Recent Posts
Thanks to the arrival of John van 't Schip and the departure of Frank Farina, coaches have been the main focus of the A-League in recent days. While the two have generated headlines for very different reasons, their clubs deserve praise for what they have in common- namely, an ability to make strong, logical judgments.
That opinion would not be shared by Farina. A prickly chap at the best of times, Cranky Frankies mood has only darkened since being dismissed for his second drink-driving offence. To say that he is bitter would be an understatement.
Yet when news of his transgression broke, he seemed willing to take whatever punishment was coming his way. I accept I am in the wrong, but I want to go before the board and ask for a second chance, he explained of his decision to plead for a third chance. I cant hide anywhere and Im not trying to get out of it.
However, all that now seems like nothing more than a tactical concession from a man who returned to his belligerent ways the moment he was sacked. To begin with, he lashed out at the games governing body, claiming that the Brisbane board had been getting pressure from the FFA to be tough on him. Next, he took aim at his former employers, revealing that there were a lot of internal problems within the club he had desperately tried to remain a part of. Then, for good measure, he adopted the role of victim. I have been disappointed with what I see as a total lack of support since the event happened, he moaned. When I met the board I could tell pretty much five minutes into the meeting that a decision was going to be made which was not exactly in my favour. There is a duty of care for all employees, obviously on this occasion I feel like I have been made a scapegoat.
These allegations are preposterous. For at least the second occasion, Farina drove to training well over the limit, begging several questions. Firstly, if he was still well over the limit the morning after, how much did he knock back the night before? Secondly, are we to believe that the only times he happened to have been caught are the only times he happened to have committed the offence? Thirdly, if his job meant so much to him, why did he act in such a foolish and reckless fashion? Fourthly, what sort of example did he think this was setting for his players?
That last point is especially relevant. If the whispers are correct, Farina presided over a drinking culture during his time as Roar coach. But even if they arent, what cant be denied is the lamentable on-field discipline his players showed under his watch. Indeed, if there is a duty of care to anyone it would have to be to the poor referees, who have been forced to brandish so many yellow cards to the men in orange that they risk getting RSI. Most people would have you believe that the chief culprit is Danny Tiatto, the perpetually-frothing hardman who seems liable to snap at any moment. But in fact, the chief culprit was Farina, who was unwilling or unable to control his charges.
It is notable that Ange Postecoglou, the new boss, promised that one of the first things he intends to tackle is the issue of discipline. My style is to instil a culture from the coach down. Whether he succeeds or fails is irrelevant- what is relevant is his understanding that the buck stops with the coach. Postecoglou understands that. The Brisbane board understands that. The only person who doesnt is Farina. When a leader acts irresponsibly, recklessly and foolishly- and not for the first time either- decisive action needs to be taken. Otherwise, the wrong message gets sent to the players, not to mention the dwindling number of fans and sponsors. Far from being a victim of the scandal, Farina was solely responsible for it. Therefore, he had to go.
As the A-League bids farewell to Frank Farina, it offers a hearty welkom to John van 't Schip, who is to lead the new Melbourne Heart franchise. At this rate, it cant be long before Pauline Hanson warns that we are in danger of being swamped by Dutchmen, with the former Ajax star becoming the umpteenth man in oranje to call Australië home in the last five years. Consequently, there are those who would argue that his appointment was thoughtless and predictable. The opposite, however, is true.
The thoughtless and predictable option would have been to summon one of the usual suspects- a Postecoglou, or a Theodorakopoulos, or even everybodys favourite comedy act, John Kosmina. One can even picture Kossie fronting the hordes of delighted journos, promising to bring passion to the job, and assuring everybody that he had learned from his mistakes. Instead, the people at the Heart considered the matter logically. Deciding that they wanted to play an attractive style of football (such as that used by the Dutch), and reasoning that this was most likely to be implemented by somebody with impressive qualifications and experience (such as a person who managed FC Twente, and acted as an assistant for Holland and Ajax), they plumped for van 't Schip.
