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Former Australian Cricketer Bryce McGain says Australia needs to find more firepower in the middle order to match the best T20 sides in the world. Australia currently has Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David and Matthew Wade batting through the middle order in its current series against the West Indies. Maxwell, who made 120 runs on Sunday night in Adelaide, combined with David for a late-innings 95-run partnership, taking Australia’s total to 241 runs. McGain told SportFM the role David played was difficult, but is highly valued by teammates. “When it works, and they just keep praising it because you have to play with so much freedom without the fear of failure,” he said. “To really thrash the ball and strike it over 200 when it's required takes a lot of courage and the one thing it takes is a lot of support from your teammates and that's why Maxwell will be pumping him up, knowing that it's so critical. “The best teams in the world all have incredible firepower through the middle-order and it's been something that Australia hasn't quite nailed. “They're really trying to pump up Tim David into that and get that confidence up. So I think it's great to see him doing well, but we need more of it. You can't just rely on one. It's hit or miss.” “The best teams… they have incredible power hitters that can just take the game away and back-end innings or chase down remarkable situations if the top order haven't fired. So it is a really critical role.” WA all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been coming in at five, but has had questions asked about his place in the side ahead of the World Cup. Over the years, Stoinis has been a consistent performer with the bat for Australia, but has struggled to pass 50 since 2022 - doing so once in October 2022 against Sri Lanka. McGain believes he is uncertain of the role he has been asked to play within the side at the moment. “We've got him at five at the moment, trying to evolve him into an accelerator and what I mean by that is guys that can go out and hit boundaries straight away, I'm not sure he is that,” he said. “He's better to get a few balls, get it going, and then he can back end the innings. But his form has been so lumpy, and I'm trying to separate his one-day form from his T20 form. His T20 has been a little bit better. “His bowling, he's close to nine runs an over. Now, sometimes that replicates when he bowls. It might be in power play times and death bowling when he comes on, but it's still kind of expensive, isn't it? “Maybe it is with the World Cup with only four games to go, they trust what Stoinis has done in the past and then maybe after that, they look to the future where [Aaron] Hardie might get a good run in it.” June’s tournament marks the first time Mitch Marsh will lead Australia’s Men’s side in a major tournament. His record as captain is currently unbeaten, sitting at 5-0 after sweeping the series in South Africa in late 2023 and sitting 2-0 in the current West Indies T20 series. McGain says he likes Marsh’s leadership style and is pleased he’s doing well. “I've always enjoyed where he is and early on in his career, like many, I just wanted him to be able to do it more consistently, and he's found the formula now. Everyone's acknowledging that he really understands the game well,” he said. “It’s nice that he's got the guys around, like Glenn Maxwell and Dave Warner, who can just spy things out. Things will shift a bit over time as players go in and out but I think he's doing a terrific job. “He's got all the great knowledge around him. I think he's doing a ripping job, and I think he's playing with great confidence. I love the way he's going about his cricket at the moment.” IMAGE: Code Sports

West Coast forward coach Matthew Knights says having two ruckmen offers extra flexibility to his side in the upcoming season. Former Giant Matt Flynn headed west during the Free Agency period, lured by the prospect of being No.1 Ruckman following Nic Naitanui’s retirement. He and Bailey Williams are both vying for that first ruck position, with West Coast appearing to lean more towards Flynn taking that spot, with Williams rotating forward and being second in command. Knights told SportFM there is space in the side for both rucks, as they offer different traits to the side. “I know that [Adam Simpson] is open-minded about playing two rucks, but I think we're given a real go at the moment that Bailey’s starting forward, and Flynn is taking the first ruck,” he said. “Bailey virtually carried the whole load last year or the majority of it. He's in a good really good space that when he comes up into the ruck, he might be able to go against the second ruckman for the opposition or some teams are not even playing a second ruck, that they're playing a quasi-second ruck. “Bailey should be able to get an advantage against those guys, particularly at the centre bounces. It gives us extra flexibility. “Matty Flynn's come in from GWS, he's a really intelligent footballer, he understands the game and I know Schoey and Luke Shuey are really enjoying working with Flynny. He's a student of the game. “They're contrasting players like Bailey's a real jumper, an athletic ruckman whereas when Flynny's a bit more craftier. So they're quite diverse which is good to have two of them going together.” Up forward, Knights