AFL Daily: Carlton's plans for injured ruckman Matthew Kreuzer

At his best, he's been one of the AFL's finest ruckmen. But injuries have ravaged the career of Carlton big man Matthew Kreuzer. Now the wrong side of 30, what does the future hold?

Carlton still believes in oft-injured ruckman Matthew Kreuzer.

Carlton believes Matthew Kreuzer could play on well into his 30s despite a broken foot that will have him spending months recovering away from the club.

The plus side of the season’s pause is that Kreuzer might be able to play a bigger chunk of the season, but like all players the unrestricted free agent will have to wait until later in the year for contract talks.

Carlton still believes in oft-injured ruckman Matthew Kreuzer.

His teammate Marc Murphy is in the same position as a free agent who was keen to play on until 2021 but without a contract yet.

Despite the club’s ruck depth – Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning – the Blues feel Kreuzer is the kind of player who could easily rumble along for another three seasons or more.

Carlton’s immediate contracting priorities had been Caleb Marchbank and Lachie Plowman but they will have to wait now.

Updates

7:52 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

BARLOW'S FEAR FOR FORMER CLUB

Michael Randall

-CHRIS CAVANAGH

Former Gold Coast Suns midfielder Michael Barlow believes his former club is in a far less comfortable position that it might have been in 12 months’ time as the AFL navigates its way through its greatest financial crisis.

As the league continues to conduct drastic cost-cutting to sure up the competition’s future in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Suns have come under the spotlight in some quarters.

The AFL has indicated it is committed to ensuring all 18 teams survive the crisis and Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans on Thursday hit back at suggestions the club should be sacrificed.

However, Barlow said he believed the Suns’ continuing struggles meant it was a “critical period” for them.

“Having spent two years there, I see the challenges the club faces,” Barlow told the Herald Sun.

“There has been some real positive shifts in momentum, even in the time I was there it was probably in the infant stages.

“But it’s a real critical period. If this coronavirus situation happened in another 12 to 24 months I think the viability of Gold Coast would be a lot more settled and a lot more secure.”

7:23 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

KREUZ IN BLUES' LONG-TERM PLANS

Michael Randall

-Scott Gullan, Jon Ralph and Jay Clark

Carlton believes Matthew Kreuzer could play on well into his 30s despite a broken foot that will have him spending months recovering away from the club.

The plus side of the season’s pause is that Kreuzer might be able to play a bigger chunk of the season, but like all players the unrestricted free agent will have to wait until later in the year for contract talks.

His teammate Marc Murphy is in the same position as a free agent who was keen to play on until 2021 but without a contract yet.

Despite the club’s ruck depth – Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning – the Blues feel Kreuzer is the kind of player who could easily rumble along for another three seasons or more.

Carlton’s immediate contracting priorities had been Caleb Marchbank and Lachie Plowman but they will have to wait now.

9:22 am February 9, 2025

MICHAEL WARNER

THE AFL and the game’s 850 players have agreed to a deal on pay.

Negotiations stalled on Thursday night before an agreement was reached on Friday between AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and AFL Players’ Association chief Paul Marsh.

The flexible pay deal will see players paid 50 per cent of their salaries until May 31.

Players will earn varied amounts for the remainder of the year depending on whether there are no more games, some games or a full 17 rounds, plus finals.

Matches being played with or without crowds and the financial viability of key AFL sponsors and partners will also determine the extent of player wages after May 31.

The AFLPA board led by president Patrick Dangerfield signed off on the arrangement this evening before a phone hook up with players from all 18 clubs.

Precise details will be finalised in the coming weeks but both parties were determined to agree to modelling this week to allow the AFL to accelerate plans to secure a sizable bank loan.

Players on minimum wages, the loss of match payments and players with heavily front or back ended contracts are all accounted for in the agreement.

6:19 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

DEAL DONE!

Michael Randall

MICHAEL WARNER

THE AFL and the game’s 850 players have agreed to a deal on pay.

Negotiations stalled on Thursday night before an agreement was reached on Friday between AFL boss Gillon McLachlan and AFL Players’ Association chief Paul Marsh.

The flexible pay deal will see players paid 50 per cent of their salaries until May 31.

Players will earn varied amounts for the remainder of the year depending on whether there are no more games, some games or a full 17 rounds, plus finals.

Matches being played with or without crowds and the financial viability of key AFL sponsors and partners will also determine the extent of player wages after May 31.

The AFLPA board led by president Patrick Dangerfield signed off on the arrangement this evening before a phone hook up with players from all 18 clubs.

Precise details will be finalised in the coming weeks but both parties were determined to agree to modelling this week to allow the AFL to accelerate plans to secure a sizable bank loan.

Players on minimum wages, the loss of match payments and players with heavily front or back ended contracts are all accounted for in the agreement.

6:02 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

SAINTS ASSISTANT 'BACK ON THE TOOLS'

Michael Randall

-LAUREN WOOD

Friday night knock-off drinks and 10am smoko.
That’s the reality for St Kilda assistant coach Brendon Lade, who has wasted no time getting back on the tools.
Lade was stood down from his duties at Moorabbin earlier this week and quickly turned his hand back to carpentry – which he qualified in in his transition from playing to coaching – in an effort to keep a pay cheque coming in.

“Back in Adelaide two years ago we renovated our whole house, and that was fun,” Lade said on Fox Footy Live.
“It’s something I enjoy doing … you get the smoko at 10 o’clock and lunch as well and a couple of beers afterwards, so that’s always good. I can do anything – you ask me, I can do it. I’m really good at demo (demolition) – I can knock stuff down. That’s exciting.’
He said Saints operating boss Simon Lethlean had “told us the truth straight up” when the game was postponed, with the majority of staff at St Kilda stood down until at least May 31, and maybe longer.
“It’s not good for anyone, but that’s the times that we’re in at the moment,” Lade said.

“It’s not just footy that’s doing it hard, it’s all of Australia. It’s disappointing, but we’ll get back to work at some stage and hopefully most people keep their jobs.
“In the climate it’s probably going to be in the next two or three years, some people are probably going to lose their jobs, which is very unfortunate and some people I probably know.
“The game will go forward, the game will move on and people will get opportunities again. It’s just looking forward to them.”

5:45 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

HOW FOOTY TIMESLOTS MIGHT LOOK

Michael Randall

-Scott Gullan, Jon Ralph and Jay Clark

Look for Round 1’s triple header as a way forward as TV networks attempt to recoup lost finances next year.

The AFL was happy to reconfigure the start time of games so the St Kilda-North Melbourne, Hawthorn-Brisbane and West Coast-Melbourne games didn’t overlap.

The AFL isn’t keen on Sunday night footy with late starting times given fans don’t go, but start times in Perth late in the afternoon are perfect for Melbourne time slots around 6pm.

They are also ratings bonanzas, which is what the AFL will need at all costs next year.

5:26 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

JOHNSON 'DEVASTATED' OVER VFL COLLAPSE

Michael Randall

Former Sydney Swan Alex Johnson says he is devastated by the collapse of the Northern Blues and admits his playing future is up in the air.

The historic VFL club was brought to its knees yesterday when Carlton was forced to sever ties as the impact of coronavirus begins to bite AFL clubs.

Johnson suffered the last in a litany of knee injuries against Melbourne in 2018 and signed with the Blues 18 months ago.

"There's been a lot of pressure on the AFL in the last couple of weeks during this pandemic and there's a lot of unknown that's the sort of scary thing about it no one really knows what's going to happen," Johnson said on Fox Footy Live.

"The Northern Blues can't stand on their own, its really disappointing, I've only been there for a matter of 18 months, but the affiliation I've got with the boys and the people involved in the footy club I'm devastated that it's all over.

"In terms of what the future holds, I'm not sure, I'll let that all unfold over the next few months."

Johnson said he still harboured dreams of playing at AFL level, but acknowledged "that looks more unlikely as time goes on."

"I'd definitely like to get back and play VFL or whatever level of footy I can play at the highest level," he said.

"My body finally feels good, I've had a full pre-season for the first time in probably six or seven years, so we'll see if that happens this year.

"if it doesn't I'll see where I'm placed in six-nine months time."

4:43 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

VALE A GREAT SAINT

Michael Randall

-Glenn McFarlane

St Kilda is mourning the passing of one of its past players, Tom McNeil, who was a pioneer in setting up a players’ union for footballers during the 1950s.

McNeil, who played for the Saints in 1951-52, died on Tuesday, aged 90.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he was only 11 when he and his sister were evacuated to Australia in 1940 to escape the bombings in the UK during World War II. His parents joined them seven years later.

McNeil managed only eight senior games with St Kilda, but left an impression on the game.

Having visited Scotland, where he spoke to members of the Scottish Football Players’ Union, he tried to foster support for the first VFL/VFA players union in 1955, in an effort to protect the rights of the players.

He called it the Australian Football Players’ Union. While it had initially strong support, the opposition of the clubs and the leagues meant it was short lived, although it has been seen as a forerunner of what is now the AFL Players’ Association (founded in 1974)

McNeil was described as a “champion of the little guy” and he also spent 14 years as a member of Western Australia’s Legislative Council.

4:19 pm March 27, 2020 Highlight

NOT OVER YET FOR WOOSHA?

Michael Randall

-Scott Gullan, Jon Ralph and Jay Clark

John Worsfold hasn't ruled out taking on another role in AFL football next year when his five-season coaching stint at Essendon ends later this year.

The Bombers orchestrated a coaching succession plan late last year after Worsfold indicated he couldn't commit to another season away from his family, who have lived in Perth for the past three years.

The 2006 premiership coach was working alongside and mentoring senior assistant Ben Rutten – who will take over in 2021 – before the season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He is currently in 14-day self isolation after returning to Western Australia to be closer to his family during the AFL lockdown.

Asked if he had dismissed any future roles in football, Worsfold, 51, told the Herald Sun: "No, I don't … I don't know what is going to happen in the future for me."

"We will just wait and see. I still love the whole involvement."

9:22 am February 9, 2025

SCOTT GULLAN

These are confusing times and it appears AFL coaches aren't immune from this state of mind given how they viewed the wash-up of Round 1.

The AFL Coaches Association voting is always interesting reading and the start of the new season certainly delivered some curve balls.

Let's start with the Thursday night opener between Richmond and Carlton.

Tigers midfielder Dion Prestia polled the most votes with nine which meant he got the maximum five from either Damien Hardwick or David Teague.
The next best were Jack Martin and Patrick Cripps on five votes which is where things get interesting.
This means one of them was judged best-on-ground by one coach and then didn't get a vote from the other.

Friday night's Collingwood-Western Bulldogs game also threw up an interesting one with Pies ruckman Brodie Grundy not getting the complete 10 votes as expected.
He only polled nine which meant either Nathan Buckley or Luke Beveridge went for Scott Pendlebury (6 votes), Brody Mihocek (5 votes) or Jeremy Howe (5 votes).
If it was Pendlebury who got the best-on-ground nod from one of the coaches it means the other only deemed him worthy of one vote.
In six out of the nine games the coaches agreed on the best player with 10 votes going to Essendon's Dylan Shiel, Sydney's Isaac Heeney, Giant Harry Perryman, Port Adelaide's Travis Boak, North's Ben Cunnington and Hawthorn's Chad Wingard.
And for those death-riding Gary Ablett, the 'Little Master' received two votes in the Cats bad loss to the Giants.