Graham takes a punt on Bulldogs

Ben Graham is returning to AFL ranks as a strategic football operations manager for the Western Bulldogs. Picture: Tim Carrafa Source: Herald Sun

FORMER Geelong captain Ben Graham hopes to impart his "unique experience" as an AFL and NFL player in a new role at Western Bulldogs.

Returning to the AFL after eight years as a punter in American football, Graham has joined the Bulldogs as strategic football operations manager.

Graham, 39, returned to Australia in October after receiving a settlement from the Detroit Lions as a result of a calf injury at the start of the season.

His broad role with the Bulldogs will involve projects that include setting up the club's stand-alone VFL team for 2014.

Graham, the first Australian to play in an NFL Super Bowl, said: "It's exactly the role I was looking for to get back into the AFL landscape - it will encompass all areas of the football club.

"It's a unique experience that I've had. The point of difference living and breathing the NFL, its practice, the environment, is invaluable.

"(I'll be) using my experiences and knowledge to help the Bulldogs in the right direction."

Graham, who has not officially retired from the NFL, said he would go back to the US - with the Bulldogs' blessing - should he receive a late offer to return this season.

However, he said, he was not expecting it.

"Mentally I have retired, officially I haven't," he said.

"If I do get the call here in the next couple of weeks to go back and finish out this season, then I have got the Bulldogs' support.

"I've had interest to come over and prove that I'm healthy and to work out, but I'm not going back unless there is a legitimate opportunity to punt for a team on their way to the playoffs.

"But I'm not expecting that to happen. I'm looking forward to starting work (today) and getting my teeth into my new role."

Graham, who played with the NFL's New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Arizona Cardinals, said coaching was an interest and his Bulldogs role was perfect to make the transition back into the AFL.

"I didn't want the assistant-coaching track because I've been out of the game eight years, so that wasn't going to come straight to me," he said.

Graham joins an off-field Bulldogs team peppered with international experience.

High-performance manager Graham Lowe is from Scottish rugby and strength coach Andy Barnett worked with the NFL's Giants.
 

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Liam's more X-factor than distractor

Former Melbourne footballer Liam Jurrah (left) at Port Adelaide training. Picture: Sarah Reed Source: Herald Sun

PORT Adelaide believes Liam Jurrah will prove more X-Factor than distraction with the forward's pending court case clouding a recruit with massive upside.

Power great Warren Tredrea has urged the club to cool its interest in drafting the former Melbourne cult figure until 2014 - allowing Jurrah to gain peak physical and mental condition.

Port will decide on Friday whether to hand troubled Jurrah an AFL lifeline at the December 11 pre-season and rookie drafts. Jurrah, 24, must answer assault charges in March stemming from a town camp incident last February near Alice Springs.

An underdone Jurrah fronted at Alberton last Wednesday as part of a 10-man train-on squad and football operations manager Peter Rohde dismissed thoughts his presence - now or next season - was an unnecessary sideshow.

"We obviously have him out there, we don't necessarily think that is the case, he has some special needs but that is not something that will turn us off," he said of the 36-game, 81-goal ace who was also plagued by ankle and wrist injuries this year.

"If we can get him up playing he has some real talent to add to our team."

The Power languished in 14th spot this year and Jurrah's mercurial leap and marking prowess would lift a side craving gamebreakers and potency. Welcoming a recruit with real baggage is a risk but could be worth it.

"There has been a lot of publicity around Liam," Rohde said.

"He is certainly straight up and there are issues going around his court case that we have to get our heads around but more than anything we just want to see him come out and train, how he presents himself.

"At his best he is one of the most talented players in the competition but he hasn't played at that level for a couple of years, that is what we have to measure up."

Rohde said Jurrah was actually a very different package to the one linked with the incidents in Alice Springs.

"He is very quiet, only took up English language late but certainly listens, is quite smart but shy," Rohde said.

Former Essendon and Geelong midfielder Brent Prismall has also been linked to a multi-year deal at Alberton but the Power will be wary of any long-term commitment to a 26-year-old who has spent the past year sidelined with a knee injury.

