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Stepping stone to the big time

By Robbo May 18, 2007
From Herald Sun
Reported by Geoff Poulter

KANGAROOS assistant coach Donald McDonald has always believed in the value of the VFL as an AFL breeding ground.

The 2001 Box Hill Hawks premiership coach has again had his faith in the stepping-stone system vindicated with the progress of Kangaroos forward Aaron Edwards.

Edwards, delisted by West Coast, won a second shot at the AFL after a 2006 VFL season in which he booted 100 goals in 20 games for Frankston to head the goalkicking list and win the Liston Trophy as the league's best-and-fairest.

"(Our recruiters) were confident that Aaron could make the change to AFL footy and we thought he could be a really good foil for Nathan Thompson, because of what he showed at VFL level," McDonald said.

McDonald said when he coached in the VFL, he thought there were players who could be ranked between 10 and 30 at AFL clubs, but the clubs were looking at those capable of filling numbers one to 10.

Tom Lonergan says "I'll be back in a month"

By Robbo May 18, 2007
From Geelong Advertiser
Reported by Jason Shields

COURAGEOUS Cat Tom Lonergan expects to return to the football field in four weeks' time, 293 days after the sickening onfield collision which almost cost him his life.

Lonergan, who celebrated his 23rd birthday yesterday, revealed he "could finally see the light" after enduring a painful off-field recovery, setting himself for a comeback through the VFL in about a month.

Lonergan was placed in an induced coma and underwent emergency surgery to remove his right kidney after colliding heavily with Melbourne's Brad Green at Skilled Stadium on August 26 last year.

"I made the decision about two months ago that I would aim to return mid-year and I'm on track at the moment,'' Lonergan said.

"I'm progressing each week now. At the start it was just about seeing how my body was going with the load and at the moment it's going pretty well.''

Devils' finals hopes on line tomorrow

By Robbo May 18, 2007
From Launceston Examiner
Reported by Phil Edwards

THE pride, passion and 2007 finals hopes of the Tassie Devils will be on the line when Tasmania takes on the Coburg Tigers in their round seven VFL clash at Bellerive Oval tomorrow.

Coming off last week's humiliating fifth-straight loss to Werribee and crisis meetings during the week, Devils coach Daryn Cresswell said yesterday that he was happy with the commitment his players had shown during a tough week on the training track.

"It's been a tough week for everyone including the players, and they aren't happy with the position we're in," he said.

"We've approached things a bit differently this week and have concentrated on the defensive side of our game with a lot of tackling and physical pressure in the hope we can turn around our poor performances this week.

"This is a must-win game - if we do not win this game, we will not play finals footy."

Cresswell said he had spoken to his leadership group this week about lifting their performance.

Tassie's leaders bedevilled

By Robbo May 17, 2007
From The Mercury
Reported by James Bresnehan

EVERYONE from the chairman to the boot studder took responsibility yesterday for the Tasmanian Devils' woeful winter, but the biggest blame went to one particular bunch -- the leadership group.

Their ears were ringing after the bake Devils coach Daryn Cresswell gave them on Monday night before flogging the entire squad on the training track.

The seven senior players -- co-captains Brett Geappen and Scott Stephens (dropped last Saturday), Paul Koulouriotis, Cameron Thurley, Nathan Street (also dropped), Ken Hall and Matthew Westfield (dropped) -- took the brunt of Cresswell's frustration from a 1-5 start.

"When you become a leader, there's an expectation there that you deliver," Cresswell said. "Unfortunately, our leaders haven't done that."

When asked how firmly he spoke to the seven, Cresswell said, with furrowed brow: "I got my message across."

The leadership group is just as sorry about the Devils sitting second-last on the VFL ladder.

"They're not happy with the position we're in either," Cresswell said.

19 Year olds added to U23 Squad

By administrator May 17, 2007
With 19 year-old players now eligible for selection in the U23 North vs South VFL match on May 26, six players have been added from the TAC U18 competition.


The following players have been added to the squads for their respective teams.

