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Stephen Gough, one of Australias most respected sports administrators, announced last week he would leave his job as MCC chief executive in early 2017, after 17 years in the job.The ever-popular Gough has seen it all while running the historic sports ground: AFL Grand Finals, NRL state-of-origin matches, Bledisloe Cup Tests, Commonwealth Games, Boxing Day Tests and World Cup cricket finals. Hes also closing in on 500 AFL matches watched.In light of all that, ESPN asked Gough to nominate his highlights, lowlights and most memorable moments from the past 17 years. Here, in spite of an obvious Carlton bias, are his answers to ESPNs questionnaire:Q: Most memorable MCG footy moment?After Carlton premierships, the 1999 Preliminary Final between Carlton and Essendon.Q: Most memorable non-footy moment?- Shane Warnes 700th wicket in 2006, and Australia winning that Ashes Test in three days with over 240,000 in attendance.- Commonwealth Games 2006 - Tsunami Cricket Match in January 2005 when over $15 million was raised.Q: Best AFL match ever seen at the MCG?(a) 1984 2nd Semi Final between Hawthorn and Essendon(b) The West Coast Eagles and Sydney grand finals in 2005, 2006.Q: Best player ever seen?Leaving aside Carltons Bruce Doull - Gary Ablett Snr.Q: Best AFL team seen?Leaving aside Carltons of 1979, 81 and 82 which, except for 1980, could have equalled Collingwood Football Clubs four in a row - Id say Brisbane of 2001/02/03.Q: Recent AFL rule change you most like?Restriction on interchange rotations - good to see star players being kept on the ground with different tactics being used by coaches.Q: Whats your proudest moment as CEO?Many come to mind, but being part of the Club (and Ground) for such a great period of activity, on and off the MCG.Q: Can you tell us a little-known fact about the ground that might surprise people?Approximately 120 metres of fence on the Southern Stand is the oldest remaining piece of infrastructure (1884) followed now by the light towers (1985).Q: Can the ground really hold 100,000?Yes. 100,024 seats plus standing room.Q: Whats the most interesting exhibit in the museum of sport?A peculiar one I like is the model of the revolving grandstand that was able to have it facing the cricket ground, then in winter swinging to face the outside to watch the early football matches from 1877 until its demise through fire in 1884. The Baer Collection (provided by the late Tony Baer) is some of our most delicate, curious and valuable pieces. Not to be missed.Q: How many AFL games have you watched in the past 17 years?I estimate it to be closing in on 500.Q: Most forgettable moment as CEO?Easy. The fiasco at the Members for the 2007 Preliminary Final between Collingwood and Geelong. We got our estimations and visitor tickets allocations wrong and locked out many people. A very traumatic night for all concerned, except the AFL who were delighted with a crowd of 98,000.Q: What else didnt we quite get right?We all (cricket and MCC personnel) didnt expect a crowd of 80,000+ for last seasons Big Bash League match (between Stars and Renegades) - hence massive delays with queues to buy a ticket and then to enter the G.Q: Recent AFL rule change you like least?- Countdown clock on scoreboard- Teams warming up on the ground well before the game starts. Understand the logic of this, however we lose that hugely anticipated moment when the teams enter the ground, especially on Grand Final Day.PATIENCE OF JOBE RUNNING OUTFormer Essendon captain Jobe Watson, currently working in New York as a barista while he serves out his WADA-enforced ban, is still rated only a 50-50 chance of returning to the club next year.We hear that Essendon executives recently returned from a trip to New York where they sounded out Watson about his plans for 2017.But the response they got was not exactly what they wanted to hear: Watson was enjoying life in the Big Apple - where he works at the Hole in the Wall café on West 38th and 5th Avenue - and wasnt sure whether he was ready to commit again to the demands of AFL football.Watson turns 32 next February.He and 33 other Essendon players were suspended until November 2016 when WADA in January successfully appealed against the AFL Tribunals not-guilty finding.This has imperilled Watsons 2012 Brownlow Medal, which was won while the supplements program was in full swing under Stephen Dank.If the clubs last-ditch appeal against the doping suspensions