Future bright after year of pain

John McCarthy's death in Las Vegas devastated his club Port Adelaide and the broader community. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

A YEAR that started so brightly for Port Adelaide ended disastrously.

A thrilling opening-round win against St Kilda was forgotten as the Power missed the finals for the fifth consecutive year, coach Matthew Primus lost his job, the president stepped down and popular midfielder John McCarthy tragically fell to his death from a Las Vegas hotel on an end-of-season players trip.

Rarely has an AFL club endured such emotion in one year.

GIANT LOSS

Saturday, August 4, Skoda Stadium.

Matthew Primus had planned to coach Port for a decade. He lasted only two seasons.

After walking on eggshells all season, Primus's job was made untenable after the Power became new club Greater Western Sydney's second victim.

The round 19, 34-point defeat was described by Primus as the "lowest point" in Port's 16-year AFL history and he was brought to tears at his post-match press conference.

While he vowed to fight for his job, Primus was sacked at an emergency board meeting the following day.

THE PRES DEPARTS

Monday, August 6, Alberton.

The president went down with the coach. In making Matthew Primus's axing official, a teary president Brett Duncanson announced he would resign at the end of the year.

On the same day, chief executive Keith Thomas revealed the club had undertaken a complete review of its operations, including its recruiting and fitness records.

Media personality David Koch was later appointed president, despite living in Sydney.

GRAY SKIES

Saturday, April 21, Etihad Stadium.

The writing was on the wall for Port the day excitement machine Robbie Gray crashed to the Etihad Stadium turf clutching his mangled right knee.

Gray's knee buckled in the final 30 seconds of the round-four clash against Collingwood after he landed awkwardly from a marking contest. He missed the rest of the season and the Power was robbed of one of its few gamebreakers.

TRAGEDY IN VEGAS

Sunday, September 9, Las Vegas.

Football was put into perspective when popular Power midfielder John McCarthy tragically died in a fall from a Las Vegas Hotel less than 24 hours after 10 Port players flew in for their end-of-season trip.

The man affectionately known as J-Mac who joined the Power from Collingwood at the end of 2011 had touched the hearts of everyone who had met him.

Port football manager Peter Rohde flew to Vegas to investigate McCarthy's death and brought his body home while the Power players were devastated at losing their good mate. The Power has introduced a series of measures to honour McCarthy next year.

SAINTS SURPRISE

Sunday, April 1, AAMI Stadium.

Round one was a rare shining light for Port. With Hamish Hartlett starring, the Power stunned finals-hardened St Kilda by four points to give its fans hope that it had turned the corner after a nightmare 2011 campaign.

Sadly, it was to win just four more games for the year.

COURAGE UNDER FIRE

Sunday, June 17, Etihad Stadium.

Key forward Jay Schulz nearly died when team-mate Justin Westhoff's right knee hit him with such force in a marking contest against the Western Bulldogs that he felt his insides being "torn to shreds".

Schulz ruptured his lumbar artery in the mid-air collision, was rushed to hospital after the game, spent a night in the intensive care unit at Melbourne's Epworth Hospital and lost two units of blood. He also damaged a kidney and for weeks carried a blood clot the size of a small football.

Amazingly, Schulz who earlier in the season nearly lost the sight in his right eye after being accidentally poked by Crow Michael Doughty returned to the field seven weeks later.

CAT BURGLARY

Sunday, July 15, Adelaide Airport.

In a blatant poaching attempt, Geelong was caught red-handed at Adelaide Airport trying to entice uncontracted Port star Travis Boak to the Cattery.

Coach Chris Scott, captain Joel Selwood and vice-captain Jimmy Bartel flew into town less than 24 hours after their clash against Collingwood for talks with midfielder Boak, who was also courted by North Melbourne.

The Cats copped plenty of flak for their brazen bid to steal Port's best player but they left empty-handed, with Boak eventually re-signing with the Power for two more years.

THE NEW MAN

Monday, October 8, Alberton.

