Squads named for tribute
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/1,9191,23644838-19742,00.html
May 04, 2008 09:19pm

VICTORIA and the Dream Team have finalised their 30-man squads ahead of Saturday night's AFL Hall of Fame tribute match at the MCG.

Victoria

Jonathan Brown (captain, Brisbane), Gary Ablett (Geelong), Jimmy Bartel (Geelong), Daniel Bradshaw (Brisbane), Campbell Brown (Hawthorn), Paul Chapman (Geelong), Trent Croad (Hawthorn), Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda), Brendan Fevola (Carlton), Nathan Foley (Richmond), Josh Fraser (Collingwood), Adam Goodes (Sydney), Brent Harvey (North Melbourne), Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs), Steve Johnson (Geelong), Chris Judd (Carlton), James Kelly (Geelong), Darren Milburn (Geelong), Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn), Robert Murphy (Western Bulldogs), Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney), Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Luke Power (Brisbane), Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn), Matthew Scarlett (Geelong), Joel Selwood (Geelong), Brad Sewell (Hawthorn), Heath Shaw (Collingwood), Troy Simmonds (Richmond), Jarrad Waite (Carlton)

Dream Team

Andrew McLeod (captain, Adelaide), Nathan Bassett (Adelaide), Nathan Bock (Adelaide), Craig Bolton (Sydney), Peter Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Brett Burton (Adelaide), Jamie Charman (Brisbane), Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs), Joel Corey (Geelong), Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide), Dean Cox (West Coast), Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs), Leon Davis (Collingwood), Corey Enright (Geelong), Lance Franklin (Hawthorn), Darren Glass (West Coast), Simon Goodwin (Adelaide), Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs), Graham Johncock (Adelaide), Tadhg Kennelly (Sydney), Daniel Kerr (West Coast), Brett Kirk (Sydney), Luke McPharlin (Fremantle), Cameron Mooney (Geelong), Daniel Motlop (Port Adelaide), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle), Matthew Richardson (Richmond), Ben Rutten (Adelaide), Mathew Stokes (Geelong).
No love for Daaale :(

Dog set for Dream Team start after selection confusion
Jon Ralph | May 08, 2008 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23662471-19775,00.html

MIDFIELDER Daniel Cross is determined to win a place in the Hall of Fame clash after finally clearing up confusion over his eligibility. The Western Bulldogs were amazed Cross was initially left out of the Dream Team squad, despite declaring his allegiance to the side in the week before it was selected.

Cross, who spent his junior years in Albury on the New South Wales-Victoria border, was contacted by the AFL to clarify which state he was from.

Despite saying it was NSW, the Dream Team selectors were not informed, and Cross was left out of the 40-man squad.

While Cross was named on Sunday as a team member, he was informed last week he had been added to the squad for Saturday night's game.

Now he must fight against Geelong midfielder Joel Corey and teammate Ryan Griffen for a spot in the 25-man line-up.

He said yesterday he could not believe the strength of the Dream Team line-up, but hoped to win a position in the side.

"Hopefully I get a game," Cross said.

"There are still a few guys who will unfortunately miss out, but when the guys all filtered in today, I was in awe of the guys walking in.

"Even to train with these guys will be fantastic, so it's an honour to be here."

Cross said he had never given the selectors reason to doubt his place of origin.

"I am not really sure what sort of happened," he said.

"Apparently they didn't realise I was from Albury, but they found out I was. Apparently they were reasonably happy I was from the NSW side and I was happy to get the nod and be called into the squad, so it's worked out well.

"I heard earlier last week that I had been put into the squad of 40. And then when we got back from Sydney, in the airport our media manager Stacey (Mair) said I had been picked in the squad of 30, so it was a bit of a surprise."

With coach Mark Williams determined not to let the star-studded Victorian midfield run loose, Cross could be a crucial lock-down tagger capable of winning his own ball.

"I played for NSW as a junior and I have never really beaten Victoria, despite playing them a lot of times," he said.

"Primary school, high school, I never won, but I would love to have a crack at them and have a win."
Far more than Fame on Cooney's mind
Mark Stevens | May 08, 2008 12:00am
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,23662474-19775,00.html

AS BROWNLOW Medal favourite and a Dream Team star in doubt, the media throng laid a heavy tag on Adam Cooney yesterday. But the Western Bulldog is not finding it hard to keep his newfound fame in perspective.

While it will be an honour to be part of the starting midfield at the MCG at 7.40pm on Saturday, Cooney has a more important appointment next Wednesday.

He will be nervously prowling a hospital ward as his partner Haylea gives birth.

"We've booked in for a caesar - hopefully, it's all good," Cooney said yesterday.

"I haven't been through anything like this before, obviously, so it's very exciting."

Fatherhood will not be a new experience, given Cooney has a stepdaughter Ashlea, 7.

Family life has played a key role in Cooney's rise to the AFL elite at the age of 22.

His potential to become one of the top players in the AFL was on show against Sydney at the SCG on Sunday.

Cooney needed an injection to dull the nagging pain of an ankle problem, but managed 25 disposals and five goals.

On the strength of that, it is hard to see how a crook ankle could keep him out of the Hall of Fame game, but it is understood medicos are loath to administer injections for the exhibition game.

Cooney will assess the risks in consultation with Dream Team and Bulldogs doctors during the next two days.

"I tore some ligaments in the ankle from rolling it. I had a bit of trouble through the back part of the ankle which has carried on for a few weeks," Cooney said.

It has troubled him since Round 2, and Cooney is unsure if he will have injections to play in a non-club game.

"I haven't spoken about getting a jab yet," Cooney said.

"I pulled up a bit better than expected on the weekend.

"I'll get through (training) today, and if it pulls up well, I'll ice it down and speak to the medical staff.

" 'Choco' (Dream Team coach Mark Williams) made it clear early on that we're here to win. Everyone's pumped up to beat the Vics.

"It could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with State-of-Origin going out.

"Looking around, there's a few awesome midfielders. I don't know how I'm going to find a spot."

But given Cooney's form and Brownlow hype, it's almost a given he will start next to Daniel Kerr in the middle.

As short as $7 for the Brownlow, Cooney rejected talk that his folks in Adelaide had led the betting plunge.

"My family's got no spare cash," Cooney said.

"It's only early days. I don't want to take too much out of it. It's been good, but I can't get too far ahead of myself."

Dean Cox, the West Coast superstar, will be the one tapping it Kerr and Cooney's way.

A nagging foot injury will not be enough to keep him out.

"I've come over here to represent the Dream Team," Cox said.

"I've had interrupted weeks leading into games as it is. It won't be any different going into this week.

"Knowing I've been getting through the previous games reasonably well, I won't have any difficulties this week.

"Every week I've played, it has been pulling up better. It isn't getting any worse."

Cox said the chance to play representative football was too much to pass up.

"Every weekend we battle against each other. It will be good to have a few of them on the same side," Cox said.

Gee, Jonathan Brown looks good in the Big V - I can picture him wearing a bulldogs jumper...

These umpires look ridiculous with the cameras strapped to them. Wearing the red gear it's like a pack of Santa Claus' running around!

In the style of of Dexter a quick look at tonights game.

The Good
- High quality footy, freeflowing and high scoring
- No major injuries, Kerr with the OK but a wait and see for the Collingwood ruckman (mind has gone blank)
- Good size crowd
- Franklin, Brown, Fevola all genuinely great to watch. Tremendous.
- The Big V doing the jumper proud!

The Bad
- The crowd doing the Mexican wave when the game was in the balance. It's the Big V, a close game, nervous times, yet they are doing the Mexican wave. Not what I expect from a crowd in Melbourne, poor form.
- The umpiring, poor for both sides and probably favoured Victoria (not that I mind). Whilst they made some good calls, there was a bit of inconsistency around.
- Umpire cam - it's a game of footy not the Blair Witch Project, get a camera with zoom.
- Advertising on the players jumpers. I like to think the Big V jumper is a bit more sacred than Toyota.

The Weird
- The pre-game entertainment. What the hell was up with the lasers and glow sticks? Seems the AFL has been inspired by the nightclubs the players frequent
- The umpires looking ridiculous with cameras strapped to them. Lucky they aren't spys, they wouldn't fit through a door!

Bring it back next year I say!

I can only imagine how uncomfortable the umpires were, having 4kg of camera equipment strapped to their bodies. Maybe the next time Ch 10 does something like that, they allow more time for more micro-looking contraptions.

In all honesty, found the game pretty boring. I'm not phased whether it returns next year. Would prefer the SOO format instead.

Glad the Vics won in the end.

A big thumbs down to Channel 10 for not showing the presentation at the end of the game. I couldn't believe that they went straight to Formula 1 QUALIFYING! It wasn't even the real thing, just qualifying. Pathetic.
:crazy: