St Kilda caretaker coach Brett Ratten says Jack Steven has been an "energizer bunny" at the club this week after his impressive return to AFL football last round. RECAP TODAY'S FOOTY NEWS
St Kilda caretaker coach Brett Ratten says Jack Steven has been an "energizer bunny" at the club this week after his impressive return to AFL football last round.
Steven played his first senior game since Round 6 in last week's win over Fremantle after taking a break away from the club to focus on his mental health.
The four-time best-and-fairest winner played a starring role in the win with three goals and 22 possessions.Ratten said the performance had left Steven on a high this week ahead of tomorrow's clash against Carlton.
"Wasn't it good to see his smile?," Ratten said.
"He was up and about and he is ready to go this week and same with Hanners (Dan Hannebery).
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"For both those boys to be out for periods in the season and not play much footy and then have a performance like that was great for their own self-belief, but also just to get back with the players and be around the footy team, they've had a really good week.
"But he (Steven) is up and about and he's like the little energizer bunny and he buzzes around. But to kick three goals and did what he did was great."
Steven, who has played just the five senior games this season, has been linked to a potential move to Geelong, closer to where he grew up in Lorne.
Asked if performances and wins like last week could help the Saints keep Steven next year, Ratten said he just wanted to see him happy.
"That all sits with list management and Jack as well," Ratten said.
"From an interim coach, I just want him to be happy and get back to what he does best, that will take care if itself at the end of the year.
"He's such a great lad and he's always bubbly and got great personality, so just to see him in that space I think that helps us as a footy team."
Ratten expected Steven to spend more time in the midfield this round against the Blues.
"He'll move around and, probably with the first up performance, we had to just be a bit mindful of him and how much he got up the ground," Ratten said.
"But I think now he's had a game, he's played three games at VFL level, he can start to get through the midfield a little bit more so that will be good for us."
Meanwhile, Ratten said Jade Gresham (eye) could be close to a return for the final round subject to medical clearance. Gresham fractured his eye socket in the Saints' Round 20 clash against Adelaide.
"He will be close next week. It will be up to the doctors (with) the risk versus reward – is it worth playing him?," Ratten said.
"Where if he did get another hit in that spot, it could be bad news for him or no, he'll be fine and we push on.
"But he has done everything this week training wise, we've taken him out of the collision, contact area of our training, but he is progressing well."
Thanks for following today.
It's been a big day of AFL news.
We'll leave you with this from the retiring Brett Deledio.
Have a great weekend.
Thank you all for the kind words and good memories of the last 15 yrs. Makes a bloke feel very special. Still work to be done in 2019 so not finished just yet đđ».
— BD7 (@BrettDeledio07) August 16, 2019
-REBECCA WILLIAMS
St Kilda caretaker coach Brett Ratten says Jack Steven has been an "energizer bunny" at the club this week after his impressive return to AFL football last round.
Steven played his first senior game since Round 6 in last week's win over Fremantle after taking a break away from the club to focus on his mental health.
The four-time best-and-fairest winner played a starring role in the win with three goals and 22 possessions.
Ratten said the performance had left Steven on a high this week ahead of tomorrow's clash against Carlton.
"Wasn't it good to see his smile? He was up and about and he is ready to go this week and same with Hanners (Dan Hannebery)," Ratten said yesterday.
"For both those boys to be out for periods in the season and not play much footy and then have a performance like that was great for their own self-belief, but also just to get back with the players and be around the footy team, they've had a really good week.
"But he (Steven) is up and about and he's like the little energizer bunny and he buzzes around. But to kick three goals and did what he did was great."
Steven, who has played just the five senior games this season, has been linked to a potential move to Geelong, closer to where he grew up in Lorne.
Asked if performances and wins like last week could help the Saints keep Steven next year, Ratten said he just wanted to see him happy.
"That all sits with list management and Jack as well," Ratten said.
"From an interim coach, I just want him to be happy and get back to what he does best, that will take care if itself at the end of the year.
"He's such a great lad and he's always bubbly and got great personality, so just to see him in that space I think that helps us as a footy team."
Ratten expected Steven to spend more time in the mid-field this round against the Blues.
"He'll move around and probably with the first up performance, we had to just be a bit mindful of him and how much he got up the ground," Ratten said.
"But I think now he's had a game, he's played three games at VFL level, he can start to get through the mid-field a little bit more so that will be good for us."
Meanwhile, Ratten said Jade Gresham (eye) could be close to a return for the final round subject to medical clearance. Gresham fractured his eye socket in the Saints' Round 20 clash against Adelaide.
"He will be close next week. It will be up to the doctors (with) the risk versus reward – is it worth playing him?," Ratten said.
