TAC CUP ROUND 3 APRIL 6-7, 2013 $3.00 Falcons open account Bendigo Pioneers 12.18.90 d North Ballarat Rebels 7.6.48 Sandringham Dragons 10.10.70 d Eastern Ranges 7.7.49 Photos: Dave Savell AFL VICTORIA CORPORATE PARTNERS NAMING RIGHTS PREMIER PARTNERS OFFICIAL PARTNERS APPROVED LICENSEES WHAT’S NEW IN 2013 WHAT’S NEW IN 2013 We take a look at what’s new in the TAC Cup for season 2013 COACHES especially given that community football leagues may not be operational until mid-April. Torin Baker (Western Jets), Marco Bello (Northern Knights) and Andrew Jago (Calder Cannons) take over as new SPEED UP LOGISTICS coaches for their respective clubs. We thank departing coaches Anthony Allen (Northern), Marty Allison (Calder) Balls will be located behind each goal to speed up the and Steve Kretiuk (Western) for all their tremendous work. game. Quarters seemed to run for an inordinate amount of time as players, offi cials or fans searched or fetched balls VIC METRO COACH after scoring shots. It will certainly assist double and triple header games run as close to schedule as possible. Former Calder premiership coach Marty Allison takes over from Rohan Welsh as Vic Metro Under 18s coach. Welsh, RECOVERY & REHABILITATION who took Metro to NAB AFL Under 18 Championship RECOMMENDATION REPORT success in the past two years, is now coaching Casey Scorpions in the Peter Jackson VFL. With a strength and conditioning bench marking report already in existence, a recovery and rehabilitation recommendation report will be undertaken. The report is ALTERNATE GUERNSEY expected in the coming weeks. It’s an extremely important Bendigo Pioneers, Calder Cannons, Geelong Falcons, part in today’s football and particularly so with all the other North Ballarat Rebels and Oakleigh Chargers all have an things young players have to deal with. alternate away jumper for season 2013 TALENT OPERATIONS OFFICER 23rd PLAYER RULE Lauren Bunting has been appointed Talent Operations Offi cer, replacing Luke Gatti, who has moved to While it was adopted in the second half of last season, the Collingwood as its VFL General Manager. Not only will she 23rd player rule will again be in vogue in the TAC Cup this rd work with the VFL, but also assist with the TAC Cup and season. It’s similar in concept to the 23 player rule in the Academy programs and be the Team Manager of Metro VFL, but it the TAC Cup it’s factored towards developing Futures. tall 17 and 16-year-olds with an emphasis of giving them exposure to the competition without them playing an entire DARREN FLANIGAN game. It will come into action in early May when the Under 16s lists have been cut. After moving away for a couple of seasons Darren Flanigan, former Dandenong Stingrays Regional Manager, EXTENDED BENCH returns as AFL Victoria VFL Academy Manager. Flanigan will make some cameo roles with the AFL Vic Country Six players on the interchange bench will operate for the and Metro Academies as well as conduct workshops with fi rst three rounds and again provide opportunity for players, ruckmen/tall players. Editor: Anthony Stanguts anthony.stanguts@afl vic.com.au Contributors: Adrian Dunn, David O’Neill, Damian Gibson, Rick Morris, Alexander McLeman Design & Print: Cyan Press Visy Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton Nth, VIC 3054 Photos: AFL Photo’s (unless otherwise credited) GPO Box 4337, Melbourne, VIC 3001 Advertising: Ryan Webb (03) 8341 6062 Phone: (03) 8341 6000 | Fax: (03) 9380 1076 AFL Victoria General Manager: Grant Williams www.afl vic.com.au State League & Talent Manager: John Hook High Performance Managers: Anton Grbac, Leon Harris Cover photo: Luke Davis in the ruck for the Geelong Falcons Talent Operations Coordinator: Sophie Timms against Murray Bushrangers Talent Operations Offi cer: Lauren Bunting www.taccup.com.au 1 MEDIA COVERAGE TAC CUP MEDIA COVERAGE Keep up to date with all the action from the TAC Cup via the following media coverage: TAC Cup Radio Tune in from 1:45pm for the TAC Cup Radio match of the week. Join Phil Crooks, Rick Morris and Gabe Sorrentino as they bring you a weekly TAC Cup match throughout the season. Sunday April 7: Western Jets vs Calder Cannons Listen live on the Red Time Sport iPhone App or www.taccup.com.au Next week: Saturday April 13 - Murray Bushrangers vs North Ballarat Rebels, 12:15pm TAC Cup Future Stars TAC Cup Future Stars will return to Channel 9 on Sunday May 12. Join Craig Hutchinson and the team as they keep you up to date with results and information from AFL Victoria’s TAC Cup competition. Returns: Sunday