Tough time for family, says Joel

Joel Tippett says the salary cap saga has been tough on his family. Picture: Simon Cross Source: The Advertiser

KURT Tippett's brother Joel has broken the family's silence after the drawn-out salary cap and draft tampering crisis ended at AFL House on Friday.

Joel, who studies human movement in Adelaide, said the Tippett family had got through the tough time by staying together on the Gold Coast but conceded it had tested everybody's patience.

They were disappointed when the sentence was handed down for Kurt - an 11-match suspension and a $50,000 fine - but had now vowed to move on.

"The main thing is that it's behind us now," Joel said.

"We're just looking to move on now. But it's been a difficult time."

Joel, who had an outstanding year with West Adelaide in the SANFL, missed out on being selected at the Gold Coast draft but will have another chance for a second AFL break in the rookie draft on December 11.

Several clubs have expressed interest in Joel through Bloods coach Andy Collins and Joel's manager, Peter Blucher, who also handles Kurt's affairs.

Ideally, the brothers would love to play together, like everybody once thought when Joel was playing for the Suns and Kurt was contemplating his next move.

Tippett blames Crows for 11-game ban

There has been speculation both of the Tippetts could end up at the Swans in 2013, but Joel will have no say in where he ends up, unlike Kurt who can put a price on his head. And if he's rookie-listed, Joel has to weigh-up his future.

He nominated for the national draft, which in effect means he nominates for all drafts, but he also has aspirations outside of football.

After Joel finishes his human movement course, he has thought of adding a teaching element to qualify to be a physical education teacher. He has also looked into joining the fire service.

If he is not picked up by an AFL club, there's also the option of staying at West Adelaide, which was chuffed with his contribution this season.

"I'll have to decide after the draft," Joel said. "At my age (24) ... when I wasn't picked up in the draft, I thought maybe that's it for me. I'll have to have a really good think about it."

Joel has been rookie-listed three times: by Brisbane in 2007 and 2009 and by the Gold Coast in 2011. He played two games for the Suns in 2011 but was delisted at the end of that year and shifted south to join West Adelaide and be close to Kurt.

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Footy heavyweights back Trigg

Crows chief executive Steven Trigg speaks to the media at Crows HQ the day after the AFL Commission. Picture: Dylan Coker. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

BESIEGED Crows chief Steven Trigg has the backing of the Adelaide football community, with heavyweights Leigh Whicker, Bill Sanders, Malcolm Blight and Graham Cornes all applauding the club's decision to retain him.

SANFL general manager Whicker said the state league fully supported the decision of the Adelaide board.

"Steven Trigg is an outstanding administrator," Mr Whicker said.

"From the SANFL point of view, we strongly support Steven's continuation in the role he has been so successful in.

"Steven has been very forthright and open through this process. I've known Steven for a long while and his integrity is unquestionable.

"There's a very fine line in all sports that you can step over. I don't think a person's career and long term future should be severed due to one oversight. In general life and business people do make mistakes.

"I think the penalty has been very severe.

"I think the Adelaide Football Club is on the cusp of delivering something very special in the next few years. Once the ball is bounced in March, the fans will be there behind the club."

Inaugural chief executive Sanders said the decision was in the best interests of the club.

"I'm very pleased for Steven's sake," he said.

"Any decision the board makes must be in the best interests of the football club and I'm sure that would have been their major consideration.

"Steven has done an excellent job for the Crows."

Sanders backed Chapman to get the job done during Trigg's absence, but conceded the suspension came at a tricky time for the club.

"The contingency they have in place with Rob Chapman stepping in should cover it.

"It is not an ideal time, particularly given the issues that are in front of the club at the moment - the license and Adelaide Oval just to name two.

"However they have got to make the best of it and overcome it with the best ways and means possible."

Inaugural Crows coach Cornes said he absolutely backed the club's decision to stick by Trigg.

"I thought the penalty handed down to Steven Trigg (by the AFL) was just ridiculously excessive," he said.

"As the tribunal has indicated, this is not a hanging offence.

"Steven Trigg stood to gain no personal benefit."

Dual premiership coach Blight said also he was pleased for Trigg.

"The board are put in place to adjudicate all those things and if they see fit (to keep him) good on them," he said.

"I'm pleased for Steven."

AFL media manager Patrick Keane said the league had stated on Friday it would back whatever the board decided.

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Good CEOs are hard to find: Chapman

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg says he offered his resignation to the club but they declined it.

Adelaide Crows chairman Rob Chapman at the press conference after the AFL Commission hearing. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images

ADELAIDE chairman Rob Chapman has defended the club's decision to maintain chief executive Steven Trigg after a specially convened board meeting unanimously decided he was the best man for the job.

Chapman was prepared for a torrent of criticism after he came out of the specially convened meeting late morning but told The Sunday Mail and was fully aware it was not a populist choice - but he is convinced it was the right one.

The obvious analogy in the criticism is that had Trigg acted the way he allegedly did in the corporate world, he would be shown the door.

But he was backed by both the AFL and the Crows to stay and Chapman said there were parts of the Tippett saga that would and could never been established because the warring factions could not agree on a set of facts.

"We're giving Steven the benefit of doubt," Chapman said.

"It wasn't an easy decision and it wasn't the populist decision but it was the right decision.

"We're not afraid to make the tough decisions that we believe are right for the club.

"The easy decision would have been to accept his resignation when he offered it."

Chapman called Trigg yesterday to let him know the board wanted him to use the six-month penalty received for his part in the Kurt Tippett affair constructively and then get on with it.

Chapman could already imagine the angry phone calls to radio sports shows and the buzzing of angry Internet comments.

Disgraced Crows CEO keeps his job

To Chapman, it was an expected reaction, and an natural one.

"I understand why people are raising the points that they're raising, because without having the full context of the events and the history of what happened, you'd ask those questions," Chapman said.

"Without having a full set of facts, it's hard to draw any other conclusion.

"But the all of the facts aren't going to come out because they commission couldn't agree on one set of facts - there were two: one from us and one from the Tippett camp.

"What happened from there was that we accepted a range of sanctions."

Trigg addressed the media yesterday in a confrontingly honest manner, speaking of his self doubt and his thoughts of just walking away.

There have been long and testing conversations between him and Chapman, with Trigg continuously asking whether he'd be doing the club a disservice by staying.

But Chapman had been unflinching and there was not an ounce of doubt in his voice as he lined up the reasons for keeping Trigg to The Sunday Mail.

"I and the board are backing Steven to be the best person to lead the club forward.

"Why keep him? Good CEOs are hard to find in the AFL.

"There are only 18 of them and they all have a job.

"It would take more than several months to recruit, select and induct a new CEO and why take that risk when we have an excellent CEO who has all the corporate knowledge of years of planning for the move to Adelaide Oval, knowledge about the transfer of the license (from the SANFL to the club), the work that's gone into a seconds team?"

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Trigg stays but still packs his bags

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg says he offered his resignation to the club but they declined it.

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg speaks to members of the media at Crows HQ in West Lakes, the day after the AFL Commission. Picture: Dylan Coker. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

• Tell us: Have the Crows been dealt with fairly by the AFL?

CROWS boss Steven Trigg says he considered stepping down "every day" for the past six weeks but was swayed against falling on his sword by yesterday's unanimous backing from the club's board.

Adelaide backed Trigg to continue as the club's chief executive despite his six-month suspension imposed by the AFL for his part in the Kurt Tippett scandal.

Less than 24 hours after Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman declared himself a "personal supporter" of Trigg, the eight other elected members of the club's board voted to retain Trigg when his ban is lifted on July 1.

"The board is united on this," Chapman said.

"All decisions of the board are based on putting the club first and ensuring the best overall outcomes for the club."

Football manager Phil Harper, who inherited the dirty deal built by Trigg and former football boss John Reid in 2009, also won unanimous board backing to retain his role.

Harper received a two-month ban, keeping him off Adelaide's books until March 1.

Dodgy deal the Tippett of the iceberg

But it was the decision to retain Trigg that raised eyebrows in a football community that was predicting a sacking or a voluntary dismissal.

On Friday, the chief executive copped a six-month, unpaid ban from holding any position within the AFL or clubs.

He was also fined $50,000, and faced speculation his position at the club was no longer tenable.

Breaking his silence since the sanctions were handed down on Friday, Trigg revealed he had offered his resignation during several meetings with Chapman after details of Tippett's contract began surfacing during a tumultuous trade period.

Kurt Tippett leaves the AFL Commission with his legal counsel David Gallbally. Picture: Norm Oorloff Source: adelaidenow

"It's been an unbelievable six weeks," Trigg said.

"If I said to you there wasn't a day go by where I didn't think about stepping down you'd probably believe me.

