Opinion Commentary & Media VI

[TheBigHorne]

Wow, drafted ahead of Logan McDonald. That's a tough tag. This Logan McDonald must be a rising star winner. No? A fifty goal a year wunderkind. Oh, he's not? He must have helped drag his side across the line in a grand final. He was dropped after the prelim? OK, so why is this campaigner even mentioned in YOOL 2023?

Because Logan McDonald is the next Franklin (please ignore the fact Franklin was already a top tier kpf at the age of 20, which Logan was in 2022).

 

[Lomas]

Because Logan McDonald is the next Franklin (please ignore the fact Franklin was already a top tier kpf at the age of 20, which Logan was in 2022).

Generational talent I hear?

 

[koshari]

Wow, drafted ahead of Logan McDonald. That's a tough tag. This Logan McDonald must be a rising star winner. No? A fifty goal a year wunderkind. Oh, he's not? He must have helped drag his side across the line in a grand final. He was dropped after the prelim? OK, so why is this campaigner even mentioned in YOOL 2023?

he wont be a bad player , far from the next bud but likely a decent 2nd tier fwd like larkey was when brown had a good year. in time there will likely be other players pop up in that draft and the same narrative will be used. its just the industry journos trying to stay relevant.

 

[Tas]

I don't think we should pick on the kid because the media are morons.

 

[blackshadow]

Will sleep well tonight in the knowledge of this breaking news,

Nadia Bartel grabs last-minute essentials before Rebecca Judd's party

The former WAG-turned-fashion designer, 37, stepped out of her SUV looking effortlessly chic in items from her own Scandinavian-inspired clothing label Henne

www.dailymail.co.uk

How many bags?

 

[Gumble Frankieton]

Fewer, not less.

Yours sincerely,

Grandpa.

 

[andana]

I blame supermarkets

 

[Shermanator]

Nivea moisturiser?..

That's so 2021.. wtf is she thinking?!!..

 

[big_e]

Will sleep well tonight in the knowledge of this breaking news,

Nadia Bartel grabs last-minute essentials before Rebecca Judd's party

The former WAG-turned-fashion designer, 37, stepped out of her SUV looking effortlessly chic in items from her own Scandinavian-inspired clothing label Henne

www.dailymail.co.uk

What are the odds of a photographer just happening to be there as Nadia Bartel arrives at that particular shop? Such a lucky coincidence.

 

[andana]

Scandinavian-inspired clothing label

Nivea moisturiser?..

That's so 2021.. wtf is she thinking?!!..

 

[koshari]

What are the odds of a photographer just happening to be there as Nadia Bartel arrives at that particular shop? Such a lucky coincidence.

Pretty high i would suspect after 3 phone calls and various texts discussing the best vantage point to capture her disimbarking from the car.

 

[Lomas]

Pretty high i would suspect after 3 phone calls and various texts discussing the best vantage point to capture her disimbarking from the car.

Probably took half a dozen takes.

 

[koshari]

Probably took half a dozen takes.

Not always easy to get a carpark directly in front of the store your visiting.

 

[Makeshift Park]

NORTH MELBOURNE TRACK WATCH ​

WHY A VETERAN AND THE KID LOOK ROUND 1 LOCKS

They might be 13 years apart in age and miles apart in experience, but anyone watching former Hawk veteran Liam Shiels and the club’s first draft pick Harry Sheezel in recent weeks would be getting ready to slot them into their Round 1 SuperCoach calculations.

Track watchers are convinced both appear to be locks to take on West Coast in the Kangaroos’ Round 1 clash at Marvel Stadium on March 18.

Yes, there is still a lot of water to pass under the bridge before then, but Shiels and Sheezel have made big impressions – for different reasons – in their short time at the club.

Shiels, 31, was once in the conversation to become captain of Hawthorn, but after retiring from the Hawks postseason, the Kangaroos’ rookie listed player is relishing the second chance he has.

Is Harry Sheezel in your SuperCoach team? Picture: Getty Images
His on-track leadership and his cool and composed demeanour is what the Kangaroos – and coach Alastair Clarkson – knew he could bring to a young and impressionable group.

