John Longmire has stepped down as coach of the Sydney Swans. One Grand Final win in 2012 followed by four Grand Final defeats over the next 12 years, three of them thumpings.
Dean Cox replaces him.
makes a lot more sense now too why Dean Cox never even flinched when the Eagles job came up.
Adam Hunter committed suicide today. A premiership winner with the Eagles in 2006. It comes less than 24 hours after Troy Selwood, the lesser known of the 4 Selwood brothers who all played AFL level, also committed suicide. Cam McCarthy last year. Shane Yarran, Shane Tuck, Danny Frawley in years gone by. I dont know if its an AFL issue (CTE or similar issues), or is it a mental health/young male issue. But desperately sad to see. Everyone then says there needs to be more done and that men need to be able to talk more.
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From what I can make out from the reporting it looks like Hunter didn’t commit suicide and that it’s yet another tale of woe regarding drugs with Eagles (former) players.
The point in general stands. I’d be surprised if there wasn’t a CTE issue with some players in AFL given the nature of the sport but I’d wager it’s more common even in NRL - smaller pitch, less players on the field, more collisions.
Men “talking” is apparently “woke” now though so people trying to get men to talk have had the job made harder for them and it’ll be harder again if Australia elect their own neanderthal right wing fuckwit in Peter Dutton this year.
AFL pays alright these days but the vast, vast majority of players are not set up for life or anything like it, and some will be quite hard up. But it’s the premier sporting competition in Australia and requires that commitment and to have to go back into normal life having fallen behind in other areas because you’ve dedicated your life to footy must be bloody hard. It’s why I’d never really begrudge top level footballers the money they make now even if some of the wages sometimes seem a bit obscene.
I find Aussies worse for the whole hard man act too and any bit of concession of mental health is an admission of being soft. I do know that draftees are encouraged and offered free college courses whilst in clubs, but many young players joining just see the bright lights of stardom so dont plan for after. AFL isnt a massively lucrative paying job for the vast majority who play, rookies and lower ranked players wouldnt get much more than a well paid “normal” job. So its not a wage to set you up for life. But you go through all the media shite and stardom and problems that go with that for not much more.
Anyway, dark cloud over the early part of the season.
In lighter news, Zach seems to be going well in the jungle from what bit of social media i see about him in there
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Season 2025 starts tomorrow, well actually scratch that, it was supposed to start tomorrow, but Brisbane v Geelong is OFF due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Sydney v Hawthorn on Friday will open the season.
Ladder predictions:
1 Fremantle
The Fremantle Doctor will blow hard. I can feel it. Shai Bolton is a great signing.
2 Geelong - they have consolidated, the retiring veterans were gone from the team by the end of last season anyway. Bailey Smith from the Bulldogs will add more cutting edge.
3 Hawthorn
They had a great run last season when people weren’t paying attention, but they started paying attention, and now all attention is on them, not least because they had a great trade period, bringing in Josh Battle from St Kilda and Tom Barrass from West Coast. Will be strong, whether they become the monster they threaten to be, only time will tell.
4 Carlton
Now or never for this list. They have to deliver this year.
5 Adelaide
I thinnk they’ll be a surprise package. Very competitive against the best last year, but not consistent. Have had a good trade period.
6 GWS
Will be there or thereabouts in September, but might have to come from outside the top four.
7 Footscray
Have a very good list, but is Luke Beveridge the man to get the best out of it?
8 Collingwood
Dan Houston from Port Adelaide a big addition to the defence. Not sure they have enough to be real contenders though. Might just make the 8 this time.
9 Gold Coast
Great at home, but they completely maxed out their home form last year, they were flawless, and it still wasn’t enough. But can they find a way to win away? At all? Live contenders for the 8, but I take them to just miss out again.
10 Sydney
New coach, but as bad a stench from a Grand Final loss as I can think of. Hangover time.
11 Brisbane
Hangover time for the reigning Premiers. Joe Daniher was more than just one player, he was the reference point in all aspects. They had a hangover last year too, and at one point looked well out of the finals race before finishing like a train, but they’ll find it harder this time having won it all.
