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The Age
a day ago
- Sport
- The Age
This AFL pick swap was part of North Melbourne's grand plan. But now they're on the verge of unwanted history
'You'd hope we'd improve quite a bit, given the cattle we've brought in and another year in these young kids, but it's hard to say,' Thursfield said at the time. 'We've got to back ourselves in a bit.' It was the equivalent of Carlton's trade with Adelaide seven years ago, when the Blues' then-list manager, Stephen Silvagni, swapped future first-rounders with the Crows to get back into the 2018 draft at No.19 to select Liam Stocker. Silvagni declared they viewed Stocker as the sixth-best player in the class. Stocker played 28 games in four seasons before Silvagni's replacement as Carlton list boss, Nick Austin, delisted him at the end of 2022, only for the ex-Blue to join Silvagni at St Kilda. It was a similar story with Thursfield, who said they felt Whitlock was 'around the mark' of the top 10 in the 2024 draft, while noting many key-position players tumbled. Loading The Roos could limit the damage and leapfrog both the Tigers and Bombers into 15th place, if they win their final two matches of the season and other results go their way. But regardless, Richmond have done well out of the deal. 'There's a risk with both those things,' Yze said this week. 'Whether Matt Whitlock ends up playing 250 games; it could [look] the other way. Right now, it looks like we might win out of that deal, but when you look at the Kangas – they would have felt that they're going to [climb the ladder in 2025]. They've been in a lot of games this year, and they're obviously improving. 'Those things happen every year, so you probably can't look at the result of that until 10 years' time.' Why cohesion matters Richmond have already won more games this season (five) than North Melbourne have in any season since they parted with 14 players – excluding Will Walker, who they redrafted – at the end of 2020. Like the Kangaroos, the Tigers are rebuilding, and that went into overdrive last year when they made 10 list changes between delistings, retirements, free agency and trades. Yze is in his second year at Richmond since replacing triple-premiership coach Damien Hardwick. This is all important when introducing Gain Line Analytics (GLA), a sports and corporate consultancy company that has developed a data-driven model that illustrates team performance is strongly linked to cohesion. Company co-founder, and general manager of sport, Simon Strachan defines cohesion as 'the objective measure of understanding between teammates', which includes – but is not limited to – games played together; weekly team selection; and even coaching changes. GLA, which consults many AFL clubs and has a strong association with rugby and rugby league teams as well, uses this data to develop team in-season cohesion markers, or scores. Strachan said GLA's data showed that teams with a higher score in this metric tended to outperform rivals with lower levels. 'The AFL tends to have the longest build cycle of most professional sports,' he said. 'Which is why teams going through a rebuild phase take a long time to be truly competitive – and why if teams are not patient through a rebuild; they tend to be stuck in an ongoing recruiting cycle, never being able to develop competitive cohesion markers.' Richmond's cohesion score in round one was 5.12, compared to North Melbourne's 6.37. The competition average at that stage was 9.13. The Tigers have recorded a double-digit score in all their past eight games – peaking last week at 15.46, ahead of the competition average of 15.34. The Roos reached double digits for four straight games from rounds 13-16, but their score plummeted in the weeks since as injuries piled up. Richmond's season-high marker coincided with Tim Taranto and premiership stars Tom Lynch and Nathan Broad replacing first-year trio Jonty Faull, Luke Trainor and Tom Sims. Strachan is concerned about North Melbourne's rebuild, based on their cohesion markers, given they recorded higher scores under David Noble in 2021 than Clarkson this season. Four years ago, the Kangaroos started the season at 3.52, but their final 11 games ranged between 10.82 and 13.8. Loading Successful rebuilds that GLA tracked, such as reigning premiers Brisbane Lions and 2025 ladder-leaders Adelaide, showed consistent cohesion growth across several years. The Crows and Roos finished second-last and last, respectively, in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, but GLA data demonstrates how Adelaide's team in-season cohesion increased significantly as North's stagnated in the years since. 'North Melbourne bringing in Alastair Clarkson has so far not created any significant difference to the club's overall cohesion,' Strachan said. 'It is very difficult for a coach to get high levels of performance out of a low cohesion team. 