The Australian Football League yesterday named a strong squad for the compromise rules tour to Ireland next month despite the unavailability of several players from the All-Stars side named on Monday.
Hard-nosed North Melbourne defenders Glenn Archer, described memorably by a club official as a "cement truck in shorts," and David King, who merits the same description, are among the nine All-Stars not making the trip. Both have weddings, a common experience for footballers between the end of the season in late September and preseason training in November.
Sydney's Tony Lockett is the most notable absentee. The legendary full-forward is poised to break the AFL goal-kicking record but, at 32, his knees barely manage to hold up his huge frame for a season. Western Bulldogs stars Chris Grant and Scott West would also have played vital roles for the Australians.
The inclusion of one man, however, is enough to ensure the quality of the squad. Wayne Carey's performances for North Melbourne this season have some describing him as the best centre half-forward ever. This is no mean feat in a position described as the toughest on the field and Carey is a fully worthy Australian captain.
Carey and his vice-captain, St Kilda ruck-rover Robert Harvey, are favourites for the Brownlow medal, which is decided next Monday. Harvey won last year's Brownlow, Australian football's highest honour, on the strength of his amazing stamina and ability to wriggle free from tight corners. He runs more than 20km a match and clubs often match him with more than one tagger in an attempt to wear him down. A tagger's job is to negate a playmaker at the expense of his own game. Against Harvey, the tactic often proves futile.
The reigning premiers, Adelaide, have five players in the squad, including Andrew McLeod, the Norm Smith medallist for the best afield in last year's grand final. McLeod was a dashing defender before making the transition to the midfield this season. He is also one of three Aborigines in the squad. Michael O'Loughlin is a silken half-forward for Sydney and Jeff Farmer, the tiny Melbourne half-forward, is known as "the Wizard" because of his freakish skills.
Farmer has come of age this year during Melbourne's charge from last on the 16-team ladder to premiership contender. Melbourne play North Melbourne this weekend for the right to play in the grand final on September 26th. Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs play in the other preliminary final.
Melbourne ruckman Jim Stynes has been through the good and bad times with the Demons. In his first season in the seniors, in 1987, Melbourne missed the grand final after the young Irishman ran over the mark right on the final siren and a Hawthorn player was brought 15 metres closer to goal. Gary Buckenara kicked the goal to put the Hawks ahead and Stynes has used his naive mistake as a motivational tool for the rest of his career.
It has worked very well. The 32-year-old has won four best player awards for his club and in 1991 he won the Brownlow medal. He also holds the record for the most consecutive games - 244. From 1987 until April this year, Stynes ran out on the field for every match despite some horrific injuries. His courage and geniality have earned him a special place in Australian hearts and his place in the squad is just reward for the pride both countries take in his achievements.
This season his job as first ruckman at Melbourne has been taken over by spring-heeled young star Jeff White but Stynes's experience of both codes and his diplomatic qualities should prove a valuable asset.
His fellow ruckmen - who will play either in the midfield or at full-forward in the compromise rules series - are Adelaide captain Shaun Rehn and St Kilda cult figure Peter Everitt. Both players are 6ft 8in and Everitt also draws attention for his dreadlocks and affable manner. "The Spider" was known as much for his off-field exploits before knuckling down over the past two seasons and proving himself one of the most damaging running big men in the game.
It is notable in the Irish game that family connections mean everything and the Australian squad's only link with a distinguished past is Carlton's Stephen Silvagni. The Carlton fullback is known as "SOS" - Son of Serge - because his father Sergio was a premiership player at Carlton three decades ago. Stephen Silvagni is arguably a bigger star than his father, having played in two premierships himself and earning his place in the pantheon of legends when he was named full-back of the century.
Silvagni is also well known for his celebrity marriage to television presenter Jo Bailey. Silvagni is not, however, a media performer himself; it is a task he leaves to the likes of Shane Crawford. The Hawthorn dasher is part of the new wave of young stars carving out a media career and with his blond hair, cheekiness and, importantly, ball-getting ability he is sure to come under notice in Ireland as well.
Another squad member who works in the media in Australia is Wayne Campbell. When he is not working in the media, the Richmond ruck-rover is a renowned runner, matching Robert Harvey for the ground he covers.
The Australians will likely place an emphasis on runners, especially as the tall timber that crowds the skies in the AFL is superfluous in a game in which the round ball spends less time in the air. Such are the adjustments the Australians will have to make. They will try to compensate with brute force in tackling but will do well to employ some artfulness as well.
The success of their adjustments will have a huge bearing on the matches at Croke Park on October 11th and 18th.
Australian Squad: Ben Hart, Andrew McLeod, Shaun Rehn, Mark Ricciuto, Nigel Smart (Adelaide), Scott Camporeale, Stephen Silvagni (Carlton), Nathan Buckley (Collingwood), Matthew Lloyd, Sean Wellman (Essendon), Shane Crawford (Hawthorn), Jeff Farmer, David Neitz, Jim Stynes, Todd Viney (Melbourne), Wayne Carey, Anthony Stevens (North Melbourne), Wayne Campbell (Richmond), Peter Everitt, Robert Harvey (St Kilda), Michael O'Loughlin (Sydney), Brad Johnson, Rohan Smith (Western Bulldogs). Emergencies - Nathan Eagleton (Port Adelaide), Nick Holland (Hawthorn), Adam Yze (Melbourne).
