Live BBL: Sixers v Thunder

Sydney Thunder's Gurinder Sandhu and Sydney Sixers Nic Maddinson. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

A FIERCELY anticipated Sydney derby gets the BBL campaigns of the Sixers and the Thunder under way in style at the SCG on Saturday night.

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The success starved Thunder have attracted the marquee signing of Mike Hussey to try to instill a winning culture in the green half of Sydney and the former Test star will be ably assisted by explosive opener David Warner and fellow top order star Usman Khawaja.

In the pink corner, the Sixers will be hoping mainstays Steve Smith, Nic Maddinson and Stephen O'Keefe can ignite their 2013/14 campaign.

And you can follow all the action right here, with our live blog, featuring social media updates and commentary on all the big moments!

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Crows prepare for interchange cap

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ADELAIDE'S players have stripped weight off their upper bodies to be able to stay on the ground for longer as the club prepares to drop a quarter of its interchange rotations.

The Crows were one of the busiest teams to use the bench last season and will have to make a significant change to their methods as teams are allowed to make 120 changes per game. It had been unlimited.

ROOKIE TAX HITS SUPERCOACH

CROWS ATTACK BUILT TO THRILL

It has led to a leaner team heading into the Christmas break and the weight has been taken off through relentless running more than 50km per week during first phase of the pre-season.

"With interchanges capped to 120 - we were doing up to 160 over the past two seasons and players will have to stay on the ground for longer now,'' Sanderson said.

"So you can't carry that extra weight around with you for longer. Across the board, we've been looking at 1.5kg to 2kg lighter.

"So it's mostly upper body but through the legs as well.

"But with the amount of running these guys are doing, they're certainly leaner than what they were this time last year.''

If Sanderson could have it his way, there would be no Christmas break.

He has been heartened by the results from the running and can't wait to return to training in January.

"The Christmas break always comes at an awkward time for us because we really feel like we're up and about at this time of year,'' Sanderson said. "We're doing match play already, full head to head match play.

Eddie Betts cools down. Source: News Limited

"The boys are looking sharp and you can see that they've trimmed down a fair bit, too. Most of the players across the board look a little bit lighter than they probably did last year.

"That's been a bit of a focus for us with the interchange cap, to be a bit more aerobic.''

But Sanderson is mindful the coaches will have to show some restraint, even if that means at times holding back the players.

It's a balancing act: to train them as hard as they can without pushing them over the brink where injuries become an issue.

"We're still a very young group, you know,'' Sanderson said. ``I think we're the fourth youngest or fifth youngest in the AFL, even next year, and we have to be careful that we don't overdose the players when it comes to getting aerobic work into them.

"We can't tip them over the edge. So we have to be smart in the way we prepare our players.

"We've really put them through their paces and they've been doing more than 50km a week of high intensity running.

"The boys have had a monster week and it doesn't stop for them over the Christmas break, either.

"They get two weeks off, but that's just two weeks from not being at the club. They've got very strict programs that they have to adhere to over the break and for them, it just keeps rolling.''

The player who has stood out this summer has been former Carlton forward Eddie Betts.

He's only a little fellow but has brought buckets of enthusiasm and experience.

"Eddie Betts is probably the one,'' Sanderson said. ``I'm watching him train and he really stands out.

"He's a class player. He's played a lot of footy - 180 games of AFL - and he's just going to be fantastic for us.

"He's quickly becoming a cult figure at our footy club, our fans are going to love watching him play ... with his big baggy shorts he'll be getting at the feet of Tex (Taylor Walker) and (James) Podsiadly and (Josh) Jenkins and (Shaun) McKernan and these guys. He's going to be really exciting to watch.

"The thing I love about Eddie Betts is the way he also speaks up in meetings. His leadership on the track is fantastic, right from the first day, which I really didn't expect.

"He's been running a lot of drills and he's been a great acquisition for us.''

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The last piece of Pav

Matthew Pavlich during this year's AFL Grand Final. Picture by Michael Klein Source: Michael Klein / News Limited

MATTHEW Pavlich is uncertain whether next season will be the last of his glittering career at Fremantle.

But the Dockers captains know one thing: Fremantle will turn on more of its bold third and fourth-quarter Grand Final form than its mistake-riddled jitters of the first half.

The Dockers' greatest player is only nine games shy of becoming the first West Australian-based AFL player to reach 300 games, but he will not contemplate whether to retire or play on after 2014.

Before a two-week break from training and his 32nd birthday on New Year's Eve, Pavlich said he expected Fremantle to retain its blue-chip midfield by securing new contracts next year for Nat Fyfe and David Mundy.

He also opened up on his performance in the first half of the Grand Final loss to Hawthorn; what took place at half-time; the prospect of missing some games next year to manage his body; and the recruitment of Melbourne firebrand Colin Sylvia to Fremantle.

ROOKIE TAX HITS SUPERCOACH

Pavlich tipped Fyfe, Mundy, Michael Barlow and Ryan Crowley would remain in the Dockers' midfield machine.

"The whole market value debate is pointless, really," he said. "In the end, if we want to play in premierships you want to keep the group together.

"There is a commercial reality and I'm very confident that the club will sort it out."

Pavlich is out of contract at the end of next season along with Aaron Sandilands, 31, and Luke McPharlin, 32.

Expectations are that at least one of them will retire after next year.

Pavlich has resisted lures to return to his home state, South Australia, on his way to six club best-and-fairests and six All-Australian honours after he was drafted 14 years ago.

He said he was confident the brilliant Mundy would stay, but understands the attraction of potentially playing back in his home state, Victoria.

"You put them in probably three separate brackets," Pavlich said.

"There are the older players in Luke, myself and Aaron, and that will take care of itself.

"The Mundy one - there is always a link back to Victoria and I know full well what that is like. He's very settled here in WA and he's got a lovely young family and he loves Fremantle.

"We're really confident that he will be rewarded and that he will stay at the football club.

"Obviously, Nat Fyfe is an up and coming player and a guy that we value really highly at the footy club and he's a big part of our future."

Matthew Pavlich at training this summer. Source: Getty Images

Pavlich will consider his own future late next season.

"It's not something that I am thinking of right now," he said.

"We're back into pre-season and it is really a day-in and day-out process and I am just excited about being involved with our entire group again.

"There's no timeframe at all with the club or anyone."

Pavlich revealed that his successor as captain was already in the making with a leadership development program in motion.

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"There are a number of guys that show capability and desire for that position," he said.

"But right now it's time to get into hard work and we'll work that out when it's necessary.

"We've had a good look at our leadership and the demographic that is within that.

"There are a number of guys who have been in that process for quite some time, both a bit more mature and some of the younger guys.

"We have an emerging leaders group that we focus on and put a lot of energy into those guys.

"The club will be in a very strong position leadership-wise, but also talent-wise moving forward."

Pavlich believes the Dockers will benefit from their first Grand Final appearance and has already sensed a fierce determination among his teammates during summer training.

He had a first-half nightmare against a Hawks' strategy to double-team and at times even triple-team him with eventual Norm Smith medallist Brian Lake, Josh Gibson and rival skipper Luke Hodge all lurking around the Dockers' primary scoring source.

Pavlich did not have a possession in a disastrous first term and only four disposals by half time, when the Dockers trailed by four goals.

He said his recollection of the break was "hazy" as coach Ross Lyon and senior players desperately went about resurrecting their premiership hopes.

A third-term recovery inspired by Pavlich, Mundy and Fyfe at least got the Dockers back into the game as they kicked four of the first five goals on the resumption with the big forward booting two critical majors and passing another off to small forward Michael Walters.

"We need to take some lessons out of it," Pavlich said. "We all react to loss and adversity in our lives differently.

"There's the psychological aspect to it and we dealt with that straight after the game and in the week after with Ross and the playing group.

"We talked about how we're all going to in some way, shape or form handle it differently and the frustration and the anger.

"Some guys will be mulling over it forever and others will be able to put it into perspective and move on.

"It's funny the game of football, or elite sport, that we can have a really successful year and have some watershed moments and yet we still don't get what we want and it's seen as a failure.

"As much as we fail in life we need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and rip into hard work again. That's what has worked for us in the past.

BELOW: EXCLUSIVE PICK ME HIGHLIGHTS OF FREMANTLE'S TOP DRAFT PICK

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"It's one of those games that you look back on in your own mind and would like to have times over again. Like other players in the team, you would like to go back there and make amends for particular moments in the game.

"But clearly being on the biggest stage and having the biggest reward you would have rather handled things in a different mode.

