Australian Football Association

06/01/08

Runaway soccer star asks for another chance

Sanna Trad | January 05, 2008

AN Iraqi soccer player who went missing in Australia last year has returned to his home country and wants to represent the war-torn nation in their next match inMarch.

Ali Mansoor, along with two of his teammates, an assistant coach and an unidentified person associated with the squad, failed to board a flight back to Iraq after an Olympic qualifying match against Australia in NSW in November.

Mansoor, a 21-year-old striker, wrote a letter of apology to the Iraqi Football Association and has apologised to fans and his teammates since returning to Iraq.

"I regret very much what I did, this is why I have returned to the nation," Mansoor told Iraqi media.

"I apologise to the Iraqi people, the Government, the Iraqi Football Association, all Iraqi sports people, especially my teammates."

Mansoor, Ali Abbas - one of the heroes from Iraq's shock Asian Cup win last year - and Ali Khader, along with assistant coach Sadi Toma, absconded in Sydney. A Department of Immigration spokesman said a fifth person also failed to return to Iraq, but refused to name him.

The spokesman said three Iraqi team members had lodged visa applications while in Australia but one of them - Mansoor - had since left the country.

He would not say what type of visas had been applied for, but the players are thought to be seeking protection visas.

The spokesman said a decision would be made about outstanding visa applications despite Mansoor leaving the country.

The Iraqis abandoned their national Under-23s team after losing to Australia 2-0 in the Olympic qualifier. The five secretly took their passports and left their hotel, at Ettalong north of Sydney, in the early hours of the morning.

The Iraqi Football Association last month banned the men from playing for the national team and in the national league for life.

Iraqi media reports said that since returning to Iraq, Mansoor had been trying to get his ban lifted.

The reports said a decision would be made during a meeting of officials from the Iraqi Football Association but a date for a meeting had not yet been set.

The Iraqis who remain in Australia are believed to be staying with sympathetic families in Sydney's southwest.

They came to Australia on three-month sports visas.

09/12/07

Iraq to punish 3 soccer players over asylum bid

By Wisam Mohammed

BAGHDAD, Nov 20 (Reuters) - The Iraqi Football Association said on Tuesday it plans to block three players from joining foreign clubs and may try to ban them from international matches after they sneaked off after an Olympic qualifier in Australia with plans to seek asylum.

The association's Secretary-General Ahmed Abbas said it was considering "severe punishment" against the players, who secretly left their team hotel just hours after losing 2-0 in a 2008 Olympic qualifier on Saturday.

Midfielder Ali Abbas, one of the heroes of Iraq's stunning Asian Cup triumph in July, was among the defectors. The other two players were identified as Ali Mansur and Ali Khadher. Assistant coach Sadi Toma also went missing, the association said on Sunday.

"We asked the (world soccer body FIFA) to inform the Australian Football Association that those three players have contracts with Iraqi clubs ... and have not received their international transfer certificate from the Iraqi association," Secretary-General Abbas told Reuters by telephone.

Such certificates are needed for the players to join clubs abroad.

"We will not give them the certificates until they come back and settle their contracts with the clubs."

A spokeswoman for the Australian immigration minister has said the players and Toma had valid visas to remain in Australia, the Australian Associated Press reported.

Abbas said the men had a three-month visas. He said Toma told team officials in Australia he was leaving to work for an amateur club formed by Iraqi exiles. The association has said Toma told team officials the players would seek asylum.

Iraq now must defeat Lebanon on Wednesday in Qatar and hope North Korea defeats Australia to earn a berth in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Iraq's football team, nicknamed the Lions of Mesopotamia, triggered nationwide euphoria and attracted global media attention when they beat heavily favoured Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the Asian Cup final.

The team, a cross-section of Iraq's diverse religious and ethnic groups, was hailed as proof that Iraq could overcome the divisions that have torn the country apart in a sectarian conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. (Writing by Alaa Shahine; Editing by Caroline Drees)

Guardian Unlimited (c) Guardian News and Media Limited 2007

16/11/07

Still no decision on Demons' captain

A fortnight after Melbourne coach Dean Bailey shrouded uncertainty over the club's captaincy heading into next year, David Neitz, its skipper of the past eight seasons, says the Demons are still yet to finalise its leadership plans.

Despite having the backing of Melbourne Chief Executive Steve Harris as late as last month for the top on-field job, Neitz confirmed the club is still weighing up its options.

