NORTH MELBOURNE forward Aaron Edwards has been suspended for the entire NAB Cup competition and the first four rounds of the home-and-away season after he was caught speeding by police while driving to training on Monday morning.
Edwards, who was travelling 38kmph over the speed limit while on his way to training on Monday, was given a preliminary breath test which indicated that he had alcohol in his system.
The former West Coast Eagle has not yet been charged by police.
The club's leadership group, who imposed the suspension also recommended that Edwards be fined $5000 - the maximum allowable amount under the AFL players' code of conduct.
The 24-year-old will also undertake extra community work during his supsension.
North Melbourne chief executive Eugene Arocca said Edwards' behaviour was unacceptable.
"Obviously we are disappointed with Aaron for putting himself and the club in this situation," he said.
"Our playing leaders have acted swiftly and appropriately in deciding on an adequate consequence."
"The club will continue to work closely with Aaron regarding the matter."
ESSENDON ruckman David Hille will miss the start of the NAB Cup after being stung by a stingray at St Kilda beach on Sunday.
Hille, who was wading in the shallows around dusk when the stingray struck, required an overnight stay in hospital and surgery to remove the barb.
Essendon football manager Paul Hamilton said Hille had recovered well and was expected to resume training this week..
“He went to hospital and had a minor operation where they removed the barb from his leg,” Hamilton said.
“He was in a lot of pain and was kept overnight for observation but, since then, he has recovered well.
"We expect him to get back into some form of training on Friday and we will monitor him and build up his program over the following week.
“The good news is that we don’t expect this to have any real impact on David's preparation for the AFL season.”
ADELAIDE midfielder Brad Symes will be sidelined for up to two months after falling off the back of a motorised cart.
Symes slipped from the vehicle when it passed over a speed hump at low speed last Friday after accepting a lift back to the change rooms following training.
The 23-year-old, who suffered a fractured a thumb on his left hand and broke the scaphoid bone on his right hand, has both hands in plaster.
THE Western Bulldogs have announced Mission Foods as their new major sponsor in a deal worth $4.5 million over three years.
As a part of the deal Mission Foods will carried through the club’s branding, in particular on-field apparel and the Elite Learning Centre will now be known as the 'Mission Elite Learning Centre' at Whitten Oval.
Western Bulldogs president David Smorgon said the club was 'extremely pleased' to secure a major partnership with an internationally recognised brand.
"We are extremely pleased to announce this ground breaking partnership with a leading worldwide manufacturer of flatbreads, Mexican and corn based products in the fast moving consumer goods category," Smorgan said.
"Mission Foods have chosen to partner with the Western Bulldogs to spearhead their launch into the Australian market place for the Mission brand."
"The Bulldogs 09 mission started today with this announcement of our partnership with Mission Foods."
MELBOURNE has appointed veteran midfielder James McDonald as its new captain.
The 32-year-old, who will be supported by new vice-captain Cameron Bruce, said he will help support the growing group of promising youngsters on the club's list and lead by example.
"All these young players, you never know how quickly they're going to develop and that's going to be a big part for me, to try and speed up their development," McDonald said.
"One thing that I'll be instilling into the players is about hard work and effort."
"You don't have to be the most talented player to get to where you want to get to."
Melbourne coach Dean Bailey said McDonald was the right man for the job.
"He's incredibly well-respected amongst his team-mates to the degree that when James talks you can hear a pin drop," said Bailey.
"Players have great regard for his intellect as a football but the behaviours that he holds within in the community are outstanding."
"He's made of the right stuff."
McDonald was an All-Australian in 2006 and won the Bluey Truscott trophy as the club's best and fairest that year and in 2007.
BRISBANE forward Rhan Hooper has been fined $40,000 by the club for serious breaches of his playing contract.
The Lions said in a statement that Hooper, who was originally suspended for failing to attend December's compulsory training sessions, had failed to meet the team's standards upon returning from his club-imposed 28-day suspension.
"Despite showing a greater level of commitment towards his training, the 21-year-old Queenslander's failure to meet the set standards during this period has resulted in further sanction," the Lions said in a statement.
"After much consideration and deliberation, the club decided against terminating Hooper's playing contract and instead imposed a $40,000 fine for his repeated breaches of the players' Code of Conduct as per the AFL/AFLPA's Collective Bargaining Agreement."
Hooper has accepted the sanction and will resume training with the club immediately.
WEST COAST youngster Nick Natanui will miss the start of the season after scans showed a fracture in his knee.
The No.2 selection overall in last year's national draft will have arthroscopic surgery on his knee early next week and is expected to miss up to three months.
West Coast football operations manager Neale Daniher said the club believed it was in Natanui's best interests to have the surgery now.
"We see Nick as being a ten-year player for the club and we thought it would be best to address this issue now," Daniher said.
"We are confident of a full recovery and with Nick now expected to miss the entirety of the pre-season fixtures, we will look forward to him returning early in the 2009 season."
SYDNEY premiership player Nic Fosdike has been forced into retirement by a chronic knee injury.
Fosdike, who played just one game in 2008, made the decision after talks with Sydney's match committee.
"I realised it was going to be a difficult year managing the injury and I wouldn't be able to contribute at the standard I expect," said Fosdike
Fosdike, who played 164 games for the Swans after being selected with pick three in the 1998 draft, said he was 'extremely proud' of what he had achieved.
"I've had an amazing 10 years at the Sydney Swans and I'm retiring as a life member and a premiership player, achievements I am extremely proud of," Fosdike said.
Sydney assistant coach John Longmire said Fosdike had been a great servant to the club.
"What was impressive about Fossy was his ability to play a team role, the way he was able to embrace that role was a real credit to him," he said.
"His ability to run games out was also outstanding, his work ethic, he was a great ball getter and his ability to have an impact off the bench in that team role in more recent seasons, and in particular in the 2005 grand final where he was outstanding."
AFL hall-of-famer Ron Barassi was bashed as he went to the aid of a young women in St Kilda on Thursday morning
Barassi, who had been celebrating New Years at a St Kilda restaurant with friends, saw a woman being attacked when he left the venue and rushed to her assistance.
"If you see a woman being belted up, you step in. It's like when a kid is being bashed. It's not right," Barassi told the Herald Sun.
"All I saw was this guy belting up a woman."
"I took after him but I don't know what happened then. I ended up on the ground and was then kicked."
"I was lying on the footpath. I had my arms covering my eyes."
Barassi suffered bruising on his head but didn't go to hospital.
The 72-year-old said he has no regrets about running to the aid of the woman.
"I was very incensed by what was happening with the woman... I can't remember what was happening the next 10 or 15 seconds, the next thing I know I'm lying on the ground getting kicked," he said.
"I reacted that way, and I am not sorry now that I did it that way either.
"If the same thing happened again in the next six months I'd probably do it again. I can't just let that sort of thing happen near me."
Barassi played in six Melbourne premiership sides between 1955 and 1964, before coaching Carlton to the 1968 and 1970 premierships and then crossing over to North Melbourne and leading the Kangaroos to their first flag in 1975 and again in 1977.
COLLINGWOOD forward Travis Cloke was taken to hospital with a suspected cheekbone fracture after a confrontation with fellow holiday-makers in a Maroochydore holiday apartment complex in Queensland over the New Years period.
It is understood Cloke approached a group of young men who were staying in a near-by unit and asked them to quieten down.
The 21-year-old, who was then set-upon by several of the group, was taken to hospital after the incident with a suspected cheekbone fracture but discharged shortly after.
Collingwood medical staff intend to further examine him when he returns to Melbourne.
TonyK
Cibbuano
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