Should Shane Watson be dropped from the Test side?

image: www.smh.com.au

The turmoil in Australian cricket has probably intensified since I wrote my last piece about Shane Watson during the Indian Tour. There have been Twitter arguments, coach sackings, bar punch-ups against the opposition and it has meant that the performance in the field has suffered as a result. Yes, the Australians fought well at Trent Bridge but there were signs in that test that new coach Darren Lehmann has much work to do in turning the Australian XI into a very competitive unit at a minimum. However, Lehmann's ultimate aim is to develop the Australians into the best cricket team in the world.

How did it go so wrong? The mistakes of the 1980’s were large enough for the Australian Cricket Board (now rebranded as Cricket Australia) to develop a training academy so that the best available talent could be found and trained to be the world’s best. This process resulted in the development of a team that was remarkable in what it achieved. It appears that this model is now out-dated.

With all the off-field happenings it is no wonder that the Australian team has struggled and there has been little on-field stability since the retirements of Ponting and Hussey as the selectors seek consistency from the batting order. The one shining light in the batting has been Clarke’s form over the last 18 months. The bowlers have done their part not only with the ball but with the bat as well.

There appears to be a fractured relationship between Clarke and Watson, to the extent that Watson has lost the vice-captaincy to Brad Haddin who himself was recalled after Matthew Wade lost form.

Watson appears disinterested on the field and has been selfish through his use of the referral system. Michael Vaughan was almost scathing in his assessment of Watson’s technique during the second test, this sentiment was backed up by David Lloyd and again by former Australian Captain and cricketing great Allan Border. In my opinion, Watson has at times lacked the mental fortitude to perform at the highest level. He often throws his wickets away and has scored several 90’s before getting out going for the glory shot to pass the century.

In March, I questioned Watson’s commitment to the Australian Team and I still question whether he remains committed to the team. Watson still comes across as selfish and his first reaction to his 2nd Innings dismissal in the Lords test was to review the decision even though looked very unlikely to be overturned. The best option may be to drop Watson for the remainder of the Ashes series in England to allow him time and space to figure out where his priorities lie. This would allow Phil Hughes to open and Warner to bat at six with Smith at four or Warner could slot straight back into the opening spot with no other change to the batting order.

Despite all the assurances that there is no disharmony within the Australian team, actions are speaking much louder than words at the moment. This situation needs to be rectified quickly or it is quite possible that Australia will lose the current Ashes series in a 5-0 whitewash and the prospects for the Australian summer will look just as bleak.

Should the Adelaide Crows be allowed to field a reserves team in the SANFL?

image: www.sanfl.com.au

Every true SANFL supporter needs to have a position on the proposal for the Adelaide Crows and Port Power to field reserves teams in the SANFL from 2014. The proposal also involves the SANFL handing over control on the AFL licences to these clubs.

Admittedly I have not heard the entirety of the arguments proposed, however I have been able to form an opinion over the last few weeks/months. Many factors were considered and for a period of time I was in favour of the proposal. However this position changed in recent times due to several concerns/questions that remain unsolved or the answer is insufficient.

In terms of the inclusion of a Crows reserves team in the SANFL, I could see the value in this proposal as it would remove the bye at league level. It would also allow the coaching staff at Adelaide to have full control over positioning of players when they did not play in the senior side. It is not uncommon for AFL players to be dropped from the senior side only to end up in their aligned SANFL club's reserves side because they were not considered good enough to be in their best 21.

An AFL reserves side in the SANFL could allow the senior game plan to be reinforced, which means the players would only have to learn one game plan. However I am of the view that Adelaide would have to also field an Under 18’s side and an Under 16’s side if they entered the SANFL (i.e. the all or nothing approach). The issue with this revolves around the player drain from the other 8 clubs while these players are found (Port Adelaide already have this structure in place and would simply move the remainder of their playing list into the Magpies). This could potentially reduce the competitiveness of the other SANFL clubs in the future.

The removal of the bye could allow for a reduced SANFL season of 18 minor round matches plus finals. A shorter season has significant player welfare benefits with less physical strain on the body and less chance of impact injuries from match conditions. Player welfare has become topical over recent years with the inclusion of the bye at AFL level.

However with a proposal such as this there would be some financial consideration being paid by the clubs for the right to own the AFL licence and/or the payment of a potential licence fee to enter the SANFL. This would have to be considered against the current arrangement of a dividend that is paid to the SANFL clubs. For the SANFL to survive not only would a licence fee be required but there would need to be an annual payment made to each club.

Then it comes down to competitiveness, would an Adelaide Crows reserves team in the SANFL be competitive against the other clubs and how much importance would Adelaide place on performance in the SANFL? Does the SANFL want a club that may not have the desire to win the premiership within its ranks and therefore simply act as a feeder club to its AFL team?

These were the main issues for me and the lack of suitable answers around these points swayed my decision to not support the proposal. There are other issues around club history, tradition, and the potential to attract more supporters to SANFL games to name a few, but I consider the points above to be the most important. Not everyone will agree about this issue but some consensus will need to be made if the SANFL is to survive and remain the second best Australian Rules League in the land.