Boof: sad way to end dream summer

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COACH Darren Lehmann says the dancing death of Australia's World T20 campaign was a disappointing end to a golden season of cricket glory.

Australia will again be left without the only major trophy which has eluded it after the incredible loss to the West Indian team which celebrated by dancing Gangnam Style on the field after the final ball.

Australia plays India in the early hours of Monday morning (AEDT) but will be virtually going around for practice. Australia must not only beat India, and Bangladesh on Tuesday, but must rely on some almost impossible other results and factors to make the semis.

The bottom line is Australia does not deserve to have made the World T20 finals after George Bailey's side was poor in batting, bowling and fielding in various stages of losses to Pakistan and the West Indies.

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It might seem a blip on the radar after the stunning season which produced a 5-0 Ashes whitewash and a stunning away Test series win against South Africa, but Lehmann expected much more from his side.

Asked if it was a disappointing end to a magical season, Lehmann replied: "Very much so."

"We had played pretty good Twenty20 cricket obviously at home and then in South Africa just before we came here.

"It's a good learning curve but as I said you've got to win those games.

"We beat ourselves in these games. It's as simple as that. Obviously credit to the West Indies and Pakistan but we should've won both of those games. We've got only ourselves to blame."

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Despite excelling in Test cricket and vastly improving in one-day cricket, the T20 game has again proved to be the nut the Australians just can't crack.

It has been a long season but Lehmann indicated he expected more from some of his seasoned professionals in Bangladesh.

The coach said Brad Haddin's keeping had been poor in Bangladesh — showcased by a poor missed stumping off Chris Gayle — and Dave Warner and Shane Watson had simply not fired.

"His (Haddin's) 'keeping has been poor. That's OK, he won't mind me saying that. He's honest enough for that," Lehmann said.

"He's been fantastic over a long period of time for us. At the end of the day he's been exceptional for us. He'd be disappointed in his own form in these two games.

Lehmann (R) with selector Rod Marsh (L) and captain George Bailey (C). Source: Getty Images

"That's not hiding away from the truth. The simple fact is he's one of our better performers and a couple of our experienced blokes — Shane Watson, David Warner for example — they didn't have the impact, those three, that we would've liked."

"And our match awareness has got to improve in this format."

Lehmann said his players would not have danced on the field like Chris Gayle did after the win. But then again, he believes it might have been preferable if young all-rounder James Faulkner didn't fire the West Indies up by saying he didn't like them in the days before the game.

"From my point of view James has probably got to choose his words a little bit better but that's just part and parcel of the banter of the game isn't it?" Lehmann said.

Chris Gayle led the boisterous West Indies celebrations. Source: Getty Images

"We're in the entertainment business and if I could dance like Chris Gayle I'd be dancing every night of the week.

"You live and die by the sword don't you? You win, you lose, you've just got to cop it and move on.

"At the end of the day you're going to get emotional with winning. We've certainly been through those stages but we're really respectful of that as well. When you win you've got to win in the right way and act appropriately. If that's the way they do that, that's fine. They certainly dance very well though, I'll give them that."

14.23 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sharks must match Knights’ emotion

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CRONULLA enforcer Andrew Fifita says it's impossible not to feel for the Newcastle Knights, but has challenged the struggling Sharks to match their emotion in Sunday's bottom-of-the-table NRL match at Hunter Stadium.

In a clash between the only two winless teams in the competition, the Sharks are on a hiding to nothing with all the sentiment for Newcastle in the wake of Alex McKinnon's shocking injury on Monday night.

The 22-year-old back-rower is in a critical but stable condition in a Melbourne hospital after being placed in an induced coma following emergency spinal surgery to repair two fractured vertebrae and have a disc removed.

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McKinnon's No.16 jumper has been retired for the rest of the season by the club, and his name will be embroidered on the front of the NRL side's shirts.

A huge crowd is expected, with representatives from McKinnon's junior club to form a guard of honour for the players when they run on to the field.

"My motivation is to get the win for the club and for Alex and to get this week over with," Knights forward Jeremy Smith told Triple M on Saturday.

"It has been tough. But the team's coping pretty well - we know we've got a job to do this weekend and we'll definitely be going out there with him on the back of our minds.

"He's just a champion bloke. He'd do anything for you, Alex." Smith, a one-time captain at Cronulla, knows the last-placed Sharks "have got everything to play for as well".

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Fifita acknowledged as much.

"If it was someone in our team, I would want to dedicate the season to them," Fifita said.

"I'd be thriving off it, using it as motivation.

