Gippsland Power Last Injury Before and While Dealing with the Initial Shock Week
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VFL Round 5 TAC Cup Round 6 7 - 8 May 2016 $3.00 Photo: Brian Bartlett Exciting time in women’s football The future is bright in women’s football and full of opportunities. Over the last week the next generation of female footballers have taken to the field in the annual Youth Girls National Championships. The Grand Final was played Friday night as a curtain- raiser to the Richmond vs Hawthorn AFL game at the MCG, and fingers crossed we saw a Victorian team holding aloft the Championship trophy at the end of the game. Whatever the result though, in a few years’ time names like Katherine Smith, Izzy Huntington, Georgina Walker and Lily Mithen are likely to be names we hear called on a regular basis at venues like the MCG in the national women’s league. Anticipation has been at fever pitch over recent weeks with AFL clubs confirming their intentions to apply for a licence, with an AFL women’s competition set to kick off in early 2017. Submissions closed at the end of April and it was pleasing to see the coverage given to the host of applications in the lead-up to the deadline. Victoria will field the most teams of any state, which will be just reward for those local players that are draft ed to the yet-to-be-determined teams in our state. While they wait, it is the fans that get to enjoy these players week in, week out in our VFL Women’s and VWFL competitions before they become household names across Australia. The great aspect of our new VFL Women’s competition this year has been the developing talent that has been on show, with players like Maddy Boyd and Ellie Blackburn – who only a few years ago were themselves representing Victoria at the Youth Girls Championships – perfect examples of the new talent pathway. It is an exciting time in women’s football. Steven Reaper AFL Victoria CEO Contents 3 5 Ahmed Saad 14 15 TAC Cup weeklyweekly contentcontent 6 7 James Peters 17 Stats Centrall 8 9 Marty Hore 19 The Big Leaguegue 10 11 VFL weekly content 21 AFL Vic News 13 VFL Women’s 64 Quiz Who’s playing who 34 35 Essendon vs Geelong 52 53 Dandenong vs Northern 36 37 Port Melbourne vs Richmond 54 55 Geelong vs Western 38 39 Collingwood vs Sandringham 56 57 Bendigo vs Eastern 40 41 Werribee vs Williamstown 58 59 North Ballarat vs Oakleigh 42 43 Footscray vs North Ballarat 60 60 Calder vs Murray 44 45 Frankston vs Coburg 62 63 Gippsland vs Sandringham 46 47 Casey Scorpions vs Northern Blues Editor: Ben Pollard [email protected] Contributors: Anthony Stanguts, Kirstie Fitzgerald Design & Print: Cyan Press Photos: AFL Photos (unless otherwise credited) Advertising: Rosanna Butler (03) 8341 6021 Ikon Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton Nth, VIC 3054 GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Cover: Aisea Valetini in action for Frankston Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 www.aflvic.com.au www.taccup.com.au 01 Television Online VFL Online Website: www.vfl.com.au Twitter: @VFL #PJVFL Facebook: www.facebook.com/vflfooty Sunday May 8: 11.30am TAC Cup Online Footscray v North Ballarat Website: www.taccup.com.au Next week: Werribee v Box Hill Hawks Twitter: @TACCup Facebook: www.facebook.com/taccupfooty Download the PLUS7 Live app to stream games live Watch a replay at: au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7/vfl Instagram: @aflvictoria or on 7Mate at 1am Tuesday morning Radio L VFL Live I Saturday May 7: Essendon v Geelong from 11.45am V Live on Aussie digital, Red Time Sport iPhone and Android apps, plus online via vfl.com.au E Next week: Geelong v Collingwood R TAC Cup Radio A D Saturday May 7: Dandenong Stingrays v Northern Knights from 11.15am I Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone App or www.taccup.com.au O Next week: Western Jets v Bendigo Pioneers 3WBC Next game: Sunday May 15 – Werribee v Box Hill Hawks from 10.30am (Round 6) Listen to 94.1FM, online at www.3wbc.org.au or the Tune In Radio app Casey Radio Sunday May 8: Casey Scorpions v Northern Blues from 1pm Tune to 97.7fm in Melbourne, via the web at www.caseyradio.com.au, or on the Tune In Radio app on your smart phone. Next game: Sunday May 22 – Sandringham v Werribee (Round 7) Video Streaming Visit vfl.com.au on Saturday