BY BRAD KLIBANSKY

GEELONG defender David Johnson will be sidelined for the next two weeks after suffering a knee injury.

He sustained the injury during the final quarter of the VFL side’s one- point loss to Collingwood on Saturday.

Johnson,26, last played for the senior side during their Round 17 clash against Hawthorn.

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

MELBOURNE President Jim Stynes has dismissed suggestions that his club is looking away from the Olympic Park precinct for a home, saying that it is still a priority.

“We’ve got a great young team that’s building. We’ve got things going on at Casey, and things going on across the road (at Olympic Park),” he said.

“We’re doing our due diligence on it (Olympic Park), so if everything goes well, there’s every likelihood that’s where we’ll end up, but we’ve got to make sure we get the best deal for this football club.”

The focus for Stynes and the Demons, however is on reducing the club’s debt, that currently stands at around $5 million.

The month of August has been dubbed Debt Demolition Month.

“This month, our real focus, and it is our immediate focus, is reducing our debt.”

“We’ve just launched debtdemolition.com.au which is now up, so people can get on and support, and get us out of this debt as we go forward, so we’ve got a clean sheet.”

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

HAWTHORN matchwinner Lance Franklin has admitted that he is not concerned about kicking 100 goals this season, saying he is more worried about playing consistent football.

The league’s leading goalkicker, currently on 85, said there is still work to do on his set shots for goal.

“I ended up kicking eight, which is pleasing, but (with) some set shots, I have got to do a little bit of work on that again during the week,” he said after the game.

“To be honest, I haven’t really thought about (kicking 100 goals) at all.”

“I’m playing every game on its merits and just (want to) keep playing consistent football. If that comes, it comes.”

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse continued to build up the hype for the forward, saying he believes Franklin or Roughead will one day break the record for most goals kicked in a match.

“I’m not going to be surprised one day if Franklin breaks that record for the number of goals kicked in one game,” Malthouse said.

“If it’s not him it’s Roughead. They kicked 12 goals between them tonight.”

The record for most goals in a game is currently held by Melbourne’s Fred Fanning who kicked 18.1 in 1947.

FOOTYHEADS: Is it possible that Buddy one day breaks Fanning’s record?

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

COLLINGWOOD young gun Scott Pendlebury says that the loss last night to Hawthorn was thanks, in part, to a lack of contribution from certain players in his side.

Speaking on SEN’s Off the Bench, Pendlebury admitted that there were a handful of Magpies who did not pull their weight.

“We obviously need 22 guys, we don’t have that superstar like a Buddy Franklin like Hawthorn have got, we’ve got to rely on everyone to do their bit,” he said.

“I feel last night we probably had a little too many passengers and we get found out when that’s the case.”

“Five or six guys were down on their usual output, which hurts.  I suppose that’s football, not everyone’s always going to be on their best, we’ve just got to find a way, other players have got to step up when that happens.”

The 20-year-old said that the first quarter effort from his side set them back too far, forcing them to play catch-up, rather than focussing on building a winning lead.

“We knew they were going to come out fired up, and we were a little bit shell-shocked at quarter time to be honest.”

“You can’t let a side like that jump out to five goals and then try to reel them in.  We were only 10 points down halfway through the third quarter and then again, sides just get a run on too quickly against us, and we’ve just got figure out a way to stop that.”

Pendlebury admitted that the upcoming game against St Kilda could shape their season, as the Magpies currently sit in 6th spot on the ladder, with four other teams threatening to overtake them this weekend.

“Next Saturday night against St Kilda could be make or break for one of us.  I suppose that’s what we’ve got to focus on.  We’ve got to get past the Hawthorn game now, and just look forward to that.”

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

FOR the third straight year, the TV ratings in Sydney for Swans games has fallen, currently sitting at 109,000 average viewers per game in 2008.

This is down 21 percent from 2006 in which 154,500 Sydneysiders tuned in to watch the reigning premiers.

The AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said that whilst the figures were not great, adding a second team in Sydney should improve them, given the rivalry that should form.

“It’s difficult for the one team trying to grow a presence with a list of 38 players and no local rivalry making people in NSW choose teams,” he said.

