Monday TV Recap: Damien Hardwick’s left-field fixture plan, why clubs shouldn’t ‘give up’ on Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

Has Damien Hardwick finally found a way to fix the AFL fixture? Plus, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Oscar Allen and the ‘dog’s breakfast’ umpiring. Here’s what you missed on TV on Monday night.

Rule changes, trade targets and a revolutionary idea to make the AFL fixture fairer.

Here’s everything you missed on TV last night.

Dimma’s left-field fixture fix

AFL360

Three-time premiership coach Damien Hardwick has raised a left-field idea which he believes could help make fixtures fairer for clubs across the competition.

Speaking on the ‘Fix it Gerard’ segment during coaches’ night, the Gold Coast Suns mentor made a lot of sense as he put forward the bold plan.

“Double-up games are only worth two points,” Hardwick suggested.

“Your first double-up game, if you win it, you get two (points). If you lose it, the second one, zero points. You’ve got to win the double to get your four (points).”

The fairness of the fixture has long been a bugbear for many stakeholders and supporters across the competition.

Richmond was rated as having the easiest fixture going into the year, with double-up games against Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, North Melbourne, St Kilda and West Coast.

The Brisbane Lions were judged to have the hardest fixture, with their double-up matches coming against Collingwood, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs.

Damien Hardwick has raised a left-field idea to make the AFL fixture fairer. Picture: Getty Images

‘Don’t give up on him’

AFL360

Melbourne great Garry Lyon has urged AFL clubs not to “give up” on Jamarra Ugle-Hagan after it was revealed that he had checked into an interstate health retreat in a bid to save his football career.

Lyon raised the case of Greater Western Sydney forward Jesse Hogan, who battled his own personal issues earlier in his career but has flourished since being traded to the Giants in exchange for pick 54 at the end of 2020.

Hogan won a Coleman Medal and earned All-Australian honours for the first time at the age of 29 last year.

He currently sits second on the goalkicking leaderboard this year, having booted 25 majors from six games including a haul of seven against Geelong on Sunday.

“I’m not saying he’s going to get there, but don’t give up on him,” Lyon said of Ugle-Hagan.

“I don’t know Jamarra and I don’t know what he’s been up to …. he looks like he’s immature and battling. Jesse was in a similar hole and he was given a chance, got into an environment.

“I think Shane Mumford had him (Hogan) living at the back of his house with his family, (the) penny dropped. He is now arguably the most important player in the competition – picked up for nothing. No one wanted a bar of him. Sound familiar?”

Garry Lyon says clubs should not give up on Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. Picture: Michael Klein

Lethal’s solution to umpiring ‘dog’s breakfast’

On the Couch

AFL great Leigh Matthews has called for the AFL to “turn back the clock” on a trio of rules, including the hands in the back adjudication.

As umpiring continues to be scrutinised, Matthews said there was an easy way to improve the consistency of one key call.

“A few years ago, flat hands on the back was an automatic free kick against,” Matthews said.

“Now the poor old umpires have to adjudicate whether it’s undue force with the push. It’s a dog’s breakfast, so bring it back. Automatic hands on the back is a free kick.”

Automatic free kicks for hands in the back – whether there was a push or not – were introduced in 2007 but were later dumped in 2019.

The rule book now states that free kicks for prohibited contact should only be paid when a player “pushes or bumps an opposition player in the back”.

Matthews also wants the Match Review Officer to bring back a ‘reckless’ grading in addition to ‘careless’ and ‘intentional’, while he called on the AFL to find a way to get ruckman “jumping at the ball” again rather than simply wrestling and putting their arms up to win a hitout.

‘Comical’ Clarkson statement back in the spotlight

Footy Classified

North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson’s 2024 comments about not practising closing out games have resurfaced after the Kangaroos blew a chance to record a breakthrough win over the Brisbane Lions on Sunday.

Clarkson said in round 15 last year: “What’s the point of practising something (when) you’re never in close finishes?”

Development coach Michael Barlow said last week that “on the weekly” not much had changed around that.

North Melbourne recorded a draw against the Lions, having lost games to Essendon (three points) and Port Adelaide (nine points) the previous two weeks.

“Being full-time professionals — despite where you are, how you’re going — every aspect is covered throughout an AFL week and pre-season to be prepared,” Essendon great Matthew Lloyd said of North Melbourne’s attitude.

“You don’t want to be leaving going, ‘If only we did this? …’If we train this, we might have won that one’.

