Tassie Players in the AFL

[kenrosewall]

This article in today's Mercury:
Tassie pair cut by Magpies


Article from:

September 24, 2008 12:00am

TASMANIANS Brodie Holland and Sam Iles are hopeful of continuing his AFL careers after being de-listed by Collingwood.
Holland and Iles, along with youngster Chris Egan were culled by the Magpies yesterday.

Holland, a 28-year-old midfielder, played 155 games with Collingwood and Fremantle across 11 seasons, but has struggled with injury in the last two years.

Holland played just one senior game this season against North Melbourne in round five as he battled on-going achilles problems.

His push to break back into the senior team was de-railed in August when he broke his arm in his third game in the VFL after a 12-week lay-off.

Holland said last night he had flirted with the idea of retirement, but believed he still had more football left in him if there was an opening at another club.

"I knew three or four weeks ago that the club was suggesting that I retire," Holland said.

"But I thought at 28, and the achilles is starting to come up well, that you're retired for a long time, so I may as well have one last crack at it.

"Hopefully a couple of clubs might be interested in me. It would be nice to smash out at least two or three more years before I finish off.

"If there's not as much interest as I would have liked, I'll just move onto the next phase of my life."

Holland, runner-up in the Magpies' 2005 best-and-fairest, said his achilles was feeling strong.

"I'm not feeling any pain walking around. I have jogged a couple of times and I don't have any pain like I did earlier in the season," he said.

"I am as motivated as I have ever been, having that year or two out, having not played much footy, your motivation levels go up 10-fold.

"I am confident that I can start my first pre-season in three years."

Magpies' football chief Geoff Walsh last night acknowledged Holland's eight-year contribution at the club.

Iles, 21, played seven AFL games in the past two seasons, but was unable to break into the senior team this year.

Egan, also 21, managed 27 games in his four seasons with the Magpies.

The de-listings follow the retirements of captain Scott Burns, Shane Wakelin and Ryan Lonie.

Link

 

[kenrosewall]

Desire to get better fires Grant


Article from:

ADAM SMITH
September 24, 2008 12:00am

CONSISTENCY is something every footballer strives to achieve.
Tasmanian Grant Birchall has this in spades, and is not only building an impressive career base but is also proving he is Mr Reliable.

The Hawthorn running defender is only in his third season at Waverly, but already has impressed teammates and club officials.

And as he prepares for the biggest game of his life this Saturday in the grand final against Geelong on the hallowed turf of the MCG, it seems a long career at the Hawks is awaiting him.

He has played every game in the past two seasons, 59 unbroken since his debut in 2006 and steadily improved his output each weekend.

This year the 20-year-old has averaged just under 22 disposals and six marks a game. Only once -- in round 11 against Essendon -- has he failed to touch the ball more than 10 times.

It appears the sky is the limit for the talented left footer, who is aiming to become the first Tasmanian since Paul Williams in 2005 to taste premiership success.

"He has been a model of consistency and that's full credit to the way he has gone about it," Hawks general manager of football operations, Mark Evans, said yesterday.

"He is very level headed, he immediately set about preparing himself as best as he can from the moment he stepped into the game.

"You never really know what to expect when a player first comes in, some take off while others take time to have that consistency. But at a young age it's quite rare.

"Grant virtually challenged us to get more and more out of him and now he has become a hard-running player and is much harder at the contest.

"There is no doubt he is in for a good career, the most pleasing thing is he had the maturity from the start, the desire to get better and those are the qualities you need," he said.

Link

 

[kenrosewall]

Congratulations to Grant Birchall and the rest of the Hawks on taking out the 2008 Premiership. Commiserations to Simon Taylor who can feel very stiff at having missed out to Renouf for the 2nd ruck spot after being 'rested'.

Anyway, I wanted to make a list of all Tasmania's premiership players across the years, and need your help. Here are a few to get the ball rolling. I'll add to it as suggestions come in:

2008- Grant Birchall
2005- Paul Williams

 

[kenrosewall]

Fab five set for draft


Article from:

JAMES BRESNEHAN
October 01, 2008 12:00am

THE most informed man in the football flesh trade has rated all five Tasmanian players at this week's draft camp in Canberra as big chances in this year's AFL draft.
And their Tassie Mariners coach Andrew Mellor has picked out three "definites" to go on November 29.

The AFL's national talent manager Kevin Sheehan said yesterday Tasmania's "fab five" -- Mitch Robinson, Aaron Cornelius, Tom Allwright, Liam Jones and Bart McCulloch -- were exceptional talents.

He was particularly impressed by Robinson and Cornelius.

Mellor agreed, and threw in ruckman Bart McCulloch as the third of his certainties to get drafted.

The five Tasmanians will have their final chance to impress the 100 AFL recruiting managers and coaches at the three-day draft camp, starting today.

Of the 75 draft camp attendees, about 55 will be drafted.

Sheehan said that over the next four days the boys would run, jump, stretch, think and talk their way through the most important job interview of their football careers.

"The 16 AFL clubs have seen more of the Tassie boys than ever before because of the changed format of the national under 18 carnival this year," Sheehan said.

"They've seen them play three matches in the qualifying series and five matches in Division One, so they've had the opportunity to compare them to every other kid around Australia.

"At the draft camp they will find out more about their speed, endurance, how they interview and their medical tests."

Sheehan believes Robinson, who will test as a medium midfielder, will be Tasmania's top draft pick.