Besides possessing a good CV, the ex-international comes with another important asset: his famous name. As Sport: The Australian Disease has argued before, coaching appointments should never be made on the basis of playing records. But if the best-credentialed candidate also happens to be well known, so much the better. Selling the new franchise to prospective imports will be significantly easier with van 't Schip at the helm.
In addition to doing themselves a favour, it appears as though the powerbrokers at the Heart are doing a service to the local game. This is because as Sport: The Australian Disease has again argued there is a need for Australian football to embrace a culture of possession. Success comes from keeping the ball, not from booting it away. The Dutch have long recognised this, so it is to be hoped that van 't Schip can impress this point on his players- and, while hes at it, the rest of the competition. God forbid that we should continue to follow the philosophies of Lawrie McKinna and Ian Ferguson, whose tactics and recruitment suggest that they would prefer the Mariners and Fury to be participating in League One.
Credit, then, to the boards of Brisbane and Melbourne, who have made it clear that they appreciate the importance of good leadership. Without it, you get ill-disciplined players and route one rubbish. The Roar and Heart have taken a stand against both.
It is one of the great conundrums in modern football. Can a misguided star actually lead a team to ultimate success? Can a player sacked by their previous club for their transgressions revive their career at a new home and lead this club to glory?
As AFL Trade Week winds down for another year, two of the leagues best outfits have decided to take on this risk in their pursuit of a premiership. The Western Bulldogs, in their endless search for a key target up forward, have given renegade big man Barry Hall another chance at redemption after numerous anger management issues on the field over the last few years. And just as the deadline approached on the final day of trading, the Brisbane Lions pulled off a blockbuster trade for troubled Carlton superstar and reigning Coleman Medallist, Brendan Fevola.
By taking on these players, Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs will also be taking with them the baggage hanging over the heads of both Fevola and Hall. Fevola was recently sacked by Carlton after they tired of his off-field antics, most of which were alcohol-fuelled. Hall reached a mutual agreement with the Sydney Swans mid-season to part ways so that he could address his behavioural problems which had begun to escalate into troubling on-field incidents.
So why do clubs like Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs want these players despite seeing the damage they have caused to other teams? Its a matter of weighing risk versus reward, and these two clubs obviously believe that the possible reward gained from recruiting these players preferably a flag outweighs the potential risk involved.
The Western Bulldogs have been a serious contender for the last two years, finishing third on the ladder at the end of the minor round in both 2008 and 2009. However, they have been unable to land their elusive premiership since 1954, falling in the Preliminary Final each year by a narrow margin. It is widely believed that it has been a lack of a key forward that has prevented the Bulldogs from making the Grand Final in the past two seasons. They have largely operated with a small forward line containing no big targets to kick to, and this has somewhat stifled their options in attack against the premier defensive sides such as Geelong, St. Kilda and Hawthorn.
After standing pat for a number of years, the Bulldogs finally decided to address this weakness by trading for Barry Hall. Whilst he is nearing the latter stages of his career, Hall still provides a menacing presence, and having him in the squad will undoubtedly give them a key target in the forward 50. It remains to be seen though, whether he will ultimately be capable of leading them to glory.
Halls on-field behaviour was becoming increasingly erratic over the past few seasons at Sydney. His king-hit on West Coast Eagle Brent Staker in 2008 was the sign of a man who didnt have control over his emotions, and was capable of blowing up at any time. After the incident, Hall was sent away by Swans coach Paul Roos to address his anger issues, and he later returned to the field claiming (with support from a professional counsellor) that his problems had been overcome and incidents such as these were a thing of the past.
This newfound control did not last long though. Hall again began showing signs of combustion during the 2009 season. He gave away three consecutive 50 metre penalties against Hawthorn in round 11 before being benched by Roos. Then, in round 13, he was suspended for two matches for striking Adelaide fullback Ben Rutten. It was this seemingly unprovoked incident that led to the decision between Hall and the Swans to terminate his career at the club. His actions were costing the team on the field, whilst also proving a distraction off the field.
The Western Bulldogs have now taken Hall on board with the belief that he has again curbed his ways and will only bring positive results to the club. If this is the case, the Bulldogs have made a great move with the potential to bring them their first flag in 56 years. At his best, Barry Hall is one of the premier forwards in the competition, and despite all of his faults, he was a key contributor in a premiership side for Sydney in 2005. If he can bring this team-first attitude to the Bulldogs, the third round draft pick that they effectively gave up for him will be a bargain.
Rodney Eade, the Bulldogs coach, has previously shown that he is indeed capable of turning around a troubled career. The recruitment of the enigmatic Jason Akermanis three years ago can only be hailed a success. Still, Hall seems to have problems that run much deeper than Akermanis eccentric personality, and there is a chance that he will prove much more difficult to handle. If Barry does revert back to his old ways or if his soon to be 33 year old body gives way, he has the potential to impact the club in a very negative fashion, and the Bulldogs could find themselves even further away from that elusive premiership.
The Brisbane Lions now find themselves in a similar position with Brendan Fevola. Fevola is without doubt one of the biggest stars of the game, and unlike Hall, he is probably still at the peak of his career. Brisbane have recruited him with the hope that he can combine with Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw in 2010 to create a highly potent forward line. If Fevola is able to stay out of trouble, and can develop chemistry between himself and the other big men, Brisbane may well be on their way to becoming Grand Final contenders as early as next season. But, with Fevola, this is a big if.
Fevolas problems with alcohol have been widely reported. For many years he has found himself embroiled in incidents stemming from his drunken behaviour. This culminated in Carltons decision to sack Fevola after his alcohol-fuelled antics at this years Brownlow Medal ceremony. The Blues decided that they could no longer handle the negative effect that Fevola was having on the club, and that they would be better off without one of their star players.
Brisbane obviously believe that they can control Fevolas behaviour enough that any negativity will be mitigated by on-field success. Their coach, Michael Voss, is a hard man, and is probably well served to lead Fevola the right way. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to curb his ways.
Even if Voss is successful in turning around Fevolas public image, it is still no certainty that his addition will bring further success to the club. Fevola has thrived at Carlton as the sole target up forward, but he will now be competing with fellow stalwarts, Brown and Bradshaw, for touches and space up forward. Fevola has always been widely criticised for his poor on-field demeanour, particularly when he is being denied the ball by his team mates. He will need to turn around his attitude both on and off the field if he is to lead the Brisbane Lions to a Grand Final in the coming years.
The Western Bulldogs and Brisbane have each taken a substantial risk by taking on these AFL bad boys. Barry Hall and Brendan Fevola may be two superstars of the AFL, but they will be bringing with them the baggage of past mistakes which will be difficult to mend. Will each club be capable of bringing out the best in these men, or will these moves backfire? That is the great conundrum in AFL football, and only time will tell.
Matt Stevens
September 16th 2009 11:44
If early indications are any guide, the Tri-Nations is to be expanded into a Four Nations tournament come 2012, when Argentina will finally be granted admission. This would be a welcome- and long overdue- move.
The Tri-Nations is amongst the leading events on Australias sporting calendar, yet one that could do with some tweaking. But to understand what is wrong with it- and to understand how the presence of the Pumas would be beneficial- we first need to understand what is right with the Tri-Nations.
The first point that needs to be noted is the evenness of the three teams, which ensures that matches are generally competitive and dramatic. Thrashings are rare; instead, spectators are more often than not treated to fierce battles that ebb and flow for the full 80 minutes, something that is promoted by the commendable bonus point rule.