 South 19 Year Olds

North 19 Year Olds

Gippsland Power

Luke

Webber   

Calder Cannons

Peter

Robertson

Sandringham Dragons 

John

Shaw

Murray Bushrangers 

James

Saker


Dean

Scheetz   

Western Jets

Steven

Morris

VFL North and South Under 23 Squads Announced

By Robbo May 16, 2007
AFL football has produced countless stories of players being drafted from obscure places- from talented youngsters playing in remote country outposts to mature-age recruits who just needed a lucky break.

Since the advent of the TAC Cup and the AFL National Draft, fewer players slip through the cracks, but the VFL’s annual North Vs South Under-23 Representative match gives promising players another chance to launch an AFL career.

This year’s match will be played as a curtain raiser to the Victoria vs. Western Australian state representative game at TEAC Oval, Port Melbourne, commencing at 10.30am.

North Squad

Bendigo Bombers  Simon Plummer

Calder Cannons Peter Robertson

Coburg Tigers Ryan Anderson Myles Sewell Nick Lynch Jason Morgan

Geelong Drew Barnes Shane Mumford

Murray Bushrangers James Saker

North Ballarat Lachlan George Justin Hardy

Northern Bullants Paul Colbert Adam Iacobucci

Werribee Sam Wormald Jak Kennedy-Hunt Andrew Ericksen Michael Rockefeller

Western Jets Steven Morris

Williamstown Cameron Lockwood Scott Meyer Patrick Rose Liam Picken * Dean Limbach *

South Squad

Box Hill Hawks Kris Shore Evan Johnson

Casey Scorpions Matthew Rosier Stefan Garrubba Kyle Mathews

Frankston Paul Rebeschini Mathew Burns Trent Shinners Dale Whelan

Gippsland Power Luke Webber

Port Melbourne Dean Kelly Julian Rowe Robin Nahas * Tom Langford Adrian Bonaddio

Sandringham Rennie Gilchrist Stefan Martin Tomi Johnston

Sandringham Dragons John Shaw Dean Scheetz

Tasmania Sam Carins Brodie Moles Sam Whish-Wilson

* Subject to selection in the VFL State Team

TAC Cup 19 Year Old Players

AFL Victoria have determined that TAC Cup 19 year old players should be available for selection in the Under 23 match to assist their assessment by AFL club recruiters. The Under 23 selectors have selected 3 such players in each of the North and South teams. AFL Victoria talent program staff, David Code and Leon Harris, provided recommendations regarding the TAC Cup 19 year old players to the Under 23 match selectors for consideration.

Pickett banned for missing match

By Robbo May 15, 2007
From Herald Sun

MELBOURNE has imposed a one-game suspension on Byron Pickett after he failed to attend the club's match against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Pickett was an emergency for the game against the Bulldogs, but has admitted to Melbourne he drank alcohol the night before the game.

He has been ruled out of selection for both Melbourne and its VFL affiliate Sandringham this weekend, and has been told he will not be considered for senior selection for the next four weeks.

"The football department, in consultation with the senior leadership group, have requested Byron to consider his future during this week," Melbourne said in a statement.

"If Byron decides to continue his future with the Melbourne Football Club, he will be required to play with Sandringham Football Club for at least four weeks, and will not be considered for AFL selection in that time period.

Bombers captain in Victorian squad

By Robbo May 15, 2007
From Bendigo Advertiser

METRICON Bendigo Bombers skipper Simon Rosa has been selected in a 39-man Victorian Football League squad to play Western Australia on May 26.

Rosa and star recruit Jason Cloke are the only two Bendigo players to make the training squad.

Rosa was rewarded for his consistent start to the season with the Bombers.

'‘It's a bit of a surprise," Rosa said after only hearing of his inclusion in the squad when contacted by The Advertiser yesterday.

‘‘It's not something I set as a goal or anything, but when something like this comes along it's nice to be picked.

‘‘If I'm lucky enough to make the final team it will be a great honour to represent the VFL." The squad will have its first training run tonight, but Rosa is unlikely to train after suffering a corked quadricep in Sunday's loss to Geelong.

‘‘I'm a bit sore, but I think I'll be right for this weekend's game (against Frankston)," Rosa said.

The VFL has named a powerful squad that includes a number of former AFL players.

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