Mike And Chris Bailey

Bailey exposes Dees' divisions

While Bailey insisted yesterday that he enjoyed the support of his players and assistant coaches to the end, he conspicuously refused to speak of his relationship with key club figures, none of whom were present in the club theatrette where he spoke of his swift demise.

Having first explained their decision, neither president Jim Stynes nor vice-president Don McLardy remained in the room when Bailey met the media just after noon. They were followed out by chief executive Cameron Schwab. Head of football Chris Connolly, nominally Bailey's boss for almost four years, was not to be seen.

When asked about the nature of his relationship with the club's hierarchy, Bailey offered an opaque response.

"I think I had incredible support from the players, no doubt," he replied.

When pressed a second time for an insight into how the club was functioning behind the scenes, Bailey said: "The thing about starting to pick and choose relationships is that that also becomes an absolute distraction. I've always had great support from the players and coaches and I continue to have that now."

Although Bailey lost his job because the young side he was entrusted with building and grooming was, after nearly four years, playing a yesteryear game and being routinely thrashed, his cause was not helped by a suspicious and occasionally fractious relationship with the likes of Connolly and Schwab.

His misgivings, well-founded or not, intensified this year when Garry Lyon, the former club champion now commentator who has strong relationships with Stynes, Schwab and Connolly, began campaigning for a change.

Lyon, who is still seen as a potential Melbourne coach by some of the faithful despite an absence from the game at club level of more than a decade -- he has also routinely said he does not want to sacrifice his media career to coach -- has spruiked Alastair Clarkson's credentials for several months.

The Hawthorn premiership coach played two seasons with Lyon at Melbourne in the late nineties. He is unsigned for 2012.

"Like all opinions he's entitled to his and he made that perfectly clear through the media," Bailey said.

It will have strengthened the view in Bailey's mind of Melbourne as an incestuous club that he is to be temporarily succeeded by another teammate and friend of Stynes, Lyon, Schwab and Connolly, Todd Viney, and that Stynes said yesterday he would be consulting Lyon this week for input on a way forward.

Lampman Jr. Wins Thrilling All Canadian Championship Feature At ...

By Charlie Langlois – In one of the most exciting races seen in many a year, Larry Lampman Jr. used a late race pass of Robbie Krull to capture the 358 Modified feature at New Humberstone Speedway on Sunday July 31. Other winners on Molson All Canadian Championship night were Brad Rouse in the Cosco Haulage DIRT-CAR Sportsman, Rob Murray in the Brian’s Tire Repair Street Stocks, Aaron Wiley in the Weekend Motorsports Mini Stocks, Greg Haegens in the Niagara Auto Sales Pro 4 Trucks and Marcel Michaud in the Frontier Auto Dismantler Pure Stocks.

At the drop of the green in the third and final appearance of the year for the 358 Modifieds, it was Tim Jones at the point followed by Randy Chrysler, Paul Klager, Larry Lampman Jr and Scott Wood.

The first yellow flag of the 52 lap event flew on lap 4 as Chad Chevalier spun in turn 3. On the restart, Jones and Chrysler waged a furious battle for the lead with Jones on the rail and Chrysler on the top of the racetrack.

It was too close to call each time at the starters stand between Jones and Chrysler as the speedway was fast from top to bottom. While the leader for each lap was in question, there was no doubt who was the fastest, as Robbie Krull moved into the top five on lap 6, took fourth from Wood on lap 7 and third from Lampman Jr on lap 13.

The war between Jones and Chrysler ended with Chrysler forced pitside with mechanical problems on lap 18. This opened the door for Krull as he caught and motored past Jones on lap 22.

Caution number two was out at halfway as Ryan Susice stopped in turn two. The top five showed Krull, Jones, Lampman Jr, Wood and two time winner Chad Brachmann.

On the restart, Krull opened up a gap as the second place battle between Jones and Lampman Jr fell to Lampman Jr on lap 31.

Once clear of Jones, Lampman Jr started to close on leader Krull. A caution fell on lap 39 as Wood slowed with a flat right rear and this put Lampman Jr on Krull’s bumper.

The restart with 13 to go produced a torrid battle between Krull and Lampman Jr as Lampman Jr used the low side in turns one and two and the high side in turns three and four to try to wrestle the lead from Krull.

Lampman Jr found an opening with three laps to go as he made his move inside of Krull in turn two. The pair went side by side into turn three and Lampman Jr nosed ahead while contact sent Krull up the track.

By the time Krull gathered it up, Lampman Jr of Port Colborne  was in front and negotiated the final two laps to capture his first ever All Canadian Championship. “Sometimes being in second is the best place to be,” Lampman said in victory lane. “Sometimes being in second you can search around. The team has worked really hard to get this win.” Krull ended up with a well deserved second, a late race pass netted third for Brachmann while Jones and Fred Carleton completed the top five.

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