try to win the game for as long as humanly possible.Even when his team was going through a horror patch of five successive Test losses, Smith remained the sides most con

Melbournes Lynden Dunn admits he is frustrated at plying his trade in the VFL but says the lure of an elusive maiden finals campaign has him motivated for the future.The 29-year-old has long been a mainstay in the Melbourne backline but a combination of injury, poor form and the clubs emerging key defenders means Dunn has only played four senior games in 2016.The last of them was against St Kilda in Round 6, when Melbourne copped a 39-point reality check as Nick Riewoldt and Tim Membrey ran riot.Dunn told ESPN he deserved to be demoted after the Saints game, but the 165-game veteran said he knew what he needed to do to break back into the senior side.It [my season] has been frustrating - it certainly hasnt gone how Id planned it, he said.Being injured in pre-season, coming into the team to play a handful of games and then being dropped after the St Kilda game - which was fair enough - going back to the VFL and then injuring my hamstring four weeks ago. Its not ideal. Throw in a few [VFL] byes and Ive only played two games in the past two months. Its been very frustrating.But I just need to force my way back in. I had a meeting with Roosy [coach Paul Roos] last week, [and I] have to build a consistent block of benchmark performances.Weve got some really good young key defenders in the seniors at the moment - Tom McDonald has been holding the fort, with [McDonalds younger brother] Oscar and Sam Frost, who have been developing really well, so its hard not to play them if theyre doing a good job, and I love seeing them play well.After making his name as a rugged man-on-man defender, Dunn said he had also struggled to adapt to the Demons new zone defence.It certainly is a lot different; I think the media has put their own spin on our zone defence, but its definitely different than we have had in the past, he said.Having played a certain way your whole career, its difficult at times getting your head around it and the way the game is heading, but thats just modern footy. But I feel Ive made some real inroads this year with the game style, and Ive dropped a few kilos, Im moving better, but I just have to string some quality games together and force my way back in.Dunn arrived at Melbourne as the 15th pick in the 2004 national draft. Since then the Demons have endured a decade of turmoil, tragedy and shocking on-field results.Dunn steps into womens footy roleBut the club finally appears to be on the right track this season, playing an attacking brand of football and unearthing several talented youngsters to sit 10th on the ladder with a 7-8 record.Dunn, whose contract runs until the end of 2017, said he was determined to play on at the Demons and was motivated by the thought of finally breaking his AFL finals duck.[I am] contracted for next year and I plan to fulfil that at the Dees, he said.I think I have my best footy ahead of me - Ive got no doubt Ive got a new contract left in me and I feel like Ive got plenty to offer at AFL level.Its my 12th season at the Dees and weve hit rock bottom more than once, [but] seeing the group now, not just the players but the footy department, the whole club itself and our supporters, its so exciting.Finals is basically why I play footy; I want to play finals at Melbourne - we havent played finals since 2006 and Ive never played in an AFL final so thats a huge motivation for me. Were playing some really good footy at times this year but we need to string together consistent quality performances and learn to string wins together. Wholesale Custom Packers Shirts . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Packers Jerseys China .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. http://www.custompackersjersey.com/custom-rashan-gary-jersey-large-72r.html . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak. Authentic Custom Packers Jersey . The news was first reported on Gonzalezs Twitter account and confirmed by the Rockies. Gonzalez has a six-week window before position players have their first workout at spring training in Arizona. Cheap Packers Jerseys . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Virat Kohli and Steven Smith are both very successful young batsman-captains.Its interesting to debate which is more important: the batting or the captaincy?Theres one major reason why most captains are batsmen rather than bowlers. Its easier for them to separate their primary skill from the leadership role. A batting captain has little else to concentrate on, when hes batting, other than scoring runs. Its only when a declaration is in the offing - and then only if hes at the crease - that he has to concern himself with other matters. When the batsman-captain is on the field, he can concentrate solely on bowling changes and field placements.Not surprisingly, a few of the captains who have been good bowlers have enjoyed great leadership success. Richie Benaud and Imran Khan are two who readily leap to mind. Imran believed that to be a good captain you must understand bowling, and its hard to refute his logic. In the cases of Kohli and Smith, they are at least part-time bowlers, which helps them understand and have sympathy for what the bowler is trying to achieve.This is where a captain can veer off the rails. Its not his job to tell the bowler what he should be doing and where to place his field. Thats not a sign of a strong captain, rather of one lacking understanding. The captain only need ask a bowler how hes trying to dismiss the batsman and the field placings should then easily fall into place.Field placement, especially as it relates to a spinner, is something that needs to be sorted out prior to going onto the field. Its counterproductive for captain and bowler to be having serious debates over where the field should be while the match is in progress. For a captain who understands bowling - and especially in relation to spinners - the original placing of the field and any resultant changes should come fairly naturally. If it doesnt then the bowler and the team are in trouble.Both Kohli and Smith have been more successful batsmen after they assumed the role of captain. This indiccates the selectors have chosen wisely, as its crucial to anoint a player who will be buoyed, rather than weighed down, by the extra responsibility.ddddddddddddThis makes the Indian and Australian method of choosing the captain far better than the one England employed in the days of amateur and professional players. Back then, England often chose the captain (usually an amateur) first, followed by the rest of the team. Nowadays its commonplace to appoint the captain from the chosen XI.Both Kohli and Smith have successfully managed the priority of being batting captains. Never forget that making a mountain of runs is a sure way to lead by example. Kohli has displayed the ability to lift his already high standard in times of need, and there was no better example than his second-innings century against Australia at Adelaide Oval. Not only was it an inspirational innings, it firmly declared his hand as a captain who would try to win the game for as long as humanly possible.Even when his team was going through a horror patch of five successive Test losses, Smith remained the sides most consistent batsman. His defiant 48 not out in Hobart, when everyone around him succumbed to the relentless South African attack, was a great example of a captain who refused to wilt.One area where Kohli has shaded Smith is in the handling of spinners. Under his leadership R Ashwin has prospered as the leader of Indias attack. In contrast, there have been times when Nathan Lyon has struggled to the point where his selection was in doubt until he produced a much-improved effort in Adelaide.It should be a fascinating contest between these two evolving captains when they clash in early 2017. With both aspects - batting and captaincy - of equal importance, it will be the one who provides plenty of runs and inspiration for his bowlers who will be holding aloft the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. ' ' '