These players to sign on the dotted line,and while that remains the case,they’ll be at the centre of trade talk in 2025.
After more than a dozen years,a reflective Jobe Watson is now relaxed enough to discuss why he took part in the club’s controversial supplements program and why he feels the 34 suspended players were hard done by.
Rhyan Mansell’s three-match ban stands;Elijah Hollands is expected to return through the VFL this weekend;and the AFL is “comfortable” in allowing Noah Balta to play before he’s sentenced in court.
Former Demon Joel Smith has opened up on his four-year ban for cocaine use and trafficking,but insists he is a new man and wants another shot at AFL glory.
By reputation,Melbourne has one of the most-vaunted on-ball divisions in the AFL. But it’s in that part of the ground where they’re getting smashed,as one key statistical measure shows.
At 24,Zak Butters is coming into the prime of his career. Hawthorn,Richmond,Essendon and Collingwood are among the clubs keen to lure him back home to Victoria.
More concerns are emerging about the planned AFL stadium in Hobart. Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell is heading to the tribunal,and pressure continues to mount on Carlton.
He was the son of Jim and nephew of Phil Krakouer,who paved a path for Indigenous players and starred for North Melbourne in the VFL in the 1980s.
Andrew Brayshaw’s individual effort on the verge of half-time all but ensured the outcome of western derby 60.
It’s young talent time in the AFL,with a host of up-and-coming players making their mark. By season’s end,it’s possible one or more of them will have usurped the league’s modern greats.