http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/130287/default.aspx?utm_source=AFL+and+club+newsletters&utm_campaign=f3c2159ad7-Runner_NAB4&utm_medium=emailMIDFIELDER Bernie Vince won't play in his home town cricket grand final this weekend after Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson labeled it as unnecessarily risky so close to the premiership season.
Vince has played cricket for Stansbury on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula for years, but was told by his coach to forget about rolling his arm over on the weekend.
"He's played in eight grand finals in a row, but this week he'll be watching from the sidelines," Sanderson said.
"We're very close to the start of the season, we can't risk any players being exposed to any unnecessary risks.
"That's not just for Bernie, that's for the whole team as well. It's football season now."
West Coast's Nic Naitanui became the AFL's hottest talking point this week with a spectacular half-time dunk at a basketball game in Perth, but Sanderson said he wouldn't allow such a display at West Lakes.
"We do everything possible for our players to play well on Saturday and I'm not sure if the dunk comp is the right decision, but that's something for West Coast to decide," he said.
Sanderson said Vince hadn't requested permission to play after Friday night's NAB Cup clash against Collingwood, but when asked what he'd say if Vince had done so, the coach was blunt: "No."
With almost an entire list to choose from heading into its clash with the Magpies, Adelaide is perfectly placed to reach its first pre-season Grand Final since 2008.
While Sanderson maintains he is most concerned about preparing his side for round one, this week he said he is focused on Collingwood.
"There's been no talk, internally at this footy club this week, about anything other than beating Collingwood on Friday night," he said.
"Any time you get to play Collingwood on your home deck we owe it to our supporters and fans that we play well and we play the Crows way."
Sanderson once shared a house with Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley in Melbourne while both playing for the Magpies in the 1994.
While they remain close, Sanderson said their friendship would be put on hold on Friday night.
"We've remained in contact for the last 15 or 16 years; we're very close friends," he said.
"But the best of enemies this weekend.
"I'm sure we'll shake hands at the end of the game and go back to being friends, but I think we'll always be arch enemies when it comes to coaching."
Despite this week's efforts centred on beating the Magpies, Sanderson said his side would enter the match with a strict game plan and that it wouldn't be changed, regardless of whether a Grand Final berth was on the line.
"We're going to take players off no matter what the score is … regardless of the score, the situation of the game, we'll stick to our plan this week."
Posted: Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:57 pm
