Long awaited return as Hunt left on outer
The Eagles have made three changes, handing a debut to mid-season draftee Jacob Newton while also recalling Long and forward-ruck Bailey Williams for Sunday's game at Marvel Stadium.
Captain Liam Duggan (suspension) has been joined by injured pair Archer Reid (toe) and Tom Gross (calf) in coming out of the side that lost to ladder-leaders Adelaide by only nine points at Optus Stadium at the weekend.
Hunt was the travelling emergency for the clash against the Bulldogs, having not played since he was the sub in the round 16 loss to Collingwood.
The 30-year-old has played five games in the WAFL and averaged 18 disposals across half-back but has been overlooked despite the Eagles needing another defender in the absence of Duggan and with mid-season recruit Tom McCarthy moving to the midfield.
It could be a big blow to Hunt's chances for a new contract given he is yet to re-sign beyond this season, having joined the Eagles as a free agent from Melbourne after the 2022 season.
Long has played only eight games this season and none since the round 18 defeat to Port Adelaide when he had four possessions as the sub. Jayden Hunt couldn't break into the side. Credit: Kelsey Reid / The West Australian
The 20-year-old has struggled for form in his third season at the Eagles, having only played seven games last season because of a knee injury.
Long has forced his way back into the team on the back of three goals from 18 disposals and seven tackles in the Eagles reserves' loss to East Fremantle last Saturday.
Williams comes in to help Matt Flynn take on All-Australian contender Tim English, replacing impressive second year tall Reid.
The 25-year-old played the last of his 14 games for the season in the Eagles' 83-point defeat to Melbourne less than a fortnight ago when he went against Demons superstar Max Gawn solo. Bailey Williams will also return. Credit: Jackson Flindell / The West Australian
Emergencies Malakai Champion and Jack Williams have been left in Perth.
Luke Beveridge has made only two changes to the Bulldogs' team, naming debutant Jordan Croft as well as mature age recruit Sam Davidson, with Laith Vandermeer (concussion) and Caleb Poulter (omitted) out of the team.
WESTERN BULLDOGS v WEST COAST
Sunday, Optus Stadium, 2.40pm
BULLDOGS
B: L Bramble J O'Donnell B Dale
HB: L Cleary R Lobb J Johannisen
C: J Freijah E Richards B Williams
HF: S Davidson A Naughton M Kennedy
F: R Garcia S Darcy R West
FOLL: T English M Bontempelli T Liberatore
I/C: O Baker J Busslinger J Croft L McNeil R Sanders
EMG: C Hynes A Jones L Smith
IN: S Davidson J Croft
OUT: L Vandermeer (injured) C Poulter (omitted)
EAGLES
B: R Ginbey S Brock T McCarthy
HB: L Baker R Bazzo T Cole
C: C Hall E Hewett R Maric
HF: J Graham L Ryan J Cripps
F: M Owies J Shanahan N Long
FOLL: M Flynn B Hough T Kelly
I/C: T Brockman C Chesser B Williams H Davis J Newton
EMG: J Hunt J Williams M Champion
IN: N Long B Williams J Newton
OUT: L Duggan (suspended) A Reid (toe) T Gross (calf)
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ABC News
11 minutes 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.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
McRae keeps faith in Pies despite Crows loss as debate rages over non-free kick in dying moments
Loading Key posts 11.49pm 'That stuff will stack up': McRae on Pies 11.26pm McRae still believes in Magpies despite losing run 10.43pm 'We haven't achieved anything yet': Nicks 10.38pm 'As long as we won by a kick': Nicks on inside 50s differential 10.28pm Crows come up clutch to score Pies win after 3318 days 10.25pm Did Thilthorpe kick the ball away late? 8.07pm Hawks want more as finals fast approach 7.08pm Subs named for Crows v Pies Hide key posts Posts area Go to latest Pinned post from yesterday 10.28pm Crows come up clutch to score Pies win after 3318 days By Steve Barrett Adelaide hung on by the tips of their fingernails but, at long last, shook their Magpie monkey. The nine-year Collingwood curse is dead. After 3318 long days, Adelaide busted one of the AFL's longest spells, in front of 54,283 fans - the biggest ever AFL crowd at Adelaide Oval - beating Collingwood for the first time since 16 July 2016. When the Crows last defeated the Magpies - some 3318 days ago - Barack Obama was still US president, Malcolm Turnbull had been sworn in as Australian Prime Minister and Scott Pendlebury was racking up touch after touch. Well, some things haven't changed. More importantly, Saturday night's pulsating three-point triumph all but sealed the Crows' first minor premiership since 2017 - the last time they made the top eight. Adelaide had to work overtime for this one, particularly their backline which was inundated by one Collingwood entry after another. The Pies amassed a whopping 71-39 advantage in inside-50s but just couldn't land the killer blow. The brilliant Nick Daicos's goal on the burst in the 27th minute of the fourth quarter was the game's final score, Collingwood attacking hard to