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Jon RalphSports Reporter

Jon Ralph has covered sport with the Herald Sun, and now CODE Sports as well, for over two decades working primarily as a football journalist… (other fields)

@RalphyHeraldSun

Jon Ralph

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AFL News

AFL Round 22: Carlton v Essendon at the MCG. Essendon coach James Hird before tonights game against Carlton. Pic: MICHAEL KLEIN. MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - August 24, 2013.

How Hird blindsided mate Choco

Mark ‘Choco’ Williams says he attended James Hird’s wedding and considered him a “very good friend”. The Bombers legend perhaps had other ideas as he chased the Essendon coaching job in 2010.

AFL News

Senior coach, Damien Hardwick available to mediaRichmond AFL players and staff will have lunch with the students from MITS. Dan Rioli's parents Bradley Rioli and Belinda Punguatji. They are down from the Tiwi Islands and designed Richmond's Dreamtime jumper. We will need to get a family photo please. This will run in Tracey's section on Saturday,. About MITS: Each year, a class of Indigenous boys and girls (around Year Seven age) from communities around Australia come to live at ÔLockingtonÕ, the MITS boarding house in Richmond. They to go school inside the Richmond Football Club each day, where they study a curriculum focused on numeracy and literacy, delivered by MITS' teachers. Dustin Martin arrives. Picture: Tim Carrafa

‘I’m worried he is going to swear in front of the kids’

Mark Williams says his mate Dustin Martin has always been misunderstood, recalling the time a school headmaster was worried about having the Tigers’ star present to a Year 9 class.

Trade HQ

AFL. JLT. Round 1. North Melbourne v St Kilda at Avalon Airport Oval, Werribee. Paddy McCartin kicks a 1st qtr goal . Pic: Michael Klein

Trade talk: Paddy’s big decision for 2020

Paddy McCartin is making progress in the US with his concussion issues but his future is still undecided. Plus, the big offer for Tiger Brandon Ellis and the Lion that Melbourne clubs are chasing.

PodcastAFL News

Gold Coast Suns Karmichael Hunt (L) and GWS Giants' Israel Folau in Canberra, where their respective teams will be playing.

Choco: Folau could have made it in AFL

The Israel Folau AFL experiment cost millions of dollars and lasted 13 games. But former GWS assistant coach Mark Williams says it didn’t have to end that way as he reveals the Folau he knew.

AFL News

Shaun Burgoyne won a premiership at Port Adelaide, but tasted greater success when he left for Hawthorn.

Big mistake: How Power could have kept Burgoyne

Mark Williams admits Shaun Burgoyne challenged the norms at Port Adelaide but believes the club could have kept them, had they made one easy decision. LISTEN TO FIND OUT

AFL News

2010 Grand Final REPLAY. St Kilda v Collingwood. MCG. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon and captain Nick Riewoldt watch Collingwood recieve the cup.

Riewoldt: Saints ‘have to’ look at Lyon

He left St Kilda in acrimony, but Ross Lyon has the backing of Saints greats Nick Riewoldt and Brendon Goddard to return after he was sacked by the Fremantle Dockers.

AFL News

Bradley Hill of the Dockers is seen in action during the Round 19 AFL match between the Western Bulldogs and the Fremantle Dockers at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Sunday, July 28, 2019. (AAP Image/Julian Smith) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

How Vic club can pry Keath out of Adelaide

Adelaide defender Alex Keath loves the club and the city but there’s one thing that could entice him to move. Jon Ralph rates this year’s top 25 trade targets.

AFL News

AFL Round 22. 18/08/2019. Richmond v West Coast at the MCG . Richmonds Dustin Martin bursts out of the middle 1st quarter . Pic: Michael Klein

Tiger time: Dusty the hero in absolute epic

Dustin Martin was unstoppable for Richmond as the superstar led the Tigers to an epic win over West Coast to move back into the top four in one of the best games of the season.

Trade HQ

Aaron Francis of the Bombers handpasses the ball during the Round 16 AFL match between the Essendon Bombers and the Sydney Swans at the MCG in Melbourne, Saturday, July 6, 2019. (AAP Image/Daniel Pockett) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Trade news: Decision time looms for Francis

Having played a career-high 14 games this year, Aaron Francis will meet with his manager in the next week to discuss his future at Essendon.

AFL News

Sam Murray will learn his fate soon, but AFL boss Gillon McLachlan wants more transparency from ASADA.

AFL in ASADA talks after Murray doping delay

Collingwood’s Sam Murray is finally awaiting a ruling on his football future after a year-long delay for his AFL anti-doping hearing and the league wants greater transparency from ASADA.

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/journalists/jon-ralph/page/192