A role of honour for Carlile

Role model: Alipate Carlile with students from Adelaide Secondary School of English (clockwise from front left) Daniel, 15, Mayleezoeh, 16, Swedi, 16, Nyaduathtor, 18, Ndagu, 16, and Dange, 18. Source: The Advertiser

PORT Adelaide defender Alipate Carlile is now a bona fide, certified role model.

And the responsibility that comes from being named as the AFL's new (and only) SA-based multicultural ambassador may be part of triggering a significant change in how the 25-year-old key defender is perceived in the big league.

Carlile is giving up his own time to serve the AFL's multicultural campaign. That is a sign of a man who has come to understand what commitment really means.

Carlile is taking on leadership of young AFL and SANFL-based footballers wanting to give back to the community.

This bodes well for a Power defence stripped of its senior players and needing a return for the 111 AFL games invested in Carlile since 2006.

How all this off-field maturity reflects on the field this AFL premiership season is the biggest challenge before Carlile.

The bottom line for Carlile is that the criticism of how his talent appears to have been wasted recently has gained significant merit.

"It's warranted," says Carlile, who had the penny drop well before new coach Ken Hinkley delivered some cutting assessments.

"I sat down with a few of the boys before the end of last season and there were a few home truths told then. I had to change - and by hard work.

"I take full responsibility for the past three years and some of my efforts in the past. But if we, as a football club, are going to win back respect, that has to change."

Carlile has shed 3kg during the pre-season and looks much leaner.

"It's helped me run,"  Carlile said.

The Fijian-heritage defender - who has taken fellow Fijian David Rodan's role as an AFL multicultural ambassador - runs eagerly rather than with a laconic look on the critical changes in thinking from Hinkley.

"Ken's changed our thinking,"  Carlile said.

"It's no longer about getting through a training session. It's about improving with every session. Ken had a few cracks at me. They were warranted."

As Carlile spends time in schoolyards, the Power defender needs to minimise reasons for being ribbed - as he was in the outer of Port games last season.

"Seeing how the kids are so excited when a footballer comes to their school has opened my eyes on the respect they have for AFL players,"  Carlile said.

"It tells me how important it is to be a role model.

"This multicultural campaign is important too. Multiculturalism is something I feel passionate about, so giving up a day a week for this program doesn't feel like an obligation for me."

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Players need to pressure AFL: Bucks

Port Adelaide's Kane Cornes tries to cool down at AAMI Stadium last Sunday. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: The Advertiser

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley believes the AFL Players Association must pressure the league in coming days to make sure players are not exposed to undue duress in extreme heat during the NAB Cup.

Buckley suggested the AFL needed to be wary of putting its pre-season rules experiments, in particular "gathering information about the 3 and 1 interchange rotation", ahead of the players' welfare.

His comments came after Adelaide, Port Adelaide and St Kilda sweltered through 38-degree heat at AAMI Stadium on Sunday afternoon, prompting Saints coach Scott Watters to call for "a close look at the heat policy".

Speaking at Healesville Sanctuary on Monday, as part of Collingwood's community camp in the region, Buckley said tweaking the policy "is probably something that the AFLPA will look at strongly over the next couple of days in particular".

"If we're playing in 35-plus-degree conditions, there's a duty of care to the playing group to make sure that we shuffle things a little bit to make sure players aren't under undue duress," Buckley said.

Clubs must trim their squads to 22 for the rest of the pre-season as the AFL's trial of a cap on interchange rotations takes effect.

They can make just 80 interchange rotations, 20 per quarter, under the experimental rule.

Buckley queried the relevance of taking statistics about interchange rotations during the extreme heat of the pre-season anyway.

"Moving the time of games is a consideration but I can understand the broadcasting relationship," he said.

"Adding players to the interchange bench, sometimes you need to say as much as we'd like to get this information, the conditions don't allow us to do that."

The AFL has scope to shorten quarters and extend breaks under its extreme heat policy.

Buckley said he was "sure the AFL and AFLPA will come to some arrangement and I'd be surprised if we didn't see some movement to support the welfare of players... In the end the thing that the AFL and the PA need to be commended for is that they have had the players' welfare at heart, and I think common sense will prevail."

Collingwood's next NAB Cup match against the Eagles is scheduled for 4.40pm in Perth on Sunday March 3.

He said the Magpies' two wins to begin their NAB Cup campaign on Friday night were "quite encouraging", and was unperturbed about the two-week break until the next match.

"We'll have a solid training session on Wednesday and probably some match simulation on Friday," he said.
Buckley believes the Magpies are well advanced in their preparations to this time 12 months ago.

"Clearly we believe the decisions we made on the trade table in our recruiting have us better placed," he said.

"We believe that we're in a position to contend for premierships right now and a lot of our decisions came with that in mind.

"We feel we're stronger and we feel we're deeper."

He said the club was relatively well placed on the injury front, with Dale Thomas (ankle), Alex Fasolo (foot), Tyson Goldsack and Luke Ball (knee) a chance to be back to full fitness by Round 1.

He expected tall backman Lachy Keeffe to return from a knee reconstruction a couple of months into the season.

Apart from the community camp in the Yarra Ranges, Buckley has just spent a few days in Mansfield with a dozen youngsters as part of the club's first-year players camp, which incorporated golf and hiking.
 

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Essendon 2013 SuperCoach preview

Jobe Watson is a SuperCoach star. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

WHICH Essendon players should you pick in your SuperCoach team this year and who should you avoid?

ONLY got 15 seconds to spare?

OK, let me be quick and frank.

Pick Jobe Watson - maybe even make him captain - slot Brendon Goddard in to your backline, consider Joe Daniher as a cheap pick up and then tread very warily when it comes to the rest.

Which Bomber players will be in your SuperCoach team? Leave a comment below.

(Can all non-Essendon fans and non-SuperCoach fanatics please vacate the room now?)

Shall I explain in more detail?

Watson is a gun. I'm not telling you anything you don't know, but this guy is as dependable on the field as he is off it.

He's a guy that every bloke wants to have a beer with, a guy that every parent wants their daughter to bring home for dinner and a player that you can trust when things get tight in the SuperCoach arena.

SuperCoach is back! Free to play & you could win $50,000

SUPERCOACH STAR

Jobe Watson (midfield) $647,200

How can you go past a Brownlow Medallist?

Watson carried Essendon on his shoulders right throughout 2012 and the pleasing thing for SuperCoaches is he performs consistently well regardless of whether his team is winning.

Take this in to consideration. When the Bombers were flying to an 8-1 start to last year Watson was averaging 120.78 points per game. After Round 9, when the Bombers won only three more games Watson averaged 121.08.

The skipper's lowest score for the year was 73 and he dipped below 100 just four times.

Considering Brendon Goddard has arrived to take further pressure off in the midfield, Watson is a SuperCoach star you can take to the bank - and why not make him captain while you're at it?

BANK EM

Brendon Goddard (defender/midfield) $541,500

Notwithstanding the fact that last year wasn't his greatest in terms of scoring output, Goddard should be one of the first players picked in every serious SuperCoach player's team.

Forget for a minute that he averaged 130 in 2010 - because no one should expect the 27-year-old to scale to such heights again - Goddard has averaged over 101 per season every year since 2008.

At St Kilda last year he was made to plug too many holes and it was clear that his frustrations were getting the better of him at times.

At Essendon this year expect him to play a more prevalent role in the midfield, a perfect scenario given that opposition taggers will have to also play close attention to the likes of Jobe Watson, Brent Stanton, David Zaharakis and co.

With a strong set of key position players at either end of the ground, Goddard should also be free to play freely across half back and half forward throughout the season, a dream scenario for SuperCoaches looking for someone to pick up points consistently.

Brendon Goddard is SuperCoach gold. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Dyson Heppell (defender/midfield) $450,000

Heppell proved in 2012 that his debut season the year before was no fluke.

The kid with the shaggy mop of hair stormed on to the scene in 2011, winning the NAB Rising Star award, playing every game, picking up 21.4 possessions a game and averaging 83 SuperCoach points.

Second year blues? Not for this guy, he picked up where he left off playing 20 games, averaging 21.5 possessions and 84 SuperCoach points a game.

This points to a man that is consistent by name and nature.

And with aspirations to push up in to the midfield more often this year, Heppell is one Bombers fans might like to earmark for a role in their SuperCoach team.

SuperCoach form guide - who were the standouts from the weekend's NAB Cup action

BUY EM

Joe Daniher (forward) $154,500

Never one to put too much faith in key position players, I am willing to make an exception for Daniher.

Had he not been a father-son selection, the 201cm mammoth forward would have most definitely gone in the top three picks of last year's draft.

Key position prospects always take time to develop, but over the summer coach James Hird was forced to admit that the son of Anthony will probably play more 2013 games than anyone at the club expected given his training track form.

At $154,500, if you take a punt then you could be richly rewarded, if things don't work out then you haven't lost much anyway.

Joe Daniher after being assured he will be drafted to Essendon under the father son rule with his happy dad Anthony Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

BURY EM

Courtenay Dempsey (defender) $418,400

Dempsey, in his return season from a knee reconstruction, turned in to one of SuperCoach's most frustrating players last year.

At a bargain-basement price, Dempsey started the season like a house on fire and caused many a coach to jump on board before his price went through the roof.

The weight of the Dempsey bandwagon must have got to the running defender though, because he missed rounds four and five with a hamstring injury and was never quite the same again.

This year, back at his deserved price of $418k, it's fair to say there are better options out there.

Scott Gumbleton (forward) $306,800

Everybody loves the story of the downtrodden (insert occupation here) coming good and to that end no one would ever begrudge Gumbleton breaking the injury shackles and putting together a season worthy of his talent.

If you believe the talk, the Western Australian is over the worst of his back troubles and he showed glimpses of what he is capable of when, playing six of the last eight games of last season, he led the club for goals kicked in that time.

But if you're looking for a unique pick or two and think you might be on to something in selecting this 24-year-old then think again. With someone like Gumbleton, he has to prove he can last a whole season before you go about picking him in your team. It's a trust thing.

Scott Gumbleton marks in front of Ryan Schoenmakers last year. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

SUPERCOACH DRAFT WATCHLIST

David Zaharakis (midfield) $472,900

Big wrap for Zaharakis and normally he would slot straight in to the 'BANK EM' or 'BUY EM' category, but the fact he had a pre-season setback with the quad that kept him out for so long last season is slightly disconcerting. Keep an eye on him during the NAB Cup _ if he plays _ and make a judgement call for yourself.

Tom Bellchambers (ruck) $459,100

Ruck stocks get awfully thin in the SuperCoach draft game, particularly if you need to select two per team. Bellchambers isn't a bad one to look at considering he seems to have gone past David Hille in the pecking order - so should play each week - and looks a lively target when resting up forward as he showed in his first two NAB Cup games.

Tom Bellchambers against Collingwood on Friday night. Source: Getty Images

Dylan Van Unen (defender) $109,500

Don't know a hell of a lot about the 22-year-old drafted with pick No.51 last year, but the training whispers about him are strong. The law of the land in the last few years suggests at least a couple of mature-aged draftees burst on to the scene in a big way throughout their first season, Van Unen could be one of this year's installments.

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Tigers in no hurry to fill vacancy

Geelong football manager Neil Balme has been linked to the vacant job at Richmond. Picture: Michael Dodge Source: Herald Sun

RICHMOND is likely to start the season without a football manager.

The Tigers have started their search, but are in no rush to appoint a replacement for Craig Cameron, who resigned this month to join the racing industry.

Respected Geelong football manager Neil Balme has been linked to the role.

Balme, a dual Richmond premiership player, refused to dismiss the rumours yesterday.

Asked if he could end speculation, Balme said: "You can say what you like."

It is known Richmond opposition analyst Wayne Campbell, who played 297 games for the Tigers, is a contender and has held talks with club chiefs about the job.

The Tigers are confident Cameron's shock departure - on the eve of the AFL season - will not have an impact on what shapes as a huge year for the club.

Richmond is considered a legitimate chance to play finals for the first time since 2001, when it lost a preliminary final to eventual premiers Brisbane Lions.

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Drugs, sex in footy film

North Melbourne great Glenn Archer says the movie delivers a strong and important message. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: Herald Sun

Actor Jack Thompson in his memorable role in the 1980 film "The Club". Source: Herald Sun

TONIGHT'S premiere of the first film on Aussie rules since The Club in 1980 will broach controversial subjects such as illicit drug use and under-age sex.

Blinder, starring Jack Thompson, was shot around Torquay.

Former North Melbourne footballers Glenn Archer and Sam Kekovich, along with ex-Carlton rover Adrian Gleeson, are executive producers.

Archer said there was a minimal amount of drug use that results in a sexual indiscretion between a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old footballer.

"There is an important story in the end to say if you take drugs, s--- can happen," Archer said.

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Ink the link for Garlett

Carlton forward Jeff Garlett wants to spend time in the midfield. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

THERE is a new man in Jeff Garlett's life, someone who has fast-tracked his maturity after an indifferent 2012.

Garlett, 23, admits the addition to his circle of trust has "changed my life and there are times when I just can't find the right words to say how I feel about him".

