By Andrew Wu and Danny Russell
In today’s AFL briefing:
- Michael Voss is turning to youth, as he declared his coaching future was the least of his concerns
- ‘Collingwood would tear the place down’: Damien Hardwick’s anger at AFL
- SCG curator Adam Lewis will front up on Friday to assure the football public his oval’s surface is fit to host the Swans v Fremantle match
Carlton have swung the axe, dropping four players as part of six changes for their grudge match with fierce rival Collingwood as they look to salvage something from their troubled campaign.
Jordan Boyd, Alex Cincotta, Billy Wilson and Lewis Young have all been dropped for Friday night’s clash with the Magpies, while Adam Saad and Jack Silvagni will also miss through injury.
Earlier on Thursday, Blues coach Michael Voss declared his coaching future was the least of his concerns while foreshadowing a push to youth in his side’s run home.
In his first public appearance since club president Robert Priestley pledged no decision would be made on the coach until after the campaign, Voss laid down his aims for the remainder of the year, saying the season was still live.
Carlton coach Michael Voss watches on during a training session.Credit: Getty Images
The spotlight will again be on the beleaguered Blues this week when they tackle premiership favourites Collingwood in front of a likely crowd of 70,000-plus and a prime-time national TV audience.
Though finals are all but out of reach, the pressure will be on the Blues to turn in an improved performance after horror losses to North Melbourne and Port Adelaide, which have placed Voss’ future on the agenda.
The club had its walls sprayed with graffiti calling for the sacking of the board, football boss Brad Lloyd and list manager Nick Austin, but the retention of Voss in the hours after the loss to the Power.
The Blues announced earlier in the week they had brought forward Graham Wright’s start date as chief executive, paving the way for him to make key calls on the future of the football department.
“I think what we’ve always been is pretty aligned with where we need to go,” Voss said.
“It’s probably the least of the things that I’m thinking about at the moment.
“It’s more about probably the care for our people and we’ve got a job to do and it’s been fairly eyes in. I also know that that sort of connection and alignment will help us.”
Defender Boyd was not at the Blues’ captain’s run on Thursday, along with injured backmen Silvagni and Saad.
Defender Lachie Cowan, 20, and teenagers Harry O’Farrell and Matt Carroll have been recalled, along with second-season forward Ashton Moir, Francis Evans, and experienced ruckman Marc Pittonet.
Young Blue Lachie Cowan has been recalled.Credit: Getty Images
Their inclusions have freshened up a 23 that was the oldest team the Blues have fielded since 1944.
“For us, it’s now we get on with business and it’s about performance and how we start to turn the form on the field around,” Voss said.
“And there’s exciting things to look forward to. We’ve got some youth that that will be playing. Some big games over the last seven, eight weeks of the season. We want to energise that.
“What’s really important to us is that we connect into our supporters. They are very important to us.
“We understand that there’s a there’s a style of football that we want to play that they can be proud of and we can be proud of and that they can connect to and we’re all in this together.”
Voss said there was still plenty for the Blues to play for in the final eight rounds of the season.
“I think it’s to be stated that for us this season’s live, there’s a lot to get out of this year,” Voss said.
“There’s nothing parked here. There’s nothing to say, there’s nothing to protect. And we’re going after it.”
‘Collingwood would tear the place down’: Hardwick’s anger at AFL
AAP
Frustrated Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick is warning the AFL to “look out” if Suns star Matt Rowell is banned under changes to umpire contact penalties.
Hardwick is seething that Rowell is among a batch of AFL players facing a possible suspension if he makes contact with an umpire again.
The Suns’ prime mover has already been fined four times in a two-year span for careless contact with an umpire.
Under a rule change announced this week by the AFL, any player who makes careless contact with an umpire four or more times in a two-year period faces being sent to the tribunal and a possible ban.
Hardwick savaged the “frustrating” late-season change.
Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell could be banned if he makes contact with an umpire again.Credit: Getty Images
“If it leads to a suspension, look out from our point of view,” Hardwick told reporters on Thursday.
“I know we’re the Gold Coast Suns. And don’t get me wrong, Matt Rowell is a superstar. But if this was spoken about with Nick Daicos, Collingwood would tear the place down.
“Let’s sit there and understand what we’re talking about here. We can make changes about umpire adjudication, but we’ve been calling out for change to the tribunal for a period of time. Why can we, with the swipe of a pen, change one and not the other?”
The AFL changed the rules after 63 incidents of players making careless contact with umpires this season. All have resulted in a financial sanction.
Damien Hardwick isn’t happy with the AFL’s latest decree.Credit: AFL Photos
Hardwick said most incidents were at centre bounces. “What can you tell me about the centre bounce of the ball?” he said.
“It goes anywhere, so it’s really really hard for the players ... if the ball bounces sideways, they’re going to move.
“Have the AFL spoken to the AFL commission and asked: ‘Can we, for the remainder of the year, take away the centre bounce and throw it up and see if there’s any significant change in the data?’
“Some of those ones against Rowelly, what he’s getting fined for, are quite laughable to be perfectly honest.
“We understand the health and safety of the umpires is important. But I think we can look at speaking to the commission about getting rid of the bounce and throwing it up.”
The AFL said in the entirety of last season, there were 56 incidents of players making careless contact with an umpire, following only 20 such cases in 2023.
Curator to front up over SCG surface
Danny Russell
SCG curator Adam Lewis will front the media on Friday to assure the football public his oval’s surface is fit to host Sunday afternoon’s clash between the Swans and Fremantle.
Lewis met with the AFL, the AFL Player’s Association and the league’s turf expert Bruce Macphee on Tuesday to inspect the turf and give it the all clear.
As a precaution, the Swans agreed not to train at the venue this week to allow the ground extra time to recover.
The slippery surface was heavily criticised after a number of players lost their footing during Sydney’s nine-point loss to the Western Bulldogs last Friday night.
The damage at the Paddington End of the ground was blamed on an Andrea Bocelli concert being held at the SCG on April 3.
The SCG playing surface has come under massive scrutiny after the Swans’ clash with the Western Bulldogs.Credit: AFL Photos
One SCG insider not willing to speak on the record before Friday’s press conference told this masthead the surface was “looking good” even after two days of heavy rain in Sydney and would further improve with expected sunshine.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is backing his players to embrace the challenge and handle whatever the SCG turf throws at them.
“Like I said all along, if the AFL ticks it off, we will play anywhere,” Longmuir said on Thursday.
“Both teams will have to play on the same surface. We’ll embrace it and just get to work.
“We’ve had a fair bit of practice playing at slippery surfaces. Optus Stadium last year wasn’t great, it was a bit slippery. If that’s all it is, we’ll be able to handle it.
“We’ll get a good look at captain’s run, and the players will be well-prepared with their boots.”
Fremantle have won their past two matches at the SCG, including last year’s one-point thriller when Swans forward Logan McDonald failed to score with his 50m after-the-siren set shot.
With AAP
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