Category: AFL – Australian Rules

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Sometimes I read a press release from a bank, a politician or a football club and I get to the end of it and think – I have no idea what I just read. Is this good news or bad? Are you sacking someone here or are you appointing them? Am I being sold something? Have you assembled every cook in the kitchen to suck the marrow and meaning out of every sentence?

“Following a number of discussions with Justin Longmuir,” the Fremantle chief executive, Simon Garlick, said in a statement, “it was clear that the expectations we set ourselves is what drives our ambitions and standards, not the length of a contract”.

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Chris Jones has always had an eye for talent and for cultivating relationships. As a cadet reporter with Leader Newspapers in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, he struck up a friendship with a young local player, Sam Mitchell. He introduced Mitchell to his future wife. Their respective careers blossomed, and Jones was last year appointed director of network sport at Seven West Media, with a mandate to overhaul its footy coverage.

It’s a change that is long overdue. Seven’s coverage has been pretty dire in recent years. The additions of Jason Bennett, Alister Nicholson and Matthew Hill – the latter arguably the best race-caller in the world – were all well received. But all too often, their colleagues have reverted to witless, mind-numbing prattle, to hyperventilating when nothing’s really happening, and to dozing when someone pulls down the mark of the year.

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• Andrew Dillon buoyed by success of Indigenous All Stars game
• Representative fixtures forecast to become regular feature

AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon has flagged the possible return of state of origin amid a “groundswell” of support for the concept, as the league weighs up the future of representative football.

Buoyed by the success of last weekend’s Indigenous All Stars exhibition, Dillon on Wednesday forecast representative fixtures becoming a regular feature on the AFL calendar for years to come.

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• All Stars run out 108-65 winners against the Dockers
• Record crowd in Perth to witness one-sided clash

Bobby Hill kicked four goals and Jy Simpkin ran rampant in the midfield as the Indigenous All Stars put on a spectacle in a 43-point win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium.

Hill starred with his four majors from 12 disposals in Saturday’s twilight match, while Jason Horne-Francis was equally impressive with three goals from 17 touches as the All Stars ran out 16.12 (108) to 9.11 (65) winners. Simpkin won the Polly Farmer medal as best afield after his 30-disposal, 10-clearance, one-goal effort.

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• Hunter played 151 matches for the Eagles between 2000-2009
• Forward kicked critical goal in 2006 grand final victory

Former West Coast Eagles player Adam Hunter, a key member of the club’s 2006 AFL premiership team, has died aged 43.

Hunter was found dead early on Wednesday morning in Bunbury, south of Perth.

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• Integrity unit finds Sayers’ X account was compromised
• ‘This decision draws a line in the sand,’ says Sayers

Luke Sayers has stepped down as Carlton president after being cleared by the AFL of posting a lewd image on social media.

A picture was posted on Sayers’ X account on 8 January, prompting an investigation by the AFL integrity unit.

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Footballer who signed a seven-year AFL deal in October has been charged after 30 December incident in Riverina town of Mulwala

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Richmond Tigers star Noah Balta has been charged with assault after an incident in country New South Wales.

The AFL club has released a brief statement to confirm a media report that the defender had been charged.

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• Premiership-winning coach to remain at club as executive director
• Cox steps up from role as Longmire’s assistant on four-year deal

John Longmire has stepped down as senior coach of the Sydney Swans and will be replaced by his long-time assistant Dean Cox.

The 2012 AFL premiership-winning coach, who was contracted for next season, will address his decision in a press conference at the Swans’ headquarters at 1.30pm AEDT on Tuesday.

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• AFL club apologises to group of former players and their families
• Racism allegations against the club first revealed two years ago

The Hawthorn racism scandal has ended after the AFL club settled their Federal Court case with Indigenous former players and their families, and apologised to the group for their experiences.

The club and players released a joint statement on Wednesday night, confirming the settlement after two days of mediation this week.

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• Richmond star’s penalty reduced to $200 fine for careless contact
• Essendon’s Georgia Nanscawen was pushed into an umpire’s path

Richmond star Eilish Sheerin remains free to play a week out from the AFLW finals after the appeal board rejected an AFL challenge against her tribunal win. The three-man board took less than 15 minutes to reject the AFL’s three grounds of appeal.

The league took the unusual step of going to the appeal board after Tuesday night’s marathon tribunal hearing, where Sheerin was cleared of intentional umpire contact. Sheerin had been referred directly to the tribunal and was facing a significant ban if found guilty of the original charge. Instead, she was fined $200 for careless contact.

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• Moves for Jake Stringer, Luke Parker, Tom Barrass sealed in last hour
• Tigers armed with suite of picks after Bolton joins Dockers, Rioli to Suns

Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith will go to Geelong after a last-gasp AFL trade was struck. With about five minutes left before the 7.30pm AEDT deadline on Wednesday night, news came through that the deal had been struck after months of expectation. Also in the last hour of the trade period, Essendon forward Jake Stringer was offloaded to GWS after it had appeared that deal had fallen through.

Tom Barrass goes from West Coast to Hawthorn, Luke Parker and Jacob Konstanty have departed Sydney to join North Melbourne, and Caleb Daniel also joins the Kangaroos from the Bulldogs. In other late trades, James Peatling heads from GWS to Adelaide and Jack Macrae finally has his wish, of leaving the Bulldogs for St Kilda.

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