Sheezel, 18, is thriving on the challenges Clarkson and the coaching staff are throwing at him in his first pre-season. The No. 3 draft pick has already impressed with his silky skills and his swift ability to learn.

His field kicking will be a massive asset for the club as well as a mouth-watering proposition for forwards Nick Larkey and Cam Zurhaar.

If he stays fit across the next six weeks, Sheezel looks a lock to make his debut as early as the Round 1 clash with the Eagles.

BEN’S ALL THE TALK

North Melbourne’s most important key defender Ben McKay is finding his voice in terms of his on-field leadership, and it’s giving club insiders more confidence they can secure his prized signature before he becomes a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

Insiders have noted how much McKay is expressing himself on the track this pre-season, which could be a by-product of working with three-time Hawks premiership player and former Kangaroo Josh Gibson.

Gibson, who has taken on a role as a specialist coach of defence at the Kangaroos under his old coach Alastair Clarkson, has been working hard to ensure the club’s backline is a lot more connected verbally on the field.

McKay impressed on the track again on Wednesday morning. He comes out of contract at the end of the season and has attracted the interest of a host of rival clubs.

But the Kangaroos are privately confident he sees his long-term future at the club, and is especially engaged this pre-season under the tutelage of Clarkson.

Who knows he might even get to finally stand his brother Harry in an AFL match on Good Friday after years of near-misses?

Ben McKay is stepping up in the leadership department. Picture: Jake Nowakowski
IT’S NORTH-THORN

The wags are calling it NORTH-THORN, such is the impact former members of Hawthorn’s brown and gold are making at Arden Street.

Liam Shiels and Daniel Howe are doing it on the field and will push for early selection.

Howe had a relatively quiet session on Wednesday in terms of his training loads, but looks like being a handy acquisition, while Shiels will bring some added experience to the side.

The list of ex-Hawks includes Clarkson, general manager of football Todd Viney, ruck coach Damian Monkhorst, and assistant coaches Brett Ratten and Josh Gibson.

The one-time bitter rivals – and co-Tassie part-time tenants – will clash on April Fool’s Day in Round 3 at Hawthorn’s Launceston base for the next set of bragging rights.

CLARKO’S CLASSROOM

Get the fundamentals right and you are halfway to winning the battle.

It’s a message straight out of Clarko’s playbook from the very start of his time at Hawthorn in late 2004, and he’s sticking to it in his first pre-season as coach at North.

There were some more intricate drills at the Wednesday morning training sessions, but a few of the simple ones might end up becoming the most important.

In one of them, he had all players using their opposite foot (remember those lethal Hawks’ left-footers!). In another, he had players awaiting the bounce of a loose ball to try and get them to have a better perception of reading the bounce.

Simple but important stuff that will likely hold the young Roos in good stead.

Clarko is imparting his wisdom on the Roos’ playing group. Picture: Getty Images
LEAN AND MEAN ROOS

Jack Ziebell might have handed over the captaincy to Jy Simpkin and Luke McDonald, but he’s not ready to give up his spot within the North Melbourne team.

Ziebell has dropped several kilos as he has worked to get himself in great shape heading into the 2023 season.

He turns 32 at the end of this month, but is eager to make a big impression this season.

Respected teammate Ben Cunnington looks leaner too and is keen to make up for lost time after overcoming his cancer battles to play two games late last season.

YES, HE WILL

The Kangaroos are confident one-time No. 3 draft pick Will Phillips has shaken off his illness issues and is ready to justify the club’s ongoing faith in him with a big season this year.

Phillips, 20, played 16 games in his first season of 2021, but two nagging bouts of glandular fever meant he was unable to play a senior match last season.

He was in “a probable” team against the main side pre-Christmas, but he has impressed in recent weeks and looks ready to take his game to a new level.