is focused on development and striking the right balance within the side. Over the off-season, small forward Tyler Brockman moved back to Perth during the trade period after playing 26 games for Hawthorn. Meanwhile, Ryan Maric - pick one of 2023’s Mid-Season draft, is completing his first AFL preseason despite playing 10 games last season. Getting Brockman and Maric acclimatised with West Coast’s forward structure is another priority of Knight’s. “What we've done with the forward half is we're looking to just keep the synergy up, just make sure that we keep rotating the teams, so we get different players playing with each other,” said Knights. “A priority for myself might be that Tyler Brockman, who's new to the club, gets to play enough with Noah Long and Crippa so he understands the running patterns of those guys and you might want Ryan Maric to keep learning and developing playing with Oscar and Bailey Williams. “It's a really important element that you do get that balance right as a coach to try and keep that synergy with the players and, at the moment, it's really pleasing with that forward group. “It's had a good training block and they're competing for spots, which doesn't make it easy as a coach because you really have a great relationship with all your players. You want them all to be able to play AFL.” The forward group is currently training without Jack Darling, who has been sidelined with a hamstring issue. Knights called it a ‘minor blip’ for the key forward and says he is heading onto the track today. “He's progressing really well and it's just a small little hurdle for Jack,” he said. “He's had a terrific preseason, some of his intensity and speed on the track has been really refreshing and he's had a good block of training for the last two months, so it's just a minor blip on the radar for Jack. “He'll do a session this morning and he'll be back playing, competing in match simulation, training, you know pretty soon I would have thought in the next week or two, so really positive from that perspective.” IMAGE: FILE

WA women’s captain Chloe Piparo says her team’s confidence levels are high ahead of their must-win clashes against Queensland. Earlier this month, WA came away from their two matches against table toppers Tasmania 1-1, giving them its first loss for the season. Spin bowler Lilly Mills featured in the win, taking 4 four wickets, while English Wicketkeeper Amy Jones made her WA debut. Piparo told Sports Breakfast despite ending Tasmania’s winning streak, it was a mixed weekend for her side. “It was a mixed weekend for us to play some really good cricket in patches and got over the line in the first game which was great to see the girls do that,” she said. “To do that on their home turf was great but pretty disappointed with how we turned up in the second game. We thought that we were definitely in that game to win it and unfortunately couldn't get over the line.” Western Australia currently has two batters sitting in the top-three WNCL run scorers list - Piparo, and fellow opener Maddy Darke. They both sit on 437 and 446 runs respectively. Recently, Piparo overtook Nicole Bolton as WA’s all-time leading run scorer in the WNCL. Piparo says she is honoured to achieve that feat but has one hope for the current batting group. “I think when we start out playing all levels of cricket you just play for fun and enjoying the game,” she said. I've been lucky enough to play some good cricket and represent my state for a number of years now. I'm really honoured to take over that mantle and hopefully, someone that's playing now will take over that when I retire as well. “I just hope I can make runs and contribute to the team's success.” Looking ahead, WA will travel to Queensland next week and play for second place on the ladder over the next two matches. Western Australia currently sits in third on the ladder, while Queensland second, with both sides a contender for a place in finals. The Victorians, who sit in fourth and on a winning streak, play Tasmania days before the WA-Queensland clash and could put additional pressure on WA to win. Piparo believes this is a ‘nice place’ for the sport to be in. “We'll probably know where we sit going into our two games but Victoria obviously won a few games recently and will be looking to kind of take on Tassie,” she said. “I guess they can probably make the finals as well, if they perform well enough. It's a nice place to be in when there are multiple teams vying for a spot in the final and the last round.” IMAGE: cricket.com.au

WAFC chief executive Michael Roberts says West Coast remaining in the WAFL is best for player development and competition. In January, recently appointed Eagles chief executive Don Pyke was given until June to decide whether they will continue to field a reserves side in the WAFL or if they will move to the VFL. This comes after Port Adelaide announced they would apply for a licence to compete in the Victorian-based league. It went national in 2021, with Gold Coast, Brisbane, GWS and Sydney‘s reserve sides joining the competition. Recently, West Coast has committed to a rebuild, recruiting plenty of young talent onto their list. With an average age of 23.9 years old, it is ranked as the third youngest AFL side. Roberts told Sports Breakfast the best place for West Coast to field its reserves side was the WAFL citing player development and