"So they're going to come out with a lot of emotion and we've just got to match that." Fifita said he personally had added incentive to perform in his return from a two-match suspension for a round-one shoulder charge. During his layoff, the Test prop announced he was leaving Cronulla for the Bulldogs next season and has come under fire from disgruntled Sharks fans.

"It's been two long weeks and everything that's happened outside of football - and the Sharks are desperate for a win and Newcastle are desperate for a win," Fifita said.

"They're going to be coming out firing because of everything that's happening with Alex McKinnon and how they're zero and three.

"But then again we're zero and three and I've got a point to prove and I'm going to try to use that as motivation to get that go-forward for my players and earn the respect from the fans and the players around me." AAP djw/wk

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Victory inspired by scent of defeat

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IT HUNG in the atmosphere of the MCG more heavily than the humidity.

A notion of dread and foreboding that grew from an internal perception of threat to consume the mind of every Richmond player.

The gradual onset of panic that escalated to full-blown paralysis.

As a study in pop footy psychology, you couldn't have conceived a more perfect case.

It began in the final minutes of the second quarter when Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin botched an attempt at slow, protective play. Chris Yarran swept on the scene and kicked a goal that pricked the psyche of both teams.

TIGERS HANG ON TO BREAK BLUES HEART

HARDWICK PLEASED WITH COURAGE

Richmond receded into itself. It pre-empted the charge of Carlton built on aggression and chance.

Carlton brought speed to the game with intent to play on. Richmond became ever more stodgy pursuing safety above all else.

As a self-fulfilling prophecy the Tigers tightened, steadily succumbing to the pressure.

Dustin Martin was outstanding with 21 touches and two goals. Picture by Colleen Petch. Source: News Corp Australia

By the last quarter, despite a 23-point buffer, momentum was set. In 19 minutes Carlton went inside the forward 50 15 times to Richmond's three.

The wasteful Blues kicked three goals, five behinds and two out on the full.

As the last of a 37-point advantage was erased, Damien Hardwick had made a mercy dash to the bench in a desperate bid to instil a hint of calm or poise.

Defender Troy Chaplin was fighting off the most natural and negative impulse: "Oh no, not again."

He found his captain and implored Cotchin to spread the word. Stay composed. Play our way. And stop giving the ball back.

Chaplin would recall the desperation of that moment: "You looked around and the guys had the look on their faces and you didn't want it to go down that path again."

Former Port Adelaide midfielder Matt Thomas had several key clearances in the final term. Picture Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

There was still seven minutes of playing time remaining. Had it not been for Carlton's ineptitude around goal the matter would have been well settled.

Richmond had confirmed itself the embodiment of an overly emotional team that it is said plays the scoreboard rather than the plan.

It had shown no greater capability for the six-month interlude since last Carlton pulled the same heist.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the siren. The prospect of certain defeat lifted the crushing burden and Richmond re-entered the fray.

How it won is something of a mystery best depicted by the madcap manner of the next goal.

Jack Riewoldt tackles Jarrad Waite. Picture Wayne Ludbey. Source: News Corp Australia

Jack Riewoldt made an ungainly approach to a marking contest and ended up with the free kick from a very gettable position. Shane Edwards took leave of his senses and claimed the advantage only to be rundown adjacent to the goal square.

Robbie Warnock grabbed the loose ball and fluffed it straight to Ty Vickery who scunged his kick between the big sticks. You can't put that play on a whiteboard.

As Steven Morris summarised after the song: "Ohhhh god."

Hardwick clung to a growing maturity in his group to overcome the assault and reassert its authority. Soon after he gave that assessment he declared himself in need of a drink.

Shaun Hampson and Matt Thomas enjoy their first win for the club. Picture by Colleen Petch. Source: News Corp Australia

The less charitable view would be if there is moral victory in defeat then it must follow that there can be moral defeat in victory.

Richmond is condemned by the proposition of Alfred Tennyson: "That which we are, we are."

While victory was rescued, the familiar frailties again plunged it into the predicament. Any hope of advancement rests in shaking that truth.

To that end Hardwick will draw on the toil of Matt Thomas, a man without the historical impediment of the yellow and black. In the decisive minutes he clasped an intercept mark, gained a dogged clearance and twice pumped the Tigers inside 50.

Ricky Petterd fearlessly thwarted a goal line attack. Ben Griffiths pulled in the calming contested mark amid the frenzy. And Martin asserted his brute strength and skill for the winner.

In those actions, Richmond found the will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

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LIVE: Essendon v Hawthorn

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KEY Hawthorn ball winner Sam Mitchell could be a late withdrawal from tonight's game against bitter rival Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

It's understood Mitchell pulled up sore after last weekend's opening round clash against the Brisbane Lions at Launceston and will not play against the Bombers.