"It is as not a done deal in the pre-season draft. We would probably be keen to offer one year," Rohde said.

While his counterpart at Adelaide Phil Harper has landed in hot water, Rohde said Port had the protocols in place to avoid a Kurt Tippett-style salary cap issue.

"We have reporting processes to make sure that everything is within the rules," Rohde said. "They may have deviated from their normal processes for some reason."

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Crows faithful behind Trigg

Adelaide CEO Steven Trigg chats with fans at Crows training. Picture: Sarah Reed

BELEAGUERED Adelaide Crows chief executive, Steven Trigg, has met face to face with a group of supporters urging him to stay on in the job.

Accompanied by Crows chairman Rob Chapman, Trigg walked out of his office this morning at AAMI stadium to speak with the group of around 20 who are all Crows Gold Members.

"We may be one-eyed, but we feel Steven has enough brownie points in the bank to keep going," a supporter, who wished to be known only as Des, said.

"He's made one mistake and if we were sacking people for one mistake not many people would hold down a job for too long.

"This all happened at a time when the Crows had to keep Kurt Tippett at all costs and mistakes can be made under that kind of pressure."

Trigg has been fined $50,000 by the AFL for his role in the club's illegal bid to keep Tippett at the Crows.

He will start a six-month suspension from all involvement with the Adelaide Crows from January 1, 2013.

Chapman and his board have backed Trigg and will permit him to return to his role at the end of the suspension.

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Demons manage small profit

Melbourne chief executive Cameron Schwab would be buoyed by his club's financial result in 2012 given the team has endured a tough period on the field. Source: Herald Sun

A SMALL annual profit has provided a rare bright spot for AFL club Melbourne in between a horror season and potential looming sanctions.

The Demons on Monday reported an operating profit of $77,618 and a statutory profit of $19,486 for the year ending October 31.

It comes after a season in which the Demons mourned the death of club legend and president Jim Stynes, were forced to dump a major sponsor, Energy Watch, over a racism controversy and won just four games under first-year coach Mark Neeld.

"We believe our result is very creditable, given the extremely competitive environment we work in and the extraordinarily difficult year we have had," Melbourne president Don McLardy said on the club's website.

"Our poor on-field performance was a major negative factor, but this was exacerbated by a series of unfortunate events including the loss of a major sponsor and of course the tragic passing of our president."

It was the Demons' fourth straight profit, with the club having climbed out of a perilous financial position since Stynes took over the presidency in mid-2008.

The latest profit was achieved despite the club increasing their football department spending by $1.674 million this year.

But the Demons could face more pain when the AFL finalises its investigation into claims the club tanked for draft picks in 2009.

Heavy sanctions are expected if the allegations are proved, although McLardy said the club planned a strong defence.

"I can assure you we will use every resource available to us to defend the integrity of the Melbourne Football Club in the strongest possible way," he said.

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Footy heavyweights back Trigg

Crows chief executive Steven Trigg speaks to the media at Crows HQ the day after the AFL Commission. Picture: Dylan Coker. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

BESIEGED Crows chief Steven Trigg has the backing of the Adelaide football community, with heavyweights Leigh Whicker, Bill Sanders, Malcolm Blight and Graham Cornes all applauding the club's decision to retain him.

SANFL general manager Whicker said the state league fully supported the decision of the Adelaide board.

"Steven Trigg is an outstanding administrator," Mr Whicker said.

"From the SANFL point of view, we strongly support Steven's continuation in the role he has been so successful in.

"Steven has been very forthright and open through this process. I've known Steven for a long while and his integrity is unquestionable.

"There's a very fine line in all sports that you can step over. I don't think a person's career and long term future should be severed due to one oversight. In general life and business people do make mistakes.

"I think the penalty has been very severe.

"I think the Adelaide Football Club is on the cusp of delivering something very special in the next few years. Once the ball is bounced in March, the fans will be there behind the club."

Inaugural chief executive Sanders said the decision was in the best interests of the club.

"I'm very pleased for Steven's sake," he said.

"Any decision the board makes must be in the best interests of the football club and I'm sure that would have been their major consideration.

