Collingwood
Geelong
St Kilda
Hawthorn
Western Bulldogs
Fremantle
Sydney
North Melbourne
_________________
Adelaide
Carlton
Melbourne
Brisbane Lions
Richmond
Port Adelaide
West Coast
Essendon
Wooden Spoon: Essendon
Minor premiership:Collingwood
Premiership:St Kilda
We talk about Sport and Stadiums from around the world
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Nrl Predictions
Dragons
Tigers
Panthers
Broncos
Sea Eagles
Roosters
Rabbitohs
Eels
_______________
Warriors
Titans
Bulldogs
Raiders
Knights
Sharks
Cowboys
Storm
Wooden Spoon: Melbourne Storm
Minor premiership:St George illawarra dragons
Premiership:St George Illawarra Dragons
Tigers
Panthers
Broncos
Sea Eagles
Roosters
Rabbitohs
Eels
_______________
Warriors
Titans
Bulldogs
Raiders
Knights
Sharks
Cowboys
Storm
Wooden Spoon: Melbourne Storm
Minor premiership:St George illawarra dragons
Premiership:St George Illawarra Dragons
Thursday, July 22, 2010
'We are the suns of the Gold Coast sky'
Gold Coast's home, away and clash strips, along with the club song, were also revealed ahead of the new franchise's 2011 entry into the AFL.
Chief executive Travis Auld said settling on the nickname was not a tough decision in the end.
"When the name Suns came up it was just so damn obvious," he said.
"It's a fantastic name for our new football club.
"It represent all our values - relentless, dependable, community, bold and fresh - and it has a sense of the great elements of the Gold Coast.
"The sun is why people come here."
Auld said Stingrays and Sharks were other options discussed, but ruled out for various commercial reasons.
"If you call yourself the Sharks you can't have a clothing range in Australia, because Greg Norman owns the rights to do it," Auld said.
"More than 100 names came to our attention over the past year or so, but we thought Suns was clearly the one to go for."
Gold Coast's home strip is similar to that being worn in the VFL this season. Predominantly red, the guernsey has had yellow panels added down the sides.
Boom recruit Karmichael Hunt, who crossed from a successful rugby league career to join the club, was glowing of the design.
"It's all come out well for me," he said. "I think it looks sensational."
The away strip is also red and yellow, but features a wave arching up across the chest. The shorts are white.
"We want to take a bit of the Gold Coast away with us each time we travel," Auld said.
"And the kids seem to love that one."
However, Gold Coast's clash strip is largely white with blue trim and a blue wave. It will be worn in away matches against Adelaide, the Brisbane Lions, Essendon and Melbourne.
The club song is based on a submission from the GC17 bid process almost two years ago.
A Victorian by the name of Ross Arundale wrote the original lyrics and even recorded a demo version.
Since then the players and staff have had their input, as has noted musician and footy fan Greg Champion.
In the final product, the tune composed by Arundale remains largely intact but the words have changed.
Auld said the players were encouraged to contribute to the lyrics.
"We said to [them], 'Help us come up with something that’s a real footy song'," he said.
"They all sat in a room, putting the words on the whiteboard and singing the different versions until they found one they liked.
"We think it’s a beauty."
Gold Coast's club song
We are the suns of the Gold Coast sky
We are the one in the red, gold and blue
We are the mighty Gold Coast Suns
We play to win the flag for you
Fight! Fight! Fight! Till we hold up the cup
Run, run, run all the way
We are the suns of the Gold Coast sky
We’re the team who never say die!
Chief executive Travis Auld said settling on the nickname was not a tough decision in the end.
"When the name Suns came up it was just so damn obvious," he said.
"It's a fantastic name for our new football club.
"It represent all our values - relentless, dependable, community, bold and fresh - and it has a sense of the great elements of the Gold Coast.
"The sun is why people come here."
Auld said Stingrays and Sharks were other options discussed, but ruled out for various commercial reasons.
"If you call yourself the Sharks you can't have a clothing range in Australia, because Greg Norman owns the rights to do it," Auld said.