the finish line. The Magpies had it all on their terms early, marching to a 25-point quarter-time cushion after 30 minutes of the footy almost exclusively living inside their forward half. But no deficit is beyond Adelaide's potent reach and they turned the tables emphatically with a 5.1 to 0.1 second term, allowing them to pinch a five-point half-time lead. The heavens opened in the third stanza which descended into a defensive-dominated sodden slog, the Crows spending most of it on the ropes but repeatedly warding off glancing Collingwood blows. Another goal drought followed in the fourth, finally busted by James Peatling in the 18th minute, Adelaide's single-figure lead seemingly worth plenty more. Riley Thilthorpe, largely subdued by ex-Crow Billy Frampton, took a huge clutch mark on his guy and converted to restore Adelaide's nine-point lead. If this was a September dress rehearsal between the cagey 2023 champions and the upstart challengers, the sequel looms as a beauty. yesterday 11.58pm That's all for tonight That's all we have for you tonight. Thanks so much for joining us throughout the day and into tonight. Please keep visiting our sports webpages for more AFL coverage tomorrow and throughout the week. Bye for now. yesterday 11.49pm 'That stuff will stack up': McRae on Pies By Steve Barrett The Magpies are on course for wins, of that coach Craig McRae is sure despite their close loss to Adelaide on Saturday night. 'We didn't get the four points, but internally, we know we're headed in the right direction,' Magpies coach Craig McRae said. 'You put the (Collingwood) jumper on this week and there's a lot more pride in the way we went about it. 'There's an internal belief that this game was there for us to win. 'We leave here not with our tail between our legs. 'Have we got more work to do? Absolutely. But we're headed in the right direction. 'That stuff will stack up.' Magpies midfielder Jack Crisp also likes how the team is shaping up. 'If we play like that, probably nine times out of 10 you're going to get the result,' Crisp said. 'We've probably been a bit stagnant the last few weeks, so to come out and have a real positive contest and clearance game sets up for the way we want to play the rest of the season. 'We did a lot right tonight and we played much better football than the last two weeks. 'That's a finals (like) game - I'm sure everyone else felt it. 'It's the right time to find some form.'That's a good start and now we'll focus on Friday night against Melbourne. yesterday 11.26pm McRae still believes in Magpies despite losing run By Roy Ward Collingwood coach Craig McRae had an interesting take on his side's dominance on inside 50s but failure to turn them into goals. The Magpies had 71-37 inside 50s but much of that dominance came in the first term before the rain set in as the team fell to a fifth loss in six games. McRae said the 'high density' of the Crows defence, the rain plus the high pressure being applied by both sides made clean possessions hard to come by. 'The reality of that kind of game is, as Leigh Matthews used to say, it will be hard for us to score so make it impossible for them,' McRae said. 'We did that most of the night. The inside 50 number says that, we have some work to do on our inside 50s but in wet conditions trying to kick to contests and then get to stoppages - we had something like 39 forward stoppages and scored three points from them so you have to find other ways to score. 'That's the numbers. We didn't get the four points but, internally, we think we are heading in the right direction. 'We gave everything right to the end, they were just a fraction better in moments. 'It was a hard game, a finals type game and it will serve both teams well.' yesterday 11.18pm Howe could return, Hill uncertain By Roy Ward The Magpies hope to get Jeremy Howe back for the final round but star forward Bobby Hill's return remains uncertain although he is back training. Magpies coach Craig McRae said Howe would bring a lot of strength to the team's defence once he comes out of the concussion protocols. 'Howey should be available next week and out of the protocols and Bobby is getting better every day but I'm not sure if he will be available next week,' McRae said. 'But it was pleasing having him back this week training hard for us. We might strengthen up next week if we get Howey back.' McRae also said the team's AFL and VFL sides both haven't reported any injuries from this weekend. yesterday 10.54pm Daicos says midfield must lift Magpies star Nick Daicos has put the heat on his team's midfield to improve how they are delivering the ball to the forwards. The Magpies forward line continues to struggle and they've lost five of their last six games. 'It's probably on the midfield,' Daicos told Fox Footy. 'I think the forwards set up well. It's on us [the midfield] to tidy up a few things. 