“The ratings are softer than we’d like.”

“That’s the one area we’d like to get better.”

“The Swans’ average crowd is still fantastic,” he said. “Attendances are up at the SCG…and while crowds are down at ANZ, you are talking about coming off a very high base of over 60,000.”

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

MELBOURNE has taken an important step in the re-building process this week, by signing six players each to two-year deals.

James Frawley, 19, Nathan Jones, Colin Garland, Ricky Petterd, 20, Batthew Bate and Michael Newton, 21, were all happy to be a part of Melbourne’s future.

Despite enjoying playing for the club, Ricky Petterd said their contracts couldn’t be compared to what Brendan Fevola will be earning for the next three years.

“I don’t think all our money together would add up to what he’s going to be on,” Petterd said.

It was an otherwise positive outlook from the young Demons, who compared themselves to the situation the Hawks were in just four years ago.

“They were in the same position as us a couple of years ago, and we’ve just got all the young blokes in together now, so hopefully in a couple of years we’ll be better than Hawthorn,” Frawley said.

FOOTYHEADS: Are the Demons heading in the right direction with these signings?

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

ESSENDON utility Adam Ramanauskas has signalled his intention to continue playing football through to season 2009.

Speaking at a press conference today ahead of his team’s Clash for Cancer game against Melbourne tomorrow afternoon, Ramanauskas says that he will meet with Matthew Knights at the end of the season to discuss where sits at the club.

“Probably over the last couple of weeks the team’s been winning and I’ve been doing very little,” he said.

“It’s been a bit disappointing from that respect, but at the same time it’s been good that Knighter [Matthew Knights] has probably kept the faith in me.”

The 27-year-old has averaged over 12 disposals in the 13 games he has played in this year.

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

TASMANIAN politician Paula Wriedt has hit back at comments made by channel nine personality Sam Newman on last night’s Footy Show.

Wriedt, the Tasmanian Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, said that she had accepted Newman’s apology, but labelled them as unacceptable.

“Only Mr Newman knows the context in which he intended the comments to have,” she said in a statement.

“In my mind, Mr Newman made a stupid and inappropriate comment and perhaps in the future he’ll be more careful about what he chooses to say.”

Wriedt stressed that the focus of her appearance on The Footy Show should be about the positive news coming from Tasmania in regards to their partnership with confectionary giant, Mars.

“I don’t believe it is appropriate to give these comments any more media attention and I would much rather people focus on the excellent progress Tasmania is making with its bid for an AFL team which now has the support of Mars as a major sponsor.”

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

THE Richmond Football Club have expressed their pleasure at seeing defender Graham Polak return to the Punt Rd Oval for the first time since his accident in late June.

As reported on FootyHeads earlier today, Polak made a surprise cameo at Richmond training, appearing in a good mood, sharing jokes with players and his manager Paul Connors.

Richmond assistant coach Brian Royal said that it is a relief to see him return.

“It’s been a tough few weeks with everything that’s happened with Graham,” he said.

“To see Graham walk back into the rooms this morning , it’s just put a smile on everyone’s face.”

“We knew Graham got out of hospital on Wednesday, but for Graham to walk into the club was overwhelming for the players.”

The club has emphasised that Polak will not return to football for the remainder of the year, and still has a long way to go in his rehabilitation.

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey says his team is not happy with honourable losses, and will play the remaining six games with the intention of winning.

“We want to win the game. We’re not here to just roll on for the next four or five weeks and get close and be happy with that, absolutely not,” he said.

“Every game I still believe we go out there with an intention to win the game.”

Melbourne have dropped hard midfielder Nathan Jones and lost Brad Miller to a hamstring injury, but bring back key utility Brad Green who had been missing through injury.

The Demons have won just two games so far this year, and will take on a hot Essendon side this Saturday, that has won five of its past six games.

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

THE AFL is looking into the possibility of building or acquiring a third stadium fit for AFL football, as the 2012 expansion looms.

CEO Andrew Demetriou says the league has questioned whether or not the two current stadiums are fit to hold an increase in games when the Gold Coast and West Sydney enter the league.

“With the advent of perhaps 40 more games and 26 or 28 of those in Melbourne, they’ve got to be played somewhere,” he said.

