From: marino@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.australian
Subject: AFL News up to Wed 6/1/1993
Date: 6 Jan 93 12:18:33 +1100
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia

The AFL News up to Wednesday 6/1/1993.
--------------------------------------

 Hello once again. A Happy New Year to everyone reading this. The AFL circus has
started again and the news is starting to come thick and fast. It seems that the
order of this year will be the Melbourne 'Herald-Sun' newspaper falling in love
with Melbourne's new coach Neil Balme. Every second story seems to be about the
man. If the number of wins equals the amount of publicity he is getting then the
D's are in for a premiership! Anyway enough of that.

 Richmond is starting to get things back on track this year. Almost all of
Richmond's draft picks this year are coming over from interstate. Their draft
picks were:

No. R AFL Team    Player               Original Team         State Age Positon
--- - --------    ------               -------------         ----- --- -------
  7 1 Richmond    Wayne Hernamen       South Fremantle          WA  20 C/W
 22 2 Richmond    Mark Jones           Norwood                  SA  19 FOR
 28 2 Richmond    Jamie Tate           Woodville Eagles         SA  18 HBF
 37 3 Richmond    Matthew Rogers       South Adelaide           SA  19 U
 52 4 Richmond    Paul Bulluss         Woodville Eagles         SA  21 DEF
 67 5 Richmond    Brady Leckie         West Perth               WA  17 FF
 82 6 Richmond    Robert Schaeffer     Sturt                    SA  20 FOR
 97 7 Richmond    John Howat           Melbourne                VIC 22 DEF
112 8 Richmond    Ben Careless         Glenorchy                TAS 17 W/HBF

On the other side of the track, former Richmond player Mal Brown (from WA) may
return to the Tigers to take up a role on the match committee. Brown has been
coaching in WA and has been chairman of selectors of the WA team for a few
years.

 Melbourne may also recall a former player to its match committee. Ray Biffin
played 171 matches between 1968-1979, and was then Hawthorn's Under 19's coach
for 7 years from 1982-1988. Melbourne also looks like picking up most of their
draft choices this year. Martin Pike (#1 for the D's) from Norwood trained last
night with the team. Their draft picks were:

No. R AFL Team    Player               Original Team         State Age Positon
--- - --------    ------               -------------         ----- --- -------
  9 1 Melbourne   Martin Pike          Norwood                  SA  19 CHB
 24 2 Melbourne   Brett Jeffrey        Boort                    VIC 17 CHF
 39 3 Melbourne   Matthew Kluzek       West Torrens             SA  18 HFF
 54 4 Melbourne   Daniel Clark         West Brisbane            QLD 18 RUCK
 69 5 Melbourne   Scot Simester        Springvale               VIC 19 FF
 84 6 Melbourne   Damien Gasper        East Fremantle           WA  17 CHB
 99 7 Melbourne   Jeff Hilton          St.Kilda                 VIC 20 FP/R
122 8 Melbourne   Damon Munt           Norwood                  SA  17 RUCK

Ex-Collingwood player Jason Croall is training with the Demon's and they look
like picking him up in the March draft. Melbourne has some injury worries with
Greg Healy (shoulder), Andrew Obst (groin), David Schwarz (groin), Paul Bryce
(knee) and Michael Pickering (foot) all recovering from operations.

 Geelong looks like finally tying the great man Gary Ablett to the club for the
rest of his career. Ablett, 31, will sign his new contract in the next couple of
days. Geelong has some other senior players still to sign but they are confident
of signing all the players.

 North Melbourne also looks set to pick all their drafted players this year.
Their #1 choice Robert Pyman has joined the club after initially stating he did
not want to play with the 'Roos. Only Warren Campbell of South Fremantle will
not play with the 'Roos this year. North's draft choices this year were:

No. R AFL Team    Player               Original Team         State Age Positon
--- - --------    ------               -------------         ----- --- -------
  6 1 N.Melbourne Robert Pyman         Woodville Eagles         SA  21 C
 23 2 N.Melbourne Warren Campbell      South Fremantle          WA  18 HFF
 38 3 N.Melbourne David Deighton       Westbrook                NSW 17 RUCK
 53 4 N.Melbourne Matthew Moon         Central Dragons (U18)    VIC 18 FOR
 55 4 N.Melbourne Matthew Capuano      Geelong Falcons (U18)    VIC 17 RUCK/FOR
 83 6 N.Melbourne Jeremy Silcock       East Perth               WA  22 W
 98 7 N.Melbourne Adrian McAdam        South Alice Springs      NT  21 FOR
110 8 N.Melbourne Jeff Chandler        North Melbourne          VIC 26 HBF
113 8 N.Melbourne Damon Armstrong      Moama                    NSW 20 RUCK
123 8 N.Melbourne Marty Christensen    North Melbourne          VIC 27 DEF

North's Peter German has started training again after having an operation on his
groin over the summer.

 Fitzroy is still in the horrors. Their star forward Richard Osborne is looking
for greener pastures. He is now out of contract and looking to the Essendon for
his new home.

 Essendon finally relinquished their hold on Greg Anderson who will now play
for the Adelaide Crows. Anderson was recruited by the Crows under the rule which
allowed them to recruit up to six out-of-contract players from Victorian clubs
by the end of 1992. Anderson's contract ran out on December 31 and he was the
last player to be signed under this rule.

 West Coast was hit by the news that backup ruckman Mark Hepburn will step out
of football this year. This leaves the Eagles fairly short on height having to
rely on Paul Harding and David Hynes for the ruckwork. The Eagles have lost many
experienced players this year. Paul Peos, Scott Watters, Dean Laidley, Laurie
Keene, Phil Scott and Adrian Barich have all either gone to other clubs or
retired.

 Sydney looks like getting maximum value from recruits Scott Watters and Michael
Werner. Both are looking forward to the season ahead as they were 'stale' at
their old clubs of West Coast and Essendon respectively.

 That's enough for now. All the best.

John Marinopoulos

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-  John Marinopoulos                                                      -
-                                                                         -
-  Department of Mathematics                           Tel:+613 565 5460  -
-  Monash University                                   Fax:+613 565 4403  -
-  Clayton Victoria 3168            E-mail: marino@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au  -
-  Australia                                                              -
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