'Even Clarkson in his last year at Hawthorn [in 2021] was working with a low cohesion environment – and the results reflected this. The greatest benefit of Clarkson for North Melbourne is not his coaching ability, but the confidence to give him time to build.' Why Roos aren't bounding up ladder North Melbourne and West Coast are the only clubs to not record a single top-eight scalp in either of the past two seasons. Richmond, who came last in 2024, secured one in each of those years. The Kangaroos drew with Brisbane in round nine, but this is a damning statistic for Clarkson and his Roos, who joined forces ahead of the 2023 season. They have struggled to score as a team, with only one reliable goalkicker – star forward Nick Larkey – while ranking 15th or worse in average points in each of Clarkson's three years at the helm. Champion Data considers the two key scoring sources to be from turnovers and stoppages. North have made little-to-no improvement in those areas under Clarkson. They were 17th in per-game differential for both in 2023, 18th in each last year, and currently are last in scores from turnover differential and 16th in the stoppage equivalent. The Roos' actual differentials have barely moved either. The Tigers were 17th in those scoring sources last season, and remain on that ranking in scores from stoppages in 2025, but have improved to 15th in scores from turnover, while reducing their differential from minus-21 to minus-18.4. Clarkson believes North Melbourne are making strides. His consistent line, which he repeated on Friday, is that they are in 'a lot more games' this year. The Kangaroos have played nine matches decided by 16 points or fewer, winning three of them, losing five and drawing another. In 2024, they featured in eight contests decided by 19 points or fewer, for three victories. As for Richmond, Clarkson does not think Sunday's result will be the best gauge of which club is rebuilding better. Loading 'What really excites us is the sides like Adelaide and Brisbane Lions, who have been on the same journey as us,' Clarkson said. 'Adelaide aren't quite there yet, but they're on top of the ladder and looking really good, [and] Brisbane took seven or eight years to get from the bottom to the top. 'We know what the formula is, but it's a difficult track, and there's no guarantee that you're ever going to get there. What we can guarantee is we're trying our best. 'Everyone will like to think that whoever wins this game is on track to get there a little bit quicker than the other, but it's over a long journey rather than a short one.'
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
This AFL pick swap was part of North Melbourne's grand plan. But now they're on the verge of unwanted history
'You'd hope we'd improve quite a bit, given the cattle we've brought in and another year in these young kids, but it's hard to say,' Thursfield said at the time. 'We've got to back ourselves in a bit.' It was the equivalent of Carlton's trade with Adelaide seven years ago, when the Blues' then-list manager, Stephen Silvagni, swapped future first-rounders with the Crows to get back into the 2018 draft at No.19 to select Liam Stocker. Silvagni declared they viewed Stocker as the sixth-best player in the class. Stocker played 28 games in four seasons before Silvagni's replacement as Carlton list boss, Nick Austin, delisted him at the end of 2022, only for the ex-Blue to join Silvagni at St Kilda. It was a similar story with Thursfield, who said they felt Whitlock was 'around the mark' of the top 10 in the 2024 draft, while noting many key-position players tumbled. Loading The Roos could limit the damage and leapfrog both the Tigers and Bombers into 15th place, if they win their final two matches of the season and other results go their way. But regardless, Richmond have done well out of the deal. 'There's a risk with both those things,' Yze said this week. 'Whether Matt Whitlock ends up playing 250 games; it could [look] the other way. Right now, it looks like we might win out of that deal, but when you look at the Kangas – they would have felt that they're going to [climb the ladder in 2025]. They've been in a lot of games this year, and they're obviously improving. 'Those things happen every year, so you probably can't look at the result of that until 10 years' time.' Why cohesion matters Richmond have already won more games this season (five) than North Melbourne have in any season since they parted with 14 players – excluding Will Walker, who they redrafted – at the end of 2020. Like the Kangaroos, the Tigers are rebuilding, and that went into overdrive last year when they made 10 list changes between delistings, retirements, free agency and trades. Yze is in his second year at Richmond since replacing triple-premiership coach Damien Hardwick. This is all important when introducing Gain Line Analytics (GLA), a sports and corporate consultancy company that has developed a data-driven model that illustrates team performance is strongly linked to cohesion. Company co-founder, and general manager of sport, Simon Strachan defines cohesion as 'the objective measure of understanding between teammates', which includes – but is not limited to – games played together; weekly team selection; and even coaching changes. GLA, which consults many AFL clubs and has a strong association with rugby and rugby league teams as well, uses this data to develop team in-season cohesion markers, or scores. Strachan said GLA's data showed that teams with a higher score in this metric tended to outperform rivals with lower levels. 'The AFL tends to have the longest build cycle of most professional sports,' he said. 'Which is why teams going through a rebuild phase take a long time to be truly competitive – and why if teams are not patient through a rebuild; they tend to be stuck in an ongoing recruiting cycle, never being able to develop competitive cohesion markers.' Richmond's cohesion score in round one was 5.12, compared to North Melbourne's 6.37. The competition average at that stage was 9.13. The Tigers have recorded a double-digit score in all their past eight games – peaking last week at 15.46, ahead of the competition average of 15.34. The Roos reached double digits for four straight games from rounds 13-16, but their score plummeted in the weeks since as injuries piled up. Richmond's season-high marker coincided with Tim Taranto and premiership stars Tom Lynch and Nathan Broad replacing first-year trio Jonty Faull, Luke Trainor and Tom Sims. Strachan is concerned about North Melbourne's rebuild, based on their cohesion markers, given they recorded higher scores under David Noble in 2021 than Clarkson this season. Four years ago, the Kangaroos started the season at 3.52, but their final 11 games ranged between 10.82 and 13.8. Loading Successful rebuilds that GLA tracked, such as reigning premiers Brisbane Lions and 2025 ladder-leaders Adelaide, showed consistent cohesion growth across several years. The Crows and Roos finished second-last and last, respectively, in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, but GLA data demonstrates how Adelaide's team in-season cohesion increased significantly as North's stagnated in the years since. 