"But particularly in the last week there's been a couple of occasions when I've had that formal discussion with our chairman, and I think reflective of their decision today is the proposition that I can still continue to add value and make sure that we go forward as a footy club."

It is understood Trigg's involvement in ongoing negotiations surrounding the club's move to Adelaide Oval for 2014 and a push for a reserves side were among key planks that won the board's backing.

Despite a wave of outcry at his retention on talkback radio yesterday, Trigg was adamant the stain of his role in the Tippett affair did not affect the viability of his job with the club.

"I've always said I'd love to stay in the role," he said.

"I want to stay in the industry and I want to stay in the role.

"People find that extraordinary given the circumstances, and I understand that as well. I've made some blues, we've buggered up some things, no question about that, and I take complete responsibility.

"But for me, do I want to stay in the role? Absolutely.

"For me it's a question of does the board want me to stay in the role.

"They've put a position where they're really strong, no ambiguity, so it's on that basis that I stay in the role."

Tippett blames Crows for 11-week ban

Trigg learnt of the board's decision in a phone call from Chapman late yesterday morning, immediately after the board meeting.

He was uncertain whether his AFL-imposed ban meant he was allowed to attend games before the suspension ended on July 1.

Trigg said during his enforced lay-off he planned to launch a fact-finding mission with other national and international sporting organisations.

"Apparently I've got a few jobs to do around the house," he said.

"I do need a spell and after 11 years in this role where you're just going flat out the whole time there is a little bit of upside in having a spell. I didn't want it to be this way.

"What I really want to do at some stage is get out, under my own steam and my own cost, and go and look at some world sport so I can learn some things, bring them back here and put them into place.

"Whether that's other codes, other clubs, other sports, I'll spend a bit of time doing that. It needs to be mapped out, I don't want to waste it."

THE PENALTIES

- Adelaide Crows fined $300,000 and stripped of their first and second round picks in the 2013 national draft.

- Tippett fined $50,000 and suspended for the 2013 pre-season and first 11 home and away games, with a suspended sentence for the remaining 11 home and away games.

- Steven Trigg fined $50,000 and suspended from any involvement in the AFL for the first six months of 2013, with a suspended sentence for the remaining six months.

- Former Crows football operations manager John Reid suspended from any involvement in the AFL for the first six months of 2013, with a suspended sentence for the remaining six months.

- Crows football operations manager Phil Harper suspended from any AFL involvement for the first two months of 2013, with a further four-month suspended sentence.

scott.walsh@email.com.au

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Sun rises again for Brennan

Jared Brennan trains with the Suns at Metricon Stadium. Picture: David Clark Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

FROM the back of the bus to the front of the plane.

Jared Brennan's road to redemption is all but complete.

The mercurial 28-year-old was on the brink of quitting the AFL after a horror 2012 season in which the high-priced recruit was twice dumped to the Gold Coast reserves.

Disillusioned and questioning if he still had the passion to play at the top level, a reclusive Brennan withdrew from the pressure-cooker environment of the AFL knowing his career balanced on a knife's edge.

But the former Lion was a new man during the Suns' two-week high-altitude camp in Arizona.

He trained the house down to the point where he was voted by his peers as the best performer in the US - and was rewarded with a seat in business class for the long flight back to Australia.

"He's backed it up (since returning home)," Suns coach Guy McKenna said.

"The big test is coming back to sea level and putting your head down and working hard.

"Jared has shown a real appetite for that hard work. He hasn't missed a beat. His enthusiasm is up, his passion is up, all indicators to do with his training are on the up."

Brennan said he would have regretted pulling the pin.

"I've still got a few good years left in me. If I gave up now it was probably the easy way out," he said.

"(And) I don't want to be known to take the easy way out."

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Players' hands up to dodge drug net

AFL Players Association player relations general manager Ian Prendergast. Picture: Nicole Garmston. Source: Herald Sun

AFL players are avoiding drug strikes by exploiting a loophole in the game's drugs policy.

The Courier-Mail can reveal there has been a spike in players at one Melbourne-based club self-reporting the use of drugs to AFL medical directors Dr Peter Harcourt and Dr Harry Unglik.

The concern is restricted to a small number of players, mostly from the same club.

By self-reporting, a process which requires players to present to Dr Harcourt or Dr Unglik, the players avoid registering a positive drug test and a strike against their name.

Self-reporting is a feature of the AFL's three strikes illicit drugs policy and occurs when a player wishes to admit having used drugs.

Club chiefs say excuses used include "I have had my drink spiked" and "I've accidentally had drugs".

Some players have self-reported more than once, raising concerns about a deliberate abuse of the policy.

AFL players are regularly drug tested for illicit drugs and can be tested at any time.

There has been a rise in the number of self-reports in 2012, leading to suspicions players are abusing the system.

The Courier-Mail understands the AFL and AFLPA are considering limiting the number of allowable self-reporting incidents to one per player in an annual review of the policy.

An increase in the number of off-season hair tests is also being considered.

AFL Players Association player relations general manager Ian Prendergast said the union continued to discuss improvements in the illicit drugs policy with the AFL and AFL medicos.

"The association sits down at the end of every year with AFL medicos to review the operation of the policy," Prendergast said.

"If there are issues that need to be addressed to ensure that the policy not only helps players at risk but also acts as a strong deterrent, I'm confident we can address those issues through our discussion with the AFL medicos."

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Swans still keen on Tippett

Sydney is still interested in signing Kurt Tippett, despite his 11-match ban. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: adelaidenow

PREMIER Sydney has reaffirmed its commitment to securing Kurt Tippett in this month's pre-season draft, while rival Greater Western Sydney awaits his financial terms.

Following yesterday's AFL Commission hearing, the Swans indicated the 11-match ban handed to Tippett would not sway their interest in the former Adelaide forward.

Sydney football manager Dean Moore said the Swans still intended to select Tippett if he was available at their pick in the pre-season draft on December 11.

"Although today's decision is obviously a disappointing setback for Kurt, we have always seen Kurt as a long-term player and we will go to the pre-season draft with the intention of selecting him if he's available at our pick," Moore said.

The Giants, who hold the first selection in the pre-season draft, also maintained their interest.

"We were always awaiting the outcome of the AFL hearing, but we also want to see the terms on which Kurt Tippett will nominate for the December draft," a Giants' spokesman said.

"We will find out (his terms) on Monday. He has got to nominate Monday the terms in which he nominates for the draft."We're still in the mix, but we just now need to see what terms he nominates for the draft."

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Will Trigg want to continue at Crows?

Adelaide Crows CEO Steven Trigg faces the media after the AFL Commission. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images

ADELAIDE got smacked last night, and rightly so - there was never any doubt about the Crows having transgressed the AFL Player Rules.

It is not the most pressing issue.

They could have been whacked much harder: Phil Harper escaped with a slap on his wrist, the club will only sit out for part of next year's draft (to go with what they sacrificed this year) and John Reid, well, his penalty of being excluded from football is irrelevant because he's retired from the game.

You can say Reid was the instigator of all of this, because the football department was his domain, but that would excuse others who were complicit.

Trigg was at the wheel of the club, and what will be in play from here is the future of Trigg.

It is fair that the captain's penalty is weighted according to his rank. It will be debated at a board meeting that has been scheduled for today, but thoughts of his future are already swirling inside Trigg's mind.

He is a proven chief executive in the AFL and served his club with distinction before this crisis, so much so AFL House had grand plans for him to one day consider joining league administration.

There was an overseas scholarship afforded to Trigg by the AFL and there was also the thought that considering that he had served his club so well, moving to the chief body was a logical step.

It has stripped Steven Trigg of his squeaky clean reputation

Behind closed doors it was said that he was getting itchy feet as long as 18 months or two years ago to look at something else but he remained and steered the Crows through an important phase with the departure of greats such as Mark Ricciuto, Simon Goodwin and Andrew McLeod, the building of a new training centre and the transition from Neil Craig to Brenton Sanderson.

The question now is how Trigg will feel about continuing. The club will assure him they can carry on for his six-month suspension and want him to return - they'll tell him he is, because he is, ideal to lead the club out of this drama.

There are already rumours swirling that Rob Chapman could fill in, but chairman-chief executive combinations usually lead to a mess.

It comes down to how Trigg feels about the situation. His AFL aspirations - if he didn't have any, others held them for him - now appear shot and he is not the sort of man who could handle being a burden.

Trigg made a few blunders along the way, then his conscience got in the way when others urged him to just plough on and push the envelope because that's what football clubs do. That's not to paint him as a saint, because he pushed on.

It will now cost him not only a six-month suspension (and another six suspended) but also $50,000.

It has stripped Trigg of his squeaky clean reputation.

And it has probably stripped him of any chance of being invited to take a top role at AFL House. But to put this into perspective: football is a competitive game that attracts competitive types, and like Malcolm Blight said last week - except for the two new franchises, all clubs have probably stretched or broken the rules to put a better football team on the field.

This much is certain. Steven Trigg is a decent man who made an error of judgment.

He has fronted up and will, insiders say, be given a chance to remain with the Crows.

It will be up to Trigg what happens from here.

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Tippett avoids grudge match

Kurt Tippett with fellow key forward Taylor Walker after the 2012 preliminary final loss against Hawthorn. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: Herald Sun

CROWS public enemy No. 1 Kurt Tippett has been spared being thrown to the wolves against his old club next year.

His 11-match ban for draft tampering and salary cap cheating rules him out of the much-anticipated grudge match against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in round 11.

But in a strange twist of fate, Tippett's first game for the Swans - provided he ends up with the premier - could still be in Adelaide.

Sydney has the bye in round 12 but plays Port Adelaide at AAMI in round 13.

Such a scenario could result in as many Crows fans turning up to boo Tippett as Power fans do to cheer their team.

Sydney last night reaffirmed its desire to secure Tippett in the pre-season draft, despite his half-a-season ban.

"Although the decision is obviously a disappointing setback for Kurt, we have always seen Kurt as a long-term player," Swans general manager of football Dean Moore said in a statement.

"We will go to the pre-season draft with the intention of selecting him if he's available at our pick."

Tippett's other suitor, Greater Western Sydney - which owns the first pick at the pre-season draft - said it would not be put off by him missing so much football.

His price, however, could be a different matter.

Tippett - who has made no secret of his desire to join Sydney - will on Monday put a price on his head, which is expected to be the $3.5 million over four years the Swans offered him to leave Adelaide during the trade period.

Giants chief executive David Matthews said the club's position hadn't changed because of Tippett's hefty ban.

"We note the sanctions handed down by the AFL Commission and we now have a clear understanding of Kurt Tippett's availability for the 2013 season," Matthews said in a statement.

"We now want to see the financial terms on which he will nominate for the (December 11) draft so we can assess his affordability.

"We also have to consider whether he is the right fit for the club as we continue to build a strong culture amongst our young playing group.

"These are all factors we will now carefully consider over the coming days before making a decision on whether to draft him with our first selection."

Tippett - who also banned from playing in the pre-season competition and was fined $50,000 - accepted guilt for his misdemeanours but blamed the Crows for leading him astray.

"I trusted the Adelaide Football Club and for the duration of my contract I did my utmost for the club on and off the field," he said in a statement.

"It is bitterly disappointing, then, to learn that my trust and best endeavours have been to my substantial detriment.

"Only during the recent AFL trade period did I learn that some terms in the Adelaide offer may have contravened AFL rules, and since that point I and all parties associated with me have co-operated fully with the AFL in its investigations.

"I have nothing to hide and have only refrained from media comment in recent weeks on legal advice and out of respect for the AFL investigation process.

"Through my legal representative I asked for an open hearing in the hope that the truth would be revealed.

"I pleaded guilty to the two charges on advice without any admission of liability and despite being assured there were valid defences available to me in respect to both charges.

"It is very important to me that I concentrate on preparing for next season and remove all distractions from my preparation. I am glad that this matter is now finalised and I look forward to moving on and playing football."

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Look beyond Murphy, says Maclure

Chris Judd is set to relinquish the Carlton captaincy. Picture: Chris Hyde. Source: Getty Images

CARLTON legend Mark Maclure has urged the Blues to look beyond the on-field brilliance of Marc Murphy when deciding on the club's next captain.

Murphy, 25, is the frontrunner to replace superstar veteran Chris Judd, who is poised to step aside after five years in the job.

CEO Greg Swann yesterday gave the green light for Judd to "concentrate on playing good footy" and help groom the team's next on-field general.

While a Superfooty poll was 40 per cent in favour of Murphy getting the nod, Maclure said new coach Mick Malthouse will challenge the players to think broadly about the leadership candidates.

"It's not always the best player," Maclure said.

"Is Nick Maxwell the best player at Collingwood? No he's not. But Nick Maxwell is a pretty good captain at Collingwood.

"It's not always the Marc Murphy who can get 35 touches, sometimes it's what he does when he hasn't got the ball and that's what Nick Maxwell does.

"It might be Kade Simpson who you don't hear much of, who slides under the radar all the time.

"If I think I know what Mick would want it would be one of the most well respected players and respected for what they do on the field and off it. Not because they can get 30 kicks a week."

Andrew Carrazzo and Michael Jamison both have strong support.

It is understood Judd, 29, is keen to offload some of the added captaincy responsibilities in the final year of his playing contract.

Greg Swann said the club would not force Judd to remain in the position if he had doubts.

"If he doesn't want to do it, well then, you don't want to make him do it," the Blues CEO said.

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The 20 draftees ready to explode

THE kid gloves are off for these golden 20.

Forget project players, here are the talents from this year's draft who will have the biggest impact next season.

SAM LANDSBERGER and JAY CLARK rank the first-year players who are set to explode from Round 1, 2013.

Get your SuperCoach notes ready.

1. JACK VINEY
Club: Melbourne
Age: 18
Height: 178cm Weight: 81kg
Drafted: No.26 (father-son)
Pick Me video highlights of Viney

Instant Brent Moloney replacement has sparkled in early training. Already a midfield beast who is set to win plenty of admirers with his aggression and courage at clearances.

Melbourne training at Gosch's Paddock. Jack Viney and Shannon Byrne Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

Follow Sam and Jay on Twitter @SamLandsberger and @ClarkyHeraldSun

2. JAEGER O'MEARA

Club: Gold Coast
Age: 18
Height: 182cm Weight: 75kg
Drafted: 2011 mini-draft

Had the benefit of playing with Gold Coast's reserves this year and will slot straight on to a wing and forward flank. Super-slick ball-user is already considered the most talented under-21 player on the Suns' young list.

Gold Coast Suns continue there training at Metricon Stadium, Carrara ahead of next season - Jaeger O'Meara Picture: David Clark Source: Herald Sun

3. BRAD CROUCH
Club: Adelaide
Age: 18
Height: 184cm Weight: 83kg
Drafted: 2011 mini-draft

Has flown under the radar in South Australia but would have been a top-five pick in this year's draft. Hard-nut with explosive speed who will be ready for Round 1.

4. OLLIE WINES
Club: Port Adelaide
Age: 18
Height: 185cm Weight: 83cm
Drafted: No.7
Pick Me video highlights of Wines

Imposing onball talent will give Port a harder edge from the get-go. Clearance king has already been likened to Jobe Watson. Will eventually help replace Power's veteran ageing mids Dom Cassisi and Kane Cornes.

5. TOM LEE
Club: St Kilda
Age: 21
Height: 194cm Weight: 94kg
Drafted: Pre-listed trade from GWS

Booted 60.20 in the WAFL this season and is ready to slot straight next to Nick Riewoldt in attack. Runner-up in Claremont's best-and-fairest and with a big frame is well-equipped to mix it in the AFL.

The SuperFooty Draft Tracker - See what your club picked up
 

6. JESSE LONERGAN
Club: Gold Coast
Age: 18
Height: 183cm Weight: 91kg
Drafted: No.13

Suns are crying out for some inside midfield help and Lonergan is ready to bash bodies. Coming off a knee injury but his strong frame and combative nature will fill the void left by Josh Caddy.

Gold Coast Suns recruit Jesse Lonergan. Picture: Glenn Hampson Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

7. JAKE STRINGER
Club: Western Bulldogs
Age: 18
Height: 191cm Weight: 91kg
Drafted: No.5

Forget the leg issues, he is already impressing in full training. With a huge frame, he can play almost anywhere between full-forward and midfield. Had the physicality of a 25-year-old, according to some talent experts, while playing VFL last season.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 22: Jake Stringer poses after being drafted to the Western Bulldogs during the 2012 AFL Draft at the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre on November 22, 2012 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images) Source: Herald Sun

8. TIM MEMBREY
Club: Sydney
Age: 18
Height: 189cm Weight: 88kg
Drafted: No.46
Pick Me highlights of Membrey

First played senior footy aged 16 at Traralgon so will have no worries coming up against the big boys early. Man-child in the Jack Darling mould who will add immediate potency to the Swans' forward setup. Strong mark and lethal set shot.

9. LACHIE WHITFIELD
Club: GWS
Age: 18
Height: 184cm Weight: 74kg
Drafted: No.1

Has a light frame but his class will stand out immediately. Unbelievable motor will ensure he runs all day, but it is his kicking and decision-making on the run that makes heads spin. GWS will manage his workload carefully.