“I find it a bit surprising.”

Hawks trade target urged to sit out season

Agenda Setters

West Coast should put co-captain Oscar Allen on ice for the rest of the season as explores a free agency move away from the club.

That is the view of Kane Cornes, who says there is “nothing to gain” by playing Allen.

The Eagles currently hold pick 1 in November’s national draft and would likely receive pick 2 as free agency compensation for Allen.

The 26-year-old forward has been strongly linked to Hawthorn.

“There’s nothing to gain by him playing for the rest of the year,” Cornes said.

“There’s nothing to gain for his value going up, there’s nothing to gain by him helping West Coast win because it doesn’t matter. The only thing he can do is get injured and affect his value for the next club.

“He should just sit out for the rest of the year.”

Allen was withdrawn from Sunday’s loss to Richmond at the MCG with knee soreness.

Should Oscar Allen be put on ice for the rest of the year? Picture: Getty Images

Harry’s health kick

Players

North Melbourne young gun Harry Sheezel has revealed his diet as he attempts to be as professional as possible.

Over the past two years, Sheezel has cut out processed foods from his menu and is feeling better for it.

“I’ve kind of gone pretty extreme with my diet the last 12 to 18 months,” he said.

“(I) take it really seriously. Just the way it makes me feel and what it’s done to my body has been really good for me, so I’ve kept it going.

“(I) just eat whole foods — a lot of protein and then a lot of fruits and carbs and good fats as well.”

Sheezel, 20, won the Kangaroos’ best and fairest award on debut in 2023.

Has Stringer been a bust?

Footy Classified

Jake Stringer’s recruitment to Greater Western Sydney has come under the spotlight after another hamstring injury.

The 31-year-old, who joined the Giants from Essendon at the end of last year, had played the past seven games for the Giants for a return of eight goals, since missing the start of the season with a hamstring issue.

“Talent’s never been his problem,” Essendon great Matthew Lloyd said of Stringer.

“You look across the board – Jordan De Goey (is) chasing his tail a lot in terms of preparation and then you’ve got a guy like Jake Stringer chasing his tail a fair bit because they’re never quite fully prepared for an AFL season.

“Bad luck doesn’t keep happening.”

Lloyd said it was a “big if” as to whether Stringer could help the Giants win a final this year if he was “missing consistent footy”.

Ben King to Sydney?

On the Couch

Three-time Brisbane Lions premiership forward Jonathan Brown has urged Sydney to get aggressive at the recruiting table and lure a star key forward if it wants to “capitalise” on its current premiership window.

With Logan McDonald (ankle) and Joel Amartey (hamstring) sidelined, the Swans had Hayden McLean, Joel Hamling and Aaron Francis as targets in their forward line in Saturday’s loss to Essendon.

The trio were all among the seven lowest rated players on the ground.

Brown said he did not believe McDonald could be the main man in a premiership team even when he does return.

“I’m concerned for Sydney, because the time is now.

“I don’t think their No. 1 power key forward … is on their list who is going to lead them to their next premiership.

“Sydney have had a big history of big, glamour key forwards. They’ve had Plugger (Tony Lockett), Barry Hall and Lance Franklin. So they need to go out and get someone if they want to capatlise on these players in their prime.”

Brown said Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was an option, while also throwing up Gold Coast’s Ben King – who leads the Coleman Medal race this year.

“Ben King comes out of contract next year. Make a big splash. Go after someone,” he said.

Jonathan Brown believes Sydney needs to target a gun key forward like Ben King. Picture: Getty Images

Time for Dockers to drop Darcy?

Agenda Setters

Fremantle’s woes are growing around long-term signing Sean Darcy, who was made to look “second rate” against Collingwood last week.

Darcy played 34 of a possible 65 minutes during the first half againsty the Magpies for a return of 12 hitouts (four to advantage), five disposals and two clearances.

The 26-year-old, who is contracted until 2030, was subbed out during the third quarter with a knee injury.

“He’s either not fit or he’s not at the level at the moment because he was lumbering,” St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt said.

“He’s going to ground, he’s getting pushed off the ball easily. Mason Cox made him look second rate.“

There have been calls in Perth for Darcy to have a stint in the WAFL given his recent form.

Originally published as Monday TV Recap: Damien Hardwick’s left-field fixture plan, why clubs shouldn’t ‘give up’ on Jamarra Ugle-Hagan