News Story

Victorian product Jackson Trengove's brilliant performance in Port Adelaide's one-point win over West Coast at AAMI Stadium has been rewarded with the round 20 NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.
 
The 19-year-old played a starring role on the tall timber of Dean Cox, Nic Naitanui and Quentin Lynch, gathering 23 possessions and five tackles to help the Power to a thrilling  victory.

Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus is thrilled with Trengove's development in a variety of positions in 2010.
 
“Jackson has come on in leaps and bounds this year,” said Primus.
 
“We’ve asked him to perform a variety of roles, especially in the first half of the season where he helped out in the ruck and then played a role up forward as well.
 
“In the latter part of the year we’ve been able to settle him down back where we think he’s best suited and in the last month he’s done some good jobs on quality forwards such as Jarryd Roughead and Justin Koschitzke.
 
“He played very well again on the weekend and despite taking a heavy knock he got through the game and this nomination is a just reward for his efforts across the season.”
 
Playing his junior football at Strathmore in the Essendon District Football League, Trengove was drafted by the Calder Cannons after representing Vic Metro in the 2008 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

Collingwood surprise packet Jarryd Blair would be excused for pinching himself.

The former rookie lister is living a dream.

The 20-year-old was outstanding in the midfield as the Flagpies demolished Essendon by 98 points at the MCG on Friday night.

The pint-sized Blair gathered 28 possessions (10 kicks and 18 handballs), including 11 in the first quarter.

Blair topped his performance with two goals and two scoring assists.

He was unlucky not to receive the round 20 AFL NAB Rising Star nomination (that honour going to Port Adelaide ruckman Jackson Trengove).

Look for Blair to be named in round 21 or 22.

He's a little beauty is Blair, who has played in wins in each of his six games so far.

The Gippsland Power Under 18 TAC Cup product was elevated off the club's rookie list in round 14.

Standing 174cm tall, Blair has grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Blair is a nephew of Fitzroy and South Melbourne half-forward of the 1970s John Blair.

Dan's the man for Sydney.

Brent Harvey, take a big bow.

The North Melbourne champ may only be 172cm, but he's a giant of the game.

The Preston RSL product will pull his boots on for game No. 300 this Sunday.

The 32-year-old Harvey described joining legends Wayne Schimmelbusch, Glenn Archer and Adam Simpson in the elite 300 Club at the Arden Street Oval as "a bit of a dream come true".

"When you get drafted, you just want to play one game," he added.

A consummate team man, Harvey is more worried about celebrating a win over West Coast at Subaico Oval than he is about his individual milestone.

"We're still in the finals race," he said.

Harvey is confident the Kangaroos are going places under new coach Brad Scott and can "achieve something special" by winning a premiership sooner rather than later.

Harvey's first role model was his father Neil, who was an accomplished footballer who played with Brunswick in the old Victorian Football Association.

Harvey happily recalled loving watching his dad play.

He remembered his dad's pre-match routine of having a shower and a shave ... and Harvey has done exactly that himself throughout his glittering career.

Harvey looks back on playing in North Melbourne's premiership in 1999 with tremendous pride ... playing under coach Dennis Pagan and alongside captain Wayne Carey.

Rodney "Rocket" Eade clocks up his 550th game as player and coach.

It's highly appropriate as Eade's Western Bulldogs do battle with his former club Sydney at the SCG on Saturday night.

Eade's fabulous record comprises 229 games as a player for Hawthorn, 30 games as a player for the Brisbane Bears, 152 games as a coach for the Sydney Swans and 138 games as a coach for the Western Bulldogs.

He becomes only the 13th person in the history of the game to reach this mark, joining Kevin Sheedy (886 games comprising 251 games as a player and 635 games as a coach), Jock McHale (878 games comprising 261 games as a player / player-coach and a further 617 games as a coach only), Michael Malthouse (807 games comprising 174 games as a player and 633 games as a coach), David Parkin (729 games comprising 211 games as a player and 518 games as a coach), Leigh Matthews (793 games comprising 332 games a player and 461 games as a coach), Ron Barassi (719 games comprising 254 games as a player / player-coach and a further 465 games as a coach only), Norm Smith (659 games comprising 227 games as a player and 432 games as a coach), Allan Jeans (652 games comprising 77 games as a player and 575 games as a coach), Robert Walls (606 games comprising 259 games as a player and 347 games as a coach), Tom Hafey (589 games comprising 67 games as a player and 522 games as a coach), John Kennedy (575 games comprising 164 games as a player and 411 games as a coach) and Paul Roos (554 games comprising 356 games as a player and 198 games as a coach).

St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt is warming up for an all-out assault on the likes ofCollingwood and Geelong in the finals.

