Osieck: speculation 'out of order'

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SOCCEROOS coach Holger Osieck says media speculation over his job security is "a little bit out of order'' and that he has no reason to believe Football Federation Australia hold doubts about his tenure after being thumped 6-0 by Brazil.

Osieck delivered Australia to a third consecutive World Cup after taking the reins in 2010, but pundits were quick to question if he is the man to guide the squad at the tournament after a shambolic performance against the host nation earlier this month in Brasilia. 

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With the World Cup kicking off in under nine months, FFA would want to find and sign a successor quickly if they decide to axe Osieck - who is contracted until the end of the 2014 tournament.

The German opened up about the self-proclaimed worst loss of his coaching career on Tuesday, but seemed genuinely taken aback when questions about his future were raised at the squad announcement for next month's friendlies against France and Canada.

"I'm not informed of what has been said or written. And so far, I think there has been not any necessity to talk about it,'' Osieck replied when asked if he's sought assurances from FFA.

Oliver BOZANIC, FC Luzern
Mark BRESCIANO, Al Gharafa,
Tim CAHILL, New York Red Bulls
David CARNEY, New York Red Bulls
Jason DAVIDSON, SC Heracles Almelo
James HOLLAND, FK Austria Vienna
Brett HOLMAN, Al Nasr Sports Club
Jackson IRVINE, Kilmarnock FC
Mile JEDINAK, Crystal Palace FC
Josh KENNEDY, Nagoya Grampus
Robbie KRUSE, Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Mitchell LANGERAK (gk), B.V. Borussia 09 Dortmund
Matthew LECKIE, FSV Frankfurt 1899
Matthew McKAY, Brisbane Roar FC
Mark MILLIGAN, Melbourne Victory FC
Lucas NEILL, Omiya Ardija
Tommy OAR, FC Utrecht
Sasa OGNENOVSKI, Umm Salal SC
Tommy ROGIC, Celtic FC
Nikita RUKAVYTSYA, FSV Frankfurt 1899
Mat RYAN (gk), Club Brugge KV
Dario VIDOSIC, FC Sion
Luke WILKSHIRE, FK Dinamo Moscow
Rhys WILLIAMS, Middlesbrough FC

 "I sense where you're coming from, but what's the rationale behind it?

"We're in the early stages of preparing for the World Cup.

"We made the major step and we are already there and a lot of great football nations are still struggling and maybe won't even get there.

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"So to question me then, that's a little bit out of order.''

Osieck outlined several mitigating factors for the terrible loss to Brazil, making it clear they were "explanations, not excuses''.

He highlighted the fitness levels of players based in Australia and the Middle East were not up to scratch due to the fact they were in the middle of pre-season training, and that many from Europe were not playing regular first-team football.

"In retrospective, it was premature to go there,'' he said of the lesson dished out by Brazil.

"As long as I've been in coaching, it's more than 30 years, I never got a defeat like that.

"It hurts you all. How I personally took it, it was probably a lot tougher than what people say.'' 

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The man behind Manly's steel

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HE stands in the shadows at Brookvale but is the man consigned to halting the giant South Sydney forward pack.

Sea Eagles forwards coach Brad Arthur was on Tuesday identified as the man who put the steel into Manly's forwards this season.

Manly prop Brent Kite claimed Arthur - the former interim Parramatta coach - has the Sea Eagles pack "firing".

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Arthur is being considered for the vacant North Queensland coaching position.

"He has us forwards firing. Like a lot of good coaches, his best stuff is behind-the-scenes working with individuals," Kite said.

"Brad is a bit old-school. He has a belief what the forwards can bring to a game and that is something we all like.

"We may be a bit smaller (than Souths pack) but we have had a pretty good year.

"We have had Brad specialising with the forwards this year. That has made a massive difference.

"He is our forwards coach so will we do lot of our stuff with him. Skills at the start of the session, video sessions where we focus on ourselves."

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Manly's forwards will to be at their very best to contain the rampaging Souths pack, led by the Burgess brothers.

"Brad has come into a new club and I have to commend him on what he has done," Kite said.

"He has the respect of the guys. Not ranting and raving but just having integrity and following through what he says he is going to do.

"He also keeps us to account. I also like his humility. You never see him talk over the head coach."  

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Bomber backflip on coaching job

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MARK Thompson has backflipped on his coaching aspirations and is a contender for the Essendon coaching position.

With the Bombers hopeful of making an announcement by the middle of next week, Thompson could yet be named senior coach.

Thompson's premiership teammate Mark Harvey could also be named as an assistant coach at the embattled club.

Leppitsch to be named Lions coach

Harvey will meet the Bombers coaching subcommittee this week which is headed by board director Chris Heffernan and chief executive Ray Gunston.

Heffernan refused to comment today.

Thompson's backflip came after considerable pressure from club officials.

