SPORTING LIFE
The Age
Friday March 5, 2010
Port puts sleepover in mothballsKIDS are good at arranging sleepovers, and a couple of AFL stars in the making had a unique one all set to go this weekend, until Port Adelaide's coaching department threw a spanner in the works yesterday. Jackson Trengove and Kane Lucas got to know each other on the 2008 AIS tour of South Africa, and the Trengove family in Melbourne and the Perth-based Lucases have stayed in touch. With Trengove already drafted by Port, his parents Peter and Bronwyn were quick to offer Lucas a soft Melbourne landing (in Jackson's bed) when Carlton took him with pick 12 in November. Carlton's clash with West Coast at Leederville Oval tomorrow morning, and Port's NAB Cup semi-final at Etihad against the Dogs tonight, presented the boys with the prospect of resting their heads on their old pillows and savouring a home-cooked meal. Lucas confirmed yesterday he has already told his little sister to vacate his room for the weekend, but Trengove's mini-homecoming will have to wait, after he missed selection in the Power's squad for tonight's match.Russell's hidden gemsLIKE all good children's books, it's the little treats for the grown-ups that make the read all the more worthwhile. Dwayne Russell, commentator, writer and former player, can now add children's author to his bow after the release this week of Jackson's Footy, a beautifully illustrated work aimed at two-to-five-year-olds that follows little Jackson and his beloved ball through a winter's week. Club colours leap off each page, either from jumpers hanging on the clothes line, artwork drying in the schoolroom, or little birds wearing footy scarves. Adults will stumble upon hidden images, such as Nicky Winmar's famous jumper-lift, and tree carvings paying tribute to Fitzroy, and Footscray's 1954 flag. "It was nice to squeeze the reference to Fitzroy in," Russell said, agreeing that Bulldog fans might see the '54 marking as a milestone. "Although we've got Adelaide playing in the grand final, so maybe that's an omen for them as well." The book is something of a family affair, with Russell's wife, a junior primary school teacher, having input in the format, while renowned illustrator Donna Gynell is his sister-in-law. "I'm happy with the story, but the pictures add so much depth to it. They tell three or four more stories each page." Jackson's Footy is in bookstores and AFL stores now, RRP $27.50.Daly's Twitter comebackJOHN Daly update (and let's face it, you could do this every day and not get bored): having had his dirty laundry aired with the release of a 456-page US Tour file on every citation, fine and suspension from his 18-year professional career, the "Wild Thing" lashed out again this week at a golf writer who gave an uncomplimentary review of Daly's new reality TV show. "Here's the JERK who writes NON-NEWS article on debut of my show €” CALL and FLOOD his line and let's tell him how WE feel," Daly said on Twitter, before listing Garry Smits' mobile phone number. Daly's tweets have more than 40,000 followers, and Smits' had received almost 100 calls by Wednesday afternoon.White elephant in roomTHERE were plenty of chuckles to be had at yesterday's Davis Cup draw, as everyone's favourite baby elephant, Mali, stepped aside and let her mum take centre stage. Dokkoon, all 3000 kilograms of her, was enlisted to hoover numbered balls from a bucket and toss them to her keeper, who in turn threw them to the day's MC, Craig "The Voice" Willis. While the elaborate process went off without a hitch, Australia's Davis Cup captain, John Fitzgerald, didn't miss his chance to throw something of his own €” a "there's one more elephant in the cage" jibe at Willis. The tinsel-tonsilled TV veteran had already done a self-deprecating number on himself, saying of his elephantine role that it "takes one to know one". But he can console himself that, only seven weeks old and 160 kilograms already, little Mali has him well covered.THE DAILY FIVEFIVE reasons to wonder if the entire sporting week has been a joke, and you're the only one who's not in on it.1 Richmond thinks it can have 75,000 members by 2014.2 Tiger Woods' caddie says he didn't have a clue his boss was jumping everything that moved, and if he had, he'd have dobbed him in straight away.3 John Howard will soon be running world cricket.4 Mick Malthouse will soon be commentating on football matches.5 The deputy Prime Minister was asked what she thought about Brendan Fevola, and answered the question seriously.
© 2010 The Age