“We’re not quite sure whether there is the capacity at the MCG and Telstra Dome.”

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

FOLLOWING Sam Newman’s latest on-air gaffe, league boss Andrew Demetriou says that Newman’s prior indiscretions and last suspension have to play a part in deciding his future.

“Well I mean it has to, because he knows, I mean he’s already been stood down and he’s gone off and gotten counselling so that has to be part of it I would suspect,” he said.

Newman appeared on The Footy Show last night following a taped interview with Tasmanian politician Paula Wriedt, claiming that his words were not to be interpreted in a bad way.

FOOTYHEADS: What did you make of Sam’s comments last night?

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

GRAHAM Polak will today make a surprise visit to Richmond training, continuing his remarkable return from the collision with a Melbourne tram at the end of June.

It is understood that the Tigers were unaware of Polak’s intentions to visit his teammates until this morning, in a move that will no doubt spur his team on ahead of their important clash with premiers Geelong.

Whilst not available for comment, the visit no doubt is a good sign in his recovery from the injury, once thought to possibly leave him with permanent brain damage.

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

AHEAD of tonight’s clash with Collingwood, Hawthorn coach Alistair Clarkson says that last week’s Friday night loss to Geelong will help them in the long run.

Speaking today, Clarkson admits that it will take time to understand just how important big games like that are for his young side.

“Specifically from a playing point of view, (for) our guys to play against a quality opponent like that in a finals-type atmosphere on a Friday night was first class and I think we’ll only be able to measure the true value of it in time,” he said.

The Hawks go into tonight’s game as heavily backed favourites on sportsbet.com.au, looking to take over second spot on the ladder, whilst Collingwood are left to simply hang on to their top eight spot.

FOOTYHEADS: Can the Pies stop their skid and overcome the Hawks tonight?

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

AFTER just one season with the now infamous silver clash strip, Melbourne have announced that this Saturday’s game against Essendon will be the last time it is worn.

The AFL requires that teams keep the same clash jumper for at least two seasons, however Melbourne were able to have this requirement waived yesterday.

At this point, there are three possible replacements, one coloured mostly white, one featuring a new Demon logo, and the other is yet to be known.

Due to AFL requirements, the Demons must incorporate a third, lighter colour for the clash jumper, something that the club is reportedly happy to do.

FOOTYHEADS: What do you think of the AFL’s insistence that clubs introduce a different colour for their clash jumpers?

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BY STEPHEN BAKER

BEN Cousins’ attempt to resuurect his AFL career took another step last night when the former West Coast captain announced that he will begin training with a WAFL side in the coming weeks.

“I’m heading back to Perth now with the hope of starting training at Perth and East Fremantle well within the next week,” he said.

“I’m sure it will be nice to get back to training, get back to grass roots and see how the body feels.”

Cousins said that his goal was to return to AFL football.

“Everything I’m doing is about keeping that opportunity open,” he said.

The former West Coast midfielder is currently serving a 12-month ban for bringing the game into disrepute and his return to AFL ranks is dependent on him being able to satisfy the AFL that his drug addiction is under control.

“I am confident, I know what I’ve been doing in my recovery and if I stay clean things should take care of themselves,” he said.

FOOTYHEADS: Will Ben Cousins play AFL football in 2009?

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BY ANDREW MAHONY

GREG Miller’s days at Richmond are officially over, as a result of a meeting with club President Gary March this evening.

The two parties agreed that it was time to end the marriage after Miller joined the Tigers in October of 2002, with March praising the 55-year old’s commitment to the club.

“I would like to thank Greg Miller for his six years of tireless service to the Richmond Football Club,” he said.

“He has been integral in the rebuilding of our young list.  Greg should be proud of his work with the Richmond Football Club and I would like to specifically acknowledge his dedication to our club coterie groups and supporters over the years.”

Be sure to check FootyHeads for updates tomorrow, following Richmond’s press conference at 11am.

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BY STEPHEN BAKER

THE tipsters nightmare round continued tonight, as Carlton kept its 2008 finals hopes alive with a stunning come-from-behind 28 point win over the Western Bulldogs.