"He had an outstanding carnival in terms of the quality of football he played, and winning the Harrison Medal and making all-Australian," Sheehan said. "His ability to win the ball inside and outside, getting through traffic, clubs have been very impressed with Mitch."

Cornelius is rated as one of the best marks in Australia among elite teenage players.

"His best is certainly good enough to get him drafted, not doubt," Sheehan said.

The clubs already have a view of their talent and how each boy plays the game.

"They'll be looking for a special element that might separate one player from another," Sheehan said.

"It might be as simple as the way they conduct themselves.

"We call it the locker room fit -- do they love the environment, do they love working hard with a bunch of other blokes. Some players don't have it."

That something special might be a magnificent kick.

"The skills training shows the coaches how they move and sometimes you'll see something special," Sheehan said. "They are just a born footballer -- the ball seems to be part of them. And we'll see that in the skills session."

The beep test -- a 20m shuttle run to test endurance and speed -- might uncover a future midfield champion.

"A young player might be a defender but turn out to have a big endurance motor 15-plus on the beep test and that would make him an elite run-with midfielder," Sheehan said.

The 75 would-be AFL players will be tested on:

Height and weight, sit and reach, skinfolds, arm length, hand span. They will have a medical screening and psychomotor tests (reaction time, decision making, peripheral awareness), beep test, skills session at Manuka Oval, and a 3km time trial.

Link

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Congratulations to Grant Birchall and the rest of the Hawks on taking out the 2008 Premiership. Commiserations to Simon Taylor who can feel very stiff at having missed out to Renouf for the 2nd ruck spot after being 'rested'.

Anyway, I wanted to make a list of all Tasmania's premiership players across the years, and need your help. Here are a few to get the ball rolling. I'll add to it as suggestions come in:

2008- Grant Birchall
2005- Paul Williams

Obviously Lynch 2001, 2002, 2003
1995 - Pearce (though wasn't he originally from Vic and recruited to South?)
1991 - Paul Hudson, Pritchard
1990 - Barwick, Manson, Wright

 

[nobbyiscool]

Former Devil celebrates

Article from:
TIM MacDONALD
July 07, 2008 12:00am


FORMER Tasmanian Devil Aaron Joseph returned home yesterday for his first game of football at Bellerive Oval since Carlton snared him as its top rookie in last year's draft.
The 19-year-old had been eyeing off the round 13 clash between VFL side Northern Bullants and the Tasmanian Devils, after his best on ground effort in last week's loss to Port Melbourne.

Although he had a relatively quiet day in front of friends and family, there was still reason to celebrate.

"My birthday was two days ago, so I was hoping to take home a few pressies from the family" he said.

The speedy midfielder is relishing his experience at Carlton, training with Brownlow Medalist Chris Judd.

"He is a great role model. He does all the right things so I try and model myself on him a bit, and follow the way he goes about it," Joseph said.

After an indifferent start to the season with his new club, Joseph sat down for a chat with Bullants' coach David Teague.

"He told me I just needed to get some consistency in my game," he said.

"So I've been working on that, trying to get into the best players."

Nailing down a role that hopefully takes him to the next level is an exciting challenge for Joseph.

Normally a free-running midfielder, Teague has tried him in a mix of roles this season, including the run with role that earned him last week's honours.

"He's tried me everywhere pretty much," Joseph said.

"I was playing forward and kicked a few goals, but I've also been down back and tagged a few blokes."

The former Mariner and Devil said the hardest thing about returning home was adjusting to the cold Hobart weather, but also admitted he received an icy reception on the field.

"They got into me a fair bit, but its all fun and we shook hands after the game."

* Tim MacDonald is on work experience from the Tasmanian Cricket Association.

http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23980088-3462,00.html

is that article by the same t macdonald who took 4 wickets for tassie today? a jack of all trades!

interesting question that perhaps deserves its own thread... how come so many guys come out of tassie that we put such big wraps on just don't make it? it seems as though there's at least one or 2 being delisted every year from tassie that didn't make it, with grima and iles the latest 2. iles in particular was one that 'we' expected big things from...

 

[Wilbur35]

To be honest, I reckon Sam was stiff to be delisted. I would rate him way ahead of Rhyce Shaw and Sydney saw fit to take him. The senior games he played for the Pies weren't too bad, and he showed he could handle the pace at that level. Would not be surprised if he got picked up in the preseason draft.

 

[saints_]

tom hislop dropped from essendon, partly for 'discipline reasons'

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24538500-19742,00.html?from=public_rss

 

[BearGrills16]

Does anyone think Tom Hislop will be picked up by another team???

 

[dev4life]

i dnt reckon he will..now that everyone knows for discipline reasons n he always seems to be injuried why would another club wanna hav him

 

[BearGrills16]

i dnt reckon he will..now that everyone knows for discipline reasons n he always seems to be injuried why would another club wanna hav him

You are even dumber than i thought. You really don't have a clue do you

 

[dev4life]

You are even dumber than i thought. You really don't have a clue do you

and u think u do just cos ur so great at english

 

[BearGrills16]

and u think u do just cos ur so great at english

Mate i know for a fact that he will get picked up. He only got de-listed because he didn't accept the one year deal that essendon were offering. His off field troubles couldn't off been to bad if they were willing to give him a one year deal, I know he isn't an angel hence the fact he wasn't offered the two year deal they were expected to give him. freo are the front runners to pick him up I am lead to beleive. The kid can seriously play and the AFL clubs know that.