10. JIMMY TOUMPAS
Club: Melbourne
Age: 18
Height: 183cm Weight: 77kg
Drafted: No.4

Classy wingman is already considered one of the Demons' better ball-users, so sweet is his right foot. Mark Neeld loves his leadership and attitude, so expect him to play a lot in 2013. Strong over the ball for an outside mid.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 26: Jimmy Toumpas handballs during a Melbourne Demons AFL pre-season training session at Gosch's Paddock on November 26, 2012 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Prezioso/Getty Images) Source: Herald Sun

11. DYLAN VAN UNEN
Club: Essendon
Age: 22
Height: 189cm Weight: 88kg
Drafted: No.51

Bit of a mystery man after he was plucked from obscurity at Frankston. Flexible type will be given a chance to rebound out of Jimmy Hird's backline, but far from a lock in the best 22. Won three reserves flags at Box Hill.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 27: Dylan Van Unen looks to kick the ball during an Essendon Bombers AFL pre-season training camp on November 27, 2012, on the Gold Coast Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images) Source: Herald Sun

12. NICK VLASTUIN
Club: Richmond
Age: 18
Height: 187cm Weight: 83kg
Drafted: No.9
Pick Me highlights of Vlastuin

Another foot soldier is physically ready to go, but will have a battle on his hands breaking into the senior side early, with Steve Morris and Brandon Ellis shining down back last season. Hard as a two-dollar steak and can play inside midfield role.

See exclusive Pick Me videos of 20 hot draftees

13. DEAN TERLICH
Club: Melbourne
Age: 22
Height: 185cm Weight: 85kg
Drafted: No.68

Spent a year on Sydney's rookie list in 2008 and was best on ground in this year's SANFL grand final. Demons have a dearth of rebounding backmen, providing opportunity for Terlich to settle on a flank early.

14. SAM MAYES
Club: Brisbane
Age: 18
Height: 187cm Weight: 78kg
Drafted: No.8

Looks a cheap get for the Lions at pick No.8. A versatile flanker/wingman with a beautiful kick, particularly running inside-50m. Lions need his outside polish and forward line potency. One club rated him the second-best player in this year's draft pool.

North Adelaide forward Sam Mayes has been drafted by Brisbane. Picture: Matt Roberts. Source: Getty Images

15. DEAN TOWERS
Club: Sydney
Age: 22
Height: 189cm Weight: 83kg
Drafted: No.22

Isaac Smith-type will help the Swans' ageing half-back line. Explosive speed but wobbly right foot can let him down. Power athlete will take on the opposition after building confidence with an outstanding 2012 VFL campaign.

16. JOE DANIHER
Club: Essendon
Age: 18
Height: 201cm Weight: 89kg
Drafted: No.10 (father-son)
Pick Me highlights of Daniher

Let's call it. Daniher will be the player of the draft, given his exceptional mobility and marking power. But expect the Bombers to be ultra careful managing his light frame in the first two years. Michael Hurley's move into the backline will create opportunities. Should play 10 games in 2013.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 27: Joe Daniher signals to his team mates during an Essendon Bombers AFL pre-season training camp on November 27, 2012, on the Gold Coast Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images) Source: Herald Sun

17. LACHIE PLOWMAN
Club: GWS
Age: 18
Height: 191cm Weight: 86kg
Drafted: No.3
Pick Me highlights of Plowman

Greater Western Sydney is desperate for some backline relief and the mid-sized defender can plug holes and rebound with flair. The departure of Jack Hombsch will open the door for Plowman to make an early impression next to Phil Davis.

18. MATT JONES
Club: Melbourne
Age: 25
Height: 188cm Weight: 81kg
Drafted: No.52

Box Hill 25-year-old was drafted to play straight away. Skilful outside midfielder has a big tank and nice height. Another one who could flourish under the Demons' "Moneyball'' strategy.

19. BRODIE GRUNDY
Club: Collingwood
Age: 18
Height: 201cm Weight: 100kg
Drafted: No.18

Bulked-up ruckman comfortable battling other men at senior SANFL level this year. Already 100kg so will have no trouble helping Darren Jolly in the ruck or providing a deep target forward. Ben Hudson will provide competition, but the Pies have a history of blooding youngsters early and were ecstatic to land him at pick No.18, the bargain of the draft.

Collingwood training,Darren Jolley and Brodie Grundy, Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

20. TROY MENZEL
Club: Carlton
Age: 18
Height: 187cm Weight: 77kg
Drafted: No.11

Knees are still an unknown after LARS on one and a PCL injury to the other, but on talent alone, he is a top-three pick. Medium-forward plays above his height and was renowned for turning matches with his slick evasive movement and goal nous. Will provide highlights if his knees allow him to get on the park.

Mick Malthouse and Troy Menzel Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

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Tippett never fond of Adelaide

Kurt Tippett with Adelaide teammates Nathan van Berlo, Scott Thompson and Ben Rutten at training. Picture: Simon Cross. Source: adelaidenow

KURT Tippett was never in love with the City of Churches.

For a Gold Coast kid used to the bright lights of Cavill Avenue, Adelaide was a hick town - even if it did make him an AFL star and a multimillionaire.

"I'm not going to deny I'm a beach boy at heart. If you've ever been to the Gold Coast I think you'll know what I'm talking about," Tippett told the Adelaide Advertiser.

But like an unrequited lover, the Crows could never accept Tippett's rejections. To fend off the advances of Gold Coast at the end of 2009, Tippett was offered a $700,000-plus contract, making him Adelaide's highest-paid player.

It was a pay packet based more on potential than performance. And, as it turns out, pure desperation.

The official Tippett contract submitted by the Crows to the AFL did not tell the full story of the relationship between player and club.

An alleged side agreement - complete with instructions to keep it secret from the AFL - detailed how Tippett would be guaranteed extra third-party payments totalling as much as $300,000 over three years.

It is understood to have included an "exit clause" to trade Tippett to the club of his choice for a second-round draft pick should he decide to leave the Crows at the end of 2012.

If true, the allegations amount to salary cap cheating and draft tampering.

At 8am today, Tippett and club heavyweights will front the nine-person AFL Commission to explain their conduct and argue why they should not be severely punished.

At stake are careers, draft picks, fines and the premiership dreams of Adelaide's fanatical supporters.

It's the biggest scandal in the club's 22-year history.

Tippett, while still pleading his innocence in the saga, faces deregistration.

Crows chief executive Steven Trigg, once highly regarded by AFL boss Andrew Demetriou, could lose his job if given a lengthy suspension.

General manager of football operations Phil Harper has also been implicated, as has former football operations manager John Reid.

Crows chairman Rob Chapman - a former St George Bank chief executive - will lead the club delegation at today's hearing, backed by a high-powered legal team to fight nine separate charges.

Trigg, Reid, Harper and Tippett will be represented separately.

All but Tippett, who faces two of his own charges, will plead guilty, and hope their explanations lessen the blow.

"We will be prepared. We will leave no stone unturned to push our case," Chapman has said.

The saga took another twist when the Crows surrendered their first two picks - 20 and 54 - in last week's national draft.

The club described the move as a "goodwill gesture" but rivals claimed it was a ploy to protect picks in future drafts.

A worst-case scenario would see the club banned from participating in the draft and pre-season draft for three years, a devastating outcome.

A more likely punishment would see the Crows heavily fined and stripped of their first and second-round picks in the 2013 and 2014 national drafts.

Internally the Crows believes their crimes are "at the lower end of the scale" and were undertaken at a time when AFL rules governing third-party deals were less defined.

This month's Herald Sun story revealing the league had pulled the plug on Chris Judd's controversial third-party deal with Visy - four years after approving it - highlights the confusion about the payments.

Tippett's manager, Peter Blucher, has his own problems but won't know his fate until after the AFL Commission deals with Adelaide.

Blucher, like disgraced former agent Ricky Nixon, could be stripped of his player management licence by the AFL Players' Association's accreditation board.

But the Tippett camp has signalled its intention to fight, possibly in the courts, to paint Adelaide as the villain.

Rumours about the mysterious clauses surrounding Tippett's contract surfaced in August last year.

At the time, Adelaide legend Mark Ricciuto urged the club to accept Tippett's inevitable return to the Gold Coast by trading him to the Suns for Sam Day or Daniel Gorringe.

Had it listened, Adelaide's dirtiest secret might never have been exposed.

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Three reasons Giants can be No.1

PRESSURE: Greater Western Sydney's three No.1 draft picks, Tom Scully, Jonathon Patton and Lachie Whitfield. Source: The Daily Telegraph

THESE three Giants eat pressure at Breakfast Point.

GWS's three No.1 draft picks, Tom Scully, Jonathon Patton and Lachie Whitfield, have had to deal with the scrutiny that comes with being touted as the best youngster in Australia.

They are also the aces the Giants hope will lead the youngest squad in AFL history to premiership glory over the next decade.