FOR FULL LIVE HQ COVERAGE CLICK ON THE GAME IN THE SCORE CENTRE ABOVE

The omission of the prolific ball gather would be a major blow for the Hawks.

SWAN DISTRICTS REJECT GARLETT

Hawthorn named key position player Matt Spangher and defenders Derick Wanganeen and Angus Litherland, who is yet to make his debut for the Hawks, as emergencies.

— Daryl Timms

ROUND 2 TEAMS

Essendon v Hawthorn, Etihad Stadium Friday 7.50pm

ESSENDON

B: M. Baguley, C. Hooker, D. Fletcher

HB: M. Hibberd, M. Hurley, B. Goddard

C: D. Zaharakis, J. Watson, D. Heppell

HF: P. Chapman, J. Carlisle, P. Ambrose

F: B. Stanton, J. Daniher, K. Hardingham

Foll: P. Ryder, H. Hocking, B. Howlett

I/C: J. Merrett, D. Myers, M. Gleeson, Z. Merrett

Emg: T. Colyer, E. Kavanagh, J. Ashby Ins Outs

No change

HAWTHORN

B: L. Hodge, J. Gibson, S. Burgoyne

HB: M. Suckling, K. Cheney, G. Birchall

C: L. Shiels, S. Mitchell, B. Hill

HF: L. Breust, J. Roughead, I. Smith

F: J. Gunston, D. Hale, C. Rioli

Foll: B. McEvoy, W. Langford, J. Lewis

I/C: T.O'Brien, P. Puopolo, J. Simpkin, T. Duryea

Emg: D. Wanganeen, A. Litherland, M. Spangher

In: C. Rioli

Out: D. Wanganeen

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Judd: Bombers could have said no

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DUAL Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd says he hopes he would have rejected the kind of controversial supplements program administered to Essendon players.

The Carlton great has called for greater funding for the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Body to ensure AFL remained as clean as it could be.

He said he sympathised with Essendon's players, who were put in a "pretty horrendous situation".

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Little's statement on Hird fallout

But asked at an MCG football lunch whether footballers should be exempt from responsibility, the AFL veteran spoke honestly.

"As a young person I don't think you should be expected to question what the football club wanted you to do. I don't know exactly what happened, but if someone said to me you are going to have multiple injections off-site at an anti-ageing clinic I would be able to say, no that doesn't sound right for me.

"I wasn't in that situation, so I don't know how I would have reacted. But at the end of the day we are all capable of individual thought.

"Real heroism is when you are able to stand up and be different to the crowd, when you get that feeling in your stomach that something is not right. Whether Essendon players had that feeling, I don't know.

"I don't know if they all knew what the others were doing but certainly if you are in your late 20s, I find it hard to believe you wouldn't have thought something was up, with that feeling you get in your stomach."

Judd's response drew warm applause from the room given few players have publicly expressed their true feelings about the contentious program.

He believes ASADA, which had just one investigator in its Melbourne offices through the summer, is drastically underfunded.

"I think the most important thing is ASADA need a hell of a lot more funding. That is an issue,'' he said.

Lets talk separately to Essendon, you just need to make sure the risk of taking it is much greater than the risk of not taking it. ASADA needs to receive so much more funding than they do.

"There are a lot of substances that professional athletes are using and can't be tested for. There really needs to be a lot more funding for not just testing, but more surveillance, to ensure our sport doesn't go down the path that some other sports have."

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Live Asian Cup: who will ‘Roos draw?

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FOLLOW our live blog and watch a live stream as the Socceroos discover their 2015 Asian Cup opponents at the tournament's draw on Wednesday night.

The draw will determine what route Ange Postecoglou's side will need to take to reach the final at Sydney's Stadium Australia on Saturday 31 January 2015.

WATCH A LIVE STREAM OF THE DRAW HERE

The Asian Cup is the region's biggest football tournament and is a key target in the regeneration phase of our national team.

Australia is in Pot 1, meaning we avoid Asian giants, Japan, Iraq and Uzbekistan, but South Korea is the dangerous team we could draw from Pot 2.

The draw starts at 7pm (EDT) at Sydney's Opera House.

Follow all the action in our live and interactive blog below.

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Lion mates ease Aish nerves

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BRISBANE debutant James Aish says his teammates saved him from himself ahead of his much-hyped first game of AFL football on Saturday.

The No.7 draft pick had a useful 17 possessions for the Lions in the 48-point loss to Hawthorn in Launceston, but the speed of the game forced him to rush his disposals.

Aish said he put extra pressure on himself to perform against the Hawks but wise words from his fellow players helped the midfielder relax ahead of the biggest day of his footballing life.