Former Geelong and Gold Coast assistant Ken Hinkley was appointed as just the Power's fourth AFL coach.

Painted as the reluctant Port coach, Hinkley immediately declared he wasn't the last man standing but ``the right man standing".

On the same day, Alan Richardson was appointed as his senior assistant and Darren Burgess who had just quit English Premier League soccer giant Liverpool as fitness coach.

GONE FISHING

October/November.

Troy Chaplin and Danyle Pearce became Port's first free agent losses.

Chaplin signed for Richmond while Pearce, who was involved in a sledging incident with Bulldog Will Minson in round 12, joined Fremantle. First-round draft pick Ben Jacobs also walked out on the club to nominate for the draft.

The Power restocked by trading for Angus Monfries from Essendon, Jack Hombsch from GWS, Lewis Stevenson from West Coast and Campbell Heath from Sydney. Former Demon Liam Jurrah trained at Alberton for two weeks in the hope of reviving his career but was overlooked.

POWER FAILURE

Friday, December 7, Alberton.

Port's nightmare season went from bad to worse when its operating deficit was revealed as being a whopping $6.3 million before grants.

An The Advertiser investigation found the $4.1 million trading deficit the club initially reported did not include the AFL grant of $1 million for the transition to Adelaide Oval.

Then there was the previously unreported $1.2 million which is understood to have come from the AFL as the club struggled to pay bills.

 

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Prismall to play VFL with the Dogs

Brent Prismall trained with the Dons, Port and Dogs without luck at the drafts. Now, he'll play at Williamstown. Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

IT'S finally official: Brent Prismall will use the Western Bulldogs' VFL affiliate as a platform to try to relaunch his AFL career.

The delisted Essendon midfielder visited Williamstown headquarters today to finalise his playing contract for 2013 and is set to start pre-season training in January.

Prismall, 26, trained at three clubs in the lead-up to the pre-season and rookie drafts but was overlooked by the Bombers, Dogs and Port Adelaide.

Last week he signed at the Dogs as their full-time player-welfare, a role vacated by Brett Goodes after he beat Prismall to the final place on Brendan McCartney's list.

"He still sees himself as someone who can get picked up in the future, so it was important for him to come into a good environment," Seagulls football manager Chris Dixon told SuperFooty today.

"Obviously it's a good fit with the role at the Western Bulldogs. But it's funny, when we first sat down with Brent he indicated he was looking to play for Williamstown regardless of what happened.

"He's going to be a very good player at VFL level and who knows, in 12 months you'd like to think the door is still open for him, especially with more mature-age players getting picked up."

Prismall played under McCartney at Geelong and Essendon during his 61-game AFL career.

Prismall lives in the western suburbs and came through the Western Jets in the TAC Cup.

He has battled knee and hamstring injuries throughout his career and was restricted to eight AFL matches this season, but last year Essendon coach James Hird backed him to recover.

"There's a lot of football left in Brent Prismall," Hird said after Prismall's knee setback last year.

He joins delisted Collingwood ruckman Cameron Wood as bumper signings at Williamstown, with both hopeful their AFL days are not over.

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Consider yourself an AFL quizmaster?

How many votes did Essendon skipper Jobe Watson poll to win the 2012 Brownlow Medal? Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

THINK you know your footy? Take our AFL super quiz to find out just how closely you were paying attention in 2012.

QUESTIONS

1. Which team won the 2012 NAB Cup?

2. Which midfielder won the Michael Tuck Medal for best player in the final?

3. Which two clubs faced off in the first match of the season in a stand-alone fixture a week before the other teams?

4. Which Carlton player won goal of the year for a boundary-line run against Richmond in Round 1?

5. Tom Hawkins kicked a famous match-winning goal against Hawthorn after the final siren in Round 19. How many goals did Hawkins kick that night?

6. Which former Melbourne player, now at Carlton, lifted the lid on Demons' tanking claims in an interview on Fox Footy's On the Couch?

