Following our exes...................

[Twodogs]

Those of us who were there for the 2014 prelim would remember Cordy had a similar last quarter in that game - for us against Willy. I remember it clearly..

Small time, big time player, our Ayce..

He's playing at a level where his relative lack of size fir such a big man isn't a liability. Until he gets bigger through the core he won't succeed at AFEL level. He will continue to be pushed out of the contest by stronger opponents.

Ayce is a talented player but if his stronger less talented opponent with the big arse and child bearing hips barges him aside everytime the ball comes near them the talent doesn't come into the equation.

[Axe Man]

Article about Shane Birss still running around in country footy. His Heyfield Kangaroos lost to the Sale City Bulldogs on the weekend.

Happy to help

When former St Kilda and Western Bulldogs midfielder Shane Birss' season wrapped up at the end of August last year the former AFL player considered hanging up the boots for good.

His Mallee Football League club, Walpeup-Underbool Football Club, had failed to make finals and he was about to become a father.

After an AFL career that included 51 games for Western Bulldogs between 2002 and 2006 and 20 games at St Kilda between 2007 and 2008, there was nothing left to prove.

With his club merging and preparing to join the Sunraysia Football League, it was as good a time as any to retire.

But after speaking with Kangaroos coach Josh Stubbe, Birss decided to make Heyfield his home.

On Saturday the 33 year-old will pull on the boots to represent his new club in the North Gippsland Football Netball League grand final.

It was something he had always considered.

"I always talked about playing for Heyfield and I played enough games to qualify for finals and it's worked out well," Birss said.

"Obviously you play footy to play finals and that's the main objective, but it was mainly just to get back with families I know."

Birss, who played for Sale in the Gippsland League prior to his AFL days, had strong ties to the club through his brother, ex-Heyfield coach Damien.

He said it was the people around the club which made it an easy decision after he finished in the Mallee.

"It's been great, that's a big reason why I went there (the people) - I was always going to be welcome at the Heyfield Football Club," Birss said.

Damien may no longer be playing, but being at Heyfield also allows Birss more time with his family.

"He more watches games and it's good - his son and family obviously go and watch the footy so I get to see him most weekends which is nice," he said.

"Having a little girl I wanted to get back to see my brother and sister and family more often."

While he said he was happy to pass on the knowledge he built up during his 71-game AFL career, the strength of the club's leadership meant he didn't need to give too much guidance.

"Stubbe's doing a great job the way he's coaching the side - they've got good leaders," Birss said.

While Birss played down his role, Stubbe was glowing in his praise for the midfielder.

"It's brilliant for the boys to have the knowledge and talk out there on the ground and to have someone of his experience come in and steady the ship in the second half of the year," Stubbe said.

"His brother coached here last year and his family has been involved in the club for a long time, but he has never played for Heyfield. He initiated it and playing for Heyfield was something he really wanted to do."

In an interesting sub-plot, Birss will face off against his former West Adelaide teammate - Sale City coach David Piasente.

Birss joined the South Australian National Football League club in 2009 after his AFL career ended.

"It's quite ironic, sometimes it's a bit hard to play against those kind of guys - we're still really good mates," he said.

"It's funny it's worked out that way."

Despite the result, he said the pair would celebrate together after the game.

[Throughandthrough]

Wil Anderson is from Heyfield

[ledge]

Tony Liberatore won a flag last weekend playing in the old mans league for Williamstown.

[bulldogtragic]

When North made the decision to announce forced retirements three weeks ago, they left Farren Ray off the media release for some reason. He announced he was told three weeks ago that North are not giving him another year. So that's him finished, I'm not sure why North 'stole' him away from St Kilda for a couple of games and may have cost him another year at St Kilda for depth. But ah well, Cooney & Ray finished from that draft together now.

[Twodogs]

I'm surprised they gave him this year.

[Remi Moses]

Well done to Farren had a pretty decent career ( better at Stkilda than us)
Probably shows at pick 4 it was a weak draft . Seems like a pretty decent bloke as well

[KT31]

Well done to Farren had a pretty decent career ( better at Stkilda than us)
Probably shows at pick 4 it was a weak draft . Seems like a pretty decent bloke as well

Always thought the bigger bodied player at the Saints enabled him to run and carry much better than he was able to at the Dogs.

[Twodogs]

Always thought the bigger bodied player at the Saints enabled him to run and carry much better than he was able to at the Dogs.

As a team were St Kilda were far better equipped to let him use his skill set than we were. No doubt he made the right choice going there.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I thought it was testament to Ross Lyon to find a way to use him effectively

He was a solid contributor for them

[Throughandthrough]

http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/spo...4343d57fd7704f

Charlton exploits North Central league loophole
HANNAH DRISCOLL, The Weekly Times
August 23, 2016 11:30pm
CHARLTON has qualified a former AFL player for the North Central league finals by playing him twice in two rounds to meet the competition’s four game qualification requirement.

The league changed its qualifying rules for senior finals this season, but there are already expectations the loophole will be closed.

Andrew Hooper, who played seven games for the Western Bulldogs and is on North Ballarat Roosters’ VFL list, played the reserves and senior matches against Don*!ald in Round 6 and St Arnaud in Round 15.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Has Charlton’s tactics gone against the spirit of the rules? Comment below

Those appearances, which included only partial reserves games, were enough for Charlton to qualify Hooper for its finals campaign, which opens against minor premier Wycheproof-*!Narraport.

The North Central league this season increased the number of club home-and-away games players had to play to qualify for senior finals from two games to four. However there was no clause added to prevent players playing multiple games in the same day and using them to qualify.