Whitfield hasn't had a decent night's sleep since his name was read out by AFL boss Andrew Demetriou seven days ago.

But he is settling into the Giants' Breakfast Point base and has already identified Scully as a player he wants to emulate.

"I'd like to model my game on him," Whitfield said.

"I'm going to jump in his training group whenever I can and feed off him."

While Patton (197cm) towers over Whitfield (184cm), Scully (182cm) is a similar size and has a similar style.

"I've been to two training sessions so far and he (Scully) has really caught my eye as the hardest trainer with the biggest work ethic," Whitfield said.

"He's not really tall and we both have good endurance."

Scully is happy for the teenager to stay close and learn.

As well as being able to compare notes on playing in the midfield, the former Demon can teach Whitfield to cope with the mental pressure of being a top pick.

"You have to embrace it, you can't shy away from it," Scully said.

"Nothing prepares you for being picked No.1.

"The attention is very confronting. Everyone wants a piece of you. It's a great honour but it comes with great expectations and responsibility."

Carlton are the only other club with three No.1 selections in the draft.

Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs and Matthew Kreuzer were taken first in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 drafts.

"Clubs don't put an emphasis on who's No.1, we're all treated the same," Scully said.

"You have to be the player you are, not somebody you're not. You always have people who will have opinions about how you are going. It's your teammates and coaches that count."

Whitfield's teammates include more than a dozen players he has played with as part of the AIS program and for the Victorian country team.

"It was great to see the players I haven't seen in ages," Whitfield said.

"I walked into the club already knowing so many of the guys.

"So much of the club were in the same position as I am just last year."

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Breach boys - and all their hits

Former Carlton president Ian Collins says the salary cap scandal set the Blues back 10 years. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: Herald Sun

SALARY cap scandals are nothing new in the AFL.

Carlton was most recently punished for serious breaches of league rules in 2002.

The Blues were fined $930,000 and stripped of crucial draft picks for payments made over four years to Fraser Brown and Stephen O'Reilly and agreements to pay Craig Bradley and Stephen Silvagni.

The rorts cost them the first two picks in the 2002 national draft and the first two picks in the 2003 national draft.

Former Carlton president Ian Collins says the salary cap penalties set the club back a decade.

"At the time I said it would cost 10 years, and it's basically almost 10 years. When you look at it, it did what the (AFL) set out to do," he said last year.

In 1996, Essendon was fined $388,500 and ordered to pay a further $250,000 in back-tax after an Australian Tax Office investigation into draft tampering revealed it had breached the salary cap by $514,500 between 1991-96.

It was banned from the subsequent pre-season draft, rookie draft and first three rounds of the national draft. That year, 10 other clubs were fined for minor breaches.

Melbourne incurred a fine of $600,000 in 1999 and was barred from the first three rounds of the 2000 national draft.

Sydney was also punished for serious breaches in 1987 - the first year of the AFL salary cap.

But rival NRL lays claim to Australian sport's biggest salary cap scandal. In 2010, Melbourne Storm was stripped of two premierships, fined $500,000 and banned from earning premiership points for the rest of the season.

Club chiefs had breached the salary cap by $1.7 million over five years by keeping a second (secret) set of payment books.

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Crows to present a united front

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg could lose his position at today's hearing. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

ADELAIDE today will turn up with a united front as it faces the league commission at AFL House in Melbourne for the hearing into salary cap breaches and draft tampering charges.

The club has been angered by speculation the key players seeking to explain their actions and minimise the sanctions - the club, chief executive Steven Trigg, football operations manager Phil Harper and his predecessor John Reid - will be represented by their own lawyers. It has painted a confusing picture: Is it every man for himself?

But sources have told The Advertiser the four parties, who will all plead guilty to their combined nine charges, have worked long hours together with their respective silks and travelled together to Melbourne yesterday.

They will be required at the AFL Commission hearing at 7.30am (Adelaide time) for what it expected to be a brief proceeding.

Questions will be asked from all of the parties, mitigating factors will be presented on behalf of the Crows and then it is understood there will be an adjournment for the AFL Commission to deliberate.

The player at the centre of Adelaide's greatest crisis, Kurt Tippett, is expected to plead not guilty to the charges levelled at him.

The Crows will argue:

THEY have not broken the salary cap, which cost Carlton so dearly in its penalties from the AFL in 2002, when they were restricted in two drafts and fined close to $1 million.

PLEADING guilty to all of the charges before the club does, is not an admission of wilfully breaking the rules or seeking personal gain.

THE charges were brought upon them by themselves, but not necessarily in a wilful or sinister fashion.

The Advertiser also understands Reid, who by right did not have to front the hearing - he no longer works in the game - will be happy to take the fall for the transgressions that have transpired.

Crows insiders have quashed speculation Harper may be the fall guy.

It was also Reid's field in which the alleged salary cap breaches and draft tampering happened when the original Tippett contract was drawn up in late 2009.

The careers of Trigg and Harper at West Lakes are set to be decided tomorrow.

If they get suspended for more than six months by the AFL, their positions with the Crows will most likely be seen as untenable.

Less than that, it becomes a judgment call for the board.

Chairman Rob Chapman yesterday sent an email to all of the club's members promising each member they would be contacted by a club director to explain what has transpired once the matter has been finalised.

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Recruits walk into whirlwind

Collingwood recruit Quinten Lynch takes part in a running drill as the Pies found themselves back on the training track. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

Lynch gets down to what he knows best. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD recruits Quinten Lynch, Jordan Russell and Clinton Young won't need any reminding of how big the club they've walked into is.

As they strode in for an "introductory" press conference at the Westpac Centre yesterday, the former free agents were greeted by 13 journalists, five TV cameras, three photographers and two Emirates air hostesses.

The air hostesses were there for a promotional shot with coach Nathan Buckley, but it's not something Lynch, Russell and Young would have been accustomed to at West Coast, Carlton and Hawthorn.

The three weren't the news of the day; the issue of illicit drugs, put on the table by Pies chief Gary Pert yesterday morning, was why this media call had more attention than it otherwise would have.

Not that Young seemed too fazed. "I don't think I'll be presenting too often in front of the media, so I'll be OK," he said.

Nor Lynch, who, after effectively taking the place of the maligned Chris Dawes, will face pressure to perform.

"I'm not really too worried about outside expectations, I'll be just talking to the coaches and looking forward to the challenge of playing in such a good side," Lynch said.

"Playing on the MCG most weeks ... is exciting, as is playing with such great players."

Buckley said the club's off-season recruiting policy - the Magpies brought in three experienced players, three first-round draft picks and offloaded Dawes and Sharrod Wellingham - had left it in better shape than 12 months ago.

Picture gallery: Pies' pre-season punishment

And it might get stronger yet if journeyman ruckman Ben Hudson is picked up in the rookie draft.

Buckley said he expects Darren Jolly to handle the majority of the ruck duties, along with Lynch, but also said he did not expect Jolly to play every game.

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AFL indigenous decline wrong: Mifsud

Port Adelaide has picked up Jake Neade. Picture: Andrew Brownbill. Source: Herald Sun

AFL multicultural boss Jason Mifsud says any fears that clubs have gone cold on indigenous draft prospects "could not be further from the truth".

Mifsud addressed scathing criticism from former Fremantle recruiting boss Phil Smart who blasted AFL clubs for unfairly overlooking indigenous prospects.

Only four indigenous players were taken in last Thursday night's national draft.

Mifsud said the 2012 indigenous intake would likely exceed the yearly average when the pre-selected indigenous players, such as Port Adelaide's Jake Neade and Demon Dom Barry, and the top pick in the mini-draft, Jack Martin, were included in the tally.

"I know there has been some discussion about the low numbers in the national draft, but if you take the pre-selected players into account, indigenous players made up 8 per cent of the draft," he said.

"Given the majority of players have come through the rookie system (the rookie draft will be held next month) in the last number of years, we are on track to succeed our percentage of the last couple of years."

In a rare interview, Mifsud downplayed Smart's attack on club recruiting philosophies as "passion" but said the industry needed to work to increase the number of indigenous people in clubs' executive, coaching and administrative ranks.

"If we are serious about measuring success in the indigenous space, in a broader sense, they are the opportunities we need to be pursuing," Mifsud said.

"Ten per cent of our playing list is indigenous, but only two indigenous coaches out of 160 suggests that it is a significant opportunity for us to grow the influence and impact of indigenous people."

He said indigenous draftees weren't the only AFL hopefuls overlooked last Thursday night because of off-field issues.

"It is a bit narrow isolating it to indigenous players because I think, equally, there would be other talented players who are being asked to improve their level of dedication and discipline," he said.

"It is only 20 years ago that AFL lists were made up of 1 per cent of indigenous players. We should not forget we've come a long way in a short period of time."

