AFL Blogs

26 May 2022

• The high Crows draft pick who is in “no man’s land”
  26 May 2022

  Adelaide youngster Fischer McAsey’s career has somewhat stagnated since his debut season.

  The key position player was drafted with pick 6 in 2019 and stepped out in 10 games for the Crows at AFL level in the ensuing 2020 campaign.

  However, the 21-year-old has not been sighted in the seniors since, racking up 25 matches in the SANFL and averaging nine disposals and three marks from seven appearances in 2022.

  SEN SA Breakfast’s Kane Cornes and Andrew Hayes discussed McAsey and where he currently sits in the landscape at West Lakes.

  Cornes asked: “Fischer McAsey, where’s he at?”

  Hayes believes the promising Victorian currently finds himself in “no man’s land” as he is down the defensive pecking order and not yet flourishing as a forward.

  “He’s in a bit of an interesting situation because he’s not doing much at SANFL level, to put it bluntly,” he said.

  “He’s not finding the footy much when he does go up forward. It was maybe even a month ago now, but he showed some good signs.

  “I suppose for someone at this level and at this stage of his career he should be dominating the SANFL and that’s not really happening.

  “In terms of playing him down back (in the seniors), he’s probably back in the pecking order because Billy Frampton is ready to go. I dare say he (Frampton) has probably got a few internal questions why he’s not playing AFL football (right now).

  “It’s a bit of a no man’s land right now for Fischer McAsey.”

  Cornes added: “Which is a tough spot.

  “You use a pick 6 on him, there’s been some issues he’s had off the field and some disruptions clearly.

  “They will give him time, but you would have loved to have seen more than what you’ve seen by now.”

  Hayes replied: “Probably, and in terms of giving it time, you need to remember it took Tom Doedee a while to find his feet.

  “There still is hope there because he’s strong, he’s big, so we’ll wait and see.

  “But right now, he needs to show a lot more before he can go to AFL level and they need to make a decision whether he’s a forward or a back.”

  With McAsey now in his third year in the system, and if he does not force his way into Matthew Nicks’ side soon, questions will be asked of the club’s recruiting department, says Cornes.

  “It’s his third year now,” he said further.

  “He played 10 games in his first year, he wasn’t sighted last year and hasn’t been sighted since.

  “Once again, speaking about pressure on list management, that will be pressure on Hamish Ogilvie and Justin Reid on the back of a few others, that you think ‘I’m not sure if they got them right’.

  “If they’re wrong, I think those people in those positions would be expecting to come under scrutiny internally and externally from the media and the supporters.”

  McAsey last played at AFL level against the Western Bulldogs in Round 12, 2020.

  He is set to to again suit up for the SANFL Crows against Norwood at Coopers Stadium on Friday night.

  Mick Godden’s side currently sits on top of the ladder with a 6-1 record while the Redlegs are sixth at 3-4.

• The mid-season draft intrigue around Essendon, plus potential plans of Hawthorn and Carlton
  26 May 2022

  There are a number of interesting names in the mix for next week’s AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

  Some 210 plays have nominated for the June 1 mid-season draft with former AFL-listed players and those dominating the state leagues up for selection.

  AFL Media draft guru Cal Twomey says there is a bit of interest around Essendon, who hold pick 3, and who they might choose with such names as Jai Culley (Dandenong Stingrays), Josh Carmichael (West Adelaide) and Wade Derksen (Peel Thunder) in their sights.

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  “Essendon is the interesting one for me with pick 3,” he said on SEN Breakfast.

  “There’s always something happening with the Bombers around draft time.

  “The Bombers were keen to have a look at Jai Culley in their VFL side this week. It would have been an audition of sorts for them to get the 193cm midfielder into their side, but that won’t be happening.

  “So Josh Carmichael, Culley and a couple of others (including) Wade Derksen are in the mix for the Bombers.”

  Some ex-AFL players are also being considered, says Twomey.

  Former Brisbane Lions big man Connor Ballenden, who is playing in the SANFL with Woodville-West Torrens, is on the radar of Hawthorn who are in the market for a ruckman.

  Former Gold Coast midfielder Jacob Dawson, who has been racking up the numbers in the VFL with Southport, is also attracting interest.

  Sam Durdin, who played 22 games for North Melbourne, has been in good form for Glenelg which has Carlton looking, while ex-Bulldog Will Hayes is in the mix.

  “Of the former AFL listed players who might be in the mix, Connor Ballenden, he’s put financial terms on his head,” Twomey added.

  “He’s the only player in the 210 nominees who’s done that. He’s got some interest there from the Hawks, they’re one of the clubs that have looked at him.

