SuperCoach: No more Mr Nice Guy

Shane Crawford reveals his bargain picks for SuperCoach 2014

I HAVE a message for all those kids who constantly remind me that I'm an easybeat at Nissan SuperCoach.

To those little old ladies who stop me in the supermarket aisle and want to see who my captain is that week.

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And to my friends and work colleagues who get so much satisfaction out of defeating me throughout the season - guess what? That's all about to change. That's right, in 2014 my philosophy is simple: No more Mr Nice Guy!

I'm so excited to have footy back in the paper and even more excited that my new SuperCoach squad, which I've spent my summer holidays fine-tuning to pure perfection, is ready to be unleashed on an unsuspecting public.

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Nothing but premiership glory for me this year!

I'm sick and tired of my emotions being defined by the result of my SuperCoach team.

Every weekend of the season I go in full of hope only to show my face on Monday to cop the barbs about an out of form line-up.

I will not stand for it any more.

SUPERCOACH 10 COMMANDMENTS

12 PLAYERS TO ROLL THE DICE ON

My preparation will be faultless, just like the AFL players who are training like their life depends on it (it will if they are in my team and not performing)!

While they sweat it out on the training track and in the gym, I'm working just as hard dissecting every story about a player "training the house down" over pre-season, injury reports, stats, the fixture and making a few calls to people in the know.

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THE BASICS: HOW TO PLAY SUPERCOACH

HOW TO PICK A WINNING TEAM

TOP SUPERCOACH PICK AT EVERY CLUB

JAY CLARK REVEALS HIS EARLY SUPERCOACH LINE-UP

I'm not going to give away the results but here are some questions you should be asking too:

WILL Gary Ablett still be the No. 1 SuperCoach player by the end of the season or will Scott Pendlebury, Nat Fyfe, Patrick Dangerfield, Trent Cotchin or Ryan Griffen challenge for the prestigious title?

WHICH injured player is a MUST for our sides? Is it Dale Thomas or Hamish Macintosh? You will get them at a good price, but are they be reliable?

WHO will be the next Chad Wingard? Last year Wingard exploded as Port Adelaide started the season on fire with plenty of great SuperCoaches scorers - who can do that this year?

WILL the Demons under Paul Roos go from SuperCoach duds to SuperCoach studs?

WHAT do we do with ageing stars like Adam Goodes, Mathew Pavlich and Chris Judd? Do they still have currency? Hint: Never write off a champion.

IS THIS the year of the Tiger? Teams that win lots of games score lots of SuperCoach points. Getting on board a rising team early could be the key to success.

ST KILDAhas a new coach and a rebuilding mentality. Does that mean they will give plenty of game time to youngsters and, if so, which ones?

AND what about Buddy? Will he fit into the Sydney's style of play? Will the SCG (smaller ground) mean more goals which means more points? I am confident he will win the Coleman Medal this year.

SERIOUS SUPERCOACH: IS THIS THE YEAR TO LEAVE OUT ABLETT?

SERIOUS SUPERCOACH: IS JACK MARTIN WORTH THE CASH?

I will let you in on one piece of inside knowledge.

My old teammate Campbell Brown tells me Jack Martin is the best talent he's ever seen, which is a huge call considering he's played with champions like Luke Hodge, Lance Franklin and Cyril Rioli - and not forgetting Gary Ablett - so surely Jack is an automatic lock in everyone's team (no pressure).

Watch all the NAB Challenge games, follow SuperFooty for all the latest news on who's hot and who's not. Jump onto Twitter and Facebook for the latest tips from the experts.

Make sure you keep an eye on the Herald Sun's very own Jay Clarke and Mark Robinson who I can reveal have also had outstanding pre-seasons.

I'm ready to take on the world in SuperCoach so get your team registered and take me on. Next time you see me in the supermarket I'll be the one doing the bragging.

BRING IT!

SuperCoach has a new user-friendly look for 2014. Source: Supplied

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The app you know and love is yours free in season 2014 on Apple and Android devices. It's never been easier to play. Coming soon.

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REAL RIVALRIES

Bragging rights are yours for the taking. Play a mate head-to-head every week of the season with our all-new rivalries feature.

PLAYER COMPARISON TOOL

Take the guesswork out of team selection with our all new player stats comparison tool. A 50-50 call? Not anymore!

