Fev says Blues did not try to win

Brendan Fevola looks up at the scorebaord after a Carlton loss. Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Carlton forward Brendan Fevola says he is certain the Blues did not try to win games late in 2007, as the AFL considers widening its tanking probe if new evidence emerges.

Fevola said yesterday it was "obvious" to the players Carlton was not maximising its chances to win, which would have jeopardised a No.1 draft pick.

But Fevola said players were never given directions not to give their best.

"It is pretty obvious to people. The club didn't want to win and I wouldn't have wanted to win if I was a supporter. The long-term gain was not to win that game (in Round 22)," Fevola said.

"But no one ever said the word tanking. No one ever said we are going to deliberately lose. The AFL can't do anything until they find that evidence."

Fevola believes the much-scrutinised Round 22 game against Melbourne is proof the Blues did not give their all against a rival vying for the No.1 pick.

Star goalkicker Fevola had played for a month with a broken little finger, but was put in for surgery with two weeks to go.

Earlier in that controversial stretch of matches, he had been on the verge of winning a game against Collingwood with six goals when he was benched with calf soreness. The Blues said he had damaged a quad, but he would kick five goals the next week.

"You could tell in the rooms," Fevola said of the Round 22 loss to Melbourne.

"I didn't play that last game either. I had my finger done. I left at quarter time. I didn't even stay. I was home at half-time and listened to the radio.

"We didn't want to win. I always say to people that when you look at that game, were we tanking?

"We would tag Travis Johnstone every time we played them, because Ratts (coach Brett Ratten) came from Melbourne (as an assistant coach) - and Johnstone had 42 touches.

"We tagged him every single time we played him. (Heath Scotland) had a few touches as well. But they didn't play on each other.

"If we were serious about it, we would have tagged him."

The league has investigated the Round 22 game but cleared Carlton - in part because the Blues hit the post seven times and were able to justify the lack of a tag on Johnstone.

Fevola said yesterday he had not been interviewed by AFL integrity officers.

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Tigers' easy run a mixed bag

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

Damien Hardwick faces high expectations in 2013 after Richmond was delivered a soft fixture. Picture: Darren Tindale Source: Herald Sun

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick might have had mixed feelings when the AFL fixture lobbed on his Punt Rd desk.

He would have quickly noted the Tigers have a dream run, with only nine of its 22 games against top eight sides from 2012.

But in a flash, reality would have set in. It only adds to the pressure and expectation surrounding the perennial under-achievers from Tigerland.

SEE THE 2013 AFL FIXTURE

They must make the finals next season. There are no more excuses.

Using a formula to gauge the toughness of each Victorian club's fixture, the Tigers tie with Melbourne in the easy street stakes.

Richmond plays each of this season's top four - Sydney, Hawthorn, Adelaide and Collingwood - only once.

The only 2012 top eight side the Tigers play twice is Fremantle.

They also get a chance to play the rebuilding Western Bulldogs twice.

It is more understandable, given the AFL has dipped its big toe into the world of handicapping, that Melbourne has been delivered a soft fixture.

Again, the Dees play only one 2012 finalist twice - the Dockers.

At the lower end, they have been handed double-up games against GWS, Gold Coast and the Bulldogs.

Then there is the matter of 12 of the first 14 games at the MCG. They are going through a tough week at the Demons, but there were no complaints on this front yesterday.

No one does it tougher than Geelong and North Melbourne. The Cats play every one of last season's top four twice.

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No guarantees for minor premiers

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

An emotional Lance Franklin sits on the ground after the Swans topped the Hawks in 2012 AFl Grand Final at the MCG. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: News Limited

THE AFL says it is no position to guarantee next year's minor premiers a longer break than their Grand Final opponent.

Hawthorn were upset to be given a seven-day break leading into this year's Grand Final, while an ANZ Stadium double booking handed Sydney a critical eight-day break.

The league was furious that Patersons Stadium scheduled a rugby union test in Week 1 of the finals, but only weeks later put Hawthorn at a disadvantage.

AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said yesterday it could only ensure the minor premier won a seven-day break.

``We do our best to negotiate, and I think in the end everyone understood what happened, but it may well happen again in the future.''

The league said the Grand Final would stay an afternoon game, while the push for Good Friday football seems to have been extinguished for the forseeable future.

