Gillon let us down, and the hole is now bigger

Eddie McGuire, the man who ignited the controversy (Pat Scala)

Late, as per usual, the Monday AFL press conference from Gillon McLachlan that was meant to be proactive on fixing an important matter ended up being an almighty fizzer.

The Age football writer Caroline Wilson was the victim of a “joke” led and essentially orchestrated by Eddie McGuire, but was ignited by James Brayshaw – and it was cowardly, incredibly immature, and downright wrong, once you read the whole conversation.

What was a golden opportunity for the AFL and the executive team to take a real stance against sexism, inappropriate comments and rude behaviour towards women in the game turned into a mumbling puddle of chaos.

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EFL: New look, new Lions

Doncaster East lines up for ANZAC DAY (photo: Davis Harrigan)

“We’re a work in progress,” says Doncaster East Lions coach Steve Buckle, into his second year at the helm of the club.

After four rounds, and heading into a match against Scoresby this week, the Lions sit in a chase pack behind ladder leaders Croydon.  A spate of new recruits have brought youth into the side, and Buckle says the re-appointment as head coach is allowing him to understand the players and club strategies to a deeper degree.

EFL: Rowville Hawks fly high at Panther Pit

Rowville and Blackburn go head to head at Morton Park (photo: Davis Harrigan)

In what turned out to be an exciting contest between two high quality teams, Rowville penetrated Blackburn’s defence when it mattered to secure a 9.14 (68) to 10.20 (80) win over the Panthers at Morton Park.

Sunny skies greeted both sides after early overcast clouds.  Matthew Robinson kicked four goals in a forward line performance that gave Rowville the edge in the second half, but the tale of the first half was the polar opposite.

EFL: Norwood taking flight

Leigh Williams pulls in the contested Mark from Blackburn‘s Michael Locco (photo: Davis Harrigan)

The purple army at Mullum Reserve could not be flying any higher over Division One right now.

Norwood Football Club are doing everything right, and not much wrong in season 2014.  They started their campaign off with a bang, defeating East Ringwood away by 42 points, before returning home and hurting Vermont to the tune of 56 points.

AFL: 1-5 for the Lions in rebuilding stage

Billings & Raines collide in a tough contest on ANZAC Day (photo: AFL Media)

It has been a while since I took some sort of “point out a problem” stand on Beyond Realisation.  This time around, the target is the Brisbane Lions.

However, rather than call the Lions a target, it is instead a topic that got me very excited on ANZAC Day.  The Lions mustered their first win – albeit a very, very nervous one – by three points against a determined St. Kilda outfit in Wellington.

AFL: Leppitsch at the Lions helm is a positive for 2014

Leppitsch at Lions Training (photo: News Ltd/Steve Pohlner

(from the mouth of a Lions fan)

In sport, experience matters when it comes to leading a list of players.  Each AFL team has around 40 of them; that’s a handful.

For the Brisbane Lions, a new approach with Justin Leppitsch may just be the kickstart needed after two years on the fringe, coupled with some disappointing results.

From the eyes of an amateur photographer: the sport

La Trobe v Wollongong, Australian University Games, 2013 (photo mine)

Across all my experiences in the sporting industry – including game day reporting and article writing – there is one aspect that is consistent across each thing that I do; photography.

Australian University Games: a La Trobe University Review and Summary

La Trobe hockey player Bethany Stewart chases down her UWA opponent on Day 2 (photo mine)

Warm weather and some serious competition.  For one week the Gold Coast played host to almost 9,000 students from 41 universities and tertiary institutions for the biggest Australian University Games in history.

AFL: 5 magical moments of season 2013, from the Beyond Realisation desk

Jeremy Howe of Melbourne flies high over Heath Grundy (photo: Triple M)

Where to begin?  The season is still going through finals, but AFL fans have seen some spectacular moments that will be embedded in the history books of 2013.

From the screamers to the howlers, the bombs to the flops, and the fabulous dashes across the field, there is no doubting the league has seen a plethora of highlights amidst controversies.

Not every amazing moment from the season will make this list, but here are five occasions where the AFL world stopped, and stared.

AFL: Baby Giants taking steps in the right direction

GWS Guernsey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They might be finishing just their second season in the AFL, but the Greater Western Sydney Giants have shown they will not go down without a fight.  Under the guidance of veteran Kevin Sheedy, the new boys in town have pushed some of the powerhouse teams until they can go no further.

With GWS coming towards the end of its second season in the AFL, the hype that surrounds the young brigade in the side is no secret.  The likes of Jeremy Cameron, who has blossomed this year in the forward line, and Dylan Shiel are fast becoming the core of the Giants side.