AFL TV Show Wrap: Cooper Hodge decision, mid-season trade talks, Tasmania’s stadium D-Day
Years later, Luke Hodge’s decision to finish his career in Brisbane might haunt the Hawks again. Plus, is Ken Hinkley only weeks from exiting Port Adelaide? See what you missed on TV last night.
Cooper Hodge the Hawk? Or will he be a Lion?
Was Alex Pearce lucky to get off his suspension, or did he do enough to fulfil his duty of care?
And what’s happening with Tasmania’s stadium?
Speaking of stadiums, we’ve discovered how we can be at two games on one day, with Marvel Stadium set to double dip again soon.
Dive into every big story from Tuesday night.
Start the Carr?
Ken Hinkley is expected to hand over control of Port Adelaide to Josh Carr as soon as the club is mathematically out of contention, according to Footy Classified’s Tom Morris.
Port Adelaide is currently 15th on the ladder with a 4-7 record, two games and 30.8 per cent out of the top eight.
The Power has a bye this week, before facing the Giants in Canberra, then Melbourne Sydney and Carlton at home.
Morris said Ken has “made up his mind” and would do “what is right for the club”, with an expectation he would hand the keys to the club to Carr once Port Adelaide can’t make finals.
“As soon as it’s not right, he won’t push on for the sake of it,” he said on Footy Classified.
“While it’s still mathematically possible for them to contend, he won’t step aside.”
PEARCE OFF
Opinions were split across the board on how Alex Pearce should be treated at the tribunal after his massive collision with Darcy Byrne-Jones.
The Dockers captain was initially slapped with a three-game ban, which was dismissed on Tuesday night.
Brisbane star Lachie Neale said on AFL 360 that he hadn’t seen the incident live, but watching the replay he thought Pearce was “in trouble”.
Host Gerard Whateley said he could do as much as he could to protect Byrne-Jones, while Footy Classified’s Rory Sloane said “commonsense is common again”.
“I know why he’s being charged, at the moment of contact he’s not contesting the ball,” he said.
“Did he fulfil his duty of care? I actually think at the end he does fulfil his duty of care.
“He goes lax, as best as he possibly can, to minimise the impact that’s going to happen.
In the dangerous tackle, if you release one arm at the last split second, that’s enough to fulfil your duty of care.
Giants captain Toby Greene said he wouldn’t change his approach into marking contests, despite the bans being handed out.
“No, not really to be honest (I wouldn’t change my approach),” he said on AFL 360.
“Especially when you’re flying in from 10m out and you think you’re a chance to impact that ball or to mark it.
“It’s just not second nature to pull out... I’m not going to change too much.”
Garry Lyon said players are naturally adjusting to look after their opponents.
“If you pull out, in the old fashioned sense, then you’d still be pretty harshly judged,” he said.
“We now know with the guy with his head over the footy where it used to be open slather, charge in, a player will now stop and hover, and we don’t condemn them for that.”
“WAR OF WORDS” ON ACADEMIES, COOPER HODGE A HAWK OR LION?
Hawthorn great Luke Hodge refused to reveal his son Cooper’s preference as a fight for his draft rights begins to firm up.
The son of the Hawthorn great is eligible as a father-son to the Hawks in 2026, but is also available to go to Brisbane as an Academy product.
Luke Hodge said on the Agenda Setters that Cooper might not even be a draftable prospect if it weren’t for the Lions Academy.
“I think it’s amazing what the academies have done for football in the northern states,” he said.
“I couldn’t tell you (his preference), he’s still 13-15 months away.
“He’s really enjoyed his time in the Brisbane Academy.”
Caroline Wilson said the Hawks would be “devastated” if Cooper chose Brisbane ahead of the 2026 draft, but Hodge disagreed.
“That’s not what they’ve told us,” he said.
“There’s no way he would’ve developed in the way he has (if he wasn’t in the Academy).”
The discussion comes as St Kilda’s Ross Lyon sledged Gold Coast’s side in the warm up ahead of his team’s clash with Suns, calling them “AFL’s nepo baby”.
It’s a comment that has left the northern states in a “war of words” with St Kilda, according to Midweek Tackle’s Lauren Wood.
“St Kilda is crying poor, yes, but this is why,” Jon Ralph said on Midweek Tackle.
“They’ve had four drafts where they’ve been keen to secure their premiership future, every one of them have been pushed back by academy bids.
“They bid on Leo Lombard, and (Levi) Ashcroft was bid on earlier. And it’s about to happen again.
“We could have an Oscar Allen compensation pick for free agency.
“And then the academy bids, (Daniel) Annable, an elite inside mid, Zeke Uwland who’s injured right now but an elite half back flank with a great left foot.
“So a club that finishes fifth last could be pushed back to eight or nine.
“The premiership players, the elite players, come from the top five of the draft, and they just keep getting pushed out four years in a row.”
DOUBLE TROUBLE
There were two games in one day at Marvel Stadium last round, and don’t think that’s not going to happen again.
The AFL has scheduled another double header at the ground for round 17, when Essendon will host Gold Coast at 12.35pm on the Saturday, before a 7.40pm clash between St Kilda and Hawthorn.
Corbin Middlemas revealed on Midweek Tackle the AFL will look to promote a double-header ticket for the double-dipper fixture.
“They are looking at the prospect of selling a dual ticket (for round 17),” he said.
“The first one was all about the logistics, getting everything downpat to make sure we didn’t have any dramas from an operational point of view.
“I’m sure the Bombers and the Saints will get together and see if they can sell a dual ticket, and ultimately get a bit of bang for your buck with two games on the same day.”
Gather Round has a similar situation, with double header games at Adelaide Oval during the showpiece weekend.
NO STADIUM, NO TEAM? NO GUARANTEE
AFL 360 host Gerard Whateley believes the AFL will proceed the Tasmanian team, even if the state government denies the stadium build.
New cost projections for the roofed Macquarie Point stadium, that is the centrepiece for a 19th AFL licence, have ballooned out to almost $1 billion as the Tasmanian state government debates the budget.
But Whateley thinks the AFL will not backflip on the team if the funding wasn’t allocated, despite every public stance pointing towards it.
“This will either pass parliament or not, and it will do so in the last week of July or the first week of August,” he said.
“In my heart of hearts, I do believe that would happen (they renegotiate the stadium).
“It’s nobody’s preference to get there, but are we going to fold the whole idea and cut the state adrift forevermore and break all the hearts that have been given over to them?
“Every public statement is yes (they need a stadium), in my heart of hearts I believe no.”
MID SEASON TRADE
With the mid-season draft only hours away, discussion surrounding more mid-year player movement kicked up again.
It’s become almost an annual fixture, discussing a mid-season trade period.
And while the AFL has alluded to its introduction at some point, there’s been no movement in recent seasons.
But while some of the league’s captains like the concept, others are split on their feelings towards it.
“I like it, but I don’t think it suits teams outside of Victoria, that’s why I’m against it,” Toby Greene said on AFL 360.
“But I think it’s great for players playing in the lower leagues.
“I’m sure there are 10 guys could play AFL this weekend are playing somewhere around Australia.
“I like it from that concept... it certainly does suit the Victorian clubs.”
Brisbane’s Lachie Neale said it would help fringe players extend their careers.
“I like the idea as well, I think that guys that aren’t getting a game it’s really good for them,” he said.
“Especially if they’re out of contract and might get a go at another club and they’re trying to prolong their career.
“I’m in favour of it, I think it’d be great for the game. We already get new players in from the mid-season draft.”
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