20 SPORT MONDAY APRIL 28 2014 Hawk on report as Make Cyril runs red hot

HAWTHORN star Cyril swatted aside criticism about his form with a best-afield per- hay for formance in yesterday’s AFL 66-point win over Richmond. Rioli tore the game apart with four goals in the third term and led the Hawks to the 18.10 (118) to 7.10 (52) win at the MCG. Hawks defender was reported when he went to spoil Reece Conca on Suns to the wing late in the last quarter and cannoned into him. The heavy contact sparked a melee and forced Conca from the field. After quiet games against Gold Coast and Gee- long, Rioli was back to his best at Richmond’s expense. A Sunday newspaper col- shine umn by former Essendon great questioned if the utility was overrated. By MICHAEL WARNER torian poker machine laws The two-time premiership AFL have led to a new era of pros- player and 2012 All-Australian perity for some powerful clubs gave an emphatic response. SOARING Victorian poker and an explosion in football Rioli was prominent from machine profits have prompt- department spending. the start as the Hawks jumped ed the to ex- “What we have seen is sig- Richmond and took 19-point plore their own “non-football” nificant, in some cases $6m to lead at quarter-time. revenue streams. $8m, and in one case it has Richmond matched Haw- The Suns – underwritten by been speculated just under thorn in the second term, but the AFL until the end of 2016 – $10m, in additional revenue did not capitalise on their good yesterday revealed they were coming into some football work and the Hawks kicked examining a range of options, clubs directly from poker ma- two goals to one. including the purchase of a chines,’’ Witheriff said last The Tigers had won their Surfers Paradise hotel. week. “That’s the new football past two games against Haw- But Gold Coast say they are landscape and the work the thorn and there were hopes of yet to consider plans to enter AFL is doing around equalis- a second-half comeback. the Queensland gaming ma- ation is critical to the survival The first two minutes of the chine market. of the game.” third term put paid to that. Greater Western Sydney Auld said yesterday: “The Rioli and then last week confirmed they were cost of doing business (in the kicked quick goals to kill off investigating a play for poker AFL) has grown significantly, the contest. It was a big match machines to help fund their some of that is natural ... and for the Hawks, with Sam Mit- fledgling operations. The Gi- some of it has happened as a chell and Shaun Burgyone ants would become the 12th result of clubs sourcing more playing their 250th games. AFL club to tie their fortunes returns from their gaming in- to the controversial industry. vestments. Figures show the competit- “There has certainly has ion is becoming increasingly been an increase in gaming TIGERS V HAWKS reliant on revenues derived revenues for Melbourne clubs from pokies gamblers. and that has allowed them to RICHMOND 2.0 3.1 4.6 7.10 Gold Coast chief executive invest more in footy. 52 Travis Auld told the Herald “At the moment we are ex- HAWTHORN Sun the club had formed a sub- ploring some opportunities 4.7 6.9 14.10 18.10 118 committee to investigate out- around a hotel, as in an accom- BEST side investments. modation provider, but not a Hawthorn: C Rioli L Hodge S Mitchell “There is definitely a great- gaming venue. B Stratton J Gibson S Burgoyne B Hill. Richmond: B Ellis T Cotchin D Astbury er need to identify non-foot- “But it’s early days.” D Jackson. ball revenue opportunities,” Asked if the Gold Coast had GOALS Auld said. ruled out getting into poker Hawthorn: C Rioli 4 D Hale 2 “There are very few clubs in machines, Auld said: “We J Gunston 2 L Breust 2 L Hodge 2 B Hill B McEvoy J Lewis J Roughead the competition who can sur- haven’t looked at gaming at P Puopolo S Burgoyne. vive purely on football rev- this point but we haven’t made Richmond: J Riewoldt 2 B Ellis enue, and certainly for us to be any philosophical decisions D Jackson D Martin R Petterd sustainable we need to be able about that”. S Edwards. to generate some non-footy James Brayshaw’s North UMPIRES B Rosebury, B Hosking, L Fisher revenue streams.” Melbourne is the league’s only CROWD Suns chairman John With- club to declare itself a “gam- TIGER Brandon Ellis marks over the top of Hawk in yesterday’s MCG fixture which 52,990 at MCG eriff believes revamped Vic- bling-free” entity. Hawthorn won comfortably Picture: Getty Images Weight lifts off firing Thomas and now he wants Pies to feel the Blues BIG-MONEY Carlton recruit minutes that helped clinch the day questioned whether the his expectations in the early my shoulders. To be winning sore from last night, but there Dale Thomas was warned club’s second win. 26-year-old was “enjoying his part of the year. games of footy relieves a bit of is no doubt this week is going against placing “the weight of It has provided a timely footy at Collingwood, which is “I said all along I’ll cop my that pressure but I’m still look- to be a big game,” he said. the world” on his shoulders as confidence boost ahead of his a major issue at times” under fair whack when it’s deserved, ing forward to improving my “They (Magpies) are play- he prepares to meet old side first clash against the club Pies’ coach (but) whether or not a couple game, as is the team.” ing some really good footy and Collingwood in Friday night’s which controversially released last season. of the whacks early on were Thomas warmly welcomed we are going to have to be cer- MCG blockbuster. him in November as a free Thomas’s form and fitness deserved is up for debate,” the challenge of tackling a tainly on our game on Friday After a miserable first agent amid ongoing concerns was heavily scrutinised in the Thomas said. “red-hot” Collingwood, saying night.” month at Carlton, Thomas about his troublesome ankle opening four rounds this sea- “The footy club has been “it does not get much better” After the worst start to Mi- made a timely return to form and a four-year $700,000-a- son, but the man dubbed the fantastic with the expectations than facing his old side in front chael Malthouse’s coaching in Saturday’s comeback win season offer from the Blues. No. 1 player in the game by and just reminding me that it is of a near-capacity crowd at the career, the Blues now sit equal over West Coast, laying a des- Collingwood premiership then St Kilda coach Ross Lyon going to take a while and not to MCG. with Essendon and Richmond perate smother in the final great also yester- in 2011, said he had to temper put the weight of the world on “I’m obviously still pretty on two wins for the season.

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