competition as drawcards. “It's really difficult to measure because the last couple of years they've just been and so hamstrung by hamstrings effectively,” he said. “You don't want your players, and I think either of the AFL clubs want their players travelling. They hate the fact that they have to play eleven away games effectively, so to have your younger players who are developing jump on a plane every second week as well I think that that's not great for their development. “I also think you know you can pay some respect to the standard of the WAFL competition, it's a fantastic competition that provides young players with a great standard of football. “There's some great older players that come back from AFL. I think absolutely West Coast ever have a position and I think it's the best thing for West Coast players as well.” Recently, West Coast has committed to a rebuild, recruiting plenty of young talent onto their list In 2019, West Coast’s WAFL side saw success, finishing fourth and making finals. Since 2021, they have finished last largely due to the AFL side being decimated by Injury. In 2023, it recorded five losses of over 100 points. West Coast’s 19-game losing streak came to an end in round 13 after drawing against Perth. Roberts believes allowing West Coast to recruit will balance out the competition again. “We talk about competitive balance and making sure that all fans can go to a game and expect that they're going to see a good contest and the clubs that they support will have a genuine chance to make finals,” he said. “When you don't have competitive balance measures like a draft like the AFL have, you have to tweak it year on year and West Coast in particular, it's really hard to measure. We've spoken about it a lot, but how do you set rules for a team and then they're decimated by injuries so the rules really don't impact it or have their true run? "We've tinkered with it again, given them some more opportunities to recruit and recruit at a higher level. “It's not good seeing a few injured already, but we're still from our season, we're still about six, seven weeks away. Hopefully, they get full strength and they can be really competitive and add to what we saw last year, which was a really even competition.” In the off-season, West Coast recruited former AFL players Trey Ruscoe and Jason Gillbee to the side, bolstering their stocks. Ahead of the 2024 season, Roberts says more WAFL games are a work in progress for the future, but once again, is looking to maintain a competitive balance. “I'll go back to that term, competitive balance. At the moment, it's even - every club plays each other twice, and that's what we're stuck with,” he said. “If we were to add matches, that's when you start to lose the balance or the perceived evenness. So that's what we're discussing with clubs at the moment moving forward. Could we use the fixture to actually add more balance to the competition?” “I think we pushed it forward or we proposed it last season or season before and at that time, the clubs were pretty resistant to that,  So we didn't push ahead with it, but I think it's something that we need to talk about moving forward.” IMAGE: The West Australian

Motorsport expert Tim Hodges says Supercars is facing an ‘identity crisis’ after reigning champion Brodie Kostecki’s departure from Erebus Motorsport last week. The fallout from his exit has led to numerous sponsors pulling their sponsorship from Erebus following extensive criticism of the overall handling of the team. Erebus’ title sponsor Coca-Cola announced they have severed their partnership with the team, joining Shaw and Partners and Southern Cross Rentals who withdrew last week. Former Supercars drivers and champions Shane Van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin have spoken out in support of Kostecki on social media. With Kostecki and Van Gisbergen’s departure, there are no current champions on the 2024 grid. Tim Hodges told SportFM the situation with Kostecki is a ‘dreadful look’ and a ‘disaster’ for Supercars. “It's just a disaster for the sport not to have the reigning champion on the grid at the end of this month,” he said. “It's less than three and a half weeks away now that the V8 Supercar season begins at Mount Panorama and the fact that the reigning champion, the guy who just a couple of months ago won on the streets of Adelaide, won his maiden championship against all odds. “It was a glorious story really against the odds. Basically, a private tiered team in Erebus, beating the big guys like Dick Johnson racing, like Triple 8 racing, beating the likes of Shane Van Gisbergen in his final season in the sport and he was being painted as sort of the future and the face of Supercars. “The fact that he's walked away from his contract is just so sad at the end of the day that he won't be there to defend his title when the season starts in a few weeks’ time. “He won't be there and that's really bleak for him and for the sport as much as anything…it's got a real identity crisis unfortunately at the moment that the sport of Supercars.” Kostecki has not yet spoken publicly about his decision to leave Erebus. On the other hand, Erebus released a statement saying he remains a valued part of the family. Many people are baffled by the overall situation; however it is widely believed something has gone horribly wrong behind the scenes. Hodges believes