The league says that Monday night would be the logical time to play a fourth day of football each week given a crowded calendar.

But despite having two Monday night games this year - up from one last season - it says there is no groundswell for regular Monday night football.

St Kilda and Carlton get their now-traditional Monday night game after Mother's Day, while West Coast and Richmond play in Round 10 at night on a public holiday in West Australia.

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Swans made to pay for lifting trophy

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

Swans stars Adams Goodes and and Norm Smith medallist Ryan O'Keefe hold up the grand final trophy to the crowd. Picture: David Caird. Source: News Limited

THE Sydney Swans' reward for winning the premiership is a brutal draw that includes 10 blockbusters against top eight sides from last season.

Swans boss Andrew Ireland conceded yesterday the AFL's new schedule presents a "challenge in a football sense" for their club, however, the draw also allows Sydney to cash in on their success.

Sydney will host two genuine blockbusters at ANZ Stadium against Collingwood and their grand final opponent Hawthorn.

The matches have the potential to generate millions of dollars for the club.

However, the Swans have been handed the easiest of starts against the GWS Giants at ANZ Stadium and the Gold Coast Suns at the SCG in the first two rounds.

And a second match against the Giants at the SCG in round 16 is a real bonus for the Swans.

The 2013 draw also gives GWS a strong chance of improving on their two wins from their debut season.

Not only will there be much less travel in the early part of the year, the Giants play the two teams they defeated - the Suns and Power - twice.

The other key features to the Swans 2013 draw are:

- Three Friday night games against Geelong (Rd 4, SCG), Collingwood (Rd 9, MCG) and Carlton (Rd 14, SCG)
- Nine home at the SCG and two at ANZ Stadium
- Five games in Victoria instead of six, however, they'll play three at the MCG in 2013.
- Swans play St Kilda on Anzac Day in Wellington - the first match for premiership points outside Australia.

"Ten matches against top eight teams from 2012 will certainly be a challenge in a football sense, but it is a great opportunity for our fans to see us taking on the best teams in big games," Ireland said. "The only disappointment coming with just four games in Melbourne and one in Geelong for the strong Swans supporter base in Victoria."

The biggest challenge for both Swans and the AFL in 2013 will be increasing their TV presence in Sydney and three Friday night matches going up against the NRL will present a real for their brand.

Their only Friday night match last season against Geelong in round 13 at the SCG averaged just 58,000 free-to-air viewers in Sydney on 7Mate compared to the 367,000 viewers who tuned into Nine's coverage of the Broncos and Rabbitohs.

AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan has faith in the Swans' national appeal which saw the 2012 grand final average 5 million viewers.

"It's a maturity about the Swans brand which has been coming for a few years," McLachlan said.

"They are not a regarded as a Saturday or Sunday team they can play in any slot.

"It's also a flexibility in the broadcast deal which allows the games to be shown live on Seven on Friday night."

After sending the Giants on the road for seven of their first 10 games the AFL scheduling has been much kinder for 2013 with six home games in the opening 12 rounds.

"We have been able to schedule matches at Skoda Stadium earlier next year, with seven big games including Geelong, Essendon and Richmond, and it's a great opportunity for our supporters,"Giants boss David Matthews said.

The other highlights of the Giants 2013 draw are:

- Seven home matches at Skoda Stadium, including games against Essendon, Geelong, Richmond, West Coast and Adelaide.
- The Giants will play each of last year's finalists only once, with the exception of the Swans
- The Giants will play Collingwood under lights at the MCG for the first time on July 27 in a Saturday twilight match.

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Stynes: Dees always did their best

Jim Stynes watches on during an AFL match between Melbourne and Carlton. Picture: Alex Coppel. Source: Herald Sun

MELBOURNE is expected to strongly reject allegations that it deliberately lost games in 2009, arguing that it never participated in "tanking" as defined under AFL guidelines.

Former Melbourne president Jim Stynes, who died in March, was asked about the 2009 tanking allegations while he and I were co-writing his autobiography, My Journey, towards the end of 2011.

He was adamant there was no strategy to lose matches, saying: "Melbourne never sat down our coach Dean Bailey and instructed him not to win games". Stynes was frustrated about the tanking accusations, asking: "What is tanking?

"It's a really difficult one because sometimes when you put together the team, you put the best players that you can on the ground and then some people will say, 'Oh, you're not playing these players'. So that's tanking, right?

