By Jake Niall and Peter Ryan
In today’s AFL briefing, your daily wrap of footy news
- Essendon could benefit from a change to a Next Generation Academy rule
- Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron and GWS counterpart Toby Bedford have both failed in their bids to overturn three-match bans
- Brad Scott has urged the AFL’s umpiring department to give clubs a heads-up if they plan to crack down on a particular rule
The rule that allowed star forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan to join the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood to secure now premiership defender Isaac Quaynor is set to be reinstated in a less-lenient form, club CEOs were told on Tuesday at an AFL meeting in Perth.
And the first beneficiary could be Essendon, who have exciting Vic Metro goalkicker Isaac Kako set to graduate from their Next Generation Academy program ahead of this year’s draft.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has proven to be a star for the Bulldogs.Credit: Getty Images
Kako’s parents were born in Iraq and the youngster who shone in the AFL’s under-18 national championships is bolting up draft boards and is considered a top-20 prospect.
Under the existing rule that was changed after Ugle-Hagan joined the Bulldogs and Quaynor joined Collingwood, clubs did not have priority access to their NGA graduates unless they were available after pick 40.
That rule, which was gradually introduced before the 2021 national draft, meant Melbourne did not have access to talented defender Mac Andrew, despite him graduating from their NGA. Instead, he was available to all clubs, with the Suns nabbing him at pick No.5 in the 2021 national draft. Andrew is one of the game’s most promising young players.
Mac Andrew of the Suns punches the ball clear. He could have been a Melbourne player if the rules had not been changed.Credit: AFL Photos
Hawthorn picked St Kilda’s NGA graduate Cam Mackenzie with pick seven in the 2022 national draft, but the Saints secured Mitch Owens and Marcus Windhager via their NGA in the 2021 national draft.
St Kilda also picked West Coast NGA graduate Lance Collard with pick 28 in last year’s national draft, while Collingwood nabbed Hawthorn academy graduate Tew Jiath, brother of Changkuoth, with pick 37.
Neither the Eagles nor the Hawks were able to match the respective bids under the NGA rules.
However, a rule change would enable the Bombers to draft Kako at any stage if they rated him the best player at that pick.
Vic Metro star Isaac Kako.Credit: AFL Photos
A senior club official, who wished to remain anonymous because the rule was not in place, pointed out that, while clubs would get access to their NGA graduate under a rule change, they would have to pay a much higher price at the draft to match an opposition bid for their player than the Bulldogs or Collingwood had to when they secured Ugle-Hagan and Quaynor.
The AFL Commission would need to approve the proposed rule change in August, according to two sources in the Perth meeting who confirmed the plans but preferred to remain anonymous while discussions continued.
The AFL has been concerned with the decline in the number of players of Indigenous heritage being drafted in recent seasons, with clubs saying the rules and the AFL’s development programs were not giving them the incentive to invest in regions and develop players who might end up at other clubs.
The AFL is also keen to have development programs in place for young people with parents born in countries other than Australia who may not otherwise play Australian rules.
The CEOs meeting in Perth is also expected to deal with fixture issues on Wednesday, while funding arrangements and competitive balance have also been topics of discussion.
Lions, Giants stars fail to overturn three-match bans
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Brisbane Lions star Charlie Cameron and GWS counterpart Toby Bedford have both failed in their bids to overturn three-match bans for rough conduct, in a night sure to set tongues wagging across the country.
In the first of three cases before the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night, Cameron pleaded not guilty, saying his actions were not unreasonable in the circumstances.
But after deliberating for 45 minutes, tribunal chair Renee Enbom disagreed and upheld the ban.
The aftermath: Liam Duggan is tackled by Charlie Cameron.Credit: AFL Photos
“Contrary to Cameron’s evidence, we consider the vision clearly captures Cameron taking Duggan to ground forcefully,” she said.
“It is the combination of the excessive force used in driving Duggan backwards with both of his arms pinned that makes the tackle unreasonable in the circumstances.
“Those two features put Duggan in a highly vulnerable position.”
The AFL argued Cameron should have released West Coast co-captain Liam Duggan from a tackle instead of going to ground.
Duggan hit the back of his head on the turf after being tackled by Cameron and was subbed out of the Eagles’ 13-point loss on Sunday with concussion.
The incident was assessed by match review officer Michael Christian on Monday as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
Cameron, who controversially escaped suspension from a dangerous tackle charge earlier in the season on good character grounds, said he lost his balance when his leg got caught up with Duggan.
