Those guys (Franklin and Naitanui) are bona fide AFL players, so to compare me with those guys when I haven't played my first game yet ... I can't really control what happens on YouTube and all that sort of speculation. But I'm not going to get caught up in all that stuff,'' he said.

Roos ruck coach and mentor Alex Ishchenko reflected the club's determination to keep their boy on track.

"He was pretty happy with the way I went. He said it's only a small stepping stone and that I still have a long way to go. And I know that in myself,'' Daw said.

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