SPORT llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ntnews.com.au Cronk clinches Swans deal took Dally M thriller

RUGBY LEAGUE

MELBOURNE halfback Buddy long time has won his first Dally M Medal in one of the closest finishes in the award’s history. In a thrilling result, Cronk finished on 28 votes, just two ahead of fellow playmakers Daly Cherry- Evans, Johnathan Thur- ston and Todd Carney, who all tied for second on ’s night of nights in . Cronk, the Storm, and Kanga- roos general, needed the two votes he earned in ’s final-round PUB: golden point win over the Gold Coast to clinch a per- sonal milestone that sits

TNEWS NT nicely alongside his 2012 premiership win. Cronk upset favourites Thurston and Cherry- Evans to be crowned with the game’s highest honour and indicate he’s still at

DATE: the top of his game.

Dally M Medal: Cooper Cronk () Provan-Summons Medal: Greg

2-OCT-2013 Inglis () : (Mel- bourne Storm) Coach: Trent Robinson () Rep Player: Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm) Rookie: George Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs) : (South Syd-

PAGE: ney Rabbitohs) Winger: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Sydney Roosters) Centre: Jamie Lyon (Manly War- ringah Sea Eagles)

46 Five-Eighth: Johnathan Thur- ston (North Qld Cowboys) and Todd Carney (Cronulla-Sutherland

COLOR: says goodbye to the Hawthorn cheer squad after Saturday’s Grand Final victory Picture: WAYNE LUDBEY Sharks) Halfback: Cooper Cronk (Mel- bourne Storm) AFL ‘‘It’s not very often a player Ireland said Franklin’s sal- offer, and we’re not presump- Lock: Corey Parker (Brisbane By MARK ROBINSON of his stature actually wants ary fitted into the cap, along- tuous to think Buddy is play- Broncos) to approach you on the basis side the estimated $900,000- ing for us yet,’’ Ireland said. Second Row: Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters) LANCE Franklin’s plans to he wants to play for your a-year salary for Tippett. The official paperwork will Prop: Andrew Fifita (Cronulla- C move to Sydney began soon We got a general club,’’ Ireland said. ‘‘I don’t want to go into the be lodged on Friday. Sutherland Sharks)

M after the 2012 Grand Final ‘‘Clearly, (though) he loves method of (payment) other Ireland hit out at critics of Hooker: Cameron Smith (Mel- loss to the Swans. sense around the the than to say it’s something club’s allowance. bourne Storm) Holden Cup Player of Year: Y His manager Liam Picker- (but) the fishbowl of Mel- that works with our salary He said every player on the end of last season Bryce Cartwright () ing contacted the Swans and bourne has taken its toll, and cap,’’ Ireland said. Swans’ list shares in the cost K Top Point-Scorer: James Malon- said Franklin would like to he would like to he wanted to get out of that.’’ He agreed it was a risk. of living allowance. ey (Sydney Roosters) play for them in 2014. All Ireland’s discussions ‘‘Once before I was involved ‘‘It’s in their contracts,’’ Ire- Top Try-Scorer (shared): David Talks were held during this play for us with Franklin and his man- in this sort of deal with Alas- land said. Williams (Manly Warringah Sea Eag- les), James McManus (Newcastle season, before they were ram- agement will be investigated tair Lynch (To Brisbane from Meanwhile, Fremantle util- Knights), David Simmons (Penrith ped up in the past eight by the AFL for any potential Fitzroy) and he played 11 ity Nick Suban pleaded guilty Panthers) weeks, culminating with to- ‘‘The difficulty was the rule breaches. years after being recruited as yesterday to making unnec- day’s stunning development Kurt Tippett thing was going A statement from the a 26-year-old.’’ essary and unreasonable con- — and nine-year deal worth through and we did that. league yesterday said its Leg- Asked if the money was un- tact to the face of Hawthorn $10 million. ‘‘During the season Liam al, Integrity and Compliance conditional, he said: ‘‘The midfielder Sam Mitchell and Swans chief executive And- indicated he was still keen to Department would interview contract is the contract.’’ was banned for one match by rew Ireland confirmed to play for us if that was achiev- key people. Despite the development, the AFL Tribunal. News Corp that Franklin had able and . . . we had more con- The Swans coup has left Ireland said the club was Hawthorn have been given contacted Sydney and not versations about it.’’ Greater Western Sydney reel- aware the Hawks had the abil- until today to decide whether vice versa. Asked who contacted who, ing, and the AFL blindsided. ity to match the offer. they will challenge bans to ‘‘We got a general sense Ireland said: ‘‘Liam was the Late last week they tabled ‘‘The one thing we were re- Brian Lake (three weeks for around the end of last season one who first indicated to us.’’ an offer of $1.2 million over spectful of, with free agency, striking) and he would like to play for us,’’ He admitted the club was six years, well short of the is clearly Hawthorn have got (one week for a chicken- Ireland said. stunned with the approach. Swans’ offer. an opportunity to match the wing ). Cooper Cronk

FOOTROT FLATS Clarke backs out of India tour

CAPTAIN Michael Clarke has been ruled out of Australia’s one-day tour to India because of his back troubles. George Bailey will take over as skipper with South Austral- ian batsman Callum Ferguson called up to replace Clarke in the squad which departs on Saturday. Selectors would have been reluctant to take any risks with Clarke given his long history of lower back injuries which flared again during the recent tour to England, and given the big home summer coming up including the return Ashes series. ODI squad to play India: George Bailey (capt), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Xavier Doherty, James Faulkner, Callum Ferguson, , , Moises Henriques, Phil Hughes, , , Clint McKay, Adam Voges, . 46 NT NEWS. Wednesday, October 2, 2013. www.ntnews.com.au