ir starters could be moved with only Chris Arch

Sacked coaches deserve second chanceAFLCA AFL Coaches Association boss Mark Brayshaw has slammed the industrys failure to give sacked senior coaches another shot.Brayshaw says these dumped men, often consigned to the football scrapheap and black-listed from future senior positions, are undoubtedly better prepared for the gruelling demands of leading a team than untried coaches.Its madness to not give them a second chance. It doesnt happen in major sport in the US or Europe; they are happy to target people who have fallen over and dusted themselves off and made mistakes on someone elses payroll, Brayshaw told ESPN.The principle of doing it for a second or third time is not yet well established here and I think were poorer for it.Brayshaw expects experienced senior coaches, such as Brett Ratten and Matthew Knights who are both being touted for Brisbanes vacant post, to be better prepared for the position since their sackings at Carlton and Essendon respectively.Ratten has been an assistant coach at Hawthorn for four years, while in the same time Knights has been at Geelong and coached its VFL club to premiership success.Theres no question the learning experience coaches have from the first time round are being squandered by not giving them another chance, Brayshaw said. You learn and realise what you will and wont do again. Its a very difficult position and they do a lot of self-reflecting.Brayshaw acknowledges there has been a dramatic shift in the way clubs hire new coaches. He says the days of appointing retired champions to helm their former clubs almost immediately after retirement is a thing of the past, as clubs opt to poach strategists who might have a lower profile but have been in charge of their own teams.It (the champion-player-turned-coach) is a failed model because there are just too many carcasses on the side of the road for that to be ignored, he said.I remember talking to Mick Malthouse and he estimated five per cent of the value of a coach was how good a player he was.Leigh Matthews is an obvious exception to the rule, as is Malcolm Blight ....Clarko breaking new recordsThe fingerprints of Alastair Clarkson will be all over this finals series, and not just at Hawthorn. ESPN has crunched the numbers and studied the dusty pages of history and we have yet to find a finals series where the coach of one club has a direct relationship with the coaches of five of the other clubs in the finals as is the case with Clarkson in 2016.Three of the other finals coaches worked under Clarkson at the Hawks - Leon Cameron (GWS), Adam Simpson (West Coast) and Luke Beveridge (Western Bulldogs). Taking that a step further, Geelong coach Chris Scott was an assistant coach to Clarkson in the past two International Rules series when Clarkson took charge of the Australian team.Then theres Swans coach John Longmire, a teammate of Clarkson at North Melbourne and a close friend to this day.So by our reckoning, the only two finals coaches Clarkson doesnt have a close relationship with are Adelaides Don Pyke and North Melbournes Brad Scott, further proof of his standing as a giant of the modern game.New role for Brendon Gale?Say what you like about Richmond CEO Brendon Gale, but hes not one for shirking an issue. The embattled Tigers boss, whose excellent work in reviving the clubs off-field fortunes has been undermined by consistent under-performance on the field, has endured a tough season in which his Tiges not only missed the finals but also became the target of a messy, half-baked boardroom coup.Having extended coach Damien Hardwicks contract at the start of the season for a further two years - a move that now appears misguided in the extreme - Gale and his board cant wait for 2016 to end.You might imagine if an escape hatch was to mysteriously appear, the former ruckman might quickly like to disappear down it.But not so. For Gale was recently approached to apply for the CEOs position at the Melbourne Cricket Club, a role currently filled by the soon-to-retire Stephen Gough.Its a job that mightnt carry the remuneration of an AFL club CEO but it would sure be a whole lot less stressful.Gales response to that seemingly attractive offer? Thanks, but no thanks, I want to stay at Richmond and finish the job that Ive started.AFL media rightsThe Seven Network, News Limited and Telstra last year committed more than $2.5 billion between them to buy the AFLs media rights from 2017 to 2022. On Saturday afternoon at ANZ Stadium, steps will be taken by those three media companies to start recouping some of that expense.ESPN understands that a whos who of Sydneys media and marketing industries will be attending the Sydney Swans-GWS qualifying final as