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. Cesc Fabregas Jersey . Sgt. Eric ONeal says most of the arrests at Monday nights game were for public drunkenness, though one person was taken into custody on suspicion of trying to steal a seat from the stadium. Ola Aina Jersey .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. http://www.chelseafcproshop.com/Kids-Willy-Caballero-Jersey/ .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Gary Cahill Jersey . It is a cliché dragged out by fans and pundits regularly when discussions take place around which teams are better than others. Eden Hazard Jersey . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. CANTON, Ohio -- The Latest on the Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions (all times local):---10:25 p.m.Brett Favre, footballs most durable quarterback and one of its greatest passers, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.The first three-time MVP (1995-97) and an NFL champion in 1996, Favre played 20 pro seasons with four teams. He defined toughness in appearing in a record 299 consecutive games, including 16 seasons with the Packers, a franchise he helped revitalize.A gunslinger with no fear on the field -- in addition to completing 6,300 passes for 71,838 yards and 508 touchdowns, he threw an NFL high of 336 interceptions -- Favre was a three-time All-Pro and made 11 Pro Bowls. His enthusiasm and love for the game marked his career, which began in Atlanta in 1991 and ended with the Vikings in 2010. He spent 2008 with the Jets.Favre, 46, was presented for induction by his wife, Deanna.---9:54 p.m.Tony Dungy, the first black coach to win a Super Bowl, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Known as much for his work as a mentor to players and insistence on athletes being good citizens, Dungy led the Indianapolis Colts to the 2006 NFL title. He also has a coaching tree that has featured Mike Tomlin, Herman Edwards, Jim Caldwell, Rod Marinelli, Leslie Frazier and Lovie Smith.A disciple of Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll, Dungy went 139-69 in 13 seasons, including 85-27 with the Colts from 2002-08. Before joining Indianapolis, Dungy turned around a perennial loser in Tampa Bay, taking the Buccaneers to the 1999 NFC title game.He was fired in Tampa in 2001 and the Bucs won the Super Bowl the next year with Jon Gruden as coach.Dungy, 60, was presented for induction by former teammate Donnie Shell.---9:15 p.m.Ed DeBartolo Jr., whose San Francisco 49ers became the first franchise to win five Super Bowls, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor.Presented by his daughter Lisa, DeBartolo was known as much for his compassion and care for people throughout his organization as for building a winning football team. Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young credits DeBartolo for working to create strong relationships between players and owners throughout the NFL.His teams won the league championships for the 1981, 84, 88, 89 and 94 seasons.The 69-year-old DeBartolo, who owned shopping malls, was embroiled in the corruption case against former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards and suspended by the NFL for the 1999 season after being found guilty of failing to report a bribe, a felony. After the suspension, DeBartolo gave control of the team to his sister.---9:03 p.m.Ken Stabler, one of the first great left-handed NFL quarterbacks, has been inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Nicknamed Snake for his elusiveness on and off the field, Stabler helped the 1970s Oakland Raiders win their first Super Bowl and make it to four other conference championship games in a five-year span.Stabler, who died last year, was elected by the Seniors Committee. He was known for some of the biggest plays in Raiders history: scoring a go-ahead touchdown in the 1972 Immaculate Reception playoff loss against Pittsburgh; throwing a late TD pass that Clarence Davis caught in a Sea of Hands to beat defending champion Miami the next season; and his intentional fumble forward in the closing seconds of a game against San Diego in 1978 that led to a touchdown -- the Holy Roller play -- and to a rule change.He was presented via video by Hall of Fame coach John Madden.---8:33 p.m.Colorful sacks specialist Kevin Greene has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Always a showman who also spent some time as a professional wrestler, Greenes 160 sacks are third most in NFL history. In 15 pro seasons for four franchises, Greene played linebacker and defensive end.Perhaps the most startling aspects of Greenes time with the Rams, Steelers, 49ers and Panthers were his durability and productivity. He missed just a dozen games, and 10 times finished with at least 10 sacks, including 12 with Carolina in his final season in 1999 at age 37.Twice an All-Pro, Greene also became a linebackers coach in Green Bay from 2009-13.Greene, 54, was presented by Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers.---8:20 p.m.Dick Stanfel, a star on the offensive line for two teams in the 1950s, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Stanfel, who died last year at age 87, helped the Detroit Lions win the NFL title in 1952 and 53. He earned All-Pro honors five times in his seven-season career, four years with Detroit and three with Washington, before retiring at 31 and going into coaching.A seniors committee nominee, Stanfel was considered one of the most technically sound blockers of his day, someone Hall of Famer Mike Ditka called a hell of a football player.He was presented for induction by Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy.---7:53 p.m.Orlando Pace, one of the NFLs dominaant offensive tackles for 13 seasons, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.ddddddddddddThe top overall draft choice by the St. Louis Rams in 1997, Pace became the anchor on the line for the Super Bowl-winning Greatest Show on Turf. He helped turn running back Marshall Faulk and quarterback Kurt Warner into NFL MVPs.Pace played a dozen seasons for the Rams before finishing his career with the Bears. A five-time All-Pro in an era featuring outstanding tackles, the 6-foot-7, 325-pound Pace was as adept as a run blocker as he was in pass protection.In an eight-season stretch from 1998-2005, Pace played every game in seven of those seasons. He was given the franchise tag three consecutive years.Pace, 40, was presented by his son, Justin.---7:30 p.m.Marvin Harrison, whose 143 receptions in 2002 are an NFL record, has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Harrison retired in 2008 with 1,102 catches, now third behind Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez. He had eight consecutive seasons with at least 1,100 yards receiving for Indianapolis, and won a Super Bowl in February 2007. His receptions, 14,608 yards and 128 touchdowns are all Colts franchise records. He topped the 100-catch mark four straight times.He was Peyton Mannings prime target for most of Harrisons career. Yet it took him three tries to get into the hall.A first-round draft pick in 1996, Harrison made eight Pro Bowls, was a three-time All-Pro, and missed only 18 games in 13 NFL seasons. Eleven of those were in 2007.Colts owner Jimmy Irsay presented Harrison, 43, for induction.---6:50 p.m.Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker began the induction ceremony Saturday night for the class of 2016 by noting the winners of several awards.ESPNs Chris Mortensen won the McCann Award from the Pro Football Writers of America for long and distinguished contribution to pro football through media coverage. Mortensen, currently undergoing cancer treatment, has covered the NFL for 32 years.Joe Browne, who worked for the NFL for 50 years and was a key aide to commissioners Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell, was honored with the halls Ralph Hay Pioneer Award. The award is presented periodically to an individual who has made significant and innovative contributions to professional football.CBS broadcaster James Brown has won the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, which recognizes longtime exceptional contributions to radio and television in the sport.---4:35 p.m.Ariana Luterman, 17, of Addison, Texas, is the U.S. Army-Pro Football Hall of Fame Award for Excellence winner.Luterman, one of 20 finalists vying for the honor, received the award at a luncheon Saturday during Hall of Fame induction weekend. On hand were several Hall of Famers: linebackers Derrick Brooks and Kevin Greene, cornerbacks Mike Haynes and Aeneas Williams, tackle Anthony Munoz, wide receiver James Lofton, running back Floyd Little and defensive end Jack Youngblood.Luterman is a rising senior and a triathlete.Ariana has demonstrated to her peers, teachers and coaches that she understands both the core of the Army ethos -- she never accepts defeat and quitting is never an option -- but also the Army values of loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage, said Mark Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for marketing.We are thrilled to recognize Ariana and all of our outstanding student-athletes here today. Each of our 20 finalists deserves recognition for their exceptional performance in athletics, academics and community involvement.The Award for Excellence program highlights the achievements of student-athletes across the country and is open to all sophomore, junior and senior high school athletes in the United States.---3:45 p.m.Fans headed to Saturday nights Hall of Fame induction ceremony who also attended Friday nights Tim McGraw concert to kick off the weekend were still buzzing about the show.McGraw, a huge football fan, had Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Mel Blount come on stage at the end of Something Like That. Blount even did a little singing, and Kelly called McGraw a Hall of Famer for one night.Several fans said they were impressed that the country stars opening song, How Bad Do You Want It? featured football videos behind the stage and around the stadium.A Packers fan from Milwaukee, wearing a No. 4 Brett Favre jersey who identified himself only as Lou (no last name, please; I aint supposed to be here) said he especially enjoyed when McGraw changed a line in I Like It, I Love It. The lyric usually is: I aint seen the Braves play a game all year, but McGraw substituted Packers.Hey, Tim McGraw one night, Brett going into the Hall of Fame the next, Lou said. Thats heaven.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '