By Geoff McClure
GIVEN that Andrew Demetriou clearly stated that players who turned up at last year's Brownlow medal count minus black tie would be refused entry — "Whoever wants to set up a caravan outside selling black ties will make a fortune," he said at the time — this year's big AFL night of nights certainly promised to stretch his patience. "If the invitation says black tie, you wear black tie. It shows respect and a bit of class," said the AFL boss at the time. Well, had he stuck to his guns at Monday's count any bloke selling black ties — and by this we mean black bow ties — really would have made a fortune. Not only were most of the players, the winner Jimmy Bartel included, minus bow ties but many of them, Gavin Wanganeen, Brent Harvey and Jason Gram included, wore ties that were anything but black. The AFL boss' only response to all this yesterday was that he was not concerned at all about any of the players' attire, that, in fact, he thought they looked good as a group. Well, he might not have thought so had he made his way to the Crown Lager after-party later in the evening where heads were turned by the sudden arrival (read gate crashing) of Kangaroo Nathan Thompson, who rocked up for a few lagers decked out in cargo shorts and T-shirt. Nobody really cared by that stage of course but everyone would certainly have taken notice had Collingwood star Dane Swan lived up to the promise he made on radio station SEN midway through the count. Swan, as we all now know, was not invited to the count, a point that caused a few hearts to miss a beat when he polled so well early on (he eventually finished with 20 votes, nine behind the winner). Swan, you see, had not only been out with his teammates on a Mad Monday bender but when he settled in to watch the count with teammates Alan Didak and Guy Richards, he was decked out in a Spider-Man outfit. "Didak's dressed as Robin Hood and Guy's in a Superman suit. If I win it I will turn up at Crown in my Spider-Man suit," said the Magpie midfielder. Swan had gone to ground yesterday (sleeping it off, no doubt, probably still dressed as Spider-Man) so we're none the wiser as to what he would really have done had he won the medal but he told mates later he preferred to be watching it all on telly anyway, admitting to them: "The only one disappointed was my girlfriend. She would love to have been there."
Hey, it's the Ed carpet
HE'S called Eddie Everywhere and not without good reason. Anyone channel-surfing on Monday night between about 8 and 11 would have seen the Collingwood prez/Channel Nine celeb on Fox Sports On The Couch, hosting Nine's 1 v 100 and on Seven's Ed Carpet (formerly known as the red carpet) and later at various points of the Brownlow Medal telecast itself. The word we heard yesterday is that the ABC and SBS were taking legal action because he wasn't available for whatever they were televising at the time.
Just a minute, Ten
IT'S an old hobby horse of ours we know but we couldn't help but notice just how much Channel Seven's countdown clock added to the excitement of last Friday's Geelong-Collingwood preliminary final, something of course that viewers will be without for the finish of Saturday's grand final, given that Network Ten has the rights to another season decider. Truth is, we rarely come across anyone who likes Ten's barring of the clock for the final five minutes of its games. Dennis Cometti, again officially the best AFL commentator in the country (is it ever in doubt?) has now thrown in his tuppence worth on the topic, adding to his excellent comments a couple of years ago at footy's media awards when he compared Ten's dislike of the countdown clock to a space launch. "Can you imagine if NASA thought Channel Ten was on a winner?," asked Cometti. "They'd count down to five minutes before lift-off then start counting up. Wouldn't that get the astronauts attention? Suddenly out of the blue that sucker just takes off." Nothing, it seems, has made Cometti change his mind. Tackled again on the topic this week, Cometti noted: "I can't think of one close finish this season that wouldn't have been enhanced by a countdown clock. What you need to remember is that these days the coach of the team with a slender lead invariably stacks the back line in the dying seconds, which almost guarantees the ball being in the forward line of the team in arrears." So say all of us (well,It's a hat-trick
ALL of Catland will be barracking for its footy team this Saturday but none more so than the members of Geelong's Newtown and Chilwell Cricket Club who will have three of its players doing battle at the MCG. Josh HuntWinning form
Cat-o'-nine tale
JIMMY Bartel's name has not only gone down in history, it's also good news for wearers of No. 3. He became the ninth No. 3 to win footy's highest individual honour, meaning that the number stands only behind No. 7 which has adorned the back of 10 Brownlow winners. As for the wearers of No. 29 — those that include medal favouritesCats' days numbered
WHEN the Cats run on to the MCG on Saturday, 16,065 days will have passed since their most recent grand final victory in 1963.
SINCE then they have played 994 matches, 48 of which have been finals, and have won 530 times.
THE Cats have used 365 players from round one, 1964 until now.
McNificent!
AND what a day for the "Macs" it will be on Saturday. There are only three of them on the 2007 AFL umpiring panel — Stephen McBurney, Scott McLarenGeoff McClure will write Sporting Life occasionally as he returns to full health.
Who said that?
When I woke up this morning I actually checked to see that it was there to check that I wasn't dreaming.JIMMY BARTEL, the 2007 Brownlow medallist.