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WHY SUPERCOACH IS NO. 1

SuperCoach is the only fantasy only game that uses exclusive Champion Data ranking points to provide scores. Champion Data's unique formula is refined every year to reward players for the actions that make a real difference on the field. So stats like contested possessions and goal assists score highly while an uncontested mark when the game is over earns less points. And, like a real AFL coach, you'll be cursing your players who make a bad turnover instead of cheering another cheap stat.

That's why SuperCoach is Australia's No. 1 fantasy game by a clear margin year after year, and the game of choice for serious footy fans.

22.07 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mundine wins, but can't get KO

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THE haunting memory of his shock 2010 loss to rank outsider Garth Wood guaranteed Anthony Mundine never put himself in danger of being buried Wednesday night by Kiwi drain-digger Gunnar Jackson.

Mundine won convincingly on points, staying out of trouble behind his jab for most of the 10-rounder against the outclassed New Zealander, who answered the call-up to fight on a week's notice with great pluck after two Americans withdrew.

Mundine's inability to put the 8-1 outsider on the canvas again calls into question whether he has the big punch for the super-bout he still dreams of against one of the world's top fighters at super-welterweight later this year.

The Australian rattled off some sharp jabs and his defence kept his face unscarred but he couldn't land a telling shot when the Kiwi was seemingly at his mercy in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.

"I wanted to get the stoppage, I was going for the stoppage, but he's a tough boy," Mundine said.

"If you don't get the stoppage, you can't much better than a shutout."

WALLABY: QUADE COOPER WINS BY TKO

GALLERY: ANTHONY MUNDINE'S FIGHT NIGHT

Anthony Mundine's uppercut was effective all night. Source: News Limited

Mundine desperately craves a main course in 2014 after Wednesday night's entree, which saw him back in the ring just two months after his last fight when aging American legend Shane Mosley was forced to retire with back spasms after six rounds.

The bout at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre was never to be more than a sharpener for the bigger fish that are always on the Mundine horizon. On that score, he got a workmanlike night out in the ring that no gym workout can replicate.

Jeff Fenech tackled his last serious fight at 31. Mutliple word champion Kostya Tszyu was 35 when he hung up his gloves.

Both were far better fighters than Mundine, who, just four months short of his 39th birthday, is teasing us that somehow his best fight is still ahead of him.

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Fighting Cuba's Erislandy Lara, the WBA superwelterweight world champion, is still two or three massive leaps of faith ahead that only the ever-optimistic Mundine can believe in absolutely.

"This wasn't a money fight and Anthony made that clear. Fighting a Daniel Geale or Danny Green are money fights," Nasser said.

"This was about keeping sharp, being on stage, staying used to the nerves. The big fight down the road is still the goal and the money comes at the end.

"Sportsmen are lasting longer than ever in their chosen games. His best fight is still in him."

Mundine improved his record to 46-5 and his relentless pursuit of a knock down in the 10th round did keep many of the fight fans interested.

For the fourth time, he won over the full distance at the venue.

Re-live the action in the round-by-round blog below

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Pistorius trial gets 24-hour channel

Olympic star Oscar Pistorius is set to face court charged with the Valentine's Day murder of his girlfriend.

A SOUTH African network is poised to launch a 24-hour channel dedicated to the upcoming murder trial of Paralympian Oscar Pistorius.

"The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Carte Blanche Channel" will launch on March 2, the day before the star athlete goes on trial over the February 2013 murder of his model girlfriend, the MultiChoice satellite network said in a statement.

The channel "will feature round-the-clock coverage of the legal proceedings, as well as exclusive documentaries, profiles and in-depth expert analysis" to South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, it said.

The trial judge has yet to decide whether to allow live broadcast of the case. MultiChoice spokeswoman Michelle Esau said the channel hoped to be able to broadcast proceedings, but assured that there would be enough content regardless.

"This pop-up channel will give our viewers in-depth coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial, with a rich variety of content and social media integration," said MultiChoice head of content Aletta Alberts.

In the spotlight ... Olympian Oscar Pistorius was a worldwide star when he killed his girlfriend.

Pistorius, 27, whose legs were amputated below the knee when he was a young boy, is known worldwide as the "Blade Runner" for competing on two fibre-optic blades and running against able-bodied athletes in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

He shot dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29, on February 14 last year through a locked bathroom door at his up-market Pretoria home. He says he mistook her for an intruder.