guests of the AFL and its media partners. Sydney is the media capital of Australia, home to most of the nations major advertisers and advertising agencies.Some of them are familiar with the game, but many of them are not, so the AFL is taking full advantage of that final being the only game in town for the day (there is no major rugby union or league) to put on a show, sell the virtues of the indigenous game and hope they might direct some advertising dollars to the Leagues media partners next year.A smattering of the AFL executive and the commission will be in Adelaide that night for the Crows-North elimination final, but we suspect the big dogs of the League will be in Sydney, hoping like hell the Swans and the Giants play as good a game as many of us expect.New Sydney Swans sponsorAnd while were on the subject of the Sydney market, sponsors and the like, we note the recent announcement by the Swans of a sponsorship agreement with Qatar Airways.Well done to the Swans for tapping into such a lucrative deal. But it does raise the question of hypocrisy when on the one hand the club was all in for taking part in the Pride Game against St Kilda last month, only to accept a few days later sponsorship from the national airline of a country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by going to prison.We wait to see whether the Saints will nominate a different opponent for the fixture next year. Lets hope they do.Managers lining up to secure female talentWomens football is a golden nest egg waiting to hatch following the commercial success of the exhibition match last weekend, according to player agent Anthony McConville.The Melbourne-Western Bulldogs clash at the Whitten Oval attracted an average audience of 387,000 - the best Saturday night figure for the season.And with female football participation rates exceeding 400,000 - about a quarter of total registered players nationally - tapping into the potentially lucrative market of womens football is high on the agenda for leading player managers.The television ratings from Saturday night suggest that theres a lot of interest in female, male and junior, McConville told ESPN.Obviously its a new frontier the AFL is embarking on and theres a huge participation rate that is increasing by the week, by the year.In terms of marketability, in terms of fresh opportunities for product placement, people out there looking to align their companies with a female audience, I think there will be a lot of opportunities businesses looking to align their trade with a female audience.McConville, who already manages Melbourne recruit Melissa Hickey, expects the average salary - roughly $5000 - to increase, along with the marquee pay packet of $25,000, following the inaugural season in 2017.It will be interesting in the next couple of years to see what their salary cap might look like, he said.Future broadcast rights and big money agreements like that could give us a better indication of what theyre able to learn and then quite possibly that would open the door for a negotiation outside of the marquee players.AFL Players Association boss Paul Marsh, whos already locked in a long-running player payment impasse with the league, says the proposed womens deal falls short of the associations expectations.We are still negotiation with the standard playing contract with the AFL and at this point we are some distance apart, Marsh said.These athletes have worked incredibly hard to get to this level and we strongly believe they should be provided with the same opportunities in this game as the men.Crocmedia set to be big winner in radio rights dealThe radio rights saga has been drawn-out because of threats made by prominent AFL broadcaster SEN to withdraw its offer, as the lucrative contract is expected to be awarded to content provider Crocmedia.The Craig Hutchison-owned outlet is likely to be announced as the big winner of a new multi-year deal, which will commence from next season.ESPN understands Crocmedia, a radio and TV distribution company, will have majority control of the rights and will sub-license the coverage of matches through its partners across the country.Not everyone is delighted by the new arrangement. It certainly seems to have caused some angst between Caroline Wilson (a 3AW regular) and Hutchison, co-panellists on Channel 9s Footy Classified, over the past month.Under the deal, Crocmedia will have the capacity to on-sell matches to rivals 3AW, Triple M and SEN, in a radical radio shake-up.The ABC will continue as the games national broadcaster.SEN, which has an established partnership with Crocmedia by broadcasting its shows like the Saturday morning program Off the Bench, is believed to have threatened to walk away from negotiations should the AFL honour Crocmedias bold bid.This would have been detrimental to Crocmedias audacious proposal, leaving it in a financial black hole.But the dummy spit is believed to have been resolved, with all radio parties involved in lengthy discussions with the AFL over the finer details of the new deal. An announcement is imminent. Yeezy 350 v2 2019 . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Fake Yeezy Boost 350 Womens .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. http://www.yeezys350cheap.com/ . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. Yeezy 350 v2 Zebra 2019 . Hey!" The lower tier of the School End of Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road was packed solid with a very festive-sounding Chelsea choral section in this particular part of South Africa Road London, W12. Cheap Yeezy 350 Fake . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. The Chicago Cubs?spent two weeks out of the top spot, but this week they?are back at No. 1. After a 4-2 week, the Cubs jumped back up ahead of the struggling San Francisco Giants, who are just 1-7 since the All-Star break. The Cubs were our No. 1 team for 14 straight weeks (including preseason) to open the season. Can they start another long run on top of the rankings?The scuffling Giants dropped to No. 3, with the Washington Nationals remaining at No. 2 for the third straight week.Beyond the top, there actually wasnt a lot of movement in this weeks poll, with no new teams moving into the top 5 or top 10.This weeks voters are Jim Bowden of ESPN Insider, Eric Karabell of ESPN Fantasy, Tim Kurkjian of ESPN, David Schoenfield of the SweetSpot Blog Network/ESPN.com and Jayson Stark of ESPN.com. Most of the team comments come courtesy of the SweetSpot Blog Network.Past rankings: Week 15 |?Week 14 |?Week 13 |?Week 12 |?Week 11 |?Week 10 | ?Week 9 |?Week 8 |?Week 7 |?Week 6 |?Week 5 |?Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1 | Preseason1. Chicago CubsRecord:?59-38 Week 15 ranking: No. 3The Cubs limped to the All-Star break but have won three straight series to open the second half, and rumors of an Aroldis Chapman acquisition continue to swirl.?--?Joe Aiello (@VFTB), View from the Bleachers2. Washington NationalsRecord: 58-41 Week 15 ranking: No. 2So far it doesnt look as if rookie Lucas Giolito is ready to make an impact in the rotation down the stretch. He had three walks and no strikeouts in Sundays loss to the Padres and has struck out just five of the 53 batters hes faced in the majors. He has thrown 75 percent fastballs but hasnt shown the command to rely so heavily on that pitch.?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot3. San Francisco GiantsRecord:?58-40 Week 15 ranking: No. 1The Giants lost their first six games after the All-Star break and watched their NL West lead over the Dodgers shrink in the process. Johnny Cueto and rookie outfielder Mac Williamson helped end the skid in a 12-inning victory over the Yankees on Saturday. -- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona4. Cleveland IndiansRecord:?56-41 Week 15 ranking: No. 4In a so-so week for the Indians, a bright spot has been rookie Tyler Naquin, who continues to make his case for rookie of the year consideration. He went 7-for-18 this week with three home runs and seven RBIs.?--?Susan Petrone, Its Pronounced Lajaway5. Boston Red SoxRecord: 55-41 Week 15 ranking: No. 5After sweeping the Giants in two, the Red Sox split a four-game set with the Twins. On Sunday, Boston produced a trio of home runs, and Rick Porcello got his 12th win of the season. Ten of his wins have come at home, where he owns a 3.21 ERA (4.01 ERA on the road).?-- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona6. Baltimore OriolesRecord:?57-40 Week 15 ranking: No. 6Despite starting rotation concerns, a couple of injury issues and a stomach virus that recently swept through the clubhouse, the Orioles keep winning and currently own the best record in the American League. The teams remaining schedule is daunting, but its impossible to argue with the results.?--?Matt Kremnitzer (@mattkremnitzer), Camden Depot7. Toronto Blue JaysRecord:?55-44 Week 15 ranking: No. 9Where would the Jays be without J.A. Happ? He won his seventh straight decision on Sunday, allowing one hit in six innings, and Toronto has won his past eight starts. Hes 13-3 with a 3.27 ERA. -- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot8. Texas RangersRecord:?57-42 Week 15 ranking: No. 7With trade prices being dictated by a thin market, the Rangers might see the trade deadline come and go without adding an impact starter. Instead, theyll need to rely on the back end of the rotation to hold things together until Colby Lewis and Derek Holland are ready to return from the disabled list.?