By Jake Niall, Peter Ryan and Marc McGowan
In today’s AFL briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Dusty’s former coach nominates the Tiger champion’s greatest moment.
- Carlton’s high-performance manager Andrew Russell confirms he’ll leave when 2024 campaign ends.
- Brisbane Lions lock in plan to recruit Levi Ashcroft.
Blues cast eyes north to Giant defender
Jake Niall
Carlton have met with veteran Greater Western Sydney defender Nick Haynes, who is out of contract and likely to leave the Giants.
The Blues met Haynes recently as they canvass options to shore up their tall defensive stocks, according to two well-placed sources speaking on condition of anonymity.
Haynes, one of just five foundation Giants left at GWS, has managed only seven games this year and is coming out of contract as a free agent. He is also on the radar of other Victorian clubs.
Giant Nick Haynes.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images
While it is too early to determine whether the Blues will go ahead and sign Haynes, their apparent interest in the 32-year-old – who jointly won the GWS best and fairest in 2020 (with Lachie Whitfield) and made All-Australian that year – is a measure of their view that they need to explore finding a tall back to support the outstanding Jacob Weitering.
The appeal of Haynes to clubs lies in the fact he would come cheaply – zero draft cost and on relatively modest remuneration – and has a history as an elite intercepting defender with aerial prowess and football smarts. As a 32-year-old, he is better suited to a team in the premiership window, or one that has a desperate need to plug a hole in defence.
Having played 210 games since 2012, including 20 games last year, Haynes has fallen back in the pecking order at GWS, which has arguably the best array of tall backs in the competition, headed by All-Australian Sam Taylor, Harrison Himmelberg and Jack Buckley, who has excelled as a lockdown full-back. Taylor has just signed a massive seven-year deal to stay with the Giants until the end of 2032 – the largest contract yet awarded to a current-day key defender.
Haynes had 36 disposals and 12 marks in the VFL for GWS against Hawthorn on Sunday in a narrow loss to the Hawks.
He has averaged 17.6 disposals and 7.6 marks this year in his seven games at AFL level, slightly exceeding his career averages.
Carlton have used Mitch McGovern and youngster Brodie Kemp as tall defenders supporting Weitering – one of the game’s premier key backs – but neither McGovern nor Kemp are necessarily key defenders and Kemp has potential to play other roles.
Ex-Bulldog Lewis Young, too, has been used as a key back for the Blues in six games this year and is more of a spoiler than interceptor.
Carlton’s high-performance boss to depart
Peter Ryan
Carlton will replace the ground surface at Ikon Park at the completion of the AFLW season in December as they embark on a pre-season under a new high-performance boss following the announcement by long-serving Andrew Russell that he will move on from football at the end of this season.
The ground surface was due for replacement after five years and the club is adamant there is no connection between the turf and the spate of soft-tissue injuries that hit the club in recent seasons.
However, the ground’s unavailability is expected to create some planning issues for Russell’s replacement.
Carlton’s high-performance boss Andrew Russell with midfielder George Hewett (right).Credit: AFL Photos
Russell was instrumental in helping Hawthorn to four premierships under Alastair Clarkson after he joined him from Port Adelaide. He then followed Brendon Bolton to the Blues at the end of 2018.
The Blues reached the preliminary final last season, winning their first final for a decade. They remain in contention this season despite their loss to Collingwood on Saturday night.
However, their season has been hampered by a series of soft-tissue injuries to key players. Midfielder Adam Cerra suffered his third hamstring injury for the season on Saturday night, while Jacob Weitering, Adam Saad, Jack Martin and Mitch McGovern have also suffered soft-tissue injuries this season.
Russell, who has worked at AFL clubs for 26 years, was considering stepping back from the intense role at the end of the season as his contract ended. Staff were informed of the decision by email on Thursday morning. He will remain with the club until the Blues premiership campaign is over.
Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd said he had given outstanding service to the club.
“We have seen significant transformation in our group during the past six years, and his passion, dedication and commitment to our players has been outstanding,” Lloyd said.
“An ultimate professional, Andrew will continue to lead our high-performance program for the remainder of the season as we look to build some strong momentum heading into this next phase of our 2024 campaign.”
The high-performance boss earned his reputation at the Hawks, where he managed to return Cyril Rioli to perform brilliantly in the 2014 grand final in his first match for three months and nursed Hawks great Shane Crawford to play his final game in the 2008 grand final win after long battles with a knee injury.
He joined the Blues under Bolton and had a huge influence over the direction of the football program while David Teague was coach before his role was narrowed following the independent review commissioned by the Blues in 2021.