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Robbo heads the No.1 footy team

Best in news: Football writer Mark Robinson and premiership coach Paul Roos at last year's season launch. Source: Herald Sun

MARK Robinson has been appointed the Herald Sun's chief football writer, leading the No.1 footy team in Australia's biggest daily newspaper.

Robinson, 45, replaces Mike Sheahan, who stepped aside last year after 18 years in the top job.

"I'm honoured to lead the Herald Sun's team covering the greatest game in Australia," Robinson said yesterday. "Footy is the lifeblood of Victoria and the Herald Sun team is as enthusiastic as every fan out there.

"Mike Sheahan is an iconic person for the Herald Sun and all of us in the team are proud to build on his legacy."

A multi-award-winning sports journalist, Robinson has carved a respected 20-year career as a news-breaker, hard-hitting columnist and interviewer of the biggest names in footy.

Robinson also writes the enormously popular The Tackle column for the Herald Sun and heraldsun.com.au and appears on Fox Sports AFL360.

"Robinson is essential reading for everybody in football," Herald Sun editor Damon Johnston said yesterday. "He breaks the big stories, is a respected footy analyst and his appointment strengthens the Herald Sun's position as No.1 for footy."

Robinson will lead a team that includes premiership coach Paul Roos, Brownlow medallist Shane Crawford, Jon Ralph, Mark Stevens, Michael Warner, Glenn McFarlane, Scott Gullan, Warwick Green, Jon Anderson, Jay Clark, Bruce Matthews and Sam Edmund.

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Substance issues in AFL 'volcanic'

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert says illicit drugs are the biggest problem facing the AFL, especially during the off-season.

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert has raised unconfirmed rumours about AFL footballers not just using drugs, but dealing them. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun

GARY Pert dropped his drugs bombshell at a meeting of club chief executives and AFL bosses the day before the national draft.

It followed a long discussion about game equalisation strategies and took most of the league's powerbrokers by surprise.

In front of an audience that included AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou, Pert took the floor for 30 minutes and described what he says is an alarming illegal drugs problem among AFL players.

Yesterday he went further, calling it "volcanic behaviour" in the off-season.

The inference taken from some in the conference room at Gold Coast's Metricon Stadium was that Pert was speaking about Collingwood players - not just a wider industry problem as explained by the Magpies chief executive in yesterday's Herald Sun.

Pert is adamant he was talking generally about AFL players, not specifically his own.

He had broached the drugs topic with Demetriou a few days earlier and was given permission to raise it as an agenda item.

In emphasising the problem, he raised unconfirmed rumours about AFL footballers not just using drugs, but dealing them.

"I can confirm that I spoke to the CEOs about the types of rumours that are out there and do damage to the industry, no matter how accurate," Pert said yesterday.

Picture gallery: Pies' pre-season punishment

"But there was absolutely no specific reference to any player or any club."

The night before the Gold Coast meeting, Pert had dinner at the Crowne Plaza with West Coast chief Trevor Nisbett and let him know what he intended to do at the chief executives' conference.

Nisbett is no stranger to drugs and football and was at the helm when Ben Cousins and his mates were running amok in the west.

Yesterday, with the story plastered across the front page of the Herald Sun, Pert emailed his fellow chief executives to express disappointment that the story had got out.

But if his fears are right, it won't be long until a far bigger story breaks.

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'Penny drops' for high-flying Beams

Dayne Beams at Collingwood training. Coach Nathan Buckley says he's expecting even better results from the midfielder next year. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley says "the penny dropped" for Queenslander Dayne Beams this year and he expects the Magpies star to cash in next season.

The Gold Coast product's breakout 2012 campaign landed him All-Australian selection, elevation to the Magpies leadership group, a new contract and the Collingwood best and fairest award the Copeland Trophy.

It was a remarkable turnaround from 2011 when the injured and out of form Beams was omitted from Collingwood's grand final side.

Buckley said the 22-year-old midfielder had reported back from his pre-season break in outstanding physical and mental shape.

"He took massive strides in his attention to detail, his professionalism and his training standards last season so jlit was no surprise that carried on to his on-field form which went from strength to strength," Buckley said.

"The thing that stands out for me now is that he is still really hungry. From a coach's perspective, you look to see how players react to a great season like Dayne had in 2012 and what's the next step.

"He is not satisfied. He had a taste of a consistent season and wants to keep improving to see where the next level is going to take him."

"He is giving himself a chance of doing that too through hard work and application.

He took massive strides in his attention to detail, his professionalism and his training standards last season

"You try to create an environment where the penny drops for all of the players and the penny dropped for Beamsy and he was able to maximise his talents.

"He's had his setbacks but he learned from them and became stronger mentally."

Meanwhile, Buckley said Queenslander Lachlan Keeffe was a chance of being available for round 1 after a knee reconstruction.

Keeffe had worked his way into the Magpies' first-choice 22 and was a vital part of the defensive structure before the injury.

Picture gallery: Pies' pre-season punishment

"He has been really diligent in his recovery. It was a very unfortunate injury for him because he started the year so well and made a home for himself down back," Buckley said.

"By early next year he will be in full training and looking forward to starting the season. He'll be aiming for round 1 but we won't be pushing him.

"He's a big unit with long limbs so we have to approach his recovery differently. Keeffey is only young and he's got a long career ahead of him so we are going to take our time with him."

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Pies chief warns of AFL drugs problem

Collingwood CEO Gary Pert says drugs have become a significant industry issue that must be addressed as soon as possible. Source: Herald Sun

Collingwood's Gavin Crosisca confessed to the Herald Sun in September that he is an addict who used illicit drugs throughout his 25-year playing and coaching career. Picture: Joe Mann Source: Herald Sun

COLLINGWOOD chief executive Gary Pert has raised serious concerns about a growing illegal drug culture in football.

Pert told the Herald Sun last night drugs had become a significant industry issue that must be addressed as soon as possible.

"This is a serious issue with young men in the community and we'd be naive to think it didn't happen in the AFL," Pert said.

"It will be an ongoing challenge - as it is in the community - from this point on."

Pert said he raised it now because he had seen the impact that drugs had had on the community and on a number of players.

"I have seen examples of players who have played AFL football and who have left addicted to drugs, like Ben Cousins and Gavin Crosisca, who came out recently," Pert said.

"We have watched Lance Armstrong destroy the credibility of an entire sport and we see that drugs are in the clubs because the AFL releases the amount of positive tests (each year).

"So someone needed to put this on the table as a priority for the industry to deal with it."

Magpies president Eddie McGuire said Pert was speaking with the board's imprimatur.

"I first brought up the issue of recreational drugs - as they were called back then - at the very first meeting I attended as president in 1998," McGuire said.

Pert raised his concerns at the end of a meeting of club CEOs on the Gold Coast last Wednesday, a day before the national draft.

Several AFL bosses, including Andrew Demetriou and Adrian Anderson, heard Pert's concerns.

Crosisca: Grog and drugs cost me the lot

Cousins breaks silence on drugs case

A specific AFL forum has been put in place for late January to tackle the drugs issue.

" I asked whether we would like to deal with the issue in a forum (to be held in 2013)," Pert said.

"I had several of the CEOs and the AFL thank me for bringing up the issue and that it was important to make it a high priority."

Two of those present who preferred to remain unnamed yesterday told the Herald Sun they were stunned at Pert's speech.

Pert emphasised that he was not talking about any particular players or club but that the issue needed to be addressed.

"Categorically, there was no reference to any specific player or any specific club," he said.

- with Glenn McFarlane and Michael Warner

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Menzels' mum sticks to the winner

Troy Menzel with his mother, Cathy, and girlfriend Alyce James-Tronnolone. Picture: Roy Vandervegt. Source: adelaidenow

WHEN Carlton plays Geelong next season, Cathy Menzel will be in the crowd wearing a plain blue and white scarf.

One of her sons, Central District's Troy Menzel, was selected for Carlton in last week's AFL draft, while older son Daniel, 21, already plays for Geelong.

"If they play against each other, I'll just go with the team that wins," Ms Menzel says.

Troy, 18, was drafted by the Blues with pick No.11 on Thursday night (November 22).

Ms Menzel says having two boys make the big league is exciting and makes the sacrifices worthwhile.

Ms Menzel raised her six sons on her own - Troy, Sam, 19, Daniel, Chris, 22, Matt, 29, and Adam, 30 - in Greenwith.

"When Daniel was drafted I wasn't at the draft and being there this time was really exciting.

"Four of the boys played football and there was a bit of competitiveness there, especially with Troy and Daniel, so it's no surprise how they've ended up."

She says Troy and Daniel have done all the hard work to overcome their own hurdles and she is just glad to be able to lend a hand.

Troy required a knee reconstruction when he was just 16 and spent a slab of this year on the sidelines after hurting it again in an SANFL finals match for Central District.

