Stop the silly name games
Mike Sheahan
May 23, 2007 12:00am
ST KILDA should be brought to account for Saturday night. For events before and after rather than during the game.
The Saints named Jason Gram and Xavier Clarke in their final 22 to play Hawthorn in the knowledge neither would play.
When it came time to account for the late withdrawals, officials said both had been hit by a virus.
It was yet another example of the absolute disdain of certain clubs for the media and, by extension, supporters, punters and tipsters. The public.
Neither of those players will play against Fremantle on Friday night.
How, then, was either any chance to play last Saturday night? Gram has a hamstring-lower back strain and Clarke a calf strain.
Hawthorn knew that was the case before the game, as did most football writers.
The AFL should hit St Kilda where it hurts most. With a 'please explain' and, when no satisfactory explanation is produced - because there isn't one, a $10,000 fine.
Let the Saints have their fun, but let them pay for it.
Captains are fined for talking to umpires, coaches are fined for veiled criticism of umpires, runners are fined for inadvertently colliding with players, yet intentional deception with teams continues to be ignored.
St Kilda, it seems, still believes in the archaic practice of the 1970s and '80s, when clubs got cheap kicks out of fooling everyone else by naming injured players, making late changes and fabricating juvenile explanations.
Essendon, for example, said Neale Daniher suffered a bruised knee before the finals in 1981. He next played in 1985.
No matter the true nature of a player's injury, generally they were listed with bruises and strains - or viruses.
The virus became the catch-all. Particularly at Essendon.
At the weekend, cynical reporters asked St Kilda officials whether Gram and Clarke were suffering the 'Sheedy virus'.
On Monday, a long-time football reporter with a reputation for being up-to-date and diligent was embarrassed at the St Kilda media conference when he asked for the latest on "the virus".
The room burst into laughter and coach Ross Lyon smiled and sheepishly fessed up to an old-fashioned ruse.
I have a vested interest in this one.
Six weeks ago, I was full of praise for the new coach's willingness to return phone calls and to tell the truth to specific questions.
The quote I liked best was: "I don't want to have things lingering over the club that don't need to linger."
The practice of lying about team selections and injuries has become tiresome and demands AFL intervention.
Seven clubs made eight late changes to their 'final 22' at the weekend.
The progressive total after eight rounds is 48 changes.
The AFL no longer can rely on its old line of: "Why should we get involved in betting on football when we get nothing out of wagering?"
Answer: Betfair and Tabcorp. Oh, and the not-incidental matter of the rights of supporters, punters and tipsters.
Mike Sheahan
May 23, 2007 12:00am
ST KILDA should be brought to account for Saturday night. For events before and after rather than during the game.
The Saints named Jason Gram and Xavier Clarke in their final 22 to play Hawthorn in the knowledge neither would play.
When it came time to account for the late withdrawals, officials said both had been hit by a virus.
It was yet another example of the absolute disdain of certain clubs for the media and, by extension, supporters, punters and tipsters. The public.
Neither of those players will play against Fremantle on Friday night.
How, then, was either any chance to play last Saturday night? Gram has a hamstring-lower back strain and Clarke a calf strain.
Hawthorn knew that was the case before the game, as did most football writers.
The AFL should hit St Kilda where it hurts most. With a 'please explain' and, when no satisfactory explanation is produced - because there isn't one, a $10,000 fine.
Let the Saints have their fun, but let them pay for it.
Captains are fined for talking to umpires, coaches are fined for veiled criticism of umpires, runners are fined for inadvertently colliding with players, yet intentional deception with teams continues to be ignored.
St Kilda, it seems, still believes in the archaic practice of the 1970s and '80s, when clubs got cheap kicks out of fooling everyone else by naming injured players, making late changes and fabricating juvenile explanations.
Essendon, for example, said Neale Daniher suffered a bruised knee before the finals in 1981. He next played in 1985.
No matter the true nature of a player's injury, generally they were listed with bruises and strains - or viruses.
The virus became the catch-all. Particularly at Essendon.
At the weekend, cynical reporters asked St Kilda officials whether Gram and Clarke were suffering the 'Sheedy virus'.
On Monday, a long-time football reporter with a reputation for being up-to-date and diligent was embarrassed at the St Kilda media conference when he asked for the latest on "the virus".
The room burst into laughter and coach Ross Lyon smiled and sheepishly fessed up to an old-fashioned ruse.
I have a vested interest in this one.
Six weeks ago, I was full of praise for the new coach's willingness to return phone calls and to tell the truth to specific questions.
The quote I liked best was: "I don't want to have things lingering over the club that don't need to linger."
The practice of lying about team selections and injuries has become tiresome and demands AFL intervention.
Seven clubs made eight late changes to their 'final 22' at the weekend.
The progressive total after eight rounds is 48 changes.
The AFL no longer can rely on its old line of: "Why should we get involved in betting on football when we get nothing out of wagering?"
Answer: Betfair and Tabcorp. Oh, and the not-incidental matter of the rights of supporters, punters and tipsters.
