AFL mid-season draft 2025: Live updates and every pick as it happens
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Originally published as AFL mid-season draft 2025: Live updates and every pick as it happens
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ABC News
10 minutes ago
- ABC News
Australian rugby looks for pride and soul in the mud and the rain of a Lions dead rubber
Before the final Test of the Lions tour a cynic might suggest it doesn't matter how this chapter in Australian rugby ends, given the ultimate result was decided a week ago, but when the end is all that's left it matters a great deal. The easy cliché for a dead rubber is to say the side down 2-0 is playing for pride but Australian rugby could use a little pride and the Wallabies fought hard for it in their 22-12 win on Saturday night. As the rain fell so heavy on Stadium Australia the place rattled as though it had an old tin roof, the atmosphere before the match felt like the final day of school before the summer holidays. The last battle wasn't over but the war had been won and you could sense just how long a tour it's been for everyone. The wind and the rain kept the red and gold masses huddled close. A few Lions fans made a show of wearing shorts in defiance of the conditions, walking around with chests out and fine spirits and given the series was wrapped up, it's hard to begrudge them a little peacocking. "Is this what you Aussies call cold? Is this what you call winter?" one asked with a beer in each hand and two more half-finished ones in his jacket pockets, as another man strode past one of the precinct's few pubs blasting a tune on the bagpipes. The stakes on the field still felt high to the last, even accounting for the Lions' earlier victories in Brisbane and Perth, and there were heroes to be found all through the mud and the grime. In his final Test match Nic White marshalled and fought and chipped like Snidely Whiplash if he knew how to box kick and the retiring halfback deserved the standing ovation he received on exit. Taniela Tupou, whose best football has been so hard to come by in recent times, played with a spirit that was clear from the moment the tears fell from his eyes during the national anthem and Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i, of whom so much is always expected and demanded, had his best game of the series. Will Skelton was as powerful as the lightning that forced the delay in the second half and man of the match Tom Hooper would have fought a starving dog for the last bone if that's what it took to win. It was not the highest-quality Test of the series, but it was the meanest and the Lions were not poor, but they weren't as sharp as they'd been in Brisbane and Melbourne. That's to be expected — as dearly as they wanted the clean-sweep, that motivation pales in comparison to the Wallabies' fear of being swept which, properly channelled, is as powerful a force as exists in sport. But to the Wallabies' credit they didn't win on desperation alone — they were smarter than they were in the first two Tests, and steadier with the lead. There's a slight bitter aftertaste to the win, because if Australia played like that the whole way through — and especially if they had Skelton for all three Tests — so many things could have been different but what's already happened can't change and all the Wallabies have now is the future. What that future looks like is harder to parse. This win will not save Australian rugby, just like the series defeat will not condemn it. Australian rugby's glory days were never going to come again based on the result of one game, or one series or one moment of brilliance or brutality. The game's weaknesses are too complex and deep-seated to vanish overnight. But by the same token, losing one game, or one series, even one as big as this Lions tour has felt, will never be enough to condemn the sport. Even after the difficult decade it's endured there are too many diehards, too much love for the game at a grassroots and community level for that to happen and that's come to the fore at all three Tests where the crowd has been thick with local club jerseys on children and adults alike. What this series has done is make rugby feel prominent and important in Australia's crowded sporting scene again. It has made the game vital in a way it hasn't been in years and the sense of occasion has been enormous. People were invested. Pubs and stadiums were filled, as were column word counts and television segments and podcast hours. It's reactivated old fans, who remember the glorious times, and in a world addicted to nostalgia that's a powerful force. It might inspire a few new ones as well, which can still happen in defeat — just ask Max Jorgensen, one of rugby's brightest stars, who might not have been here at all had he not attended the 2015 World Cup final as an 11-year-old. This series and the Wallabies' prospects and performances felt important in a way that cut through the malaise that has too often enveloped the game in recent years. The magnitude of the events over the past three weeks, the sense of panache, would make any young athlete dream of being a part of a series like this. But eventually, the confetti is swept away and the fans wander off into the night in search of one last beer together before it's all over and the wait starts for 2037 and the Stadium Australia precinct grows cold and quiet again. A 2-1 loss can have plenty of upside, but it's still a 2-1 loss and pride alone can't run a game forever. There are silver linings to be found, not manna from heaven — but silver can still take you a long way. Australian rugby needed that win in Sydney but not as badly as it needed this as a whole experience to both fill the coffers and win a few hearts and minds. It's done plenty of the former, perhaps some of the latter and while the Lions series can't be a miracle cure it can be a shot in the arm. That sense of vitality that has been so present through this tour must be found again wherever it can be. A Lions tour serves it up on a platter but forging it anew is far harder. How that can be done remains to be seen but winning and looking good doing it in a way that felt true and real and red-blooded, will go a long way towards that goal. You can't manufacture this kind of prestige, but you can make the most of what you've got until you get a little bit more and this game was proof that the Wallabies have plenty about them. With a Rugby Championship and a spring tour to come this year and a home World Cup on the horizon, there will be no shortage of chances to use it. Australian rugby needs more of the soul it found in Sydney amid the rain and the blood and the joy. To do that it needs to keep some of the spotlight the Wallabies have found. It won't be as bright, not until the World Cup, but it can still light the way. A dead rubber is only a dead rubber, but this one showed there was talent in this side and great spirit, enough to be dangerous and dashing and exciting, enough to feel a future filled with brilliant tomorrows is possible. Given the doom and gloom that's enveloped the sport for so long, that's worth plenty and while this Test was the end of something, it can be the start of something else.
ABC News
40 minutes ago
- ABC News
Five quick hits: Wallabies vs British and Irish Lions, third Test from Stadium Australia
The Wallabies have achieved just their seventh Test win over the British and Irish Lions, in a match that finished well beyond its listed time. Lightning stopped a gripping Test match that was physically demanding, and had the biggest and smallest players unafraid to muscle up. Here are the five quick hits from Stadium Australia. Any fears the Wallabies were going to come out of the sheds flat for the third Test, scarred by the heartbreak of last week, were extinguished in the opening minutes. Desperate for a fast start, Australia chanced its arm, showing little regard for the wet and miserable conditions. The up-tempo style of play was working for the Wallabies, who earned a five-metre scrum after driving Lions winger Tommy Freeman into his own in-goal. The Wallabies scrum, put under pressure in Melbourne, held firm at the first time of asking in Sydney. The Wallabies were patient on the Lions' goal line, hammering the defence with runs from the big forwards. When the moment was right, Nic White spun the ball out to the left. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii held the ball as long as he dared, drawing in two defenders, before passing to an unmarked Dylan Pietsch on the wing. With cover defence scampering across, Pietsch held his nerve and scored well, diving for the line and showing terrific ball control despite the conditions. Wallabies scrum half Nic White was allowed to have a farewell Test against rugby's most special team. But the number nine had no interest in exiting Test rugby quietly. White was in the thick of the action from the early moments, being the focal point of two melees. The first came in the 22nd minute when White chose to pick a fight with Lions hooker Dan Sheehan. That skirmish set off a chain reaction, with three spot fires emerging. White was the focus of Lion-fury in the 43rd minute, when Tadhg Beirne took exception to a shove from White. That led to more melees on the pitch, as medics came to the aid of Lions lock James Ryan, left motionless on the ground after copping an accidental knee from Will Skelton. James Ryan's injury early in the second half paused the match for several minutes. But while there was concern for the Irishman on the ground, another problem was forming in the skies. The players and officials walked off with the medical cart, as lightning around Homebush forced play to be suspended. Fans in the first 19 rows of the lower tier were encouraged to seek shelter in the concourse, while the players and coaching staff were thrown into the unknown. Fans around Stadium Australia remained upbeat during the near-45-minute delay, while some took it too far and ran onto the field. Four times, security was forced to enter a paying surface deemed unsafe because of lightning, just to escort patrons who wanted 15 seconds of notoriety from anyone who was watching. How the teams handled the break