"More than 100 names came to our attention over the past year or so, but we thought Suns was clearly the one to go for."
Gold Coast's home strip is similar to that being worn in the VFL this season. Predominantly red, the guernsey has had yellow panels added down the sides.
Boom recruit Karmichael Hunt, who crossed from a successful rugby league career to join the club, was glowing of the design.
"It's all come out well for me," he said. "I think it looks sensational."
The away strip is also red and yellow, but features a wave arching up across the chest. The shorts are white.
"We want to take a bit of the Gold Coast away with us each time we travel," Auld said.
"And the kids seem to love that one."
However, Gold Coast's clash strip is largely white with blue trim and a blue wave. It will be worn in away matches against Adelaide, the Brisbane Lions, Essendon and Melbourne.
The club song is based on a submission from the GC17 bid process almost two years ago.
A Victorian by the name of Ross Arundale wrote the original lyrics and even recorded a demo version.
Since then the players and staff have had their input, as has noted musician and footy fan Greg Champion.
In the final product, the tune composed by Arundale remains largely intact but the words have changed.
Auld said the players were encouraged to contribute to the lyrics.
"We said to [them], 'Help us come up with something that’s a real footy song'," he said.
"They all sat in a room, putting the words on the whiteboard and singing the different versions until they found one they liked.
"We think it’s a beauty."
Gold Coast's club song
We are the suns of the Gold Coast sky
We are the one in the red, gold and blue
We are the mighty Gold Coast Suns
We play to win the flag for you
Fight! Fight! Fight! Till we hold up the cup
Run, run, run all the way
We are the suns of the Gold Coast sky
We’re the team who never say die!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Dog days over for Aker
THE WESTERN Bulldogs have sacked veteran forward Jason Akermanis.
Club president David Smorgon confirmed at a media conference on Wednesday afternoon that Akermanis' contract had been terminated, largely because of breaches of confidentiality.
Flanked by senior coach Rodney Eade and football operations manager James Fantasia, Smorgon said the decision was unanimous and had been made in the best interests of the club.
He also said that Akermanis had been given the option to retire, but declined.
"Jason has been a very good player for our club ... but recent events have made the relationship between Jason and the Western Bulldogs untenable," Smorgon said.
"We recognise when we recruited Jason that he was a unique individual with talent. Outside of his performances and his significant on-field endeavours for the club, Jason's profile provided our club with a presence in the media that undoubtedly has been beneficial for the Western Bulldogs.
"However, it's also the case that over the last 18 months, Jason has been involved in a number of incidents in which matters confidential to the inner sanctum of our football department and players have been the subject of inappropriate disclosure on their behalf outside the club."
Smorgon said that as the Bulldogs neared the finals, they could not accept behaviour that may prove a distraction.
"It's team above all else ... it doesn't matter whether you're the best player or No.42 on the list or an official or management, we won't tolerate standards that are not in keeping with our standards and core values," he said.
Akermanis has not played at AFL level since round 10, when he was suspended by the club for two weeks for his newspaper column on homosexual footballers.
However, his commitment to Melbourne radio station MTR had landed him in more hot water with high-profile football personality Sam Newman recently revealing Akermanis' involvement in a meeting with teammates.
Despite recovering from a hamstring injury to spend the last three weeks with VFL affiliate Williamstown, Akermanis had struggled to force his way back into the senior side.
Eade said at his media conference earlier on Wednesday afternoon that the 33-year-old's VFL form had been reasonable and that he was in the mix for Sunday's match against Fremantle.
However, he will not add to his 77 games with the club, which he joined at the end of 2006 after 248 games and 307 goals for the Brisbane Lions.
The 2001 Brownlow Medallist, he played in each of the Lions' three premiership sides and formed a lethal combination with midfielders Michael Voss, Simon Black and Nigel Lappin.
But he left the Lions in acrimonious circumstances, having lost the trust of his teammates and then-senior coach Leigh Matthews through his outspoken comments.
Akermanis' predicament at Whitten Oval was similar, with club officials and teammates asking him to "reassess his priorities to the group" when he was demoted last month.