Russell was involved in six premierships and 16 finals campaigns after starting his career at Essendon before joining Port Adelaide, then Hawthorn before ending his career at Carlton.
He said he had seen Carlton transform during his time as they dragged themselves from the bottom of the ladder to a preliminary final.
“To see the athletes emerge as professionals, their drive and commitment towards a common goal now is really powerful. It has been fantastic to be part of their development over time,” Russell said.
Hardwick declares Gabba goal Dusty’s greatest moment
In an AFL career littered with some of the greatest highlights ever produced, one Dustin Martin moment stands out above all others for Damien Hardwick.
Dustin Martin celebrates a goal in the 2020 grand final.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images
It came during the 2020 grand final and was pivotal to the third premiership the pair shared as player and coach in Richmond’s golden era.
“Everyone will say the goal at the very end, but there’s a goal just before half-time,” Hardwick said when asked on Thursday to reflect on the retired superstar’s career.
“If he didn’t kick that goal just before half-time, Richmond don’t win that grand final.”
THAT Dustin Martin goal.Credit: Archives
It was the first of Martin’s four goals against Geelong that October night at the Gabba, in the most unusual of grand final settings, and dragged Richmond back within 15 points in a low-scoring affair.
Martin added three more in the second half to steer the Tigers to the flag in a signature performance, sealed in the final quarter when he shrugged off a Patrick Dangerfield tackle and kicked truly from the pocket.
“He’s an incredible player,” said Hardwick, who presided over 14 of Martin’s 15 seasons at Richmond before stepping away to take the reins at Gold Coast.
“He’s probably the best player I’ve coached, and one of the best players I’ve ever seen.
“What I love about him is he’s a match-winner. He’s one of those players that when push comes to shove and the game’s on the line, he wants the ball.
“More importantly, his team knows that he wants the ball as well.
“He’s a great player first and foremost, but he’s an outstanding person as well.”
Hardwick’s successor at Punt Road, Adem Yze, said Martin had been contemplating his retirement decision for weeks before making the call after the Tigers’ loss to North Melbourne in round 21.
“He’s been battling a little bit,” Yze said on Thursday. “He’s been trying so hard for his footy club and his teammates. He wanted to get another win, but the weight of that decision has finally been a little bit too much, and he gets to move on.”
First-year Tigers coach Yze spent more time in the coaches’ box trying to stop Martin while serving as an assistant at Hawthorn and Melbourne.
“I’ve only known him for 12 months and it’s sad in a way,” he said. I remember scouting games where I’d be sitting in the stand at the MCG and looking down, and he’s got an opponent on him, and it would be a big opponent, and he’d just be calling for the ball as if, ‘Just kick me the ball, I’ll beat this guy.’
“It wasn’t an arrogant thing – he just knew that he could win contests every time the ball was in his area.
“He was obviously really hard to scout because he was just a talent inside the contest, and then when he went forward he was a menace. We’re going to miss him.”
Richmond will officially farewell Martin at their last home game of the year – against Hardwick’s Gold Coast. “It will be nice to see him walk around and wave to the Tiger Army in the last game,” Yze said. “They [the fans] will get to still send him off in the right way.”
AAP
Lions land another father-son gun
Marc McGowan
The Ashcroft legacy at Brisbane will continue, with boom draft prospect Levi Ashcroft committing to the Lions as a father-son prospect.
Levi’s brother, Will, was the No.2 pick in the 2022 AFL draft after Brisbane matched North Melbourne’s bid on the son of triple premiership star Marcus Ashcroft, who played 318 games for the club between 1989 and 2003.
Levi Ashcroft is a contender to be the No.1 draft pick this year.Credit: Wayne Taylor
Levi, a prolific midfielder who won the Sandringham Dragons’ best-and-fairest award last year and is a dual under-18 All-Australian, is set to be a similarly high selection in this year’s draft.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to be able to say I am joining this great club,” the 17-year-old said.
“Our family has great connection to the club, with dad’s legacy, but also over the past couple of seasons as Will has started his career here as well. To be joining him, and potentially playing for this club together, would be a dream come true for us, but there is a lot of work to be done before that happens.
“I have been made so welcome by the people here, from Lachie Neale and Harris Andrews to Josh Dunkley, Charlie Cameron and Hugh McCluggage, and all the younger guys.
“I feel so privileged to join a group like this. I just can’t wait to get to work and earn the respect and trust of my new teammates and coaches.”
Levi Ashcroft will play for the Lions’ VFL side against Greater Western Sydney’s reserves at Brighton Homes Arena in Brisbane on Sunday.
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