Brian Taylor’s media tips for AFL stars, Jack Riewoldt’s tutors opponent James O’Donnell

Brian Taylor’s advice for the current era of AFL superstars, Jack Riewoldt’s act of kindness for a young opponent and more in Ando’s Shout.

(L-R) Dustin Martin, Brian Taylor and Lance 'Buddy' Franklin.

From not knowing the identity of one of Australia’s most successful and richest musicians, to having 12 glasses of champagne thrown over him at The Logies, Brian Taylor has been in peak form of late.

JA: Don’t seriously tell me you didn’t know who Blue Wiggle Anthony Field was when you met him recently at the Logies?

BT: I thought he said he was a businessman who went by the name of Andrew Phillips. It was a noisy room.

JA: At least he didn’t know you.

BT: Correct, he thought I was Leigh Matthews. I explained we both played AFL, both had moustaches, both could be aggressive and that was about where the similarities ended.

JA: At a night hosted by Sam Pang, someone you coached at Prahran in the VFA 30 years ago.

BT: “Pangy” is a lot better host than he was a footballer.

JA: And now you are the 2057th Australian to produce a podcast. Why?

BT: In my current roles I’m never in my natural state, whereas The Life Of Brian affords me the chance to speak from home with my family involved.

Brian Taylor has a new podcast

JA: What style of podcast.

BT: Not me interviewing, more a conversation. I listen to other podcasts and the ones that appeal are Dyl & Friends plus the UFC bloke Joe Rogan.

JA: Will you feature typically boring AFL footballers peddling out the same old crap?

BT: No, there will only be a small footy flavour, although if I can work up the courage I might ask my old coach Leigh Matthews about why he dropped me during Collingwood’s 1990 finals series.

JA: Does the lack of access to AFL players frustrate you?

BT: I have been broadcasting for all of Dustin Martin’s career and have met him once. Same for “Buddy” Franklin. All take and no give, whereas in the NBA you have LeBron James speaking on his way off the court at halftime.

JA: I remember as a younger reporter you being quite civil to the media. Why?

BT: I received a lot of negative, and deserving, publicity early in my career so I changed tactics and decided to get to know the media people. I figured it was a lot harder for them to bag you if they actually knew and even liked you. I offer the same advice to players today but clubs want to control them.

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SOD 🤝 JOD

James O'Donnell receives his first @AFL guernsey from a very proud Dad! pic.twitter.com/offSUlehzo

— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) May 12, 2023

JAMES O’Donnell’s remarkable 2023 footballing journey continued this week with the 20-year-old re-signed by the Western Bulldogs for 2024-25.

All this for a young man who on Sunday plays his 10th senior game after no football in 2020-22, and very little in 2019 when he was a gangly Year 12 student at Xavier College struggling to get a kick.

O’Donnell is now a 197cm defender with an insatiable appetite for AFL knowledge, to the point where his agility, speed and endurance could well see him employed further up the ground. He is the wildcard category B selection every club desires.

James O'Donnell in action for the Bulldogs during the round 21 AFL match against the Richmond Tigers at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Getty Images

ON the subject of O’Donnell, those watching closely towards the end of the round 21 Western Bulldogs-Richmond clash would have noted Richmond’s veteran key forward Jack Riewoldt involved in deep discussion with his young opponent in O’Donnell.

But far from it being a tense conversation, Riewoldt, 34, and with 335 more games to his name, was generously passing on tips to O’Donnell when the game was all but over and the ball up the other end.

Riewoldt even went so far as to actually lead to areas where he explained he could hurt his opponent. The free lessons continued after the final siren, much to the delight of the awe-struck one-time cricketer.

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CARLTON and Essendon player Brian Walsh, who has died aged 72, was the epitome of the rover/forward in the 1970s era of the VFL.

Recruited by Carlton from its Bendigo football factory of Sandhurst, Walsh arguably lacked a yard of pace to be the No. 1 rover, so he perfected his art as an elite forward pocket goalkicker.

He booted 111 goals from 64 games for the Blues from 1970-75 (and was the club’s leading goalkicker with 60 in 1973) before slotting a further 100 at Essendon from 51 matches in 1975-78.

Brian Walsh pictured in 1973.

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HOT

CRAIG McRAE

Has mastered the art of self-depreciation, which is so often lacking in his field.

AFL

For wanting the Matildas to be shown live before Melbourne-Carlton.

NOT

LIZ CAMBAGE

Desperately requires some self-reflection and sage advice.

UMPIRES’ BOUNCING

Sadly the time has come given it’s such an imperfect art.

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TRIVIA

QUESTIONS

1 Which recently retired AFL footballer once played with Temora in NSW?

2 Jimmy Anderson took how many wickets in the 2023 Ashes series: 5, 9 or 11?

3 In which season did the VFL become the AFL?

4 With which sport do you associate Australia’s Sam Short?

5 Which Australian scored the third goal against Japan in the 2006 FIFA World Cup?

6 Name the current Australian sportsman nicknamed “Demon”?

7 Which English soccer team is nicknamed “The Red Devils”?

8 Which team made its AFL debut in 1995?

9 Who was the first captain of the Adelaide Crows?

10 Who did Rex Hunt refer to as “The Primary Producer”?

ANSWERS

1 Isaac Smith

2 5

3 1990

4 Swimming

5 John Aloisi

6 Alex de Minaur

7 Manchester United

8 Fremantle Dockers

9 Chris McDermott

10 Jeff Farmer

WHO AM I?

I booted goals with my first two kicks for Collingwood in 2008 before ending my career at Fremantle.

A: Jack Anthony