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North Melbourne’s decision to drop the number one draft pick ahead of his first AFL game back in South Australia, his home state, left fans around the league scratching their heads.Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >On Friday night however the reasons behind the decision to axe him where detailed by Channel 7 journalist Mitch Cleary.Cleary said the 18-year-old was left out of North Melbourne’s squad for “disobeying his coach” last weekend.“The star teenager was called out by interim coach Leigh Adams and senior players on Sunday for failing to complete his proper ice baths and recovery in front of their very eyes,” Cleary reported.“He spent this morning with a dozen teammates training in Melbourne (instead of travelling with the squad).”Horne-Francis will now run out in the VFL after failing to live up to the club’s “Monday to Friday” expectations.Former North Melbourne great Brent Harvey opened up on the Horne-Francis axing.“There’s some stuff that we call Monday to Friday, it’s preparation stuff – you need to tick the boxes,” Harvey said on RSN Radio.“This is not just about Jason … (Caretaker coach) Leigh Adams has got very good standards, I’ve got to be a little bit careful … but we’ve got players not playing in our team and I’ll name one right now: Kayne Turner.“He would run through brick walls for every single one of his teammates and every single one of his supporters – he does everything right.“If he’s not playing, he’s playing in the reserves at the minute, you’d want to be doing everything right to make sure you’re holding up your end of the bargain. We call that Monday to Friday and if you haven’t got your Monday to Friday in order, that’s just not good enough right now.“Was it good enough in Round 3, Round 4, Round 5? Maybe.“But with Leigh Adams in charge, the standards have gone to another level and players have to play their part. Monday to Friday is just as important as performing on game day for us.“There’s not just one incident where we’ve just said (to Horne-Francis): ‘Nah, you’re not playing because of this’. It’s not that at all, everything comes into calculations, the form side of it, what he’s doing after stoppage. There’s so much that comes into it.”Horne-Francis immediately postponed contract extension negotiations after he was drafted by the club last year.His two-year draft deal expires at the end of the 2023 season and both Adelaide and Port Adelaide are said to be heavily circling the teenage star.

Brisbane opened up a 26-point buffer late in the second quarter, but for the third game in a row, they either gave up a sizeable lead, or had one eaten into significantly, as the Saints exploded in the third quarter to lead by five points, putting the Lions’ top-four ambitions in peril.However, Brisbane’s pursuit of a double chance would’ve been severely impeded if Saints spearhead Max King kicked straight, but he could only muster five behinds, including four missed set shots from directly in front in the second half when the Saints enjoyed all the momentum.Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >In response, Rayner stepped up to the plate, showing King how it’s done, booting three of Brisbane’s four final-quarter goals, to finish up with a team-high four majors, and prove to be the match winner.afl promoThe Saints will likely drop to 10th this weekend, meaning they will have to not only beat the Swans in Sydney in the final round next week, but will also need a raft of other results to go their way to make the finals.Meanwhile, the 12.9 (81) to 9.12 (66) keeps Brisbane’s hopes for a top-two spot, and two home finals, alive as well.Adding salt the Saints’ wound is the fact that star midfielder Brad Crouch could find himself in match review trouble for a late head-high hit on Darcy Gardiner in the second quarter which left the Brisbane defender dazed on the turf for many seconds.St Kilda also lost defender Jimmy Webster in the first quarter due to a hamstring injury.Rayner finished with 18 touches as well, while Hugh McCluggage (24 disposals and a goal) and ruckman Oscar McInerney, with 17 touches and 38 hitouts, also stood out for the Lions.St Kilda were best served by Mason Wood (four goals), who played one of the games of his career, Marcus Windhager, who shut down Lachie Neale, and Seb Ross (32 touches) who found a lot of the ball.LIONS SQUANDER EARLY DOMINANCEBrisbane dominated the territory battle early, and helped