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Sourced: The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania
By ADAM SMITH
GLENORCHY has dropped a bombshell on the State League competition by signing former North Hobart coach Clinton Brown, just two days after he resigned as coach of the Demons.
Clinton Brown has signed with the Magpies just two days after resigning as the Demons' playing coach.
Magpies president Steve Allie issued a media release today announcing the move, with Brown to play out the remainder of the 2011 season at KGV.
It is unsure at this stage whether Brown will play this weekend, given the two sides face each other at North Hobart Oval.
Brown stood down on Monday, citing the demands on playing coaches in the TSL were too great and he wanted to concentrate solely on his football.
Former Devils interim coach Lance Spaulding has taken the reins at the Demons until the end of 2012.
Sourced: The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania
by Adam Smith
THE man who has created the biggest excitement in Tasmanian football in decades has issued a warning to those who expect too much from him - he is not Superman.
After a nearly five month build-up since he officially committed to Glenorchy last November, Jason Akermanis will tonight line-up for the Magpies against two-time reigning State League premier Clarence.
Akermanis, a three-time AFL premiership star with Brisbane and 2001 Brownlow medallist, is one of the biggest names to have ever played in the state and the hype surrounding the clash between two of southern football's greatest rivals has hit fever pitch this week.
A crowd of between 5000-8000 is expected at KGV tonight in what is also the first match under lights at Glenorchy's home ground.
Speaking to the Mercury yesterday before his final training run, Akermanis admitted there were a few tingles as he embarks on his first match since being sacked by the Western Bulldogs last year.
"I'm getting a little bit nervous as we get closer to the big game, it's such a big thing for Tasmanian football, which has been ignored for far too long," Akermanis said.
"Preparation wise there is a huge difference. Now footy works around me, before I had to work around the footy.
"I'm not worried about that part of it, there is always fears when you play footy but that's the exciting bit, the challenging part to get over that and go and perform.
"It's not an easy thing, I'm not Superman, I'm not going to carry the whole team. I'm only helping the side, I'm not there to win the game for our group, our group will do that even if I wasn't there.
"I put a lot of pressure on myself, sometimes too much. I want to be Superman, I want to be the dude who can dominate but it's not that easy. It takes a lot of work. I have got to be realistic with myself."
Despite his media commitments in Melbourne limiting him to a handful of pre-season training sessions with the Magpies, the 34-year-old is confident his body can still withstand the rigours of competitive football.
Akermanis has been training with his local side Aberfeldie to keep his skills sharp, aware the spotlight will be on him in Tasmania whether he shines or fails.
"There is no one in that competition who is game fit just yet, that takes four weeks. It doesn't matter how good you are," he said.
"From my point of view, the best thing is I haven't had enormous amounts of collisions and that's a good thing for the body.
"The other part of that is you have to get used to the collisions again when you come back, the tackles and the bumps.
"If you are standing in the crowd, what do you want to see? What I would want to see out of me is if my work rate is up, if they [the coaching staff] rather me not get a kick but work my butt off so be it.
"As long as the work rate is there, by the end of the game you will get your reward."
The match starts at 6.30pm.
Sourced: The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania
by JAMES BRESNEHAN
GLENORCHY'S boom recruit Jason Akermanis has been named at half-forward for the Pies' season-opening blockbuster against Clarence at KGV on Saturday night.
The Magpies named five recruits while Clarence named two newcomers and 17 of last year's premiership players in its 22.
Akermanis arrives in Hobart tomorrow and will train with the Magpies at KGV tomorrow night ahead of his high-profile State League debut.
Glenorchy star recruit Jason Akermanis
Pies coach Byron Howard said Aker was champing at the bit.
"He's ready to go and he's keen to get stuck in there and do his job," Howard said.
"He's here to play footy and it's good that people are talking about it and not just focusing on AFL all the time.
"It's been a win-win for everybody."
Akermanis will be a key member of Glenorchy's onball rotation, as will Glenorchy's new young gun Rhys Mott, recruited from Devonport.
The club's new assistant coach, Ben Reynolds, also from Devonport, was named at centre half-forward, while highly-rated ruckman Sam Chivers makes a long-awaited return from a knee injury.
"He'll have his first game with the club in about 18 months," Howard said.
Clarence named recruits, big man Jason Bailey and backman George Fitzgibbon, the latter rated by coach Brett Geappen as the Roos' best over the pre-season.
Geappen said his team could not wait to get the party started.
"In the pre-season, the last couple of weeks always seems to drag out," Geappen said.
"So the boys are pumped and really looking forward to it."
The Aker factor has been a blessing for the Roos, who are usually in the spotlight.
"It's been good for us because for the first time in 18 months we've got nothing to worry about," Geappen said.
"All the pressure is on Glenorchy and we're flying under the radar.
"It's going to be an exciting occasion crowd-wise, and a new experience for the boys playing in front of a massive crowd."
A crowd of between 5000 to 8000 is expected because of the Aker factor.
"The players are excited and looking forward to playing with someone with his credentials and getting away to a good start," Howard said.
"We were pretty disappointed with last year ... we believe we can certainly go a bit deeper this year."
The Glenorchy-Clarence encounter is a stand-alone match this weekend. The TSL season will kick off in force next weekend with a full round of five matches across the state
In a great coup and thanks to our community partner, the YMCA Hobart, the big April 2 game and Aker's Arrival will now be broadcast live on Edge Radio 99.3 FM and will be streaming live from the Edge Radio website. The broadcast will commence at 6pm and commentary will provided by the guys from Edge's Half Back Flankers and The Brink Shows, as well as some high profile local footy experts.
You can check it out by clicking here
[ Click here to read more ]
March 12: at North Hobart Oval TSL vs mariners (23 players only)
March 12: at pontville SFL vs Brighton (Colts/res/seniors)
March 19: at Youngtown TSL vs Sth Launceston (colts, seniors
[ Click here to read more ]
It's been a big few weeks out there at KGV Oval for Glenorchy, with the signing of Jason Akermanis to play in black and white for 2011. Well it's starting to get even better for Glenorchy with news that Glenorchy will welcome back to the club Clinton French who left the club after last season and played 2010 with QAFL Division 2 side Wilston Grange, he comes back to the club joining the signing of Rhys Mott, one of the states best young midfielders who signed on from Devonport this season he joined Ben Brown who had also come down to Glenorchy from Devonport.
Brown is the grandson of a former Glenorchy legend Jim Manson who sadly passed away this year after a home invasion
[ Click here to read more ]
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