Victory slams Victoria Police over grand final presence
Melbourne Victory has slammed the Victorian government and Victoria Police over their handling of the A-League Men grand final.
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Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Perfectly imperfect: Unlikely hero takes Socceroos to brink of another World Cup
In the fair dinkum department, however, you can start booking your tickets to North America because the Socceroos have a goal difference buffer of +10 over Saudi Arabia, the team they'll face in next week's final World Cup qualifier in Jeddah, and there's no universe in which that gets erased and Australia loses second spot in Group C. So rejoice – and prepare to rejoice again on Wednesday morning (AEST). In the meantime, Aziz Behich, please step forward and take your place in the pantheon of Australian heroes – right next to John Aloisi, Josh Kennedy and Andrew Redmayne, other Socceroo icons who have emerged from troubled times as qualification heroes. Though the rest of the match will be quickly forgotten, Behich's 90th-minute goal will be forever remembered. It came from nowhere: an inboard pass from the right from Jason Geria to fellow substitute Riley McGree, who turned beautifully and broke into space in Australia's penalty area. But his touch seemed too heavy, and the ball seemed destined to roll out for a goal kick. So he chased it, and cut the ball back to the penalty spot, picking out … well, nobody initially, but Behich went after it, beat a Japanese defender to it, and curled it in with his right foot. 'It was just about getting myself in a position into the box,' Behich said post-match. Loading 'One thing that the boss said at half-time was, we've still got to work hard, it'll be tough to break down, but we'll get our opportunity if we stick to our structure and get numbers into the box - and we'll get one opportunity, and we'll take it. 'I just tried to get myself into that back post area, and as soon as it sat and came off my foot, I felt I hit it pretty nicely. I actually didn't see the ball hit the net, I just saw the crowd erupt and players start running everywhere, and that's when I looked at the goal and was like – let's go. It's a beautiful moment. I'm grateful that I was the one to hit the back of the net, but the boys out there tonight had to work so hard.' Behich is one of Australia's most underappreciated players. He has spent most of his career trying to escape the memory of the 2010 A-League grand final, when he missed an open goal that could have won it for Melbourne Victory. Capped 80 times for the Socceroos, he is hardly the kind of guy who sells tickets or customised jerseys, and for a few years now, it's as if a good section of fans have been waiting for Jordan Bos or someone else to take his spot on the left side of defence so he can be forgotten. But Behich, 34, has a surplus of ticker, which is why teammates and coaches love him, why he never gives up, and why he is still such an important part of the national team. On Saturday night, he captained Melbourne City to an A-League championship, but that was just the entrée to the main dish: his first international goal since 2012, which sealed Australia's first win over Japan since 2009. 'With what's on the line for us, what we've had to go through this campaign, and obviously playing against a nation that we haven't beaten I don't know how many years … we're always the underdog and always expected to lose, but we always have belief within those four walls,' he said. 'This is right up there in my green and gold career.' So to the performance. The good thing is it doesn't matter – but it wasn't great. Having already qualified, Japan fielded a second-string team but still utterly dominated the first half, and mostly dominated the second half. Physically, at times, they monstered Australia. In terms of technique, the gulf was frightening. But for all their possession and territory, they managed just one shot on target for the whole match. The Socceroos did what Popovic teams tend to do, particularly in Asia: defend well, remain disciplined and focused, and strike when the opportunity is there. Loading Popovic now has over 12 months to find the missing pieces to Australia's game. There are more than a few, and they are very much needed for them to be competitive at a World Cup. In full context, though, he has done a wonderful job. When he was parachuted in as Graham Arnold's replacement, this team was in crisis, in shambles, and direct qualification looked in serious danger. He has achieved it – well, 'all but', for now – while also restoring pride in the jersey, regenerating his squad with new faces and ideas, and laying down a sturdy foundation which he and his players can now build upon.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Mick Malthouse: New AFL appointments Greg Swann & Tom Harley will benefit West Coast Eagles & Fremantle
The AFL has made massive moves this week by appointing Greg Swann to executive general manager of football performance and — in all probability — Tom Harley to chief operating officer. These will be highly positive selections, particularly for West Coast and Fremantle. Both men are admired in the football industry for what they have achieved in their previous roles, and the way they go about things. They each have experience with at least two AFL clubs, and they have both been involved in AFL premierships — one as a player and one as an administrator. But perhaps their greatest asset as far as non-Victorian clubs go, is that they know how football clubs operate outside of the traditional football state. They know, because at Brisbane and Sydney they have experienced the pitfalls, the angst, the travel and the non-sensical fixturing for interstate clubs. Yes, NSW is just over an hour's flight away from Melbourne and Queensland is two-and-a-half hours away and during winter both states are in the same time zone as Victoria. It's not the four-plus hours of travel and a two-hour time difference that the West Aussie clubs deal with, however, it's enough for Swann and Harley to have a sympathetic ear and a supportive voice for the non-Victorian clubs within the walls of the AFL and that's a positive for the Dockers and the Eagles. Harley's potential move to basically become Andrew Dillon's second is not really a surprise. He was Geelong's premiership captain in 2007 and 2009 and CEO of