Brendan Fevola kicks nine goals for Yarrawonga, Brian Lake slotted seven for Caroline Springs
FORMER AFL stars kick big bags, Dane Swan injury update and changes to AFL fixture on the horizon. SUNDAY SCORE
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SAY what you like about Brendan Fevola, he certainly knows how to kick a goal.
The gun-for-hire defied an injured thigh and a two-day break to star for Yarrawonga last Sunday.
After kicking six goals for Frankston Bombers on Good Friday, Fevola bagged another nine in a best afield display for Yarrawonga in the Ovens and Murray Football League’s opening round.
The larger-than-life Fevola helped the Pigeons to a 98-point win against Wangaratta Rovers.
Fevola wasn’t the only former AFL star to kick a bag of goals with Hawthorn premiership defender-turned-Caroline Springs forward Brian Lake slotting seven of his own.
Lake was happy about his haul too, taking to social media to gloat about the blistering performance.
Glenn McFarlane
Nothing better after a big win! carltondraught #golakers #kicked7 #187ptwin https://t.co/AMVPImWIeM
— Brian Lake (@BrianLake17) April 2, 2016
DANE Swan will go under the knife this week, with the state of his foot and a meeting between the club and his manager Liam Pickering in the coming months to determine if he plays on.
The Magpie star suffered multiple fractures in his foot against Sydney last week which could keep him out for the rest of the season.
The 32-year-old won’t make a decision on his future until the extent of the damage becomes clearer in the surgery.
It’s understood a scheduled midyear meeting between Pickering and Collingwood’s list management general manager Derek Hine could be brought forward to within the next month.
Glenn McFarlane
FIXTURE CHANGES ON THE HORIZON
THEY don’t flag them but dramatic changes in the structure of the AFL competition are back on the table and could transform the face of the competition by 2018.
The so-called Alternative Fixture Model is the most radical concept to be discussed since the expansion clubs were introduced to the AFL.
The AFL tossed them up last year and were knocked back by clubs concerned about too many dead rubbers.
But it is know AFL chief executive McLachlan has a strong preference for an alternative fixture.
Under the new competition structure, all clubs would play each other once, have a week off, and then break into three groups of six.
The top six would play off for the top finals spots on the ladder; the middle six for the remaining finals slots (similar to a wildcard competition in the NFL) and the bottom six would play each other for draft picks.
McLachlan said the major obstacles to overcome with the revamped format would be that 3500 fans from each club who travel to an away game would need a higher level of certainty and that the bottom six needed more incentives to play on until the end of the season.
“Then there is the fact that the teams in the top six beat the hell out of each other for five weeks making it tough to win finals games against that middle six who haven’t played as hard,” McLachlan said.
The plan has merit because the first 17 weeks becomes critical to where the team finishes on the ladder.
“Every single game becomes compelling.” McLachlan said.
Rebecca Wilson
JONES TO HOST SUNDAY BROADCAST
IT’S been a big week for women in footy, with news that Fox Sports will broadcast three women’s exhibition games this season and that Rebecca Maddern will from this Thursday be assuming co-hosting duties on The Footy Show.
But she’s not the only one who will be settling in to an important chair.
This afternoon, Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones will become the first female to host an AFL broadcast when she takes the reins in the twilight match between Carlton and Sydney at Etihad Stadium.
Jones, who has been part of Fox’s Melbourne outpost since 2006, will host all Sunday twilight matches on Fox Footy, working alongside Eddie McGuire, Sandy Roberts, Gerard Healy, Brad Johnson and David King.
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