"Steven has done an excellent job for the Crows."

Sanders backed Chapman to get the job done during Trigg's absence, but conceded the suspension came at a tricky time for the club.

"The contingency they have in place with Rob Chapman stepping in should cover it.

"It is not an ideal time, particularly given the issues that are in front of the club at the moment - the license and Adelaide Oval just to name two.

"However they have got to make the best of it and overcome it with the best ways and means possible."

Inaugural Crows coach Cornes said he absolutely backed the club's decision to stick by Trigg.

"I thought the penalty handed down to Steven Trigg (by the AFL) was just ridiculously excessive," he said.

"As the tribunal has indicated, this is not a hanging offence.

"Steven Trigg stood to gain no personal benefit."

Dual premiership coach Blight said also he was pleased for Trigg.

"The board are put in place to adjudicate all those things and if they see fit (to keep him) good on them," he said.

"I'm pleased for Steven."

AFL media manager Patrick Keane said the league had stated on Friday it would back whatever the board decided.

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Good CEOs are hard to find: Chapman

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg says he offered his resignation to the club but they declined it.

Adelaide Crows chairman Rob Chapman at the press conference after the AFL Commission hearing. Picture: Michael Dodge. Source: Getty Images

ADELAIDE chairman Rob Chapman has defended the club's decision to maintain chief executive Steven Trigg after a specially convened board meeting unanimously decided he was the best man for the job.

Chapman was prepared for a torrent of criticism after he came out of the specially convened meeting late morning but told The Sunday Mail and was fully aware it was not a populist choice - but he is convinced it was the right one.

The obvious analogy in the criticism is that had Trigg acted the way he allegedly did in the corporate world, he would be shown the door.

But he was backed by both the AFL and the Crows to stay and Chapman said there were parts of the Tippett saga that would and could never been established because the warring factions could not agree on a set of facts.

"We're giving Steven the benefit of doubt," Chapman said.

"It wasn't an easy decision and it wasn't the populist decision but it was the right decision.

"We're not afraid to make the tough decisions that we believe are right for the club.

"The easy decision would have been to accept his resignation when he offered it."

Chapman called Trigg yesterday to let him know the board wanted him to use the six-month penalty received for his part in the Kurt Tippett affair constructively and then get on with it.

Chapman could already imagine the angry phone calls to radio sports shows and the buzzing of angry Internet comments.

Disgraced Crows CEO keeps his job

To Chapman, it was an expected reaction, and an natural one.

"I understand why people are raising the points that they're raising, because without having the full context of the events and the history of what happened, you'd ask those questions," Chapman said.

"Without having a full set of facts, it's hard to draw any other conclusion.

"But the all of the facts aren't going to come out because they commission couldn't agree on one set of facts - there were two: one from us and one from the Tippett camp.

"What happened from there was that we accepted a range of sanctions."

Trigg addressed the media yesterday in a confrontingly honest manner, speaking of his self doubt and his thoughts of just walking away.

There have been long and testing conversations between him and Chapman, with Trigg continuously asking whether he'd be doing the club a disservice by staying.

But Chapman had been unflinching and there was not an ounce of doubt in his voice as he lined up the reasons for keeping Trigg to The Sunday Mail.

"I and the board are backing Steven to be the best person to lead the club forward.

"Why keep him? Good CEOs are hard to find in the AFL.

"There are only 18 of them and they all have a job.

"It would take more than several months to recruit, select and induct a new CEO and why take that risk when we have an excellent CEO who has all the corporate knowledge of years of planning for the move to Adelaide Oval, knowledge about the transfer of the license (from the SANFL to the club), the work that's gone into a seconds team?"

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Trigg stays but still packs his bags

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg says he offered his resignation to the club but they declined it.

Adelaide Crows chief executive Steven Trigg speaks to members of the media at Crows HQ in West Lakes, the day after the AFL Commission. Picture: Dylan Coker. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

• Tell us: Have the Crows been dealt with fairly by the AFL?

CROWS boss Steven Trigg says he considered stepping down "every day" for the past six weeks but was swayed against falling on his sword by yesterday's unanimous backing from the club's board.

