Macca’s week: Jack Riewoldt, Travis Cloke, Stevie J, crowd racism, Paul Roos and Melbourne United
THE week according to Macca: Jack Riewoldt, Travis Cloke, Stevie J, crowd racism, Paul Roos and Melbourne United
THE week according to Macca: Jack Riewoldt, Travis Cloke, Stevie J, crowd racism, Paul Roos and Melbourne United
PAUL ROOS WANTS TO STAY AT DEMONS BEYOND 2016
MELBOURNE coach Paul Roos says he wants to stay involved with the Demons beyond season 2016, but it won’t be as senior coach.
While Roos said he had not yet discussed with club hierarchy whether he would extend his two-year deal into a third season, he said three years would “see me out” as coach.
But the Sydney premiership mentor said he was eager to stay on in some other role with the Demons after his coaching stint had finished.
“In some shape or form I would like to stay involved in the footy club,” Roos said.
“I really enjoy the footy club, I really enjoy the players, there maybe some other different role that we come up with.
“But in terms of pure coaching and senior coaching, the three years will see me out.”
Roos said he remained committed to the idea of a succession plan and handing the reigns over to a senior assistant coach.
But he dismissed suggestions the plan created uncertainty for the club.
JACK RIEWOLDT DODGES THE AXE
RICHMOND star Jack Riewoldt has survived the axe despite copping a broadside from coach Damien Hardwick.
The 16th-placed Tigers didn’t react savagely at the selection table despite last week’s shock loss to Melbourne, dropping just youngster Sam Lloyd for Saturday’s clash with Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium.
Matt Thomas, Dylan Grimes and Matt Dea were called up to fill the holes left by Lloyd and injured pair Nick Vlastuin and David Astbury.
Riewoldt could be seen to have been lucky to be playing after Hardwick’s comments before training.
The coach said the key forward had “let our family down” by making comments about the team’s game plan.
After days of intense scrutiny, Riewoldt reignited speculation about the Tigers’ season on Wednesday by saying the Tigers had tried — and failed — to replicate premier Hawthorn’s short-kicking style.
“Unfortunately we went one way with our game, and the game went the other way, really,” Riewoldt said.
DAD BLAMES PIES’ MIDFIELD FOR TRAVIS CLOKE’S FORM
DAVID Cloke says his son’s form slump is partly due to the club’s ball movement and stoppage problems.
Travis Cloke, 27, has been kept goal-less in four of his eight matches and is averaging less than six marks a game for the first time since 2006.
David Cloke acknowledged his son “would like to be playing better at the moment” but said he suffered from a lack of midfield supply in their last loss to Adelaide.
“When you get the ball out of the centre quick and have first use, opposition sides don’t have the time to get the players back (to defend),” Cloke said.
“What was the clearances last week? 50 to low 30s (33) or something like that? That’s a smashing, that’s an absolute smashing.
“That’s what they have got to do, they’ve got to get more use from clearances.”
The Pies average four less clearances than the opposition per game this season, ranked 14th in the AFL, according to Champion Data.
Cloke is known to be having pain relief for a nagging knee problem but has retained the club’s strong backing ahead of Saturday’s clash against West Coast at the MCG.
TIGERS FANS ROAR DISAPPROVAL
THE Melbourne Tigers decision to shed their skin and become a new entity drew a fierce backlash from basketball fans and stars of the game today.
The club’s owners this morning abandoned the most iconic brand in Australian basketball and adopted a new name, Melbourne United Basketball, and new dark navy colours.
Club legends Lindsay and Andrew Gaze had earlier described the change as “gut-wrenching”.
Star Tigers player Lanard Copeland said he would ask that the honour of having his singlet draped from the rafters at the club arena be revoked.
“It’s been a sad 18 hours,” Copeland said since he heard of the owners’ decision.
“Two guys are ripping the heart out of the club.
“I feel like it’s for financial gain.
“I don’t want to be a part of it anymore.”
Fans flooded social media to express their dismay.
IT’S UGLY BEHIND THE BIGOT FENCE
LAST year it was the Collingwood president, last Friday it was an Essendon member, on Monday it was a bunch of cyber rednecks.
Welcome to the world of Adam Goodes, the Australian of the Year.
Eddie McGuire spoke in jest when he linked Goodes to King Kong.
The Essendon member, who rightly lost his club membership yesterday, spewed his pathetic taunts from over the fence, in front of children and parents, and showed himself to be a weak-minded person.
And the online trolls?
Cowards they are. Brain dead and uneducated and non-understanding.
They took to Facebook on Monday to vote on their most hated player and some of them called Goodes a monkey, an ape and a black dog.
This was incredibly disturbing for former Essendon player Dean Rioli, who was caught up in the online vitriol.
No matter the intention of the comments, Goodes doesn’t deserve this racial steam-rolling.
BAN KNOCKS STEVIE J OUT OF BROWNLOW RACE
STEVE Johnson’s Brownlow Medal chances have gone up in smoke after the mercurial forward accepted a one-match ban for headbutting Fremantle’s Ryan Crowley during the second quarter of Saturday night’s game at Patersons Stadium.
His previous poor record and 71.78 carry-over demerit points means that, even with the early guilty plea, Johnson will miss Friday night’s game against North Melbourne.
The tribunal will not sit tonight after Melbourne forward Chris Dawes also entered an early guilty plea for his level-three striking charge on Richmond defender Alex Rance.
Dawes two-match ban was reduced to one and the in-form big man will miss Melbourne’s Round 11 clash with Port Adelaide in Alice Springs.
Docker Zac Clarke accepted his reprimand for striking Johnson in the second quarter of Saturday night’s heated clash.
Dan Hannebery escaped suspension after the MRP ruled the Sydney midfielder had no other “realistic alternative way to contest the ball”, even though his hit to the head of Michael Hurley left the Essendon defender dazed.
Originally published as Macca’s week: Jack Riewoldt, Travis Cloke, Stevie J, crowd racism, Paul Roos and Melbourne United
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