Daniel has also had two knee reconstructions since being drafted to Geelong.

"It's been tough but for them to achieve what they've set out to achieve brings tremendous joy, not only to them but (the family)," their mum says.

"Having them both in Victoria makes it easier because we can go and visit them at the same time. I was a bit concerned they'd end up in different states.

"I just think both boys have been rewarded for their dedication.

"They've both had the skills but their hard work and passion for the game has probably got them over the line."

Troy arrived at Carlton for his first AFL training session yesterday (Tuesday, November 27).

He says he owes a lot to his mum.

"She's quite happy it's all over now and she can sit back and enjoy it, she's definitely done a cracking job with us boys," Troy says.

"I think she was still as nervous for Daniel, but going through it twice she knew the process."

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Bucks doesn't stop with just kicking

Simon Buckley caught these two giant snapper off Mordialloc on Saturday morning. Source: Herald Sun

HERE are two that didn't get away. Simon Buckley, who parted company with Collingwood last month, can now add big fisherman to his reputation as a big kicker.

He caught these two giant snapper, one weighing more than 6kg, off Mordialloc last Saturday morning.

A keen fisherman, the Darwin Buffaloes have used a good lure to get him to the Top End.

His weekly routine will be to fly to Darwin on the Friday, play the next day and then go fishing on Sunday before returning home.

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Union to challenge Winmar axing

Nick Winmar in action for Sandringham. He has been dumped by St Kilda with a year to run on his contract. Picture: Stuart Milligan. Source: Herald Sun

THE AFL Players' Association will push the league to close the loophole that allowed St Kilda to dump Nick Winmar with a year to run on his contract.

Winmar was told by the Saints on Friday that he would be delisted ahead of the pre-season draft despite being midway through a two-year deal.

The AFLPA is uneasy about the 21-year-old's contract not being honoured and the fact the cut was made so late, ruling him out of last week's national draft.

Winmar's manager, Paul Connors, is also furious at the treatment of his client, saying he was stunned to learn of the axing on Friday night.

Winmar will be paid out, but loses the opportunity to earn match payments next season and faces an uncertain future with spots on rival lists now so tight.

AFLPA general manager of player relations, Ian Prendergast, is likely to front the AFL on the issue of broken contracts and the timing of the call.

"We believe that if a club contracts a player for two years then they should honour that contract, unless they have grounds to terminate, which is not the case here," Prendergast said.

"We are particularly concerned about the timing of the club's decision, being after the national draft and the adverse impact this will have on Nick furthering his career - especially given the compromised rookie draft due to rookie list positions being reduced by two spots for next season."

Connors said Winmar had returned to pre-season training two weeks early and had been given no warning.

"Late last week we advised Nick and his manager that we would be releasing him from the final year of his contract," St Kilda's head of football Chris Pelchen said.

"This was a difficult decision, however, we feel it is the right one for both Nick and the club.

"Nick has been a respected member of the Saints over the past three years and we wish him every success for the future."

Winmar was drafted by the Saints at pick 32 in the 2009 draft and played two games.

The Saints said they were yet to determine whether to use the additional selection at next month's pre-season or rookie draft but are tipped to pick up former West Coast midfielder Adam Cockie.

Cockie is training with StKilda and was a member of WAFL side Subiaco when Scott Watters coached the side.

Prendergast said Winmar, believed to be deeply upset by his sudden exit, would be financially compensated.

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Voss studies world's sporting elite

Brisbane Lions coach Michael Voss has travelled the world to study how the best sporting teams in the world operate. Picture: Mark Cranitch Source: The Courier-Mail

MICHAEL Voss says his globe-trotting voyage across four countries and almost 40,000km will make him a better coach and help the Lions rejoin the AFL's elite.

The Brisbane senior coach has been on a three-week study tour funded by the club, the AFL Coaches Association personal development fund and Voss himself and will return home this weekend.

After spending four days in Flagstaff, Arizona, with the Lions at the start of their high-altitude pre-season training camp, Voss embarked on a journey that took in fact-finding missions at the US football programs at Florida State University and Notre Dame University.

He then travelled to Holland for a visit with the powerful FC Twente football club before spending time at English Premier League club Tottenham and Italian giants AC Milan.

Speaking from Milan yesterday, Voss said the whirlwind tour had uncovered invaluable information on a whole range of issues from team facilities and infrastructure, post-match processes and training practices.

"I've been gallivanting all over the place, but the main aim was to look at what the elite are doing. To look at world's best practice," Voss said.

"I've been coaching in the AFL system for four years and I thought it was time to have a look at how others do it and see what I could bring back to help both me and the football club as a whole.

"We demand that our players look to constantly learn and improve. Our focus this pre-season is being really specific with them about how they can go about that.

"I need to do learn and improve myself. I've seen a million things over the past few weeks that will help our footy club prosper.

"What I have learned is that there are a lot of things that we are already doing very well but there are also areas where we are a long way off."

Voss said wherever he has visits he had been well received.

"The amount of information that has been provided has been fantastic," he said.

"They wouldn't know me from a bar of soap but that sort of fly-on-the-wall access has been tremendous and I'm looking forward to applying it to our game when I get home."

Voss said his absence would not have an impact on Brisbane's pre-season training program as the side was still in its conditioning phase.

Brisbane's more experienced players have been given this week off after arriving back from Arizona last weekend and will resume training this Monday.

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Lachie can't wait to get started

Let's get on with it: No.1 draft pick Lachie Whitfield just wants start training. Source: Herald Sun

HIS feet have barely touched the ground over the past four days but once he get his bags unpacked, the AFL's No.1 draft pick Lachie Whitfield is ready to start the hard graft of becoming a professional footballer.

Since last Thursday, when the Giants called his name first at the draft on the Gold Coast, Whitfield has had a schedule like the Prime Minister's.

After an initial 24-hour media barrage, the 19-year-old flew back to Melbourne on Friday for the valedictory dinner at his high school. That was followed by a farewell party with family and friends on Saturday night.

Then yesterday it was off to his new home, the Giants' base of Breakfast Point.Today it's a 7am start and his first training session as an AFL player.

"It's pretty scary but exciting," Whitfield said.

"It's pretty daunting but I'm ready to leave home and get started on the next chapter of my life."

Whitfield isn't quite sure what to expect but is ready for whatever coach Kevin Sheedy throws at him.

"I know it's going to be harder than any other training I've done," Whitfield said. "I know it will be tough but rewarding."

The football training won't be the only challenge the teenager faces over the coming months.

The move out of home is sure to test his skills around the house.

"I'm not too domesticated, so the first few weeks will be a steep learning curve," Whitfield said.

Number two and three picks Jono O'Rourke and Lachie Plowman, as well as Kristian Jaksch (12), Aidan Corr (14) and James Stewart (27), also make their starts today

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O'Keefe: Tippett the perfect fit

Ryan O'Keefe says Sydney can benefit greatly with the possible inclusion of power forward Kurt Tippett. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: Herald Sun

AT Bondi yesterday, the AFL premiership cup was just out of reach of these nippers and still safely in the hands of Norm Smith medallist Ryan O'Keefe.

Just how do we keep it there? Well, the possible arrival of Kurt Tippett would be a massive plus for the club, the Swans star said yesterday.

"He's a big guy who can pinch hit in the ruck and provide a target up forward," O'Keefe said.

"I think structurally we would do really well."

Tippett's immediate playing future remains in the balance pending the outcome of Friday's AFL Commission hearing into the Adelaide Crows' salary cap rortings.

The Swans have already come to terms with the power forward agreeing to a $3.5 million deal over four seasons.

Many in the AFL believe this is way over the odds for his playing talent but it's what Tippett can offer to his teammates which has O'Keefe excited about the prospect of playing alongside the big man.

"He'll help the development of a guy like Sam Reid," Tippett said. "Sam will draw confidence that he's got another big body there and you've got Goodsey there as well who will benefit."

Should Tippett end up wearing the red and white, O'Keefe says all that will be asked is for him to play the role assigned him by John Longmire.

"We're not expecting him to come here and be best on ground," O'Keefe said.

"He doesn't have to come here and be best on ground. He doesn't have to play the game of his life every week.

"He just has to come here and play a role that's the way we play it."

O'Keefe still has a couple more weeks off before he starts preparations for his 15th season in the AFL.

But the Swans youngsters will return to the training track this week as the club goes in search of back-to-back titles.

Sydney came within a single point of achieving the rare double when they were beaten by West Coast Eagles in the 2006 grand final.

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Clarko: We'll have another crack

Coach Alastair Clarkson: "We know if you are in this caper, you have just got to keep presenting." Picture: Andrew Brownbill Source: Herald Sun

Alairstar Clarkson is confident that reports Luke Hodge will not be ready for Round 1 are off the mark. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

LAST year, it was suffocating. Every time one of them spoke, it inevitably spilled out. The hurt was so overwhelming.