 

[zoomba23]

The player at your AFL club ready to explode this season

Youngsters set to take the step at rebuilding giants, heart-break stories back bigger and better and a Brownlow winner ready to challenge the game’s best again. Who is the player ready to explode at your club?

thewest.com.au

North Melbourne - Will Phillips​

Phillips wears a massive tag around his neck that says “drafted ahead of Logan McDonald”. It stayed with him through his first 16 games and hung heavily through his season battling two bouts of glandular fever last year.

But the club has flagged this as Phillips’ year to establish himself as a worthy pick three, or at least show there’s something to come. There’s a spot for him in their side and Clarkson and the Roos are ready to invest.

Lol 'massive tag.' Because McDonald's proven himself to be such a consistent performer, hasn't he. Good grief. You'd think he was the second coming of Buddy

 

[KiwiRoo]

Pretty high i would suspect after 3 phone calls and various texts discussing the best vantage point to capture her disimbarking from the car.

I'd just like to see a photo of her parked on double lines

Oh the irony !

 

[shintemaster]

I don't think we should pick on the kid because the media are morons.

Agree. We should pick on him because he plays for Sydney and I can't stand them. We should separately ignore anything and everything the media have to say because they are completely self serving parasites.

 

[My Left Foote]

Winners and losers: The 2023 AFL club funding ladder revealed​

North Melbourne will overtake St Kilda as the AFL’s most heavily funded Victorian club this year in the AFL’s latest distribution of variable funding to the 18 clubs. And the same four power clubs - Collingwood, Richmond, West Coast and Hawthorn - again will not receive any additional dollars this year, besides the base distribution of between $10.5 million to $11m.

Expansion teams Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney will remain well ahead of the 16 other clubs on the funding ladder, receiving around $25m each in 2023, or more than $14m in extra funding.
As the AFL finalises the variable funding for 2023 - most, if not all, clubs have been told what they will receive this year - The Age can also reveal the following details about the 18 clubs from senior competition sources:

• The Brisbane Lions, who have the competition’s largest debt, will retain a similar level of funding to 2022, a total of more than $18m and will rank third on the funding table, narrowly ahead of North Melbourne. The Kangaroos have had variable funding increased this year to more than $18m after several years in which they were well behind St Kilda and even the Western Bulldogs.
• St Kilda also will exceed $18m, a figure that has been reduced from more than $20m in 2017, 2018 and 2019, when they were easily the most-funded Victorian club. The Saints were challenged by AFL boss Gillon McLachlan to improve their financial performance nearly five years ago. The extent of their extra funding has incensed some rival clubs, particularly in comparison to the smaller teams Kangaroos, Bulldogs and Melbourne. St Kilda have paid off a major chunk of a debt that peaked at nearly $14m a few years ago during COVID-19, but have more than halved it to a little more than $6m. As The Age revealed last year, the Saints had received about $17m more than the next Victorian club, the Western Bulldogs, in the decade from 2012 until the end of 2021.
  
  
• Essendon will be the fifth least-funded club, gaining less than $1m in additional funding, while their great rival Carlton is expected to receive $1m to $2m extra, but the Blues are viewed by the AFL as a club that will not need additional support for much longer given their vast support and on-field improvement.
• Melbourne will receive fractionally more in variable funding than the Western Bulldogs. Both clubs have greatly improved their financial position over recent years, and are now falling into the same funding bracket as Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans of close to an additional $5m.
• 2022 premiers and regional powerhouse Geelong will receive between $1m and $2m in addition to the base funding, placing the Cats in the same funding group as Adelaide, Fremantle and Carlton, but ahead of Hawthorn, Collingwood and Richmond on the funding table.
• Hawthorn remains in the gang of four clubs - as it has been since 2020 - that gain no additional funding, despite a lean period on the field and long-term rebuild with a very young list and the prospect of losing their millions from a second base in Tasmania if/when a Tassie team gains entry to the AFL (from 2027 most likely). The Hawks have an outstanding balance sheet, however, having sold their pokies assets for more than $40m, with freeholds at Waverley and their next home at Dingley.

All told, nine clubs, or half of the competition, have been granted comparatively little extra funding this year and are viewed as being financially robust. They are, unsurprisingly, the six strongest Victorian clubs (Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn, Essendon, Carlton and Geelong) plus the two the Perth clubs and the Adelaide Crows.