The Blues looked dead and buried at the half time break, trailing the Bulldogs by 24 points, but rallied over the next 40 minutes to pile on 13 goals to five in the second half.

Star full-forward Brendan Fevola who looked destined to make post match headlines for a petulant first half display redeemed himself with a six goal haul, while Simon Wiggins made his 100th a match to remember kicking four.

The Blues skipper, also celebrating a milestone - his 150th AFL game - Chris Judd was the everywhere man with 29 disposals, while the ‘Ususal Suspects’ at Carlton; Carrazzo, Stevens and Scotland also commanded plenty of the ball.

Following a ten goal shellacking at the hands of Geelong last week, tonight’s loss places the spotlight well and truly on the Bulldogs as September approaches.

While the Doggies were efficient and clinical in the first half, their second half fade out will be the cause of more than a few sleepless nights for coach Rodney Eade and his brains trust.

Dylan Addison may have suffered a season ending knee injury, leaving the field in pain one minute into the final quater.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs who face Sydney next weekend at Manuka Oval, while the Blues travel to Football Park to face the Adelaide Crows.

FINAL SCORES, GOALKICKERS:

CARLTON 18.18.126
WESTERN BULLDOGS 15.8.98

CARLTON: Fevola 6, Wiggins 4, Kruezer 3, Judd, Stevens, Murphy, Scotland, Betts.

WESTERN BULLDOGS: Johnson 3, Hahn 3, Hill 2, Harbrow 2, Boyd, Giansiracusa, Gilbee, Murphy, Minson.

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BY STEPHEN BAKER

THE 2008 season of Western Bulldogs defender Dylan Addison hangs in the balance tonight.

Addison went down inside the first minute of the final quarter clutching his right knee after tackling Carlton’s Marc Murphy on the Blues half-forward line.

The 20-year old looked to be in considerable pain as he went down and needed the assistance of trainers to leave the field.

Bulldogs medico, Dr Gary Zimmerman was examining the knee to determine the extent of the damage.

Carlton have fought back to trail by only three points at the Dome with 12 minutes of the match remaining.

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BY STEPHEN BAKER

NORTH MELBOURNE has defeated Melbourne in a truly forgettable encounter at the MCG this afternoon to the tune of 28 points.

While fans could be forgiven for thinking the Kangaroos and Demons were hell-bent on toppling last night’s Sydney versus Adelaide match as the ‘worst game of the season” the win nonetheless catapults North Melbourne into fifth place on the AFL ladder.

As with Fremantle in their win over the Power at AAMI Stadium today, the Kangaroos set up victory with a clinical first quarter, piling on seven goals to Melbourne’s one to take a 36 point lead into the first break.

Try as they might, the Dees worked hard to bridge the gap throughout the remainder of the match, but to no avail as North’s superior skill level and composure in winning the contested ball killed the contest.

Brent Harvey’s performance today may see him shorten further in Brownlow Medal betting, while captain Adam Simpson and Daniel Wells were devastating.

Melbourne’s loss capped off a horrific week for the club. The Demons had few winners in any area of the ground and were outclassed by a North outfit determined to give itself every chance to secure a top four finish to the season.

Ryley Dunn faces a nervous wait to see what the Match Review Panel offers him after finding himself reported twice for striking Brent Harvey in the third quarter of the game.

Simon Buckley tried hard for Melbourne in a 27 disposal effort, as did Chris Johnson, Nathan Jones and James McDonald.

North’s Lindsay Thomas had a field day in front of goal finishing with five, while Corey Jones gave the Demons’ defensive coaches no end of grief with four.

North will be looking to cement their place in the eight when they take on the Lions at Carrarra, while Melbourne face a resurgent Essendon at the MCG in a clash of traditional rivals.

FINAL SCORES, GOALKICKERS

NORTH MELBOURNE 14.14.98
MELBOURNE 10.10.70

NORTH MELBOURNE: Thomas 5, Jones 4, Harvey 2, Hale, Petrie, Campbell.

MELBOURNE: Miller 3, Mewton 2, Davey, Valenti, Morton, P Johnson, Sylvia.

CROWD: 21,330 at the MCG.

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