On Notice: AFL, Good Friday football, Josh Kelly and the AFLW in the firing line

It’s a huge Easter weekend of footy – but it’s even bigger for a certain few. Scott Gullan sharpens the pencil and announces who is on notice in Round 5.

In the hottest new weekly column, eagle-eyed football journalist Scott Gullan sharpens the pencil and announces who is on notice for the coming round.

EASTER KANGAROOS

Wind the clock back 12 months and the build-up into Good Friday was all about if North Melbourne should still hold the right to the holiday slot. They then went out and got flogged by 128 points by the red-hot Western Bulldogs. That wasn’t bad enough to get them shunted from the date but surely the AFL’s patience is wearing thin.

This time around the Roos are coming off their best performance of the season and are facing a stone cold Dogs outfit which should be the recipe for a better showing. If that doesn’t happen, surely the Easter Kangaroos are cooked.

North Melbourne will be looking to bounce back after its disastrous Good Friday loss to the Western Bulldogs last year. Picture: Matt King/AFL Photos/Getty Images

AFLW INFLATION

Don’t get us wrong, we love this free agency expansion signing stories buzzing around in the AFLW.

It’s great fodder but already there should be alarm bells sounding at AFL headquarters. The inflation created by the money being thrown around by the new teams is going to quickly put everything out of whack.

Maddy Prespakis getting a lazy $170k plus to leave Carlton for Essendon is exciting in the sense that the girls are finally starting to earn some serious money.

But what sort of team is she going to have around her?

The Bombers can go hard at another marquee player whose wage can also be excluded from the salary cap but then what is left for the rest?

How are the girls slogging it out on $25k going to feel?

It’s going to get messy and while the next generation of girls will be ready to play quicker, there’s going to be some hard yards for a lot of clubs next season.

GILLON’S REPLACEMENT PROCESS

The tears had barely been wiped away by outgoing CEO Gillon McLachlan at his press conference and the football world was already in fever pitch about who would be his replacement.

The AFL Commission has to be careful here and ensure this is not a boat race with the two in-house candidates – Andrew Dillon and Travis Auld, who it must be said are excellent options – getting the dream run at the expense of others.

The one leading the “others” by the length of the Flemington straight is Brendon Gale. But every time the Richmond CEO’s name is mentioned in regards to the league’s top job there are murmurings. And that noise has nothing to do with his capability to do the job, it’s more around the periphery.

The AFL keeps banging on about inclusivity and embracing all types, maybe it’s time to steer away from the “perfect” scenario.

Tom Jonas leads Port Adelaide off after last Thursday’s loss to Melbourne (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

TOM JONAS

There were eyebrows raised when you were appointed and it’s time to show the football world exactly why you were named Port Adelaide captain. Ken Hinkley is taking the can for last year’s embarrassing preliminary final loss and the 0-4 start to the season. He would see it as his role to take the heat away from his players and cop the over-the-top outrage in SA but it’s time Tommy for you and your comrades to take a stand.

We know all about the injuries but there are too many highly-rated Port players going backwards in a hurry. Carlton are vulnerable on Sunday without Patrick Cripps so its statement time and maybe as a key defender taking out Harry McKay or Charlie Curnow would be a good place to start.

JOSH KELLY

There is an eerie precedent around world sport when it comes to contract years. In the NFL and NBA there is always talk about how a player’s performance spiked on the last season of a deal when they’re looking for a new one, either where they are or with another team.

Josh Kelly was enormous last year, stepping up to captain the Giants and winning his second best and fairest award.

While he was flying he knocked back a massive offer from North Melbourne and signed on at the Giants for a whopping eight years. That’s a big commitment, on big coin which brings big expectations. Four rounds into the season and Kelly hasn’t featured in the AFL Coaches Association votes. He was MIA against Fremantle last week (19 possessions) in a bad loss. Taking on the reigning premiers at the MCG on a Saturday night sounds like the perfect platform to revert back to contract-year effort.

Has Josh Kelly done enough to justify his monster contract signed last year? (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

BRUCE DOULL’S TEAMMATES

The Carlton great has always been a man of few words but a recent development seems to be changing that. According to his former teammate Wayne Harmes, the Flying Doormat has finally stepped into the modern age and acquired a mobile phone.

“At 71 years of age he just got a mobile phone and we’ve created a pest. An absolute pest,” Harms told The Front Bar.

“He sent me a text the other day saying, ‘Aw Harmesy, sorry to hear The Front Bar is lacking talent’.”

Originally published as On Notice: AFL, Good Friday football, Josh Kelly and the AFLW in the firing line