Why Bombers, Lions, Saints can’t match it with the best
Every club needs a player – ideally several – who can take a game by the scruff of the neck and drag his team over the line. JON RALPH writes the clubs without one are stuck in the wilderness.
Jon Ralph
Ralph: Confusion? The AFL’s tackle crackdown is working
The leave-the-game-aloners will argue that tackling will soon be a lost art, but with the concussion rate still high, it is clear the AFL must continue its crackdown to protect the head, writes JON RALPH.
$6m man? Why Hawks mega bid for Battle makes sense
Hawthorn’s huge offer to lure Josh Battle from St Kilda isn’t just about shoring up its backline. As JON RALPH explains, there’s another key to why the Hawks could offer close to $1m a year.
Ranked: AFL’s 15 biggest games in the ‘blockbuster-isation’ of footy
Gone are the days of the traditional afternoon slots, here is the blockbuster-isation of football. JON RALPH ranks the AFL’s 15 best blockbuster fixtures in a new era of sports attendance.
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Ralph: Ratbags, scallywags and horror reality of AFL’s dirty secret
What if a player’s sample is negative and the drugs they took are not revealed by an ‘off the book’ test? The answer is the most jaw-dropping aspect of the drugs bombshell, writes JON RALPH.
Grow up, Ginnivan and Co can have a life outside footy
Get used to AFL stars attending the Grand Prix or red carpet events in a world where social media is a huge second income. So, what did Jack Ginnivan do wrong, asks JON RALPH.
‘Soft, old, slow’: Where have swarming Pies gone?
The Magpies’ swarm led them to premiership glory in 2023 but this year, so far, they look old, soft and slow. So where has the dare and drive gone?
Ralph: The question is how, not if, Roos rid themselves of Thomas
The writing is on the wall, according to JON RALPH: Tarryn Thomas and North Melbourne are through. The only question now is how he and the club go about parting ways.
Revealed: The seven clubs sitting on salary cap war chests
The new AFL salary cap will have massive implications on the way AFL clubs and players do business, and seven sides who read the tea leaves are sitting on mammoth war chests. Who are they?
Why footy’s 2024 premier could simply be last team standing
Both the AFL and its fans can’t get enough of footy, but how much is too much? JON RALPH analyses the marathon that awaits clubs in 2024.
Hollywood’s role in former Saint’s story of ‘catastrophic’ concussions
Koby Stevens had 10-12 concussions in his career at three AFL clubs. Now, he has paired with some of sport and film’s biggest names to detail the harrowing impact of concussion and the lengths required to treat it.
Trade mail: Which Vic club will have a go at big fish?
Jeremy McGovern will be 32 next April. With a second flag at the Eagles out of the question, a Victorian club with finals ambition could swoop.
The off-season trade, list calls every non-finalist must make
The AFL exchange period is almost here – and it’s an important time for the 10 clubs who missed finals. These are the moves, deals and list calls your team should make to bounce back.
The true beauty of Blues’ organic growth
The Blues’ run towards a possible finals berth has not been the smooth ride many expected at the start of 2023, but a change in ethos will hold them in good stead beyond this season alone.
Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/expert-opinion/jon-ralph/page/2