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Blues pull off the steal of the night

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 22 November 2012 | 23.34

Tory Menzel ... a steal for the Blues with their first pick on Thursday night. Source: Sarah Reed / News Limited

Carlton landed the coup of the draft snaring freakish goalkicker Troy Menzel at pick No.11.

Rated by some as the second-best player in the draft, Menzel fell into the hands of the Blues who were prepared to take the risk on his injured knees.


Who did your club opt for? We have every pick for every club from this year's national draft.


Menzel, the brother of Geelong's Daniel Menzel, had radical LARS surgery as a 16-year-old, which was enough to scare off rival clubs.

As recently as last week Greater Western Sydney were toying with taking the Central Districts left-footer with selection two or three. 


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GWS clean up, Dogs take a chance

The top 10 ... Greater Western Sydney cleaned up at the top of the draft. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

Greater Western Sydney have taken Victorian midfielder Lachie Whitfield with the No.1 pick at the AFL national draft.

The Giants also had the next two picks at Thursday night's function at the Gold Coast Convention Centre, with which they snared another midfielder Jonathan O'Rourke and key defender Lachie Plowman.

Whitfield is a 184cm, 77kg 18-year-old, long touted as the likely No.1 pick.


Who did your club opt for? We have every pick for every club from this year's national draft.


He won the Larke Medal as the best player in this year's under-18 national championships and is highly regarded for his elite endurance and precise kicking on both feet.

O'Rourke is also a 184cm 18-year-old Victorian, boasting great, speed endurance and classy ball use by both hand and foot.

Plowman is a 192cm backman with great composure.

As expected, Melbourne Demons, who had the No.4 pick, swooped on South Australia's Jimmy Toumpas, a quick, hard-working midfielder who played in a senior SANFL premiership as a 17-year-old last year.

The Western Bulldogs had the next two picks, first plumping for tall utility Jake Stringer.

The Dogs were not put off by the fact that 191cm, 94kg Stringer missed the entire 2011 season with a badly broken leg.

They then took 189cm long-kicking left-footed midfielder Jackson Macrae.

Port Adelaide added ferocious tackling, hard-at-it 188cm midfielder Oliver Wines with their top pick (No.7).

Brisbane Lions added some attacking power, with 187cm South Australian forward Sam Mayes at No.8.

Richmond went for aggressive, solidly-built midfielder Nick Vlastuin at No.9, with Essendon's father-son pick, tall forward Joe Daniher, rounding out the top 10.

In other notable first-round selections, Carlton swooped on freakishly talented forward Troy Menzel at No.11.

The brother of Geelong's Daniel Menzel, Troy would most likely have gone higher if not for the fact he had a LARS knee reconstruction at age 16.

West Australian quick, agile midfielder-forward Joshua Simpson, who threw recruiters a surprise when it was revealed in recent days he fathered a child early this year, gets to stay in his home state after being taken by Fremantle at pick No.17.

Collingwood picked up the man regarded as the outstanding ruckman in this year's draft pool, 202cm South Australian Brodie Grundy.

Richmond also added ruck depth, taking lightly-framed 203cm Victorian Liam McBean with their third choice, No.33.

North Melbourne, who had failed to strike a trade deal with Port Adelaide for Victorian defender Ben Jacobs, drafted him at pick No.37, making Jacobs the first recycled player taken.

The Giants, who had a total of six picks inside the top 27, went for bigger players with the last three of those, taking 194cm utility Kristian Jaksch (No.12), 194cm defender Aidan Corr (No.14) and 198cm forward James Stewart (No.27).

Reigning premiers Sydney Swans used their first pick, No.22, on 22-year-old, 189cm midfielder Dean Towers, from VFL club North Ballarat.

Losing grand finalists Hawthorn used their first selection, No.28, on quick 193cm forward Tim O'Brien.

Hawthorn re-drafted their 2008 premiership forward Michael Osborne, who is working his way back from a knee reconstruction.

Along with Jacobs, North Melbourne took two other recycled players, former Sydney-listed 23-year-old, 200cm ruck prospect Daniel Currie (No.56) and 20-year-old ex-Gold Coast midfielder Taylor Hine (No.62).

The Kangaroos had earlier taken 18-year-old medium forward Taylor Garner with their first pick.

Melbourne, who had used the trade and free agency period to recruit several AFL-experienced players, added more experience by taking a 25-year-old, Matt Jones, from VFL club Box Hill, with their fourth selection (No.52).