While the amounts shift each year, according to the position of the clubs, the AFL has been careful to not slash the funding of clubs with significant debt, notably the Lions and Saints. The Brisbane Lions still owe more than $13m to either the AFL or their bank, but made a sizeable profit last year and have recovered strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic period.

The variable funding total shared between the clubs will be about $100m, of which the expansion teams share more than $28m. The clubs have regained the $2m that was removed from their base funding due to COVID-19 cuts.

The AFL has not yet finalised the salary cap amount for 2023, as negotiations continue with the players’ union (the AFL Players’ Association), which is why the base funding amount is estimated in a range between $10.5m and $11m. The clubs have been told to budget for a salary cap increase of 5 per cent and this will be funded in the base amount for all clubs.

 

[King Corey]

Winners and losers: The 2023 AFL club funding ladder revealed​

North Melbourne will overtake St Kilda as the AFL’s most heavily funded Victorian club this year in the AFL’s latest distribution of variable funding to the 18 clubs. And the same four power clubs - Collingwood, Richmond, West Coast and Hawthorn - again will not receive any additional dollars this year, besides the base distribution of between $10.5 million to $11m.

Expansion teams Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney will remain well ahead of the 16 other clubs on the funding ladder, receiving around $25m each in 2023, or more than $14m in extra funding.
As the AFL finalises the variable funding for 2023 - most, if not all, clubs have been told what they will receive this year - The Age can also reveal the following details about the 18 clubs from senior competition sources:

• The Brisbane Lions, who have the competition’s largest debt, will retain a similar level of funding to 2022, a total of more than $18m and will rank third on the funding table, narrowly ahead of North Melbourne. The Kangaroos have had variable funding increased this year to more than $18m after several years in which they were well behind St Kilda and even the Western Bulldogs.
• St Kilda also will exceed $18m, a figure that has been reduced from more than $20m in 2017, 2018 and 2019, when they were easily the most-funded Victorian club. The Saints were challenged by AFL boss Gillon McLachlan to improve their financial performance nearly five years ago. The extent of their extra funding has incensed some rival clubs, particularly in comparison to the smaller teams Kangaroos, Bulldogs and Melbourne. St Kilda have paid off a major chunk of a debt that peaked at nearly $14m a few years ago during COVID-19, but have more than halved it to a little more than $6m. As The Age revealed last year, the Saints had received about $17m more than the next Victorian club, the Western Bulldogs, in the decade from 2012 until the end of 2021.
  
  
• Essendon will be the fifth least-funded club, gaining less than $1m in additional funding, while their great rival Carlton is expected to receive $1m to $2m extra, but the Blues are viewed by the AFL as a club that will not need additional support for much longer given their vast support and on-field improvement.
• Melbourne will receive fractionally more in variable funding than the Western Bulldogs. Both clubs have greatly improved their financial position over recent years, and are now falling into the same funding bracket as Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans of close to an additional $5m.
• 2022 premiers and regional powerhouse Geelong will receive between $1m and $2m in addition to the base funding, placing the Cats in the same funding group as Adelaide, Fremantle and Carlton, but ahead of Hawthorn, Collingwood and Richmond on the funding table.
• Hawthorn remains in the gang of four clubs - as it has been since 2020 - that gain no additional funding, despite a lean period on the field and long-term rebuild with a very young list and the prospect of losing their millions from a second base in Tasmania if/when a Tassie team gains entry to the AFL (from 2027 most likely). The Hawks have an outstanding balance sheet, however, having sold their pokies assets for more than $40m, with freeholds at Waverley and their next home at Dingley.

All told, nine clubs, or half of the competition, have been granted comparatively little extra funding this year and are viewed as being financially robust. They are, unsurprisingly, the six strongest Victorian clubs (Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn, Essendon, Carlton and Geelong) plus the two the Perth clubs and the Adelaide Crows.

