That this year's international rules team, which is set to have a training camp in New York, will feature only players who have had All-Australian representation should reinvigorate the round-ball concept. Indeed, so disappointed was the Gaelic Athletic Association with the limited depth of the Indigenous-only side sent for the Tests in Ireland in 2013 that officials were moved to express their anger on the first night the Australians arrived. Their frustration that then AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou failed to make the trip was also palpable. While Dustin Fletcher may have played his last AFL game, selectors will debate having him retain the goalkeeping role he successfully embraced last year in Perth. Carlton great Craig Bradley made his final overall appearance as an AFL player on the 2002 Irish tour.

Worry warts

There are a few nervous list managers and recruiting types waiting for the draft "app" to be completed as part of a revamp of the night. Head-office boffins are developing a "calculator" to help clubs determine the cost of matching a bid for one of their players, and to show which picks it will leave them still holding. It's also envisaged television viewers will garner a better understanding of the live bids and the implications this has on future selections. There are concerns the technology could falter on the night, but a dummy run will be held before the main attraction. This year's draft will be held in Adelaide on Tuesday, November 24, and is likely to feature two hours of live television coverage.

Building bolts

Player agents have suggested keeping an eye on how many Hawthorn players join Brendon Bolton at Carlton in the next year or so. "I don't expect to see any of the main boys, but those on the peripheral, and there are a few out of contract this year and next year, who would be keen to join Bolts," said one agent.

Key man

Boom Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan is contracted until the end of 2017 – but the Demons understand the importance of retaining the Western Australian and could table a revised offer as early as this summer. Said Demons president Glen Bartlett: "It's very important. The way he goes about it, not just his talent, but his competitive character – that's the attitude we want at the football club. Angus Brayshaw is the same."

Waiting game

It's that time of the year when retired, or retiring, AFL players release their memoirs in time for Father's Day. However, one that has yet to be written but, almost certainly, would be a strong seller is Andrew Demetriou's autobiography. We hear the former league chief has had several approaches from publishers, including from Louise Adler of Melbourne University Publishing, but is happy to bide his time.

Heady days

Hollywood superstar Will Smith is set to bring the hidden toll of head injuries in the National Football League to life with the release of Concussion, a biopic about Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist who diagnosed the first case of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in a former NFL player. No doubt there will be a few AFL and NRL types interested in the film.

Giant concerns

Greater Western Sydney sit last in terms of the "relevance ladder" compiled by sports marketing group, Bastion. This takes into account such things as social-media engagement and television audiences. We also hear Giants chairman Tony Shepherd is disappointed with his club's off-field performance this year and has expressed this to AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick.

Trim the skin

We hear there remain some rumblings of discontent within the fraternity of Australian professional cricketers. It's believed some feel frustrated about being told to wear Asics compression garments due to the contractual obligations of Cricket Australia, even though the players prefer other manufacturers. "Fast bowlers in particular are compromised to a point because they feel that compression garments help them recover, but they're dictated to as to what they can and can't wear," one insider told Pssst. There are also some players who are disappointed about not being consulted before the introduction of a seventh team into the Matador one-day cup this summer. The extra side; a CA XI designed to fast-track the development of the nation's promising young cricketers, was added in May. "They didn't even know about it, they were just told there's going to be another team in the competition. It would've been nice to know." There are some too who believe that as the competition is played as a standalone competition at the start of the summer, it should fall under a separate domestic contract, much like the Twenty20 Big Bash League. There is frustration as well about players not being able to negotiate their match payments, which is the case in the AFL. In some better news, players in 12-man squads cut from the XI on match day and then cast aside from 12th man duties for a better fieldsman, will now be paid for the match, this not having been the case in the past.

Final question

Thanks to our informant who pointed us to a question in Carlton's recently issued members survey which did seem a bit out of place. Members were asked about their satisfaction with regard to having access to finals tickets. We hope there was a "not applicable" option.

Hart starter

There's understandably been plenty of emotion surrounding departures in Geelong, but we have some good news about South Australian Brad Hartman, who left the Cats in May after two-and-a-half years at Simonds Stadium. Hartman had dealt with some off-field issues, and had struggled to cope with the club's expectations of players, but he's now finding some stability in his life, including working at NAB in Adelaide.

Reid about it

A shout out to departing West Coast media manager Anna Carew-Reid, who is leaving her post after 10 years, and one premiership. She hopes to enjoy a 2015 Eagles flag as a fan, in her new post at lifestyle website The Urban List.

The watchman

Nine minutes to midnight for teams outside the eight worrying about whether their finals-bound opponents are resting players this week. It's a long wait until round one 2016.

Local hero 

Europe's best basketball players are high-fiving the Berlin hotel manager who approved the extension to the length of  its beds. Five of the six teams playing in the European Championship's group B are staying in the same four-star hotel which has had to order 2.5-metre bed extensions because 25 of the players are more than two metres tall. "We had a total of 40 beds lengthened," a hotel spokeswoman told the Berliner Morgenpost newspaper.

Numbers up 

56 years ago Briton Stirling Moss became the only driver to win the Italian Grand  Prix with three different teams – 1956, 1957 and 1959. Moss won with Maserati, Vanwall and Rob Walker Racing.

4-time champion Sebastian Vettel is now seeking to join Moss if he can win with Ferrari this weekend, having won with Toro Rosso in 2008 and with Red Bull in 2011 and 2013.

They said what? 

"Lame" – Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade describes what he thinks the Suns' Mad Monday get-together will be like this year.

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