Adelaide backed Trigg to continue as the club's chief executive despite his six-month suspension imposed by the AFL for his part in the Kurt Tippett scandal.

Less than 24 hours after Adelaide chairman Rob Chapman declared himself a "personal supporter" of Trigg, the eight other elected members of the club's board voted to retain Trigg when his ban is lifted on July 1.

"The board is united on this," Chapman said.

"All decisions of the board are based on putting the club first and ensuring the best overall outcomes for the club."

Football manager Phil Harper, who inherited the dirty deal built by Trigg and former football boss John Reid in 2009, also won unanimous board backing to retain his role.

Harper received a two-month ban, keeping him off Adelaide's books until March 1.

Dodgy deal the Tippett of the iceberg

But it was the decision to retain Trigg that raised eyebrows in a football community that was predicting a sacking or a voluntary dismissal.

On Friday, the chief executive copped a six-month, unpaid ban from holding any position within the AFL or clubs.

He was also fined $50,000, and faced speculation his position at the club was no longer tenable.

Breaking his silence since the sanctions were handed down on Friday, Trigg revealed he had offered his resignation during several meetings with Chapman after details of Tippett's contract began surfacing during a tumultuous trade period.

Kurt Tippett leaves the AFL Commission with his legal counsel David Gallbally. Picture: Norm Oorloff Source: adelaidenow

"It's been an unbelievable six weeks," Trigg said.

"If I said to you there wasn't a day go by where I didn't think about stepping down you'd probably believe me.

"But particularly in the last week there's been a couple of occasions when I've had that formal discussion with our chairman, and I think reflective of their decision today is the proposition that I can still continue to add value and make sure that we go forward as a footy club."

It is understood Trigg's involvement in ongoing negotiations surrounding the club's move to Adelaide Oval for 2014 and a push for a reserves side were among key planks that won the board's backing.

Despite a wave of outcry at his retention on talkback radio yesterday, Trigg was adamant the stain of his role in the Tippett affair did not affect the viability of his job with the club.

"I've always said I'd love to stay in the role," he said.

"I want to stay in the industry and I want to stay in the role.

"People find that extraordinary given the circumstances, and I understand that as well. I've made some blues, we've buggered up some things, no question about that, and I take complete responsibility.

"But for me, do I want to stay in the role? Absolutely.

"For me it's a question of does the board want me to stay in the role.

"They've put a position where they're really strong, no ambiguity, so it's on that basis that I stay in the role."

Tippett blames Crows for 11-week ban

Trigg learnt of the board's decision in a phone call from Chapman late yesterday morning, immediately after the board meeting.

He was uncertain whether his AFL-imposed ban meant he was allowed to attend games before the suspension ended on July 1.

Trigg said during his enforced lay-off he planned to launch a fact-finding mission with other national and international sporting organisations.

"Apparently I've got a few jobs to do around the house," he said.

"I do need a spell and after 11 years in this role where you're just going flat out the whole time there is a little bit of upside in having a spell. I didn't want it to be this way.

"What I really want to do at some stage is get out, under my own steam and my own cost, and go and look at some world sport so I can learn some things, bring them back here and put them into place.

"Whether that's other codes, other clubs, other sports, I'll spend a bit of time doing that. It needs to be mapped out, I don't want to waste it."

THE PENALTIES

- Adelaide Crows fined $300,000 and stripped of their first and second round picks in the 2013 national draft.

- Tippett fined $50,000 and suspended for the 2013 pre-season and first 11 home and away games, with a suspended sentence for the remaining 11 home and away games.

- Steven Trigg fined $50,000 and suspended from any involvement in the AFL for the first six months of 2013, with a suspended sentence for the remaining six months.

- Former Crows football operations manager John Reid suspended from any involvement in the AFL for the first six months of 2013, with a suspended sentence for the remaining six months.

- Crows football operations manager Phil Harper suspended from any AFL involvement for the first two months of 2013, with a further four-month suspended sentence.

scott.walsh@email.com.au

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Sun rises again for Brennan

Jared Brennan trains with the Suns at Metricon Stadium. Picture: David Clark Source: Gold Coast Bulletin

FROM the back of the bus to the front of the plane.

