Don't - sanfl

The
more than a game
The world of sport can be a trip
through an emotional jungle.
Players and officials come and go
and so too do the coaches. Is there
a correct process to end the reign
of the man who has provided the
messages to the troops
The cut will always be deep and
the boss is not the only one who
feels the sharp pain. The flow on is
full on.
If the leader has children there
will be comments made in the
school yard like: What happened to
your Dad Wasn’t he good enough
for the job The wife will also feel
much pain. The change in lifestyle
will be dramatic.
We all know it’s just a game. But to
many of us, it means so much. We
live and breathe the game we love.
Now it is the time to search for the
next person. All of a sudden the
onus will switch to another who has
aspirations to reach the top. Mark
Williams walks away with a very
impressive record – he is a
premiership coach! He is also a
husband and a father. Life goes on!
Do you think any of the SANFL
coaches are in trouble Is he the
right leader for your club
Night Grand Final
Talk continues to bubble about
when is the best time for the Grand
Final to be played. I love the
thought of a Saturday night. The
clubs involved could have their
functions during the morning and
gather together for the climax of the
season at AAMI Stadium.
The curtain raiser could start at
around 4pm. What a night – think
about it.
It is a guarantee that the AFL will
go down the night Grand Final road
in the future so why don’t we get in
first By the way, what are we going
to do next year if the AFL decides
to go ahead with the Grand Final on
the first Saturday in October Lets
put our thinking caps on now.
Phantom
the ghost that talks
send your thoughts through to
the SA Footy Budget
jmurphy@boylen.com.au
The wrap
The wind was a factor last week.
Boy oh boy didn’t it blow! Most
players will say that they hate the
breeze and would much prefer the
rain. The cold weather might be
with us for a while so you need to
get out the scarves and the beanies
and rug up.
That is one of the real positives if
the weather is icy. Out will come
the fashion statements from the
bottom of the cupboards and the
fans will all look a treat.
A pat on the back to all of the
cheer squads doing the rounds in
the League. They go to lots of
trouble to get everything organised
for their heroes and often stand in
the pouring rain as the players run
on to the ground. Their dance
routines are slick and they really
seem to enjoy the moments.
Sturt kept alive its top 5 hopes
with a bold win in the breeze. Stat
men should get on the phone to
Richie Benaud. The crowd was
2222. North kicked away early and
grabbed two valuable points
against Port. West Adelaide started
slowly but got involved and did the
damage against South and
Norwood jumped to second by
winning on the Sunday.
The best thing about the round
was the reality that upsets are the
run of the mill. Don’t be surprised if
the bottom teams are in the mix
more than once or twice in the run
up to the Finals.
Let me hear from you!
Now readers I need some help. In
my role as the ghost who talks I
have visited all SANFL grounds
and I always take my radio with me.
I hear expressions like: down to the
wire, under the hammer, under the
pump etc. What do they all mean
Can you help me and do you have
your favourite sayings Be creative
and drop a line to the cave.
As the Finals approach teams will
be relying so much on the medical
staff to do the extra yards to keep
the best team on the park. Niggles
will be clearly evident and the
treatment will be so vital as we
look towards September.
All coaches say that you cannot
risk taking injured players into
a Finals campaign. I know that
they mean what they say but I
am sure little niggles wouldn’t
prevent certain players from
being selected.
Pain killers will be produced from
the first aid kit and every course of
action will take place to ensure the
best team is ready for action. On
that note I need to know the odd
sorts of foods that are demolished
after the game – snakes, pizzas
and lollies of all shapes and sizes
plus the fluid intake to replace
what would have been an
exhausting afternoon galloping
around the football ground.
There is no doubt the staff that
monitor what is eaten and also
consumed via the bottle are also
very important. Players know their
exact weight and levels of fat and if
they deviate from that then they
have to face the music.
It’s nearing the end of the year
and some players will be
considering retiring. Tough
decisions need to be made about
who will stay and who will be
shown the door. Contracts need to
signed and some will be torn up.
Players will be hurt and lives will
change! I am serious. Football is
only a sport but it is a real passion
to the Phantom
By the way... congratulations to
the Adelaide Thunderbirds on
winning the Trans Tasman Netball
Championship! In a tough week for
Port that victory was one of the
few positives. I am off to check the
post box!
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