Craig wants medals for all

[topjars]

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,20415555-21543,00.html

NEIL Craig next week - and perhaps in the next fortnight - faces the toughest selection agenda in his 57-game stint as Adelaide coach.
This was compounded last night when superstar Andrew McLeod said his doctor had told him his foot was healing well, and that he was a chance to play next weekend.
"It's healing better than expected and I might be a possibility," McLeod told Channel Nine's The Footy Show .
"I thought I was gone but things have turned around a bit and I might be a chance."
McLeod was thought to be unlikely to play again this season after he developed an infection in his left foot last month when he had fluid drained.
But Craig says he will make the right decisions - rather than the popular or politically correct choices.
Ultimately, this could cost any of captain Mark Ricciuto, veteran defender Ben Hart, Brett Burton or McLeod an AFL premiership medal. And Craig - in an exclusive interview with The Advertiser - says this is not right.
Craig advocates the AFL put aside a century of tradition - just as the International Olympic Committee did in 1992 - to award medals to every player who has taken the field in a club's premiership season - not just the 22 from grand final day. "It is a good concept," said Craig, who so far this season has fielded 32 players since Adelaide's marathon journey in the AFL premiership race began on April 3. "It is the appropriate concept to debate.
"It would be great recognition for all the players in the club who have had some input on the playing field."

<p/>"You could also argue that some who have not played had a significant input too.

"It is a marathon. It is a tough sport. You do use a lot of players. If it was my decision, give medals to all the players who have represented the Adelaide Football Club on the field (in a premiership season).

"That also agrees with my philosophy of team."

When Craig returns from Perth on Sunday morning - having watched his opponent come from the West Coast-Western Bulldogs semi-final - he will be seeking critical information on the fitness of Ricciuto (parvovirus), Hart (Achilles tear), Burton (hamstring tear) and McLeod (infected left foot).

Again - as it was in the lead-up to the qualifying final against Fremantle when he kept a fit Ken McGregor out of his line-up - Craig will be faced with decisions, many tainted by sentiment because of the status of these players.

"It will be difficult," said Craig. "It is the philosophical question ... because a lot of people will say you've got to play those guys.

"You've got to play them ... for a whole range of reasons - they are ready to play, sentiment, it looks good on paper, they are 300-game players, they are club favourites.

"That's where we've got to hae clear thinking; be really clear.

"You either make a good political decision or a popular decision or the right decision. What I will have to be really clear on is the right decision.

"Sometimes the right decision could also be the most popular and a good political decision. But my experience so far often says that the right decision will not always be popular and is not often the political good decision."

In Craig's one-on-one interview - in today's MainGame and available in full by podcast on Adelaidenow - shatters the myth of Adelaide hitting a form slump in August as a result of his infamous extra training regime at West Lakes.

Craig reveals for the first time that his extra-training program this season contrasts from that in Adelaide's 1997 and 1998 premiership years because not every Crow went through it this season.

Great article!!
Here comes Macca

[rayven]

Me thinks 3 medals should be handed out.

The first one for that immortal 22.

A different 1 for the guys who got games that year but not on that day.

A third type for those who did not get a game all year but are on the list.

No matter what you did that year you were listed like everyone else and went through the same stuff everyone did.

[beartoo]

I've always thought it unfair that only the blokes on the park on the day get the gongs. Full marks to NC for bringing it into the spotlight.

[GoSarge]

So if we won the GF last year, Fergus would have got a medal for everyone elses hard work, even though he had every intention of shafting the club.

Interesting situation that would have been :thumbsd:

[neddy36]

Its about time that a prominent figure highlighted this unfair tradition.

Can you imagine if you were a key player, played all 22 games and got injured in the Prelim and missed the Grand Final. Your team goes on to win the Grand Final and you get nothing.

I think they should give medals to all players on the list and all coaches. Or maybe to all players that have played more than 3 games to avoid scenarios like a Fungus Watts getting a medal.

[Crow Chick]

Nup, to get a premiership medal you should have to PLAY in a premiership. Getting a medal, but not playing on the day would mean nothing to me. Actually it would be a bad reminder that I didn't play!

Now days medals, awards and certificates are handed out far to regularly, accolades should be kept for people who do something really special, above and beyond the call of duty.