"But sometimes we sack players because their attitude is not good or they're not listening. They might be playing well but they are not playing the way they can play. (We tell them) 'This is the way we need you to play to be part of the team, this is the role or the position we want you to play, not that way'. Otherwise you end up teaching them bad habits.

"So is that tanking? Well that's not tanking because that's saying to the group that this player needs a lesson or needs to go. You have to choose because sometimes they need to play that role in the twos before they can come back again."

AFL Regulation 19(A5) defines tanking as "a person, being a player, coach or assistant coach, must at all times perform on their merits and must not induce, or encourage, any player, coach or assistant coach not to perform on their merits in any match - or in relation to any aspect of the match, for any reason whatsoever."

That definition will be closely scrutinised by Melbourne's legal team, which includes vice-president Guy Jalland, a legal counsel for Publishing and Broadcasting Limited from 2004-07.

Stynes was Melbourne president when the Demons were alleged to have underperformed in the second half of 2009, and when club officials are alleged to have met to discuss strategies to "forfeit matches". It coincided with his cancer diagnosis (June), major surgery (early July) and recovery in Thailand (July-August).

His first game back was Melbourne's 63-point win over Fremantle in Round 20, and he wrote in his diary: "We had the biggest win in 3 years and it felt awesome. It was great to be back passionate again about this great club and these terrific people. This makes it all worthwhile."

Stynes was critical of the AFL's special assistance rules for effectively providing lowly clubs with a disincentive to win games. By winning no more than four games in 2009, the Demons were guaranteed a priority pick (No.1) in that year's national draft.

"People at the club found themselves shrouded in that reality," he wrote. "It went against the grain for each of us to find solace in failure, but that was the system."

Stynes said ladder position "doesn't necessarily reflect how good or bad your team is", and was in favour of a more holistic examination of clubs.

"The number of games you win and lose should be one component and then the way you run your football club or the numbers; the amount of people supporters you get, you know, what you are able to generate - all those things should come into it.

"The AFL could then use its judgment or a broader set of guidelines to award a priority pick. But it certainly shouldn't set a target before a season and give a club a disincentive to win."

Editorial, Page 28

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Saints struggle to fill defence holes

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

The Saints are looking for a defender to replace Jason Gram. Source: Herald Sun

THE sudden sacking of Jason Gram means St Kilda heads to the national draft with five picks, but dumped Cats defender Tom Gillies is not the answer to their defensive frailties.

Coach Scott Watters has conceded the club will have to reinvent a tall like Rhys Stanley or Justin Koschitzke if it cannot identify a potential defender by the pre-season draft.

St Kilda has lost star onballer Brendon Goddard, the troubled Gram, and first-round pick Jamie Cripps from its midfield.

Gram and his management will consider his options, but he is likely to nominate for one of the coming drafts.

It is yet to be seen if a rival club would consider drafting the 28-year-old, but as a delisted player he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

St Kilda must negotiate the size of his payout with the player union and his management.

Yesterday the exodus continued, with the Saints releasing the much-maligned Raph Clarke and rookie Warrick Andreoli.

St Kilda has five picks - Nos. 25, 26, 41, 44 and 77 - in the November 22 draft.

It could end up saving its final list position for the pre-season draft and while it hasn't ruled out taking an experienced tall, it does not have a player in mind.

The Saints were ecstatic to snare Gold Coast ruckman Tom Hickey and Claremont forward Tommy Lee. But now they will quickly move on from the Gram sacking to try to restructure their defence.

The pressure is likely to be put on Koschitzke to justify his position given the club now has two A-Grade ruckmen and can play Lee and Stanley alongside Nick Riewoldt.

Watters said this week Sam Fisher might end up taking the opposition's main forward, which means the Saints might need to manufacture another rebounding defender.

"It is going to be a squeeze from a big-man point of view. Whether we look at Rhys Stanley spending time down back or Kosi, it all depends what becomes available in the draft and what type of role we want to use Sam Fisher in this year," Watters said.

"We are discussing all the possibilities pretty intently. Towards the end of the year we saw Sam Fisher when he locked down against the A-Grade key forward as opposed to a roaming defensive role, and he was very rarely beaten."

