The role of club presidents

When TV cameras panned on to Collingwood president Eddie McGuire in the second quarter of Saturday night's St Kilda-Collingwood match, and caught him in animated discussion - complete with gesticulations - with Saints' fan(s), it was later explained (by McGuire) that he was protesting the racial abuse of Andrew Krakouer. On further questioning on Sunday - by 3AW commentators Tim Lane and Robert Walls - McGuire was less strident about the racism bit, saying instead the fan had made a comment about Krakouer's stint in jail. So was the abuse racist, or not? Or just the run-of-the-mill, un-PC argy-bargy that you get from any vocal footy crowd? As Richard Hinds noted in today's SMH: ''McGuire was equivocal, saying that the fact the man's MCC membership number was taken by security indicated he had crossed the line.'' Mmm, sounds like some major back-tracking going on there. Now Eddie has done a hell of a job in helping rebuild Collingwood, we know that, but it is not his job to get involved in stand-up spats with opposition supporters. (Just as it isn't a coach's job to accuse a rival player - mid-match - of a serious crime the player was never convicted of. Or even to accuse another player from a rival club of being a cheat.) Yes, things are said and done in the heat of the moment, but club officials - especially high-profile ones who sit in the same seat at the MCG each match and have cameras trained on them virtually all the game - need to be above that. Or risk inciting a riot if the verbal ever develops into the physical.

Newspaper votes (1)

While we're having a whinge, just a comment about some media voting on Round 11's games - notably the Port Adelaide-Carlton game on Sunday. The Herald-Sun listed Chris Judd as fourth-best Carlton player, and among the vote-getters. That was enough for us to cue John McEnroe: you cannot be serious. While I can hear the glass house starting to tinkle all around me, let me say that vote-giving can be a difficult task - on deadline, only moments after the end of a game - but really, Judd among the five best players on the ground? His game was modest by any standards, and certainly by his own, usually lofty ones. I doubt whether even the new Mrs Judd would have given her husband such a high rating. But the No.5 is a proven vote-winner and much loved by all in the media, and those dressed in white. No-one would be surprised if, in reading out the Brownlow Medal votes for Round 8, AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou intones: "Three votes, Carlton, C Judd,'' before someone taps him on the shoulder and tells him the Blues had a bye that weekend.

Newspaper votes (2)

At the other end of the vote-giving spectrum, we note The Age's decision to give North Melbourne's Andrew Swallow only nine votes for his game against Adelaide on Sunday. Now, apart from a quietish patch in the second quarter, it seemed to us* to be the perfect midfielder's game. Seventeen clearances, 27 contested possessions, two goals (and let's not forget the hit-out) are the sort of stats that entire six-man midfields might be happy with over the course of a game. In recent times, I can't remember a midfielder being so dominant - not even Judd during his match against Sydney this year, nor Melbourne's Brent Moloney during his Round 7 clinker. And, unlike in Olympic gymnastics or diving, 10 out of 10 doesn't mean an exact 10.0 anyway. There are no half-marks. A 9.5 game surely gets rounded up to 10. And if that performance didn't rate a 9.5, one wonders what does.

Dermie and Boomer

They came from everywhere to pot Dermott Brereton last week for his assertion that Kangaroos' skipper Brent Harvey was, at times, a selfish player. The reaction was mainly knee-jerk nonsense - often from people who might see Harvey play two or three times a season. For many of us who see the wee No.29 play each week, the comments resonated. (And they happened to include Wayne Carey, who agreed with Dermott on this website last week.) In an excellent column on afl.com.au posted last Friday, Luke Darcy bemoaned the tendency within the AFL community to shoot down anyone - player, coach, media commentator - who had anything mildly controversial to say. He might well have had Dermott in mind. Yes, Harvey is a fine, fine player who has had a hell of a career at North Melbourne, and is a deserved games record holder. But let's not pretend he's something he's not. He is a clever breaker of lines, and baulker, and running bouncer of the ball. But he also does attempt low-percentage glory shots at goal when better options exist around him. Anyone who's watched Harvey play regularly over the past decade will say the same thing.

Warnie and Twitter

Australia's greatest leg-spinner made an enemy for life when, using the medium of Twitter, he potted Ricky Ponting's captaincy during a Test match in India a couple of years ago, in particular the fields Ponting was setting for off-spinner Nathan Hauritz. Now Shane Warne can probably add St Kilda coach Ross Lyon to his list of Twitter enemies. Clearly frustrated while watching St Kilda's defeat to Collingwood on Saturday night, Warnie posted exasperated Tweet after exasperated Tweet: ''Any danger of throwing Gilbert/Goddard/Fisher forward????? Poor Riewoldt has three opponents every time - kick it to someone else - but who?'' And then: ''Can't defend against the best - have to attack and kick goals - please try and score and stop defending - going to try and find my footy boots.'' And then a message for Lyon: ''Dear Ross Lyon - everyone knows Saints just defend - every team runs off us. Quickly new gameplan please. Didn't win a flag defending - attack .... Mick Malthouse/Rodney Eade or Leigh Matthews to coach Saints ????'' Oh dear. Imagine that's Warnie's chance at being appointed Saints' No.1 ticket-holder completely stuffed now, as well.

High-altitude training, the benefits of

Collingwood's decision to send Dane Swan, Darren Jolly, Nathan Brown and Brent Macaffer to a high-altitude training camp in Arizona is an interesting one. Mainly because the benefits of such an exercise are so hard to quantify. Five sports scientists might give five different answers about the advantages (or otherwise) of such a trip. It is believed that the issue was hotly debated at Collingwood board level, with at least one board member unconvinced of the merits of the exercise. There is another issue to consider: the Pies will now be a couple of decent midfielders short against Melbourne this weekend, with Dale Thomas cited for whacking Clint Jones and given a one-match suspension. Wasn't it Denis Pagan who used to say, never flirt with your form? Still, the Pies will have the last laugh if the four come back in rude health and end up playing a significant role in the club's premiership defence. And the way the team's going, who'd bet against them going back-to-back?

(* The author, as previously disclosed, is a North Melbourne fan and admits he would give Andrew Swallow 10 votes every week. With the possible exception of the bye weekend.)