Adelaide Crows, whose first pick did not come until No.62, after giving up their earlier selections, used that choice on 19-year-old Tasmanian 194cm rebounding defender Sam Siggins and their other on agile 185cm Victorian forward Rory Atkins.


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Kallis available as batsman only

Injured South African allrounder Jacques Kallis may not play again in second Test against Australia. Source: AAP

CHAMPION South African allrounder Jacques Kallis will feature again in the second cricket Test against Australia - but only with the bat.

Kallis, who took two wickets in three overs on Thursday, sustained a grade one hamstring injury which forced him from the field on a grim opening day for the tourists in Adelaide.

The 37 year old will bat for the visitors but has been ruled out of bowling for the remainder of the match. It was still up in the air whether he'd be available for the third Test in Perth.

Australia amassed 5-482 in what South African coach Gary Kirsten termed a "beating" for his side.

The Proteas lost paceman Vernon Philander pre-match, the fast bowler unable to bend when getting out of bed on Thursday.

Scans revealed no more than a lower lumbar muscle strain and the Proteas are confident he'll be available for Perth.

"Losing Jacques to a type of injury he has never had in his career was a tough one," South African coach Gary Kirsten said.

"He was a little bit sore and I think he made a wise decision, as soon as he felt a twinge he got off the park quickly."

Fast bowling spearhead Dale Steyn also left the field for treatment on a tight hamstring but returned to action.

The Proteas were heading back to the drawing board after Australian captain Michael Clarke (224 not out) plundered another double-century and opener David Warner (119) and Mike Hussey (103) also scored tons.

Kirsten, strangely, said South Africa "bowled well to Michael Clarke this Test match, as we did the last one" when the Australian leader made an unbeaten 239 in the drawn series opener in Brisbane.

"Maybe where we are fault is our thinking," Kirsten said.

"We looked at him closely in our preparation for this Test match, we need to go back and look again to see what we can do.

"We certainly tried one or two things we felt could work, it didn't go our way.

"I guess we need to go back and look at what else we can do - but there is very little that you can do in terms of your strategies.

"We will try different types of strategies, plan A, plan B, even to plan C, and if they don't work you go back to plan A and start again."


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'Scared' Warner smashes demons

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Scared ... David Warner overcame his fears to notch a devastating century. Source: Sarah Reed / Fox Sports

David Warner said he was scared facing Morne Morkel on the first day of the Adelaide Test, but he certainly didn't show it.

2nd Test - Adelaide Oval

22 November 2012 - Day 1, Session 3

Australia 1st Innings

M. Clarke 224 243 39 1 92.18
M. Hussey 103 137 9 4 75.18
D. Steyn 17.1 1 62 1 3.61

Warner treated Morkel and the South African bowlers with contempt on the opening day of the second Test blasting away the cobwebs and answering questions about his suitability as a Test opener.

The powerful Warner clobbered 119 from 112 balls with 16 boundaries and four sixes, before Morkel eventually had him caught at slip.

Morkel fired a couple of decent bouncers at Warner, but more often than not he watched the red ball hit the fence, finishing with 2-128, the best of the Proteas bowlers.

Warner and Michael Clarke piled on an electric 155 to take the game away from South Africa before they could even blink.

The Australian captain said that Warner had battled some mental demons since his failure in the first Test at Brisbane.

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Encouraged to play his natural game, Warner cleared his head at training during the week and came out on the opening morning and smashed the Proteas all over the ground.

But he swears he wasn't always comfortable.

"Morne bowled a very fast spell to me and those three bouncers he bowled me in that one over I was a bit scared at one stage,'' Warner said.

"For my preparation for this Test, credit goes out to the net bowlers. I faced them and they bowled themselves into the ground.

"I sorted it (poor form) out in the nets and today it came off for me.

"My game is to go out there and try and score. For a session there they bowled too short and I ended up swinging the bat a little bit.''

The left-hander had received great support from senior teammates Ricky Ponting and Clarke earlier in the week.

Ponting said it was only a matter of time until Warner carved out a record similar to Adam Gilchrist before him.

Warner had scored more than 30 just five times in 17 Tests leading into Adelaide.

But right from the get-go on Thursday, Warner stuck to his philosophy of "see the ball, hit the ball''.

At one stage during the first session, he stood at the other end as opening partner Ed Cowan (10), Rob Quiney (0) and Ponting (4) fell within the space of 15 deliveries to make things precarious at 3-55.

But Warner fearlessly continued to follow his instincts.