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Demetriou welcomes tanking claims

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

Andrew Demetriou says the AFL will improve its integrity policing in 2013. Source: News Limited

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has not ruled out widening the tanking investigation as he revealed the league will boost its integrity policing next year.

As pressure mounts on Melbourne, who are being probed over allegations of secret meetings to plot a tanking strategy in 2009, Demetriou insisted there would be no whitewash.

And he said he would welcome former or current players and officials coming forward if they have tanking claims.

"Of course," Demetriou said when asked if the file was still open on clubs other than Melbourne.

"We say that about respect and responsibility in regard to women; we say it about drugs; we say it about integrity; and we say that about the salary cap. We do not close the file on anything."

Demetriou revealed the AFL recently approved a significant funding increase for its ramped-up integrity department in 2013.

"We have just approved a large (increase) in the integrity area," he said.

"I don't want to discuss what the figure is, but I can tell you we have increased, at Adrian Anderson's request, the spend in the integrity area.

"That's in our budget starting next year."

The AFL has no set time frame on the Melbourne investigation with league football operations manager Adrian Anderson and the integrity unit given as much time as required.

"I am not involved (in the investigation)," Demetriou said.

"I sit on the commission and if Adrian believes it is serious enough to go to the commission, I have to make sure I am at arm's length because I might have to listen to it.

"Adrian has said: 'I will take as long as I have to with Brett Clothier (AFL integrity manager) to finish my investigation'."

Demetriou, who has long dismissed suggestions AFL clubs have tanked for draft selections, said if a club or individuals are found guilty, they had no place in the game.

"I have said pretty consistently I have a strongly-held view that teams don't go out there to lose, but I did say when asked mid-year that if anything comes to light that proves otherwise, then that can't be accepted, and we will deal with it," he said.

"I don't think there is any place in sport for people who challenge the integrity and we have seen what is going on in the (Lance) Armstrong affair."

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Evidence mounting against Dees

Former Melbourne player Brock McLean said he cut ties with the Demons because they weren't trying to win games. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Herald Sun

The AFL announces its fixture list for the 2013 premiership season.

RICHMOND hearts sank when Carlton's Brock McLean fluked a match-winning goal with 42 seconds left on the clock on July 28.

But if the kick hurt the Tigers, it has done more damage to his old club Melbourne.

Three nights later, man-of-the-moment McLean dropped a bomb when invited to appear on Fox Footy's On The Couch.

The Demons, he declared, weren't trying to win games in 2009. He said it was why he quit the club. It was an explosive claim that reignited the AFL tanking debate and triggered a fresh investigation. Only this time the evidence against Melbourne is mounting.

The latest allegation surrounds a secret meeting of Melbourne football department staff at the Junction Oval in 2009.

It is said at least three club officials, past and present, have admitted to league investigators that the importance of losing games to secure a priority pick was discussed at that meeting.

Melbourne's loss to Richmond at the MCG a few weeks' after the meeting of football officials has long been hailed as exhibit No.1.

In laughable circumstances, Richmond's Jordan McMahon kicked a goal on the siren to win the match for Tigers. The Round 22 loss to St Kilda, involving several puzzling moves, has also been identified.

In August this year, the Herald Sun detailed accounts of another suspect game - Melbourne's Round 17 loss to Sydney at Manuka Oval.

Demons figures who attended an inner-sanctum dinner the night before the match say a football department boss openly indicated steps had been taken to reduce the prospects of a win.

"We'll be right - we've made eight changes," the official declared.Melbourne had already announced five key changes at team selection.

Then on the eve of the game, two more pulled out with ailments.Seven changes in all - not eight as predicted - and in a forgettable encounter the Swans got home by 18 points.

Even one of Melbourne's club doctors said "Blind Freddy could tell the team wasn't picked for optimal performance" late in the season.

In the Canberra match, Melbourne used its interchange bench 67 times. Its season average was 85. But Andrew Demetriou's reaction to the Herald Sun story was typical for a tanking non-believer.

The AFL boss dismissed the report as "lots of colourful language to try and determine an outcome".

"We don't go by that sort of story. We go by evidence," Demetriou said. "We've got a guy, (AFL investigator) Brett Clothier, who's very capable.

"If he gets to the bottom of something then we will deal with it but at the moment there's no evidence to sustain this allegation of tanking."