He kicked seven goals in a best-on-ground display as the Saints out-played North Melbourne after quarter-time to win by 52 points at Etihad Stadium.

Riewoldt, who missed half the year with a serious hamstring injury, was brilliant.

He finishes with 14 goals in his two games against the Kangaroos this year.

Brendon Goddard was outstanding with 37 disposals.

Jason Gram (34 possessions) and Lenny Hayes (26 possessions with eight contested) also played well.

Lachie Hansen impressed with four goals for the Kangas.

Sam Wright kicked three goals, including one in the opening minute of the game.

The Kangaroos will find it too tough to sneak into the finals now.

Coach Brad Scott has done a terrific job in his first year in charge at Arden Street Oval.

Final scores: St Kilda 17.13 (115) to North Melbourne 9.9 (63)  

Melbourne has dropped out of the finals race after going down to Hawthorn in wet conditions at the MCG.

They battled hard, but it wasn't quite enough.

It was a tough day for the Demons with star midfielder and Marngrook Footy Show favourite Aaron Davey suffering a suspected broken leg.

The Hawks did enough to win by 21 points.

Lance Franklin and Xavier Ellis kicked three goals apiece.

Liam Jurrah and Mark Jamar kicked two goals apiece for Melbourne.

Hawthorn was desperate to bounce back from its pathetic effort against Sydney in the previous round which led club president Jeff Kennett to fire a broadside at coach Alastair Clarkson and his players on the club's website.

The Hawks can now start planning for some September action.

Final scores: Hawthorn 15.9 (99) to Melbourne 12.6 (78)

A five-goal bag from strong-marking forward Kurt Tippett was the difference as Adelaide edged out Brisbane by seven points in an entertaining game at the Gabba.

A star-in-the-making, Tippett has booted 43 goals after a quiet start to the season.

Jason Porplyzia chipped in with three goals.

Richard Douglas was lively with 31 possessions and two goals.

The Lions suffered a body blow when inspirational captain Jonathon Brown withdrew with injury in what was scheduled to be his 200th game.

Mitch Clark stepped up to kick five goals.

Simon Black and Ton Rockliff starred in the midfield.

Final scores: Adelaide 15.14 (104) to Brisbane 13.19 (97) 

Poor West Coast.

Battling hard to get off the bottom of the ladder, the Eagles stormed home in a low scoring battle against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium only to go down by one point.

David Rodan scrambled a behind in the dying seconds top save the day for the Power.

The Eagles kicked 4.2 to 1.4 in the last quarter after trailing 4.10 to 7.9 at three quarter-time.

West Coast coach John Worsfold and his young line-up can't take a trick.

They were pipped at the post by Brisbane at Subiaco in the previous round.

Kane Cornes was superb for Port Adelaide with 38 possessions.

Matt Thomas and Dom Cassisi were also terrific.

Brett Ebert and Cameron Hitchcock kicked two goals apiece.

Dean Cox, Matt Rosa, Scott Selwood and Adam Selwood did well for the Eagles.

Elevated rookie Andrew Strijk kicked three goals and has been impressive since making his debut against the Western Bulldogs at Subiaco.

Power's caretaker coach Matthew Primus has celebrated three wins in five games.

His players were determined to bounce back from their pathetic display against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium in the previous round.

Final scores: Port Adelaide 8.13 (61) to West Coast 8.12 (60)

It's looking like a Flagpies/Purrfects grand final.

The Geelong Cats were purrfect as they obliterated the Western Bulldogs by a record-breaking 101 points at Etihad Stadium.

The Cats slammed on 14 successive goals - including 10.3 to 0.1 in the second quarter - after the Bulldogs had shot away to a two goal lead midway through the first quarter.

Not surprisingly, Geelong had winners everywhere.

Midfielders Gary Ablett (39 possessions and three goals), Joel Selwood (35 possessions, two goals) and James Kelly were unstoppable.

Steve Johnson slammed through five goals with Travis Varcoe, James Podsiadly and Ablett chiming in with three goals apiece.

Andrew Mackie, Corey Enright, Darren Milburn and Matthew Scarlett controlled the back-line.

It was one-way traffic.

Daniel Giansiracusa battled hard for the Bulldogs with 27 disposals and three goals.

Matthew Boyd finished with 35 possessions with eight clearances, but lowered his colours to the likes of Selwood and Ablett.

On a dark night for the Bulldogs, Shaun Higgins (calf) and Easton Wood (hamstring) suffered injuries.

Final scores: Geelong 25.11 (161) to Western Bulldogs 9.6 (60)

What a memorable debut it was for Daniel Menzel, who was thrilled to kick a goal as the Cats blew the game to bits in the second quarter.