Kostecki won’t be coming back, calling Erebus’ statement “weird.” “He won't be there in round one and it's only a 12-round season. That's such a short season the Supercars that if you're missing one of the rounds, basically you can't win the championship from that point on,” he said. “I hope they can mend the bridges but I think the bridges have been burnt and torn down pretty badly between both sides and I can't see it repairing enough. “The problem is that Erebus obviously has him under contract so he can't go and drive for someone else even if it was just the endurance races or the Bathurst 1000 which is really sad. “Maybe America is calling for him and has thrown a team like the Richard Childress Racing and he's a legend of American motorsport. He was at the Adelaide 500 to watch Kostecki win the championship. “But the fact that he's not there, you can't paint it any other way. It's just really bleak.” With sponsors pulling out and major drawcards to the sport departing, the future of Supercars is depending on rising stars to help the sport. Along with the departures of Kostecki, Van Gisbergen and McLaughlin in recent years, Supercars has also had several high-profile drivers leave the sport – including Jamie Whincup who retired as a full-time driver in 2021. Without them, Hodges states Supercars has been left with an ‘identity crisis’. “I just don't think they've done a very good job, the sport of Supercars of actually building up the next batch of superstars,” he said. “There will be guys on the grid if you're watching on at that first race at Mount Panorama at the end of February and you go, I don't know half of these guys, and that's not a good thing for the sport. These guys to really step up to the plate to help the sport because the sport right now, quite frankly, needs it. “It's a really pivotal year for the sport of Supercars because they're in a broadcast contract here where they, like so many other sports, their very future relies on the TV money that comes in and they need a good TV contract. “Right now, what they're putting out there is missing so many of their biggest stars.” IMAGE:

AFL Umpire Brett Rosebury is encouraging everyone to give umpiring a go with the local footy season just around the corner. The West Australian Football Commission recently launched a campaign searching for new umpires ahead of the 2024 local season. Over 1500 games are played each weekend across junior, amateur and state-league levels. With 25 years of AFL experience under his belt, Rosebury has adjudicated over 500 games – the most of any VFL/AFL umpire. He celebrated his 500th game during the round 18 clash between Collingwood and Fremantle last season at the MCG. Rosebury told Sport FM that umpiring is a great way for young Australians to be involved with the game, and it’s a viable career for anyone. “It's a great way for young guys and girls to stay involved with the game that they've loved,” he said. “It might just start as a bit of a hobby and enjoyment like that. If you really love it and go on, you can earn up to about $400 umpiring a WAFL League game. Those that can go on to the AFL, you can make a real career out of it.” “It's a great way to earn a little bit of pocket money on the weekend. If you wanted to, you could do it full-time. It gets paid well enough now at the AFL that you could make it a full-time career and job. “Umpiring is full of great, amazing people in the community. It's a really great camaraderie down at these local umpiring groups. “It teaches you great life skills around communication, people management, conflict resolution, all this kind of stuff that you're learning while you're umpiring that you can use in your outside life.” Rosebury began his umpiring journey in Armadale with the South Suburban Junior Football Umpires Association at 14. At 18 he became the youngest umpire to officiate at WAFL level before debuting at AFL level in 2000. He was inspired to take up umpiring during his junior footy player days. Rosebury found each week presented a new challenge which made umpiring all the more enjoyable. “I will admit that I maybe was a little bit of a lippy kid towards the umpire, but that made me want to take it up. I just wanted to give it a go” he said. “I know that anyone out there, whether you're a current young player, I guarantee that once you take it up and you give it a go, they actually enjoy or realise It's actually a lot more fun than you thought. “The people that are involved at the community level or the country region, they're amazing people to umpire with and have a bit of a laugh round on the training track. “It's something that challenges you week to week. You don't know what you're going to get. I've seen things pop up in games 500 or 508 that has not happened before. Things like that challenge you from week to week and you really don't know what each week's going to throw up.” Recently, many stories have circulated regarding spectator abuse towards umpires. Last year, the WAFC launched its “Stop Umpire Abuse” campaign to draw awareness and act against the issue. However, Rosebury reassures prospective umpires that they are appreciated, and clubs are creating safe spaces enabling them to develop and perform their role. “It is important that the clubs do provide that safe environment and they're working really hard in that space by providing club chaperones. “I think that everyone out there appreciates that there are young umpires that are starting out and it's important to support them. “The game isn't easy to umpire but there is no game without umpires in the future. So it's important that we look after these young umpires that are in the community and provide that safe space for them to continue to umpire.” More information here: https://www.wafootball.com.au/umpiring/become-an-umpire IMAGE: FILE

