Lions Turn Early Shootout To Rout Against Tired Demons Troy Thompson Thu, 04/11/2024 - 22:43 A cool Thursday night greeted the visiting Lions, and they were a little slow out of the box. Melbourne's Alex Neal-Bullen got the scoring underway when he snapped on the outside of his boot from 40 meters out early in the first quarter. The Demons playing their fourth match in 20 days. The Lions quickly remembered their Fitzroy roots though, adjusted to the conditions and Hipwood evened the ledger at the Punt Rd end. Big Joe Daniher missed his first set shot, but with the aid of a 50-m ..read more

AFANA's Who's Hot and Who's Not Boris Kilpatrick Wed, 04/03/2024 - 10:05 Welcome to AFANA’s new column where we look around the league to check in on which players are dominating and who is struggling as the new season starts to take shape. With all teams heading to sunny South Australia for the AFL’s second iteration of “gather round”, these are the names you want to keep an eye on as they are currently the difference makers for your favorite teams. HOT: ISAAC HEENEY (Sydney Swans): They say adversity brings opportunity and you have to look no further than this man to see this adage confirme ..read more

Milestone Man Hawkins Kicks Four on Easter Monday Troy Thompson Mon, 04/01/2024 - 07:45 Overcast but warm conditions at the MCG greeted the teams after an earlier brief thunderstorm. Geelong produced the first goal of the day through Tyson Stengle deep in the forward pocket marked and goaled early. Cameron Mackenzie kicked the Hawks first for the match from 25 meters out straight in front receiving a quick handball and scrambling a kick over oncoming defenders. In his 350th game, Tom Hawkins lead deep into the pocket marked, and in what is considered the wrong side for a right footer, calmly ..read more

AFL Drugs Cover-Up? Lisa Albergo Sun, 03/31/2024 - 12:10 Shortly after Round Two concluded, Andrew Wilke (Australian Member of Parliament, Independent) dropped a bombshell statement regarding Australian rules players and clubs. The allegations, denied by the league, doctors, and the AFL Players Association (AFLPA), state that club doctors would test players midweek. If any player tested positive for an illicit substance, that player was instructed to fake an injury to be ruled out of the upcoming game to avoid match day testing and subsequent ramifications. The allegations also ..read more

AFL Responds to Coroner's Report on Tuck: More Protocols Lisa Albergo Fri, 03/29/2024 - 19:28 In late March, the Victorian State Coroner's office, after an inquest concerning the death of former player Shane Tuck, made recommendations for the health and safety of players, mainly with regard to concussion protocols The AFL replied in an official statement and will implement the recommendations as part of the ongoing process of the prevention and management of concussion and other head trauma in Australian Football. (Ed. note: left unsaid is that the AFL, like many professional sports leagues ..read more

Dockers Keep Crows Winless chris kowald Fri, 03/29/2024 - 10:50 The Fremantle Dockers defeated the desperate Adelaide Crows in a Good Friday game that was anything but good for the struggling Crows. The Crows, who were robbed of a place in the finals last year by a goal umpiring error that could not be corrected, are now winless from three starts. In contrast, the Dockers have made their best start in nine years. The game was a tense struggle for three-and-a-bit quarters before Fremantle broke free of the Adelaide pressure, to hammer home four final-quarter goals to the delight of the record ..read more

Carlton Hall Of Fame Inductees Lisa Albergo Sun, 03/24/2024 - 18:17 In mid-March, Carlton announced three new inductees into their Hall of Fame: the late Jack Carney, Neil Chandler, and Brendan Fevola. The club's Hall of Fame was established in 1987 to recognize contributions made to the club by the individual honoree, which can be in the form of records, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, and character. THE INDUCTEES JACK CARNEY Playing 84 games and was well respected at both Geelong and Carlton for his passion for the game he loved. The speedy winger was a member of Carl ..read more

Giants Step Over Eagles chris kowald Sun, 03/24/2024 - 08:50 It wasn't a giant leap for the Greater Western Sydney Giants, but it was a small step towards their first Premiership flag. For the first time in their history, the Giants have started a season with three wins. Their opponents, the Eagles, have landed with a thud. After a boost in optimism, having drafted the number one draft pick, Harley Reid, the Eagles have been brought back to Earth. The Giants were expected to win this game, they did what they had to, without really breaking stride. For a large part of the match the Eagles impe ..read more

New Rules for Junior Footy Lisa Albergo Sat, 03/09/2024 - 18:09 The AFL has also introduced new rules for junior leagues with purpose of retaining young players longer and assisting clubs across Australia. Attraction and retention in needed to as is boosting participation. The endeavor included input from community leagues, clubs, and key local football stakeholder groups and involved extensive research. The AFL says the rules are designed to maximize fun, increase involvement, support skill development, and help kids stay connected and love being a part of the game. The new rules will b ..read more

2024 Concussion Protocols for Aussie Rules Lisa Albergo Thu, 03/07/2024 - 18:15 Just ahead of the opening round of AFL football, the league announced adjustments to their concussion protocols for all leagues - from the AFL on down including professional, community, junior, etc. For AFL and AFLW players, the 12-day minimum waiting period (to be eligible to return to play) will remain in place. Players are monitored under a multi-stage platform and cannot return to training or playing without a medical clearance. Should symptoms persist beyond the 12 days, a player could be sidelined ..read more