Don't miss Fox Sports live blog of day two at the Adelaide Oval


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ARLC puts off interchange cut

Not on ... The ARLC won't decrease interchanges from 10 to eight for the 2013 season. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

NRL coaches might have to wait until 2015 to get their wish for a reduction in interchanges, with the ARL Commission (ARLC) admitting it is in no rush to alter the way the bench is used.

Several coaches have called for substitutions to be cut from 10 to eight or less - claiming it would have a multitude of benefits for the NRL, including enhancing player safety.

But with the rules committee to meet in early December, ARLC director of football operations Nathan McGuirk said a reduction in interchanges was not in the pipeline.

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"It won't be for next year," McGuirk told AAP.

"It's something we have to give clubs at least 12 months advanced notice of, mainly due to the impact it would have on recruitment.

"It's something that we wouldn't rush into making a decision on. We would look at the implications of making such a serious change to the way the game would be played."

Given the research the ARLC would need to undertake, no change would be likely before December 2013, which means the earliest it could come into effect would be the 2015 season.

Coaches argue that less substitutions would have key benefits including creating greater fatigue and, in turn, minimising the impact of collisions - one of the key pillars on which this week's decision to ban the shoulder charge was based.

Fewer interchanges would also increase the impact and value of smaller players in the game at a time when contests increasingly involve hulking forwards powering up the middle and slowing down the ruck.

St George Illawarra coach Steve Price added his voice to calls from his peers for less substitutions.

"People talk about player safety and players are four kilos heavier over the last 10 years, players are taller - I believe in reducing the interchange,'' Price said.

"It gives an opportunity for younger players to come into the game, it's going to evolve more space into the game, it's going to reduce the injury rate, it's going to eliminate numbers in the tackle.

Asked what the magic number should be, Price said: "If you're going to reduce the interchange, you start it at eight and go from there."

Parramatta coach Ricky Stuart went even further earlier this year.

"The quicker we cut it down to six (interchanges), the sooner you'll see a better game of football in regards to the little man, who everybody pays their money to come and watch play."


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Love propels Pup to new heights

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Soul mates ... Michael Clarke and his wife Kyly. Source: Mitch Cameron / Fox Sports

The joy of Michael Clarke's second double century in little more than a week was magnified by the presence of his wife Kyly in the Adelaide Oval grandstand.

The Australian captain was even more demonstrative than usual, raising his bat and helmet to his excited soul mate as he went past 100 and then 200 on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa, scoring 224 not out. 

"It's always special," Clarke said after play. "I know she's supporting me. That's the type of woman she is.

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"She's getting into her cricket and it's great that she can be here in Adelaide.

"It's special for everybody that has thrown their support behind me and the people that are close to you have been there through good days and bad days, whether that's on the field with cricket or off field in my personal life.

"When you perform well my dedication is certainly to my team mates first and foremost but also the people that have stood beside me through good and bad days."

Clarke has had some remarkably good days as captain, becoming the first player to go past 200 four times in a calendar year, and Kyly has been there for most of his triumphs.

"She hasn't missed too many games," said Clarke.

He claimed there was no secret to the remarkable run of sustained success.

2nd Test - Adelaide Oval

22 November 2012 - Day 1, Session 3

Australia 1st Innings

M. Clarke 224 243 39 1 92.18
M. Hussey 103 137 9 4 75.18
D. Steyn 17.1 1 62 1 3.61

"A lot of luck goes a long way, that's for sure," pointing out that South Africa captain Graeme Smith and wicket-keeper AB de Villiers had told him as much.

"AB and Graeme reminded me a few times today I had a lot of arse, there's no doubt about that, but you need it in this game," said Clarke, who said he was always going to take the game up to the South Africans.

"It's always the plan when you get on top to stay on top.

"When you grab momentum you've got to hang onto it for as long as possible.

"That's the hardest challenge in Test cricket. It goes up and down over a long period of time.

"When you've got the momentum you've got to run with it and we certainly did that today."

On all four occasions Clarke has passed 200 Australia lost three early wickets, with the score 3-55 yesterday when he came to the crease.

This has not stopped Clarke batting positively. 

"Through my career that's the only way I've had success," he said.

"When you look at the innings I've made big scores it's exactly that, it's the counter attack, it's to play my natural game.

"And there's risk there.

"I remember playing England through the Australian summer a couple of years ago and I couldn't make a run.

"When you're making runs you want to cash in and that's what I tried to do."


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