"Where if he did get another hit in that spot, it could be bad news for him or no, he'll be fine and we push on.
"But he has done everything this week training wise, we've taken him out of the collision, contact area of our training, but he is progressing well."
Brett Deledio might have spent 2017 grand final day at Taronga Zoo rather than watching his long-term AFL club win a flag, but heâll always be welcome at the Richmond Football Club.
âHeâs a Tiger through and through,â coach Damien Hardwick declared after hearing of Deledioâs retirement from the AFL.
Deledio was taken by the Tigers with pick one in the 2004 national draft, staying at Punt Road for 12 years and 243 games of toil.
During that time, he never won a final.
A desire for a fresh start led him north to GWS ahead of the 2017 season; the same year Richmond roared to a come-from-the-clouds premiership. As fate would have it, Deledio clocked his 250th game in the preliminary final that season, lost to the Tigers.
The next week, Deledio famously took his children to Sydneyâs zoo on grand final day rather than face the pain of watching his former teammates salute. Two years and just 24 games later, the sublimely talented forward is hanging up his boots.
Hardwick, who supported his move to the Giants, said he felt for the 32-year-old after battling with calf injuries through his final years.
âItâs hard and especially for guys such as Brett. He barely missed a game up until he was 28 or 29 and then the injuries have really cut him down in what really should be the peak of his career,â he said.
âThereâs no doubt heâs still capable of playing AFL footy.
âUnfortunately sometimes your body just deserts you.
âIâve incredible admiration for a guy that was here for a really difficult first part of his career.
âHeâll always be a Richmond man to us. Heâs a Tiger through and through … and will go down as one of the greats of the game.â
-AAP
-JAY CLARK
Patrick Cripps believes the sky is the limit for Mitch McGovern.
But to realise his full football potential, McGovern had to focus on âbuilding good habits off the fieldâ regarding his conditioning and diet.
Cripps, who also had to trim down when he first arrived at Carlton, said he had a frank discussion with McGovern when they sat down with new coach David Teague and fitness boss Andrew Russell about six weeks ago.
"I said, âMate I have been where you are atâ, and it wasnât as public as him,â Cripps said.
âBut my whole career was set up on the back of my first off-season at the club where I just got really strict on my diet and my training.
"So we had a really good chat with him, it was really honest about where we see things.
âWe said âWe have got your back, we know how good you are going to be, but these are the standards we are setting at the clubâ.â
Cripps said McGovernâs attitude and performance throughout a month-long training block with Russell was exemplary.
The former Adelaide forward revealed a new trimmed-down figure last weekend against Richmond.
âHe just had to get his body in really good nick to be able to do what he can do more consistently,â Cripps said.
âWith his aerial ability and his explosiveness, not many people can do what he can do.
âThe way he has attacked it head on, and the way he played at the weekend was super. He is going to be a special player, McGovern.â
Has Matildas superstar Sam Kerr given AFLW clubs hope she could one day swap the round ball for an oval one?
Kerr, 25, grew up playing Aussie Rules and like most AFLW players, had to quit the sport when she was 12 as there was no pathway for young female footballers.
The sister of West Coast premiership player Daniel Kerr, the global soccer star has had several offers to join AFL Womenâs clubs but has so far rejected those advances.
Kerr has revealed, however, she has dreamed of playing Aussie Rules at the top level.
âIt would be amazing to play AFL and maybe one year I will retire there,â she told the Associated Press, âbut yeah, Iâve just grown to love football now. … I canât see myself back there.â
By Jay Clark
Patrick Cripps has fought through some of Carltonâs worst ever seasons to become one of the best players in the game but, he tells Jay Clark, there was one incident this season where he felt so exhausted he didnât think he could even play.
Patrick Cripps was always trying to be the pillar of strength.
Around the club, at the cafĂ© with his teammates or on the field, Crippsâ chin was always up.
But in the week Brendon Bolton was sacked and replaced by new coach David Teague â in the lead-up to the Round 12 clash against Brisbane â it finally got to him.
The Bluesâ superstar onballer and co-captain walked into the club on Thursday unsure he could play, and was slumped on his manager Matt Bainâs couch by Friday night, feeling totally, utterly exhausted.
âI was knackered. Just physically and mentally cooked,â Cripps said.
Has Matildas superstar Sam Kerr given AFLW clubs hope she could one day swap the round ball for an oval one?
Kerr, 25, grew up playing Aussie Rules and like most AFLW players, had to quit the sport when she was 12 as there was no pathway for young female footballers.
The sister of West Coast premiership player Daniel Kerr, the global soccer star has had several offers to join AFL Womenâs clubs but has so far rejected those advances.
