Marngrook Footy Show

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Don't miss the first episode of the Marngrook Footy Show for 2010 tonight at 7.30pm.

Hosted by Grant Hansen and Gilbert McAdam, tonight's panel features Ronnie Burns, Alan Thorpe and Chris Johnson with special guests Allan Muirray (former Port Adelaide & St Kilda player), Jason McCartney (AIS AFL High Performance Coach) and journalist Greg Denham from the Australian newspaper.

The panel will also discuss the NAB cup Grand Final between the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda and preview your team's fortunes for 2010, plus we've got the Marngrook Quiz, Marngrook Flashbacks and heaps more.

Don't miss it.....Marngrook....the show about football!!

The Australian Football League has announced the Australian Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) would conduct almost 1000 tests across the 2010 year for performance-enhancing drugs, under the AFL’s Anti-Doping Code.

Barry Hall's new lease on life at the Western Bulldogs continues to dominate talk at the Whitten Oval.

No surprises there.

The experienced forward has been in exceptional form in front of the big sticks in the NAB Cup.

With 250 games and 611 goals to his name during a star-studded career with St Kilda and then Sydney, Hall definitely has the score on the board.

The Swans' 2005 premiership captain is a perfect role model for up-and-coming, 195cm forward Liam Jones, who was the Bulldogs' second round selection (No. 32 overall) at the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.

The 19-year-old son of former St Kilda player Bob Jones is thrilled to be watching the way Hall is attacking his footy from such close quarters on the training track.

"It's amazing to see how hard he works," Jones said.

"It's something for me to look up to and aspire to."

Jones was thrilled with Hall's spectacular six-goal bag in the big win over Hawthorn in the quarter-finals of the NAB Cup.

"You could really tell he was having fun out there," he said.

As the Bulldogs prepare to do battle with St Kilda in the NAB Cup grand final at Etihad Stadium this Saturday night, Jones reflected on making his debut in the side's come-from-behind win over Brisbane at a water-logged Manuka Oval in Canberra in the first round.

"It was a really good experience," he said.

If Richmond is the climb back into finals contention in the coming years you can bet your bottom dollar that dynamic young midfielder Trent Cotchin will have a big say in things.

The 19-year-old is a genuine star in the making.

The Tigers are celebrating after Cotchin signed a new three year deal.

The Rudd Government has teamed up with the Australian Football League as part of a national program to encourage respectful relationships between young people.

The Minister for the Status of Women, Tanya Plibersek, announced the AFL would receive $400,000 in funding as part of round two of the Government’s $9 million Respectful Relationships initiative.

The announcement follows an overwhelming number of requests from community football clubs across Australia for access to the AFL’s Respect and Responsibility Program.

Coach Matthew Knights has high hopes of rising stars Cale Hooker and Tayte Pears impressig on the back-line as Essendon take aim at making the finals for the second successive year.
He nominated Hooker (18 games) and Pears (28 games) as important players in his plans.

Knights was speaking at the club's family day at Windy Hill today (Monday).

The coach is also pumped up about the return of ruckman David Hille, who has been sidelined since suffering a serious knee injury in the opening minutes of last year's Anzac Day clash.

Knights also expects Brent Prismall, Alwyn Davey and Andrew Welsh to be "playing with confidence" this year after injury interupted 2009 seasons.

Knights is excited about the prospects of Jake Melksham, Ben Howlett and David Zaharakis.

He expects a bumper crowd of 70,000 to 80,000 to pack in to watch Essendon's season opener against reigning premier Geelong at the MCG on Friday, March 26.

"There's no greater challenge," he said, addinggetting the Cats "first up" could be beneficial.

Superstar-in-the-making Paddy Ryder missed the family day owing to the illness of his young daughter.

Nathan Lovett-Murray missed through illness.

St Kilda hardly raised a sweat on its way to eclipsing Fremantle by 70 points in a lopsided semi-final at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night in the NAB Cup.

But the win was soured with champion midfielder Lenny Hayes sustaining a calf injury that is expected to rule him out of Saturday night's grand final against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.

Emerging midfielder Clinton Jones gathered 40 possessions in a best-on-ground display as the Saints made easy work of the Dockers, despite the absence of Nick Riewoldt and Brendon Goddard.

Livewire forward Stephen Milne continued his fine form with four goals.

Steven Baker, David Armitage and Nick Dal Santo collected plenty of the footy.

Fremantle was without the likes of ruckman Aaron Sandilands, centre half-back Luke McPharlin and midfielder/forward David Mundy.

Paul Duffield battled hard for Fremantle along with Greg Broughton, Ryan Crowley and Michael Barlow.

Captain Matthew Pavlich struggled to get into the game.

The Saints are expected to welcome back captain and champion centre half-forward Riewoldt for the GF blckbuster against the Bulldogs.

Goddard is also expected to return to the line-up.

St Kilda will be aiming to win its third NAB Cup premiership in seven years.

They beat Geelong in 2004 and Adelaide in 2008.

The Bulldogs haven't won a flag since the competition became a pre-season comp in 1987.

Infact it'll be the Bulldogs' first appearance in the grand final.

Barry Hall, you beauty.

A towering pack mark from the experienced forward in the dying seconds was the matchwinning moment as the Western Bulldogs pipped Port Adelaide by three points in a dramatic finish to a thrilling semi-final at the NAB Cup at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

The Sydney 2005 premiership captain launched himself powerfully at a 50m kick from Shaun Higgins.

He flew to take a strong grab over the top of Chad Cornes and alongside teammate Brian Lake.

Many excited Bulldog fans jumped out of their seats (including Marngrook Footy Show host Grant Hansen in the Etihad Stadium press box).

Hall was just 25m out from the big sticks.

Unexpectedly, he then fired off a handball to Lake, who displayed a cool head to slot the matchwinning goal for the Bulldogs with just 69 seconds left on the clock.

The success-starved Bulldogs are through to their first grand final of any sort since 1970 (when they won the old VFL night series played at South Melbourne's Lakeside Oval when the competition comprised the teams that didn't make the finals of the day comp).

Hall was brilliant again with 4.3 as well as finishing with three goal assists (after kicking six goals in the side's big win over Hawthorn in a quarter-final the previous Friday night).

He promises to have a massive influence as the Bulldogs gun for glory in 2010 - starting with the NAB Cup grand final, but more importantly in the AFL's home and away season.

Dashing back pocket Jarrod Harbrow is determined to continue his impressive pre-season form as the Western Bulldogs steel themselves for an all-out assault on the NAB Cup premiership on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs do battle with St Kilda in what shapes as an enthralling grand final

at Etihad Stadium.

The 21-year-old Harbrow is excited about the prospect of playing in a grand final, albeit in the AFL's pre-season competitio.

"It's something the club hasn't done for a while," he said.

"Everyone is looking forward to it. There's a good feeling (among the players), definitely," he said.

"It's very exciting as we prepare for round one (against Collingwood) which is our main focus."

Harbrow is happy for the club's long-suffering fans, who are thrilled about the prospect of cheering on the Bulldogs in a grand final.

"Doggies supporters haven't seen any silverware for ages, so it'll be great to win for them," he said.

A revelation after being switched from a forward pocket to a back pocket in 2009, Harbrow has been in splendid form for the Bulldogs throughout the NAB Cup.

He generated plenty of drive as the Bulldogs edged out Port Adelaide by three points - thanks to a brilliant pack mark from high prized recruit Barry Hall in the dying seconds - in a thrilling, hard-fought semi-final at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.