Jared Brennan's road to redemption is all but complete.

The mercurial 28-year-old was on the brink of quitting the AFL after a horror 2012 season in which the high-priced recruit was twice dumped to the Gold Coast reserves.

Disillusioned and questioning if he still had the passion to play at the top level, a reclusive Brennan withdrew from the pressure-cooker environment of the AFL knowing his career balanced on a knife's edge.

But the former Lion was a new man during the Suns' two-week high-altitude camp in Arizona.

He trained the house down to the point where he was voted by his peers as the best performer in the US - and was rewarded with a seat in business class for the long flight back to Australia.

"He's backed it up (since returning home)," Suns coach Guy McKenna said.

"The big test is coming back to sea level and putting your head down and working hard.

"Jared has shown a real appetite for that hard work. He hasn't missed a beat. His enthusiasm is up, his passion is up, all indicators to do with his training are on the up."

Brennan said he would have regretted pulling the pin.

"I've still got a few good years left in me. If I gave up now it was probably the easy way out," he said.

"(And) I don't want to be known to take the easy way out."

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Look beyond Murphy, says Maclure

It was John Reid's 'parting gift' for the Crows

Chris Judd is set to relinquish the Carlton captaincy. Picture: Chris Hyde. Source: Getty Images

CARLTON legend Mark Maclure has urged the Blues to look beyond the on-field brilliance of Marc Murphy when deciding on the club's next captain.

Murphy, 25, is the frontrunner to replace superstar veteran Chris Judd, who is poised to step aside after five years in the job.

CEO Greg Swann yesterday gave the green light for Judd to "concentrate on playing good footy" and help groom the team's next on-field general.

While a Superfooty poll was 40 per cent in favour of Murphy getting the nod, Maclure said new coach Mick Malthouse will challenge the players to think broadly about the leadership candidates.

"It's not always the best player," Maclure said.

"Is Nick Maxwell the best player at Collingwood? No he's not. But Nick Maxwell is a pretty good captain at Collingwood.

"It's not always the Marc Murphy who can get 35 touches, sometimes it's what he does when he hasn't got the ball and that's what Nick Maxwell does.

"It might be Kade Simpson who you don't hear much of, who slides under the radar all the time.

"If I think I know what Mick would want it would be one of the most well respected players and respected for what they do on the field and off it. Not because they can get 30 kicks a week."

Andrew Carrazzo and Michael Jamison both have strong support.

It is understood Judd, 29, is keen to offload some of the added captaincy responsibilities in the final year of his playing contract.

Greg Swann said the club would not force Judd to remain in the position if he had doubts.

"If he doesn't want to do it, well then, you don't want to make him do it," the Blues CEO said.

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Manager: Swan is fine, end of story

It was John Reid's 'parting gift' for the Crows

Collingwood's Dane Swan at this year's Brownlow Medal. Picture: Michael Klein. Source: Herald Sun

DANE Swan's manager Liam Pickering has dismissed suggestions that the Collingwood star has a lifestyle problem.

Pickering came to Swan's defence after there was a call this week for the 2011 Brownlow Medal winner to be sacked for alleged poor conduct during the off-season.

"There is no problem,'' Pickering told SEN today. "He (Swan) is across exactly what needs to be done. We've discussed it, we know where he is at, and we move on.''

AFL stars avoid drug strikes

Pickering said he had not asked Swan about the allegations that his off-field behaviour was seen as a serious issue at Collingwood, but he had spoken with the club.

"There wasn't a lot of facts to it,'' Pickering said of the call to sack Swan.

Asked whether he had specifically asked his player whether drugs were a serious issue for AFL footballers, he said: "Why would I? If you ask them, what do you think their response would be?

"You try to educate your players, but you trust their better judgment in a situation that they will understand the implications.''

Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert told the Herald Sun this week that illegal drug use among AFL players was one of the biggest problems in the game.

Picture gallery: Magpies hit the beach
 

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