Western Australian all-rounder Mitch Marsh won his maiden Allan Border medal at the Australian Cricket Awards on Wednesday evening. His resurgence has been a leading story over the past 12 months as he made his way back into the Australian set-up. The 32-year-old had tremendous success across all three formats – winning a World Cup, dominating with the bat in test cricket and captaining the T20 side. He also claimed the ODI Player of the Year award. Marsh held back tears in his speech as he thanked his loved ones, including his wife Greta, Australian coach Andrew McDonald and skipper Pat Cummins. Former Australian Cricketer Kim Hughes told Sport FM Marsh’s performance in 2023 was a “tremendous example” of what having on and off-field can produce. “There wasn't a dry eye in the audience. He spoke very, very, very well and very emotionally about, his relationship with his wife and then the support he's got from his grandfather,” he said. “He flew back from India to come back for his grandfather's funeral, who had a big impact on him as a younger boy with his cricket and then his dad and his brother, Shaun. “I think it was a tremendous example. He's been married for about eight months and there's no doubt that the reason for his big change in the ways he's performed on the cricket field, is that he's got a balance between off the field and on the field. “I'm absolutely convinced that you cannot perform in any field of endeavour if you're not happy off the field, in your relationship or financially or whatever it may be, you just can't switch it up and on. “It was just a fantastic night and great to see. Mitch is now 32, so he's hoping for the next three or five years, stays fit and continues on a wonderful journey.” Marsh hasn't been called up to play Test cricket since 2019 and admitted he wasn’t sure if he would play again. Now, it appears the all-rounder is not going anywhere. Although he delivered a raw, heartfelt speech Marsh still found time to quip that he was “a bit fat” and loves a beer. Hughes believes characters like Marsh and Travis Head are the characters Australia need in their set-up going forward. “It's ideal timing for Australian cricket to have a couple of people like this in the team that are winning over the public in an era that people were not so sure about what's been going on,” he said. “It was a very Australian type of thing. They seem to have a breath of fresh air. Yes, it is important that they have a nice balance and I think that's what the supporters out there want to see. “They just want to see a good Australian bloke that doesn't get up himself, that has a balance of where he comes from and where he is and shows some real spontaneity." West Aussies Cameron Bancroft and Jason Behrendorff were also on the award winners list. Behrendorff won T20I Player of the Year, while Bancroft was named Domestic Player of the Year. Hughes was “absolutely wrapped” to see Bancroft claim the award. “That was a tremendous result for him and it's still staggering why isn't in the squad - irrespective of how well Smith went,” he said. “I just thought it was a wrong call, but they made that call and he got a 90 odd, not out. “When you think about it there will be some change. I mean next summer we've got India for five Test matches and then the following summer we've got England out here. “But you know it was incredible just over that couple of days how Test cricket has been given a real boost.” IMAGE: The Canberra Times

Perth Glory veteran David Williams has praised his side's fighting spirit as they look to build on a recent run of positive results. Despite a narrow 3-4 loss to Wellington Phoenix as part of the A-leagues' Unite Round, Perth notched up their first away-win in fifteen months against the more fancied Western Sydney Wanderers before claiming another valuable point on the road against Macarthur. Williams told 91.3 SportFM's The Hour of Glory programme that regardless of their ladder position, the team can take plenty of confidence into the second half of the season. "For us it's about taking each week and each result at a time, because if you look at the bigger picture we're still down (sic) the ladder, if we're thinking too much about that we'd always be a bit depressed," Williams said. "With the win last week and then the draw on the weekend just gone, I think we can take a bit of confidence into the rest of the season, knowing we've got a few more home games." he said. "The boys are happy, they're 'chirpy' and yoga wasn't as peaceful and quiet as it usually is," he joked. The 36-year old two-time Socceroo has come to the late-rescue of the Glory three times this season, scoring two late winners and an equaliser in recent weeks to the delight of long-suffering Perth fans. "The support is unbelievable even if sometimes there's only 20 at the (away) game or 10 and hundred's or thousands at home, I try to get them involved because it makes them feel part of it." Williams said. The Glory will again be tested this weekend when they take on Melbourne City on Friday night at HBF Park. Coach Alen Stajcic will be hoping for the support of the home crowd. "The feeling they (the players) get from playing at home from the fans (sic) is something they express all the time, I can't express how important it is for everyone to get out there and support them," Stajcic said. "What we have shown over the last couple of months and particularly in the last month is how much these players are fighting for the club," he said. While Perth have buoyed by the return of local talent Josh Rawlins from Dutch club Utrecht, they could again be without skipper and leading goalscorer Adam Taggart due to injury. IMAGE: Perth Glory