"We haven't done that (decide on a captain) yet, we don't know who's the captain or what's gonna be happening, leading teams have come in with a few other clubs and they're putting the initial stages of their program in place," said Neitz.

Neitz admits he is none the wiser as to what kind of leadership structure the club will choose to adopt.

"We've totally left it open, it could be one captain, it could be three captains, it could be no captain, who knows?"

The veteran is embarking on his 17th pre-season with the club and he says his body is feeling good after being plagued by numerous setbacks last season.

"I had a bit of an issue with a knee and a few different things as the season went on but a couple of months off at the end of the year has been really good for me," Neitz explained.

"(I'm) pretty confident the body will be right to go around for another year."

"We've got a bit of a different program and I'm doing majority of the sessions with the guys, (I'm) still training six days a week, but I've got a bit of flexibility within my own personal program to be able to rest when I need to and work hard when I need to."

Neitz was speaking at the launch of Melbourne's logo and guernsey for its 150th year celebrations in 2008 and the 32-year-old is fully aware of how important next season will be for the Demons.

"It's obviously going to be a massive year from a historical point of view," said Neitz.

"(Our) 150th year as a footy club, we're proud of our heritage as the oldest sporting club going around so it's gonna be a big year in a lot of ways."

09/11/07

Precious Lions cargo arrives in Brisbane

Irish import Colm Begley failed to return from his homeland with any Gaelic football silverware - but he did arrive in Australia with something very valuable to his AFL club Brisbane Lions.

Begley spent his off-season break playing in Stradbally's failed bid to win the Laois County championship final.

And he flew home with the Lions' new Irish recruit Pearce Hanley.

The 18-year-old arrived in Brisbane on Friday with Begley keen to follow in the footsteps of his travelling companion who has quickly earned a reputation in their homeland for his AFL exploits.

Known for his blistering speed and silky ball disposal for Gaelic football club Mayo, Hanley has been signed on an international rookie contract.

Hanley cited Begley and Sydney's Irish star Tadhg Kennelly as role models.

"I'm just looking to making the most of an opportunity to become a professional sportsman," a bleary eyed Hanley said.

Picking Begley's brain during the flight, Hanley received a crash course on AFL and said he was bracing himself for the speed of the game.

The 184cm, 81kg Hanley first caught Brisbane's attention when he received the Ron Barassi Medal as Ireland's best player in the third Under 17 International Rules Test at Fremantle in April, 2006.

But the Lions did not formally approach Hanley until Brisbane football manager Graeme Allan travelled to Ireland in July.

Hanley is expected to chime into halfback as he begins his AFL education.

He will meet the Lions players on Saturday and start pre-season training on Monday.

Big things are expected from Hanley after defender Begley's meteoric rise.

Begley, 21, has blown coach Leigh Matthews away due to his remarkable transformation from an amateur Gaelic footballer into an AFL professional in less than two years.

Despite only picking up an Australian football for the first time in 2006, Begley became a permanent fixture at Brisbane in 2007 and played 20 games to earn the Lions' Rookie of the Year award.

Begley may have helped kick-start Hanley's AFL education but a much richer source awaited the Irishman in Brisbane.

Hanley has temporarily moved in with Lions legend and assistant coach Craig Lambert and his family.

01/11/07

Harley itching to get back into it

It's only been 33 days since the Cats claimed the ultimate prize against Port Adelaide in the most lopsided Grand Final in 111 years but Geelong skipper Tom Harley is itching to get back into pre-season training.

The premiership defender was also keen to dismiss any suggestions that his side may suffer from the dreaded premiership hangover.

"The guys are all training now by themselves or in small groups, which is the way to go and we start on November 21 and we'll be ready to go," an enthusiastic Harley proclaimed.

"I've got no inkling that there'll be any sort of hangover, everyone's still really keen and I think what winning does, and the way we won, it just really gave you a feeling that you want to go back again."

Harley believes that his side has a chance to establish an era of success after the club secured its first premiership in 44 years this season but he knows his team has a long way to go before it emulates the record-breaking Brisbane Lions sides of 2001, 2002 and 2003.

"We've only won one premiership and we've only played in one Grand Final, they played in four in a row and won three of them," Harley said.

"But I think we've given ourselves, as a club as a whole, the opportunity to have some really successful years, so time will tell whether we turn out to be a great side."