"I really wanted to come out and show that I can play at this level so I was a little nervous,'' he said.

"I put that pressure on myself but the boys were really good and made me feel right at home.

"Leppa (senior coach Justin Leppitsch) was good too. Everyone was telling me to enjoy my footy, play my role and not worry about too much else.

"I was able to sleep pretty well and enjoy the experience.''

Aish said his two years of playing senior football in the SANFL helped him prepare for his baptism of fire at the highest level.

Fellow debutants Michael Close (four possessions, one mark and five tackles) and Lewis Taylor (three disposals, one clearance and one behind).

Taylor was made the substitute and replaced Close late in the third quarter.

The families of the debutants were at the ground to mark the occasion.

Leppitsch said the first-gamers did everything asked of them and coped well given the high quality of opponent.

"They were really good. They all ran out of legs a little,'' Leppitsch said.

"Everyone has to make their debut and it is never easy. The opposition is a great team.''

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Hayne slams ‘disgraceful’ referees

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HIS courageous underdogs had just lost in the final 53 seconds after having to overcome a hefty 10-4 penalty count.

Frustrated and angry, Parramatta star Jarryd Hayne exploded.

Hayne could be fined $10,000 by the NRL after describing the refereeing of Jared Maxwell and Grant Atkins at Brookvale Oval as "disgraceful".

Parramatta was poised for a massive boilover until Sea Eagles centre Steve Matai collected a Daly Cherry-Evans bomb to score in the final minute for a dramatic 22-18 win.

The Eels were left gutted.

"I will have to try and hold my tongue," Hayne told Triple M right on fulltime. "I can't believe some of the decisions out there today.

Jarryd Hayne explains his frustrations to referee Jared Maxwell. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: Getty Images

"Disgraceful - that is it. If I get in trouble for saying that it is a joke.

"We worked our arses off today - we were the better team. To get the decisions to go against us the way they did is upsetting.

"Every little thing we were being jumped on. We threw everything at them and it's devastating the way we lost."

Will Hopoate wrapped up. Picture Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

30 minutes later in the Parramatta dressing room, Hayne - who battled an ankle injury throughout the game - had calmed a little.

He said: "We couldn't get a break. Nothing was going our way.

"Don't get me wrong, there were some decisions that were fair. But there were others where every 50-50 call went against us."

Parramatta had come back from a 16-8 deficit midway through the second half to lead 18-16 with one minute remaining.

Cherry-Evans then bombed cross-field for winger Cheyse Blair - a former Eel - to flick the ball backwards for Matai to score out wide.

Jamie Lyon joins the celebrations with Steve Matai and Cheyse Blair. Source: News Corp Australia

The match was littered with dropped ball but was tense right until the end.

Asked was he filthy at the refereeing like Hayne, Parramatta coach Brad Arthur said: "I'll have to go back and look at the tape.

"The penalty count for 10-4. That made it hard for us. We tried hard but we need to be better.

"It was heartbreaking for the players and fans. At the end of the day, we have to pick ourselves up, get better and move forward.

"We tried our backsides off today. I am in it with the players. We have to find a way to win. Close enough isn't good enough."

Parramatta co-captain Tim Mannah was shattered at fulltime.

Steve Matai and Cheyse Blair celebrate. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia

"It was gut wrenching," Mannah said. "We don't want to come to a game happy to get close - we want to win and we almost had it today.

"There were a lot of things we could have done better.

"Some things were frustrating out there but that's footy. You deal with the cards you are dealt."

Eels winger Semi Radradra was unstoppable, while Hayne was dangerous before sustaining his injury.

Radradra and Manly forward Glenn Stewart were both placed on report for high tackles.

Both team scored four tries each although Parramatta's chances were hurt by Joseph Paulo missing his first three kicks at goal.

A fuming Jarryd Hayne. Source: Getty Images

Manly coach Geoff Toovey was satisfied with his side's great escape.

"It would have been heartbreaking to lose two close games here at Brookvale (Manly lost round one to Melbourne in golden point)," Toovey said.

"The football Gods were on our side today. We were in the match up to our eyeballs and we had a bit of luck with that last try.

"The players know it wasn't our greatest performance.

"They (Parramatta) showed grit and determination and all of a sudden they were in front with a few minutes to go."

Manly was without star backs Kieran Foran (calf) and Brett Stewart (hamstring). Foran is expected to return for Friday night's match against the Sydney Roosters.

MANLY 22 (S Matai 2 P Hiku J Lyon tries J Lyon 3 goals) bt PARRAMATTA 18 (S Radradra 2 N Peats V Toutai tries J Paulo goal) at Brookvale Oval.

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