Even when the new season came around, Hawthorn was seemingly still getting over the three-point preliminary final loss to Collingwood.

Given that precedent, you'd expect a narrow Grand Final loss would have them headed for padded cells.

But an event in September that changed the lives of many Melburnians is shaping the mindset of Hawthorn's recovery from its Grand Final loss to Sydney.

The death of Jill Meagher in the week before the Grand Final rocked Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson.

He referred to it immediately after the game and two months on he again talks about it to illustrate how losing a football game, albeit an important one, should be put in perspective.

"We can't be too fussy and cranky because that's the nature of the game," he said.

"It's tough and, as I said after the game that particular week, it was just on the back end of Jill Meagher getting murdered in Brunswick and you talk about tragedy ... there are plenty more than just losing a game of footy.

"My post-game discussion with the players behind closed doors was nearly exactly the same as what it was with the press after the game and then when I had to address the Hawthorn faithful at the Saturday night wake.

"It was all the same thing. (Experiencing hardship) is what this game is all about.

"We were disappointed that we lost, but we know that the nature of the game is that you have just got to roll up again, work hard and give yourself a chance again next year."

Clarkson points out the remarkable coaching record of one of his mentors, the late Allan Jeans.

"I mean someone like a 'Yabby' Jeans, who was such a successful coach, he went to nine last days in September and he won four, which is incredible," he said.

"But he lost five and he just had the attitude, and (Denis) Pagan was the same, their attitude was you just keep presenting and the opportunities will come. The same happened with Geelong and they are still up there fighting hard. Some years it doesn't work out. In '08, they were the dominant side for the whole year.

We know we are a club in that phase where we can seriously challenge. Our attitude all along is that you work hard, you try to present. Some days and some years the door opens for you and others it closes. It got slammed shut pretty quickly in the Grand Final against us. Sydney were a deserved victor and they played the better footy on the day.

"They were a very, very good side right throughout the course of the year and perhaps they snuck under the radar like they so often do a little bit in terms of the general media rating of them as a side.

"From early on, as soon as we played them in Round 5 when they beat us down in Tassie, I knew that they were a very, very serious contender for premiership honours.

"And that's the way it turned out. We back ourselves to give it another crack next year but, in terms of seeking retribution or using it as a motivational spur, it's no different to bowing out in an elimination final against Fremantle two years ago or a preliminary against Collingwood last year and now a Grand Final against Sydney.

"We know if you are in this caper, you have just got to keep presenting.

"If you present often enough, it's usually pretty stiff that the door doesn't open for you at some point in time."

To ensure they present again, the Hawks went out and secured full-back Brian Lake from the Western Bulldogs in the trade period.

"He was probably unfairly savaged a little bit on the basis of his 2010 year," Clarkson said. "That off-season he has come off an All-Australian season in 2010 and then had three post-season surgeries.

"While he rocked up ready to start the season in terms of fitness (for 2011), he had no base. He was playing catch-up for the whole of 2011 and this year he didn't play too bad of a season.

"The Bulldogs side has changed a fair bit over the last two years and perhaps he couldn't play with the same poise and anticipation as when he had Dale Morris around him, Robert Murphy and those others.

"He's 30 years of age, but we think, if he could keep himself injury-free, we're not looking at, 'Let's just see how it goes for 12 months'. We're hoping he will be a three or four-year player for us and if he can be we give ourselves a real good chance of being able to challenge seriously.

"If he can't, well, we're no real worse off than what we were without him."

Clarkson knows his two best players will be the topic of much discussion in the lead-up to next season, with Lance Franklin's contract and Luke Hodge's knee to dominate.

Franklin comes out of contract at the end of next year and, with free agency, speculation already has started about his future following his good friend and housemate Sharrod Wellingham leaving Collingwood and returning to the pair's home town of Perth.

"That (free agency) has been a part of the landscape in the US for a long period of time," Clarkson said.

"That is the nature of the game and we are trying to learn and cope with it on the go."

He is confident that reports Hodge will not be ready for Round 1 are off the mark, although the Hawks will handle their captain with great care.

"I'd be staggered if he wasn't right for Round 1," Clarkson said. "He is at training already, doing all the rehab really well and he is such a competitive beast.

"We just want to make sure that we are pretty conservative with it and he gives himself every chance to get it right.

We originally thought it was reasonably minor when it first happened, but it really just crucified his season. We just want to be ultra-conservative and make sure that he's right. We would expect if he has no hiccups he is going to be around the mark for the commencement of our program.

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Blight says don't destroy Crows

Malcolm Blight believes the Crows should be punished for their salary cap breaches but their good record should be taken into consideration. Picture: David Clark Source: Herald Sun

DUAL Adelaide premiership coach Malcolm Blight believes the club's record of being a good corporation should be taken into account as the Crows prepare for their greatest crisis.

Adelaide will face the AFL Commission over alleged salary cap breaches and draft tampering on November 30 and it comes with the football fraternity in the dark over what the penalties for the club will be.

News Limited understands the AFL's most likely sanction is a fine of about $500,000 and restrictions in the draft for the next two or three years.

But Blight, who was at the draft table of the Gold Coast Suns last Thursday night at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, was hopeful the club's record would be taken into account.

"We've caught up with a lot of people over the past two or three days and the main comment was that it's been such a great club, which has done everything by the book, has been a responsible citizen within the AFL," Blight said.

"They've almost got a perfect record. I mean no-one's perfect, we all know that, but it's a blip.

"Wrong? Yes. They have done the wrong thing and they have to pay the price - I think everybody accepts that. But one of the things I've said is that there's never been a personal gain made and, secondly, they didn't break a law. They broke a rule.

"I'm sad to say this but the Gold Coast and GWS probably haven't made one yet (breaking a rule) but in everyone's history we've all done something wrong - as a group of people, trying to get the best football team on the ground.

"Yes, get smacked and get penalised but you know it's breaking a rule, which should be penalised, but it's not breaking the law.

"Nobody's got any personal gain out of this at all.

"So I think yes, wrong, hysterical, no."

Blight's call came as he took a minute to reflect on the Suns' first two draft selections - Launceston's Jesse Lonergan and Woodville-West Torrens' Tim Sumner.

Sumner comes from Blight's old club and at 187cm and 83kg there is every chance he and Lonergan, who stands 182cm and 90kg, will play next season rather than spending a couple of seasons developing in state ranks.

"They've played against men and the other boy we drafted, as well, has played a couple of years against men, at Launceston," Blight said. "So they already have a nice shape about them, in their body size.

"I mean we all get excited at this time of year but it is exciting."

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Bench rules are hurting the big men

Under the radar: South Australian Brodie Grundy was picked by Collingwood at No.18 in the draft but was expected to go higher. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe Source: Herald Sun

ADELAIDE recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie has called on the AFL to reconsider its controversial substitute rule, saying it is spelling the death of ruckmen.

Ogilvie said Sturt's Brodie Grundy's shocking slide from a potential top-three pick to No. 18 at last Thursday's national draft was the latest overwhelming evidence that the rule was bad for the game.

"He paid the price for being a ruckman," Ogilivie said of Grundy, 18, who was snapped up by Collingwood late in the first round.

"To see Brodie go that low was really, really surprising. But it wasn't that clubs fell out of love with him as a player, it's just the game now and the fact that he's a ruckman.

"There's no way a bloke of that calibre should go that low in the draft and I think it shows that as an industry we really need to look at the rules and how they are affecting ruckmen.

"Clearly as the rules are changing they are not suiting having two genuine ruckmen in your team.

"But I reckon we have an obligation to give all of those talls a chance."

Ogilvie said the Crows rated dual All-Australian under-18 ruckman Grundy near the top of the draft pool and that they couldn't believe that he was the 18th player picked.

His selection by the Magpies was rated as the biggest steal of the draft.

Ogilivie, who pulled off his own steal in selecting Calder Cannons' best and fairest Rory Atkins at No. 81, said clubs overlooked Grundy simply because the days of playing two ruckmen were dying because of the substitute rule, which restricts teams' use of the interchange bench.

The AFL is considering further bench restrictions after the 2013 season, including the use of two substitute players and capping interchange rotations, which will further limit opportunities for ruckmen.

Ogilvie predicted the powerfully-built Grundy, whose game has been compared to West Coast star Dean Cox, would quickly become a force in the AFL.

"I'm not ashamed to say we rated him extremely highly," he said.

"Matty Rendell (Crows former recruiting manager) knows Brodie better than anyone, having watched him and worked closely with him and he says to come out of basketball and do what he's doing on the football field in just three years is remarkable."

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