“I thought I had him, then I lost my footing when he was fighting the tackle and it caused me to lose my balance,” he told the tribunal.
“I intended to stand up in the tackle … but he rotates his body and twists, so he’s dragging me down when we get our feet tangled.”
The moment in question: Charlie Cameron’s indiscretion.Credit: Fox Footy
The AFL’s lawyer Lisa Hannon said Cameron could have released Duggan’s right arm as they began falling to ground, and argued the Lions star didn’t need to drive his Eagles opponent into the Optus Stadium turf with force.
“The fact Cameron’s foot may’ve become entangled with Duggan’s was entirely foreseeable and not an exceptional circumstance in a close up tackle,” Hannon told the tribunal.
Cameron believed his coaches would be frustrated with him had he done what Hannon was suggesting.
“If I let him go in the tackle, I’d be in trouble,” he said.
“I was trying to lock the ball inside my forward 50. Not a good look defensively (if he let go of the tackle).”
Cameron will miss crucial games against ladder-leaders Sydney, Gold Coast and St Kilda as last year’s grand finalists, who have won six-straight games, surge to try and secure a top-four berth.
But Brisbane haven’t ruled out taking Cameron’s case to the AFL appeals board, which Sydney star Isaac Heeney unsuccessfully attempted last week.
Meanwhile, the Giants argued that Bedford’s chase-down tackle on Richmond star Tim Taranto, himself a former Giant, was neither careless conduct nor a reportable offence.
Bedford’s charge was initially graded by the match review officer as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact.
Short of a successful appeal, he will now miss the Giants’ games against the Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Hawthorn. The Giants are currently seventh on the ladder in a logjam of 12 teams separated by just eight premiership points and percentage.
Brad Scott wants notice on umpiring directives
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Essendon coach Brad Scott has urged the AFL umpiring department to give clubs a heads-up if they plan to crack down on a particular rule.
Last week, umpires were particularly stringent on requiring the ball to travel 15 metres for a mark, and red-hot on calling play-on.
Essendon coach Brad Scott.Credit: Getty Images
Scott’s brother, Geelong coach Chris Scott, said it was clear umpires had a focus on that rule in their game against Collingwood, but it hadn’t been communicated beforehand.
Essendon counterpart Brad said communication was great when the Bombers initiated the conversation, but wanted a proactive approach from the umpiring department.
“Umpires get coached like players get coached, and the key component in there is we would like a bit more information as to what the umpires are being coached on,” he said on Tuesday.
“Because generally, what you coach is what you get. [In] all games of footy across the weekend, when the ball was kicked 14 metres, it was called play on – the week before, that wasn’t happening.
“So clearly that was highlighted. Clearly that was coached – but it wasn’t communicated to us.
“We’re the Friday night game this week, so you generally take your cue from the way the Friday night game is umpired.
“So we wouldn’t mind a heads-up in terms of what’s being coached.”
Scott had umpires at training on Tuesday to help give his players more “clarity” and “direction”.
He noted umpiring was being scrutinised due to the closeness of the competition, with just eight points between second and 13th.
Essendon have come under heat for losing to Melbourne, eight days after beating Collingwood.
But Scott wasn’t overreacting – believing their issues lay in execution, not effort.
‘Generally, what you coach is what you get. [In] all games of footy across the weekend, when the ball was kicked 14 metres, it was called play on – the week before that wasn’t happening.’
Essendon coach Brad Scott
“Our footy’s been really consistent this year for the large majority,” he said.
“Our effort’s been there, we’ve been in games. Are we perfect? Are we where we want to be? Not quite. But this is the nature of the competition.
“It’s difficult to say that it’s ‘throw a blanket over 14 teams’, but teams fluctuate from one week to the next. The reality is that it’s just really close and it’s really tight. And little things make big differences when it’s a really tight competition.
“I was really clear post-Collingwood that people can say what they like; we’re far from the finished product.
“It wasn’t about making a statement. It was about bringing consistent footy that’s going to give us our best chance each week, and that hasn’t changed.
“If you look at a lot of our numbers, we’re playing a brand of footy that’s going to give you a really good opportunity to win every game that you play. And that’s the key thing.”
Darcy Parish (calf) is in full training but won’t face Adelaide, with Scott pondering whether to bring him back via the VFL.
Gun midfielder Jye Caldwell trained with a compression sock on his right calf.
AAP
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