"Having a young daughter and a young family puts things into perspective quite well.

"It is my career ambition to win that last game in September and to do that along with the rest of our playing group and it is a very big deal for us because it is our career, it's our profession.

"But, I think in time you can put things into perspective and you are able to move on because of the other great things in your life."

Pavlich says that another genuine flag assault next year needs more of what the Dockers served up in the second half of the Grand Final.

He expects the rugged and versatile former Demon Sylvia to be a vital acquisition to Fremantle's on-ball battery and another scoring avenue.

Pavlich congratulates Luke Hodge after the Grand Final. Source: News Limited

The prospects of Pavlich missing some games next season is likely to be a barometer of Fremantle's success ratio.

The big forward said he would consider resting only if the Dockers were winning and within striking range of the finals.

"It hasn't been discussed with Ross or the strength and conditioning guys, but clearly I am, like a couple of our players, getting on in years and you do look at some of the other teams that have been able to manage some of their older players in that vein," Pavlich said.

"Maybe that is the path forward if we're in a position to be able to do that.

"It requires the team to be playing really well and winning lots of games of footy and right now, that is so far away that it is quite challenging to even see that.

"I love playing every game that I can and I love playing the game and the competitive element of it.

"It's hard to knock a game back, but we will wait and see on that one."

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Ducati 'stabbed Stoner in back'

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AT the start of the 2009 season I was the fittest I'd ever been. We had some teething problems with the new Ducati but we managed to get it moving okay.

We knew that this bike had real potential and we still hadn't got to the tracks where we usually excel at, so we were feeling confident that we stood a very strong chance of winning the championship back.

Then something started to go wrong that I couldn't explain.

The cover of Stoner's autobiography. Source: Supplied

After the race at Mugello I was a lot more tired than I had ever felt in a race. I was surprised because I had been training well, so I didn't really understand it and just shrugged it off as a one-off.

Then during warm-up on the morning of the next race in Barcelona I was worn out after just a few laps. I was so tired I went back to bed and slept for two hours.

That afternoon was when it really hit, exactly as everybody saw on the television. It didn't come on slowly, the fatigue hit me with a big bang after about five laps. One minute I was okay and then suddenly I had so little strength that I was just hanging on to the bike by the end of the race, so exhausted that I could barely get off it in parc ferme. I couldn't walk or talk, I just wanted to throw up and almost collapsed on the podium.

The moment the world found out about Stoner's illness. Source: Supplied

I had seen doctors about some tiredness back in Australia in 2006. They said I had chronic fatigue syndrome, which they put down to a combination of my diet and my busy schedule.

But this time it was far more serious and it seemed that no matter what I tried to do to make myself better I only got worse. I started having more recovery drinks made up of milk and whey powder and my condition continued to deteriorate even more rapidly.

I didn't suspect that what I was doing to help was causing even more problems.

We battled on but by the end of every race I was struggling just to stay upright. Nobody knew more than me that things weren't good but the tension started to build with Ducati as well.

I'd seen every doctor and specialist they had wanted me to see, in Europe and in the USA and I had every test imaginable. I felt like a pin cushion but they all came back saying it was in my head or that I had a hormone imbalance, which was nonsense. There were lots of theories but no diagnosis and nothing I tried made me feel better.

Ducati weren't happy and I could feel that but when they started making announcements about my condition without my consent, that really disappointed me.

We had won a title together, I had been equal top in the championship after Barcelona and I'd given everything I had for us to do that. Now I needed Ducati to stand by me but I felt like they were giving up on me instead. They started talking to me about my training, telling me what I needed to do to get my fitness levels back up, but none of them had any idea what I was going through.

A tyre gamble at Donington drove a further wedge between Stoner and Ducati. Source: AFP

The news of me heading back to Australia [for more tests and rest, skipping the Brno, Indianapolis and Misano races] didn't go down well and I got an email from Claudio Domenicali, who was CEO of Ducati Corse, basically saying, 'I hope you don't expect to get paid for this.'

It was extremely disappointing not to have the support of my employers during one of the most difficult times of my life. But I knew that if I didn't get to the root of my problem then I was facing the end of my career, it was as simple as that.

I spent a week having tests and scans. Two of the tests I had to do, for lactose and gluten intolerance, were two- or three-week processes that required experimenting with being on and off them. I had to go on a strict elimination diet to try and pinpoint any problems that could be food related.

