By Marnie Vinall, Marc McGowan and Andrew Wu
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news
- No September ghosts for Carlton’s Charlie Curnow
- Brisbane Lions cop hefty fine for breaching AFLW concussion guidelines
- Young Bulldog Sanders poised for round one debut
Top Blue Curnow ready to launch into 2024
Marnie Vinall
Star Carlton forward Charlie Curnow isn’t haunted by last year’s three-goal finals campaign, saying he’s ready to attack the new season after being elevated to a vice-captain role.
The reigning, back-to-back Coleman medallist failed to spark in September after helping the Blues reach their first finals campaign in 10 years. But there are lessons in that, and he wants to go again.
Carlton gun Charlie Curnow.Credit: Eddie Jim
“The final series was a different ball game and I didn’t perform as well as what I’d like to in the end. But that’s probably the way, the nature of our game – I get to have another crack at it this year.
“It is a team game. So, I’m looking forward to playing with our forward line as a unit, and attack hopefully another finals series.”
The 27-year-old spearhead is one of three vice-captains for the Blues in 2024, joining Sam Walsh and Jacob Weitering under skipper Patrick Cripps.
Curnow’s brother, Ed, who retired at the end of last season, was in the leadership group for the club for four years between 2016 and 2020 and Curnow joked he’s slotting in as a replacement.
“I get to give energy [to the group] because they give you so much energy, and as a group, we have a lot of fun but then we know when to crack in and have a serious, serious, serious time, obviously, with football,” Curnow said.
“When we enter that football field, I know they’ve got my back and that’s the greatest part about playing a team sport.
“Ed played like that for a long time and it was funny, he was on his way out and I took his position.”
Curnow said while getting the gong as the competition’s leading goalkicker was nice, he’d rather stop Collingwood from going back-to-back than win a third straight Coleman Medal.
“I mean, that’s sort of nice [back-to-back Colemans] but in the end, each season it comes to an end and you’re not satisfied without that end goal of what Collingwood got to taste last year.”
Carlton celebrate a goal during their semi-final win over Melbourne in the 2023 finals.Credit: Getty
Carlton charged to a preliminary final appearance against the Brisbane Lions where they bolted out of the gates with five goals in the opening quarter. But they could only manage four goals over the next three quarters, and Curnow kicked just one major.
Despite falling short of the premiership, it was the end note to a deep run in finals that seemed unthinkable midway through the season. And that’s something to salute, said Cripps, who hopes they’ll keep that momentum going into this year.
“The middle part of the year to where we got to, you got to celebrate that ... Sometimes you’re always looking at what’s next, but we’re trying to really celebrate the growth we had as a group,” said Cripps.
“But honestly, when you do lose and you don’t get your end goal, there still is that determination to go a few steps further ... We go into this year, we know what we’re about and what makes us a good side and how we’re going to structure up our week. So, it gives us the platform now to attack it and we feel like we worked that out mid last year.
“If you look at the ladder now, it’s all an even playing field, so hoping we can start like we finished last year, get on a run.”
Lions fined over AFLW grand final concussion breach
Marc McGowan
Brisbane Lions have copped a $20,000 fine – half of which is suspended – for breaching the AFLW concussion guidelines in last year’s grand final.
The AFL ruled the Lions’ breach, relating to the management of Sophie Conway in the December 3 match, was not deliberate, but the club still broke protocols.
Conway did not sustain a concussion but Brisbane failed to follow the correct process after an AFL concussion medical spotter alerted them to an incident where she displayed “motor incoordination”.
The sanction will be included in the club’s AFLW soft cap.
The Lions will not have to pay the remaining $10,000 unless there is a similar breach in their AFL or AFLW program in the 2024 season.
Brisbane’s Sophie Conway after the AFLW premiership triumph.Credit: Getty Images
Concussion has become one of the biggest issues in the sport, with related class actions seeking collective damages up to $1 billion.
Club doctors must immediately remove a player and assess them, including conducting a SCAT5, once a concussion spotter, located in the AFL review centre (ARC), alerts them to an incident.
In this case, the Brisbane doctor did not see the message until three-quarter time after the alert was sent with about three minutes left in the third term.
The AFL said the doctor undertook “some” assessment of Conway once he saw the message, with the player saying she lost balance due to physical exhaustion rather than after any contact.
Conway returned to the field for the start of the fourth quarter and played “the first few minutes” without undergoing a SCAT5 while the doctor reviewed video footage.
The 24-year-old winger returned to the bench for a SCAT5 that did not identify any symptoms, deficits or abnormalities, after which she was allowed to play the final minutes of the game.
The AFL’s general counsel Stephen Meade said the league was committed to protecting the health and safety of players and that this required strict compliance of concussion guidelines.
“Whilst we acknowledge that Brisbane’s breach was not deliberate, and Conway did not, in fact, suffer a concussion; we set high standards that must be met in the assessment of head trauma to avoid the risk of further injury,” Meade said.
Dogs young gun in line for round one debut
Andrew Wu
Boom Western Bulldogs youngster Ryley Sanders is poised to break into the club’s midfield for round one after turning heads over the summer.
Selected with pick No.6 in last year’s draft, Sanders has impressed the Dogs coaches in his first pre-season – to the point he will start the season proper in the team if he can transfer his form on the track into the practice games.
Ryley Sanders is a big chance to play in round one.Credit: Justin McManus
A season-ending knee injury to Bailey Smith and a minor hamstring issue to three-time All-Australian Jack Macrae have opened up spots in the Dogs’ midfield.
A contested beast as a junior with a beautiful kick, Sanders can play as an inside and outside midfielder.
Dogs coach Luke Beveridge is not afraid of getting youngsters that he rates into the team, even if they appear shock selections from the outside.
Former cricketer James O’Donnell was playing senior footy just weeks after being signed as a category B rookie.
Beveridge tinkered with the Dogs midfield last year, giving gun half-back Caleb Daniel more time in the guts at the expense of centre square regular Macrae.
Sanders, 19, has impressed the Dogs with his professionalism and transition into senior ranks from junior football.
“His first session, he’s come in and straight in the midfield, I reckon he would have had about 20 touches in about 15 minutes,” Dogs defender Bailey Dale said, as the club marked 10 years of their Sons of the West program which focuses on men’s mental health and wellbeing in the west.
“He’s just got so much power. He’s a good user of the footy, and he’s going to really add to our blend in the midfield.
“I think he’s putting his best foot forward. There’s plenty of spots up for grabs this early part of the season, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he’s in our starting line-up.
“He’s just going to grow every game he plays this year. I think he’s going to play a fair few.”
Macrae did not train with the main group as he recovers from hamstring awareness but is expected to be available for the Dogs’ first practice against Hawthorn on February 23.
Draftee Aiden O’Driscoll, defender Alex Keath and father-son recruit Jordan Croft were among a small group of Dogs players who did not take part in match simulation. The Dogs start their campaign in round one against Melbourne.
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.