And this process is further encouraged by the brevity of the competition. The Tri-Nations is not a marathon of the sort we see in the AFL and NRL, where losses can be accepted because there will always be more matches in the weeks ahead. No, it is such an intense sprint to the line that even one bad performance can mean the difference between winning the trophy and having nothing to show for months of sacrifice.
There is also pleasure to be derived from the diversity of the competitors approaches. The Wallabies play one way, the All Blacks another and the Springboks an altogether different way still. To watch these differing styles clash, and to see how their contrasting strengths and weaknesses come together, is fascinating.
Just as fascinating is the chance to observe the manner in which national teams emerge from the provincial sides each season. As the Super 14 season progresses, and as new stars and combinations blossom, debates about selections begin. Will that exciting youngster be blooded? Will that fading veteran be dumped? Will the balance of the team be affected by this or that decision? Although some of the questions are answered during the warm-up fixtures against the Europeans, nobody is ever certain how a XV is going to perform in the crunch matches until those crunch matches come around. The Tri-Nations acts as an unforgiving testing ground, clearly exposing the strengths and weaknesses of all who dare to take part. In such a highly pressured and combative environment, the true character of individuals and teams cannot help but be revealed.
For all these reasons, the annual tournament makes for compelling viewing. And, ironically, proof is provided not by decisive clashes of the sort that unfolded in Hamilton last weekend between the Blacks and Boks, but by dead rubbers like that involving Australia and South Africa in Brisbane the weekend before. Despite the fact that the home side had nothing to play for, the passion of the Wallabies and their supporters was immense. Nor was this anomalous- it happens every time theres a dead rubber. Any competition that can generate such emotion over something apparently meaningless is obviously highly regarded by both competitors and spectators.
So if it aint broke, why fix it? Well, while nobody would suggest that the tournament is in danger of falling apart, it could certainly do with a fresh coat of paint. Sadly, there is a certain sameness about proceedings- which is unsurprising, given that only three countries are involved. For all the aforementioned virtues, they are rather predictable virtues. The players are generally familiar, the styles are generally familiar, the draw is generally familiar. In that respect, the Tri-Nations is not unlike a romantic comedy. However brilliant the script and the acting may be, it is obvious that boy is going to meet girl, boy is going to lose girl, and boy is ultimately going to win girl.
However, that will change with the admission of Argentina. Four competitors must inevitability provide more variety than three. Getting to know the new boys and their stadiums will be intriguing. Studying their European tactics will be intriguing. Examining the intricacies of the new scheduling will be intriguing. After so many years, the plot of future tournaments will be different.
Nonetheless, it should be acknowledged that not everything will immediately be for the better. While the Pumas are expected to be competitive at home, they will initially struggle on the road. And that struggle will be exacerbated if the Union Argentina de Rugby fails to secure access to its stars, all of whom are contracted to northern hemisphere clubs. Consequently- at least to begin with- there will be more blowouts and less drama.
But the odds are that this short term pain will be outweighed by the long term gains. For all the triumphalism of the International Rugby Board, there arent many non-traditional countries that are receptive to its message. Argentina is one of the few, which means that it is in the interests of the IRB to provide it with all possible assistance. If the Pumas are playing top quality rugby year after year after year, local interest and standards can only grow. And when the World Cup bronze medallists eventually raise themselves to the level of their three new friends, the southern hemisphere tournament will become a more open, and thus appealling, event. Concurrently, with the addition of one more member to the very exclusive group of teams capable of lifting the World Cup, that tournament will become more appealling too. The result will be a more appealling sport.
Of course, a more appealling sport is a more profitable sport. Increased interest in an expanded Four Nations will lead to increased revenues. Television companies will also be willing to pay extra for the new market being opened to them- namely, Argentinas 40 million inhabitants. Hopefully, that will mean that the ARU no longer feels the need to embrace cheap stunts like the fourth Bledisloe.