It's known former coach James Hird has urged Thompson to fill the breach until he returns.

Still angry with the AFL's decision to fine him $30,000 for his role in the 2012 supplements scandal, Thompson told the Herald Sun two weeks ago he would not pursue the position.

Recent talks, however, have changed his mind.

People close to Thompson have spoken of his fierce passion at the club in recent weeks as he helps prepare for the national draft and trading period.

Thompson has also admitted on Fox Footy's AFL360 his love of the game has returned.

A Thompson-Harvey combination with Simon Goodwin and Matthew Egan to remain as assistant coaches would be seen as ideal by Bombers fans reeling from the penalties handed down by the AFL.

Thompson and Harvey, who will catch up tomorrow with former Bombers teammates, started on the interchange bench in the 1984 Grand Final.

They also played in the 1985 premiership team.

The Bombers had hoped to announce the new coach on October 2, the night of the club's best-and-fairest count, but that is now unlikely.

Meanwhile, head of football Danny Corcoran starts his four-month suspension on Monday and his role will be covered by football manager Steven Alessio and recruiting manager Adrian Dodoro in his absence.

Corcoran was suspended for his role in the 2011-2012 supplements program.

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Live: 2013 Brownlow Medal

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JOIN the live chat from first red carpet arrivals to the last vote with pics, video and more.

Tonight the AFL crowns its best and fairest player for 2013, and the players' partners get their night in the spotlight on the famous Brownlow red carpet.

And we're right there on the red carpet with our team from Confidential, fashion editor Kim Wilson, and guest blogger Nadia Coppolino, girlfriend of Jimmy Bartel and editor of the ChroniclesofNadia.com.au.

LATEST NEWS, PICS PLUS EVERY VOTE LIVE

Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett is favourite to win his second Brownlow, but he is expected to face tough competition from Cat Joel Selwood, Hawk Sam Mitchell and Magpie Scott Pendlebury. And there's always the chance a roughie could take the medal home.

Get set for the big night with our Brownlow punting guide, and don't miss out on the fun of Brownlow Bingo - our new interactive Brownlow game.

Watch every vote as it happens and follow all the action on our Brownlow Tracker.

Stay with us all night to see every vote as it happens plus the best photos, video and analysis.

Enter your name to join the debate.

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Red Bull: booing Vettel is wrong

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RED Bull boss Christian Horner lashed out at the fans who continue to boo Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel and suggested they were hurting the young German's feelings.

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Horner said it was "unfair" to boo Vettel, who has suffered repeated ill-treatment this year and was again subjected to loud chants and heckles after winning Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old star did his best to shrug off the jeers but Horner said the booing, blamed on a particular group of fans, might be getting under his skin.

"There is a small collective group and it is like a pantomime, but it is so unfair because it is not sporting,'' said Horner, according to Autosport.com.

"The boy today has driven an unbelievable race. What you have witnessed today is one of the best drives that I have seen him produce in terms of raw pace, and I just don't think it is sporting to see a driver who has put a performance in like that not get the reception he deserves.

"He is a great kid. He has a great sense of humour. He has a big heart at the end of the day."

Booing erupted after Vettel's wins in Belgium and Italy, and surprisingly at the less partisan circuit of Singapore, as Vettel moved closer to a fourth-straight world title.

The opprobrium has been put down to plain boredom from fans, as the German has won more than half the races this season and already has one hand on the championship trophy.

On Sunday night, he led from pole position to the chequered flag in an astounding, if not terribly viewer-friendly, demonstration of uncatchable front-running.

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But there is also residual anger after Vettel controversially ignored team orders and passed team-mate Mark Webber to win the Malaysian Grand Prix in March.

While Vettel apologised to Webber at the time, he later struck a defiant tone and insisted he would do the same again. Webber has announced his departure from the team at the end of the season.

Horner said he didn't know what was behind the booing but "for sure Malaysia did not help".

"It's been done, there has been an awful lot written about it and there were circumstances that were involved in that," he said.

"When you have a guy who is becoming almost a serial winner, it becomes like when people watched Mohammed Ali, they wanted to see who would beat him," he said.

"That is the case at the moment; people want to see who is going to beat Sebastian."

The team principal added: "He has got a broad set of shoulders but like anyone he has feelings and I don't think it is right."

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Dees miss priority pick

Melbourne doesn't look likely to receive a priority pick. Source: DAVID CROSLING / AAP

THE AFL Commission has rejected a request from Melbourne to receive a priority pick at this year's national draft.

The AFL announced on Monday afternoon that no club would be granted special compensation at the 2013 draft, meaning the struggling Demons won't gain any extra compensation under the league's Special Assistance Rule.

Melbourne's first pick will be selection 2 - after Greater Western Sydney - with Paul Roos' men to then receive a second-round pick as normal.