The case has sparked worldwide interest.

Was it murder? ... There is no doubt Oscar Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp, but he denies it was murder.

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McIlroy vies for $2.8m hole-in-one

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland on the 16th hole during the pro-am event prior to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic says he will try and get a hole-in-one on the 17th, which will net him $US2.5 million if successful. Source: Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images

RORY McIlroy said he could have a crack at winning a whopping $US2.5 million ($2.8 million) for a hole-in-one at the Dubai Desert Classic's short par-four 17th.

The mind-boggling windfall for one shot of golf equals the entire prize fund for the European Tour event, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and matches the reported appearance money that will go to top draw Tiger Woods.

Prizes for aces in tournament play are common, but they usually come on par-threes and they usually involve a luxury car or a bejewelled watch. Two-and-a-half million dollars for the perfect golf shot is believed to be unprecedented.

Measuring 328 metres, the 17th hole is the second shortest par four hole on the Majlis course, but it is a classic risk-reward challenge with sand, trees and desert grass waiting to gobble up any attempts to cut the dogleg short of the green.

One hitch is that the prodigious prize will only be on offer at the weekend for those that make the cut, but the hole will be reduced to about 297 metres to add to the excitement.

Asked if he could be tempted into having a go, former world number one McIlroy, a past winner here in 2009, said he certainly could.

"I mean if I've got the right wind on the 17th, I'd go for it," he said.

"No matter what way the wind is it shouldn't be a problem to get there. Yeah, there's not many chances you have to win $2.5 million in one shot, so I will give it a go."

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Hamilton crashes his new Mercedes

Off track ... Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton had a rough start to testing in Jerez. Source: Miguel Angel Morenatti / AP

LEWIS Hamilton drove his new Mercedes into the barrier during Formula One's first preseason session overnight, only hours after its unveiling.

Hamilton emerged unscathed from the crash that his team said was caused by a front wing failure.

Hamilton and teammate Nico Rosberg presented Mercedes' silver-and-turquoise W05 before testing got under way, and the former champion was the first to take his car out and the first to complete a full lap at the Jerez track.

He drove into the barrier at turn 1 midway through the session, leaving debris and long tyre marks before he went off the asphalt.

So far, few drivers have ventured out as teams struggle with new engineering rules that have caused them to revamp their cars.

There have been three red flags, including Hamilton's. Of the five drivers who have taken to the track in southern Spain, only two have completed laps so far.

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Pace trio's plan is to 'Get Smith'

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AUSTRALIA'S Ashes fast bowling heroes fried Alastair Cook - now they are turning their "Captain Killer" blowtorch onto South African skipper Graeme Smith.

Smith out to Shane Watson in 2011 in Cape Town with Mitchell Johnson in the backdrop. Source: News Limited

Michael Clarke and his men have no great affection for Smith.

There has been a story passed down through Australian changerooms about how Smith made his debut against Australia in 2002 and then tipped a bucket on their sledging in a South African magazine a few months later.

Smith is made of exceptional stuff - he became his nation's youngest skipper at age 22. Turning 33 on Saturday, he has led South Africa through all manner of controversies and scored 9220 Test runs at almost 50.

Perhaps no captain since Clive Lloyd of the great West Indian sides of the 1980s has had such complete authority of his team.

But the Australians sense that South Africa's steely warrior, who has twice had bones in his arm broken by Mitchell Johnson thunderbolts, may not be the batsman he once was.

Without Jacques Kallis in the South African side for the first time, Australia feels that if it can get to Smith the rest of the No.1-ranked Proteas side could crumble.

They are similar tactics to how Australia pointedly went after Cook during the Ashes and the Englishman they could once not get out averaged just 24 as his side was smashed 5-0.

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Peter Siddle, who yesterday fined-tuned his South African preparations by taking 4-45 for a Qld second XI against WA second XI in Brisbane, said Australia would go after Smith in the same hostile way.

"We have always tried to target the captain and he (Smith) is the top again, like Cook," Siddle said.

"We have always had a good contest against him, it has always been hard work.

"Our bowling unit is the best I have played in since I've been in the Australian side. There is no doubt we can perform the way we did against England again."