Sydney for their recent grand final losses. Knowing what it's like to win and lose is important, because it's not all beer and skittles. I have worked with Tom in the media and found him to be honest, knowledgeable, and a good listener. All great qualities for an AFL executive. Swann and I started at Collingwood together. The club was virtually broke, had low membership numbers and hadn't played finals for a record number of years. Greg came from a major accounting firm with high job security and an international bias. My initial thoughts were, why him? Until I quickly realised he was a football fanatic and not scared to get his hands dirty. He turned the club and its finances around very quickly. Years later, Greg was the person who convinced me to go to Carlton, as he had started to do the same thing for the Blues. Little did I realise that his tenure would end too quickly for me to establish myself at Carlton as he answered an S.O.S. call from the AFL to move North and take on a very challenging job as CEO of the Brisbane Lions. No doubt his highlight there would be last year's premiership. As surprised as I was to hear of his appointment at the AFL, I also wasn't surprised. It makes total sense, actually. Greg, by his own admission, loves the football side of the job even more so than the administrative side. He would spend hours with me at Collingwood and Carlton talking about the game and where we stood. So his new role as football performance boss, is tailor made for him. He is well regarded within the football community and would have no worries in walking through the front door of AFL House and being accepted immediately. There is no doubt he will have strong views on the laws of the game and other such things and won't hesitate to make recommendations to club bosses to improve their lot. For the non-Victorian clubs, he will be an ally. And it's about time too.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Perfectly imperfect: Unlikely hero takes Socceroos to brink of another World Cup
In the fair dinkum department, however, you can start booking your tickets to North America because the Socceroos have a goal difference buffer of +10 over Saudi Arabia, the team they'll face in next week's final World Cup qualifier in Jeddah, and there's no universe in which that gets erased and Australia loses second spot in Group C. So rejoice – and prepare to rejoice again on Wednesday morning (AEST). In the meantime, Aziz Behich, please step forward and take your place in the pantheon of Australian heroes – right next to John Aloisi, Josh Kennedy and Andrew Redmayne, other Socceroo icons who have emerged from troubled times as qualification heroes. Though the rest of the match will be quickly forgotten, Behich's 90th-minute goal will be forever remembered. It came from nowhere: an inboard pass from the right from Jason Geria to fellow substitute Riley McGree, who turned beautifully and broke into space in Australia's penalty area. But his touch seemed too heavy, and the ball seemed destined to roll out for a goal kick. So he chased it, and cut the ball back to the penalty spot, picking out … well, nobody initially, but Behich went after it, beat a Japanese defender to it, and curled it in with his right foot. 'It was just about getting myself in a position into the box,' Behich said post-match. Loading 'One thing that the boss said at half-time was, we've still got to work hard, it'll be tough to break down, but we'll get our opportunity if we stick to our structure and get numbers into the box - and we'll get one opportunity, and we'll take it. 'I just tried to get myself into that back post area, and as soon as it sat and came off my foot, I felt I hit it pretty nicely. I actually didn't see the ball hit the net, I just saw the crowd erupt and players start running everywhere, and that's when I looked at the goal and was like – let's go. It's a beautiful moment. I'm grateful that I was the one to hit the back of the net, but the boys out there tonight had to work so hard.' Behich is one of Australia's most underappreciated players. He has spent most of his career trying to escape the memory of the 2010 A-League grand final, when he missed an open goal that could have won it for Melbourne Victory. Capped 80 times for the Socceroos, he is hardly the kind of guy who sells tickets or customised jerseys, and for a few years now, it's as if a good section of fans have been waiting for Jordan Bos or someone else to take his spot on the left side of defence so he can be forgotten. But Behich, 34, has a surplus of ticker, which is why teammates and coaches love him, why he never gives up, and why he is still such an important part of the national team. On Saturday night, he captained Melbourne City to an A-League championship, but that was just the entrée to the main dish: his first international goal since 2012, which sealed Australia's first win over Japan since 2009. 'With what's on the line for us, what we've had to go through this campaign, and obviously playing against a nation that we haven't beaten I don't know how many years … we're always the underdog and always expected to lose, but we always have belief within those four walls,' he said. 'This is right up there in my green and gold career.' So to the performance. The good thing is it doesn't matter – but it wasn't great. Having already qualified, Japan fielded a second-string team but still utterly dominated the first half, and mostly dominated the second half. Physically, at times, they monstered Australia. In terms of technique, the gulf was frightening. But for all their possession and territory, they managed just one shot on target for the whole match. The Socceroos did what Popovic teams tend to do, particularly in Asia: defend well, remain disciplined and focused, and strike when the opportunity is there. Loading Popovic now has over 12 months to find the missing pieces to Australia's game. There are more than a few, and they are very much needed for them to be competitive at a World Cup. In full context, though, he has done a wonderful job. When he was parachuted in as Graham Arnold's replacement, this team was in crisis, in shambles, and direct qualification looked in serious danger. He has achieved it – well, 'all but', for now – while also restoring pride in the jersey, regenerating his squad with new faces and ideas, and laying down a sturdy foundation which he and his players can now build upon.
