AFL stunned as player admits he's expecting a tough contest
Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:45 amTHE AFL was a football world in turmoil today after a series of explosive revelations from Melbourne's Matthew Bate.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Queen's Birthday clash against Collingwood, Bate stopped reporters in their tracks at a press conference when he admitted he was expecting the Pies to present a tough challenge on Monday.
He further stunned reporters by saying he believed that recent injuries to David Neitz and Russell Robertson would "open the door' for some younger Melbourne players and give them a chance to show if they were good enough to make it at senior level.
Under sometimes fierce questioning, he also reluctantly conceded that it was "always good" to play in big games at the MCG against big opponents such as Collingwood.
And he revealed that, despite Melbourne's horror start to the season, morale amongst the boys was really good, and that they were working hard and committed to turning their year around.
Bate's revelations left seasoned media campaigners stunned.
"I've never seen or heard anything like it," said Herald Sun footy writer Mike Robinson-Barrett. "Footy players these days are media-trained within an inch of their lives, so I thought I'd never again see the day when a player would so openly speak his mind.
"It was a throwback to the 60s and 70s. He just came right out with it – we had no idea he was going to drop such bombshells.
"Honestly, you could have heard a pin drop when he said that stuff about everybody being supportive of the coach but just needing a bit more time to adjust to the new game plan. We simply didn't know what to make of it.
"The hardest part from the media's point of view was deciding what to lead with – there was simply so much good material to choose from. In the end I opted to go with the stuff about how the introduction of some younger players this season had revitalised the playing group and given the older players a real lift.
"If only every press conference was like this it would make our jobs much easier," Robinson-Barrett said.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Queen's Birthday clash against Collingwood, Bate stopped reporters in their tracks at a press conference when he admitted he was expecting the Pies to present a tough challenge on Monday.
He further stunned reporters by saying he believed that recent injuries to David Neitz and Russell Robertson would "open the door' for some younger Melbourne players and give them a chance to show if they were good enough to make it at senior level.
Under sometimes fierce questioning, he also reluctantly conceded that it was "always good" to play in big games at the MCG against big opponents such as Collingwood.
And he revealed that, despite Melbourne's horror start to the season, morale amongst the boys was really good, and that they were working hard and committed to turning their year around.
Bate's revelations left seasoned media campaigners stunned.
"I've never seen or heard anything like it," said Herald Sun footy writer Mike Robinson-Barrett. "Footy players these days are media-trained within an inch of their lives, so I thought I'd never again see the day when a player would so openly speak his mind.
"It was a throwback to the 60s and 70s. He just came right out with it – we had no idea he was going to drop such bombshells.
"Honestly, you could have heard a pin drop when he said that stuff about everybody being supportive of the coach but just needing a bit more time to adjust to the new game plan. We simply didn't know what to make of it.
"The hardest part from the media's point of view was deciding what to lead with – there was simply so much good material to choose from. In the end I opted to go with the stuff about how the introduction of some younger players this season had revitalised the playing group and given the older players a real lift.
"If only every press conference was like this it would make our jobs much easier," Robinson-Barrett said.