  “Jacob Dawson, the former Suns midfielder, he’s put an 18-month contract on his head so that’s suggesting some interest in him.

  “And Sam Durdin as well, a first-round pick formerly for North Melbourne, also getting some interest after playing for Glenelg in the SANFL. Carlton being among the clubs linked there.

  “Will Hayes, formerly of the Western Bulldogs, now playing at the Blues’ VFL side also caught the attention of some clubs.

  “There are some names coming about ahead of next Wednesday’s mid-season draft.”

  The Mid-Season Draft kicks off at 6:30pm AEST on Wednesday, June 1.

• Durdin in the mix for AFL recall
  25 May 2022
  Former Kangaroo and New Zealand Heritage Team member Sam Durdin, has nominated for next week’s NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

  Players of varying age, experience and club interest have put forward their nominations since they opened on May 9, with North Melbourne’s 2014 first-round pick Durdin among the former AFL players to be hoping for another shot at the top level.

  The 25 year old has been playing for the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian Football League for the past few seasons.

  Sam has been selected in the AFL New Zealand Heritage Team on seven occasions.

  The post Durdin in the mix for AFL recall appeared first on AFL New Zealand.

• Inside the rebuild: Why there is hope for the Kangaroos despite another disastrous season
  25 May 2022
  North Melbourne is facing challenges on and off the field this season, but the AFL club's efforts to rebuild shouldn't be written off just yet, write Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson.
• “Why is he untouchable?”: Cornes responds to Wilson’s claim about North recruiter’s exit
  25 May 2022

  Caroline Wilson claims Kane Cornes’ criticism of North Melbourne’s recruiting led to Glenn Luff’s sudden resignation.

  Cornes questioned the Kangaroos’ recruitment strategy on Channel Nine’s Footy Classified on Monday night, using the club’s decision to draft Will Phillips over Logan McDonald as an example.

  “I’d love to ask the question: What’s one positive list management move they have made in the last three years?” Cornes asked.

  “Young key forwards are ripping the game apart. You can’t pick players off a computer screen. That’s what I’m saying.

  “There needs to be a process with their recruiting and list management that there hasn’t been. Their list manager is from Champion Data, he spent 20 years there, Glenn Luff, so I would think (analytics) is an element that they saw as a strength of his.

  “How you could possibly overlook Logan McDonald when you’ve let Ben Brown out of the club. Him teaming up with (Nick) Larkey would’ve been ideal.

  “North Melbourne, who are stocked in the midfield, go for a midfielder who is my height. I understand he’s had glandular fever and we haven’t seen him play, but is he going to be as damaging as what Logan McDonald has the potential to be?”

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  Luff was one of three key Kangaroos recruiters to depart Arden Street this week and Wilson says Cornes’ comments led to Luff’s shock exit.

  “My understanding is that Glenn Luff has resigned as a direct result of what happened on Footy Classified on Monday night, which speaks to the disenchantment and paranoia at North Melbourne at the moment,” Wilson told Footy Classified on Wednesday night.

  “Glenn Luff apparently has said to friends that this was the final straw for him. He believes that the comments about him might've been leaked … he might’ve been targeted by others at the club. Maybe the CEO, maybe one of the coaches, I'm not sure.

  “Who leaves a football club on the basis of one negative comment if everything's fine at the football club? Clearly, Glenn Luff feels that someone at the club is out to get him. That's a bad scene.”

  Eddie McGuire backed up Wilson’s report: “He (Luff) did mention to me that there had been a build-up and that Kane’s comments were the tipping point for him.”

  Speaking on SEN SA Breakfast, Cornes responded to Wilson’s claim, refusing to back down from his comments on North Melbourne’s recruiting and drafting.

  “There’s not a leak to me,” the Port Adelaide champion said.

  “This is the bizarre thing about this story. I read in yesterday’s Herald Sun, Jon Ralph wrote about this story as well, and he’s alluded to the same thing.

  “He said, ‘Even if he (Luff) was already considering his future, the unfair hit job on some of the list team’s draft picks this week must have had him wondering where that information came from’.

  “Jon … this is where that information came from: The AFL Season Guide 2022. Just a little secret for any media or footy fans out there, you can actually scroll to the North Melbourne page, and you can go through every list decision they have made, every trade they’ve brought in, every draft pick they’ve made – and it makes for shocking reading.

  “Now, if you’re the list manager of a football club and you make that many errors on your list and players that you bring in like (Jaidyn) Stephenson and like (Atu) Bosenavulagi and like Callum Coleman-Jones are not getting a game for the 17th-ranked side in the competition, then we start to have questions.