Kerr has revealed, however, she has dreamed of playing Aussie Rules at the top level.
âIt would be amazing to play AFL and maybe one year I will retire there,â she told the Associated Press, âbut yeah, Iâve just grown to love football now. … I canât see myself back there.â
-EMILY BENAMMAR
Another day and another AFL retirement.After 12 years playing at the elite level, GWS journeyman Dawson Simpson has called time on his career at the end of the season.Drafted by Geelong back in 2007, Simpson played 28 games over eight seasons at Kardinia Park before moving north of the border in 2015.With the Giants he played 47 games and was integral to their NEAFL premiership in 2016.Simpson is the second GIant to call time this week following in the footsteps of Brett Deledio.
âI probably havenât achieved what I wanted to when it comes to games played, but I think the resilience Iâve been taught has created a man that can make a difference outside of football,â Simpson said.
âI think that had I had an armchair ride or a cruisey career, I wouldnât be the same person today. I wouldn't have the same depth and resilience in my character if I didn't have the setbacks I had and the injuries I've had.
âI look back on my career happy with what Iâve been able to achieve over the past 12 seasons and striving for those last couple of games and the ultimate success this year.
âThe friendships Iâve made at both the Cats and the GIANTS will last for a lifetime and thatâs one of things I look back on with the greatest fondness.â
-REBECCA WILLIAMS
Two caretakers now locked in as AFL senior coaches and one to go.
But St Kilda interim coach Brett Ratten insists he is happy to play the waiting game until the end of the season to find out if he will be the man to take the Saints forward.
Following North Melbourne's appointment of Rhyce Shaw as its new senior coach and Carlton yesterday confirming David Teague in the top job, Ratten is the last caretaker coach still sweating on an answer about his future in the full-time role.
But the former Blues' coach said it was important for the Saints to take their time to make the important decision about the direction the club wanted to go in.
"It will be what it is. If the club want to wait, it's a big decision," Ratten said on Friday at Moorabbin.
"Yes, we are getting some wins, but this is a long-term thing as well (that) the football club has to take into consideration.
"It's not just 'Yeah, because the footy is going well, the boys are up and about and we've had three our of four (wins)' doesn't mean you should be the senior coach."
Ratten, who took over the reins from Alan Richardson, has guided the Saints to victory in three out of the past four games and faces his old club Carlton tomorrow at the MCG.
He said there were no more developments in his dialogue with the Saints, but he and the club continued to talk regularly.
"We still keep catching up regularly when we get the opportunity with the weeks because of the six-day set-up this week it's a little bit harder and time's a bit poor," Ratten said.
"But we just keep chatting and keep catching up and we'll just see what happens.
"There is a lot of things behind the scenes that the coach has to do and make sure that's the right thing for the footy club."
Asked if he was hopeful of completing the caretaker trifecta, Ratten said:
"It would be nice. Time will take care of itself," he said.
"Good on those boys. They have done a very good job at their footy club and hopefully we can just finish off the season strong and see what happens."
-CHRIS CAVANAGH
Carlton defender Dale Thomas says the âphoneâs on if anyone wants to ringâ, not ruling out playing on next year if another club is interested.
Thomas this morning announced his retirement, effective at seasonâs end, but said it came with a âbit of disappointmentâ, having believed he could play on before being told by the Blues on Tuesday he would not be offered a new contract.
âI still feel Iâve done everything I can to give myself an opportunity to play next year,â Thomas said.
âThe disappointment is Iâm not going to be there to be a part of where this groupâs going.
âThe door closed only a day ago so Iâm not sure as yet (about playing on elsewhere). The phoneâs on if anyone wants to ring.â
In typical Thomas style, there were a few jokes laced throughout his retirement speech including thanking Penfolds, in reference to the club-imposed suspension he received earlier this week for drinking wine 48 hours before a game.
âAlso to Penfolds, theyâve been a great sponsor of mine. Bit of a joke. You canât sack me twice,â Thomas said.
Thomas will play his 100th game for Carlton against St Kilda tomorrow, following 157 games and a premiership for arch-rival Collingwood.
Thomas said he hoped to be celebrated in retirement by fans of both clubs given his service.
âCollingwood fansâŠfor a long while there loved me and at the same time they loved me the Carlton fans hated me and then it swapped,â Thomas said.
âNow to hopefully be loved by both of them (will be good).â
Bailey Smithâs Western Bulldogs exit has set up a potentially rare scenario that could deliver a shock result as Geelongâs offer hits a stalemate.
Essendon is open to trading inconsistent star Jake Stringer to GWS as the 30-year-old considers a beefed-up offer from the Giants.