themselves to 13 of the first 14 inside 50s on the back of convincing disposal and contest superiority.But their goalkicking was appalling — of their first nine shots, five failed to score, and another two were behinds, as they let the Saints off the hook.St Kilda couldn’t get their hands on the ball, but they held tough down back, and stayed in the game by being extremely efficient in attack as they registered three scores (2.1) from their first four forward entries and even hit the front in the shadows of quarter-time.BRISBANE SHARPEN THEIR CLAWSThe second term began in similar fashion to the first, with the ball living in Brisbane’s forward half, and this time they made it count on the scoreboard. The game opened right up for the visitors as they kicked five goals in a row to shoot out to a 26-point lead and apply a firm stranglehold on the contest.The Saints were totally bereft of attacking dare, boldness and risk-taking, as the Lions constricted them, forcing them to batten down the hatches in defence, from where they were barely able to exit.SAINTS WAKE UPBut St Kilda came to life in the third quarter, and unlike the first half, they were full of run, while Mason Wood and Tim Membrey ran amok up forward, as the hosts kicked four goals in a row to lead at the final change.The Saints ramped up the pressure and dominated possession as Brisbane completely lost their way, giving away a clutch of off-the-ball free kicks to the Saints whose tails were up and got under the frustrated Lions’ skin.RAYNER QUASHES SAINTS’ RESISTANCEHowever, Brisbane regathered their composure in the final term, with Rayner stepping up when his team needed him.King’s fourth missed set shot could’ve cut the deficit to one point, but instead, it led directly to an end-to-end goal for the Lions from the kick-in, courtesy of Joe Daniher.The Saints refused to give in and continued to pump the ball forward, registering 11 consecutive inside 50s at one stage, but King’s yips became contagious as Marcus Windhager and Membrey missed a pair of very gettable set shots.Down the other end, Rayner converted a magnificent set snap shot from the boundary to put the result to bed.SCOREBOARDSAINTS 3.1, 4.2, 9.7, 9.12 (66)LIONS 3.2, 7.6, 8.8, 12.9 (81)LERNER’S BEST Saints: Wood, Windhager, Ross, Marshall, Membrey, Paton, Crouch. Lions: Rayner, McCluggage, McInerney, Rich, Zorko, Answerth, K.Coleman.GOALS Saints: Wood 4, Membrey 3, Higgins 2. Lions: Rayner 4, Hipwood 2, Daniher 2, Cameron, McCluggage, McCarthy, McStay.INJURIES Saints: Webster (hamstring). Lions: Nil.UMPIRES Power, Gavine, MeredithVENUE Marvel StadiumPLAYER OF THE YEARLERNER’S VOTES3 Cam Rayner (BL)2 Mason Wood (StK)1 Marcus Windhager (StK)Misguided aggression could end Saint’s seasonAfter a week of intense focus on the bump, St Kilda’s Brad Crouch appears certain to face MRO scrutiny for a late hit on Brisbane’s Darcy Gardiner.The Saints midfielder collected Gardiner high seconds after he kicked, appearing to make contact with the Brisbane defender’s head with his shoulder and upper arm.Carlton captain Patrick Cripps was initially suspended for two weeks for a collision with Brisbane’s Callum Ah Chee, but the penalty was overruled at the tribunal on Thursday night.Will Brad Crouch be suspended for a bump on Darcy Gardiner?Less than 24 hours later, Crouch put himself in the crosshairs.Gardiner was able to play on despite spending time prone on the ground. St Kilda’s poor first half was marred by the loss of Jimmy Webster half way through the first quarter with a right hamstring complaint.Favourite son returning to Moorabin?– Mark Robinson Lenny Hayes could be returning to Moorabbin.One of the St Kilda’s favourite sons, Hayes shapes to be a strong candidate to replace assistant coach Ben McGlynn, who is leaving the club at the end of this season.It’s understood the Saints are chasing Hayes and are expecting an answer from him in the coming weeks.Hayes played 297 games from 1999-2014, after being drafted out of NSW at No. 11 in the 1998 national draft.An inspiring player because of his willingness to win the hard ball and compete contest to contest, Hayes was a much loved figure during his playing days.Post retirement, Hayes was an assistant coach at the Giants from 2016 until the end of the 2020 season.“We’ve approached Lenny since he left GWS and tried to pursue him to St Kilda,” coach Brett Ratten told 3AW on Friday night. “We have always kept a link to, kept in contact with Lenny if we wanted to come back.”