  “When you pick Will Phillips, who’s a midfielder that’s my height and there’s 50 of them running around in the competition, over Logan McDonald, who took 10 marks and kicked 3.3 on Friday night against Carlton, I’m going to question your decisions.

  “Now, if you’re a list manager and you want to be anonymous, you’re in the wrong game. So if Glenn Luff has walked away because of one reasonably benign comment – and it certainly wasn’t a hit job and it certainly wasn’t any inside information, as I said, the information is widely available in the Season Guide, that’s where I got it from – you’re in the wrong sport.

  “I’m not going to back away from mentioning Glenn Luff – why is he untouchable?

  “You’re sad whenever anyone loses their job. It’s not a nice story, but this is the industry. We’re critical of players, we’re critical of coaches and conversely if you’re Stephen Wells at Geelong and you have an unbelievable record, we’ll pump you up. If you’re Tim Lamb at Melbourne, if you’re Jason Taylor at Melbourne, they’re the two architects of that premiership list, and I’ve spoken about them at length before as well. It’s just the way it works.

  “I find it hysterical that someone has left their job because of one relatively … in terms of a hard criticism, that wasn’t on the upper echelon, and he’s quit because of that. It’s bizarre.”
• Star Dee likely to stay, the team to watch in the trade period and more
  25 May 2022

  Leading AFL journalist Callum Twomey has provided an update on a number of curious trade and contract situations around the league.

  Melbourne star Angus Brayshaw, North Melbourne forward Cam Zurhaar, Gold Coast’s strong draft hand and more all analysed.

  See his update below:

  Angus Brayshaw (Melbourne)

  “He’s put off talks for the first half of the year, but obviously been really good for the Dees in that role across half-back,” Twomey told SEN Breakfast.

  “He’s looking forward to getting it out of the way, because that’s all anyone wants to talk about. I think that’s a pretty good sign in what lies ahead for him at the Demons.

  “Still no timeline, but I think there’s a strong likelihood that he’ll be at the Dees next year. He’s a restricted free agent, but Melbourne has its bye in Round 14 … I’d expect some movement by then.”

  Gold Coast’s huge draft hand

  “They loaded up (on future picks) because they had such a full list, so they had to move some things and make some things happen to make sure they could get into this year’s draft.

  “They actually hold four picks inside the first 33 picks of this year’s draft and six picks inside the first 45 picks.

  “For me, they’re the club to watch at the end of the year because they have such a strong hand. They can either package it all up and trade them out for players or they can package them up and try and get up the draft order to get another early pick.

  “I think it puts them in a strong position to be active and be creative with what they do.”

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  Jack Hayes (St Kilda)

  “The Saints have moved quickly to lock him into a new deal and give him some assurances about what’s ahead.

  “My colleague Josh Gabelich is reporting that Hayes has agreed to a two-year deal through to the end of 2024.”

  Cam Zurhaar (North Melbourne)

  “It’s more of a wait and see situation here. I think that’s been the plan from a while out. There hasn’t been any rush to any talks.

  “I don’t think there’s necessarily a club that’s got anything locked in for him, I think there’s a reasonable chance he remains at North Melbourne, but don’t expect those talks to be happening until later in the year.

  “And I think that’s been the plan throughout the whole campaign, it’s not necessarily been dependent on the Roos’ form.

  “He’s obviously got the pull of WA, but I don’t think there’s anything lined up right now.”

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• Hawthorn coach outlines the one current AFL rule he would change
  25 May 2022

  Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has identified one rule he would like to see reverted back to its original adjudication.

  There are a number of rules that are frustrating players, coaches and the general public alike in season 2022, with the stand, protected zone, dissent and dangerous tackle rules all points of contention.

  But it is the ruck nomination rule that Mitchell wants reinstated in its simplest form.

  “There is one, for two reasons,” he said on Sportsday when asked of which rule he would like to change.

  “That’s the third man up or the nominate in the ruck (rule).

  “Back when I was playing, any time that we needed to get a score we were very quick to jump up and hit it out of the area.

  “You can’t do that anymore, so I think if they got rid of the ruck nominations and you’re allowed to knock it out of the area, that might help with game congestion.”

  That rule aside, Mitchell is happy with the direction the game is headed.

  He is a fan of the high scoring, made possible by the 6-6-6 rule, even if it did almost cost his Hawks a win over Brisbane in Launceston last weekend.

  “Other than that, I think the game (is fine),” he added.

  “I’m actually really enjoying watching the game at the moment. There’s a bit more scoring, there’s a bit more end-to-end play.

  “6-6-6 has really led to (scoring). We were 18 points up with three minutes to go and we were five seconds away from potentially losing the game. That wouldn’t have happened five years ago without the 6-6-6 rule.”