I wasn't aware of it at the time but back in Europe I was getting even more stick, some of it from people who are supposed to know what they are talking about. I got ripped into by the press, by my peers and by former riders.

Everybody had their own opinions. It gave me a better perspective of what racing meant to me and what people really thought of me, who I could trust.

There were certainly people I couldn't trust at Ducati.

Wife Adriana helped Stoner through the tests to determine the cause of his illness. Source: AFP

While I was away they offered Jorge Lorenzo a contract for double the money I was on to come in and replace me. They'd told me when we signed a contract for 2009 and 2010 that they didn't have any more money for me, didn't have money for development but now suddenly they could afford to shell out like that for another rider? Considering what we had achieved together, I couldn't believe it. I felt I had been stabbed in the back by the people I trusted and who were supposed to trust me.

After two weeks up in Darwin I went back on lactose and that night I was as sick as a dog. I couldn't get out of bed, I lost my voice and was stuck in bed for days not feeling well enough to do much. The doctor had told me to look out for a reaction but I was expecting something far less severe so I genuinely didn't put two and two together straight away.

By the time we headed back to Europe I was still feeling lethargic and I had started to lose faith that I was ever going to get to the bottom of it and feel well again. We arrived a week before the race in Portugal and I said to Adriana, 'You know, because I got so sick after Darwin I never actually finished off the lactose test properly.' We decided to try it again, just to be sure.

As the week went on and lactose started to leave my system I started to feel better. Because I hadn't done anything to exert myself that week I wasn't sure if it was working or not.

It wasn't until the Friday, when I got back on the bike that I realised there was a massive difference. On the Sunday morning I was fastest in the warm-up but still I couldn't be sure of my exact condition until we had gone the full race distance.

I kept hammering the lap times, all the while I was expecting to die halfway through the race but it never came.

Stoner celebrates on the podium at Estoril. Source: Supplied

I kept hammering the whole race and brought it home in second place. That was a fantastic feeling, indescribable really. From thinking that my career could be over for good I now had reason to believe that I could come back stronger and better than ever.

Stoner romped to his third-straight win at Phillip Island. Source: News Limited

Before going back to Australia for the next race at Phillip Island we decided to try lactose again, just to confirm that it definitely was the source of the problem. Within the next day or two I started losing my usual energy. In a way, this made us happy because I could finally confirm what the problem was.

After that it was like a whole new world. For ten years it had seemed to me that a lot of food tasted the same and I could go a whole day without eating and not be hungry. Once I knew what the problem was and knew what to do everything started to smell and taste good.

The most important thing was that we had salvaged my career and I could now look forward to trying to win the championship in 2010.

Stoner toyed with Rossi before running away with the win on home soil. Source: News Limited

One thing I was clear about, though, was that I wanted to win it for myself and for my team, but not for the company. After the way they'd behaved I had pretty much decided that I was through with Ducati and even though they put a new contract in front of me, for 2011 and 2012, it was going to take a much grander gesture to make me stay.

I told them I wanted them to show me what I meant to them. 'What do you mean?' they said. 'That's up to you,' I told them. I gave them months to do it and nothing happened.

In the end I had to spell it out. I said, 'Rip up my current contract and show me what I am worth to you.' They wouldn't do it, and that told me all I needed to know. Up until then there was a chance that I'd stay but that effectively made my decision easy.

I decided to follow the one dream I had left in racing and go where I had always wanted to go.

I signed a contract for the 2011 season with Honda in the second round of the 2010 season at Jerez.

An edited extract from Casey Stoner's autobiography, PUSHING THE LIMITS published by Hachette Australia. On sale now.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER A COPY

Stoner's new toy for 2011: Honda's RC211V. Source: Supplied

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Lowe appointed Glory coach

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NEW interim Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe put his hand up for the job full-time before he even took his first training session on Friday afternoon.

As forecast by PerthNow on Tuesday, Lowe will take over from sacked coach Alistair Edwards.

He has been appointed for the rest of the season but wants to stay for longer.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't want it. It's a waste of time just coming for a giggle, isn't it?'' Lowe said.

"Obviously I want to stay as long as I possible can.''

Lowe was confident the club would move on quickly from this week's dramas.

