Umpires put time into Brownlow voting
UMPIRES are an easy target at the best of times. But on Brownlow Medal night, they can be sitting ducks if - heaven forbid - their votes for a game don't marry with the media's or fans' vivid recollections of their heroes' deeds.

Just ask your office's resident Carlton tragic about the time the umpires overlooked Greg Williams for a vote for his 44-possession game against Melbourne in round 10, 1993. If you've got an hour to kill, they'll tell you how it cost 'Diesel' a third Brownlow and a place in football immortality - he finished one vote behind Gavin Wanganeen in that year's Brownlow count.

If you think that's an exercise in torture, spare a thought for the umpires who officiated in that game - Murray Bird, Kieron Nicholls and John Russo - because we're sure they're still reminded of it on a regular basis.

As long as Media Watch can remember, there have been those that have argued umpires have too much on their plates during games without having to worry about player votes.

It's pointless discussing the validity of that argument given the current system has been in place since the Brownlow was first awarded in 1924 and has little chance of changing.

Instead, we can take comfort from the fact the umpires take their Brownlow responsibility extremely seriously.

Senior AFL umpire Shaun Ryan told the Herald Sun umpires could take as long as 40 minutes to cast their votes after a game.

Ryan said umpires generally discussed a game's best players at quarter-time, half-time and three-quarter time, before finalising their votes after the game.

Interestingly, Ryan said umpires did not resort to statistics in their deliberations because "sometimes they can be a bit misleading".

Hands up anyone in the media who can say they haven't relied on Champion Data's stats in a game when few players have stood out? On such occasions, we suspect the umpires' gut feel would be every bit as good a guide as a page of - sometimes meaningless - statistics.

Like their main gig, casting the Brownlow votes is a thankless job, but it's one umpires take on gladly. Even if it means they have to deal with disgruntled Blues fans from time to time.

Goodes moving forward
It’s a dilemma most footballers would gladly take on. You've got the height and power to dominate in a key position, but the speed, stamina and agility to play on the ball too.

Several players have been blessed with these gifts in recent times. Former North Melbourne skipper Wayne Carey used to pinch-hit in the middle when his team was in trouble, while Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown spent a substantial amount of time on the ball several seasons ago.

However, neither played in the midfield as regularly as Sydney Swans co-captain Adam Goodes or Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich.

Where Carey and Brown were most imposing in the forward 50, it's been hard to gauge where Goodes and Pavlich are best suited.

No doubt, it's an issue the Swans and Freo have grappled with over the years.

However, it seems the Swans have made the call Goodes will now make the forward line his primary residence - at least, for the foreseeable future.

Over the past two seasons, Goodes, who won the 2003 Brownlow Medal in the ruck and shared the 2006 Brownlow as a midfielder, has spent an increasing amount of time on the Swans' forward line. However, whenever the Swans needed a lift in the midfield, more often than not he was the man they looked too.

But Goodes told The Daily Telegraph he now saw himself as a forward, not a midfielder.

"When you're playing in the forward line, you need to focus on just being a forward at that point," Goodes said.

"I've been able to adjust to both roles comfortably this year, whereas before I was probably a little bit more worried and stressed playing as a forward and kicking goals."

With spearhead Daniel Bradshaw likely to retire soon because of chronic knee problems, Goodes' greatest value to the Swans is as a key forward.

It's a tougher role than playing in the midfield and it will mean Goodes won't get his hands on the ball as often.

But, ultimately, the Swans will be better off if Goodes spends the majority of his time providing the strong target they lack when he's not in their forward 50. The hole he'll leave in the midfield can be more easily covered.  

Well-rested Cats purring along
In recent seasons, the competition's top-of-the-table clubs have had the luxury of being able to strategically rest players in the lead-up to the finals. And they have taken advantage of it.

In 2009, St Kilda and Geelong were so far out in front of the rest of the competition after 14 rounds they rested players en masse in certain games. In doing so, they were happy to risk a loss knowing they had everything to gain (refreshing their players ahead of the finals) and nothing to lose (their top-two positions were assured).

In 2010, Collingwood used a similar strategy, recalling veterans playing primarily in its VFL side at regular intervals to give senior players breaks.

Already, this season there has been talk Geelong, the 10-0 ladder-leader, has started to rest players. While Cats coach Chris Scott bristles at the mere mention of the 'R-word', the Herald Sun today revealed just how strategically Scott is managing the competition's oldest list this season.

Reporter Jon Anderson said only four Geelong players - Jimmy Bartel, Joel Corey, Travis Varcoe and James Kelly - had played all 10 of the club's games this year. And of the Cats' total game time of about 1200 minutes, only Bartel, Matthew Scarlett and Corey had logged more than 1000 minutes on the ground.

In comparison, Anderson said, Geelong's chief rivals this year had not spread the burden as evenly among their lists. For instance, 11 Carlton players (including Chris Judd, Marc Murphy and Bryce Gibbs) have played more than 1000 minutes this season, along with nine Magpies (including Harry O'Brien, Travis Cloke and Heath Shaw) and six Hawks.

Of course, none of this guarantees the Cats will enter this season's finals series fitter and closer to peak form than these rivals.

But it could give them a small edge and, in today's game, that's often all you need.

That said, don't expect the Magpies, Blues and Hawks to stand idly by. They'll be working just as hard at resting their players in the latter parts of this season.
Just look at the Magpies' current trip to Arizona, that's aimed at fast-tracking the recovery of injured players Dane Swan, Darren Jolly, Brent Macaffer and Nathan Brown.

In short
AFL Commissioner Justice Linda Dessau says there are still not enough women in higher management roles in the football industry, The Age reports. Speaking at an industry lunch to mark AFL Women's Round, Dessau said: "There is simply nothing that a woman can't do in these organisations."

Advertiser columnist Warren Tredrea has called for Adelaide and Port Adelaide to field reserves teams in the SANFL following the push by West Coast and Fremantle to do the same in the WAFL from next season.

Booming left-footer Trent McKenzie told the Gold Coast Bulletin he and the Gold Coast Suns' other youngsters were getting more confident with every game they played. "We are starting to gel better with each other," McKenzie said.

The SANFL says the AFL will need to underwrite Port Adelaide this year for at least $2.9 million and up to $4.7 million to ensure its survival, The Advertiser's chief football writer Michelangelo Rucci reports. The SANFL's claims are based on a recent audit it commissioned of the Power.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.