AFL legend Nathan Buckley has blasted Steven May over the Melbourne defender’s controversial ‘staging’ moment in the Demons’ win over North Melbourne, saying future similar acts should result in suspensions. May threw his head back and clutched at his face after being tackled to ground by Kangaroo Eddie Ford on Saturday night at the MCG, winning himself a free kick for a dangerous tackle – but also a $1250 fine for the exaggeration. The incident has been widely condemned around the footy world, but hardest hitting of all was Buckley, with the Collingwood great saying on SEN Breakfast the incid ..read more

Steven May has become the third AFL player to be fined for staging, with the Melbourne defender found guilty by Match Review Officer Michael Christian of faking head contact to win a dangerous tackle free kick. May threw his neck back before clutching at his head after being tackled to the ground by North Melbourne’s Eddie Ford during the Demons’ thrilling win on Saturday night, with the umpire duly awarding him a controversial free kick. He has paid a hefty price, however, with the star defender fined $1875 for the act, though it can be reduced to $1250 with a guilty plea. May’s act was descr ..read more

What happened on Saturday afternoon at the Adelaide Oval was less ships passing in the night and more one ship boarding the other and butchering the crew, leaving with all the plunder they can carry, then bringing out the cannons and sending the doomed vessel to Davy Jones’ Locker. Such was the ferocious pounding Brisbane dealt out to Port Adelaide, in a match that loomed as line-ball heading in; ignominiously on a day the Power had earmarked to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of their greatest AFL triumph in the 2004 grand final. It was a display to ratify the utterly contrasting fortunes o ..read more

Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield has been hit with a one-match suspension for his controversial dangerous tackle on Carlton’s Sam Walsh. Debate erupted after the veteran tackled Walsh from behind in the opening seconds of the Cats’ loss to the Blues on Friday night, with Walsh falling forwards and hitting his head on the ground, winning a free kick as a result. The incident led to widespread debate around the footy world, with many claiming Dangerfield would face the wrath of Match Review Officer Michael Christian, while others believed Walsh contributed to his head hitting the ground with ..read more

The Swans have long been a team that commands respect. I’m not disputing they are a well-run machine, and today they are often seen as perennial contenders. Yet, as we pass the halfway mark of another season, the narrative that the Swans are the team to beat is, in my opinion, another misguided one. The Swans will not win the flag this year, and here’s why. More AFL Don't get carried away just yet, Swans fans: Some reasons why Sydney won't soar to victory this year The Father-Son equation has been around for decades, but it's suddenly become a problem because Collingwood is benefiting The pro ..read more

So everybody is complaining because father/son selections have advantaged Collingwood. Oooh – Josh and Nick Daicos, as well as Darcy Moore. How important were they to Collingwood’s 2023 premiership campaign? Darcy Moore was the inspirational captain. Nick Daicos would’ve won the Brownlow if he didn’t miss six games with injury. Josh Daicos won Collingwood’s Best and Fairest -and just in case you missed it, he did it in a premiership year. Why is this such a big issue now? More AFL Don't get carried away just yet, Swans fans: Some reasons why Sydney won't soar to victory this year The Father-S ..read more

There’s been a lot of controversy relating to the umpiring and officiating in the North Melbourne vs Collingwood match at Marvel on Sunday – and justifiably so. What is interesting is what has been missed by very many people. An incident happened in the first quarter – and it involved an on-field rollback to fix an umpiring mistake. There are some interesting possibilities this raises. More AFL Don't get carried away just yet, Swans fans: Some reasons why Sydney won't soar to victory this year The Father-Son equation has been around for decades, but it's suddenly become a problem because Coll ..read more

When you’re a senior coach, any major decision you make is closely scrutinised – and their success or failure nearly always depends on the result. Have a famous, backs-to-the-wall win? Then no matter what moves you’ve made to get there, they were the right ones. Got pumped by anyone, from the bottom-placed battlers to the premiership favourites? Then it was a blunder, a game-destroying error that should have your job placed firmly under the microscope. Chris Scott has more than enough credits in the bank to avoid the latter fate for his call to head into Geelong’s clash with Carlton on Friday ..read more

Gold Coast CEO Mark Evans has suggested the AFL should force Victorian clubs to play home finals interstate, in a bid to even up the advantage they receive by having the grand final played in Melbourne. The league’s decider will remain at the MCG until 2059, as part of a deal between the AFL and the MCC government; the partnership has long been a source of frustration for the non-Victorian clubs. Speaking to News Corp, Evans, who was previously the AFL’s Football Operations General Manager before being appointed to the Suns position at the start of 2017, made the suggestion to highlight the ..read more

The last of the bye rounds is upon us at last! That means we’ve only got one weekend to sit through before a full nine games are back on the AFL calendar for the rest of the home-and-away season; though sadly (depending on your position) the absence of Thursday night games will mostly mean those matches are crammed in one on top of the other on Saturday and Sunday. After a mixed bag last round – with all six favourites winning, you were in for a rude shock if you picked a roughie or two – Round 15 looks to be another normal-seeming weekend for us tipsters to deal with… though if there’s anythi ..read more