fails, and we wont have a ruling on that until later in the year, the AFL Commission will then have the unenviable task of deciding whether Watson keeps the medal.If they do indeed strip Watson of the award, we imagine the Bomber great might decide that New Yorks coffee scene is a more palatable place to be than Melbourne.MAJAKS SHARK TALESThis weekends AFL Multicultural Round has inadvertently helped reveal one of the leagues great unsolved mysteries.North Melbournes Sudanese excitement machine, Majak Daw, was photographed this week holding one of the special Multicultural Round match balls which have the word WELCOME printed on them in six different languages.But one eagle-eyed fan noticed something funny about the picture. What, he wanted to know, had happened to the top of Daws ring finger - it seemed to have disappeared.And a look at other action photos of the athletic big man revealed the same thing: the ruckman has 9.5 digits.A North Melbourne spokesman went in pursuit of the full story but came back empty-handed. After some digging, I believe the origin remains secret. He tells people a shark bit it off, said our man.BOUND BY PREMIERSHIP GLORYWest Coasts premiership-winning heroes are as a close as ever 10 years on from their one-point triumph over Sydney, contrary to reports of a fractious rift.Every member from the successful 2006 side - except champion Ben Cousins who is battling drug issues - reunited at a formal event in Perth ahead of last weeks clash Essendon at Domain Stadium.The celebrations spilt across three days, with players, coaches and staff reminiscing on the clubs third flag.Decorated ruckman Dean Cox, now an assistant coach at the Eagles, was quick to wrap up the post-match review on Friday night to catch up on the revelry.Some club officials believe it was fitting the match against the Bombers, now led by the Eagles 2006 premiership coach John Worsfold, coincided with the Grand Final celebrations.Some club officials squarely blame Essendon forward Scott Lucas for the Eagles failure to establish a dynasty, akin to Geelong and Hawthorn.In the final round of the 2007 season, the Bombers trailed the Eagles by 44 points at the last change.Lucas, clearly intent on honouring captain James Hird and legendary coach Kevin Sheedy in their last match at the club, piled on seven goals in a final-quarter blitz to get the Bombers within a goal.The Eagles eventually prevailed by eight points, but squandered a chance to gain much-needed percentage points.As a result, the Eagles slipped to third and were forced into a qualifying final against Port Adelaide away from their Subiaco fortress.They lost in a nail-biter by three points.The title defence ended the following week in a semi-final against Collingwood in extra time, without stars Chris Judd and Cousins, both out injured.Its a strongly-held belief that had a rampaging Lucas not got on a roll, the Eagles would have played - and beaten - Port in a home final, which would have granted the ailing team a much-needed week off ahead of a Perth preliminary.PAY DAY A MILE AWAYThe long-running pay stoush between the AFL and the AFLPA is at an impasse.The union representing more than 800 players is fighting to have a greater percentage of the leagues revenue, following its record-breaking $2.5 billion, six-year broadcast deal. (And more money could yet flow into the bulging pockets of the AFL, who are deep in negotiations over the renewal of the radio rights deal.)But ESPN understands the pay talks have come to a halt, with the parties failing to meet in almost two months.The players currently receive about 22 per cent of the industry revenue - four per cent less than the amount Cricket Australia pays its players.But as the indigenous code becomes more Americanised, a push for a much higher figure could be on the cards. Sportsmen from privately-owned US sports teams, for example, earn up to half of the monies generated from their code.For the first time in the AFLs history, the players are threatening to strike if an agreement cant be reached.A ROUGH DRAFT Club recruiters fear the AFL has been unable to find an appropriate venue for this years draft in Sydney.The AFL traditionally informs clubs where the November draft will take place well in advance of the event.But this year they are yet to alert teams as to where in the Harbour City it will take place.This has concerned representatives from a few clubs that the AFL might be scrambling to find a place to announce the names of the next batch of future stars.The AFL has persisted with touring the draft around the nation, despite almost half of the junior talent emerging from Victoria.The draft, first introduced in 1986, has predominantly been held in Melbourne.It ventured outside of Victoria in 1997 when it was hosted in Adelaide.In 2010, it headed north to the Gold Coast, the first year the Suns participated in the draft.Sydney previously hosted the event in 2011, a year ahead of GWS inaugural season.Last year, the Adelaide Convention Centre held the event. 