Perth Wildcats assistant coach Gerard Martin says his side is still taking it one game at a time as competition for finals spots ramps up. The Wildcats locked in a top-two finish after Saturday's 103-91 win against the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Melbourne. Table-toppers Melbourne United and Perth Wildcats are separated by one win with three rounds and four games left to play in the regular season. Gerard Martin told SportFM that the Wildcats are approaching each game individually in the lead-up to the playoffs. “We're just going to go one game at a time. It's been [John Rillie]’'s mindset and how he's approached each game. “We can't worry about what anyone else does and if we continue to do that, we'll be finishing in a great spot, whether that's first or second. “Going into the playoffs playing well is what really matters. We're just chipping away, trying to have a 1-0 mindset. Win today, win tomorrow, and then get to that game, win this game, and then follow on, then worry about Cairns, and then finish the season out with your line.” Looking ahead,  the Wildcats are celebrating the retro round on Sunday and retiring the jumper of  Damien Martin - a man who knows all too well about NBL finals with the Wildcats. The former captain played 310 games for the Wildcats, winning six NBL titles and captaining five of them before announcing his retirement in 2020. Retiring of the iconic number 53 jersey is yet another post-career accolade of Martin’s. In 2020, the NBL Best Defensive Player award was named after Martin - a six-time recipient of the award. Gerard Martin says it is a deserving honour for the Wildcats legend. “Obviously with him commentating in the games and he's involved in an agency with a few of our guys, you see him around,” he said. “He's always at Bendat bringing his kids to the camps and just a great human, like all-time funny…but unbelievable player, put his body on the line every game, was not afraid to get under the other team's skin, get his knees dirty, dive on the floor. “Definitely a deserving night for him to get his jersey in the rough.” IMAGE: Perth Wildcats

Former Australian Fast bowler Rodney Hogg says changes are needed within the Australian Test set-up following poor displays against the West Indies. Although Australia came away from the two-test series 1-all and retained the Frank Worrell trophy Australia’s batting has come under scrutiny. Marnus Labuschagne struggled yet again, producing an uncharacteristically low 19 runs across the two matches, while Travis Head made three ducks. Usman Khawaja finished as Australia’s top run scorer, however, his partner Steve Smith made scores of 12, 11 and 6 across three innings. Hogg told Sports Breakfast Australia’s poor batting line up needs to be addressed, and made futureproof. “(Labuschagne) was averaging over 60 and we thought, you know, he's a bit of a freak. 60 is pretty good in test cricket. He's had a bad 12 months, and we don't know why,” he said. “Our batting was pretty poor and we've lost the superstar in Warner. Even though Warner's last part of his career, he didn't get a lot of runs but Warner was a mega starter, the way he scored in Test cricket. “Khawaja is 37, so we've got to find a couple of openers really. “Smith's getting on in time we don't know how much longer Smith's going to play, so there are going to be some areas for batsman to get games in the Test team coming up.” Coming into the series, there was much debate about the opening batting spot left open by the recently retired David Warner. Names like Sheffield Shield top scorer Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris were thrown around but ultimately selectors promoted Smith up the order. In doing that, it enabled all-rounder Cameron Green to come into the side and bat at four. Hogg believes this decision was one of the “most controversial decisions of all time”. “Smith, at the twilight of his career who's never opened the batting once in his life, it was a band-aid appointment,” he said. “Smith might do that for a while, but we haven't nurtured (the future of Australian cricket). “I thought Bancroft deserved it, he went away after that Cape Town incident, and he's had two years of very good batting in Shield cricket and that's where I thought we picked our players from. So they disregarded the Shield situation and tried to get Green back in the team.” “In days gone by you might have sent Green back to Shield cricket just to get some runs under his belt. He's had a non-eventful summer, he hasn't played much cricket, so he hasn't made any runs…Green's development hasn't gone any distance. “Our system now doesn't work for us to develop