Australian swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus celebrates the wicket of Smith in 2009 at the Wanderers. Source: AFP

ustralia's South African tour plans were shaken with allrounder James Faulkner pulling out with injury and doubts over the fitness Shaun Marsh and Jackson Bird.

But Faulkner wasn't in Australia's first choice Test XI and Alex Doolan is likely to be preferred to Marsh for George Bailey's former spot in the starting XI.

Smith gives a thumbs-up after South Africa beats Australia in the 2011 Cape Town Test. Source: News Limited

The good news is Siddle and fellow Ashes fast bowling hero Ryan Harris looked impressive in their red-ball hit-out in second XI cricket before both jet out to South Africa this morning.

Harris, who points out it is a huge bonus for Australia that South Africa's all-round legend Jacques Kallis has retired ahead of next month's three-Test series, worked back to form and fitness taking 2-49.

Harris has played just one Test in South Africa but says he will feel like he is bowling at home.

"I see it as a similar situation to playing here in Australia, the wickets are pretty similar. I will just approach it like I am bowling on home wickets," Harris said.

Australian Test squad member James Pattinson also played second XI state cricket in Brisbane this week and bowled with nice pace and swing.

"He has had his hiccups in the last couple of years but when he gets back on song he always competes hard and goes at it," Siddle said of Pattinson.

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Aussie teen Exum set for NBA draft

Basketball wizz ... Teenager Dante Exum, 19, has said he will make himself available for the NBA draft, where he is expected to be picked in the top-five. Source: Jason Edwards / News Limited

AUSTRALIAN basketball wonder Dante Exum, 19, has decided to declare for this year's NBA draft in the US.

His family made the announcement in a statement, saying they had signed with talent agent Rob Pelinka and Brandon Rosenthal of Landmark Sports Agency. Pelinka's clients include Kobe Bryant and Andre Drummond.

"We are excited to be working with Landmark Sports," Cecil, Desiree and Dante Exum said in a statement to ESPN. "Our family felt The Landmark Team represented our style and manner of treating people, and in doing businesses. We also all shared a common commitment to achieving excellence in all things. The fit is just great and we are really pleased to now begin the work."

Exum and his family met with eight different agents in Melbourne during the past month.

"We are thrilled and honoured to be working with Dante and his family," Pelinka said in a statement. "As the NBA continues to expand its brand around the world, we feel like Dante's international story comes at a perfect time. We also believe that, with continued hard work and focus, Dante is destined to be a 'franchise' point guard in this next generation of great NBA players."

Exum is considered to be a top-five draft pick. He is currently ranked No. 4 in ESPN's Top 100 and ranked as the No. 1 point guard.

Last week Exum led his team, Lake Ginninderra in Canberra, to the national schools basketball title.

His speed is his main gift but his jump shot is a work in progress.

The announcement came as 17-year-old Melbourne teenager, Brandon Stenhouse, announced he had signed a six-figure deal with the New York Yankees baseball side as a pitcher.

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Stosur: Li Na can be world No. 1

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FORMER US Open champion Sam Stosur has backed Li Na to reach top spot in the world rankings, after the Chinese sensation's Australian Open victory.

Australian Stosur voiced her belief in 31-year-old Li ahead of an exhibition match between the two in Hong Kong. Li has already declared that she is determined to work hard to become number one following her win in Melbourne.

"Think about her ability and what she has been able to do in the last year or so - for sure I think she has a chance to get even higher than number three," Stosur, 29, told reporters.

"I don't see any reason why you wouldn't think anything is possible ... of course, it's very very hard. The closer you get the harder it gets."

Li is third in the rankings, just 11 points behind second-placed Victoria Azarenka, after downing Dominika Cibulkova on Saturday to take her second Grand Slam title after winning in France in 2011.

Winning tournaments and fans ... Li Na poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup at Brighton Beach, after winning the 2014 Australian Open.

Serena Williams, 32, remains world number one.

Stosur said she did not believe Li's age would hold her back.

"Lots of players now are playing their best tennis at a little bit older age ... being healthy is the important thing," she said in a phone conference in Hong Kong.

Describing Li as "down to earth" Stosur said she loved the post-match one-liners that had the Melbourne audience in stitches.

Looking forward ... Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, left, is congratulated by Samantha Stosur of Australia at the net after Ivanovic's win in their third round match at the Australian Open.

Li thanked her agent for making her rich and jokingly blamed her husband Jiang Shan's snoring for keeping her awake.