The rival 17 clubs were in violent opposition to the prospect of Melbourne receiving a priority pick before or after the draft's first round.

When rejecting the Demons' request for an extra pick, the Commission had considered Melbourne's recent on-field performances, coaching, recruiting, administrative programs and the amount of young talent on the club's list.

The 2014 debut of dominant 17-year-old Jesse Hogan also likely counted against Melbourne.

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Earlier this month The Herald Sun revealed that Melbourne had put in an official submission for a priority pick, believing it would help them swiftly turn about their on-field fortunes.

While Melbourne's pick was the most controversial topic to be discussed, the club's financial future was also in focus.

The AFL announced that it would grant the Demons a one-off payment of $1.45 million.

Of that $1.45m amount, $1 million is a grant and $450,000 is subject to the club raising an equal amount of money.

The club also has the ability to borrow an additional $500,000 on its facility, which the AFL has guaranteed.

Melbourne is also likely to declare a loss of $2 million or more this year.

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Pressure firmly on Roosters: Noddy

Mitchell Pearce celebrates. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited

IN his weekly column, Fox Sports expert and Canberra assistant coach Brett Kimmorley offers his thoughts on the semi-finals action in the 2013 NRL Premiership season.

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Sea Eagles v Sharks at Allianz Stadium

The game never reached the level of physicality I thought it would. I expected a brutal arm wrestle but it seemed as if Manly were trying to show everyone they could score points after being held to nil against the Roosters last week. It was like they had to keep the ball alive and try and wear the Sharks out. Manly were extremely tough, very disciplined and super fit, but sometimes they became their own worst enemy. The forward battle ended equal but the halves - Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran - were the difference. Cherry-Evans came up with a result on every play and every kick. His kicking game was the key and made him the star of the match. Cronulla were very brave, as they have been all year. To finish the season so well after all the dramas they faced this season showed the character of the players and the club. The Sharks were unlucky on a number of occasions. Jorge Taufua may or may not have lost control of the ball when scoring a try but he was still able to ground it and there was an unfortunate incident where Paul Gallen scored, but John Morris interfered with the marker. Michael Gordon has been Cronulla's best signing and a shining light for a club that deserve a massive pat on the back, having finishing better than they did last year.

Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs preview:

I think Manly will place South Sydney under some pressure because the Sea Eagles can handle the Rabbitohs physically and athletically which not many sides have been able to do this year. Manly will have a very aggressive defensive line which may unsettled the Rabbitohs, however by being that aggressive in defence they have vulnerable edges. If the Rabbitohs are able to execute their long shifting plays with Greg Inglis chiming in, they could cause concerns for the Sea Eagles. I expect this match to come down to the last five minutes with whoever comes up with the correct decision to win it. This time last year Adam Reynolds broke down when the Rabbits were leading the Bulldogs. He is the key to the victory more so than Inglis. Reynolds has to put Manly under pressure because if he doesn't Manly will march forward and Cherry-Evans will put them away.

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Storm v Knights at AAMI Park

Saturday was a wonderful coaching display from Wayne Bennett. From the first tackle Newcastle showed they didn't want to get in the arm wrestle with Melbourne. They had lost their last nine in Melbourne and there should have been fear going down there but they refused to let the Storm intimidate them. On tackle one, two and three, they moved the ball around and their outside backs got their sets off to a great start. I thought that was the key to keeping Melbourne from getting into that grinding kind of football that they like. Willie Mason, who has been a revelation, made some big metres while Danny Buderus used his nous out of dummy half. A lot has been said of Jarrod Mullen's maturity under Bennett but Tyrone Roberts was outstanding. 12-4 at halftime, they were able to score again and the Storm looked like they were gone. Newcastle's defensive line speed was rushing the Storm until a brilliant individual effort from Cooper Cronk got them back in the game. They got to within two points through Jesse Bromwich but in the end no-one made a mistake to lose the game. The Knights had belief, jumped out to a good lead and in the end were defensively great. They have been the best defensive side in the competition throughout the last month of football. They may be old in age but not in enthusiasm. 

Roosters v Knights preview:

Newcastle are going to have nothing to prove on Saturday night. The pressure will come from Sydney saying the Roosters should not only win but win comfortably. The Knights will be expected to lose. I am interested to see how the Roosters will handle the occasion. Newcastle were able to slow Melbourne down with a grinding style of football. They have certain players in their side who put pressure on ball playing opposition. I expect Jeremy Smith, Beau Scott and Danny Buderus to place plenty of pressure on Mitchell Pearce and James Maloney. It will be interesting to see which outside backs come up with the best plays. The Roosters rely on their backs for a lot of metres to start the sets and score the points at the end of the set, similar to how Newcastle played against Melbourne. There could be an upset on the cards come Saturday night.