He stepped away from his column and radio obligations for three weeks, and said at the time that he had not considered retiring over the incident.
"At the end of the day, I want to play in this team so I'll do what it takes to play in that team and make sure that all parties, the club, the playing group and myself, are all on the same page, heading in the same direction and trying to win games of football," he said.
After deliberating over a decision on his future, Akermanis signed a one-year deal with the Bulldogs in November last year.
It was confirmed that he had agreed to a reduced salary, instead motivated by the club's on-field prospects after successive preliminary finals appearances.
The Bulldogs will pay out the remainder of his contract.
Club president David Smorgon confirmed at a media conference on Wednesday afternoon that Akermanis' contract had been terminated, largely because of breaches of confidentiality.
Flanked by senior coach Rodney Eade and football operations manager James Fantasia, Smorgon said the decision was unanimous and had been made in the best interests of the club.
He also said that Akermanis had been given the option to retire, but declined.
"Jason has been a very good player for our club ... but recent events have made the relationship between Jason and the Western Bulldogs untenable," Smorgon said.
"We recognise when we recruited Jason that he was a unique individual with talent. Outside of his performances and his significant on-field endeavours for the club, Jason's profile provided our club with a presence in the media that undoubtedly has been beneficial for the Western Bulldogs.
"However, it's also the case that over the last 18 months, Jason has been involved in a number of incidents in which matters confidential to the inner sanctum of our football department and players have been the subject of inappropriate disclosure on their behalf outside the club."
Smorgon said that as the Bulldogs neared the finals, they could not accept behaviour that may prove a distraction.
"It's team above all else ... it doesn't matter whether you're the best player or No.42 on the list or an official or management, we won't tolerate standards that are not in keeping with our standards and core values," he said.
Akermanis has not played at AFL level since round 10, when he was suspended by the club for two weeks for his newspaper column on homosexual footballers.
However, his commitment to Melbourne radio station MTR had landed him in more hot water with high-profile football personality Sam Newman recently revealing Akermanis' involvement in a meeting with teammates.
Despite recovering from a hamstring injury to spend the last three weeks with VFL affiliate Williamstown, Akermanis had struggled to force his way back into the senior side.
Eade said at his media conference earlier on Wednesday afternoon that the 33-year-old's VFL form had been reasonable and that he was in the mix for Sunday's match against Fremantle.
However, he will not add to his 77 games with the club, which he joined at the end of 2006 after 248 games and 307 goals for the Brisbane Lions.
The 2001 Brownlow Medallist, he played in each of the Lions' three premiership sides and formed a lethal combination with midfielders Michael Voss, Simon Black and Nigel Lappin.
But he left the Lions in acrimonious circumstances, having lost the trust of his teammates and then-senior coach Leigh Matthews through his outspoken comments.
Akermanis' predicament at Whitten Oval was similar, with club officials and teammates asking him to "reassess his priorities to the group" when he was demoted last month.
He stepped away from his column and radio obligations for three weeks, and said at the time that he had not considered retiring over the incident.
"At the end of the day, I want to play in this team so I'll do what it takes to play in that team and make sure that all parties, the club, the playing group and myself, are all on the same page, heading in the same direction and trying to win games of football," he said.
After deliberating over a decision on his future, Akermanis signed a one-year deal with the Bulldogs in November last year.
It was confirmed that he had agreed to a reduced salary, instead motivated by the club's on-field prospects after successive preliminary finals appearances.
The Bulldogs will pay out the remainder of his contract.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Stuart quits Sharks
Ricky Stuart has reportedly quit his post as Cronulla Sharks NRL coach, seven weeks before he had planned to exit at season's end.
Stuart's exit leaves the struggling Sharks in the hands of Shane Flanagan, who had been likely to take over the head coaching reins for 2011.
"I just feel I can't get that extra bit out of them at the moment," Stuart told News Ltd.
"Talking to the players at halftime and after the game, I could probably sense with them that this was the only decision."