7. Which two teams played in the only draw of the 2012 season?

8. Who won the 2012 Coleman Medal?

9. After the finals two other players finished the year with more goals than the Coleman medallist. Who were they?

10. How many votes did Jobe Watson poll to win the 2012 Brownlow Medal?

11. Which two players finished tied for second four votes behind?

12. Which St Kilda veteran polled his first Brownlow votes in his 210th game, a win against Gold Coast?

13. Which two teams did Greater Western Sydney defeat in its first season?

14. How many goals did Lance Franklin kick in Hawthorn's 115-point win against North Melbourne in Hobart?

15. Which Essendon player had the ball in his hands 70m from goal when the siren sounded against Sydney, denying the Bombers a miracle comeback win?

16. Which Melbourne high-flyer won Mark of the Year for a huge grab over Sydney's Heath Grundy at the SCG?

17. Melbourne won its first game for the season in Round 10, defeating which team by six points?

18. Which club forfeited a NAB Cup match when chartered planes couldn't land in the Victorian country town Wangaratta due to bad weather?

19. Karmichael Hunt kicked a goal after the siren to defeat which team in Cairns?

20. Fellow NRL convert Israel Folau struggled for the Giants, kicking how many goals in his 13 matches?

21. Essendon scraped home with a two-point win against North Melbourne after which big Roo missed a shot after the siren from 35m?

22. Chris Judd was suspended for four matches for his "chicken wing" tackle on which North Melbourne forward?

23. Which Collingwood player kicked the winning goal - decided by video review - in the Pies' one-point win against Essendon on Anzac Day?

24. Geelong coach Chris Scott branded the fans of which club the worst in the AFL after some abused Cats doctors and concussed forward Tom Hawkins?

25. Port Adelaide's Alipate Carlisle tweeted this after Geelong full-back Matthew Scarlett punched which Fremantle pest: "Matty Scarlett just done (sic) what a lot of other footballers would love to do #brilliant''?

26. The Western Bulldogs suspended Will Minson for a week after offensive comments towards which Port Adelaide player?

27. Minson was rubbed out for a week by the match review panel for stomping on the leg of which Sydney midfielder?

28. Which St Kilda player was fined $3000 for a homophobic comment to Collingwood defender Harry O'Brien?

29. Who won the Rising Star Award?

30. Which highly-rated GWS midfielder was ineligible because of a one-match suspension for a high bump on Lion Jed Adcock?

31. Sharrod Wellingham was banned for three matches for a high bump that broke the jaw of which Carlton player?

32. Who served as Port Adelaide's caretaker coach after the sacking of Matthew Primus?

33. Who will take over from Kevin Sheedy as GWS coach at the end of this season?

34. Of the six new AFL coaches in 2012, who finished with the most wins? (not including Kevin Sheedy)

35. Who had the fewest?

36. Which Essendon forward was the first AFL player to be charged with staging?

37. James Polkinghorne kicked a 60m torpedo in the dying seconds to steal victory for which club in June?

38. How many bounces did Sydney's Lewis Jetta take on his 100m sprint to kick a stunning goal in the preliminary final against Collingwood?

39. Which Richmond player was sacked after sleeping in and missing training in July?

40. Who was named in the ruck in the All-Australian team?

41. Gary Ablett equalled the record for disposals in a game against Collingwood in Round 10. How many touches did he have?

42. Days after coach Matthew Primus was sacked, Port Adelaide's president resigned in a teary press conference. What is his name?