--?Brandon Land (@onestrikeaway), One Strike Away9. Los Angeles DodgersRecord:?56-44 Week 15 ranking: No. 8After losing in 16 innings on Friday, the Dodgers won the next two games in St. Louis. Good sign: Adrian Gonzalez homered in both wins. Gonzalez has just nine home runs and 27 extra-base hits, so getting more power from him down the stretch will be a big key to catching the Giants.?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot10. Houston AstrosRecord: 54-44 Week 15 ranking: No. 10After sweeping the Angels, the Astros AL West deficit is down to 2? games, after trailing by 8? games at the beginning of July. Top prospect Alex Bregman will be called up on Monday, although manager A.J. Hinch didnt say where hed play. Bregman did start two games in left field at Fresno, although it seems likely hell play third base at least until Yulieski Gurriel is ready.?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot11. St. Louis CardinalsRecord:?52-46 Week 15 ranking: No. 12In a season filled with injuries and roster shake-ups for the Cardinals, the rotation has been the one constant. After a midweek rainout forced their hand, the Cardinals became the last team in baseball to use a starter outside of the five-man rotation with which it began the season when rookie Mike Mayers lasted just 1 1/3 innings in Sunday nights loss to the Dodgers.??-- ESPN.com12. Miami MarlinsRecord: 53-45 Week 15 ranking: No. 13All eyes are on Ichiro Suzuki, who is?four hits from 3,000. The Marlins would love for him to do it at home this week (they play series against Philly and St. Louis), but its hard to bench the red-hot Christian Yelich (whos hitting .404 during his current 11-game hit streak), All-Star Marcell Ozuna or Giancarlo Stanton?(who had a four-hit game on Saturday).?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot13. New York MetsRecord: 52-45 Week 15 ranking: No. 11After hitting four homers in 104 games with the Rays in 2015, James Loney has five homers in 44 games with the Mets. Loney has hit in eight straight games, going 9-for-27 (.333).?--?Joe Janish (@metstoday),?MetsToday.com14. Seattle MarinersRecord: 50-48 Week 15 ranking: No. 17On the field, the Ms took a midweek series from the White Sox -- despite never leading for a single pitch over the three-game span -- thanks to walk-offs from Adam Lind and Leonys Martin. Off the field, Ken Griffey Jr. was enshrined in Cooperstown on Sunday, ensuring well never forget The Kid.?-- Jeff Wiser (@OutfieldGrass24), Inside the Zona15. Detroit TigersRecord: 51-48 Week 15 ranking: No. 15More middling in the middle as the Tigers split a series with the White Sox, took two of three from the Royals but lost two of three to the Twins. They just dont seem to have strong enough hitting or pitching to carry them on a long winning streak. Why ante up at the trading deadline if theyrre not even favorites to win their own division, let alone the World Series??--?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers16.dddddddddddd. Pittsburgh PiratesRecord:?51-47 Week 15 ranking: No. 14The Bucs have been battling all season and remain in the thick of the wild-card battle. Theyve been dealt another blow, however, as prospect Tyler Glasnow left his second career start after the third inning with right shoulder discomfort and landed on the disabled list.?-- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona17. New York YankeesRecord: 50-48 Week 15 ranking: No. 19The members of Team Sell took a bit of a hit this week, as the Yankees took three out of four from the Orioles and two out of three from the Giants. With a week until the trade deadline, the teams results are making selling a harder decision for the front office than it actually should be. This team is mediocre, Hal, and theyre not making the playoffs. Sell Sell Sell! --?Stacey Gotsulias (@StaceGots),?Its About the Money18. Kansas City RoyalsRecord:?48-49 Week 15 ranking: No. 16After the Royals dropped a game under .500 with Sundays loss, the Wade Davis rumors are heating up, with the Nationals reportedly interested. The Royals would want more for Davis than the Yankees would get for Aroldis Chapman (rumors say Cubs shortstop prospect Gleyber Torres) because Davis is signed through 2017. Davis still has a 1.10 ERA even though his K rate has declined from 39 percent two years ago to 24 percent.?