"It's in the best interests of the players, as well as me, to move on and allow Flanno [Flanagan] to move in.
"I wish the club every success going forward.
"They are a lot better team than what they have displayed in the last two weeks and Shane now has the opportunity to gain a bit of pride over the next seven games."
Saturday night's heavy loss to Manly was the final straw for Stuart, who has not been able to lift the Sharks to any great heights during his tenure.
"I've bashed myself up over most losses, but I was embarrassed on Saturday night," Stuart said.
"I wasn't feeling well after the game - it was a really, really poor effort."
Stuart handed in his resignation to the Sharks' chairman Damian Irvine late on Monday afternoon, and an official announcement is expected to follow on Tuesday.
Stuart's exit leaves the struggling Sharks in the hands of Shane Flanagan, who had been likely to take over the head coaching reins for 2011.
"I just feel I can't get that extra bit out of them at the moment," Stuart told News Ltd.
"Talking to the players at halftime and after the game, I could probably sense with them that this was the only decision."
"It's in the best interests of the players, as well as me, to move on and allow Flanno [Flanagan] to move in.
"I wish the club every success going forward.
"They are a lot better team than what they have displayed in the last two weeks and Shane now has the opportunity to gain a bit of pride over the next seven games."
Saturday night's heavy loss to Manly was the final straw for Stuart, who has not been able to lift the Sharks to any great heights during his tenure.
"I've bashed myself up over most losses, but I was embarrassed on Saturday night," Stuart said.
"I wasn't feeling well after the game - it was a really, really poor effort."
Stuart handed in his resignation to the Sharks' chairman Damian Irvine late on Monday afternoon, and an official announcement is expected to follow on Tuesday.
NRL RESULTS ROUND 19
Gold Coast v Brisbane, Full Time 10-24
South Sydney v St George Illawarra, Full Time 13-16
Warriors v Melbourne, Full Time 13-6
Penrith v Parramatta, Full Time 28-34
Cronulla v Manly, Full Time 18-48
Canberra v Newcastle, Full Time 52-18
Sydney Roosters v Canterbury-Bankstown, Full Time 36-32
Wests Tigers v North Queensland, Full Time 26-16
LADDER
1. St George Illawarra
2. Penrith
3. Wests Tigers
4. Sydney Roosters
5. Warriors
6. Manly 17
7. Brisbane
8. Gold Coast
9. South Sydney
10. Parramatta
11. Canberra
12. Newcastle
13. Canterbury-Bankstown
14. Cronulla
15. North Queensland
16. Melbourne
South Sydney v St George Illawarra, Full Time 13-16
Warriors v Melbourne, Full Time 13-6
Penrith v Parramatta, Full Time 28-34
Cronulla v Manly, Full Time 18-48
Canberra v Newcastle, Full Time 52-18
Sydney Roosters v Canterbury-Bankstown, Full Time 36-32
Wests Tigers v North Queensland, Full Time 26-16
LADDER
1. St George Illawarra
2. Penrith
3. Wests Tigers
4. Sydney Roosters
5. Warriors
6. Manly 17
7. Brisbane
8. Gold Coast
9. South Sydney
10. Parramatta
11. Canberra
12. Newcastle
13. Canterbury-Bankstown
14. Cronulla
15. North Queensland
16. Melbourne
Sunday, July 18, 2010
AFL Results Round 16
Adelaide 74 def Geelong 63 at AAMI Stadium
Collingwood 100 def St Kilda 52 at The MCG
Hawthorn 118 def Brisbane 43 at Aurora Stadium
West Coast 132 def Essendon 100 at ETIHAD Stadium
Western Bulldogs 83 def Port Adelaide 47 at TIO Stadium
Sydney 107 def Carlton 68 at ETIHAD Stadium
North Melbourne 103 def Richmond 53 at The MCG
Fremantle 82 def Melbourne 71 at Subiaco Oval
LADDER
1. Collingwood
2. Geelong
3. St. Kilda
4. Fremantle
5. Bulldogs
6. Sydney
7. Hawthorn
8. Carlton
9. Kangaroos
10. Adelaide
11. Melbourne
12. Essendon
13. Brisbane
14. Port Adelaide
15. Richmond
16. West Coast
Collingwood 100 def St Kilda 52 at The MCG
Hawthorn 118 def Brisbane 43 at Aurora Stadium
West Coast 132 def Essendon 100 at ETIHAD Stadium
Western Bulldogs 83 def Port Adelaide 47 at TIO Stadium
Sydney 107 def Carlton 68 at ETIHAD Stadium
North Melbourne 103 def Richmond 53 at The MCG
Fremantle 82 def Melbourne 71 at Subiaco Oval
LADDER
1. Collingwood
2. Geelong
3. St. Kilda
4. Fremantle
5. Bulldogs
6. Sydney
7. Hawthorn
8. Carlton
9. Kangaroos
10. Adelaide
11. Melbourne
12. Essendon
13. Brisbane
14. Port Adelaide
15. Richmond
16. West Coast
Saturday, July 17, 2010
AFL want lights at Skilled Stadium
The AFL is encouraging Geelong to install floodlights at Skilled Stadium to give the club and the league more scope to have games played in prime evening timeslots.