While it has been acknowledged Charlton acted within the rules, the club — the runner-up the past three years — has been accused of going against the “spirit of the game”.

League chairman Kevin Anderson said the rule change had tried to address the issue of VFL players coming back to qualify for clubs.

But he admitted that by allowing multiple games per day to count “that’s probably where we didn’t alter the rule properly, we probably made a mistake on that grounds”.

“I would be looking at it that it had to be four senior games to qualify, to clean that rule up, rather than being able to play two games in one day,” he said.

“This club has ... used it to their advantage and it’s within the rules so it’s not cheating.

“It’s probably not what I would’ve thought in the spirit of the game but it’s within the rules.”

Charlton president Shane Fitzpatrick said the Blues had “done everything to get *!Andrew Hooper qualified. That’s all we’ve done”.

Fitzpatrick said the loophole was discussed at a league meeting, and the rule for seniors, which only stipulated club matches, differed to the other grades, which required the four matches to be played in that grade.

“(We) said it made no difference when they changed it because in the past they had to play two games to qualify and a bloke could play them on the same day. Things haven’t changed at all,” he said.

When asked if Charlton would support a rule change that required players to play four senior games to qualify, Fitzpatrick said he would have to take it to the committee.

Charlton is hosting the first *!finals this weekend, with Birchip-Watchem and Donald playing the seniors’ first semi-final.

Birchip-Watchem president Lachlan Barber also said it was discussed at a league meeting whether players could qualify two games in one day, and “the consensus was that’s really not how it should be”.

“I was of the understanding that wasn’t the case and that you couldn’t do that, but obviously it still is,” Barber said.

He backed a change, saying “why bring it from two to four if you can still play two weeks effectively and get qualified?”

Donald president Colin Gilmour said he was not “too worried” about what Charlton had done, but added “it probably does need to be cleaned up a bit, that rule”.

Hooper has played five matches for Charlton in two seasons and his lone appearance last year came at a crucial game. He kicked 10 goals in Charlton’s 166-point thumping of a winless Boort in the final round.

The win and percentage boost pushed Charlton from fourth to second and into the second semi-final. Hooper was ineligible to play *!finals last year because he played too many VFL matches.

He has only played seven VFL matches this year.

Won the GF. Hoops celebrated by doing the Worm in a Teletubbies suit on the Mad Monday.

[bornadog]

Ex-Western Bulldogs player Cameron Wight shares story of depression

Cameron Wight wishes he'd spoken up earlier. As some of his former Western Bulldogs teammates prepare for Saturday's preliminary final, Wight is continuing the process of rebuilding his life.


Last year, the one-time Dogs defender spiralled into new depths of depression. The illness had plagued him for a decade but things had taken an alarming turn for the worse earlier in 2015. To escape the pain, Wight – now 31 – sought comfort in a bottle, hitting the wine and vodka hard. He says he was writing himself off four or five times a week for about five months. Then about 12 months ago he got behind the wheel after drinking. He crashed and rolled his car. It was at that point that his friends and family knew something was badly amiss.

The son of former Collingwood player Terry Wight, Cameron went to the Whitten Oval with pick 49 of the 2002 draft. Awfully shy, Wight did not enjoy the life of a professional footballer. He wouldn't spend a minute longer at the club than necessary. Club doctor Jake Landsberger diagnosed Wight with depression and prescribed him medication, but Wight largely kept his condition from those around him – including teammates. It is his great regret.

"I kind of just kept pushing it aside because I didn't think it was that big a problem at that stage," he says.
"I just kept ignoring and ignoring it until it got real bad two years ago."

Wight managed 36 games across seven years before being let go by the club at the end of 2009. A personal training career followed, but his depression would not abate. He would get home from work and go straight to bed, debilitated by the Black Dog. Still he kept his situation hidden from those around him.

"I held it in for too long," Wight says.
"It kept building and building and then exploded."

That car crash proved to be a nadir. With the assistance of the AFL Players' Association and those around him, Wight worked to get the support he needed. He is back on track – working in metal sheeting – and while his illness may never totally leave him, Wight now has better ways to cope.

"I still have my bad times but I know they're going to happen and I know how to deal with those," he says.
"[I've] had a massive change in my life the last year or so.

"The AFLPA, my family and friends, have helped me enormously."

He has chosen to tell his story as part of the AFLPA's Better Out than In campaign that encourages men not to bottle up their experience with mental illness.

Wight is also looking forward to an overdue catch-up with current Dogs defenders Easton Wood and Dale Morris, both of whom he played with. But their meeting has had to take a back seat as a result of Luke Beveridge's side's improbable run to the season's penultimate weekend. Morris is Wight's closest friend still at the Kennel, and Wight is urging his ex-teammates on to premiership glory.

"It's great so see them doing so well," Wight says.

"I'm happy for Easton, and especially happy for Dale."

But while pleased about the Dogs' success, Wight wonders whether his career might have looked a bit more like those of Morris or Wood had he shared the truth earlier. "I definitely look back and think if I did speak up earlier, who knows what would have happened."

By discussing his journey he hopes current players won't end up with the same "what ifs".

[westdog54]

That made for some very sad reading.

I always had a soft spot for Cam Wight. I remember him running off Justin Kositschke in a game against the Saints and drilling a goal from 50 on the run.

It was a truly joyful moment.

[AndrewP6]

Feel for Wight, hope he's in a good place now.

[bulldogtragic]

Carlton trying purge itself of players with a Dogs connection.

Jayden Foster & Everitt delisted. Tutty got cutty too. Jones saved by his contract.