Awkward scenes in Simon Goodwin's kitchen, and a power play in the boardroom
It has also raised questions about just how readily and wholeheartedly the Demons' directors are to embrace Steven Smith, the 200-gamer and former Melbourne Cricket Club president who was, in recent years, also sounded out for a position on the AFL Commission.
Melbourne actively pursued Smith after Kate Roffey's departure at the end of the 2024 season. He initially refused, having just retired and in the midst of planning a European sabbatical, but was ultimately convinced to step up, with interim president Green happy to remain in the role until the end of the 2025 season. Smith was elected to the board in December last year.
He returned home about a week and a half ago, just days after Green led a delegation to Simon Goodwin's house on the Monday night after Melbourne's 83-point victory over West Coast to tell him he had been sacked. The expectation was that Smith would take over as soon as the board could ratify the planned leadership handover.
But Green, in a move that has raised eyebrows among Smith's supporters and across the club, said he wanted to remain until December and apparently has the backing of his fellow directors to do so.
This means he wants to remain in charge until after a new coach has been appointed and also help oversee a full-scale review of the Demons' football operation. Despite rumours that have cast doubt over the scheduled presidential handover, Green has told directors he still intends to relinquish the presidency.
He declined to answer questions put to him by this masthead, or to publicly guarantee that he would step down as president. Although the expectation remains that he will do so, no one in a position of authority at Melbourne was prepared to publicly guarantee the handover this week. Smith, who was back at the footy last Sunday for the Demons' clash with the Western Bulldogs, did not return calls.
Green has bristled on several occasions during this season when he has been introduced or described as Melbourne's interim president, and certainly he has relished the leadership role, with the Melbourne board largely running the club all season in the absence of a permanent chief executive.
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Trump urges Ukraine deal as Europe backs Zelenskiy
European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia. European leaders will join with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a key meeting with President Donald Trump after the US president's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed she will travel to Washington with other European leaders for the gathering at the White House on Monday. Among those making the trip will be French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni along with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. The European leaders were also meeting with Zelenskiy on Sunday as part of the Coalition of the Willing. The show of support comes after Trump said Ukraine should make a deal to end the war with Russia because "Russia is a very big power, and they're not". After the Alaskan meeting, Trump told Zelenskiy the Russian president had offered to freeze most front lines if Kyiv ceded all of Donetsk, the industrial region that is one of Moscow's main targets, a source familiar with the matter said. Zelenskiy rejected the demand, the source said. Russia already controls a fifth of Ukraine, including about three-quarters of Donetsk province, which it first entered in 2014. Trump also said he agreed with Putin that a peace deal should be sought without the prior ceasefire that Ukraine and its European allies had demanded. That was a change from his position before the summit, when he said would not be happy unless a ceasefire was agreed on. "It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up," Trump posted on Truth Social. Zelenskiy said Russia's unwillingness to pause the fighting would complicate efforts to forge a lasting peace. "We see that Russia rebuffs numerous calls for a ceasefire and has not yet determined when it will stop the killing," he said on social media. "This complicates the situation. "If they lack the will to carry out a simple order to stop the strikes, it may take a lot of effort to get Russia to have the will to implement far greater - peaceful coexistence with its neighbours for decades. "But together we are working for peace and security. Stopping the killing is a key element of stopping the war." Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said he would meet Trump on Monday. That will evoke memories of a meeting in the White House Oval Office in February, where Trump and Vice President JD Vance gave Zelenskiy a brutal public dressing-down. Trump said a three-way meeting with Putin and Zelenskiy could follow. Kyiv's European allies welcomed Trump's efforts but vowed to back Ukraine and tighten sanctions on Russia. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has been gradually advancing for months. The war - the deadliest in Europe for 80 years - has killed or wounded well over a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts. At the Alaskan meeting, Putin signalled no movement in Russia's long-held demands, which also include a veto on Kyiv's desired membership in the NATO alliance. In a TV interview Trump signalled that he and Putin had discussed land transfers and security guarantees for Ukraine, and had "largely agreed". "I think we're pretty close to a deal," he said, adding: "Ukraine has to agree to it. Maybe they'll say 'no'." Asked what he would advise Zelenskiy to do, Trump said: "Gotta make a deal." "Look, Russia is a very big power, and they're not," he added. Zelenskiy has consistently said he cannot concede territory without changes to Ukraine's constitution, and Kyiv sees Donetsk's "fortress cities" such as Sloviansk and Kramatorsk as a bulwark against further Russian advances. Zelenskiy has also insisted on security guarantees, to deter Russia from invading again. For Putin, just sitting down with Trump represented a victory. He had been ostracised by Western leaders since the start of the war, and just a week earlier had faced a threat of new sanctions from Trump. Trump spoke to European leaders after returning to Washington. Several stressed the need to keep pressure on Russia.
Sydney Morning Herald
10 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Zelensky says Russian ceasefire refusal ‘complicates' peace efforts
Zelensky spoke with Trump for 90 minutes on Sunday AEST to discuss Russian demands and prepare for new talks while issuing a list of principles for negotiation. 'Killings must stop as soon as possible, the fire must cease both on the battlefield and in the sky, as well as against our port infrastructure,' he said on social media. 'All Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians must be released, and the children abducted by Russia must be returned. 'Thousands of our people remain in captivity – they all must be brought home. Pressure on Russia must be maintained while the aggression and occupation continue.' Loading In a new development that he did not signal in Alaska, Trump spoke to Zelensky about a three-way meeting between the United States, Russia and Ukraine. However, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said there had been no discussion of a three-way summit during the Alaska meeting, according to Russian state media. In a related move, Trump's wife, Melania, wrote a letter to Putin about the plight of children in Ukraine and Russia. White House officials told Reuters of the letter but did not reveal the contents; it was handed to the Russian leader in Anchorage, although the US first lady was not at the summit. 'Sanctions are effective' Trump hailed the meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, as a 'great and successful day' and sought to play down concerns that he did not emerge with a ceasefire agreement. 'It was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up,' he said on social media. A crucial concern in Europe, however, is that the US is not applying sufficient pressure on Putin – for instance, through economic sanctions – while the Russian leader benefits from generous treatment and talks with the American president. Describing sanctions as 'an effective tool', Zelensky said security must be 'guaranteed reliably and in the long term, with the involvement of both Europe and the US'. European leaders welcomed Trump's efforts but stepped up calls for details on security guarantees – a problematic issue given arguments about whether countries would police a ceasefire by putting 'boots on the ground' in Ukraine. 'We are clear that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity,' said a statement from the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland, as well as the European Union. 'No limitations should be placed on Ukraine's armed forces or on its co-operation with third countries. Russia cannot have a veto against Ukraine's pathway to [the] EU and NATO.' Those principles appear certain to be dismissed by Russia, given that Putin strongly opposes any enlargement of NATO near Russian borders. The European leaders have previously said a 'Coalition of the Willing' is ready to play an active role; however, they have yet to set out exactly how that would help maintain a ceasefire or long-term peace deal, although the UK has said it would send peacekeeping troops. Starmer, who convened a meeting of the coalition last Wednesday, emphasised the stated willingness of the US to provide 'robust security guarantees' alongside European nations. 'This is important progress and will be crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more,' he said. 'In the meantime, until he stops his barbaric assault, we will keep tightening the screws on his war machine with even more sanctions.' 'Our unwavering support for Ukraine will continue as long as it takes.' 'Putin won time' Meanwhile, Ukrainian politicians mocked Trump for treating Putin with high honour in Alaska when the Russian leader is considered a war criminal by 120 countries. Loading 'When you repeatedly warn dictators of sanctions but never follow through, they just end up finding it amusing,' wrote Kira Rudik, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and leader of the Golos political party, on social media. 'Putin won time, President Trump got to shake [a] dictator's hand, Ukraine got nothing.' Anger focused on the images of American soldiers kneeling at the Russian leader's aircraft to roll out a red carpet for his meeting with Trump. 'This image of American soldiers kneeling in front of a Russian plane to lay a red carpet for a war criminal should shake Europe awake,' wrote Olena Tregub, the head of a Ukrainian anti-corruption group linked to Transparency International. Russia resumed its barrage of Ukraine on Saturday, launching 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile, Ukraine's Air Force said. Frontline territories in the Sumy, Donetsk, Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions had been targeted in the overnight strikes, the air force said on the Telegram messaging app. It said its air defence units had destroyed 61 of the drones. The Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily morning report that 139 clashes had also taken place on the front line over the previous day. Russia said it had also come under attack, with its defence ministry saying it had shot down 53 Ukrainian drones overnight.
ABC News
11 hours ago
- ABC News
Ash Centra's tricky bounce prompts imitators across the AFL world
Number one draft pick Ash Centra took a stunning mark that led to her first goal with her first kick in AFLW on Thursday night. And a second of pre-game footage has already made her a star across the sport. The rookie was just farting around with the footy in Collingwood's warm-up before their season-opening loss to Carlton at Princes Park when she introduced us all to a brand new move. The 19-year-old scooped up the ball while jogging, threaded it behind her back, and bounced it through her legs while managing to have it hit her perfectly in stride. It was the sort of move that looks impressive when Stephen Curry does it with a basketball on a hardcourt, but seeing someone pull it off so casually with the Sherrin on grass makes you double-take, questioning if your eyes are playing tricks on you. Perhaps it was shameless aura-farming from the Gippsland junior, but the nonchalant manner in which she executed it suggested she's done it a million times before. It was clearly a brand new move to the men's league too, with the blokes battling to emulate it. AFLM superstar Nick Daicos was among her male Magpie counterparts who battled to control it in the sheds: Hawks coach and legendary midfielder Sam Mitchell had a decent crack while standing still, although there were a few fumbles on the cutting room floor by the Hawthorn social crew: The North Melbourne boys gave it a college try before getting camera shy: A few Saints had a go, with mixed results: But perhaps the best cover version goes to Carlton's Ashton Moir. Not only did he do it at jogging pace on grass, including the pick-up off the ground, he added in a lovely checkside goal and did it all in Sambas. You would be risking an all-time bake from your coach if you ever tried it in a game, but at footy ovals all around the country, you'll see adults, kids and anyone with a ball literally falling over themselves to try and execute what will forever be known as The Centra Bounce.
