The VFA Messiah?

If anyone were going to crack the AFL's influence over VFL football, history suggests its Port Melbourne. And as the split between the Borough and its AFL partner, North Melbourne, confirms, Port appears to be fulfilling its destiny. It's no secret that Port's president, Peter Saultry, can be a contrary character. Earlier in the season I received a letter from the club challenging me over an article I'd written about the 'sacking' of coaches David Dunbar and Gerard Fitzgerald. I chose not to reply to the letter. I thought it childish and disingenuous and undeserving of a response. To claim that it was 'unprofessional' of me to use the word 'sacked' in relation to Gerard Fitzgerald's coaching appointment at Port reflected just how sensitive the club was to criticism.

For those unfamiliar with Fitzgerald's situation, the facts are that after taking the club to the 2004 grand final and losing by less than a kick, he was asked to re-apply for the coaching job. Not surprising, Fitzgerald regarded this as a vote of no-confidence in his coaching and concluded that he would not be re-appointed. I say, as he also said, it amounted to him being sacked. None of this diminishes my respect for Port Melbourne's significance to the VFA/VFL and the club's recalcitrance.

No matter what the spin doctors say, over the past two seasons Saultry and Dean Laidley have struggled to manage the perfunctory 'goodaye' and the Kangaroos have an issue with Port coach Saade Ghazi. 'They want an alignment where they can control team selection. Even if Kangaroo players weren't playing well they wanted them in the team. We weren't playing our best team,' says Ghazi. Despite the tensions, Ghazi says the Kangaroo players, in particular the likes of Glenn Archer and Adam Simpson have been 'fantastic'. And while the general view is that Saultry interferes with selection, Ghazi says it simply isn't true. 'Peter expresses a view over a coffee, but we pick the team. That's why we have the likes of Peter Bedford and Bernie Quinlan at the club,' he says. Ghazi won't be drawn on the question of rumours that Laidley has never spoken with Quinlan and Bedford or that the Kangaroos coach is said to have a poor attitude to the Borough. All Kangaroos CEO Geoff Walsh will say is that the Kangaroos agreed to Port's 12AFL/10VFL rule at the start of the season and would have preferred for the alignment to survive. He says the club hasn't looked at any alignment but wouldn't rule out discussions with North Ballart and Frankston.

In yet another great coincidence, Port plays Coburg in the ABC match of the round on Saturday. Only a week ago I ran the eye a DVD of the same match played twenty-five years ago. How different it was. The grandstand was full and there were kids with Port jumpers everywhere in a vociferous crowd of around 8,000. And as much as the VFA's critics will tell you the standard has improved it was a great game. Just for the record, Port's team contained eight players who'd already played VFL/AFL football and a further two - Stephen Allender and Peter Hall - who would go on play League football. Allowing for the passage of time and the increased fitness of players, the Port side of 1980 was probably better that any 12AFL/10VFL side it could field in the finals this year.

According to Ghazi Port could go unaligned and do well. 'Look at the players who've gone interstate. Many of them would stay if it weren't for the alignments,' he says. As it was when Gary Brice coached it to that hat-trick of premierships in 1980/81/82, Port Melbourne is financially strong. So strong in fact that Football Victoria CEO, Ken Gannon, says Port is one club that could stand alone and is 'entitled to have a crack at it'.

Sadly, the community of Port Melbourne today is nothing like the old community. The Port sides I knew, and loved playing against, were fired by blokes who'd grown up around the corner - Bill Swan, Vic Aanensen, 'Biff' Demott, 'Buster' Harland and the Gosses - and lived and breathed Port. And of course what would Port have been without the great goalkicker and performer, Fred Cook? Whether Port can recreate the spirit and community support of that era is a moot point. But whatever my view of some of the activities of the club, I won't be disappointed if they have a shot at it. After all, isn't it what the VFL needs?

Skinning the CAT

Contrary to the grumblings around Geelong I don't hate the club. When the Cats won the premiership in 2002 they brought big crowds to the lead up finals and a splash of colour to the grand final. However, as the crowd of 300 on Saturday confirmed, Geelong people have no interest in going to Skilled Stadium for a VFL match. And surely the club can't be happy having to hunt for players when afflicted by injuries? If the Cats aren't going to align, then maybe it's time they considered playing some games in the western district, Werribee or Ballarat? Games at a barren Skilled Stadium are plain boring and do nothing for the VFL. .

SATURDAY

Port v COBURG - ABC TV -

SUNDAY

BENDIGO BOMBERS v Tasmania
FRANKSTON v Williamstown
BOX HILL v Scorpions
WERRIBEE v Geelong