From: marino@vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.australian
Subject: AFL News up to Thursday 31/12/1992
Date: 31 Dec 92 16:55:35 +1100
Organization: Computer Centre, Monash University, Australia

The AFL News up to Thursday 31/12/1992.
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 Hello once again. Merry Christmas to everyone. Welcome to the last AFL News
for the year. The main news for the month of December has been the turmoil
surrounding Fitzroy. Fitzroy is horribly in debt to the tune of at least $1.5
million. Their bankers would not continue their credit unless the AFL Directors
agreed to guarantee this amount. Fortunately for Fitzroy a deal was hashed out
between the club and their bankers for them to continue on through 1993. Those
of us more cynically minded believe that the Lions were saved simply because
of the huge logistic headache of having to organise a new draw and the printing
of new fixtures and new membership cards.

 Enough editorial comment for now. Here is a sample of the items making news
over the last couple of weeks.

 - The Brett Chalmers/Collingwood/Richmond saga continues. The AFL is investi-
   gating the draft choice of Brett Chalmers by Collingwood to see if any foul
   ply was involved. Richmond had a hold of Chalmers until the November draft.
   It then lapsed and he was a free player. Chalmers then sent faxes to all
   clubs other than Collingwood stating that he would not play with them in
   1993. The AFL now has transcripts of phone messages and faxes between
   Chalmers and a number of clubs in particular Collingwood prior to the draft.
   More news on this in a week.

 - North Melbourne's Wayne Carey is renegotiating his contract for a better
   deal. Carey is regarded as North's best player and he wants to be paid that
   way.

 - Footscray's Steven Macpherson will miss the pre-season competition after
   having a shoulder reconstruction. The injury has been present for the past
   12 months but he decided to have the operation now. Other news from Footscray
   includes captain Doug Hawkins signing a 12 month contract which will allow
   him to play his 300th game for the club. He will be only the second man ever
   to do it with Footscray. The first was Ted Whitten who played in the 1950's
   and 1960's. Also Footscray's chairman of selectors Rick Kennedy has departed
   from the club. The dividing factor was a personality clash with Footscray's
   coach Terry Wheeler. Seems that Terry was slightly peeved when Kennedy was
   appointed without having being consulted at the end of 1991.

 - Ex-Sydney player Ben Doolan is in football limbo. He has left the Swans but
   his future is uncertain due to the nature of the draft. There is now a
   growing call for some sort of free-agency in the AFL. There is also some
   talk of an Adelaide court challenge to the draft but that has not come about
   and probably wont because the rules are fairly tight.

 - Melbourne's end of season trip was a voyage into the unknown for some of the
   players. Along with getting to know some of their new teammates in Cairns,
   about 20 players decided to go bungee jumping! Thankfully for Demon supp-
   oreters all went well.

 - Brisbane has made another move from being a laughing stock to a credible
   football club. Aside from getting rid of that disgusting jumper at the start
   of the season, they have now changed their club logo to a stylised writing
   of Brisbane Bears not unlike the writing on the side of the New York Giants
   helmets (NFL). The previous logo was one of a less than threatening cringing
   koala that almost looked constipated! (you know what I mean)

 - St.Kilda is finally having a quiet off-season. After all the turmoil surroun-
   ding football manager Peter Hudson after the finals the Saints are finally
   having some good news. All of St.Kilda's draft picks from November have
   decided to join the club in 1993. Most hopes are pinned on South Australian
   rover Brodie Atkinson (ex-North Adelaide) who is a rover who came second in
   the SANFL's Magarey Medal to Port Adelaide's Nathan Buckley. He could finally
   solve some of the Saints roving problems.

 - St.Kilda also signed defender David Grant. Grant was involved in a deal with
   Sydney for Barry Mitchell but decided he did not want to go to Sydney.

 - Melbourne is having problems with many of its players. Melbourne has asked
   many of their players to take a pay cut because they have had to pay more in
   superannuation benefits. More on this in the new year.

 - The review of the AFL Commission will be finished in January. At the same
   time it is hoped that some sort of plan can be finalised for merging clubs.

 - In South Australian football news, Port Adelaide members dumped their pres-
   ident Bruce Weber. Weber was at the forefront of Port Adelaide trying to
   join the AFL in 1990.

 - Sydney's Neil Cordy is looking to come home to Melbourne in 1993. He has
   parted company with the Swans and is expected to nominate for the March
   draft. On news of another disgruntled Swan, Barry Mitchell is still in
   Sydney. Teamates are still trying to convince him to stay in Sydney for 1993.

 - Former North Melbourne supremo Ron Joseph will take over an administrative
   role in Sydney. He will oversee NSW football in general but will also take
   an active role in Sydney's football program.

 - Collingwood is still trying hasrd to woo back Graham Wright. Wright has
   decided to quit football and go back to his farm in Tasmania. Collingwood
   is still reluctant to let him go.

 That's enough for now. To everyone I wish them a great new year.

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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-                                                                         -
-         MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. GO SAINTS IN 1993!        -
-                                                                         -
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