They were the biggest footy stories of 2017; scandals, heart-warmers and history-makers
THE AFL Women’s juggernaut kicked off 2017 in style and Richmond capped it off with a history-making flag with everything from sex scandals, coaching speculation and feel-good stories in between.
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THEY were the biggest stories of 2017.
From the introduction of the AFL Women’s to Richmond’s drought-breaking premiership and all the scandals, heart-warming and history-making stories in between.
WELCOME TO THE AFLW
A new era was born when Carlton and Collingwood played the first game of AFLW.
There’d been plenty of hype in the days leading into the opening round, and on a balmy night at Ikon Park in early February footy fans voted with their feet - more than 22,000 fans flocking to the Blues’ home base. The massive turnout resulted in the gates being closed and more than 1000 people being locked outside before gates were opened again at three-quarter time.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan fronted disappointed fans outside Ikon Park, simply saying “I’m sorry.”
The match was a ripper, the atmosphere something else as a Darcy Vescio-inspired Carlton beat the old enemy by 35 points. AFLW was here to stay and is set to only get bigger.
ROUGHY RETURNS
Jarryd Roughead’s return to the field will go down as one of the all-time good news stories.
The triple premiership Hawk missed the entire 2016 season as he dealt first with a knee injury and then underwent cancer treatment.
However, there was no stopping the key forward in 2017 as he returned in the JLT Community Series and then lead his team onto the MCG in Round 1.
Adding to Roughead’s journey, he did it as captain after being named as Luke Hodge’s successor.
It was a successful return as he played all 22 games and kicked 38 goals, including five in the Round 23 win over the Western Bulldogs.
DUSTIN MARTIN’S PERFECT SEASON
Dustin Martin’s 2017 ... premiership, Norm Smith Medal, Brownlow Medal, Leigh Matthews AFLPA MVP Trophy, All-Australian, Richmond best-and-fairest, Gary Ayres Medal player of the finals and the AFLCA Player of the Year.
If there was an award, chances are Dusty won it in what was the perfect season.
All that in 25 games where he averaged 29 disposals, four marks, 3.5 tackles, six clearances and 119 SuperCoach points per game while kicking 37 goals.
The Tigers superstar took his game to a new level this year, a season that is arguably unmatched in the history of Australian Rules.
Can he back it up in 2018? Only time will tell.
RICHMOND’S DROUGHT-BREAKING FLAG
It was the Tigers’ turn in 2017.
After the Western Bulldogs’ fairytale in 2016, Richmond broke its 37-year premiership drought in style as they defeated Adelaide on the last Saturday in September.
Damien Hardwick’s men came from 13th in 2016 to finish fourth this year, going on to stun Geelong in their qualifying final before accounting for GWS in the prelim.
On the back of Dustin Martin’s perfect season, the Tigers would not be denied.
It was an amazing turnaround for Hardwick and captain Trent Cotchin who was under extreme pressure after a poor 2016.
MATCH REVIEW PANEL LOTTO
There was barely a Monday that went by in 2017 where there wasn’t a divisive MRP decision with jumper punches at the forefront of debate.
Richmond captain Trent Cotchin was at the heart of two incidents, escaping without a ban on each occasion with his preliminary final clash with Dylan Shiel perhaps the most controversial as it cleared the way for him to play in the Grand Final. Earlier in the year Cotchin was fined for a jumper punch on Docker Lachie Neale that ultimately led to a crackdown.
There were more clear cut incidents with Tomas Bugg and Bachar Houli copping lengthy bans for knocking out opponents behind the play.
But controversy was never far away and reared its head when Geelong superstar and Brownlow Medal fancy Patrick Dangerfield received a week for a tackle that left Carlton’s Matthew Kreuzer concussed. Past and present players railed against the decision with some pronouncing the tackle dead after what looked a inoccuous incident.
Geelong teammate Tom Hawkins also fell foul of the MRP - twice - while Jack Redpath, Easton Wood, Luke Hodge and Ben Cunnington could also count themselves unlucky.
AFL ON THE ROAD
History was made on Sunday, May 14, when Gold Coast hosted Port Adelaide in Shanghai, China. The first AFL game played for points outside Australia and New Zealand.
The brainchild of Power president David Koch, the China game was a moderate success with a crowd of 10,118 and “away team” triumphing by 72 points.
However, the game will perhaps be best remembered for Port’s attempts to stop the “home team” Suns wearing red as well as concerns over air pollution in China’s biggest city.
The Power and Suns will renew hostilities at Jiangwan Stadium in Round 9 in 2018.
There have been Aussie Rules exhibition games since World War I with games played in England, the US, UAE, Greece and South Africa.
COWARD PUNCH COSTS AFL MAN HIS JOB
Just days after defending Bachar Houli for knocking out Jed Lamb, the AFL’s diversity manager, Ali Fahour, was in hot water of his own.
Footage had emerged of the West-Preston Lakeside player throwing a “coward punch” that concussed Whittlesea’s Dale Saddington.
Fahour was slapped with a 14-game ban by the Northern Football League - resulting in a life-time ban - but more damaging was forced to resign from his role at the AFL.
After a police investigation, Fahour plead guilty to recklessly causing injury and will be sentenced in February.
SEX SCANDAL CLAIMS AFL EXECS
A fortnight after Fahour’s resignation, the AFL was rocked by a sex scandal.
Football operations manager Simon Lethlean and commercial manager Richard Simkiss were forced to resign after inappropriate affairs with female coworkers.
It was a
Both men apologises for their actions but were back in jobs by the end of the year with Lethlean appointed St Kilda’s general manager of football while Simkiss was hired by CrocMedia as group business director.
The scandals didn’t stop there with a male AFL staff member forced out after a string of sexual harrassment complaints in December while a senior club official was investigated after a similar sexual harrassment claim was made.