[FCAGJAT]

Reminds me of Andrew Gaze's championship ring in the NBA for just warming up the bench

[dyertribe]

In the Premier League you have to play a minimum number of the team's 38 games to win a Championship Medal - not sure what the exact number is but it isn't much. Celestine Babayaro managed to be awarded one for the miniscule number of games he played at Chelsea before his midseason transfer to Newcastle last season, for instance.

50% of the Premiers' games would be a fair number.

Before his groin injury in '97 Mark Ricciuto was leading the Brownlow by 4 votes and was the prime engine driving our midfield that year - the fact he doesn't have a Premiership Medallion but Aaron Keating does isn't right.

[neddy36]

A premiership is not all about 1 game. A premiership is made up of a exhaustive pre-season, 22 games, pressure-packed finals and that last Saturday in September. Just ask any AFL coach and they will give credit to the enitre list not just the 22 who were lucky enough to play in GF.

Just look at 97, Mods was a key contributor but got injured in the Prelim. Aaron Keating played 3 games and has premiership medal!!

AFL is one of the few professional sports in the world that does not reward the entire team if they win the championship. The best example of this is the NHL (Ice Hockey). You actually get your name engraved on the Stanley Cup. This is when you truly become a sports immortal.

[Stiffy_18]

Nup, to get a premiership medal you should have to PLAY in a premiership. Getting a medal, but not playing on the day would mean nothing to me. Actually it would be a bad reminder that I didn't play!

Now days medals, awards and certificates are handed out far to regularly, accolades should be kept for people who do something really special, above and beyond the call of duty.
Sorry I strongly disagree with this. A season is a marathon and player who might have played only 3 games for the season still had some say in our final result. Why wouldn't someone like Maric be a deserving recepient of the medal if we do go all the way and he doesn't play in the GF? He played a number of games during the year and its debatable whether or not we would have won some of those games if he didn't play. If you don't win a couple of those game, you don't finish in the top 2 and your chances of winning a premiership decrease at a rapid rate.

This is one Aussie Rules tradition that I simply CANNOT stand. It devalues contribution of players who have been there all year but missed out on a premiership through injury. Does that mean they are not worthy recepients? In 1997, Ricciuto and Modra were integral part of our team and in no small part were the reason we made the finals to start with. Neither of them played in the premireship but IMHO they had a much greater influence than someone like Aaron Keating or Ben Marsh. The later 2 are premiership players because of what Modra and Roo did during the year.

Winning the premiership is not about one game. Its about the season as a whole. Anyone can play on the day but its the players that get you there that deserve as much credit IMHO.

[-CG-]

I think Craigy is on the money here. Every player who has played for us during the year (so far 32) deserves a medal. Maybe the ones for the non grand final players could be different to the ones received by the grand final players.

All the coaches should be awarded a medal too.

[crows98]

Sorry I strongly disagree with this. A season is a marathon and player who might have played only 3 games for the season still had some say in our final result. Why wouldn't someone like Maric be a deserving recepient of the medal if we do go all the way and he doesn't play in the GF? He played a number of games during the year and its debatable whether or not we would have won some of those games if he didn't play. If you don't win a couple of those game, you don't finish in the top 2 and your chances of winning a premiership decrease at a rapid rate.

This is one Aussie Rules tradition that I simply CANNOT stand. It devalues contribution of players who have been there all year but missed out on a premiership through injury. Does that mean they are not worthy recepients? In 1997, Ricciuto and Modra were integral part of our team and in no small part were the reason we made the finals to start with. Neither of them played in the premireship but IMHO they had a much greater influence than someone like Aaron Keating or Ben Marsh. The later 2 are premiership players because of what Modra and Roo did during the year.

Winning the premiership is not about one game. Its about the season as a whole. Anyone can play on the day but its the players that get you there that deserve as much credit IMHO.


Agree with this :thumbsu: :thumbsu:

[Vic Crow]

I completely agree that more than just the guys that played on the day deserve a medal. Perhaps if there was a minimum number of games required to earn a medal, or something like that.

But it is extremely unfair the way it is now and I can only put it down to stubborn tradition. The point about Ricciuto and Modra missing out in 1997 when someone like Aaron Keating needed to remove the mothballs from his Crows guernsey to front up in September. There were more guys like Tregenza, Liptak and I think Vardy who missed out too - all deservant.

I'm not too fussed if the players who played on the day are the only ones part of the ceremony in the middle of the ground, but the rest of the squad that played (a minimum number of games???) should later be awarded medals at the clubs after match function.

Neddy is absolutely right with the NHL example. Getting your name engraved on the Stanley Cup forever immortalises you as a hockey player and this is something the AFL fails to do to premiership winners. But that's a different argument for a different day.

[- PC -]

Why not different levels of recognition?

The 22 and the Coach on the day ( and emergencies) can have a playing medal which they recieve on the day

Then you can divvy the rest up at an award night

Personally I would only want one if I played in one. To recieve a medallion after the fact would be like a paternal pat on the head . The 22/25 on the day are the ones who achieved glory, not getting one would fire me up to do my best to be in the side.

I can hear the ghost of Josephine Tiddy in this '' but they all tried hard they all should get winners medals even the los... oh there are no losers just people who competed''

[KUNG FU]

If you are in the 22 on GF day or have played minimum 50% of the games including the finals, you should get a medal. Sure it wouldn't be the same as being on the field, but being a part of a winning team is much more important.

[lacrow]

It is just ridiculous not to award a medal to everybody on the team (who contributed that season), regardless of whether they played on the day. This is a TEAM sport and people that put in should be rewarded.

To ignore the contributions of the people that got you to the game in the first place just because they may have gotten injured at the wrong time is ludicrous.

What's the point of being on a team then? What's the point of a guy like Ivan Maric even trying during the regular season? He knows he's not gonna get into the GF (most likely) and therefore will not receive a medal so what's the point in going all out until he's in the regular 22?

[Crow Chick]

Winning the premiership is not about one game. Its about the season as a whole. Anyone can play on the day but its the players that get you there that deserve as much credit IMHO.

I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree :D !!

I'd say a premiership IS all about one game, last time I checked if you didn't win the Grand Final you didn't win a Premiership. If it is about who is more deserving wouldn't the team who won the minor premiership be the most deserving as they have been the best team over 22 games?? Maybe supporters should get a medal because they probably do more to help the team than some of the players! Just because some players are more deserving than others in my opinion doesn't mean they should get a medal, life can be unfair sometimes but that's life!

I'm just one of people who hate awards given away for trivial, crappy things. (Don't get me going on 'participation' awards given to childrens sport :mad: ) I've got a draw full of trophies that I received at different state and Australian championship, club B & F, best team person awards, music competitions, etc, etc. I think they're all crap, if it was my choice the only award I would display or be proud of would be an award for winning the ultimate open age competition in my chosen field, knowing that I was there contributing at the very end (not nearly to the very end).

Anyway that's just my opinion :)

[crows98]

I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree :D !!

I'd say a premiership IS all about one game, last time I checked if you didn't win the Grand Final you didn't win a Premiership. If it is about who is more deserving wouldn't the team who won the minor premiership be the most deserving as they have been the best team over 22 games??

If a group of player can not win firstly 12 games in a season to make the final they don’t get that opportunity to play in the finals, if that same group of player cannot win a minimum of 16 of 22 games to make the top 4 that opportunity play in a grand final diminishes quite dramatically.

Football is a team sport and teams face adversity for 11 months of the year, that why everyone who is associated with that team should be rewarded. If all the ingredients do not go into a cake, it may not raise, if all the ingredients do not go into a premiership campaign winning is not longer a factor.

You are correct in saying the AFL should give more emphasis to the McClelland trophy winning but the AFL culture is to reward the premiership team.


Maybe supporters should get a medal because they probably do more to help the team than some of the players! Just because some players are more deserving than others in my opinion doesn't mean they should get a medal, life can be unfair sometimes but that's life!

Anyway that's just my opinion :)

That’s why a champion team will always beat a team of champion. Everyone is equal and just as deserving as everyone else.

[relapse]

So if we won the GF last year, Fergus would have got a medal for everyone elses hard work, even though he had every intention of shafting the club.

Interesting situation that would have been :thumbsd:

Nah he wouldnt have, as far as I am aware Craig means awarding a medal to all players who played during the season and from memory Fergus never played last year.