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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama coach Nick Saban held a film session with Jalen Hurts this week to point out a few things to his young quarterback.Hurts was clearly paying attention.The freshman passed for career highs of 347 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 100 yards in less than three quarters in No. 1 Alabamas 51-3 rout of Mississippi State on Saturday. It put on display the potential of a passing game that had lately seemed the closest thing to a weakness for the Crimson Tide.The freshman quarterbacks prolific performance also wiped out any concerns that the Tide (10-0, 7-0 Southeastern Conference, No. 1 CFP) would have a letdown after a bruising win at No. 19 LSU. Instead, Hurts turned in his best game and the defense denied Mississippi State (4-6, 2-4) the end zone on nine trips across midfield.Its one of the things weve been wanting to do is try to develop some confidence in the passing game, and obviously he was able to do that very well today, Saban said. He got the ball to some of our playmakers down the field and they had opportunities to make big plays.Hurts is the first Alabama player to have 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing in the same game, and he was flirting with both those milestones by halftime.The Bulldogs had been riding high after an upset of No. 10 Texas A&M, but didnt muster a threat in this one.Hurts completed 28 of 37 passes and rushed for a fifth touchdown before being replaced by Cooper Bateman late in the third quarter. The big performance was marred by an interception and fumble, but the Tides dominating defense made sure the miscues didnt matter too much.In practice, hell sling it, Alabama guard Ross Piersbacher said. Its fun to see him do that in a game. I think thats big for his confidence.ArDarius Stewart was the biggest beneficiary of the passing revival, scoring three touchdowns. Stewart gained 156 yards on eight catches, including a 67-yard sprint on a jet sweep.Mississippi States Nick Fitzgeraldd couldnt solve Alabamas defense after two huge games.dddddddddddd He completed 10 of 33 passes for 145 with an interception. Fitzgerald was also held to 15 rushing yards after topping 900 total yards combined against Texas A&M and Samford.We had five dropped passes in the first half, Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen said. Thats not good when youre playing a great defense. Its not good when youre playing a bad defense, but when youre playing a great defense you cannot do those things.Alabama outgained the Bulldogs 615-274 in total yards and has won nine straight meetings.THE TAKEAWAYMississippi State: The Bulldogs couldnt finish off drives, including the two started in Alabama territory, or offer a strong follow-up to last weeks upset. Fitzgerald and star receiver Fred Ross (three catches, 23 yards) were held in check.Alabama: Hurts and the Tide got the passing game going against the leagues worst pass defense. Hurts hadnt reached 200 yards passing in the previous three games, but might have emerged from this one with a shot at some Heisman Trophy votes. The defense went seven straight quarters without allowing a point.TURNING 40Saban joined Ohio States Woody Hayes and Florida States Bobby Bowden in a tie for the most wins with a top-ranked team by any coach. Hes 40-5, matching Bowden. Hayes went 40-4-1 with No. 1 teams.POLL IMPLICATIONSAlabama should hold firm as the clear leader in the playoff and AP rankings .RUNNING HURTSHurts joined Steadman Shealy in 1979 as the only Alabama quarterbacks to rush for 700-plus yards in a season. He has 735 yards, 56 shy of Shealys record.UP NEXTMississippi St.: hosts Arkansas needing to win its final two games to become bowl eligible.Alabama: hosts FCS team Chattanooga in an Iron Bowl tuneup.---More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '