By Michael Gleeson
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Josh Weddle faces an extended stint on the sidelines with a back injury
- Collingwood star Jordan De Goey suffered a concussion at training, delaying his return
AFL stars from Melbourne, St Kilda and the Gold Coast are all facing an immediate tribunal appearance and possible suspension if they make contact with umpires again this season after an immediate AFL rule change.
St Kilda pair Hunter Clark and Jackson Macrae, Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell and Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett all face possible suspensions if they make careless contact with an umpire once more this season.
Curtis Deboy and Bulldog Rhylee West came into contact during round 14.Credit: AFL Photos
Under the AFL’s change, players will face suspensions if they are found guilty of making contact with umpires four times within a two-year period. That change comes into immediate effect.
Players who are found to have made contact with umpires three times in a two calendar-year period will now be sent to the tribunal, where they will either receive a far heavier fine, or a suspension for a fourth offence. The system will operate on a calendar year from the time of the earliest offence, in similar fashion to the license demerit point system.
The club of any player guilty of a second umpire contact offence in the space of two years will also be fined $5000, which will sit outside the soft cap.
Clark, Macrae and Rowell have all been fined $5000 ($3500 with an early plea) in the past three weeks for their fourth umpire contact offences in the past two years. Were this latest change already in place, all would have been sent to the tribunal.
Players do not have the slate wiped clean but carry over the offences committed over the past two years. In situations like Rowell’s, Macrae’s and Clark’s where they have already committed four offences, they will be treated as if they are on three charges and the next will see them sent to the tribunal.
In round 12 Pickett committed a third umpire contact offence in the relevant period, so he also faces a possible suspension with one more offence.
Under existing rules players, who had multiple umpire contact charges in a two-year period could have been sent to the tribunal, but never were. The change removes a discretion about a tribunal appearance, and thus brings into play a heavier fine or a suspension.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon told the clubs of the change at a meeting of club chief executives on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
It comes after a large increase in the number of incidents and charges for umpire contact in the past three years. In 2023, there were 20 charges for umpire contact across the season. Last year that increased to 56 charges, while there have been 60 charges already this season.
At least one umpire was seriously injured this year and had to be swapped out of covering the match after a heavy collision.
“We are seeing far too many instances of avoidable umpire contact, and since writing to clubs on this issue in February, and again in April, we have not seen a change in behaviour, and in fact seen an increase in umpire contact,” said Dillon.
“We have an obligation to provide the best working environment for everyone, including the umpires, and there have been too many instances of avoidable umpire contact.”
While there has been an increase in the number of field umpires on the ground, the league does not believe this was the cause of the increase as overwhelmingly the charges relate to contact at stoppages, and the number of umpires close to a stoppage has not changed.
Interestingly, the AFL change comes after football executive Laura Kane’s role was split in half and before Greg Swann has begun in his new role as executive head of football performance, which oversees the umpires. It also comes after former senior football operations figure Josh Mahoney departed the AFL.
Weddle out with back stress injury
Michael Gleeson
Hawthorn’s premiership hopes have suffered a hit with dynamic, athletic utility Josh Weddle sidelined indefinitely with a bone stress injury in his back.
With the club’s best player Will Day still out of the team, the loss of the versatile running tall is a damaging blow for the Hawks. Day at least is due to return to the side soon.
Hawk Josh Weddle will be out indefinitely with a back injury.Credit: AFL Photos
Weddle complained of back soreness after the win over North Melbourne at the weekend and scans confirmed the early stages of lumbar bone stress, Hawthorn’s head doctor Liam West said.
No time frame has been put on his recovery, but West was hopeful Weddle would return before the end of the season.
“We will need to take some time to de-load Josh during this initial phase before we can identify just how long he will be sidelined for,” West said.
“Given how early the injury was discovered, we are hopeful he can return to play before the end of the season.
“While this is obviously disappointing for Josh, our priority right now is taking a careful and cautious approach to ensure Josh makes a safe return but as quickly as possible.”
Importantly, West said the hope was Weddle would return before the end of the season, not miss the rest of the year, indicating he could be back for the finals.
Hawthorn are currently in fifth place and pushing for a top-four double chance. In the next month they will play St Kilda followed by Fremantle in Perth, Port Adelaide in Tasmania then Carlton, with the Hawks favoured to win at least three if not all four games.
Their final month, for which they would hope to have Weddle back at some point, is more difficult: Adelaide in Adelaide, Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG, before Brisbane at the Gabba in the final round.
De Goey concussed at training in fresh injury blow
AAP
Injured Collingwood star Jordan De Goey suffered a concussion at training on Tuesday, further delaying his long-awaited AFL comeback.
And the teammate who collected him high in an innocuous training drill was vice captain Brayden Maynard, who has been confirmed to return from his own injury in Friday night’s MCG blockbuster against fierce rivals Carlton.
Jordan De Goey has had an injury setback.Credit: Getty Images
Veteran Steele Sidebottom missed Tuesday’s training session because of illness and is doubtful this week.
Forward Bobby Hill was at training, but his availability remains unclear after he was a late withdrawal from last weekend’s win over West Coast because of personal reasons.
De Goey was going to pick up a ball during a drill when he suffered the head knock.
Vision from Seven showed Maynard accidentally making contact with De Goey, who looked groggy immediately afterwards.
“Jordy got a concussion in the ‘fundamentals’ [training drills], so he left the track,” coach Craig McRae said of the innocuous incident.
“It’s a sad week for Jordy, he’s just starting to get there and he’s obviously going to be in the [concussion] protocols for 10-14 days.”
Collingwood coach Craig McRae.Credit: AFL Photos
De Goey has only managed five games this season and has not played since round eight because of an Achilles injury.
The Magpies are taking their time with him, hoping the dangerous midfielder-forward will be ready for the finals.
Tuesday was supposed to be a full training session for De Goey.
At his best, he is one of the league’s most dangerous players.
But since playing a key role in Collingwood’s 2023 premiership, a succession of injuries have restricted him to 13 senior games last season and now this year’s interrupted campaign.
Maynard, who has had a foot injury, will play for the first time since round 12.
The Magpies are two and a half games clear at the top of the ladder, while the Blues are in crisis with their season in freefall.
Meanwhile, McRae jokingly said Sidebottom has “man flu”.
“It’s probably a bit early to completely rule him out [for Carlton], but I’d say he’d be unlikely,” the coach added.
Last weekend was the second time this season that Hill has had to pull out of a game late.
“It was great to see Bobby back today. We haven’t seen him around for a few days, he trained really well,” McRae said.
“He’s a day-to-day thing at the moment, we’re not sure if he’ll be available.”
But the good news for the Magpies is Maynard’s return to the field.
Bobby Hill at Collingwood training recently.Credit: Getty Images
“He’s definitely our emotional barometer, and he fires us up,” McRae said of the vice captain.
“You could just see today in training – he’s gritting his teeth, holding a few things back for Friday night. He’s an inspirational leader.”
The Collingwood coach said midfielder Tom Mitchell, out of the AFL since Anzac Day last year because of a foot injury, is closing on a senior return after several weeks in the VFL.
McRae added there is no love lost this week with his old Brisbane Lions premiership teammate and great friend, Carlton coach Michael Voss.
“I love my mate and I always will, but this is one of those weeks that we both know – we don’t text each other, we don’t call each other, and we just get to work,” McRae said.
“Every time we play Carlton, I show ... a version of a video, of this 100-year rivalry and what it’s meant to our club.
“We don’t shy away from it, we step right into it. We have to come ready to play.”
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.