Demons are swearing off debt
It’s good to see that Melbourne is starting to pay off its debt. I just hope the Demons have got a very good business plan so in the future so no one else will have to get the chequebook out to pay for mismanagement. The piece de resistance at the $1000-a-head dinner was when they showed a video of Dean Bailey’s speech before the Collingwood game. They also showed the speech David Neitz made to his teammates in the lead-up to the game. I don’t know if it was a good strategic move by the marketing people because one well-heeled former premiership player said that no four-letter word was spared and it was the foulest language he had ever heard. I don’t blame Bailey or Neitz because they intended their talks to be kept behind closed doors. For a mixed audience it wasn’t the best way to go. I must admit I thought the four-letter words and hot-gospelling days had passed. There seems to be a place still for the hot gospel approach even though I thought it was all about “caring and sharing” these days. I do know that this well-heeled ex-player decided not to contribute.

Carlton back in the ball park
A couple of months ago the great Carlton legend David McKay spoke exclusively to INSIDE FOOTBALL about resurrecting games at Princes Park. It seems he is something of an oracle. With millions to be spent on new facilities and stands at Carlton it could be an option as the boutique stadium that has been mooted by Andrew Demetriou. With plenty of parkland in which to park your car, it would be ideal. Dick Pratt is behind a lot of these moves and you could play games that pit Gold Coast and West Sydney against Melbourne teams (even Tasmania if its dream is realised). But you would have to put up lights and when Carlton tried that a few years ago they copped resistance from local residents. Technology has moved on and maybe they wouldn’t be as intrusive. Talking about the Gold Coast, Timmy Lane’s comment piece about it and West Sydney being “plastic” teams was not well received at AFL headquarters. It was pointed out that Sydney fans embraced the Swans and Brisbane has a loyal band of supporters. He might be off the Christmas card list at AFL House for the time being.

Talking up Anderson’s nous
The Rec Link Cup finals were played over the past couple of weeks. This is a tremendous idea established by Peter Cullen for disadvantaged people or people in rehab. I commentated on it with Graeme “Smokey” Dawson and Des Dowling. I spoke to the Odyssey House team before they went into the grand final. They kicked two goals and then their enthusiasm began to wane. I spoke to their opposition, the Kardinia Cats, at quarter time and roused them to a great victory. Well I’m claiming it anyway. One person who spoke alongside me was Adrian Anderson. Anderson has come in for a lot of criticism and you usually do in his position. But as a commentator it was clear that he knows his football, having played a fair bit of it in the amateurs, and what’s more he knows how to coach. Along with Andrew Demetriou there is a fair bit of football nous at headquarters. I had a chat to Anderson about certain media people’s lack of knowledge of the game, which I wrote about last week. Funnily enough, he agrees.

Blues striking a rich vein
This is starting to get a bit tedious. Poor old Brendan Fevola missed out on his 100 and the Carlton fans are beating the drums. But the Blue army might be on the march. Now there are rumours that Collingwood development coach and guru Alan Richardson may switch to Carlton. The Blues had a lunch last week at the Telstra Dome run by their past players group Spirit of Carlton. A crowd of 800 raised more than $100,000 for the club. I was invited by a Carlton legend and a fanatic “liniment sniffer” and Carlton groupie. I told them I wouldn’t be caught dead in the joint, but St Kilda premiership heroes Barry Breen and Cowboy Neale were on the table of Breen’s old workmate Mark Maclure. In his day Cowboy would have bashed a few of them. Ironically there was still no sighting of Cowboy’s old foe Alex Jesaulenko. Wayne Johnston couldn’t get off work so he wasn’t there either, which was a pity.

Real tough job for Schwab
Cameron Schwab is back at Melbourne. As soon as he resigned from Fremantle it looked like the job was his. He kept denying it and Melbourne kept denying it. The Demons wanted Geelong’s second in charge, Stuart Fox. Fox was initially interested then pulled out. Someone must have whispered in his ear. He then received a scathing phone call from Jimmy Stynes. Now Fox looks like going to the Gold Coast. It would have looked better for Schwab if Stynes had announced that he had beaten a star-studded field to get the job. Instead it now looks as if Schwab, who has been axed by a couple of Melbourne clubs, is back with his mates Stynes, Kelly O’Donnell and Chris Connolly. I hope they make a good fist of it because this could be the last roll of the dice for the Demons.

Punting on Friday night lights
I hope the VFL has pulled the right rein by playing a Friday night grand final at Telstra Dome. For years the VFL has played its showpiece game at Princes Park and it has drawn great crowds. But it is taking a gamble. There’s not much happening on the Friday night before the AFL Grand Final and it would be great to see the Dome almost full. The hot favourite is the Gary Ayres coached Port Melbourne. Ayres has done a great job this year. I’ve sat in some coaching boxes over the years and I consider him to be one of the smartest coaches I have had anything to do with. I know he has had a go at Geelong and the Crows and missed out on two premierships and people are obsessed with younger coaches. But he has a great football brain and has been to the coalface a few times.
It is interesting that clubs are so mad on youthful coaches, but Allan Jeans and Ron Barassi coached into their 40s and 50s, when they were at their zenith.

Haggling over used Carr deal
Now that Josh Carr has declared his desire to return to Port Adelaide, the Fremantle Dockers are talking up the “required player” line, trying to make sure they get a reasonable deal. One player the Power won’t be trading is Jacob Surjan as coach Mark Williams has told him to ignore the media speculation and that he’s staying at Alberton. Surjan and his family were pleased to hear this as he is happy at Port and has no wish to return to Western Australia. The same does not apply to Adam Cockshell, however. The told him Power several weeks ago not to bother training and that he would be cut due to off-field issues. Cockshell had been missing team meetings and not attending various sessions so the club decided enough was enough. The cynics might say he would fit in at Freo. I wouldn’t say that, though.

Gardiner to hang up his boots
As the Saints surge into fourth spot I believe we may have seen the last of Michael Gardiner whose body has had enough.
I understand that he has let it be known to people at Casey Scorpions that he has come to the end of the road, but is keeping it low key at the moment.

CRACKERS KEENAN