While the amounts shift each year, according to the position of the clubs, the AFL has been careful to not slash the funding of clubs with significant debt, notably the Lions and Saints. The Brisbane Lions still owe more than $13m to either the AFL or their bank, but made a sizeable profit last year and have recovered strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic period.

The variable funding total shared between the clubs will be about $100m, of which the expansion teams share more than $28m. The clubs have regained the $2m that was removed from their base funding due to COVID-19 cuts.

The AFL has not yet finalised the salary cap amount for 2023, as negotiations continue with the players’ union (the AFL Players’ Association), which is why the base funding amount is estimated in a range between $10.5m and $11m. The clubs have been told to budget for a salary cap increase of 5 per cent and this will be funded in the base amount for all clubs.

View attachment 1599161

Would like to see more nuance around our changed figures. Assume it's related to the redevelopment.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

And rightfully so.

If we had the same exposure as the other clubs, we wouldn’t need as much.

 

[King Corey]

And rightfully so.

If we had the same exposure as the other clubs, we wouldn’t need as much.

Bingo. The articles on this should be a lot clearer but they won't be.

Place us front and centre on all AFL affiliated advertising (via NAB, McDonalds etc). Give us prime viewing timeslots and less interstate travel.

Voila, more supporters and money.

I always mention it but remember the pig squealing from Collingwood when they copped a Sunday twilight and failed to pull a crowd so complained about it?

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Bingo. The articles on this should be a lot clearer but they won't be.

Place us front and centre on all AFL affiliated advertising (via NAB, McDonalds etc). Give us prime viewing timeslots and less interstate travel.

Voila, more supporters and money.

I always mention it but remember the pig squealing from Collingwood when they copped a Sunday twilight and failed to pull a crowd so complained about it?

Their Round 1 match in 2011 against the Hummers at Colonial Stadium drew 35k.

This coming off the back of them being the reigning premiers.

The fixture matters and no one will tell me otherwise. The AFL is the only sport in the world who base their fixture on crowd numbers.

It’s a complete and utter sham.

 

[King Corey]

Their Round 1 match in 2011 against the Hummers at Colonial Stadium drew 35k.

This coming off the back of them being the reigning premiers.

The fixture matters and no one will tell me otherwise.

Richmond get Carlton round 1, night game every ****ing year. Regardless of whether one of them is up or both on them are licking the bottom of the toilet bowl.

That's primetime exposure, FTA and the chance to sign up home members during the excitement of the season launch year after year after year.

I missed the media ever querying either of their rights to "earn it".

Meanwhile we either head off interstate to kick off our annual thrashing on foreign turf.

Or if we're lucky we pull an interstate side at Docklands on Sunday at 4pm just to prevent any chance of getting a heap of their supporters over for the Victorian long weekend trip.

Both great ways to inject some momentum into our football and membership seasons.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Richmond get Carlton round 1, night game every ****ing year. Regardless of whether one of them is up or both on them are licking the bottom of the toilet bowl.

That's primetime exposure, FTA and the chance to sign up home members during the excitement of the season launch year after year after year.

I missed the media ever querying either of their rights to "earn it".

Meanwhile we either head off interstate to kick off our annual thrashing on foreign turf.

Or if we're lucky we pull an interstate side at Docklands on Sunday at 4pm just to prevent any chance of getting a heap of their supporters over for the Victorian long weekend trip.

Both great ways to inject some momentum into our football and membership seasons.

You mean to say that a Saturday 1:45pm match against the 17th placed side (who are also from
Interstate mind you) from last season isn’t a great thing for the club?

Surely you jest..

 

[King Corey]

You mean to say that a Saturday 1:45pm match against the 17th placed side (who are also from
Interstate mind you) from last season isn’t a great thing for the club?

Surely you jest..

Saturday 1.45pm?

It's a start eh?

Next year they'll make it a lowly NE state club to make it a shorter trip for the supporters.

By 2030 we'll have progressed to getting the worst Victorian team but with us as the away team, just to remove any danger of getting too much advantage from the fixture.

Similar to how our PP package was watered down because there was a risk we'd become a superpower too quickly if we got say, a useable 2nd round selection in the national draft.