ERST LESEN! » aces (45.5%).In contrast, the chalk has thr

Jaeger bombs out Gold Coast have all but surrendered retaining much-hyped youngster Jaeger OMeara.The out-of-contract star is on the cusp of making a return to senior ranks as he overcomes a serious patella tendon injury, sustained at the beginning of the 2015 season.But ESPN understands OMearas teammates firmly believe the 22-year-old wont play for the Suns next year, with lucrative deals on offer from Victorian clubs.OMeara, who won the 2013 Rising Star Award, has delayed contract talks until he has made a successful return at AFL level.He has played two time-restricted matches for the Suns NEAFL side in recent weeks.The club hopes OMeara will play his first match since August 31, 2014 against?Fremantle at Metricon Stadium in Round 18.Beveridge the new Jagger? Victorian amateur club St Bedes/Mentone will celebrate the 10th anniversary of its 2006 C-Grade VAFA premiership next month, and front and centre in those celebrations will be the AFLs coach of the moment, Luke Beveridge.Beveridge, who has transformed the down-at-heel Western Bulldogs into legitimate premiership contenders over the past two years, took St Bedes/Mentone to three straight VAFA flags, from C-Grade to A-Grade in 2006-2008, a feat that had never been achieved in the leagues 124-year history.That run of success helped get his name noticed among AFL clubs and Collingwood took a punt on him in 2009, as a development coach under Mick Malthouse.ESPN learned this week, ahead of the Tigers 2006 flag party, that the St Bedes squad connected straight away with Beveridge - and some of his novel motivational techniques - and understood he had a rare gift to communicate with, and unify, a team.Luke Wintle,?who captained the club during Beveridges reign at the Tigers, said he wasnt surprised by his ascension from suburban coach to premier AFL tactician.Hes a lateral thinker. Hed often step away from routine and come up with different ways to inspire the group each week, Wintle told ESPN.One time he was strutting around like Mick Jagger. The boys would be in stitches but there was always method to his madness.He just wanted us to be more confident and play with some flare out on the field.As injuries threatened to derail the Bulldogs season, Wintle believes Beveridges commitment to his players has maintained the clubs standing in the top four.Bevos as invested in his best players as he is with the fringe players, he said.He gets the best out of everyone and then equips the group to allow them to be self-driven.Beveridge had a taste as a coach at league level during his stints at Collingwood and Hawthorn, and Wintle believed that experience was enough to make him hungry to lead his own side.Before that, I dont think he ever set out to be a senior AFL coach, he said. He certainly had the qualities required to be at the elite level, but I dont think it was a burning ambition of his.?Im not surprised that the Bulldogs have made remarkable strides since he took over. Hes a remarkable communicator and unifier of men.Port Adelaide issues Pokemon warning? The Pokemon craze has got so out of hand that Port Adelaide officials have been forced to issue a warning to fans, instructing them not to hunt Pokemon Go characters which may have ventured on to Alberton Oval during training sessions - or even practice matches.The Port website on Wednesday warned: Our footy department just has one request: Please dont walk onto Alberton during the middle of a training drill or game, no matter how important it is to get the Charizard that suddenly appears ... ?This is how crazy the phenomenon has become, and it seems AFL players are not immune from the games addictive charms.(For the uninitiated, Pokemon Go is a free app that allows users to play a virtual reality version of the popular 1990s Nintendo game, hunting and catching Pokemon - bizarre fictional creatures - that appear on their phone camera).But having issued their warning, the Port Adelaide media team then proceeded to tell supporters where to find the virtual monsters at the club.While youre getting all nostalgic with the latest Poke-craze to take over the world (and probably having your parents and millennials rolling their eyes at your bliss), portadelaidefc.com.au has put together a complete guide to the monsters roaming around Alberton, the website said. In one walk we picked up Geodude, Ponyta, Rapidash, Sandshrew, Mankey, Zubat, Growlithe.GWS forward Jeremy Cameron and St Kildas Maverick Weller outed themselves this week as huge Pokemon Go fans, joining the likes of Alex Rance, Jack Viney and Matt White among the AFLs confessed addicts.Cameron tweeted on Wednesday: Going for a walk with the missus to catch some Pokemon.Weller, meanwhile was unhappy with Melbournes rain, tweeting to teammate Blake Acres on Tuesday: This weather no good to go catch your Pokemon ay.Before Saturdays win against GWS, Collingwood even tweeted that it had caught a wild Squirtle in the Giants race at Spotless Stadium.If Richmonds players look slightly distracted over the coming weeks, perhaps the Pokemon Go craze can be blamed. After the game on Saturday night, there is a group of us (at Richmond) who have our own team, All-Australian defender Rance told the AFL Exchange podcast this week.