May 12, 1pm on Channel 9. TAC Cup Online Keep up to date with the TAC Cup via the following methods: Website: www.taccup.com.au @TACCup #taccup www.facebook.com/taccupfooty 2 www.afl vic.com.au TORIN BAKER Baker in Jets top job NEW Western Jets coach Torin Baker knows all about football’s roller-coaster ride. During a playing career that stretched from the VFL to Later, Baker would take up a role as playing-coach at Hampden Football League to the Geelong Football League Camperdown before moving to St Joseph’s in the Geelong to the Western Region Football League, Baker played in Football League where he won the competition best and seven Grand Finals. fairest medal. He has just one premiership to show for it – two years ago While he graduated to an assistant coach with Western at Spotswood in the Western Region Football League. Jets, Baker played football with Spotswood whenever the “It’s not the sort of record you want on your CV,” Baker opportunity presented. said. And, the 2011 season was capped with Spotswood “There are some hard luck stories along the way. Anyway winning the fl ag and Baker being awarded the Herb Pascarl you can think about a Grand Final loss I endured it. Medal for best-on-ground. “One time we were up by 48-points at half time and lost It was after his time at Camperdown that Baker decided he by seven points. Last year by one point and I’ve played in a would like to work with elite sports level kids. Grand Final where we got smashed by 100-points. “At that level you have people who are really driven, really “They all don’t sit well.” motivated and the resources available as a coach are more suited to my coaching direction,” Baker said. Baker takes over as Jets coach from Steve Kretiuk, who spent the past fi ve seasons as Western coach. While he harbored those ambitions, Baker parked them as Baker played at Werribee under current Hawthorn coach he strove to get the most from his playing career. Alister Clarkson in one of three seasons he spent at The coaching aspirations became a bigger focus when he Chirnside Park. joined the Jets as an assistant to Kretiuk. He was at the club when Box Hill Hawks defeated them in “I was really keen to step up into the main role when Steve the 2001 VFL Grand Final. decided to move on,” Baker said. One of the players who Baker remembers playing against Baker could still command a game, but he’s more than was Sam Mitchell and that, amazingly, was both for Box happy to consign his playing days to the memory bank and Hill Hawks seniors and reserves! move forward with the next chapter. “Wherever he played he picked up 40 possessions,” Baker Who knows what it might bring, perhaps even an elusive recalled. premiership. www.taccup.com.au 3 MARCO BELLO From VFL to TAC Cup for Bello SCROLL through new Northern Knights coach Marco Bello’s CV and you’ll be struck by an impressive list of accomplishments. While Bello never played AFL, there are not too many would have been an emphatic no. things he hasn’t achieved as a player or coach. It is the reward and satisfaction of witnessing players While it is his fi rst season as a TAC Cup coach, Bello is no develop not only as footballers, but also as good stranger to Victoria’s talented player path. footballers that changed Bello’s mindset. Bello played for VFL club Box Hill Hawks in the late 1990s, One thing that strikes you about Bello is he’s not someone ventured to South Australia where he played in fi ve to rest on his laurels and it is that insatiable desire to premierships and won two best and fairests for Central challenge himself that landed him at the Knights. Districts then returned to Victoria, where he was assistant coach at Nunawading. “There is always room to go up and I’ve found the best pathway to continue that momentum,” Bello said. He found himself back with the VFL Hawks as an assistant to then coach Brendan Bolton, but ended up playing, albeit “Obviously, I had a great time at Box Hill, but this time I’m aged 33. trying something different on my own this time without the infrastructure of a senior side and an AFL side to fall back While he may not have been the most gifted player, Bello on so it is a great challenge. didn’t leave anything in the locker room when he ran out each weekend. “I really enjoy working with young men and helping them During his time as Box Hill Hawks Development League in their quest to forge a career at the highest level and coach, Bello took the club to two Grand Finals and claimed hopefully for a lot of these guys it is as an AFL footballer.” one fl ag.