At the Trough Rd 12
AFL – News, Reviews, Injuries and Tactics are all discussed “At the Trough”
with Schitty.
Flawed Genius. Fevolution:
Australian Rules Football breeds champions. It is the combination of strength, speed, dexterity and determination that makes these men great football players. However, it is the adoration of the football public that makes them champions. Our devotion puts them on a pedestal and from that position they can do little wrong, regardless of whether their actions deserve such reverence.
We tend to overlook their flaws and turn a blind eye to their antics, up to a point. There is no point comparing players from earlier eras due mainly to two factors. Firstly the rise of the media, and in particular social media has meant that players are under constant scrutiny. Some players go so far as to call it surveillance. With the ease of access to online media there is always a hunt for the next headline and an inebriated footballer is a pretty easy target. Secondly, football used to be an amateur association. Some were gleaning a pretty good living from playing but the majority of players had day jobs to support their families. The public attitude towards player behaviour and social responsibility is intrinsically linked to the modern professionalism of the sport. Any degradation of a player’s behaviour is soon linked back to the fact that they are well paid professionals and role models with a duty of care to behave in a socially acceptable manner. This is a valid point and for the most part the players and the clubs live by a set of standards that the majority of the public could not even comprehend, let alone adhere to regardless of what carrot was dangled in front of them. That is why these men are elite. There are always exceptions to the rules. Someone who pushes the boundaries, larrikin behaviour that can be put down to blowing off steam or degenerate trouble makers who can’t control their actions. In the modern era there has been no fall from grace more public than that of Brendan Fevola. Everyone has been pretty quick to jump on Fev and I must plead guilty to that as well. He had his chances and he kept blowing them. Why would someone with the world at his feet keep making the wrong decisions? Lets have a look back and see if we can shed some light on the Fevolution.
Fevola was drafted from Beaconsfield through the Dandenong Stingrays at pick 38 in 1998 as a 17 year old. Seen by many as supremely talented, he was one of three juniors used as subjects for a TV documentary called “the Draft”. Fev kicked 12 goals as an 18 year old in a preseason match against Collingwood sparking whispers of a dynasty and prompting Carlton to award the talented youngster the most revered number at the Blues. The number 25 of Alex Jesaulenko.
Fev struggled over the next few seasons. I remember seeing him kick 4 goals in a quarter in a Semi Final against the Lions in 2000 but apart from playing those cameo roles he had little impact and he lacked consistency. He was consistently in trouble though. Rumours of alcohol abuse were rife and there were some well publicised acts of violence including firing a fire extinguisher into a young woman’s face at a Melbourne University Campus. AFL clubs were generally pretty good at protecting their players from the spotlight so one can only imagine how many other acts were swept under the rug over the years. At the end of 2002 Wayne Brittain wanted to trade or delist Fevola but following his sacking the decision was reversed by new coach, Dennis Pagan.
From 2003-2005 Fevola continued to progress as a footballer but still never reached his potential. He did continue to be a problem drinker and was very close to being charged for assault after an incident at Crown Casino in 2004. Whether his years nursing Wayne Carey made Pagan more acclimatised to dealing with these issues and he therefore was able to minimise Fev’s exposure we’ll never know but being, for all intents and purposes, infallible was having a very damaging effect on Fevola’s mental state.
The years 2006-2009 were when the football world stood up and took notice. Fev won the Coleman medal in 2006 kicking 84 goals for the bottom placed Blues. A remarkable feat in itself and it earned him All Australian selection. While in Ireland playing for Australia in the International Rules Series Fev assaulted a Bar Tender and was sent home. Once again, Fev’s need to fill himself up coupled with a sense of invincibility that had manifested itself through years of having his juvenile behaviour ignored had landed him in hot water.
Fev kicked 99 goals in 2008 to finish second to in the Coleman Medal race. This happened on the back of him being fined $10,000 by the club and removed from the leadership group for pissing on a nightclub window. Carlton at the time said that axing Fevola was not in his best interests but the irony is that if the club had been firmer with him when he was a kid his chances of maturing into a decent human being would have been vastly improved.
Fev won the Coleman again in 2009 kicking 86 goals. He was fired from his club for repeated indiscretions that culminated with his drunken antics at the Brownlow Medal which sparked his then skipper Chris Judd to give the club a, him or me, ultimatum. Fevola was sacked by the Carlton and his history of bad behaviour, which was spiralling, was thought by many to be so detrimental as to outweigh any positives associated with him.
Fev was thrown a lifeline to Brisbane and the rest is history. He contributed little on the field due to constant injury but never looked fit from the get go. Revelations of depression and gambling addiction rocked the football world as did his separation from wife Alex. After a year with the Lions his career was in tatters.
If you listen to his contemporaries they all say Fev is a cracking bloke. He just shouldn’t drink. Depression is a disease and should never be made light of. One thing for sure though is that Fevola’s compulsions for drinking and Gambling pointed him down that path. The fact that he was sublimely talented, in my humble opinion, the best long range kick of the football in the modern era , didn’t help his cause. It enabled him to act on his compulsions to a degree we can’t fathom. If he was in a situation at a young age where he was called to account for his behaviour instead of it being swept aside he might have learnt the consequences of his actions and a champion footballer would not be lost to the game forever.