'North Melbourne bringing in Alastair Clarkson has so far not created any significant difference to the club's overall cohesion,' Strachan said. 'It is very difficult for a coach to get high levels of performance out of a low cohesion team. 'Even Clarkson in his last year at Hawthorn [in 2021] was working with a low cohesion environment – and the results reflected this. The greatest benefit of Clarkson for North Melbourne is not his coaching ability, but the confidence to give him time to build.' Why Roos aren't bounding up ladder North Melbourne and West Coast are the only clubs to not record a single top-eight scalp in either of the past two seasons. Richmond, who came last in 2024, secured one in each of those years. The Kangaroos drew with Brisbane in round nine, but this is a damning statistic for Clarkson and his Roos, who joined forces ahead of the 2023 season. They have struggled to score as a team, with only one reliable goalkicker – star forward Nick Larkey – while ranking 15th or worse in average points in each of Clarkson's three years at the helm. Champion Data considers the two key scoring sources to be from turnovers and stoppages. North have made little-to-no improvement in those areas under Clarkson. They were 17th in per-game differential for both in 2023, 18th in each last year, and currently are last in scores from turnover differential and 16th in the stoppage equivalent. The Roos' actual differentials have barely moved either. The Tigers were 17th in those scoring sources last season, and remain on that ranking in scores from stoppages in 2025, but have improved to 15th in scores from turnover, while reducing their differential from minus-21 to minus-18.4. Clarkson believes North Melbourne are making strides. His consistent line, which he repeated on Friday, is that they are in 'a lot more games' this year. The Kangaroos have played nine matches decided by 16 points or fewer, winning three of them, losing five and drawing another. In 2024, they featured in eight contests decided by 19 points or fewer, for three victories. As for Richmond, Clarkson does not think Sunday's result will be the best gauge of which club is rebuilding better. Loading 'What really excites us is the sides like Adelaide and Brisbane Lions, who have been on the same journey as us,' Clarkson said. 'Adelaide aren't quite there yet, but they're on top of the ladder and looking really good, [and] Brisbane took seven or eight years to get from the bottom to the top. 'We know what the formula is, but it's a difficult track, and there's no guarantee that you're ever going to get there. What we can guarantee is we're trying our best. 'Everyone will like to think that whoever wins this game is on track to get there a little bit quicker than the other, but it's over a long journey rather than a short one.'
The Irish Sun
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Former Chelsea star, 46, handed five-year ban from all football activity following dispute with Samuel Eto'o
FORMER Chelsea star Geremi has landed a five-year ban from football - after a dispute with fellow ex-Blue Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroon international won Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 while at Stamford Bridge. 3 Geremi has been given a five-year ban from football Credit: Getty 3 The former Chelsea midfielder won two Premier League titles with the Blues Credit: Getty 3 The 46-year-old has been in dispute with ex-Chelsea star Samuel Eto'o Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd Midfielder Geremi also played for The 46-year-old has headed the Cameroon players' union Synafoc in recent years. But the West African country's FA, Fecafoot, has now banned him from football until 2030, as well as fining him £13,000. Ex- READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Their dispute dates back to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, when Geremi is said to have had a dressing-room row with one of Eto'o's staff. Fecafoot's ethics committee announced: "We declare Geremi Sorel Njitap, the president of Synafoc, guilty of breaking the behaviour rules of our code of ethics. "We sentence him to a ban from all forms of football activity for five years, and to a fine of ten million West African francs [£13,000]. "He has ten days to submit a written appeal." Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Geremi's assistant Daniel Blaise Ngos has meanwhile been banned for two years and fined £6,500 for his part in the dispute. The midfielder won 118 caps for Cameroon, scoring 13 goals for the Indomitable Lions. Chelsea launch Club World Cup campaign with 2-0 victory over LAFC in Atlanta He helped them win Olympic gold in 2000, as well as two Africa Cups of Nations. A La Liga winner with Madrid in 2001, he also played for clubs in Paraguay, Turkey and Greece. He
Scottish Sun
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Former Chelsea star, 46, handed five-year ban from all football activity following dispute with Samuel Eto'o