Captain Jacob Burns is set to return to the starting line-up and will lead the team out against Adelaide United on Sunday.

Edwards refused to comply with a list of demands provided by the club, which wanted to rein in the scope of his power, leading to his departure.

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Lowe, a former assistant coach at Glory under Dave Mitchell, is the head of the successful WA National Training Centre.

Burns said he was confident Glory would be focused on the job at hand on Sunday.

"What's in the past is in the past. We have a responsibility to the club, to our fans and to the community to get our season back on track,'' he said.

"Everyone here wears the purple shirt proudly and with honour, and we'll go out there and show that this weekend.''

Legal and payout issues regarding Edwards' three-year contract are yet to be resolved.

Earlier this week, Glory CEO Jason Brewer denied "the tail was wagging the dog'' at the club despite the move appearing to be a stunning victory for player power.

The Sunday Times and PerthNow revealed last weekend that there was a bitter player-driven revolt against Edwards - as distinct to purely a personal feud between coach and captain as portrayed by Edwards - and that it was likely only one of the pair could survive at the club.

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Glory launched crisis talks on Saturday after players directly challenged Edwards in the team's AAMI Park dressing room following Friday night's 2-0 loss to Melbourne Victory.

Ill feeling had been building for some time before Friday's flashpoint.

Glory players claimed that the situation was "an absolute farce'' and that Edwards had "lost almost the entire dressing room''.

The concerns of players revolved around perceived nepotism shown by Edwards, who signed his sons Cameron, 21, and Ryan, 20, before the season, inconsistencies in selection and the coach's man management style.

Some players even believe the tactical balance of Glory's match-day squads this season has been compromised by Edwards' desire to include both of his sons.

The handling of contract negotiations with defender Steve Pantelidis, and his subsequent departure to Malaysia, also angered some players.

Burns was left out of the starting XI and was an unused substitute in Friday night's loss to Victory in one of a number of recent selection decisions that have raised eyebrows.

Ryan Edwards was preferred to Burns in a re-jigged starting formation, while Cameron Edwards was deployed off the bench.

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Moffat set for Dubai 24hr

Moffat will race in the Dubai 24 Hours on Nissan's exchange program. Source: Nissan Motorsport / Supplied

JAMES Moffat will make his international sportscar racing debut next month, the Nissan V8 Supercars pilot set to race in the Dubai 24 Hour.

Moffat will pilot a factory-supported Nissan 370Z Nismo for the championship-winning Nissan GT Academy Team RJN in the event on January 9-11.

He will team with World Endurance Championship racers Karun Chandok and Tor Graves, as well as GT Academy winners Salman Al Khater and Ashley Oldfield, and is excited to do his first twice-round-the-clock enduro.

"It's great to be involved with the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN for the Dubai 24 Hours," Moffat said.

"We've been fortunate to race our regular V8 Supercars in different parts of the world, but this will be a totally new and different experience for me in the 370Z Nismo.

Moffat's chariot for the race: Nissan's 370Z Nismo. Source: Supplied

"I've also never raced in a 24 Hour event before, so that will be a new challenge - adapting to a new car, around a foreign track and racing in the dark!

"I'm looking forward to being a part of the Nismo Global Driver Exchange program, and we'll be aiming to finish as high as we can in Dubai."

The 29-year-old, who won his maiden V8 race at Winton this year, will be the first of Nissan's Australian drivers to join their Global Driver Exchange program.

Moffat's teammate and boss Rick Kelly will become the next to join the program, piloting a Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 for the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Nissan Global Motorsports Director, Darren Cox, said he has been impressed by Moffat's efforts aboard the Norton-backed Altima in the manufacturer's V8 return.

"Moffat has impressed me this year in the competitive V8 Supercars Championship," Cox said. "Not only with his win, but his speed and application across the season.

"I am very pleased that we can now offer him this chance on the world stage."

The team's two Nissan 370Z Nismo machines will compete against a total field of over 80 entered race cars.

Artist's impression of the livery of the Nissan Moffat will drive. Source: Supplied

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A-League previews: must-win derby

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ROAR on a run, the must-win Melbourne derby and how will Perth react? Here are (some of) your Rd11 A-League previews.

Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets

8pm, Friday 20 December

Live on Fox Sports 1

If winning when you're playing badly is the mark of champions, then Brisbane has to be considered favourites for the A-League title this season. After another ugly win against Wellington, Mike Mulvey's side are on a four-game winning streak, one shy of equalling the club record. And if they do that against Newcastle, they'll also be the first club to claim 100 A-League victories.

Still not convinced? The Roar has conceded just three goals in their last eight home games, have the league's best shots on target percentage, average the most shots per game and have won six straight at Suncorp.

A daunting trip for Newcastle then? Maybe not - the Jets have four wins in their last six matches and have won two of their last three away games.

You'd certainly favour the home team but don't count on the Jets making it easy for them.

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Melbourne Heart v Melbourne Victory

7.45pm, Saturday 21 December

Live on Fox Sports 1

Is this Melbourne Heart's biggest derby yet? There are a mountain of question marks and a lot of scrutiny on Heart coach John Aloisi - but that hasn't completely distracted from Victory's inconsistent form of late.

Heart's stats are almost common knowledge by now: without a win in 15, one clean sheet in 17 and 18 goals conceded in 10 games.

Victory has only two in its last five but the numbers from its season suggest Blue will overcome Red this weekend: Kevin Muscat's side average the second most shots per game and the most balls into the penalty area.

But this is all about John Aloisi - can he turn it around for the derby and what happens if not?

Simon Hill says: "We've been asking this for a few weeks, we just don't know. Heart have been teetering on the brink for a while now because some of the performances have been pretty good.

"We saw in the second half against Sydney and certainly against Adelaide that Melbourne Heart have the quality but they're unable to put it together for 90 minutes. Sooner or later they have to start winning or the pressure on John will be untenable. If they lose heavily in the derby, that could be curtains."

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Perth Glory v Adelaide United

4pm, Sunday 22 December

Live on Fox Sports 1

Last week it was Reds coach Josep Gombau making all the headlines. This week it was Alistair Edwards for Perth Glory.

The rights and wrongs of a club sacking its coach because of player power can be discussed all day but what's certain is now the club has to start all over again. Glory fans must be fed up of this story by now.

Despite a somewhat miserable record overall this season - Glory has won only one of its last six games - nib Stadium has remained something of a fortress, losing only once at home this season (a very late defeat by the Mariners).

Adelaide, in contrast, has endured a far worse start to the season yet still has its coach. Despite the big win against the Mariners last week, this is the Reds' second-worst start to a season, and they are yet to win an away game. In fact, Adelaide has won just once in its last 14 games on the road, and been outscored 28-14 in this run.

Simon Hill says: "I'm interested to see the reaction of the Glory supporters; are they backing the players, are they backing Alistair Edwards? And what of the new coach, we here it's Kenny Lowe in the interim. For a club that was ticking along quite nicely suddenly they've got all sorts of problems and Adelaide must be grateful that they can fly under the radar ahead of this game."

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Doggies ink Minson

Bulldogs ruckman Will Minson has re-signed until the end of 2016. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

WILL Minson has capped the best year of his career by signing a fresh contract with the Western Bulldogs.

The All-Australian ruckman has put pen to paper on a new two-year deal that ties him to the kennel until the end of 2016 - fitting reward for season in which he stamped himself as one of the league's premier big men.

Minson was already contracted for 2014, but didn't hesitate to accept the extension when the Dogs opened discussions a few weeks ago.

"I haven't really told anyone about it, no one knows about it, but I'm thrilled that I was able to sign. There was absolutely no hesitation," Minson told the Herald Sun.

"It's a terrific Christmas present. I wasn't expecting for it to all to be done in a matter of weeks. The club said they were keen to negotiate an extension and I was like, 'Fabulous'.

"It's worked out a bit different to the last contract when the season had finished and I was in the middle of Los Roques in Venezuela and an email came through with a contract."

Minson might have swapped the exotic South American country for his girlfriend's NSW cotton farm and more study this off-season, but the holiday plans weren't the only things to change in 2013.

SuperCoach Ruckman: Good as Goldy

The 28-year-old moved into the elite bracket this year, ranking No.1 in the AFL for hit-outs and amassing 29 more clearances than any other ruckman.

"I certainly never imagined that would be me, absolutely not," Minson said of the All-Australian gong in a campaign that also earned him a third place in the Dogs' best and fairest.

"It's amazing, we're back training now and 2014 is the focus. But there are greater expectations and you think, 'Gee, I've got to sort my stuff out and make sure I have another good year'."