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Roar from south as Lions miss out

The Brisbane Lions will play two fewer games in Melbourne next year. Picture: Michael Klein Source: Herald Sun

THE Brisbane Lions' hopes of growing their southern supporter base suffered a setback yesterday with the AFL cutting by two the number of games they will play in Melbourne next year.

Lions chief executive Malcolm Holmes asked for six Melbourne games but the side will play only four there, with a fifth Victorian game to be played in Geelong.

Holmes said the commercial deals of the Demons and Hawthorn to stage interstate home games in Darwin and Launceston made it difficult to accommodate six Lions games in Melbourne.

"We're obviously disappointed with this outcome, but understand the changing landscape the AFL now operates under,'' he said.

The Lion's Roar, a supporters group from Melbourne, claimed the AFL had ignored the Lions' status as a two-town club.

Fourth-generation Lions supporter Joel Thompson said the draw would put at risk the club's Fitzroy heritage.

"Ensuring the Lions' heritage continues in Melbourne means everything to me," he said.

"We don't get to see our team play (live) too often.

"We rely on the AFL doing the right thing by us, especially when it was such a key part of the merger. Sadly though, they don't seem to care about those of us in Melbourne who love the Lions."

Both Queensland clubs were granted most of their wishes for next season's draw.

Gold Coast are delighted all their home games were locked into Saturday timeslots and they have been favoured by 14 appointments against 2012's bottom-eight clubs.

Brisbane are already rubbing their hands in anticipation of consecutive Gabba feature games against Carlton (May 25) and Collingwood (May 31).

Statistically on 2012 results provided by the AFL, Brisbane and Melbourne have the easiest lists of opponents of all clubs. Their opponents for 2013 won 47.2 per cent of matches played this year.

The hardest fixture lists in that regard have been handed to Hawthorn and North Melbourne (both 53 per cent).           

Of last year's eight finals teams, Brisbane play only two of those sides twice  Geelong and North Melbourne.

But the Lions face four top-eight opponents in their first eight rounds.

The Suns have an opportunity to hit the ground running. The only top-eight sides they meet in the first eight rounds are Fremantle and premiers Sydney.

"The draw presents the club with a great opportunity to capitalise on the momentum we gained during the back end of 2012," Gold Coast chief executive Travis Auld said.

Other fixture highlights for the Queensland clubs include:

* Thirteen Suns games in Queensland, with 11 at Metricon Stadium, one at the Gabba and one in Cairns.

* QClash battles at the Gold Coast (April 13) and in Brisbane (July 6).

* Big-ticket clashes at the Gabba featuring Carlton, Collingwood, Geelong and St Kilda.

* Brisbane's eight matches against bottom five opponents.

* Gold Coast's two meetings with Greater Western Sydney.
 

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'Kreuzer Cup' stigma remains

Matthew Kreuzer joined the Blues after their shocking 2007 season. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: Herald Sun

IF Andrew Demetriou is adamant any tanking "cold case" can be reopened at any time, then Carlton would be most nervous.

The stigma of the "Kreuzer Cup" in the final round of 2007, and the lame matches leading into it, just won't go away for the Blues.

They lost 10 matches in a row, ensuring they snared Matthew Kreuzer and had another early pick to nab Chris Judd, and assistant coach Tony Liberatore caused screaming headlines early the next season after an interview on The Footy Show.

Liberatore said he had never heard a directive from above for the Blues to deliberately to tank games, but said he could "feel it".

He said there were even jokes made among coaching staff.

"We wouldn't use those words (how do we lose), but another assistant coach would say, 'Tanks very much', or something along those lines in a jocular way," he said.

He added that he believed coaches from both sides had laid low in the Round 22 Carlton-Melbourne clash that would become known as the "Kreuzer Cup".

"In all honesty I think both coaches tried to lose it," he said.

They were extraordinary comments at the time ... even more extraordinary when you re-visit them in the current climate.

Yet, in an era before a fully fledged integrity department, the investigation was limited.

Liberatore's claims were just as explosive as Brock McLean's, but it was not as if every Blues assistant coach and executive was hauled in. It was over in a flash after "Libba" watered down his story on visiting the AFL.

The "Kreuzer Cup" was full of startling stats and moves. The game was a free for all, more NBL than AFL. Both teams had 60-plus forward entries, underlining the shootout and a loose Demon Travis Johnstone racking up 42 disposals.

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