was different once the match had a restart time. The Wallabies were on the pitch 10 minutes before the resumption, going through warm-ups. The Lions, however, did not emerge from the sheds until five minutes before play resumed. That five-minute difference likely had little impact on the outcome, but served as an interesting point about how each side handled the same problem. The opening minutes of the second half saw Test rugby at its best. Coming off a 45-minute delay for lightning, the Wallabies and Lions waged a battle in the middle of the field. With the Wallabies lead just eight points, whoever could score first in the second half was going to have a tremendous chance of winning. Fortunately for Australia, the Lions blinked first. Trying to pass quickly down the left flank, the Lions were unable to handle the wet ball that went to ground. The ball popped into the arms of Max Jorgensen, who latched onto the footy like it was his most cherished possession. Once he had the ball in his arms, Jorgensen made the Lions pay. He broke one tackle and then was sprinting down the sideline, never to be caught. His try gave the Wallabies a 15-point lead and had Australian fans believing in a win. It was the second time in this series that Jorgensen's brilliance caught the Lions off guard. The winger scored Australia's opening try in the first Test, snatching a ball out of the air and sprinting away for the score. That try gave Australians hope in the first Test, and his try in Sydney put the Wallabies on the cusp of victory. Queensland Reds player Tate McDermott came off the bench in all three Tests, but was one of the Wallabies' best in the series. His introduction into the first Test sparked the Wallabies' fightback. He held his own for 60 minutes in Melbourne as a makeshift winger, after Harry Potter succumbed to a hamstring injury. With the match on the line in Sydney, it was McDermott again who made his presence felt. Jac Morgan's try in the 62nd minute reduced the Wallabies' lead back to eight points, hoping to spark another comeback like they did seven days earlier. But the Wallabies were not going to let another potential win slip through their grasp. Camped on the Lions' goal line for five minutes, the Wallabies battled and toiled against a dogged defence. Repeated infringements led to the Lions being reduced to 14- men when reserve hooker Ronan Kelleher was sent to the sin bin in the 69th minute. Two attempted driving mauls had been stopped. More than 10 drives from around the breakdown had been repelled. But amid the big forwards hammering away, it was one of the smallest men on the pitch to break through. McDertmott saw tired defenders next to the breakdown, so darted from the back and ducked under their arms. The scrum half then reached out and slammed the ball on the ground, sending the large contingent of Wallabies fans into hysteria. The Wallabies had a 15-point lead again and they were not going to give it up. History had been achieved for a side so often written off.
The Age
4 hours ago
- The Age
A mid-season competition: Footy's next frontier, or AFLX 2.0?
Senior figures at league headquarters have privately conceded in recent weeks that they may have jumped too quickly at fixturing Thursday nights every week. They are considering scaling back in 2026. The cause of the angst created by a glut of dud Thursday and Friday night matches can be traced way back to March and an event not even the all-powerful AFL could control. As AFL boss Andrew Dillon approached the league's season launch at Sydney's Luna Park, he wasn't just dealing with a fixture storm. It was an actual storm. A cyclone, actually. Cyclone Alfred. Brisbane's season-opener against Geelong had to be called off. Hours earlier, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli had detailed the crisis plans he has for his state ahead of the predicted wild and wet weather. Two days later, the league announced Gold Coast's clash with Essendon would be moved to the end of the season. It was a decision that raised eyebrows across the competition. Was it better for Gold Coast and Essendon players because it allowed them to keep their mid-season bye? Yes. Was it an unnecessary risk given how it could compromise the latter stages of the fixture? Also yes. Loading 'When looking at the rescheduling of these matches we had a focus on having the least amount of disruption on the competition, ensuring that all clubs still have a mid-season bye and managing travel arrangements across the season – particularly for the four impacted clubs,' Dillon said on March 6. Dillon, who is seen as more consultative than his ruthless predecessor Gillon McLachlan, allowed the Bombers and the Suns to take part in the discussion about when their game should be played. Fast-forward five months and Essendon have had a disastrous season, as an injury crisis unfolded that resulted in a record 14 debutants at a club already struggling to overcome years of stunted development. And yet the Bombers continued to be given prime-time slots. Dillon tried to argue this week that Essendon was in solid enough form when the floating fixture was locked in. That's not untrue. But the bit he left out was that fixture gurus were hamstrung by a decision they made five months earlier. Essendon will play Friday night against Geelong in round 22, on a Thursday night against St Kilda in round 22 and a Thursday night against Carlton in round 24 (which is yet to be officially announced). That's designed to allow the Bombers to prepare for a final game against Gold Coast on Wednesday, August 27, after round 24 and before the pre-finals bye. Essendon fans could be forgiven for switching off, if they haven't already. Add to this a succession of lopsided matches - round 20 featured the fifth-biggest aggregate this century – and the fact that only one finals spot has realistically been up for grabs since mid-July, and the atmosphere of concern at AFL House is understandable. To be fair, 13 teams were still in the contention at the same stage last year, and few could have foreseen that another powerhouse club, Carlton, would join the Bombers and Richmond in the bottom rungs of the ladder. The view from clubland The revelation by this masthead last month that the AFL is considering a secondary tournament during the season has been met with scepticism among clubs. This masthead has canvassed eight club presidents, chief executives and football bosses, most of whom have expressed reservations about the merits of a mid-season competition. The scepticism is fuelled partly by the lack of clear detail about the concept, which, according to one figure present at the July meeting of club CEOs where it was tabled, was discussed for no more than five minutes. Though some have welcomed the idea of creating more 'winning moments' and applauded the AFL for being open to change, there are concerns over the impact it could have on the premiership season. While there is an appetite for innovation inside AFL headquarters, one club president likened the idea to a widely ridiculed format trialled by the league in 2018-19. 'This might be the modern-day AFLX,' the club president said, referring to the novelty competition that is best remembered by fans for the garish promotional image featuring former league boss Gillon McLachlan accompanied by a parachutist, circus acrobats and a football-shaped mascot. But AFL executives are seriously discussing an in-season competition. How would it work? The concept is very much at 'ideation stage', according to sources in the industry, as evident in the wide range of ideas put forward. The competition could be part of the regular home and away season, be completely separate and spread across the season over, say, three rounds or be played in a concentrated block. A knockout FA Cup-style competition was also put forward. One suggestion was for the games to be played à la Gather Round in the one region or across multiple states with more than one trophy available. The winner of the matches played in Queensland, for example, could take home the Sunshine Bowl. The idea of matches being played in the Northern Territory, New Zealand and even the US are all up for discussion, according to a source present at the meeting. The league's broadcast partners, Seven and Foxtel, are not across the details either, but Fox has expressed its willingness to explore new ideas. 'Post-season, we will work with the AFL and consider any innovations they put forward to grow the game,' a Foxtel spokesperson said. Is a mid-season prize worth winning? There is only one trophy that matters – the premiership cup – and changing this deeply ingrained belief requires plenty of thought. Just as they did with the demise of State of Origin in the 1990s and the pre-season tournament that was disbanded in 2013 after being a major hit in the 1990s and early 2000s, clubs hold the key to whether a competition or concept will succeed. As history has shown, for it to be accepted by the fans, the best players need to play, but clubs won't field their stars to win a Mickey Mouse tournament if it jeopardises their premiership bid. Would Collingwood risk veterans Scott Pendlebury or Steele Sidebottom in a secondary comp? Would Dusty Martin or Buddy Franklin really come out of retirement to play in it? A golden ticket into September has also been floated. However, as several figures have noted, this would undermine the integrity of the home and away season. Other potential prizes include a single premiership point, which could be of huge value to clubs with inferior percentages, draft picks and soft cap releases, though there was a feeling among club chiefs the latter two would not be a sufficient carrot. Loading 'It would be taken more seriously if you were guaranteed finals,' a club president said. 'That becomes valuable, you can lock it away. If that came at the expense of someone above them, then you can imagine the hue and cry. Other than that, I can't see clubs treating it really seriously.' Club leaders are more open to a finals wildcard round, and the AFL's new football boss Greg Swann said this week the league would consider that option upon Tasmania's entry. This would essentially create a top 10 in a 19-team competition.
