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Maroons right on target, Tassie right off the map

By Robbo June 10, 2007
From Sunday Tasmanian
Reported by James Bresnehan

NOT enough Tasmanians cherished wearing The Map, a shattered state coach Daryn Cresswell said last night after his side's 11-point loss to Queensland under lights at Aurora Stadium.

There were tears and bowed heads in the Tasmanian changerooms after the interstate slugfest, a classic physical contest won by the Maroons over a wasteful Tasmania 13.7 (85) to 10.14 (74).

But Cresswell reserved an extraordinary broadside aimed squarely at those he felt did not pull their weight.

He felt some rode on the coat-tails of the committed, like Ken Hall, whose superb performance in the midfield won him the Lefroy Medal as the best Tasmanian player on the ground.

It was Tasmania's first interstate match since 1999.

"It's been eight years since we pulled the jumper on, and I just hope the players were hurting as much as we (the coaches), the Tasmanian fans, and the past players who have worn the jumper were," Cresswell said.

"Too many guys take representing Tasmania for granted."

Werribee blast stuns Geelong

By Robbo June 10, 2007
From Sunday Age
Reported by Sean Cusick

WERRIBEE won its fourth match on the trot yesterday, toppling ladder-leading Geelong by 15 points at Skilled Stadium.

The final margin didn't do the Tigers' domination justice, as the Cats booted six unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes.

Before that, the margin had blown out to a whopping 50 points when Werribee spearhead James Podsiadly booted his fourth halfway into the final term.

The Tigers captain finished with 4.4; the same return as Western Bulldogs forward Matthew Robbins, who was lively in attack and fierce at the man when the Cats were on the rebound.

Geelong began strongly, kicking three of the first four goals, including two from Charlie Gardiner, who loomed as an early game-breaker playing on first-year Bulldog Andrejs Everitt.

However, the Tigers lifted their intensity and put on a clinic with a sublime, run-and-handball game. They stunned the Cats with 14 of the next 17 goals to record their most impressive win of the year.

Rusty Grant shines in Werribee upset

By Robbo June 10, 2007
From Sunday Herald Sun
Reported by Howard Leigh

THERE was a touch of irony about the comeback of Western Bulldogs champion Chris Grant in Werribee's shock victory over Geelong at Skilled Stadium yesterday.

In his 18th season of AFL football, Grant spent most of his 56 minutes of game time at full-back on 18-year-old Geelong boom recruit Tom Hawkins.

"Yeah, it was a bit ironic to line up on a young fellow who has got his whole future ahead of him," Grant said. "I felt old when I lined up on him."

It was Grant's first competitive match since having surgery three months ago to have pubic bone chips removed from his groin.

He wore a large adhesive protective pad on his left knee, a legacy of past surgery.

The former Bulldogs skipper finished with seven possessions, two marks and two tackles before spending the final quarter on the bench.

Grant, who has played a record 336 games with the Bulldogs, said he felt a little rusty.

"The plan was to play 50-odd minutes in the back line to find some touch and be able to read the play, and go back with the flight of the ball," he said.

"The plan is to play three quarters in next week's VFL game against Port Melbourne and then get back into the Bulldogs side.

"I was pleased to get through the game without any problems."

Werribee's potent forward line, led by Bulldog Matthew Robbins and skipper James Podsiadly, was the catalyst for the win over the ladder leaders.

State game will end Trent's career

By Robbo June 08, 2007
From Launceston Examiner
Reported by Luke Scott

VETERAN Tasmanian footballer Trent Bartlett will run on to the ground for the final time tomorrow, after yesterday announcing his retirement.

Bartlett will play his final game for the Tasmanian side in the representative match against Queensland at Aurora Stadium.

After 81 AFL games, and four years with the Tasmanian Devils' VFL side, Bartlett said he had not made the decision to hang up his boots lightly.

"It's been something that's been in the back of my mind probably for a couple of years, and particularly over the past month," the 31-year-old said.

"I thought, what better way to finish up than to get a game for Tasmania and bow out then?"

Originally from Deloraine, Bartlett was drafted to the Brisbane Bears at the end of the 1993 AFL season at number 45.

He played 22 games with the club over three years and another 17 for the Lions after the merger with Fitzroy.

In 2000 he was picked up by the Western Bulldogs, and went on to play a further 42 matches, before returning to Tasmania to play with the Devils in 2003.

Cats face local rivals

By Robbo June 08, 2007
From Geelong Advertiser
Reported by Michael Auciello

GEELONG'S VFL team will take centre stage this weekend while the senior team plays interstate.

The Cats take on local rivals Werribee at Skilled Stadium tomorrow in what could be a star-studded line-up for the Tigers.

Veteran Chris Grant will make his long-awaited return from groin surgery for the Tigers team, while fellow senior regulars Jordan McMahon, Sam Power, Cameron Wight and Matthew Robbins will join him.

Another former Western Bulldogs captain, Luke Darcy, will not take part in the game, despite coach Rodney Eade remaining coy on whether his struggling ruckman would be sent back to the VFL.

For the top of the table Cats, it is another chance for those pushing for a limited number of spots in the senior team to put their case forward.

Tom Hawkins, Joel Selwood, Brent Prismall, Shannon Byrnes and Josh Hunt should all be in action as they put their hands up for a senior recall.

Meanwhile, several  up-and-coming stars will also be out to continue the Cats' run, including Nathan Djerrkura, Jason Davenport, Sam Hunt, Ryan Gamble, Liam Bedford and Simon Hogan.

Attacking defender Roach makes welcome return

By Robbo June 08, 2007
From Ballarat Courier

ATTACKING defender Tom Roach is back for North Ballarat's big assignment against Williamstown in the Victorian Football League at Williamstown on Sunday.

Roach has missed the Selkirk Roosters' past two matches after dislocating a collarbone against Port Melbourne on May 12.

The Victoria-Western Australia clash between those home and away fixtures provided Roach with an extra week to recover.

Roach was in season-best form when injured.

Ruckman Orren Stephenson is also among eight inclusions in an expanded line-up named last night.

Stephenson missed North Ballarat's gripping win over Sandringham on Saturday after failing to recover from a groin strain.

Roosters coach Gerard FitzGerald has also included Kangaroos trio Blake Grima, Shannon Watt and Matt Campbell, AFL rookie Ben Hughes, Steve Clifton and Matt Sharkey.

Grima, Watt and Campbell have been named by the Kangaroos on an expanded interchange for their clash with St Kilda on Sunday along with Ed Lower and Eddie Sansbury, who are also in the Roosters team.

Lower has been in season-best touch for North Ballarat and promotion would be a fitting reward for the youngster.

Slug on Devils

By Robbo June 08, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by James Bresnehan

TASMANIA is facing a sharp increase in its VFL licence fee next season whether or not the Devils are a stand-alone team.

AFL Victoria plans to hit the Devils' hip pocket by upping their licence, which is already the VFL's most expensive.

That means an increase on Tasmania's $85,000 aligned licence fee, thanks to its partnership with the Kangaroos.

Or the non-aligned licence fee of $35,000, which the Devils would revert to if the alignment ends as expected at the end of the season.

But instead of paying more, AFL Tasmania wants its slice of the VFL pie.

"Next year will be our eighth season in the competition, so I would think after such a long time we ought to get the same deal as everyone else," AFL Tasmania's general manager Scott Wade said yesterday.

Stand-alone VFL clubs Frankston and Port Melbourne get a $140,000 "incentive" grant from AFL Victoria each year.

North Ballarat, which also has a partial alignment with the Kangaroos, gets $70,000 -- half the incentive grant.

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