The two will meet at the BNP Paribas Showdown exhibition in Hong Kong in March, to mark World Tennis Day.

Stosur was a top 10 player almost continuously for three years until her run ended when she finished last year ranked 18, after a season blighted by injury.

She has however won all six of her WTA tour matches against Li.

"For whatever reasons I have always had success against Li Na when we played. But they've been very very tough matches," she said.

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Turtur: Forgive O'Grady

Stuart O'Grady in action before his premature retirement brought on my his drug admission. Source: News Limited

RACE director Mike Turtur says it is time to forgive disgraced South Australian cyclist Stuart O'Grady for his drug indiscretions and welcome him back into the Tour Down Under fold.

O'Grady, a two-time TDU winner and 2007 Paris-Roubaix champion, quit the sport suddenly last July after confessing to once using the banned substance EPO before the Tour de France in 1998.

Turtur has been close to O'Grady for his entire professional career, which has spanned more than two decades.

But Turtur acknowledged the decision ultimately rests with the State Government - and O'Grady himself. Events SA - an arm of the SA Tourism Commission - has owned the Tour Down Under since its inception in 1999.

"I think it's time and Stuart will handle it his way,'' Turtur said yesterday.

"He's back home now with his family and he needs to find his feet in a normal life.

"He's a good guy. He's a proud South Australian.

"We'll see what develops over the course of the next year.

"We've honoured Stuart at the past Legends Night dinner and I think it's a decision (O'Grady's involvement with the Tour Down Under) that will come within the next period.

"I'm certain in the future things will be different."

O'Grady returned to Adelaide permanently last December with his family after selling his home in Europe.

He spoke for the first time publicly since his shock retirement at a cancer charity dinner in Adelaide on January 17.

He declared at the Ride Like Crazy function that he viewed the event as the first step to giving back to cycling in SA.

Turtur also said he believes the UCI (International Cycling Union) will allow the Tour Down Under to retain its January timeslot, despite speculation some WorldTour teams preferred a February start.

"I think you know in January we're only talking of a period of about a maximum of two weeks,'' Turtur said.

"At the end of the day it's something UCI have to discuss with the reform of professional cycling.

"The season has to start somewhere and we're happy to be the first race of the season.

"I think being the first race offers the unknown for media, for spectators, for riders.

"January, in my view, worked very well for the riders."

New UCI president Brian Cookson saw first-hand the significance for the state of holding the race during school holidays.

It is believed Cookson - an official guest of the race - was delighted when he witnessed thousands of Tour Down Under school-holiday revellers partying on King William Rd, Hyde Park in the leadup to Friday's stage start.

According to sources, Cookson is well aware a February start would change the entire fans' logistics of the race.

Turtur believes this 16th edition of the Tour Down Under was the best on record.

Orica-GreenEDGE's Simon Gerrans claimed his third Australian title in emphatic fashion, with several spectacular stages writing the race into the annals of cycling history.

Gerrans, BMC Racing's Cadel Evans, Lotto-Belisol's Andre Greipel, Sky's Richie Porte and Italian surprise packet Diego Ulissi from Lampre-Merida added daily drama to the event, given they all won stages during an exciting week of action.

"The spectacle for the whole week it came down to one second for first (Gerrans) and second (Evans) but it had the different stage winners,'' Turtur said.

"And the way the stages finished each day - there was always an element of interest right up until the finish.

"It wasn't a forgone conclusion with a big break going and that was it.

"I think it was the best competitive cycling race we've had in the 16 editions."

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Schumacher to ride with Mercedes

Display of support ... Mercedes will write a message of support for Michael Schumacher on its 2014 Formula 1 cars. Source: DPA / Getty Images

MERCEDES' new look car for the 2014 Formula One season will display a message of support for seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, who remains in a coma following a serious skiing accident last month.

The bodywork of the W05 model will display the words "KeepFightingMichael," which has been used as a hashtag on Twitter for fans to send their messages of support to the German.

Schumacher finished his Formula One career with Mercedes in 2012 after making a surprise return to the sport in 2010.

The 45-year-old has been in a medically-induced coma since suffering the accident when skiing off-piste in the French ski resort of Meribel on December 29.

Display of support ... Mercedes will write a message of support for Michael Schumacher on its 2014 Formula 1 cars.

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