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Aker calls for changeTriple premiership player Jason Akermanis has called on the AFL Coaches Association to block the appointments of inexperienced coaches.He says the romantic notion of an ex-club champion being reunited with their former club as coach is a recipe for disaster.The AFL Coaches Association should never allow anymore AFL players to come straight out of the game into coaching. Thats just crazy, Akermanis told ESPN.Not to be disrespectful to my great mate Michael Voss or Bucks (Nathan Buckley) and Leppa (Justin Leppitsch), but you need to take your time, go back to levels where there is average talent.Thats where you learn how to coach.Akermanis has come to the defence of Brisbane coach Leppitsch, whos facing mounting pressure following last weeks 138-point loss to Adelaide.It was the Lions ninth loss by 60 points or more in a season that has netted just two victories.He says sacking his former teammate will have little effect on reversing the clubs fortunes.You can put someone in with more experience but theyre going to more or less get the same outcome, Akermanis said.Getting rid of Leppa (Leppitch) is not going to be the answer. More importantly, theyve got to fix their recruiting and list management.If you replace anyone (at AFL level), the results are going to be the same. Its a sign of the times.The 2001 Brownlow Medallist, coach of Ovens and Murray club North Albury, says his hunger to coach at AFL level has dissipated.When Im 90 years old looking back, I dont see me being disappointed if I never make it (to AFL level), he said.To do what were doing here (North Albury) is such a great honour.At the moment Im going into my fourth year (as coach) and its been an unbelievable experience. Its been the best learning curve.The 39-year-old was overlooked for a development coach at Essendon last year.Climbing to new heightsAkermanis was always told to reach for the skies and now the AFL Hall of Fame member has taken it to another level with a soaring ambition to trek Mount Everest base camp.Akermanis plans to make the climb to the camp at 5300m in November with his wife, Megan.As long as you have a flexible metabolism and you can handle the loads, its not that hard, Akermanis said.We hope to take our daughters there when theyre older and stronger and show them the natural beauty and experience the challenging part of the trek. Theyll benefit from it for life.The 325-game champion is also aspiring to become a pro golfer.With a handicap of around four, Akermanis is refining his swing to qualify for the Japanese golf tour next year.The purpose is to always be the best you can be. If I dont make it, thats ok, he said.When youre competitive like me, its the worst game in the world to be an angry, competitive person.Its a big change from playing aggressive, combative football to turn to a calm, confident golfer.Crows destined for greatnessSuperstitious Adelaide fans believe the club is destined for premiership glory, should an eerie trend continue.The Crows could follow the path of modern era juggernauts Geelong and Hawthorn by winning the flag the year after losing its star player.The Cats defeated reigning champions Collingwood in 2011, without Brownlow medalist Gary Ablett who defected to the Gold Coast Suns at the end of 2010.The Hawks added two titles (2014 and 2015) when Lance Franklin headed to Sydney in 2013 under a record-breaking, multi-million dollar deal.This leaves the Crows in the box seat to claim its third flag in 26 years after losing its most damaging player -- ball-winning midfielder Patrick Dangerfield -- last year.The premiership pattern is already in effect, with the clubs dramatic ascension to third place.Dr Keis Ohtsuka, a psychology lecturer at Victoria University, says the Crows could realise its fate and achieve the ultimate.Its a real statistic, which can be really motivating. Its something that can help the Crows play better as a team, Dr Ohtsuka told ESPN.Even if it doesnt work, theres no harm in believing in a fairytale.If you ask the people in Adelaide, the passionate supporters, theyre more likely to believe this superstition.They will say its crucial to their success, given that its happened previously, and theyre more likely to believe it.However Dr Ohtsuka believes history doesnt always repeat itself.There are so many unknown factors in sport, he said.People get into trouble, particularly gamblers, when they believe in a random occurrences have some kind of pattern behind it, which may not happen again.Ruthless Ross losing battle to keep assistantsPeter Sumichs bombshell resignation as a Fremantle assistant coach isnt surprising to those who have worked under hardman Ross Lyon.ESPN has been told Lyon notoriously overworks -- and sometimes underappreciates -- his off-siders in a blinded pursuit to capture a premiership that has so far eluded him.Sumich, forever in the mix for senior coaching positions, is believed to