43. Which TV personality took over as the Power president?

44. Which Hawthorn player, who played just six matches in 2012, kicked the opening goal of the 2012 Grand Final?

45. Which Swan kicked the final goal of the game with 90 seconds on the clock?

46. What was Sydney's winning margin?

47. Which player was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for best afield?

48. Which club will Angus Monfries play for next season?

49. What job did Adrian Anderson resign from in December?

50. Which AFL coach punched a hole in the wall of the MCG coaches box in July?

 ANSWERS

1. Adelaide

2. Bernie Vince

3. Sydney and GWS

4. Chris Yarran

5. Six

6. Brock McLean

7. Richmond and Port Adelaide (Round 23)

8. Jack Riewoldt

9. Lance Franklin and Matthew Pavlich

10. 30

11. Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell

12. Jason Blake

13. Gold Coast and Port Adelaide

14. Thirteen

15. Courtenay Dempsey

16. Jeremy Howe

17. Essendon

18. Essendon

19. Richmond

20. Two

21. Hamish McIntosh

22. Leigh Adams

23. Jarryd Blair

24. West Coast

25. Hayden Ballantyne

26. Danyle Pearce

27. Kieren Jack

28. Stephen Milne

29. Daniel Talia

30. Toby Greene

31. Kade Simpson

32. Garry Hocking

33. Leon Cameron

34. Brenton Sanderson (one more than Nathan Buckley)

35. Mark Neeld (one fewer than Brendan McCartney)

36. Leroy Jetta

37. Brisbane

38. Three

39. Daniel Connors

40. Nic Naitanui

41. 53

42. Brett Duncanson

43. David Koch

44. Xavier Ellis

45. Nick Malceski

46. 10 points

47. Ryan O'Keefe

48. Port Adelaide

49. AFL football operations manager

50. Alastair Clarkson

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What a big year in footy

The best pictures of the 2012 AFL season

Sydney co-captains Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh with the premiership cup. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun

ON THE last day of 2012, relive the best, worst and weirdest moments of the year in footy - and vote for your favourites.

It was the year Greater Western Sydney joined the competition, Kurt Tippett redefined homesickness, Nick Malceski became a premiership hero and "chicken wing" entered the AFL vernacular.

In short, it's been a big year.

At the start of 2012 Brock McLean was a fringe player hoping to extend his AFL career.

By the end of it he had kicked a remarkable winning goal, got way too personal on Twitter and sparked a tanking investigation into his former club. Oh, and he did earn that new one-year contract.

Who would have seen all that coming? Then again, 12 months ago Brett Ratten was dreaming of being a premiership coach. Now he's an assistant at the club most thought would win the flag, but lost to a side many pundits didn't even think would make the top eight.

It seemed the news never stopped - can you believe it's been three months since a ball was kicked in anger (and less than that til next season begins)?

But with a brief pause to welcome the new year, let's catch our collective breath and take a look at what the hell just happened.

Here's Warwick Green's wrap-up of an AFL season that was, in a word, irresistible.

Relive the best games of the season HERE, plus our top 10 marks and the best goals of the season.

We've also ranked the best individual performances of the year just gone.

There were plenty of lowlights too - HERE are the biggest brain fades of 2012.

From the Hawks v Swans to Maric v Walker mullet-off and Mick McGuire's running war with Mick Malthouse, HERE are the biggest footy rivalries of the year.

There were plenty of shock departures from the AFL scene in 2012. Click HERE for our top 10.

Who were the best recruits of the season? Click HERE for our verdict.

And the biggest surprises of the year in footy are all HERE.

You can relive Sydney's remarkable triumph with our interactive storyboard HERE.

And after all that you should get a perfect score in our bumper 2012 footy quiz.

The SuperFooty crew wish all our readers a very happy and safe new year. We'll see you back here in 2013 for another huge year in footy. The first game of the 2013 premiership season is just 81 days away...
 

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Lake out to prove critics wrong

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson with star recruit Brian Lake. Picture: Nicole Garmston Source: Herald Sun

TWO-time All Australian defender Brian Lake says he walked out on Western Bulldogs and joined Hawthorn in a bid to prove his critics wrong.

The 30-year-old - an All Australian in 2009 and 2010 - couldn't see himself playing a big role in the future of the Bulldogs.

After enduring a horrible 2011 season which was dogged by hip, knee and shoulder problems that many thought would end his Bulldogs career, Lake managed 20 games in 2012.