The Cats took all before them this year on their way to producing one of the most dominant seasons in recent history, but Harley doesn't believe there's any added pressure on his team after such an amazing 2007 campaign.

"If you ask whether we're going to have another year like 2007, probably not, because it happens once every 100 years," the 29-year-old said.

"We're confident that we have set a benchmark for the AFL in how to play the game and I guess we'll take confidence (from the fact) that we play it better than anyone else at the moment."

Geelong will rightfully head into next season as favourites to claim back-to-back titles but Harley wouldn't be surprised if a 'bolter' provides the sternest test to its premiership defence.

"There'll be clubs like, say, the Western Bulldogs and St. Kilda, sides that missed the eight who have really talented lists, they'll be feeling like we did in October last year and so they should because it's such an even competition."

25/10/07

Cousins unlikely to play again: Matthews

Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews has conceded that fallen star Ben Cousins is unlikely to play in the AFL again.

The Brownlow medallist was dumped by West Coast last Wednesday, a day after being charged with possessing a diazepam tablet without a prescription.

The ex-West Coast captain was also charged with refusing to take a driver drug test, after being pulled over for driving erratically.

On Friday, police said they made a mistake when they laid the drug charge - and they formally dropped it in Perth Magistrates Court on Monday because diazepam is prohibited only in injectable liquid form.

But Matthews - a four-time AFL premiership-winning player and coach - said he could not see a way back to the AFL for the premiership-winning midfielder.

"I would say it is very unlikely, for obvious reasons," he said.

"(But) who's got a crystal ball?

"I'm (from) one of 16 clubs. I can't talk for the other clubs."

Matthews said the AFL's image "obviously has" taken a battering and he could understand a parent of a potential draftee expressing concerns over the possibility of their child joining the West Coast.

"The world is about perception and reality and sometimes perception is what we go on because we don't know reality," he said.

"I've got no idea what happens at the Eagles because we are not there.

"But you can understand that thought being expressed because the perception is something that we all have to cope with.

"But we are 3,000 miles from Perth so I can make observations from a long, long way away."

Cousins, 29, is expected to return to California soon for a second stint in drug rehabilitation.

Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett said last week that there was no chance of Cousins playing for the Eagles again.

And even if he wanted to enter the draft system in coming years, Cousins would need the permission of the AFL.

07/09/07

Lethal questions testing procedures

Friday, 31 August 2007 @ 5:11 PM
sportal.com.au

Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews has raised some pertinent questions over Australian football's battle to flush out illicit drug use in the wake of former NRL superstar Andrew Johns' admission of substance abuse overnight.

Saying it had been a troubling 12 months for all the football codes, Matthews questioned the timing of random drug testing in the AFL and wondered whether the current procedures worked to adequately deter susceptible players.

Johns shocked the rugby world by admitting he took ecstasy during the NRL season but timed his intake to avoid detection by drug testers.

The NRL has since revealed that the former Kangaroos captain was drug tested a total of 17 times during his stellar career but always on game day and never the next morning.

Matthews suggested testing the morning immediately after a match would likely prove a more effective technique but that official AFL policy is failing to recognise that.

"If you wanted to have the best chance of finding it out, it would be the morning after a game wouldn't it?" Matthews said. "Logic tells you that."

"Most sportsmen might have a bit of a letdown the night of the game. If they're going to have that kind of letdown, you'd reckon the following morning would be the most likely … that's pretty obvious."

"How often do the drug people turn up on the Sunday morning (recovery) session (after a match)? Rarely, if ever, to be honest."

Matthews did, however, praise the AFL's attempts to rid the code of illegal substance abuse, saying they have tackled the problem head-on.

"Sport is actually doing more for their participants than the community is doing for the tens and tens of thousands of people out there in the suburbs," he said.

"So sport's trying to tackle it. The AFL have tried to tackle it head-on."

"They might have lost the PR battle but they've tried very hard to tackle it head-on and help and rehabilitate and just make sure it doesn't happen."

"But I think we've got to say that it's a losing fight that we're all embarking on."

The Lions mentor also rubbished claims professional sportsmen suffer an inordinate amount of pressure because of their high profile existence.

"I know there's pressure about playing your sport well and all that kind of stuff, but it's make-believe pressure compared to feeding your family and how do I survive? How do I pay my rent?" he said.

"I would think people out there like that say that's not pressure."

"To be honest, it's psychological pressure. I think you could understand if most of the community said 'I wish I had that pressure'."