HOGAN AND GRAY CANCER DIAGNOSIS
The AFL came together in May when Melbourne forward Jesse Hogan’s testicular cancer diagnosis was revealed and again in October when Robbie Gray received the same news.
Just weeks after Hogan’s father passed away after a battle with cancer, Hogan underwent surgery to remove a tumour and returned to the Demons’ line-up in July.
Gray’s testicular cancer revelation came after the season but no less sent shockwaves through the AFL community.
The three-time B&F winner underwent surgery to remove the tumour and a short course of precautionary chemotherapy but returned to pre-season training in November.
BULLDOGS HANGOVER
A fairytale 2016 turned into the season from hell for the Bulldogs amid accusations they celebrated too hard during the off-season after breaking a 62-year premiership drought.
There were signs early in the season all was not right with the Dogs on and off the field as slumped to 10th and became the first team since Hawthorn in 2009 to miss the eight attempting to defend their premiership.
There were claims of tension inside the club and their hunger was also questioned.
The Bulldogs also sent a message to the rest of the playing group when they traded Jake Stringer.
Forward Jake Stringer had a relationship breakdown was traded as the club sent a message
The club was at pains to deny it was nursing a flag hangover but the reality was the Dogs struggled to build any on-field momentum.
After starting the year with four wins from five games, the Bulldogs lost five of the next seven and their heavy 46-point loss to Sydney in Round 12 was the beginning of their fall down the ladder.
GREATS CALL TIME
Nick Riewoldt, Steve Johnson, Sam Mitchell, Jobe Watson, Matthew Boyd, Scott Thomson, Tom Lonergan, Andrew Mackie.
Not since 2007 have so many greats of the game decide to hang up the boots at the same time.
The impressive list featured Brownlow Medal winners, premiership captains, Norm Smith medallists and, no doubt, future Hall of Famers.
HODGEY’S BACKFLIP
It broke Alastair Clarkson’s heart, but Luke Hodge’s shock decision to join Brisbane was a massive coup for the Lions.
Somehow Brisbane coach Chris Fagan was able to lure the four-time Hawthorn premiership great out of retirement, which stunned the AFL world.
In July Hodge announced 2017 would be last season at the rebuilding Hawks because he didn’t want to hold back a younger player, and he was even chaired off Etihad Stadium after the Round 23 win against the Western Bulldogs.
But after 305 games in brown and gold, Hodge decided to restart his career at the Lions and signed a two-year deal.
It later emerged Clarkson offered Hodge another season to stay at Hawthorn and remain a one-club player but he was content with his decision.
GOLD COAST SHAMBLES
However unfair the decision to sack Rodney Eade, it was expected.
The jungle drums started to beat when Mark Evans joined the Suns as chief executive to oversee changes at the struggling club.
And after just 16 wins and a draw from 63 matches under Eade the Suns decided change was needed.
It was a harsh call to move on the veteran coach, who had inherited a magnitude of cultural problems — or a “s*** sandwich’’ as Eade described it — at the club that included a mass exodus of players, drug use and drinking problems.
BUCKS SURVIVES
Has there been a coach under more pressure in the past decade ... or longer?
Nathan Buckley’s tenure at Collingwood has seen the club slide down the ladder since he took over from Mick Malthouse in 2012.
There were some promising signs in 2017 with early wins over Sydney at the SCG and Geelong and Hawthorn at the MCG followed by a draw with Adelaide in Round 19 and a finals-shaping win over Melbourne in Round 23.
The Magpies finishing the season 9-12 in 13th but the club saw enough to hand Buckley a two-year contract extension.
However, don’t expect that to stop the club’s supporter base demanding a return to September action in 2018.
ESSENDON RETURNS TO SEPTEMBER
There hasn’t been a club endure a tougher season than Essendon in 2016 ... albeit self inflicted.
The Bombers’ supplements saga saw 34 past and present players banned for 12 months and the club forced to sign top-ups from retirees and state leagues.
However, with the likes of captain Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker, Michael Hurley and Jobe Watson back, the Bombers were on a mission in 2017.
It started with a shock win over Hawthorn in Round 1 and finished in a return to September.
While the season finished with a big loss to Sydney in the elimination final, a big off-season - that saw three big trade acquisitions - has Essendon fans confident of more success in 2018.
BROAD’S TOPLESS PHOTO DISGRACE
Eveything had gone completely to plan for the Tigers.
They’d conquered the AFL mountain, Dusty had won every award under the sun and then one drunken mistake cast a shadow over the premiership celebrations.
Nathan Broad sharing a photo of a woman with his premiership medallion around his neck went viral and led to a police investigation.
The Tigers defender fronted the media in the days after the Grand Final and took responsibility for his actions, accepting a three-game ban
GAZZA COMES HOME
It started early in the year when the Gold Coast champ gave an in-depth TV interview, explaining his reason for wanting a trade at the end of 2016 and hinting retirement may be an option should the request be denied for a second straight year.
And so began the ‘will he, won’t he get back to the Cats?’
Ablett showed from his 14-game, injury-interrupted season with the Suns he was still very much the champion with two Brownlow Medals to his name. After the season the trade request came again and, after some haggling between the Suns and Cats, a deal was struck to see the favourite son head back to the Cattery, joining fellow superstars Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield.
The big question now is: can he help the Cats become a premiership team?
Shock scenario in Bailey Smith stalemate
Bailey Smith’s Western Bulldogs exit has set up a potentially rare scenario that could deliver a shock result as Geelong’s offer hits a stalemate.
The late draft pick that could deliver Stringer to Giants
Essendon is open to trading inconsistent star Jake Stringer to GWS as the 30-year-old considers a beefed-up offer from the Giants.