He finished 10th in the club's best-and-fairest but, with youth the cornerstone of Brendan McCartney's rebuild, Lake took a risk and made the move to the Grand Finalists.

"For me, it (leaving the Bulldogs) is to prove a lot of people wrong, they had written me off saying my body was shot and my knee was horrendous," Lake told his new club's website.

"After that terrible year (in 2011), I guess your value to other sides decreases but also to get back to the football I played previous to the injury was a major factor (in leaving) as well.

"(McCartney) was keen for me to stay (after 2011) and he saw a future for me at the club," Lake said.

Western Bulldogs training. Brian Lake leaves training. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

"(But) things have changed now with the way that club is heading, with the youth and the restructure of the backline.

"I saw Hawthorn as a perfect fit, at my age now, I don't know how much time I would have had at the Bulldogs to move on and hunt down that elusive flag that everyone dreams of having."

Lake watched the thrilling 2012 Grand Final between his new club and Sydney Swans knowing that it was possible that he'd been playing for the Hawks in 2013.

"It was a little bit weird, I did focus a little bit more on Hawthorn than on Sydney and the game," he said.
 

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Rocca the mask avenger

Looking back on Port's year of pain

Former Collingwood player turned NFL punter Saverio Rocca has played his part in helping the Washington Redskins make the playoffs.

Washington Redskins punter Sav Rocca stops Dallas Cowboys' punt returner Dwayne Harris in his tracks. Source: AP

SAV Rocca would have the AFL's match review panel working overtime if he tried this touchdown-saving tackle in his former career.

Rocca today helped his Washington Redskins claim the final NFC playoff spot with a 28-18 win against the Dallas Cowboys.

With minutes to go victory was in the bag, but that didn't dim the competitive instincts of one of Aussie rules' most successful exports.

After sending a punt 43 yards late in the fourth quarter, Rocca watched as Cowboys punt returner Dwayne Harris stepped past his Redskins teammates and headed for the end zone.

Rocca brushed his opponent aside and launched himself at the charging Harris - employing a tactic he never got to try in 257 AFL games with Collingwood and North Melbourne.

Not content with simply pushing Harris out of bounds, Rocca grabbed the facemask of the Cowboy's helmet and slung him to the turf.

WATCH ROCCA'S TACKLE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

The tackle cost the Redskins a 15-yard penalty - and Rocca might face a fine on top of that - but his coaches wouldn't have been complaining.

The Aussie finished the match with four punts at an average of 25.8 yards.

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Sun shines bright for Bock

Gold Coast Suns defender Nathan Bock participates in a light pool session with his teammates. Picture: Brendan Radke Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

GOLD Coast vice-captain Nathan Bock has opened up about his year from hell, after waving 2012 away with a sense of relief.

Plenty of people welcomed in the new year with a sense of excitement last night but none more than Bock, who declared 2012 the toughest year he's had in footy.

It started with a two-week suspension stemming from a betting scandal the year before but the worst was yet to come as a broken leg and the jailing of his mother, Michelle Joy Bock, for drug trafficking, wrecked his season on and off the field.

The 29-year-old was candid about his year from hell, conceding the off-field issues with his mother took their toll.

"I'm happy to put this year in the back of the mind and concentrate on 2013,'' Bock said. "It was obviously pretty draining and it was frustrating at the start of the season to miss those two games because of the suspension.

"Then I felt like it took me a few weeks to get into form and the game I really felt the best was the one against Fremantle when I ended up breaking my leg.

"Then obviously the stuff with mum had been dragging on for a little while as well and the year was mentally quite challenging and physically very challenging.

"It was probably the toughest year I've had in footy.''

The former Crows defender is looking on the bright side though and believes his leg injury may even help extend his AFL career.

"That's one thought Bluey (Guy McKenna) has and it would be nice to play for as long as I possibly could,'' Bock said.

"I suppose you've got to look at all the positives and (the time I spent out) most of last season potentially could be put on the end of my career.

"I'll be 30 (this) year and most guys say if you can play until you are 32 or 33 then that is a great result.''