test cricketers that well.” In late February and early March, Australia travels to New Zealand to play in three T20s and two tests. With New Zealand pitches tending to be more bowler-friendly and a struggling top-order, the selection will have some questions. Hogg says Australia is at the stage where changes will need to be made over the next year or so. “At full strength, New Zealand are a good side so they'll give us a run for our money,” he said. “It'll be interesting to come off this, see how the selectors react and see what happens with the Australian set-up. How much longer is our attack going to go for? Boland sat on his backside the whole summer, so he didn't get to bowl. “No one's been tried. We've had this New South Wales mafia attack and they've been fantastic, but how much longer will they play? “We're probably at a stage in the next year or 18 months where we'll have to make some changes. The opening batting and bowling will certainly be changed.” IMAGE: The Australian

Former Cricketer Bryce McGain believes the West Indies’ performance at the Gabba will rejuvenate the region’s love for test cricket. 24-year-old Shamar Joseph bowled the West Indies to a thrilling eight-run victory against Australia, taking 7/68 off 11.5 overs In only his second test, he has two five-wicket hauls under his belt, earning him the Player of the Series award. Before his match-winning spell, Shamar struggled to walk after being on the receiving end of a Mitchell Starc yorker. McGain told SportFM that Joseph bowled with maturity and speed which resulted in his heroic spell. “It just challenged all the batsmen so much and it was really impressive to knock over four of the Australian batting lineup and get the last wicket,” he said. “He had them out bowled, so he was attacking the stumps, the movement, he beat the edge, stumps everywhere. It was so impressive and he's a fast learner and he's getting rewarded for that. “The West Indies will be rejuvenated, the whole nation will be lifted by this and it can be a little spark that's a little brushfire in terms of young cricketers in the West Indies loving the game again.” Although the series was split 1-all and Australia retained the Frank Worrell trophy, there was plenty of upside for the visitors to take from the two matches. Aside from Joseph’s stellar showing with the ball, plenty of players also shone with the bat. Kirk Mckenzie fell one run short of being the series’ top run scorer, finishing on 138, while Josh De Silva and Kavem Hodge made 79 and 71 runs respectively in the first innings. McGain noticed the West Indies side that played this summer looked completely different to those who featured last summer. “It really had a different vibe about it to when we saw them out here last year. We saw a lot of disinterested cricketers,” he said. “This was a squad dedicated of 14-15 players dedicated to coming here and playing Test Cricket to the best of their ability. They learned so much in Adelaide and you could position the positives of how they played in Adelaide to then take on Australia up at the Gabba where Australia just don't lose. “They're not household names but they just fought so very hard. All their batters getting starts... These guys, they got the job done against our pace attack.” Once considered a Test powerhouse, the West Indies had not beaten Australia in two decades, with Sunday’s victory breaking that doubt. Many considered the West Indies an outside chance to beat Australia in the two-test series, given their recent decline in the Test cricket realm - largely due to the rise of T20 franchise cricket. McGain believes the discourse surrounding the West Indies' devotion to test cricket has been "disrespectful". “I think we treated them with a bit of disrespect, and they have hunted it down with players that love playing for the West Indies,” he said. “They love playing test cricket and they've shown that you can beat the big brother on their own turf.” IMAGE: The Sydney Morning Herald

The recent suggestion that Ben Cousins should be elevated into the Australian Football Hall of Fame is as misguided as it is poorly timed. Cousins was a champion footballer, an inspirational running machine who gave every drop of himself on the field until he was physically and emotionally spent. Fans and media loved him, team-mates were lifted by him, opponents admired him. He sits at the highest echelon of West Coast’s greatest players. Some astute observers have him at No.1 ahead of Peter Matera and Chris Judd; others in the top three or top five. No one was able to match Cousins at what he did best when he was at the peak of his powers in the early years of this century. And his team followed his lead to become the best in the country. Yet it would be unfeasible for Cousins to be inducted this year, or in the next few, while the memories of his rampant, chaotic and devastating personal life are still so strong. It is excellent news that Cousins appears to have overcome the drug addiction that sent his life into turmoil and caused extraordinary heartache for those closest to him. He is playing a limited role in football, taking small but steady steps into the media and appears to have accepted some family responsibilities. Like a young footballer emerging onto the scene, he has shown early promise in his new life. But just as footballers are not judged on early promise alone, Cousins