By Scott Spits, Roy Ward and Angus Delaney
In today’s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news:
- Essendon will bring attacking half-back Saad El-Hawli in for his AFL debut against Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium on Thursday.
- The AFL has announced Harley Reid’s punishment for giving the finger to the Gabba crowd.
- Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has come face to face with football reporter Tom Morris for the first time since their infamous clash in 2022 – and appeared on Channel Nine for the first time since “antagonists” left for rival network Seven.
Port Adelaide youngster Tom Cochrane will become the first player with Tourette syndrome to play in the AFL when he debuts against Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.
The son of former North Melbourne and Port Adelaide player Stuart Cochrane, the 19-year-old’s first appearance at the top level has been described by Port coach Ken Hinkley as a “great story for the AFL”.
Port Adelaide’s Tom Cochrane (centre) is congratulated by teammates (L-R) Jack Whitlock, Benny Barrett, Joe Berry and Christian Moraes after he was named him to make his debut. Credit: Port Adelaide Football Club/Instagram
Tom Cochrane was selected by Port with the No.13 pick in last November’s rookie draft.
He has spoken on how his condition – which manifests in vocal tics, and usually swear words – was diagnosed when he was a nine-year-old.
But at that age he made a pledge to his mother that still stands today.
“She was a bit down and wasn’t feeling too good when I was diagnosed, but she always says to me that the first thing I said to her was, ‘I want to be the first AFL player with Tourette’s’,” Cochrane said in an interview with the AFL website last month. “My mentality has always been to stay positive.”
The syndrome doesn’t affect him while he’s playing footy, but he did experience bullying growing up.
Cochrane says he doesn’t experience symptoms of his condition while he’s playing footy.Credit: Matt Sampson
“The first couple of years it was hard because I got a lot of stuff for it – people making fun of it and trying to bring me down,” Cochrane told the AFL website.
“Once I got older everyone got used to it and acknowledged it, and nobody really cares any more.
Cochrane’s father Stuart (left) in his Port Adelaide playing days in 2003 alongside teammates Byron Pickett and Peter Burgoyne.Credit: Bryan Charlton
“That’s probably the best thing about it – that I don’t get it when I’m playing. It kind of goes away because I enjoy playing, and when I’m enjoying something, it goes away.”
Hinkley said Cochrane was immediately embraced by Port when he was picked up by the club.
“His courage to stand up in front and talk about what his challenges have been, everyone sort of knew where Tommy was at,” Hinkley said.
“But to be able to be comfortable enough very early in his time at Port Adelaide is such a sign for us that he’s a part of our family and been a part of this family for a long period of time.
“It is a great story for us as a football club, a great story for AFL football.”
Port Adelaide are also bringing in big man Esava Ratugoea and Ivan Soldo, with injured trio Ryan Burton (hip), Jack Lukosius (knee) and Lachie Jones (adductor) dropping out of the side.
Scott Spits, with AAP
Young Bomber to debut against Port
Roy Ward
Essendon will bring attacking half-back Saad El-Hawli in for his AFL debut against Port Adelaide at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.
The Bombers told the former Altona and Northern Bullants star on Wednesday morning he would be making his first AFL start as the winless Dons look to bounce back from a disappointing 0-2 start to 2025.
Essendon’s Saad El-Hawli.Credit: Cassie Shaddock, Essendon FC
Essendon also welcome back defender Jordan Ridley from concussion, while former top-10 draftees, midfielders Elijah Tsatas (hand) and Archie Perkins (quad) are out injured.
El-Hawli, 23, has taken a huge step forward over the past 10 months, impressing in the VFL and earning a mid-season draft call-up from the Bombers last season before finishing the VFL season strongly, including a four-goal haul against Carlton’s VFL side.
El-Hawli, who won a division one Western Football Netball premiership with Altona in 2022, joins Isaac Kako and Tom Edwards as AFL debutants with Essendon so far in 2025.
El-Hawli was the first graduate of the Bachar Houli’s Academy to make an AFL list when drafted last year.
Essendon’s emergencies are Will Setterfield, Lewis Hayes and Archer Day-Wicks.
AFL announces Harley Reid’s punishment for Gabba incident
Scott Spits
West Coast young gun Harley Reid has copped a $1000 fine for “flipping the bird” at Brisbane Lions supporters during Sunday’s 19-point loss at the Gabba.
The former No.1 draft pick was hit with the fine – cited as misconduct by the AFL – made during a match in which his team jumped the reigning premiers before the Lions reeled in their opponents and took the four points.
Harley Reid reacts to the Gabba crowd.Credit: Fox Footy
Post-match, Reid’s coach, Andrew McQualter, defended the second-year player. Reid turns 20 next month and has played 22 AFL matches so far.
“We try to bash the theatre out of this game sometimes, don’t we? He’s just having a bit of fun. Sometimes that’s good for the game, I think,” McQualter said.
Reid had interacted with the Gabba crowd after earning his team a downfield free kick. He had a smile on his face as he made the gesture, and the crowd engaged in the byplay.
One man in the crowd could be seen standing and booing Reid, while another walked down the stairs towards the fence and appeared to offer the Eagles player some tissues.
Other players have been fined by the AFL for similar gestures. In 2019 Richmond superstar Dustin Martin, whose playing style Reid’s has drawn comparisons to, copped a hefty $7500 fine for controversial hand gestures towards GWS players, including raising his middle finger. But $5000 of that fine was suspended.
Beveridge, Morris come face to face after infamous 2022 bust-up
Angus Delaney
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has come face to face with football reporter Tom Morris for the first time since their infamous clash in 2022 – and appeared on Channel Nine for the first time since “antagonists” left for rival network Seven.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge.Credit: Getty Images
On Tuesday night, Beveridge joined Footy Classified on Nine (owner of this masthead), on which Morris is a panellist. He was asked about his clash with Morris but declined to go into detail.
“It’s the first time I’ve been on Channel Nine, probably since some antagonists have moved over to Channel Seven, to be honest. And so I’ve come here tonight to definitely interact and, hopefully, provide something of value. But the detail in what happened … I just don’t think we should go there,” Beveridge said.
Beveridge did not specify which “antagonists” he was referring to, but former Footy Classified, Sunday Footy Show panellist and Age columnist Kane Cornes, who had been highly critical of the Bulldogs coach in 2024, recently left Nine to join Channel Seven.
Cornes’ criticism included a column for this masthead in April last year, when he wrote that Beveridge should step down as coach, citing the club’s defensive issues, lack of finals appearance in 2023 and player management.
Speaking on Footy Classified at the time, Cornes said: “I don’t know how many times I can sit here and say they should have moved on from the coach [Beveridge] a long time ago”.
Also in April 2024, Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains told ABC Sport that Beveridge’s critics in the media were making personal attacks.
“The personalisation of some of it and the way it’s directed at the coach at times is over the top,” he said.
But Cornes has previously said his criticism of the Bulldogs’ and their coach was justified and not personal. Cornes was contacted for comment.
On Tuesday night, Beveridge’s comments came after a segment on the show that revisited the Bulldogs coach’s 2022 outburst against then Fox Sports reporter Morris. Beveridge had accused Morris of “gutter journalism” and questioned his ethics and professionalism.
In that attack – which Beveridge apologised for following day – he also demanded Morris leave the press conference, before walking out himself.
Footy Classified played the most intense moments of the 2022 clash on air, before questioning both Morris (now chief football reporter for Nine) and Beveridge about the incident.
Beveridge and Morris were sat next to each other for the show, prompting host Eddie McGuire to quip “these two haven’t actually spoken to each other for three years” and that it was “as cold as the other side of the pillow when they came in”.
Morris said he’d moved on from the incident because of Beveridge’s prompt apology and any angst felt “over the last three years hasn’t been from my end”.
But Beveridge clearly did not want to engage on the 2022 incident.
“It doesn’t help me, it doesn’t help our footy club, I don’t think it really helps you Tom, and I just don’t think we should go there,” said Beveridge. “I think it’s a story for another day.”
The 2016 premiership coach said it was important “to develop that apathy towards publicity that you do get good, bad or otherwise”.
“And the longer you’re in it, the better you are at it. And that’s where I’ve sort of been on record saying, it’s really difficult for the brand new coaches, because they’re not used to it,” he said.
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