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot19. Chicago White SoxRecord:?48-50 Week 15 ranking: No. 18Chicago pushed to turn a hot start into a chase for the postseason but has finally decided to pull the plug on 2016. All eyes now turn to trade assets, including Todd Frazier, Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and others. Sale was scratched from his last start for disciplinary reasons and suspended five games. -- Ryan P. Morrison (@ryanpmorrison), Inside the Zona20. Colorado RockiesRecord:?47-51 Week 15 ranking: No. 21The Rockies finished a sweep of the Braves on Sunday, their first four-game sweep since July 9-12, 2015, which was also against the Braves. Looking back, those 2015 Rockies were 39-49 while going 22-24 at Coors Field, continuing the recent tradition of losing at home. This years Rockies are only four games under .500, with a positive home record (25-24), and wont necessarily be selling at the trading deadline.?--?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers21. Los Angeles AngelsRecord: 43-55 Week 15 ranking: No. 23Nick Tropeano became the third Angels starter this year to tear a ligament in his elbow, joining Andrew Heaney and Garrett Richards. Heaney already underwent Tommy John surgery, while Richards is still awaiting the results of platelet-rich plasma injections. Tropeano will also consider that method before undergoing surgery. Before this season, only three Angels pitchers had undergone Tommy John surgery under Mike Scioscia.?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot22. Oakland AthleticsRecord: 45-54 Week 15 ranking: No. 22After back-to-back walk-off wins on Friday and Saturday (and a third against the Astros on Tuesday), the As decided to score the winning run in the eighth on Sunday. Their past four wins and seven of their past eight have come by one run.?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot23. San Diego PadresRecord: 43-56 Week 15 ranking: No. 25Matt Kemp is on pace for 36 home runs and 110 RBIs. His WAR, however, is just 0.4 thanks in large degree to a .279 OBP and poor defense. The worst WAR ever for a 30-homer guy: Dante Bichette of the 1999 Rockies, at minus-2.3. (Baseball-Reference credits him with minus-34 runs on defense.)?-- David Schoenfield (@dschoenfield), SweetSpot24. Milwaukee BrewersRecord: 41-55 Week 15 ranking:No. 24Milwaukee is expected to be one of baseballs biggest sellers in the next week. There is interest in multiple Brewers, starting with All-Star catcher Jonathan Lucroy and reliever Carlos Torres. Its not a matter of whether players will be traded but rather when and who.?-- Gabe Stoltz (@Stoltzy3), Disciples of Uecker25. Philadelphia PhilliesRecord:?45-55 Week 15 ranking: No. 20Vince Velasquez is hitting .241, which is quite good for a pitcher. In terms of batting average, hes outhitting Ryan Howard, Cody Asche and Tyler Goeddel, which is quite bad for an offense. However, those who read these comments will note the progress from late April, when Phillies pitchers as a whole were outhitting Phillies left fielders and first basemen.? --?Richard Bergstrom (@rbergstromjr), Rockies Zingers26. Arizona DiamondbacksRecord: 41-57 Week 15 ranking: No. 26Reports surfaced late last week that Arizona is weighing a managerial change. Considering injuries and questionable roster construction, D-backs fans have to wonder whether replacing Chip Hale would help their cause. Top prospect pitcher Braden Shipley will debut Monday. -- Jeff Wiser, Inside the Zona27. Tampa Bay RaysRecord: 38-50 Week 15 ranking: No. 27It has been a decade since the Rays were clear sellers at the trade deadline, but declaring their intentions early has chummed the waters significantly. Any of their starters could be moved with only Chris Archer requiring an unfathomable return. Expect someone to go and wide-eyed fans to be underwhelmed, though the smart ones will hopefully have their faith rewarded.?--?Jason Hanselman (@sandykazmir), The Process Report28. Minnesota TwinsRecord: 37-61 Week 15 ranking: No. 28Although the Twins are mired in last place, Max Kepler?provides real hope. After hitting two triples in Boston over the weekend, he is slugging .500 as a 23-year-old rookie. His gangly muscular frame and sweet lefty swing are reminding fans in Minnesota of a young Justin Morneau.?-- Nick Nelson (@NickNelsonMN), Twins Daily29. Cincinnati RedsRecord:?38-60 Week 15 ranking: No. 29The Reds have won three consecutive series since the All-Star break, and Billy Hamilton -- who recently returned to the leadoff spot -- has keyed the charge, with a seven-game hitting streak. Since the break he also has 10 stolen bases and 10 runs scored. Is it too early to start printing the playoff tickets??--?Chad Dotson (@dotsonc), Redleg Nation30. Atlanta BravesRecord: 33-66 Week 15 ranking:?No. 30To open the second half, the Braves have gone 2-7 versus sub-.500 teams. That does not bode well for any semblance of improvement in the current product on the field. However, it does bode well for securing the No. 1 overall pick in 2017. -- Martin Gandy (@gondeee), Chop County ' ' '