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Roar young guns outclass Sydney FC

Brisbane youngster Kwame Yeboah bagged a double against Sydney. Picture: Stuart Quinn. Source: News Limited

BRISBANE Roar have recorded a fourth successive pre-season win over A-League opposition, downing Sydney FC 4-1 at Barlow Park in Cairns.

Young gun Kwame Yeboah scored a brace as the Roar ran rampant against the outclassed Sydneysiders.

The win followed on from trial victories over Melbourne Victory (1-0), Central Coast Mariners (2-1) and Melbourne Heart (3-0).

The Roar complete their pre-season campaign next Sunday against NPL Queensland champions Olympic at Goodwin Park.

Sydney are also in action again next Sunday when they host Perth Glory at Kogarah in their final hitout before the start of the A-League season on October 11.

They will want to start better against the Glory after conceding in the opening minute of the match, with Brisbane grabbing the initiative through Yeboah.

Fellow youngster Corey Brown doubled the Roar's lead less than 10 minutes later.

Brisbane started the second half with similar intent, and lead 4-0 by the 51st minute thanks a Besart Berisha's goal and Yeboah's second.

Sydney's grabbed a consolation goal with 20 minutes remaining through substitute Joel Chianese.

The only scare for Brisbane was a knee injury that forced midfielder Luke Brattan off in the first half.

The crowd of 4707 who had been hoping to see Sydney's Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero in action left the venue disappointed, with the former Juventus star watching the entire 90 minutes from the bench.  

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Lynn's secret weapon: a titanium box

Chris Lynn's titanium box looks like a sturdy piece of work. Source: Supplied

CHRIS Lynn has become the Brisbane Heat's Man of Steel.

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Well, Man of Titanium to be precise.

The Heat batsman was in excruciating pain for most of last season after being forced to undergo complex testicle surgery when he was struck a sickening blow by a Doug Bollinger delivery.

Lynn, who was at one stage concerned about his long-term prospects of becoming a father, has been taking no chances with his precious "crown jewels" ahead of his return to big-time cricket.

Rather than wearing a traditional plastic cricket box, Lynn has purchased a titanium box off the internet and is wearing it into battle in the Heat's Champions League T20 campaign in India.

It might not create quite the same stir as when Dennis Lillee walked onto the WACA brandishing an aluminium bat in an Ashes Test in 1979, but Lynn is hoping it will save him from watery eyes and more pain in the future.

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Click here to read Ben Dorries' full preview of Brisbane Heat's Champions League T20 campaign.

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It has already survived its first big test when Lynn was recently whacked a blow in the groin while batting in the nets, yet he hardly felt a thing and the titanium box emerged unscathed.

"I have changed my box and I got a titanium one off the net - they are about $30 and it is probably the best $30 I have ever spent," Lynn told The Courier-Mail.

"I recommend everyone should have one ... the titanium is as light as ever and as comfortable as ever.

"I got hit wearing it in the nets recently and the guy was bowling a decent pace and it didn't faze me too much.

"Last season I was totally wrecked, I was in a world of hurt and it was a struggle to get through each day to be honest."

Lynn, 23, is regarded as one of Australia's brightest young batting prospects but has never quite been able to bridge the gap between potential and performance.

But that was hardly his fault last season as his injury kept him from the playing field, and he also didn't have a competitive hit-out in the off-season as he recovered from surgery.

"I just went for a surf, went to the pub on a Friday afternoon, had a bet on Saturday and put the feet up on a Sunday, just the sort of thing that young fellas do," Lynn said.

With the Heat kicking off their Champions League campaign against Trinidad and Tobago in Ranchi on Sunday night, the big-hitting Lynn knows he will have to have a bumper tournament for the depleted Heat team to be successful.

"If I feel like I can hit it for six then I'll have a go - if I get out, I get out," Lynn said.

"If I can score a few runs in India I can put my name forward. And personally and financially it will be rewarding."

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Dundeel claims Atlantic scalp

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GLAMOUR mare Atlantic Jewel has been beaten for the first time, losing her perfect record in the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.

Shooting for her 10th win from as many starts, Atlantic Jewel was edged out by the New Zealand four-year-old It's A Dundeel in the Group One weight-for-age race.

Atlantic Jewel took up the running as the field settled but she soon had company when It's A Dundeel parked at her girth.

When Michael Rodd called on Atlantic Jewel at the 500m, It's A Dundeel also responded for his jockey James McDonald.

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After a length-of-the-straight battle, the Kiwi gained the upperhand in the final few strides.

It's A Dundeel was backed throughout the week to end Atlantic Jewel's run but trainer Murray Baker said the win came as a surprise to the stable.

''We thought he would improve vastly on what he did three weeks ago but I didn't think he could beat Atlantic Jewel at 1800 metres,'' Baker said.

Sydney mare Dear Demi drove through on the inside as the field straightened to momentarily share the lead before winding up third with Happy Trails finishing fourth.

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