Balta’s AFL return looms despite guilty plea, civil case settled
Richmond star Noah Balta has pleaded guilty to assault charges – but he will soon be available for AFL selection given the club’s ban will stand.
Afl
Port defender on brink of committing to big call on future
Port Adelaide has a host of defenders coming out of contract at season’s end. But one of the Power’s most important, Kane Farrell, is set to make a decision this week.
Western Derby: The best 60 individual performances of all time
Was Harley Reid robbed? Did Dockers fans have the right to boo Chris Judd? We’ve ranked the best 60 derby performances of all-time to celebrate the 60th meeting of West Coast and Fremantle.
‘It’s not ideal’: Eagles leap to Reid defence as fiery derby looms
Harley Reid and his middle finger have spent the week in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. What will it mean for Andrew McQualter’s first derby in charge of West Coast?
Round 3 teams: Crows reveal Murray replacement
Adelaide has revealed how it will replace injured backman Nick Murray, while Fremantle will unveil a debutant in this weekend’s derby. See full round 3 teams here.
Ex-AFL star calls out ‘horrible’ McKay boo boys
An ex-AFL star has called out Essendon supporters who jeered Ben McKay during the club’s win over Port Adelaide, revealing the mental toll of being targeted by his own fans during his career.
Rival hopes dashed as son of a gun declares ‘love’ for Port
Rival clubs are keeping tabs on Jase Burgoyne because he has yet to start meaningful contract talks with the Power – but don’t expect the club’s best player on Thursday night to go anywhere.
Rocca: How coaching passion helped me through cancer battle
Anthony Rocca would spend his chemotherapy treatments studying vision to make his Northern Knights players better. The Collingwood great opens up on how football helped during his cancer battle.
Revealed: What Scott told Lions star after prelim final heroics
Will Ashcroft grew up a staunch Cats supporter. And after playing a role in vanquishing Geelong from the premiership race last year, the young Lion shared a special moment with Chris Scott.
Best in 60 years: Inside the rise of ‘beautiful’ Hawks
The Hawks are playing the most exciting and skilful football the legendary David Parkin has ever seen. Jay Clark goes inside their fast-tracked rebuild with the man who first helped discover Sam Mitchell here.
The ‘mauling’ that proves Port’s problems never really left
It wasn’t a capitulation like round 1 against Collingwood when critics accused Port players of throwing in the towel – but it wasn’t far off, writes MATT TURNER.
Will Port’s leaders please stand up? Ken points finger at struggling stars
When one of your key players is struggling the team struggles, but Ken Hinkley came away from Thursday night’s loss to Essendon rueing the fact that six of his leaders were down on form.
The ‘honest conversations’ that sparked young Dons
Nate Caddy was so angry about his performance last week that Brad Scott thought he was going to punch him – but what a difference five days and some honest conversations make.
SuperCoach: Three takeaways from Essendon v Port Adelaide
JHF owners. explain what’s actually going on here, can we trust him? And there’s a new Reid to think about, grabbing. Check out the key SuperCoach takeaways from the Bombers’ win.
Sub standard? Nicks, Crows happy to make Draper wait
Crows fans are crying out to see more of Sid Draper to cap off a stunning start to 2025, but Matthew Nicks says there’s one thing holding the young star back from being truly unleashed.
Demon Desire: Reborn VFL star’s AFL ambition still burns
At age 28, Kye Declase is back in the VFL and the former Melbourne rookie is not yet prepared to give up on his dream of playing AFL, as Paul Amy finds out.
Farewell tour? Decoding Bevo’s public PR campaign
Rather than beg for a new contract, Luke Beveridge is taking it up to the Bulldogs hierarchy with an unprecedented media tour. Jon Ralph unpacks Bevo’s power play.
Lyon: How Voss can save Carlton’s ‘butcher Blues’
It sounds harsh, but Carlton has some of the biggest butchers of the football in the AFL. It’s an ugly fact but something Michael Voss has time to fix, writes Garry Lyon.
Breaking boundaries: Cochrane to be first AFL player with Tourettes
Tom Cochrane is used to breaking boundaries, but even he didn’t expect his debut – as the first known AFL player with Tourette’s syndrome – to arrive so quickly.
Harry McKay isn’t playing: Here’s why Blues should be applauded
The days of telling players to “toughen up” are long gone, and Carlton should be applauded for allowing him to step away from footy to deal with personal issues, writes Jay Clark.
Top VFL coach faces ban for alleged umpire abuse
Leading VFL coach Justin Plapp and his club, Williamstown, have received a please-explain order over his alleged comments towards the umpires in Round 1.
The key changes that have revitalised Nicks’ Crows
It’s been a hot start to 2025 for the Crows, but after such a disappointing 2024, MATT TURNER dives into what has really changed to let Matthew Nicks’ side fly.
![MELBOURNE . 24/10/2022. AFL. New St Kilda coach Ross Lyon enters the room with president Andrew Bassat and CEO Simon Lethlean at todays media conference at RSEA Park, Moorabbin ]. Picture by Michael Klein](https://content.api.news/v3/images/bin/bfccb8a418600b9643448887509ea4f3?width=650)
Destination Moorabbin: ‘Messiah complex’ holding back the Saints
Who wants to be a Saint? There’s been plenty of swings at Moorabbin, but not many hits, so far. Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane dive into what their future holds with footy’s biggest war chest.
Swans boss reveals all: Warner’s future, AFL house approach
Chad Warner’s celebrations after Sydney’s win over Freo sparked suggestions a new deal for the Swans superstar could be coming soon. CEO Tom Harley has provided an update on his future.
Hotels boom as footy fans gather
Sports fans have switched focus from Melbourne’s grand prix to the AFL’s Gather Round coming up in Adelaide, and hoteliers are the winners.
McGuane: History suggests Scott’s ‘inept’ defence won’t be fixed soon
The Bombers’ defence was hit for six against the Crows, is there improvement coming? Mick McGuane writes, based on Brad Scott’s history, Essendon fans shouldn’t hold their breath.
‘Put a sock in it’: Goodwin admits fault in cryptic Gawn comments
Simon Goodwin has been criticised for inviting questions about Max Gawn’s private life in a cryptic post-match press conference. Now, the Demons coach has spoken publicly for the first time.
Expert tips: Dons, Blues bound for 0-3 starts
Both Essendon and Carlton host prime time matches to start round 3 — and our tipsters don’t give either club much chance of a first win in 2025. See the round 3 expert tips here.
The Lowdown: Houston who? Port showing there’s Power in numbers
Port haven’t made a perfect start to life without Dan Houston, but that doesn’t mean they’re definitely missing him. Simeon Thomas-Wilson names his likes and dislikes.
Lion launches audacious bid to return from ACL blow
Lincoln McCarthy is eyeing a remarkable return after surgery on Tuesday gave the Brisbane Lion hope of being part of his club’s quest for back-to-back flags.
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