Welcoming Argentina into its ranks seems such an obvious move for SANZAR to make that the only thing worth discussing is why it was not done sooner. Unfortunately, it seems to be another example of the groups bizarre politicking, of the sort that has been occurring for some time over the new Super 15 franchise. Still, better late than never. And when, at some time in the years ahead, the Pumas celebrate their first Four Nations championship, the current SANZAR powerbrokers will be entitled to congratulate themselves on a decision that served the interests of southern hemisphere and world rugby.
(Source: The Age)
First Collingwood; now Sydney. Planned coaching handovers, it seems, are the AFLs new black.
[ Click here to read more ]
And the winner of the World Cup is
Australia!
For even the most passionate supporter, it is too much to hope that those words will be uttered come South Africa 2010. But what about some time off into the murky distance? Is it unrealistic to expect that the Socceroos will one day get to raise the coveted 18 carat gold trophy
[ Click here to read more ]
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the incident, whatever may or may not have happened, the Matthew Johns scandal is a damning indictment of rugby league.
Four Corners is to be commended for exposing the shocking misogyny that lies at the heart of the games culture (and, incidentally, that of Aussie Rules too). It is a culture that objectifies women, transforming them from human beings worthy of respect into sexual playthings who may be used however footballers see fit. It is a shameful culture
[ Click here to read more ]
The board of the Richmond Tigers needs to ask itself a question: is Terry Wallace a good coach?
If this sounds like an obvious reaction to the mess that Richmond finds itself in after losing all of its opening four games, its because it is. Yet its amazing how often clubs- spooked by negative headlines and deafened by the din of talkback radio- will choose the emotional reaction in such instances over the logical and obvious one
[ Click here to read more ]
The big issue to have dominated sporting circles recently has been expansion. There has been conjecture about which cities will play host to the A-Leagues 11th and 12th clubs, discussion about where in Australia to locate a possible Super 15 franchise, grilling from a Senate committee over the AFLs 18th team, and speculation that the Bears may be revived as the NRLs 17th member.
Concurrently, an ideological debate has been simmering. Aside from the round ball game- which is the only one of the four footballing codes to boast a genuine national presence- arguments over what form this expansion should take have been occurring between those who might best be described as realists and visionaries. Should the safe option of branching out into friendly territory be chosen, as the realists maintain? Or are the visionaries right when they say that the only way to grow a sport is to establish a presence in a new market
[ Click here to read more ]
In the 2005 Ashes series in England, Australias greatest ever bowler, Shane Warne, took an incredible 40 wickets. Amazingly, despite that performance the Australians were unable to claim victory. It was their first loss in 17 series, and their first series loss in England since they reclaimed the Ashes in 1989. At the time much was made of the absence of Warnes counterpart, Glenn McGrath, who rolled his ankle after the first test (which Australia won), and was absent for both English victories.
The loss exposed the Australian teams lack of depth. With the imminent retirements of both Warne and McGrath, suddenly they were not looking as infallible as they had been.
[ Click here to read more ]
Following SANZARs decision to expand the Super 14, discussion has begun in Australia on where the new team should be located. This is premature.
For while the tripartite governing body resolved that the new team will play in the Australian conference, it deliberately refrained from taking the logical next step of agreeing that it will be an Australian team that plays in the Australian conference
[ Click here to read more ]
|
|
|
Add Comments
Read More
Comments (1)
Comment by Nick Bendel
on When something for nothing isnt worth anything
Sport: The Australian Disease
The A-League is full of workhorses, average players and good players. However, there are no special players. I do believe it is the responsibility of the FFA to try to grow the game (i.e. to win over those who currently show scant interest)- after all, if a governing body isnt trying to grow its particular game, what is the point of having a governing body? And I further believe that one of the best ways to grow the game (i.e. to win over those who currently show scant interest) is to offer them something special. I think that a marquee player should be special- and if hes not special, then he doesnt deserve special treatment.
Anyway, I appreciated your comment. Thanks for the stimulus!