After enduring a frustrating 2011 in which he played only nine games as a back-up for former teammate Ben Hudson, Minson has thrived under the tutelage of Brendan McCartney, who has given him greater responsibility in his first two years as coach.

"I don't think I treaded water in 2011 because at that time I was trying harder than ever," Minson said.

"The catch there is that in trying as hard as ever you're not able to play at your best. In a lot of ways it's trying too hard. You're trying to get noticed, you're trying to play well, you're trying to dominate every game you play with the senior team and you're trying to do things to get noticed.

"The best thing about 'Macca' is he's allowed me to be me, so to speak. We've all had to learn a new way to play and we've all got new opportunities and that's helped me, no question."

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Stokes: We'll fly flag on Boxing Day

England's Ben Stokes walks out on to the ground on the fifth day of the Perth Test where he scored a memorable maiden century. Picture: AP Source: Theron Kirkman / AP

THIRD Test revelation Ben Stokes says England will have no trouble "getting up" for the Boxing Day Test, despite already having lost the Ashes.

As the England team arrived in Melbourne to set up their Christmas base tonight, Stokes said nobody would battle for motivation despite the 3-0 series deficit.

"I don't think so ... there's still a lot to play for: personal pride, playing in front of 100,000 at the MCG," Stokes said.

"I don't think that will take much getting up for.

"It's going to be pretty special for everyone, but we'll still be going out there trying to win these last two Test matches."

Stokes, 22, who was sent home in disgrace from Melbourne last summer for partying indiscretions while on an England Lions tour, was the bright light for the visitors in Perth, hammering a maiden Test century in just his second Test match.

Ben Stokes celebrates a well-deserved century at the WACA Ground on Tuesday. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: News Limited

He said the mood in the camp had been understandably subdued after the match, but had already begun lifting for next Thursday's match and beyond.

"We've still got the one-day series to look ahead to. If we can take some confidence from these last two Test matches into then (it would help)."

Stokes, whose 120 in the second innings at the WACA Ground off just 195 balls under fierce pressure won him a host of admirers, said he'd learnt a lot in his two Tests, despite being on the wrong end of the results.

"It was the kind of challenge you want. It's never going to be easy, but it's good to put yourself up there against a strong Australian attack on a fast wicket," he said.

England batsman Ben Stokes hits Nathan Lyon for a boundary. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: News Limited

"It gives you belief that you can do it - but I wouldn't say I surprised myself. That's why I was in the team, to get runs at No.6."

"If you've got belief, that's a massive bonus whenever you walk out on to the pitch. Obviously it'd be nice to get a hundred every time, but that's pretty unrealistic."

He said embattled England coach Andy Flower had been critical to his revitalisation and that he'd matured greatly after last summer's drinking-related incidents.

"He gave me another chance. I showed him that I wanted to play for England and get back into the fold and make sure he changed his mind if he had any negative views on myself. He gave me another chance and I'm pretty thankful for that.

"I had to take a look at the bigger picture and realise we're sort of icons to ... kids and stuff like that, so you've got to be doing the right things on and off the pitch."

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VIDEO: Coach's berserk blow up

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STEP aside Geoff Toovey, there's a new title-winner for the award of "Biggest Coach Blow-up of 2013."

Meet the head coach of the Southern Illinois men's college basketball program, Barry Hinson.

His boys went down 73-65 to Murray State this week, and it was a fired-up Hinson who arrived at the post-game presser.

What followed was two minutes of the most incredible ranting we've ever seen delivered by a coach.

Hinson ranged from saying his wife could do better, to comparing the young Salukis side to, "house-training a puppy dog."

"I stand by everything I said last night, but I apologise for singling out one individual," Hinson told USA Today the following morning. "I should be chastised for that.

"Let's get something straight: I didn't grab anybody, I didn't hit anybody. I didn't even use profanity. I just want my kids to play harder. You've gotta be able to criticise in this society. I want what's best for my players.

"I told my players the same (message) in the locker room in a calmer manner (Tuesday night).

"I believe in telling people to their face exactly how I feel. I say what's on my heart."

Did he ever.

Watch the video above to see exactly how he felt about Southern Illinois's performance.

The Salukis (maroon) are "uncoachable" according to Hinson. Source: AP

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