And the early signs in Bock's comeback are positive.

The veteran is a month ahead of schedule in his rehab and even began running last month.

"Initially I hadn't planned to start running until about Christmas but I've been running for about four or five weeks now,'' Bock said.

"Initially it just started with a five-minute jog on the AlterG treadmill, which takes a percentage of your body weight away when you run.

"I was building up on that for a few weeks and then just recently I had a couple of runs outside.

"But it's only been a few strides and it's still only a very slow jog.''

With his progress in mind, Bock is hopeful of joining the Suns' main training group by mid-February.

And the versatile tall still holds hope of striding out on to  Metricon Stadium in the Suns' season opener against St Kilda on March 30.

"I saw the surgeon just before Christmas and he was happy with the progress we're making,'' Bock added.

"I would like to think Round 1 is a realistic possibility but we will just have to play it by ear.

"You have a bit of a time frame to when you are back training at full intensity with injuries like an ACL.

"But this injury is a lot different and it just depends on how it feels and how it is progressing.''

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Hudson key to Pies' plan

Recruit Ben Hudson at Collingwood training. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Collingwood skipper Nick Maxwell says the Pies are close to a premiership. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

Nick Maxwell runs laps during Collingwood pre-season training at Gosch's Paddock. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD captain Nick Maxwell says Ben Hudson's recruitment emphasises the importance of fellow ruckman Darren Jolly to the club's premiership chances.

Maxwell said the off-season influx of senior players - Hudson, Quinten Lynch, Clinton Young and Jordan Russell - indicated the Pies thought they were close to a flag.

He said Hudson could be the most important recruit of the lot as support for 31-year-old Jolly.

"Obviously, Jols has been outstanding for us since he came to the club, but we've got to be careful about how we manage his loads and how much we ask him to do because he's done a lot of ruckwork, the majority of it by himself, since he's come to the club," Maxwell said.

"We've got to make sure we manage him and so Huddo is a good back-up for us and also a good guy to have teach our younger players.

"Quinten Lynch will do some ruckwork, but then guys like Jarrod Witts, who we expect big things from this year, is going to hopefully step up and keep developing.

"With him and young Brodie Grundy, we think that those guys are going to work well with Huddo in the VFL and he'll really help them to develop."

When clubs top up with experience, public opinion often suggests the club thinks it is close to fielding a premiership team. Maxwell said that was a fair assessment of the Pies.

"Absolutely, we definitely think we're close," he said.

"We finished fourth last year and we didn't play very well all year.

"We lost ... guys to long-term injuries during the year and those guys can't be replaced. Luke Ball, Brent Macaffer, Andrew Krakouer, Ben Johnson and Lachie Keeffe, all those guys are going to come in and basically be like new recruits for us."

Maxwell said he was confident Lynch, Young and Russell could make an impact.

"We wanted to bring in guys who could fulfil a need for us as a club," he said.

"Quinten can play forward and do a bit of ruckwork, but we also know he's a different player to what Trav (Cloke) is, so he's a different fellow to have down there. Clinton Young we rated very highly."

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Nowhere to hide for Woods

Looking back on Port's year of pain

Dale Thomas and Tyson Goldsack box at Gosch's Paddock. Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

IF THE handful of Collingwood players who did not make the training trip to Utah thought they could escape a fortnight of hard work, they were mistaken.

Nick Maxwell and Alan Didak stayed home for the birth of their children; Alan Toovey was recovering from a wrist injury; and Dale Thomas and Tyson Goldsack were on the way back from ankle surgery.

The quintet were joined by four players selected in the rookie draft.

"There's almost one coach to every player so there's nowhere to hide for anyone ... it's been a pretty good training block," Maxwell said.

He said it hadn't been tough to stay disciplined at training.

"If you're working amongst 40 guys it's easier to hide," the 29-year-old said.

"But the way we've been working has been good and from all the reports coming back they've been really happy with how the boys were training in Utah as well." 

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