  Mitchell joked: “So I didn’t like it this week, but that’s been a really good introduction of a rule.”

  Mitchell and his 13th-placed Hawks (4-6) head to Darwin to take on the 12th-placed Gold Coast Suns (also 4-6) at TIO Stadium on Saturday night.

• 2022 AFL Round 11: Sydney vs Richmond Preview & Betting Tips
  25 May 2022

  Sydney will take on Richmond in the Friday night fixture in Round 11 of the AFL season! It's a big game with top eight implications and we have you covered with a full preview and betting tips here.

  Swans vs Tigers Betting Tips
• Musings of an AFL idiot after watching their first ever game
  25 May 2022

  Yep, that’s me, I’m the AFL idiot.

  Before last weekend, I had never seen an Aussie rules game. It must be mentioned, however, that I’m British, and I can confidently say that very few Brits have settled down for an AFL match.

  So that’s exactly what I did on Sunday, watching Freemantle vs Collingwood, and here are an AFL idiot’s thoughts from that fixture and the sport in general.

  The first two things I wrote down on my notepad were both questions: why is the pitch so big and, wait a minute, what did the guy on the sidelines just do?

  The first can be answered with the response that the pitch has to accommodate all those players, but whose idea was it to have 18 per side? The second is in reference to the unique way in which the ball re-enters the field of play and led me to ask how difficult is the skill to do and how many people can throw the ball in that way?

  (Photo by Cameron Spencer/AFL Photos/Getty Images)

  I will now digress to what I took from the game’s kicking. Surely territory is of no concern with a pitch that size and are there designated kickers, or can everyone kick well? Also, I wondered, for a game where kicking is so integral and where there are so many players, there were very few attempted charge-downs compared to a sport such as rugby union.

  In addition, teams seemed calm having the ball so close to their own posts, and I found myself begging, “Kick it out!”

  Passing also took up a lot of my attention during the game. Passing only seems necessary when you’re in danger of losing the ball, as several passes will get you nowhere on a cricket pitch. I saw the occasional ‘punch-pass’ and blamed the several handling errors on the pouring rain that day.

  Something that occurs in nearly all team sports, positions, seems hard to navigate in Aussie rules. How does it work?

  Another question I posed in my head was what abilities does the captain have? How much power does he wield and what makes a great AFL leader?

  Scoring was my next topic, and Collingwood’s quick start gave me the opportunity to learn how it works. Six through the middle, one for the sides. Has anyone ever volleyed it on for six points and – I must ask – what is the history behind what the touch judge does when there’s a goal? It’s brilliant!

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  Leading on from scoring is one of my main takeaways from the game, the necessity to be clinical. In a wide and long pitch, quick counter-attacks can easily wreak havoc, as the Magpies proved in the second quarter. It seems you have to take your chances and pounce on your opponent’s mistakes more so than in other sports. Collingwood began to dictate the play, and at halftime I could not see Freemantle coming back.

  So that’s a summary of what I thought of my first AFL game. I enjoyed the wacky and interesting sport, and could be watching some more games in the future.

  I apologise for my lack of knowledge of the game’s vocabulary and other than that, thank you for reading an AFL idiot.

• “Gone too far”: AFL great slams current state of rule interpretations
  25 May 2022

  Richmond legend Matthew Richardson has voiced his displeasure at the current state of AFL rules.

  Following a weekend where several games were in the spotlight for perceived excessive free kick counts, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin launched a stringent defence of the game’s officials at his weekly press conference on Wednesday.

  "I'm a bit disappointed this week that we get to a situation where everyone's now in a position where we're going to be quite negative towards the umpires," Goodwin said.

  "We have to be quite careful as an industry that we don't go down that path and we continue to respect and want our young people to get into umpiring."

  After hearing Goodwin’s comments, Richardson slammed the current station of the game’s rules, saying the stand rule and dissent interpretation had evolved into “something ridiculous”.

  “I feel like most people aren’t negative about umpires,” he said on Sportsday.

  “A lot of people are at pains to say this isn’t about the umpires, it’s about the rules they are being forced to interpret. It’s not the umpires - they’re doing the job they have to do. It’s a totally different situation that a lot of people are talking about.

  “A lot of these rules aren’t working. There are too many 50m penalties and too many silly little rules, this dissent rule has gone too far and gone the way it wasn’t meant to go.

  “I don’t like the stand rule, the protected rule is OK…these rules come in and then evolve. The dangerous tackle was brought in for a very good reason, but it has now evolved into something ridiculous.

  “These rules evolve into something they’re not meant to be.”

  Several experienced umpires are currently missing from the game due to injury and illness, thrusting more junior field umpires into the spotlight.