By Jon Pierik and Scott Spits
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Carlton’s Brodie Kemp is out for the season.
- Tribunal backs three-game ban for Dockers forward.
- Simon Goodwin insists he is the right man to bring change to the Demons.
Carlton have confirmed that Brodie Kemp will miss the rest of the season with an Achilles tendon injury, the versatile forward joining teammates Nic Newman and gun recruit Jagga Smith on the sidelines for 2025.
Kemp suffered the injury in the final quarter of Carlton’s first win of the year on Saturday – a 71-point belting of West Coast. The Blues also lost important forward Harry McKay who copped a heavy hit against the Eagles and entered concussion protocols.
Brodie Kemp is consoled by Carlton teammates.Credit: Getty Images
The Blues feared the worst for 23-year-old Kemp, who booted five goals against Western Bulldogs in round four, and Tuesday’s injury report confirmed the bad diagnosis.
“Brodie had put in a mountain of work over the summer to earn is place in the side to start the season, so for him to miss the remainder of the year is such bad luck, and we are all feeling for him right now,” Carlton general manager of football Brad Lloyd said.
“Brodie really embraced his new role up forward, which is a testament to his team-first mindset.”
Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli has been unable to play so far this season.Credit: Getty Images
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are banking on Marcus Bontempelli to play this weekend after the captain’s season start was severely disrupted by a calf injury.
Depending on how the star veteran gets through training this week, the Dogs expect Bontempelli to return against St Kilda on Easter Sunday.
“Marcus has continued to progress really nicely and build a great volume of work following his complex calf injury,” said Bulldogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell.
“His plan is to fully train this week, and if he gets through training like I expect, he’ll return to availability.”
- Scott Spits
Voss’ ban upheld
Fremantle’s Patrick Voss must serve his three-game ban after the AFL tribunal ruled his roundhouse on Richmond defender Nick Vlastuin was severe impact.
The Dockers argued at Tuesday night’s tribunal hearing the charge should be downgraded to high impact, which would have reduced the penalty by one game.
Vlastuin was left with a broken nose and tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson, KC, said he could have suffered a more serious injury.
“It is apparent from the video footage that the force here was very considerable indeed,” Gleeson said in his verdict.
Nick Vlastuin’s Tigers teammates remonstrate with Patrick Voss after the incident that forced him from the field.Credit: Getty Images
“The players met at speed and Voss swung his arm at speed.
“The extent and nature of the force of impact and the fact that full force of the impact struck Vlastuin’s face leads us to find that the potential for more serious injury was real.
“The video evidence shows quite clearly that this was a forceful blow to the head, and one that experience and common sense indicate could have readily result in a concussion.”
Dockers advocate Tim Hammond, SC, pointed to Richmond’s medical report, which said Vlastuin was not concussed.
Voss attempted to lay a tackle on Vlastuin during the Dockers’ 61-point win on Sunday, but caught the Tigers premiership player across the face with a swinging right arm. Vlastuin collapsed from the impact and was sent from the field under the blood rule.
- AAP
‘It’s uncomfortable right now’: Goodwin braces Demons for change
Jon Pierik
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin insists he is the right man to bring change to the Demons, and has revealed plans to upgrade a game plan to generate more scoring as he fights to save his job.
The Demons are winless after five rounds and sit at the foot of the ladder with the West Coast Eagles, heaping pressure on Goodwin to find answers.
Age columnist Caroline Wilson reported on Seven’s Agenda Setters on Monday that Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, uncontracted beyond this season, is on the Demons’ hit list should they part ways with Goodwin.
Simon Goodwin was bullish on Tuesday, declaring change would be a good thing come Saturday’s clash against Fremantle.Credit: Getty Images
Now in his ninth season in charge, Goodwin said on Tuesday he was ready to herald in change ahead of Saturday’s home clash against Fremantle, just as president Brad Green had sought on Monday in his letter to club members.
“I am really comfortable with the outside noise. I understand the outside is there. When you are zero and five and not winning games of footy, you are going to be criticised. But I am more than confident in my ability as a coach to lead change,” Goodwin said.
“I have done it for seven years before our [2021 premiership] success. And it is difficult, and it is not linear. And you will have periods where you are under enormous pressure, but I am confident in myself, I am confident in our coaches, I am confident in our program, I am confident in our players that we have got there, to start transitioning to play better footy.
“As I said, it’s uncomfortable right now, but, jeez, it’s going to make it more joyous when we get to the other side of it.”
The Demons have been a mess up forward all season, averaging only 61 points per game after scores of 74, 66, 62, 46 and 57. Only the Eagles have been worse.
That they have won the inside-50 count in four of their five matches, but have kicked more than nine goals only once, has added to the frustration about their connection forward of centre, compounded in that they have conceded an average of 100.6 points per game.
Goodwin said the Demons would “stick” with their typical patterns of ball movement, but stressed that what players did when they did not have the ball would change.
“We are far too easy to play against. When people look at us, the lack of pressure, the stuff we are doing without the ball, that’s what concerns people, and that’s what concerns me as a coach,” Goodwin said.
“For a long time at this club we have valued it to a high level, and when we get it back, and we’ll see it pretty quickly, everyone will see it, we are going to train it, you’ll see this fight, you’ll see this resilience, and [we will] be a team that is hard to play against again.”
Goodwin said players may initially feel “uncomfortable” with change, but the team needed to evolve.
“Clearly, there is a lot of commentary out there, a lot of noise about our footy club, where we are at, what we are doing.
“The reality is we are trying to change in a few areas about how we play. That can be difficult and change is hard, and sometimes you will fail doing it. But we are committed to it,” Goodwin said.
“We are committed to going down this path of trying to play a different way, a new way, a better way. And obviously with that will come a little bit more scoring.
“Right now, we are getting our opportunities, but we are not taking them, which is a positive. But what we are doing without the ball isn’t where it needs to be.”
Green has backed Goodwin, the 2021 premiership coach, to change, calling on the Demons to reprise something similar to the five-goal burst they had in the third term against Essendon in Gather Round, although they ultimately lost by 39 points.
“I think we saw, for 15 minutes, that intensity, that fight, that resilience without the ball was there, and we were able to score. We need to bring that way more in our game, and that’s what the focus has really been,” Goodwin said.
“How do we bring that to a level of consistency that will enable everything else we are trying to change to come to life?”
Goodwin said there would be change at selection. He was confident small forward Kysaiah Pickett (ankle) would play this week, and said defender Steven May (plantar fasciitis) would be monitored.
He defended the team’s leaders, without naming the likes of Max Gawn, Jack Viney and Christian Petracca, insisting “we are in this together”.
Adding to the uncertainty at the club in a year when average attendances and membership have dropped is that they are still without a permanent chief executive after parting ways with Gary Pert last year.
“I love the challenge. Change is always happening. And you get to a certain point where it creates success. And then you have a few more years after where you put yourself in a position for more success,” Goodwin said.
“Right now, we are in a position where we need to evolve. I love that challenge as a coach. Our players are up for that change, but we need to do it together.
“As I said, it can be uncomfortable but, right now, we are as committed as ever to what we are doing.”
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