cannot be recognised with the game’s highest honour until he has proved himself over an extended period. Making his potential elevation even more untenable is the fate of Barry Cable, an official hall of fame legend whose honours were stripped from him last year after a District Court judge found he had sexually abused a teenage girl in the 1960s. This was a civil trial at which Cable denied the allegations - but did not offer a defence - and was determined on the balance of probabilities. He has never been charged over the matter. Compare that to Cousins’ recent history which included six separate jail stints, including a seven-month term in 2020 for stalking the mother of his children in such a menacing manner that she was forced to secretly move house. Cable might not be worthy of the hall of fame under its good character requirement but, by that standard, neither is Cousins. At the deepest nadir of his fall, Cousins’ family started every day fearing the phone ringing because it might bring news of his death – either from a drug overdose, physical confrontation or car crash. It is telling that while people may be calling for Cousins to go into the hall of fame, West Coast have never nominated him for induction. The Eagles do not have to do so but given their position, and the likelihood that they are as well-informed as anyone on Cousins’ recovery and state of mind, they act as an effective barometer on his standing. Cousins should not be inducted this year but it is easy to identify which West Australian player is at the top of the list of quality candidates to be elevated into a body charged with recognising the best footballers from across the nation – not just those from Victoria nor the AFL era. John Gerovich was the latest legend to be included in WA’s hall of fame and given that he is the only one of that cohort of 18 – not counting Cable – who is not in the national body, it is imperative that his omission is rectified at the earliest opportunity. A spectacular high-flier whose outstanding stature was recognised with a prominent Fremantle Oval statue of the game’s most famous mark, Gerovich was a player of rare brilliance and considerable substance. He was named All-Australian at 18, still the youngest player to receive the honour, and was forever referred to by former POST columnist and fellow full-forward Austin Robertson as “football’s human astronaut” who would “turn a patch of turf into a trampoline”. Gerovich is the most prominent of more than a dozen WA footballers who have powerful cases to be recognised for their feats. Even if you discount those candidates from before World War II – imposing figures like inaugural Sandover medallist Tom Outridge, seven-time premiership ruckman George Owens who was named in a comprehensive 1946 statewide survey as WA’s greatest-ever player, pioneers Bill Bateman and Tom Wilson, or stars turned premiership coaches turned politicians Ross Hutchinson and Jerry Dolan – there are a host of suitable contenders. How about Les McClements, the mercurial Claremont star who Dolan and WA legend George Moloney said was a greater ruckman than Graham Farmer – after Polly had won the first of his Sandovers? Armed with movie star looks and an extraordinary vertical leap, McClements won the Tassie Medal as best player at the 1947 national carnival as well as multiple fairest and best medals. Ray Schofield started as a full-forward at West Perth but became Australia’s greatest full-back who beat the best Victorian spearheads in many of his 23 state appearances. One of football’s most controversial figures, it is often overlooked that Mal Brown was a superb player and far-sighted coach. He won a Sandover Medal and premiership at East Perth, coached South Fremantle to another flag and invented – inadvertently - the modern interchange system. The 1972 season produced by East Perth full-back Ken McAullay was one of the greatest in football history. He won a Tassie Medal and added two Simpsons, including one in the grand final win, during a year in which he helped WA to Sheffield Shield titles as an opening batsman. It is staggering that Gary Buckenara, a four-time Hawthorn premiership player and regular star in State of Origin matches, has been overlooked during the three decades that the hall of fame has been operating. Steve Malaxos captained Australia, WA, West Coast, Claremont and East Fremantle, won best player awards at three clubs – including becoming the first WA-based AFL player to do so – and flags at two. Started his two-decade career as a brilliant goal-kicker, became a midfield ball magnet and ended as a shrewd defender. The careers of this pair of Keiths overlapped and they could do so again in the hall of fame. Keith Harper was an outstanding wingman who captained Perth to their drought-breaking 1955 flag amid a career as a state regular and one of WA’s most known footballers. Ruckman Keith Slater was versatile enough to play Test cricket but will be best remembered for overcoming Polly Farmer in the 1961 grand final to help start Swan Districts’ hat-trick of flags. Add tough Mal Atwell, part of the murderers’ row backline at East Perth in the 1950s before who led Perth to three flags, and another brilliant Royal in Derek Chadwick whose career encompassed nine grand final seasons, and there are numerous suitable names for consideration. IMAGE: South Western Times / The West Australian