have been drained by the demands of the ruthless Lyon.Last year, Dockers assistants Simon Lloyd and Brett Kirk returned to their home states.Its been reported that at least two current Dockers coaches wont have their contracts renewed in a second consecutive restructuring of the division.During Lyons reign at St Kilda, assistants Brian Royal, Andy Lovell and Stephen Silvagni resigned to take up offers at other clubs.Lyon has coached the Saints and Dockers to a combined four Grand Finals without success.Westpac Centre location wreaking havocCollingwoods move to the Westpac Centre on Olympic Boulevard a decade or so ago has resulted in one unhappy, unintended consequence.Because the venue is so centrally located, only a kilometre or two from the CBD, and because the Pies are the biggest and most newsworthy AFL club, the Westpac Centre is always a hive of media activity.Virtually every hour of every day, there are cameramen from Channels Seven and Nine at the ground, filming every training session and even informal goalkicking practice sessions.Reporters from Seven and Nine always attend the player and coach press conferences, but when theyre called away on other jobs, and happen to miss a training, they then pore over the tape which has been sent back to the office by the cameraman.If they can see that a player has left the track, theyll jump straight on the phone to Collingwood and ask one of the media team why such-and-such a player has gone into the rooms.Told theres nothing in it, the reporter will go back to scrolling through the rest of the vision. He might then call 10 or 15 minutes later -- having spotted something equally suspicious -- and make a similar request to the media department about another player who has fallen awkwardly or got up limping.There is virtually nothing the players do outdoors that is not filmed and dissected. So this is the small price the Pies pay for relocating to their wiz-bang, space-age headquarters by the Yarra.The rundown facilities, gym and grandstands at the Maggies original home, Victoria Park, might not have been in keeping with the modern, gleaming, wealthy image the club likes to project, but at least the players had a bit of privacy among the terraces in Collingwoods back blocks.Plugger finally opens upInterviews with the reclusive Tony Lockett are as rare as Yeti sightings, but former 3AW footy commentator and fishing guru Rex Hunt has succeeded where most have failed by getting the games champion goalkicker to agree to a lengthy chat.The interview with Plugger, which goes to air at 7.30am on Sunday on Melbourne radio station SEN, covers many aspects of his life, which is now mainly spent with his wife, Vicki, and four daughters at Bowral in the southern NSW highlands.Lockett, who turned 50 in March, kicked 1360 goals in 281 games with St Kilda then Sydney, breaking Gordon Coventrys 62-year record when he booted his 1300th goal in 1999.He retired in 2002, having won the Brownlow Medal, the Coleman Medal (four times), kicked more than 100 goals in a season on six occasions (an AFL record). Lockett is also a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame.And just how reclusive and media-shy is he?In 2006, big Plugger famously drove down to Melbourne from his country New South Wales home to accept his Hall of Fame award -- then promptly made the return trip the same night to avoid any of the fanfare that came with his induction.And in April this year, at St Kildas Hall of Fame dinner, he decided to attend to pay tribute to his former teammate and the Saints newest official Legend, Robert Harvey.After giving a warm speech about Harvey, Lockett then -- instead of taking a seat in the auditorium with the punters and Saints faithful -- disappeared back to the green room which had been provided for him backstage.Thats where he stayed for a majority of the evening, safely tucked away from the masses, and welcoming a revolving door of former teammates including Stewart Loewe, Michael Roberts and Danny Frawley.Random stats of the week:?11: The number of straight wins Hawthorn have achieved when Ben Stratton hasnt played. Stratton injured his pectoral against Melbourne and will miss this weekends big game against North Melbourne but that wont cause as much heartburn at Hawthorn HQ as you might imagine. While the half-back is a key member of the Hawks defensive six, it appears his absence hasnt necessarily affected his teams chances in the past. Stratton has missed 11 games in the past five seasons, yet Hawthorn have managed to win all 11 of those matches by an average of 60 points.14: The equal-record number of marks former Hawk and Eagle Xavier Ellis took in Hawthorns 2008 premiership win. Ellis called it quits this week after being struck down by the latest in a series of soft-tissue injuries. He played 120 games over 11 seasons, but few were more impressive than his performance in the 2008 decider when he took 14 marks - a grand final record that he jointly owns with two ruckmen: John Barnes (Geel, 1995) and Essendon great Simon Madden (1985).555: Speaking of Hawks, Shaun Burgoyne just keeps motoring along and is almost certain to play on and add to his 314 games next year, according to club spies. But this weekend, he and his brother Peter (who played 240 matches for Port Adelaide) play their 555th game as brothers, moving into joint third place on the all-time list. The Maddens lead the way on 710 games (378 for Simon and 332 for Justin), ahead of the Nankervis boys on 578 (325 for Ian and 253 for Bruce), while the Burgoynes will now join the Cornes (255 for Chad and 300 for Kane) on 555. Rock Ya-Sin Youth Jersey . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. Bobby Okereke Jersey . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. http://www.coltsofficialstore.us/authentic-marvin-harrison-colts-jersey/ . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Rock Ya-Sin Jersey .B. - Sebastien Auger made 44 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the visiting Acadie-Bathurst Titan 2-1 on Saturday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Reggie Wayne Youth Jersey .com) - The women will also have a new champion at the Australian Open. NEW YORK -- The New York Islanders are suddenly playing with confidence, and that may help them escape from the bottom of the Eastern Conference.The Islanders will try to extend their longest winning streak of the season to four games Sunday night when they face Frans Nielsen and the Detroit Red Wings for the first time this season.New York (9-10-4) opens a three-game homestand looking for its fifth win in eight games versus Detroit. The Islanders went 1-2-0 against the Red Wings in 2015-16 with the only win coming Feb. 15 in Brooklyn. Brock Nelson opened the scoring in a three-goal second period and Thomas Greiss stopped 28 shots in the 4-1 victory.During the Islanders current streak, Griess has turned away 56 of 60 shots en route to wins over the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins. But Jaroslav Halak delivered his finest performance of the season on Thursday, making 38 saves for his first shutout of the season and 40th of his career in a 3-0 win against the Washington Capitals.To be able to string three in a row together -- especially with back-to-back against two of the best teams in the league -- is huge for us, said Shane Prince, who had the game-winner against the Capitals. Weve got to build off it and keep going.The Islanders may have a better chance of achieving that with Griess starting over Halak.In his last three starts against Detroit, Halak has struggled, posting a 1-2 record with a 4.40 goals-against-average and .825 save percentage. Greiss has made two starts among three career appearances versus the Red Wings, and has a 2.31 GAA and .913 save percentage.The Islanders, last in the Metropolitan Division as well as in the East, are still struggling to generate offense as they have been held to three goals or less 19 times, including 10 games at the Barclays Center (3-4-3).Facing Detroit may be what John Tavares needs to snap out of a season-long slump. Tavares has a goal and five assists in aa four-game points streak versus the Red Wings, and is averaging better than a point per game in his career against them (12 games, four goals, 11 assists).ddddddddddddTavares, who has averaged 29.5 goals per season coming into 2016-17, has just six in 23 games to tie Nelson for the team lead.As for Nielsen, he played 606 games over 10 seasons with the Islanders, totaling 119 goals and 230 assists. Nielsen told Newsday that he expects to be nervous at first when facing the team that selected him in the third round in 2002 NHL Draft.After a couple of shifts, it should be okay, he said. I still have a lot of friends over there and I want to see them do well. Hopefully well both be where we want to be by the end of the season.Needing a replacement for longtime star Pavel Datsyuk, who returned to Russia, the Red Wings signed Nielsen to a six-year, $31.5 million contract in July. A native of Denmark, Nielsens best season came in 2013-14 when he set career highs with 25 goals and 33 assists in 80 games.A two-time 20-goal scorer, Nielsen scored his third goal in five games and sixth of the season Saturday, but Detroit (11-11-3) squandered a two-goal lead after two periods and fell 5-3 to the Penguins.One thing I always took pride in when I was in New York was my consistency, being able to do that same things every night on the ice, Nielsen told Newsday. Thats been a little too up and down here. Maybe its from overthinking a bit, getting used to a new style of play.With Jimmy Howard day-to-day with a groin injury and Jarred Correau having lost his NHL debut Saturday, the Red Wings are likely to go with Petr Mrazek in goal.Mrazek is 6-5-3 with a 2.83 GAA and .907 save percentage. One of his career-high 27 wins last season came in Brooklyn, where he stopped 27 shots in a 4-2 win on Jan. 25. ' ' '