AFL Daily: AFL proposal to have a combined soft cap for men's and women's competitions
The AFL is looking to introduce a "soft cap" which would encompass the men's and women's competitions and has also detailed ambitious plans for its Marvel Stadium redevelopment. RECAP THE DAY'S NEWS
Glenn McFarlane
2 min read
May 14, 2019 - 11:32AM
Liam Stocker has showed some good signs in two matches.
The AFL is looking to introduce an industry-wide "soft cap" which would encompass the men's and women's competitions as it gave the 18 AFL clubs a sneak peak into the future.
In a meeting between the league and club chief executives at Werribee Mansion on Tuesday, the AFL also detailed ambitious plans for its Marvel Stadium redevelopment, canvassed ideas about the third instalment of AFLX, put mental health as one of its highest on-going priorities and gave the new 2019 rules a solid tick after two months of competition.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan told the Herald Sun the league will soon release a vision document on the future of the AFLW competition - part of which includes bringing spending under the one umbrella for the men's and women's programs.
"We talked about the vision (of AFLW)," McLachlan said of the meeting with the clubs.
"We will have a vision document out in the coming weeks. We worked the clubs through that (on Tuesday)."
"We talked about a single funding model, one soft cap, and that looks like it has been agreed to."
It's believed the AFL want to introduce that model "sooner rather than later".
The 2020 AFLW season will see the competition expanded to 14 teams with the admission of West Coast, Richmond, Gold Coast and St Kilda.
The AFL will soon release a vision document for the future of the AFLW.
AFL chief executives also saw modelling for the redevelopment of Marvel Stadium, with McLachlan saying some work could potentially start later in the year.
"We showed some external facade views," he said.
"I think generally people liked it.
"It is a very big project for the industry and we look forward to starting things hopefully later in the year."
It is understood the AFL told the clubs it was pleased with the competitive nature of the league across the first eight rounds this season.
While scoring hasn't spiked under the new rules - notably with the introduction of the 6x6x6 rule - the clubs were told that league officials were content with the overall look of the game.
They cited the fact there appeared to be more space on offer, with games in the balance late, with last week's Melbourne-Gold Coast thriller an example.
McLachlan acknowledged mental health was "one of the biggest issues in the industry", saying the league was committed to doing all that it could to assist players.
They have appointed a mental health manager, and clubs officials listened to a detailed presentation on the issue at the meeting.
RECAP ALL OF THE DAY'S NEWS IN THE BLOG BELOW
Updates
– Jon Ralph
St Kilda's boom recruit Dan Hannebery will join the main training group this week in a major step forward in his comeback from injury.
Hannebery, who joined the Saints from Sydney on a five-year deal, has battled hamstring and calf problems in a frustrating first season at his new club.
But the three-time All-Australian midfielder is set to take part in the main session on Thursday as he looks to a return to the field, most likely after the mid-season bye.
In further positive news for the Saints, defender Jake Carlisle is running strongly after back surgery and is about 5-6 weeks away from a return.
Hannebery set for major Saints milestone
– Jon Ralph
St Kilda's boom recruit Dan Hannebery will join the main training group this week in a major step forward in his comeback from injury.
Hannebery, who joined the Saints from Sydney on a five-year deal, has battled hamstring and calf problems in a frustrating first season at his new club.
But the three-time All-Australian midfielder is set to take part in the main session on Thursday as he looks to a return to the field, most likely after the mid-season bye.
In further positive news for the Saints, defender Jake Carlisle is running strongly after back surgery and is about 5-6 weeks away from a return.
New SuperFooty Podcast
Al Paton
The Dane Rampe drama, Gary Ablett's elbow and who's really to blame for low-scoring games are all on the agenda of a brand new SuperFooty Podcast.
Plus Brian Taylor settles the biggest debate of the weekend – how do you pronounce Orazio Fantasia?
Listen to BT, Mark Robinson, Jon Anderson and Lauren Wood now:
AFL statement on Dane Rampe
Al Paton
AFL General Manager Football Operations Steve Hocking said the AFL had received a written explanation and apology from Sydney Swans player Dane Rampe, regarding two incidents during last Friday’s Round Eight match against Essendon at the SCG.
Mr Hocking said the AFL had determined the player would be sanctioned for both incidents under AFL rule 2.3 ‘Conduct unbecoming or prejudicial to the interests of the AFL’.
The sanctions imposed on Dane Rampe are as follows:
Comments directed to an Umpire: Rampe was sanctioned $10,000, with $5,000 suspended.
Climbing the Goal Post: Rampe was sanctioned $1,000, fully suspended.
Mr Hocking said the AFL took into account the public apology from Dane on Monday afternoon, and the fact he acknowledged his actions were not appropriate in either incident.
“As a senior player in our game, and a captain of his football club, Dane is well aware the derogatory nature of his remarks are completely unacceptable and have no place in our game.”
Sydney defender Dane Rampe has been hit with fines for climbing the goal post and making derogatory comments to an umpire.
Rampe has been fined $10,000 for telling umpire Jacob Mollison "you talk like a little girl" after giving away a free kick against Essendon on Friday night.
Half the fine is suspended for the rest of his career.
He was also slapped with a $1000 fine for climbing the goal post . That fine has been entirely suspended, the AFL website reports.
Rampe climbed up the padding as Bomber David Myers took a shot at goal after the final siren. A goal would have won the game but his kick fell short.
Umpires at the game asked Rampe to get down and decided not to pay a free kick, a decision ticked off by the AFL.
How can Dane Rampe get fined $1000 (suspended) for scaling the goalpost when it was seen but not penalised with a free kick and when Gill McLachlan said it wasn't a free kick on Saturday morning. So bizarre https://t.co/Ve8wU3JgFa
It could have cost Sydney the game, but did Swans coach John Longmire give the game away in a post-siren conversation with Dane Rampe on Friday night?
Longmire refused to buy into the debate over whether umpires should have paid a free kick against Rampe for climbing the goal post as Bomber David Myers had a shot after the siren.
But in footage shown on Fox Footy's AFL360 last night, a disbelieving Longmire can be seen talking to Rampe moments after the Swans' five-point win.
This is how host Gerard Whateley believed the conversation went down:
Rampe: I was up the post.
Longmire: Hey?
Rampe: I was up the post.
Longmire: You’re kidding … that’s a free kick
When asked about the conversation, Longmire didn’t dispute Whateley’s lip-reading of the chat.
“Jeez, you’re a very good lip-reader, Gerard. I didn’t realise you were so talented,” Longmire said.
“I mean, we’ve just won by five points, guys. I can’t recall what I said.
“If that’s what I said, that’s what I said.”
Watch the video below and decide for yourself.
Breaking: Rampe hits with AFL fines
Al Paton
Sydney defender Dane Rampe has been hit with fines for climbing the goal post and making derogatory comments to an umpire.
Rampe has been fined $10,000 for telling umpire Jacob Mollison "you talk like a little girl" after giving away a free kick against Essendon on Friday night.
Half the fine is suspended for the rest of his career.
He was also slapped with a $1000 fine for climbing the goal post . That fine has been entirely suspended, the AFL website reports.
Rampe climbed up the padding as Bomber David Myers took a shot at goal after the final siren. A goal would have won the game but his kick fell short.
Umpires at the game asked Rampe to get down and decided not to pay a free kick, a decision ticked off by the AFL.
How can Dane Rampe get fined $1000 (suspended) for scaling the goalpost when it was seen but not penalised with a free kick and when Gill McLachlan said it wasn't a free kick on Saturday morning. So bizarre https://t.co/Ve8wU3JgFa
Collingwood star Jamie Elliott's return to top-level football has hit a snag, with the crafty forward succumbing to another soft-tissue injury.
Elliott's fitness had been the subject of speculation since his side's gritty win over Carlton on Saturday, and today Pies footy boss Geoff Walsh confirmed he would again be sidelined.
Walsh said Elliott experienced “hamstring tightness” late in the win over Carlton, with the club to take a no-risk policy with the injury-plagued goalkicker.
“Given Jamie’s history, we’re not going to take any chances there,” Walsh said.
“So we’ll pull him out of selection availability this week, rehab it.
“It’s not a serious thing, in terms of what Jamie’s been through, but … we’ll see how he goes in the next week or so.”
Captain Phil Davis has faith GWS will prove their shambolic AFL loss to Hawthorn was an aberration, admitting he failed to lead from the front at the MCG.
GWS board member Jimmy Bartel described the Giants’ 33-point defeat as the “worst performance” in club history.
Davis, who will play his 150th match when GWS host Carlton at Giants Stadium on Sunday, suggested every aspect of the Round 8 loss was unsatisfactory – including his own performance.
“I was disappointed that I didn’t lead the team as well as I would have liked. I thought my performance was disappointing,” Davis told reporters on Tuesday.
“As a leader, I’ve got to be better than that.
“It was great to be back out there (and return from an ankle injury), it’s important to play well as a leader and I’m looking forward to making amends this weekend.”
Davis’ message to teammates after the capitulation was simple.
“That’s not what we are about,” they key defender said.
“And how do we get back … for me and our whole leadership group, it’s about saying ‘let’s get back to our best footy, it’s there, let’s find it and bring it back this week’.
“It’s about our preparation, desire to improve.
“But it’s also a lot of faith. I’ve got a lot of faith in the playing group, I’m very proud of them as individuals and collectively – you look at some of our performances this year and they’ve been terrific.”
GWS remain the only team to defeat ladder-leading flag favourites Geelong this season, underlining why they are regarded as premiership contenders.
But the gap between their best and worst performances in 2019 is immense.
Coach Leon Cameron could be tempted to make wholesale changes this week, especially with Lachie Whitfield, Shane Mumford and Brett Deledio all in the mix to return from injury.
The Giants’ NEAFL outfit had a bye during the previous weekend, meaning Deledio is yet to play since recovering from the latest in a series of calf injuries.
“I’ve got full faith if he comes in the team,” Davis said of Deledio.
Reflecting on his ownmilestone, Davis admitted he was a “relatively naive and inexperienced leader” when he was appointed co-captain of the expansion club for their maiden season in 2012.
“As you generally are at 20,” he said.
“I’ve grown and learnt a lot of things and I think I’ve become more mature, more well-rounded. Still got a long way to go, still got plenty of flaws.”
– AAP
Davis disappointed in Giants - and himself
Captain Phil Davis has faith GWS will prove their shambolic AFL loss to Hawthorn was an aberration, admitting he failed to lead from the front at the MCG.
GWS board member Jimmy Bartel described the Giants’ 33-point defeat as the “worst performance” in club history.
Davis, who will play his 150th match when GWS host Carlton at Giants Stadium on Sunday, suggested every aspect of the Round 8 loss was unsatisfactory – including his own performance.
“I was disappointed that I didn’t lead the team as well as I would have liked. I thought my performance was disappointing,” Davis told reporters on Tuesday.
“As a leader, I’ve got to be better than that.
“It was great to be back out there (and return from an ankle injury), it’s important to play well as a leader and I’m looking forward to making amends this weekend.”
Davis’ message to teammates after the capitulation was simple.
“That’s not what we are about,” they key defender said.
“And how do we get back … for me and our whole leadership group, it’s about saying ‘let’s get back to our best footy, it’s there, let’s find it and bring it back this week’.
“It’s about our preparation, desire to improve.
“But it’s also a lot of faith. I’ve got a lot of faith in the playing group, I’m very proud of them as individuals and collectively – you look at some of our performances this year and they’ve been terrific.”
GWS remain the only team to defeat ladder-leading flag favourites Geelong this season, underlining why they are regarded as premiership contenders.
But the gap between their best and worst performances in 2019 is immense.
Coach Leon Cameron could be tempted to make wholesale changes this week, especially with Lachie Whitfield, Shane Mumford and Brett Deledio all in the mix to return from injury.
The Giants’ NEAFL outfit had a bye during the previous weekend, meaning Deledio is yet to play since recovering from the latest in a series of calf injuries.
“I’ve got full faith if he comes in the team,” Davis said of Deledio.
Reflecting on his ownmilestone, Davis admitted he was a “relatively naive and inexperienced leader” when he was appointed co-captain of the expansion club for their maiden season in 2012.
“As you generally are at 20,” he said.
“I’ve grown and learnt a lot of things and I think I’ve become more mature, more well-rounded. Still got a long way to go, still got plenty of flaws.”
After a year marred by injuries and trade talks, Simon Goodwin says we may not see the best of Clayton Oliver early in 2025, which may have sparked a midfield move for a premiership hero.
Drugs, culture questions and a big fall from the top – Simon Goodwin’s Demons have been through football hell. But as he reveals in detail for the first time, things have changed – for good.