May 7 for our VFL match of the day: Essendon v Geelong from 12pm Watch the action and listen to the call from the VFL Live team Next week: Geelong v Collingwood 02 www.vfl.com.au Senior Lion Saad steps up Ahmed Saad certainly isn’t old – he’s only 26 – but his experiences in football and his young new teammates at Coburg are making him feel like an elder statesman of the Peter Jackson VFL. www.taccup.com.au 03 The former St Kilda goalsneak arrived at the Lions Saad always knew he had the competitiveness and this season aft er a rollercoaster last four years. He resilience he required to make a return to the AFL played 33 games for the Saints in 2012-13 and 2015, aft er serving his ban, achieved when the Saints missing the 2014 season aft er being suspended for rookie-listed him at the end of 2014. consuming a banned substance contained in an But his experiences at St Kilda taught him a new skill energy drink. – how to be a leader. It’s a responsibility the veteran To Saad, it seems like only yesterday when he was of 65 VFL games now relishes and one he’ll be able starring for the Northern Blues (then Bullants) in to put to use in the wider community aft er this week 2011, kicking 50 goals and winning the Fothergill- being announced as a VFL Multicultural Ambassa- Round Medal for the VFL’s best player under 23. dor, reprising a similar position he held in his time as “Thinking about it now, it’s all happened pretty an AFL player. quickly from when I first got draft ed to being banned Meanwhile, Saad is already fulfilling an unoff icial to being delisted last year,” Saad said earlier. leadership role for his teammates at Coburg. “I’ve learned a lot about myself. “I heard it was a young list and that I could play a “I didn’t have any worries (playing at Northern). I role as one of the leaders and try to help out as was still living at home, working, studying and still much as I can by passing on some of my experi- young. There wasn’t a lot of responsibility other than ence,” Saad said. “It just fit what I wanted. I care playing footy for the sake of playing footy and trying about helping; I want to help people improve. to get draft ed. “This is a great opportunity to help my leadership “Now there’s a lot more pressure. You grow up and skills and maybe even help me progress to become there’s a lot more responsibility. It’s a totally diff er- a coach later on. If I can help those younger guys or ent ball game now than when I started.” the good players that are close to getting draft ed Ahmed Saad lays a tackle on Box Hill Hawks captain David Mirra in Round 3 Photo: Jenny Owens 04 www.vfl.com.au Ahmed Saad in action for St Kilda in 2015 just one or two or three per cent and they can get marily as an answer to Coburg’s scoring woes, with draft ed from that, then I’d get a lot of satisfaction. the Lions ranked ahead of only Frankston for points “That’s probably the first time I’m speaking this way scored in 2015. in terms of being at a footy club. Saad has certainly held up his end of the bargain “I’m only 26 but I think we’ve got 40 or 50 players on so far, topping the league goalkicking table with 14 the list that are first or second-year players in the majors from four games despite the Lions remaining VFL system. I’m pretty much going in as one of the winless. older guys and that’s been very rare for me.” “They recruited me as a forward because they need- Saad has certainly needed to step up, with sizeable ed an extra two or three goals a game to be able to holes left at Piranha Park by the off -season depar- tures of seven-year captain Nick Carnell, three-time match the top eight and make finals,” Saad said. best and fairest winner Daniel Venditti and midfield “I’ll be playing in the forward line, going on the wing stalwart Ben Clift on. a little bit and going inside (the midfield contests) as He’s fielding plenty of questions from the young Lion well... But my strength is definitely as a forward line cubs, working closely with 2015 VFL Team of the Year player.” midfielder Ozgur Uysal, last year’s club leading goal- Saad holds out hope of returning to the elite level kicker Dan Younan and small forward Josh Cauchi. and said he misses being in a professional AFL “They ask a lot of questions,” Saad said. “Every time environment. But for the time being, he’s happy to they need help, they ask.