July issue of Inside Football

In these equalised times – an AFL draft to spread the talent fairly across 18 lists, and strict control over player salaries and football department spending – what separates winners from losers? Answer: small advantages and increasingly fine margins. Plus something else too, a commodity that carried the Western Bulldogs to last year’s premiership: belief. Used in the football sense — meaning faith and confidence — belief is a powerful force. But as premiership coach Luke Beveridge has been noting while his team struggles to replicate its form of late last season, it’s a fragile phenomenon, hard to find and easy to lose.

What is featured this month…

POWER OF BELIEF: HOW FOOTBALL MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS
A famous Grand Final boilover got MICK ELLIS pondering why teams win and lose at football. It’s taken a decade but he reckons he’s worked out the ingredients of AFL success – and they’re probably not what you think. Boil the kettle and find a comfortable chair…

ANY ‘DANGER’ OF SOME PERSPECTIVE?
Modern-day players like Patrick Dangerfield who believe football is harder for today’s forwards (and mids) are underestimating the champions of the game, writes NATHAN BURKE.

TOP SHELF LOADED…BUT CUPBOARD BARE BELOW
The Under 18 National Championships have been run and won. BRETT ANDERSON unveils his first AFL Draft Big Board for 2017 listing his top 20 standout players as it stands.

JOLLY FINE CAREER
Ruckman Darren Jolly built a superb two-premiership resume at three AFL clubs, before famously joining the building game.

SLOW BERN: A BRIEF HISTORY OF BERNIE VINCE
The Melbourne midfielder is a man with varied interests, as he tells RUSSELL HOLMESBY.

LONG AND SHORT OF ALLEN DANIELS
Lippy, funny, sometimes inappropriate, the former Bulldogs wingman had a relatively brief career but left a lasting impression, writes PAUL AMY.

FATHER TIME
Melbourne timekeeper Wally Spry was an integral figure in football more than a century ago, writes Lynda Carroll.

VFL | HAWK PUTS HIMSELF IN AFL FRAME
Youngster captures hearts as a pressure forward with an A-grade game.

NEAFL | IT’S ONLY A FLESH WOUND!
Redland ruckman Sam Michael blew his ACL early in the state game against Tassie but played on regardless.

SANFL | BUTCHER NEEDS TO SHARPEN ACT
Boom recruit must come to the rescue as Central District’s season threatens to slip away.

WAFL | DOMINANT DUO SET FOR DRAFT
AFL recruiters simply cannot ignore the form of South Fremantle’s mature-aged midfielders.

Plus…

THE LOCAL WHITEBOARD
We highlight the newsmakers, upset specials, milestone men and games to watch in metro and country football in June.

A WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF UMPIRING
The official word on officiating is that numbers are up, the support network is stronger and the career opportunities are plentiful.

And finally…

Does the Bucks finally stop here?; Trouble in new development pipeline; Out of Harmes way; Woes bite big Croc; Simpson’s spin cycle; Rossy's coaching "chook lotto"; A premiership star on the move and an AFL heavy hitter in 'affair' bit of strife – we reveal some of the whispers around the corridors of power.

All this and more in the July issue of Inside Football magazine.

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