12 Port Adelaide
Surely Ken Hinkley is out of time.
13 Melbourne
The stench of the Christian Petracca injury and want away saga has poisoned the club. They’re on the way down.
14 North Melbourne
Might improve a bit this year, there were embryonic signs of life last year, they have a young list, and Luke Parker from Sydney adds much needed experience on a short term basis.
15 West Coast
Ho hum. Harley Reid might lead them to a few wins under a new coach.
16 St. Kilda
Going nowhere.
17 Essendon
They were a fake last year. They know it now.
18 Richmond
The cupboard is bare, bare, bare. Will do well to win a game.
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This is a smashing season opener. Sydney 65 Hawthorn 67 halfway through Q3. Swans have all but wiped out a 27 point Hawks lead in the last eight minutes.
Didnt know that, thats mad. Guy was a mainstay on telly after his career. Seemed an affable sort, well liked. Can strike anyone i suppose
He committed suicide by car.
I saw him play live three times in the 1987 Compromise Rules series at Croke Park.
His nickname was Spud.
An absolute mainstay of late 1980s/early 1990s Saturday morning Channel 4 with Tony Plugger Lockett up front for that St. Kilda team.
The coronial investigation established that Mr Frawley had a history of mental health issues and in the period immediately preceding his death had experienced personal and professional stressors and an exacerbation of the anxiety and depression he had been suffering for five years.
A post-mortem analysis of Mr Frawley’s brain by the Australian Sports Brain Bank (ASBB) found he was suffering from low stage (Stage II of IV) chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a form of brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head. CTE, which can only be diagnosed after death, is associated with mood and behavioural changes and occasionally cognitive and memory impairment.
Mr Frawley played 240 AFL games between 1984 to 1995 and was captain of the St Kilda Football Club for nine seasons. During his career, he sustained approximately 20 concussions, including losing consciousness, severe headaches and vision problems.
Hawthorn won by 21 points, 75-96. They are a monster alright and the team everybody has to beat this year.
Sydney needed a big home win first up, I see them going into an early season slump from which they’re playing catch up all year.
If Carlton lose to Richmond after being 41 points ahead you can stick a fork in them for the entire year and Michael Voss might as well resign now.
Richmond lead 63-58 with 17 minutes left.
Carlton were 1/18 to win this game.
By God. Richmond DEFEAT Carlton and they’re doing literal cartwheels and somersaults at the MCG.
82-69 with 38 seconds left.
Michael Voss’s body language on the sideline was reminiscent of Henry Shefflin with Galway, and Mr. Bean.
Robbie Keane eat your heart out, this is how to volley a goal and somersault.
Dayne Zorko as good as ever at 36 years of age with three brilliant goals as Brisbane win 86-82 away to the Sydney Swans in the Grand Final rematch. Swans now 0-2 with two defeats at the SCG.
Could be a long (or possibly very short) final year for Ken Hinkley with Port Adelaide as they shipped a whopping 91 point defeat to Collingwood.
My table toppers Freo were nearly as bad, losing by 78 to Geelong.
63 point win for my surprise packets Adelaide today. The Crows are singing sweetly.
A long year awaits for the Eagles @Gman with a 49-136 home thumping by the Gold Coast Suns, who won one (1) away game in all of last year.
The evidence of the opening round (and that ridiculous Round 0 which consisted of two games) would suggest they are favourites for the wooden spoon. Carlton might yet have something to say on that though.
Eagles were putrid. They played for a spell in the 4th, but bar that, looked totally inept and as you say, in for a long, long season.
The Hawthorn juggernaut rolls on. 2/5 on them to beat Carlton was utterly free money I refused because I’m a mug.
It’s early, but a Hawthorn-Geelong Grand Final like 1989 looks nailed on.
All square in the 4th here between the pies and dogs. a war of attrition type game.
Collingwood 76 Footscray 70. Steele Sidebottom was unreal in the last few minutes of that.
Things that are right: A ding donger involving Collingwood on a Friday night at the MCG.