(We played) it last night, it was pretty embarrassing. I walked down to the oval and it shows grass rustling on the screen and next thing you know - boom, a Pokemon jumps out at you.That rustling sound you hear is Phonse Kyne, Norm Smith and Allan Jeans all rolling their graves.Graham punts sneaky Tiger officials Western Bulldogs football operations boss Ben Graham was fired up on the interchange bench as Richmond threatened to snatch an unlikely victory?on Saturday night.But it wasnt what was unfolding on the field at Etihad Stadium that made the former Geelong captain see red.With uncertainty surrounding the severity of midfielder Tom Liberatores rib injury, sneaky Richmond officials standing in the umpires race tried to peer over at the coachs whiteboard lying on the Bulldogs bench.Graham was quick to spot the daring spies and angrily gestured for them to move on.The NFL punting pioneer later approached an Etihad Stadium staffer urging him to be more vigilant.Little did the Tigers employees know that Liberatore, son of 1990 Brownlow medallist Tony, had been taken by ambulance to hospital.The Western Bulldogs didnt return calls from ESPN to confirm whether a formal complaint to the AFL or Etihad Stadium was made.?Cowan replacement could be a Shaw thing Melbourne have been the pacesetter when it comes to womens football and were deservedly awarded a place in the new national womens competition, which kicks off in February next year.Sadly for the Demons, the coach who has put in so many of the hard yards with them, Michelle Cowan, will remain in Perth and will coach Fremantles womens team.Cowan had been commuting from Perth to work in player development with the Demons and to coach their womens team.So its back to square one for the Demons, but one coach they should be looking for is working just a few kilometres down the road, absent from the AFL scene but achieving huge success all the same.That would be Robert Shaw, the firebrand former Fitzroy and Adelaide coach, whose last full-time involvement was as Fremantles football manager when Mark Harvey was coach.Shaw has turned Brighton Grammar into a football powerhouse, winner of the last two APS premierships and on top of the ladder with three games to play this year.Melbournes Jayden Hunt is one of his success stories, along with Christian Salem and GWSs Josh Kelly. Andrew McGrath, Brightons captain this year, is shaping as a high draft pick at the end of the year.ESPN understands Shaw, who dabbles with some analysis on the Essendon website and appears weekly on SEN 1116, is keen to get back into the AFL system, and his work with Brighton Grammar shows his mastery at teaching and coaching which would be a key requirement in the fledgling competition.Paul Roos has expressed some interest in coaching Melbournes womens team next year and the job is surely his if he wants it. It would be a marketing boon for the new competition.But his former coach at Fitzroy still has a point to prove in footy and is itching for the chance to become involved in the AFL once more. And he has the runs on the board.Poppys remembrance day Some guys have all the luck.Paul Puopolo arrived at Hawthorn in 2010 as an unheralded small forward, having had a successful if hardly glittering career at SA club, Norwood.Less than six years later, Poppy has played in three AFL premierships and become a mainstay in one of the great teams of all time.To underline his good fortune (and good play), Puopolo last week notched up his 100th victory with the Hawks in just his 126th AFL appearance. That puts him at No.10 on the all-time list of players who have reached 100 wins in double-quick time.Geelong and Collingwood forward Travis Varcoe tops the list, needing just 113 appearances to rack up his 100 wins; his captain at Geelong, Joel Selwood, is not far behind on 118.Spare a thought then for a couple of current AFL players who drew the short straw on draft day and ended up at clubs that have struggled to achieve success. Ruckman Jonathan Giles is one such player. After stints at the fledgling GWS, then Essendon, the now West Coast Eagle has tasted victory in just six of his 49 games, at the paltry rate of 10.9 percent.RANDOM STATS OF THE WEEK: Fewest days to 100 games:? 1463 - Wayne Schimmelbusch (NM) 1476 - Luke Breust (Haw) 1483 - Glenn Jakovich (WC) 1485 - Sam Gibson (NM)300 - Two Scotts reach the 300-game milestone this weekend: Adelaide midfielder Scott Thompson and field umpire Scott Jeffery. Thompson is set to become the 75th player in VFL/AFL history to bring up the triple ton (and the fourth this season after Nick Riewoldt, Shaun Burgoyne and Drew Petrie). Jeffery, a Tasmanian, becomes the 20th field umpire to reach the milestone.Most goals kicked outside Victoria: 500 - Matthew Pavlich (Frem) 445 - Jonathan Brown (Bris) 405 - Tony Lockett (StK, Syd) 404 - Warren Tredrea (Port)Zack Steffen Jersey . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Timothy Weah Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . http://www.usasoccerauthority.com/geoff-cameron-usa-jersey/ .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. Kellyn Acosta Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Chris Pontius USA Jersey . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros.There was a valuable lesson contained within a $411,188.06 payout in Gulfstream Parks Rainbow Pick 6 Jackpot on Aug. 6.The handicapping genius who was the only one to correctly select all six winners made excellent use of a $2,160 bankroll, electing to use 10 of the 11 horses in one of the races.While its hardly unusual for a Pick 6 player to wheel a race (using all of the horses in that race) or include virtually all of the horses, what stood out here was the horse left off the ticket was the favorite in the race.And thats why they call it gambling.By taking a stand against the favorite -- who finished fifth -- that handicapper wound up having the $59.40 winner on that ticket and was ultimately rewarded with a life-changing payoff.While cashing a Pick 6 ticket would be a dream come true for a modest player, anyone can benefit from the wagering strategy and confidence that went into that huge payday at Gulfstream Park.As much as some handicappers like to focus their wagers on favorites so that they can cash a winning ticket more often, these chalk players are actually working against the odds. Even if favorites win 33 percent of the time, that means they lose 67 percent of the time.Its those numbers that illustrate why a handicapper would always be wise to exploit a vulnerable favorite. Youre chasing bigger payoffs, and, yes, about 67 percent of the time it makes sense to bet against the chalk.While a handicapper should always strive to pick winners, sometimes it can work out just as well when you find a race where you do not like the favorite. By spreading your wagers a little more than usual in that race, you just might cash a ticket that puts you in the black for the rest of the day.And if youre worried that the horse everyone but you seems to like will beat you, remember, about 67 percent of the time that horse will lose. So go ahead, take a chance.In case you have forgotten already, thats why they call it gambling.To help in understanding when it makes sense to latch on to a favorite or avoid it like a cold, lets take a look at whats happening at the Graveyard of Favorites, Saratoga Race Course -- which is actually embracing the chalk in a manner more befitting Aqueducts inner-track meet.From July 22 through Aug. 12, there have been 187 races at the Spa -- not including steeplechase events. In those races, the betting favorite has prevailed in 72 of them, which amounts to a very respectable rate of 38.5 percent.With so many favorites crossing the finish line first, it would seem like nirvana for chalk players. But if they tried to stretch their luck into the exotics, they are no doubt struggling.While betting the two favorites in an exaacta might seem quite sensible while youre analyzing past performances, in reality betting on the two favorites in a race, in the long run, accounts for low payoffs and a low winning percentage.ddddddddddddAs much as the second choice has indeed wound up second behind the favorite more often than any other option in the wagering, your chances of cashing on the chalk running 1-2 are less than you might think.Of those 72 wins by favorites at Saratoga, on 25 occasions the second choice finished second. That might sound good in theory, but it averages out to a chalk exacta happening 13.7 percent of the time -- which is a rather low mark considering that 11 of those exactas paid $10.80 or less.Interestingly, playing the second choice over the favorite in the exacta has generated much weaker results as it has happened just nine times, or 4.8% of the time. Box the two favorites and youre winning at a rate of just 18.2% (34 of 187) -- which means youre losing 81.8% of the time.What can help in putting those numbers to work for you is an understanding of when the favorite is more likely to shine or stub its toe.In breaking those numbers down by the categories of races, turf claiming races have been a weak area for favorites.So far favorites have been victorious in just 22.7 percent of turf claimers (5 of 22 races) and have been first or second in 10 of the 22 races (45.5%).In contrast, the chalk has thrived in dirt claimers. Favorites have won 17 of 35 (48.5%) main-track claiming races and have been first or second in 25 of those 35 races for a stellar mark of 71.4%.Favorites have also excelled in dirt stakes, where they have won 7 of 15 races (46.6%) and been first or second 12 of 15 times (75%), and turf stakes, where favorites have won 6 of 9 races (66.6%) with no runner-up finishes.If youre looking for an opportunity to cast a thumbs down on a favorite, the best spots have been maiden special weight races on dirt (1 for 5, 20%), maiden special weight races for New York state-breds on dirt (0 for 4), starter allowance races on turf (0 for 4) and allowance races on turf (4 of 14, 28.5%).Keep all of those numbers in mind the next time you stumble across a favorite that you dont like. Rather than follow the pack and reluctantly back it, by sticking to your first instincts, youll actually have the percentages on your side and you could be staring at your big payoff of the day.Yes, taking a gamble can certainly have its rewards, even if youre not playing the Pick 6.For more stories like this check out Americas Best Racing. ' ' '