The AFL's chief operating officer, Gillon McLachlan, confirmed last night the AFL wanted Geelong - which has grand plans for the redevelopment of the ground - to include floodlights in its plans to ensure greater flexibility in scheduling games.
McLachlan has held discussions with Geelong chief executive Brian Cook.
The Cats, as the best-performed team of the past 3½ seasons, hold major appeal for television audiences but games at their home ground can only be played in the afternoons, which attract fewer viewers.
The push for the Cats to have lights at Skilled Stadium also fits with the league's ''emerging preference'' for Saturday twilight games to fill the extra timeslot in an expanded 18-team competition.
McLachlan said he had told the Cats that ''ultimately, they need to be thinking about lights because, one, flexibility of fixturing, two, to get themselves into other slots.
''If we had a twilight fixture, or even just in terms of getting into different positions, I think you need to have lights.''
Geelong is the only significant AFL venue, besides Canberra's Manuka Oval, that does not have the capacity to host night football.
''They're going through another phase of redevelopment,'' McLachlan said of Geelong. ''I've discussed with Brian that they should be, [that] we'd like if they [were] considering lights in that design.''
McLachlan agreed that Geelong was a popular team to watch, but the lack of lights at its ground was an issue. ''It restricts when they can play, which is not necessarily perfect for them and it means there's … not a lot of flexibility.''
McLachlan, who handles broadcasting and fixturing arrangements for the AFL, said the Cats had secured $25 million in state government funding for phase three of their ground redevelopment. ''I've certainly raised, from our perspective, it made sense if they include lights in [their plans].
Geelong is seeking significant federal government funding ($36 million) for the proposed $75 million redevelopment of the ground, which would boost capacity to more than 35,000.
The club would be in line to receive 10s of millions more of federal funds if Australia was successful in winning the bid for soccer's 2022 World Cup, with Skilled Stadium proposed as a 44,000-capacity venue.
McLachlan said the Saturday twilight slot was viewed as ''an emerging preference'' to pick up the extra games created by the 17th and 18th clubs. ''The decision's not made, but it's an emerging preference,'' he said. ''But we have yet to have detailed discussions with any of the broadcasters.''
Geelong has seven of its home games at Skilled Stadium this season, with four of those scheduled in the 1.10pm timeslot.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Melbourne Storm's Future
All four Melbourne Storm independent directors have been axed as the club's owners News Ltd revealed the extent of salary cap breaches by the club between 2006 and 2010.In a media announcement today, News Ltd chief executive John Hartigan confirmed the club had committed $3.17 million worth of breaches, and named 13 players who received illegal payments.The players were Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis, Cooper Cronk, Ryan Hoffman, Anthony Quinn and Brett White and former players Dallas Johnson, Will Chambers, Mick Crocker, Matt Geyer, Steve Turner and Antonio Kaufusi.
Source:http://www.nrl.com/
Source:http://www.nrl.com/
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