For the first time in almost 20 years, Channel Nine is set to announce it will provide its own commentary of an Ashes tour. Not since 1997 have the key voices of Nine's commentary crew headed to the Old Dart for the five-Test series, but that's about to change. It will ensure Nine's feed differs significantly to that offered by Fox Sports, which takes the English Sky coverage featuring the likes of Ian Botham, Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain. "We have got a few of the crew already over there. There will be about half a dozen head over," our source at Nine said. We haven't done it for quite some time but now that we have the multi channels, we can put it on without impacting on normal viewing." England's stunning comeback in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's will ensure anticipation for the gold-plated series grows.

Mick's trick

It's strange to think Mick Malthouse will almost certainly never coach in the AFL again. This round happens to be the 10-year anniversary of one of his finest wins while at Collingwood, when he led the bottom-of-the-ladder Magpies to a come-from-behind win over first-placed West Coast at the MCG. Coincidentally, one of the men seemingly in the running to take over at Carlton was a hero that day. Now Geelong assistant Blake Caracella bobbed up and kicked five goals. Julian Rowe's stay at the Pies was short-lived, but he played that day against the Eagles. While he doesn't remember much about that game, he speaks very highly of Malthouse. "Mick was always great. He had the ability to get everyone up no matter where you were on the ladder," Rowe said. "He was the best coach that I've ever had in footy, by a mile." Of his three years under Malthouse, Rowe recalls one pre-season drill in particular. "They got all the coaches to do something similar to rugby which we were playing as players and then they got the coaches involved." Rowe noted that even against much younger men like Gavin Brown and Guy McKenna, Mick held his own. "It was interesting to see how competitive he got over the smallest little game."

Junior recognition

In a nice touch, Fitzroy Junior Football Club are honouring one of the game's early Indigenous heroes this weekend. The club - who have two Indigenous players - is celebrating the AFL's Indigenous Round by presenting 44 Joe Johnson medals. Johnson played in the VFL for Fitzroy between 1904 and 1906, and was one of the first Indigenous men to reach the top level. One player from each of the club's 22 teams, along with one member of the opposition will be recognised as having displayed endurance, tenacity, courage, loyalty and pride. The first two games were played on Friday night, with a further nine spread across various grounds - including Fitzroy's spiritual home of Brunswick Street Oval.

Gee Whiz

Former Sydney Swan Warwick Capper has come to the defence of Adam Goodes, questioning why Hawthorn supporters would boo the dual Brownlow medallist last weekend. The Swans remain privately angry that Goodes now appears to be booed whenever he plays in Melbourne. "I just reckon supporters should lay off him, and just worry about their own players. He has done a lot for the game. I feel sorry for him," Capper said. "But I don't think it's racist. I think he got Gibbo (Josh Gibson) head-high a few years ago and the Hawks fans haven't forgot about it. I think some people are also jealous that he was the Australian of the Year. They [Hawks fans] also can't handle losing - they are just arrogant. I copped that sort of treatment for years. I kicked nine goals against the Magpies at Victoria Park and they threw bottles at me and abused me, and I even needed a police escort to get off. My mum had a Warwick Capper badge on and she had to take it off in the toilets for fear of being bashed." Capper spoke up as he prepares to help raise money for diabetes research at a comedy function at the Melrose Reception Centre in Tullamarine on Saturday night. Kevin Sheedy will also appear.

What's that?
The AFL still has work to do when it comes to showcasing itself globally. When Cleveland Cavaliers (and Australian Boomers) guard Matthew Dellavedova - the boy from Maryborough, Victoria, who has enjoyed a strong playoff campaign - stepped up to the foul line during game two of the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta, TNT commentator Marv Albert announced that Dellavedova's favourite sport was Australian Rules Football. Expert commentator Chris Webber, a former NBA and college star, then responded: "I have no idea what that is". Webber and fellow commentator Reggie Miller then joked they had been checking out the results of AFL matches on the way to the game. Perhaps the AFL could tweet @realchriswebber some weekend highlights. One person who watched Dellavedova from early on was Sally Neil, the manager of many of Dellavedova's junior teams in Maryborough. She remembers Dellavedova as an incredibly driven young kid who had great sportsmanship. "Never said a bad word  about anyone. Just a down to earth [boy] who wanted to do something and put 120% into it," Neil said. She also scoffed at talk that Dellavedova was a dirty player, a suggestion made by some pundits commenting on his intense play during the playoffs. She believes "he's just determined for the ball."

Phone a friend
Melbourne coach Paul Roos' post-match press conference after the Demons' win over the Western Bulldogs was livened up by an unexpected phone call. Roos hadn't put his own phone on silent, and while being posed a question, he was interrupted by ringing coming from his pocket. Roos told the reporter asking about career-best game of ruckman Jake Spencer to wait for a moment while he checked the call. "Hang on, that might be him," Roos joked dryly.

Driving on
Jeep is set to honour its agreement as a joint major sponsor of Richmond, despite the troubles Fiat Chrysler Australia finds itself in. As has been documented by Fairfax Media, the company is now taking action through the courts against its former chiefs Clyde Campbell and Veronica Johns - at stake is more than $30 million of company money.

THE WATCHMAN

2 minutes to midnight for… FIFA, but ticking away furiously.

With 14 FIFA executives arrested last week, Richard Weber, the leader of the US Internal Revenue Service criminal investigations unit, is "fairly confident" there will be more indictments to come, but would not identify the remaining targets.

LOCAL HERO

In this murky mess of wheeling, dealing, voting, corruption, and politics, it's difficult to find any great shining light of integrity. But one beacon of hope was the number of nations voting against Sepp Blatter in Friday night's FIFA presidential election, Australia among them. It was a strong statement of the divisions rife in world soccer and the need for change, significant because of Australia's willingness to defy the Asian region, which was solidly behind Blatter. Australia joined most of Europe's 53 members and the US in rejecting Blatter, albeit unsuccessfully.

NUMBERS UP

7.3 billion people (without doing a precise head count) currently exist on our planet. Let the populace rejoice, for with Sepp Blatter's re-election we now have a president for everyone! "I am the president now, the president of everybody."

49.6 per cent of the world's population is female, and ladies, Blatter wants you. But strictly administratively. "And again we need in this committee women, we need ladies.”

Got a tip? Contact Daniel Cherny or Jon Pierik. Twitter: @danielcherny or @pierik_agesport