I’ll Rant and Rave!
Joel Selwood got 4 weeks for what he called an open handed shove. Granted it caused a perforated ear drum to Hawk Brent Guerra and it is quite possible that the crime fits the punishment. How the Match Review Panel came to this decision without any actual evidence is the thing that sticks in my craw. $1.25 Billion dollar TV rights and they can’t even get substantial behind the goals footage. The incident is blurred and as such I’d have thought that Selwood had a viable defense. The inconsistencies of the MRP have meant that the two biggest penalties this year have been for a legitimate tackle by Trengrove and Selwood’s knock which was charged on hearsay. Joel would have been better off elbowing Selwood in front of the umpire as he would have halved his holiday.
Hawthorn just can’t get it done against the Cats. 3 goals up at three quarter time and got run down again. Injuries had an impact but they have to be better than that. Franklin had a chance to stand up and instead went to ground playing for the free kick. It just shows the attitude at the Hawks at the minute where they would rather put the game in someone else’s hand rather than their own.
Leave Tom Scully alone. Whether he goes to GWS or not will be decided. In the meantime reporters are trying to fill column space with conspiracy theories and unfounded revelations of backroom deals. The kid is only 20 and will be faced with a decision that we can't imagine. The more the press builds it up the harder it will be on the bloke. He's already being branded a traitor in some corners. This is the modern age of football. Everyone wants free agency but can't deal with blokes changing clubs. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
In the Box. The Top 8.
We have a very interesting situation at the halfway mark of the season. The top 8 is set and barring some internal jostling from 8th to 5th there won’t be any changes come September. Let’s see how they got there.
Geelong: 11-0, 44pts, 143.3%: Thoroughly impressive so far this year Chris Scott’s boys have taken their new coach into unprecedented ground with 11 straight wins breaking an 83 year old record for first year coaches. The form of Bartel, Selwood, Kelly and Corey has filled the void left by Gary Ablett and the emergence of Menzel and Duncan has been an added bonus. J-Pod and Johnson are providing strong avenues to goal to the point where Hawkins and Mooney are playing in the VFL. The increase in long kicks has given Scarlett a new lease on life as the third up defender with Taylor and Lonergan holding down the key posts. They are still second favorites in premiership betting despite being undefeated and having beaten the other three, top four sides so far. The addition of the sub rule has helped the Cats with their more mature bodies standing up late in games, shown by their ability to win the close games.
Collingwood: 10-1, 40pts, 178.3%:The Pies are still the benchmark of the competition as show by their massive percentage. Only the one loss to Geelong so far and their wins have generally been resounding. Malthouse has had the luxury of tinkering with his lineup and sending some key players overseas for rehabilitation training. Pendlebury and Thomas have led the way in the engine room as Swan has carried an injury. Jolly and Didak have had little impact which makes their performances even more impressive. Cloke and Dawes have emerged as the premier, two tall forward combination in the comp and Krakouer has been exciting at worst and brilliant at best. Leon Davis has re-invented himself across half back and in general their defence has been solid. They’ll continue to demoralize teams for the rest of the year as their forward press makes ball progression almost impossible. Deserved favorites for the flag.
Carlton: 8-2-1, 34pts, 137.6%:Brett Ratten is getting the most out of his list and the results are there for all to see. Jamieson has been the biggest improver after a full preseason and has emerged as an elite key defender. Yarran’s run and rebound of half back has been a massive bonus and his combination with Scotland ensures sweet delivery into the forward line. Walker forward has been a revelation consistently kicking bags and enabling Betts and Garlett to ply their trade. Their midfield has been amazing with Judd and Murphy dominating the clearances. Mitch Robinson’s attack at the contest sets the tone for the rest of the side and Curnow has been a valuable inclusion when fit. Kruezer made a promising comeback and with improvement expected from Gibbs and Waite, the signs are all good at Visy Park.
Hawthorn: 8-3, 32pts, 126.9%: Hawthorn’s record is very solid considering that two of their three losses have been against the undefeated Geelong. With Gilham and Stratton going down early in the season a lot of responsibility has fallen on Gibson and Murphy who are coping well. There are still some questions on their ability to handle the big forwards though. Brichall has been good off half back and Suckling has shown that he belongs in the top flight. Sam Mitchell has been in great form at the clearances and has been well supported by Sewell and Lewis. Roughead playing as second ruckman gave the Hawks versatility but with his season ending injury that will now fall to Hale and I don’t know if the big fella has the ability to get it done. Max Bailey has looked good in patches. Franklin and Rioli continue to amaze with their freakish ability to win the ball at groung level and finiash. Buddy needs to make more of an impact in the air now with Roughead’s departure. Cruelled by injuries the Hawks will be competitive and win their share but I fear their chances of a flag are all but gone.
Sydney: 7-3-1, 30pts, 108.8%:The Swans have proven their mettle as the best of the rest so far this year. They’ve failed to compete with the sides above them but have had plenty of success when they have been expected to get the job done. Horse Longmire has been able to maintain a balanced structure throughout and it is only their lack of a genuine forward target that holds them back from the top four. Heath Grundy has shown himself to be a solid centre half back and gets the job done each week. Mattner has given them plenty of drive and has been ably supported by Kenelley. Hannebery has suffered from second year blues a bit but the form of Bolton, who is in career form, has carried the weight. Kennedy and McGlynn have been solid and O’Keefe has found some good form over the last few weeks. Sam Reid looks a good type and has plenty of upside. Mumford and Seaby make an imposing ruck duo and the X factor is Goodes, down on form but capable of dominating contests. Will finish outside the top four but have the ability to cause some headaches in Septemeber.
West Coast: 7-4, 28pts, 123.1%: The Eagles have performed against expectation this year and have got everyone talking. Glass is in All Australian form again and his link up with Hurn has been impressive. Their midfield is back to it’s best with Cox dominating and Nic Nat causing headaches. Kerr and Priddis are winning the clearances and Embley, Rosa and Shuey are providing the outside run. Their forward line is imposing with the big bodies of Kennedy, Darling and Lynch and the class of Le Cras. Nicoski in the defensive forward role has been great and has been hitting the scoreboard as well. The Subiaco advantage is often nullified by the Western teams inability to get it done on the road but the Eagles have performed well away from home this year with their only road losses coming to Collingwood, Essendon and the Hawks in Tassie. I mentioned earlier this year in “A Few Good Men” that when your experienced players are up and about it generates an enthusiasm in the younger players and the output of the group is more consistent and the performance ceiling is much higher. West Coast are the proof of that.
Fremantle:6-5, 24pts, 98.8%: Fremantle have done pretty well to get to the half way point with a winning record. They have been cruelled with injuries with as many as a dozen players being unavailable for the last 6 weeks. Sandilands was playing like the behemoth his is prior to injury and Mundy was in AA form. Pavlich has shown signs of slowing down but his best is still elite and he brings it as often as not. Nate Fyfe has been the big success story for the Dockers this year and is making his case to be considered an A grader. Though slightly built he has a ferocity at the contest that has to be seen to be believed and also plays tall as a marking target across the midfield. Rhys Palmer has had little to no impact this year and would be a concern but at the moment anyone who can walk without a frame is getting a game. Ballantyne is their barometer and the little guy gets them firing. If they can overcome injury and get to September then they’ll can be a force.
Essendon: 5-5-1, 22pts, 119.1%: The Dons started like a house on fire in the NAB cup and kept that form running into the first 8 rounds. Talk of top 4 and premiership dynasties was starting to do the rounds but the bubble seems to have burst for Hird and the Bombers. Early season injuries to Winderlich and Dempsey hurt their run. The three tall system with Hille, Ryder and Bellchambers was a weapon when they were moving the ball quickly but has become a liability in the absence of their quality ball winners. Crameri was the find of the year after 6 rounds but he too has faded. Fletcher continues to amaze with his durability and Watson has emerged as a genuine superstar of the competition. Lonergan and Hocking have been great acquisitions to the midfield but McVeigh and Welsh no longer seem to have the ability to compete for four quarters. They can still be a force in the latter half of the year but need to focus on what made them successful early on and get back to that.
Who are we in the Red, White and Blue…
The Doggies enjoyed the general bye for the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
The Girral West Wyalong victory song as sung joyously throughout the 90’s
Are we good?
Are we good?
Are we any bloody good?
Are the Doggies any good?
From back to forward line,
Our system is divine,
For football we’re renowned.
We’re wearing the colours of Red, White and Blue,
To the finals we’ll go marching on,
Hey, Hey, Hey.
Hi – Five:
5: James Podsiadly. Almost single handedly put the Hawks to the sword on Saturday night. 6 first half goals and 6 contested marks showed up the Hawks lack of a genuine key defender. Faded out in the second half but the damage was done.
4: Luke Power. Although his side was on the wrong end of a flogging Power turned back the clock and reminded us all how good he is. 25 disposals, 12 contested at 80 percent efficiency. A Round high 12 tackles to go with 6 clearances.
3: Daniel Wells. What a player he is now that he can be relied upon on a weekly basis. 33 possessions at 90 percent efficiency highlights the skill. 13 contested possessions, 8 tackles and six clearances shows how much he works.
2: Kerr, Cox and Nic Nat. It was scary to see how good the Eagles have become at the stoppages. Kerr is explosive and the big guys are putting it on a plate for him. Clearance football at its purest, a joy to watch.
1: Matthew Boyd. The Bulldogs captain played the game of the round in a well beaten side. 39 touches, 20 of them contested.8 tackles, 6 clearances and a goal. It’s plain to see that the Dog’s woes can’t be laid at the feet of the skipper.