So he ordered a tattoo on his inner left forearm to honour his inspiration.

And it doesn't read "Malthouse" after a coach Garlett said had already changed Carlton.

For Garlett it is all about his one-year-old son Nason, who has just mastered "dad-da".

"He means everything to me and I love him so much. He has helped me grow up because now I'm responsible for him as well," Garlett said.

"I had some injury problems and stuff last year, but now I'm ready to go and we have moved on as a club. We are very happy and very healthy right how and there is heaps of talent at Carlton."

Ready to go under Mick Malthouse, someone Garlett knows is a supporter of indigenous talent.

"Most Aboriginal boys are shy so it's good to know the coach is there for you no matter who or what you are. Otherwise you can go into your shell," he said.

"We all know exactly what he wants to get out of us."

Garlett retreated into his shell last year (29 goals) after 48 goals in 2011.

He knows the percentages are reduced when playing as a small forward. He has already discussed with Malthouse the chance to play in the midfield.

"He did say that I would be in the midfield a bit more to help give our mids a rest and get a bit of extra run," Garlett said.

"Any opportunities I get to go in centre bounces I will take because it sort of takes a bit of pressure off - you can push back to help the backmen."

Assistant coach John Barker said Garlett would succeed if he could be consistent in training.

"He is searching for that consistency, on the track, in the gym, in his prep work," Barker said.

"The talent is there, no doubt about that.

"We think he can be electric around the ground, with his speed combined with a reasonable tank.

"He can get up and get out the back of opposition defences when they squeeze too hard.

"That type of speed is hard to counter because opposition defences are so keen to get up and control you in their half."

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Full whack for Bailey over Demons tanking

Heavy penalty: Dean Bailey (above) and Chris Connolly will each be barred from working in the AFL for several months. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Melbourne coach Dean Bailey and his football lieutenant Chris Connolly will be forced to serve the full term of bans for tanking.

The Herald Sun last night confirmed the AFL had rejected a bid to have part of their sentences suspended.

Bailey and Connolly will each be barred from working in the AFL for several months. The pair will become the face of tanking with Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab appearing to have escaped sanction in the seven-month probe.

The AFL Commission considered a report on the investigation into Melbourne's 2009 season at a meeting yesterday. Melbourne will be fined about $500,000 - but has been spared the loss of draft picks or premiership points.

Despite Melbourne's protests, it is believed the AFL have found the Demons were guilty of deliberately manipulating results.

Bailey, who is an assistant coach at Adelaide, has refused to comment since the investigation began.

He was sacked midway through 2011 and said at his final press conference: "I was asked to do the best thing by the Melbourne Football Club and I did it. I put players in different positions."

Bailey did not explain who asked him.

The AFL tanking investigation, led by chief integrity officer Brett Clothier, involved dozens of interviews with past and present Demons officials.

At the centre of the investigation was Melbourne's selection and game-day strategy during the contentious 2009 season.

Club insiders have claimed Bailey was under fierce internal pressure to lose games.

It was also alleged several club figures held a secret meeting in 2009 to plot their tanking strategy.

Connolly became a central figure after it was reported he reminded football officials about the importance of losing matches to improve the club's draft position.

He no longer works in Melbourne's football department but is employed by the club in marketing.

Matches scrutinised by the AFL included Melbourne's Round 17 loss to Sydney at Manuka Oval and the after-the-siren Round 18 loss to Richmond.

The tanking probe was triggered in July when Carlton midfielder and former Demon Brock McLean revealed on Fox Footy's On the Couch that a major reason for leaving Melbourne was its strategy of deliberately losing games.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has warned any person guilty of manipulating a result would "never work in football again".

There was no decision last night on a proposal to install integrity officers at every AFL club.

The commission was last night told new equalisation proposals were still being considered by clubs, several of which have criticised the so-called "rich tax".

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Ray of hope for Dons

Playing on: After accounting for the Bulldogs on Friday, the Bombers will again be looking to take their minds off the drugs inquiry when they face Richmond on Saturday week. Picture: Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON players could be cleared of sanctions for any violation of the World Anti-Doping Agency code by proving they were not aware they were taking illegal substances.

The club believes its players did not take any non-WADA approved substances, but they could have unwittingly been given illegal peptides by sports scientist Stephen Dank.

The WADA code and the AFL's Anti-Doping Code both have a section on "exceptional circumstances".

Legal experts believe the case of Ukrainian rower Olena Olefirenko in 2004 could be relevant to the Essendon players.

Olefirenko tested positive to the stimulant ethamivan at the Athens Olympics, but was able to prove her team doctor administered it without her knowing it was on the banned list.

She lost her bronze medal, but was not banned from future Olympics.

WADA's rule 10.5.1 discusses the principle of "No Fault or Negligence", and is based on athletes proving beyond doubt they did not know what they were being given by sports scientists or doctors.

If an athlete can prove "in an individual case that he or she bears no fault or negligence, the otherwise applicable period of ineligibility shall be eliminated".

In other words, any future ban can be wiped or dramatically reduced.

While a potential mitigating factor, WADA warns the law is meant to have an impact "only in cases where the circumstances are truly exceptional and not in the vast majority of cases".

Sportspeople can have sanctions reduced rather than wiped completely, although WADA warns that "athletes are responsible for their choice of medical personnel and for advising medical personnel that they cannot be given prohibited substances".

Essendon players were given a log of substances they took under Dank, with players signing consent forms.

The Bombers are also facing an AFL-ASADA investigation for the manner in which substances were administered, with intravenous infusions banned in almost all circumstances under the AFL Anti-Doping Code.

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Cover-up claim hits the Lions

Lions coach Michael Voss says there is no chance drug taking could have happened at the club in the years of his captaincy without his knowledge. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

Brisbane Lions players with 2002 premiership cup. Picture: Jody Darcy Source: Herald Sun

EXPLOSIVE allegations have emerged that the reason for a Brisbane Lions player's absence from some games last decade was falsified to cover-up an illicit drug issue.

A former Lions staffer told The Courier-Mail a player missed specific matches in this period because of the illicit drugs issue.

It is just one of several allegations to emerge that have prompted the AFL to open an investigation into behaviours at the club between 2002 and 2009.

The AFL confirmed yesterday the league's integrity unit would investigate.

It follows claims by Jason McGrath, the cousin of premiership player Ash McGrath, that he was involved in match-fixing, illegal gambling and was a drug supplier to six Lions players from that period who were regular users of speed, ecstacy and marijuana.

The Courier-Mail revealed these claims yesterday and was then contacted by a former staffer who worked at the Lions for several years.

The ex-staffer said he could confirm many of Jason McGrath's allegations surrounding drug use.

Another former employee also made the revelation that while at the Lions he was told the reason for a player's absence from the side was a fabrication to cover up an issue with illicit drugs.

Last week AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed players in the AFL have been repeatedly forced to miss matches because of serious breaches of the league's illicit drug policy.

The Lions reacted angrily to the decision by The Courier-Mail to publish Jason McGrath's allegations.

"These claims from a 'self-confessed drug dealer' are completely unsubstantiated and do not deserve publicity," the Lions said in a statement.

"We have no reason to believe the word of a 'self-confessed drug dealer', but if anyone, including The Courier-Mail, has any evidence with regards to this, or any other matter, it should be referred to either the AFL integrity unit or the Queensland Police.''

AFL corporate affairs manager James Tonkin said the league had opened a probe into events at the club between 2002-09.

"We don't comment on unsubstantated claims, but the matter has been referred to the integrity unit,'' Tonkin said.

The AFL confirmed the League's integrity officer Brett Clothier will also investigate a 2003 game involving the Lions with regards to match-fixing claims.

The Lions received an irate phone call from the AFL in 2003 following the game.

The AFL's Integrity Unit was not established until 2008.

Lions chief executive Malcolm Holmes declined to return calls from The Courier-Mail  yesterday requesting further comment.

The Courier-Mail has alerted the AFL to the latest allegations, but have protected the identity of our sources.

It can be revealed that one person has made himself available for a confidential interview with the AFL's integrity unit and another is considering his position.

Other sources declined.

Last week, The Courier-Mail contacted several former players and staff in an attempt to interview about Jason McGrath's claims.

None of the sources had proof of any drug-taking, but each claimed they were aware of drug use by some or all of the players from the 2002-09 period mentioned by Jason McGrath.

Former Lions chairman Graeme Downie said he was unconcerned about the allegations.

"I never heard questions about any matches and I never heard any rumours of drugs during my time,'' Downie said.

Lions coach Michael Voss last night told Channel 7 there was no chance drug taking could have happened at the club in the years of his captaincy without his knowledge.

Voss captained Brisbane in each of their three premiership years in 2001-03 and until his retirement in 2006.

"You would know, when you are amongst the players, you would know,'' Voss said.

"If there is evidence to suggest that we would encourage you to go to the AFL integrity office or Queensland police.''

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