The 46-year-old's feud with Eto'o stems from a dressing room row OUT THE BLUE OUT THE BLUE Former Chelsea star, 46, handed five-year ban from all football activity following dispute with Samuel Eto'o Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FORMER Chelsea star Geremi has landed a five-year ban from football - after a dispute with fellow ex-Blue Samuel Eto'o. The Cameroon international won Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006 while at Stamford Bridge. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Geremi has been given a five-year ban from football Credit: Getty 3 The former Chelsea midfielder won two Premier League titles with the Blues Credit: Getty 3 The 46-year-old has been in dispute with ex-Chelsea star Samuel Eto'o Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd Midfielder Geremi also played for Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Real Madrid. The 46-year-old has headed the Cameroon players' union Synafoc in recent years. But the West African country's FA, Fecafoot, has now banned him from football until 2030, as well as fining him £13,000. Ex-Chelsea, Everton, Barcelona and Inter Milan star Eto'o, 44, is president of the association. READ MORE ON FOOTBALL Box office Premier League TV games revealed as Man Utd vs Arsenal kick-off time announced Their dispute dates back to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, when Geremi is said to have had a dressing-room row with one of Eto'o's staff. Fecafoot's ethics committee announced: "We declare Geremi Sorel Njitap, the president of Synafoc, guilty of breaking the behaviour rules of our code of ethics. "We sentence him to a ban from all forms of football activity for five years, and to a fine of ten million West African francs [£13,000]. "He has ten days to submit a written appeal." BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Geremi's assistant Daniel Blaise Ngos has meanwhile been banned for two years and fined £6,500 for his part in the dispute. The midfielder won 118 caps for Cameroon, scoring 13 goals for the Indomitable Lions. Chelsea launch Club World Cup campaign with 2-0 victory over LAFC in Atlanta He helped them win Olympic gold in 2000, as well as two Africa Cups of Nations. A La Liga winner with Madrid in 2001, he also played for clubs in Paraguay, Turkey and Greece. He infamously split from wife Laure last year after DNA tests showed the two children he thought were his were fathered by her ex.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former Carlisle United No2 lands non-league manager job
Former Carlisle United assistant boss Ian Watson has landed a non-league managerial role. He has been appointed boss of National League North club South Shields. The move sees Watson leave his coaching position at League Two club MK Dons. The 39-year-old replaces Elliott Dickman at the sixth-tier club. Watson had been part of Mike Williamson's coaching team at Brunton Park from last September. He remained at the club for a short period after Williamson's February sacking but then left early into Mark Hughes' tenure. Watson duly returned to MK Dons, having previously worked there alongside Williamson, as part of interim boss Ben Gladwin's caretaker side. The former Gateshead coach now moves into the hotseat for the first time at a club who finished 17th in National League North last season. South Shields described north east native Watson as "one of the brightest and most progressive young coaches in the country". Watson, centre, was part of Mike Williamson's backroom team at Carlisle (Image: Richard Parkes) In a statement, club owner Geoff Thompson said: "I'm delighted to welcome Ian to the club. "His track record and experience are exceptional, and I'm excited to see the progress the team will make under his leadership. "His appointment reflects our continued ambition to drive this club forward. This is just the first of many exciting developments on the horizon." South Shields said Watson emerged as their top choice after the vacancy attracted more than 50 applicants. South Shields FC is delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Watson as our new Men's First Team Manager. Welcome to the Mariners, Ian ⚓️#SSFC #AlwaysReady — South Shields FC (@SouthShieldsFC) May 28, 2025 Sporting director Lee Picton added: "It's not just the calibre of his football and coaching brain that excites me, it's his abilities as a leader and a standard setter that make him the ideal appointment for SSFC in my opinion. "He also has a proven track record in operating very shrewdly in the transfer market, while adding enormous value to players who are already in the building. Hughes: Carlisle United will be 'cup final' for National League rivals "Despite 50+ applications from all over the world for the role, Ian quickly became our number one choice due to his outstanding skill set, highly aligned values, along with proven on-field results and we are delighted to get him on board with us to help facilitate our next stage of growth as a club." South Shields' squad includes the former Carlisle loan midfielder Martin Smith. Another ex-Blue, former Brunton Park youth defender Dillon Morse, was released by the club this summer. MK Dons, who recently appointed Paul Warne as their new boss, wished Watson well with sporting director Liam Sweeting - who almost joined Carlisle last season - saying: "His connection with the players and his genuine passion for this club were evident every single day. "While we would have loved for him to stay with us, he starts his own journey of leadership, and I very much look forward to watching this next chapter of his career. 'As we often see, good people join our journey and really connect with this club – Busty [Watson] certainly did that. I thank him for all his efforts during his time with us.'
