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About Rohan Connolly
About Rohan Connolly
Rohan Connolly is a senior football writer for The Age. He analyses the AFL in both the weekday and weekend editions of the paper as well as providing a weekly video preview on realfooty.com.au. Connolly began his newspaper career on The Sun News-Pictorial in 1983. He joined The Age in 1987 as a sports sub-editor but returned to writing shortly after, specialising in football. He joined The Sunday Age as deputy sports editor in 1990, taking over as chief football writer in 1993. Rohan has contributed to a number of books about AFL football, has worked extensively in pay TV, and is a regular part of radio station 3AW's football coverage.
11 rushed behinds: rule change needed
Yet again, the issue of deliberately rushed behinds has emerged. In a grand final, no less. And this time, no one can argue a case of sour grapes from a loser. Not when the coach of the winning team was himself calling for change.
Happy, getting happier
Saturday's grand final was a ripper. Played in perfect conditions, before the first six-figure crowd for more than 20 years, which made a noise befitting the occasion, sadly not always the case on this day of days.
Bold, brave Hawks upset shabby Cats
It wasn't supposed to happen. Not yet, anyway. Not when Hawthorn was up against a team that had lost only two of its past 44 games of football.
Clarkson the Faith healer
The Hawks have finally been convinced that Alastair Clarkson is one of them.
Hird 'no' to comeback
Former Essendon champion scotches this newspaper's report that he was considering a return to the game in 2009.
Dogs have their day with a pup they nurtured
Adam Cooney makes his fifth season his finest.
Different ingredients - new dish
Don't look to round 17 as an accurate guide, this grand final will bring fresh meaning to the term 'whole new ball game'.
Together in electric teams
Ablett and Bartel are favourites. But Corey or Selwood could fill the trifecta.
Hawks live up to their hype
The cynics, this one included, smiled wryly when people began looking ahead to a Geelong-Hawthorn grand final as early as last April.
Campbell Brown moving forward
Versatile Campbell Brown is happy to remain Hawthorn's "swing man".
Lack of thrills aside, top four's ascent shows finals system is in good health
Let's be honest, this hasn't been the most riveting of finals series so far. Six games, no major upsets, and the narrowest margin still more than five goals.
Ready for a dogfight
Nothing to lose. You're going to be hearing that a fair bit over the next week. In fact, we've heard it plenty already in the couple of days since the Western Bulldogs won their way into their first preliminary final for 10 years.
Leadership
The gap between what the public perceives of leadership and how it is viewed by sporting teams is vast, and growing larger.
Pie Warmer
Nathan Buckley's successor in the No. 5 guernsey is respected for his penchant to help teammates off the field as well as on it.
The Bulldog barometer
Dedicated to his club, if Mitch Hahn goes well, the Dogs go well.
Pie in the sky
Collingwood has as good a chance as anyone of stopping Geelong's march to another premiership, but it will have to make history to even get the chance.
Roos need a clean-up, not a reconstruction
The Kangaroos will surely cop their share of critical whacks to the head this week.
Collingwood adds an edge to finals campaign
Geelong and St Kilda have enough motivation but now there's the smell of fear. And its name is Collingwood.
Swans turn back time with display of grit
You don't play in 11 of 13 finals series without building huge reserves of character. Which helps explain why Sydney is alive into week two of another September.
Lethal: no fear and few rivals
Only three men have been involved in more VFL/AFL premiership victories from either the playing field or the coach's box than Leigh Matthews.
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