'If we can get our forward line out in space, we will be a better team.' yesterday 10.43pm 'We haven't achieved anything yet': Nicks Matthew Nicks has revealed what premiership-winning veteran Alex Neal-Bullen told the group as they entered the final weeks of the season. 'A very experienced man told me that we haven't achieved anything yet,' Nicks told Fox Footy. 'His name is Alex Neal-Bullen and when you bring players like him into your football club and can sit down and share experiences they've had. Murray Davis is another one. 'We haven't achieved anything yet. We are not here to finish top with one round to go, we are here to have a real crack.' yesterday 10.38pm 'As long as we won by a kick': Nicks on inside 50s differential By Roy Ward Crows coach Matthew Nicks had a cracking line when asked what would have thought if he was told pre-game that Collingwood would win inside 50s 71-37. 'I wouldn't have cared as long as we won by a kick,' Nicks told Fox Footy. 'We will go back and review it. I thought they played better than we did as far as their game goes, we didn't get our best game at all. 'The last couple of weeks we have been a little bit off but still been able to get the job done. 'We've learned to win a different way tonight and against a very good opposition.' Nicks said he was proud of his players. 'I'm incredibly proud of these guys but I've been incredibly proud of them for years,' Nicks told Fox Footy. 'They are finally getting what they deserve. When are all connected and go to work together, then you get rewarded in sport and guys have been working hard for a long period of time….we didn't just get lucky this year.' yesterday 10.28pm Crows come up clutch to score Pies win after 3318 days By Steve Barrett Adelaide hung on by the tips of their fingernails but, at long last, shook their Magpie monkey. The nine-year Collingwood curse is dead. After 3318 long days, Adelaide busted one of the AFL's longest spells, in front of 54,283 fans - the biggest ever AFL crowd at Adelaide Oval - beating Collingwood for the first time since 16 July 2016. When the Crows last defeated the Magpies - some 3318 days ago - Barack Obama was still US president, Malcolm Turnbull had been sworn in as Australian Prime Minister and Scott Pendlebury was racking up touch after touch. Well, some things haven't changed. More importantly, Saturday night's pulsating three-point triumph all but sealed the Crows' first minor premiership since 2017 - the last time they made the top eight. Adelaide had to work overtime for this one, particularly their backline which was inundated by one Collingwood entry after another. The Pies amassed a whopping 71-39 advantage in inside-50s but just couldn't land the killer blow. The brilliant Nick Daicos's goal on the burst in the 27th minute of the fourth quarter was the game's final score, Collingwood attacking hard to the finish line. The Magpies had it all on their terms early, marching to a 25-point quarter-time cushion after 30 minutes of the footy almost exclusively living inside their forward half. But no deficit is beyond Adelaide's potent reach and they turned the tables emphatically with a 5.1 to 0.1 second term, allowing them to pinch a five-point half-time lead. The heavens opened in the third stanza which descended into a defensive-dominated sodden slog, the Crows spending most of it on the ropes but repeatedly warding off glancing Collingwood blows. Another goal drought followed in the fourth, finally busted by James Peatling in the 18th minute, Adelaide's single-figure lead seemingly worth plenty more. Riley Thilthorpe, largely subdued by ex-Crow Billy Frampton, took a huge clutch mark on his guy and converted to restore Adelaide's nine-point lead. If this was a September dress rehearsal between the cagey 2023 champions and the upstart challengers, the sequel looms as a beauty. yesterday 10.25pm Did Thilthorpe kick the ball away late? By Roy Ward Garry Lyon has called it 'the worst non-free kick of the season' but I can't agree with him. With the ball out of bounds in the final minutes and rolling between two boundary umpires, Riley Thilthorpe appeared to kick the ball away. But a second angle showed that the ball he kicked rolled towards the other, further away boundary umpire. It could have been a free kick, but it was better to leave it and let the on field play decide the play - at least in my view. I think the two clear throw passes that were missed in open play were far more troubling. yesterday 10.20pm How the Crows can finish on top To finish on top of the ladder, the Crows either need Geelong to lose to Sydney on Sunday or they need to win their final round clash with North Melbourne next weekend. The Magpies fall further back to the field when it comes to trying to secure one of the remaining top four spots. 'We are very confident, we know our roles and trust each other to get it done,' Riley Thilthorpe told Fox Footy.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Payne Haas tells why he chose Samoa over Australia. An Origin winner has taken a similar course
Queensland Origin centre Rob Toia will prioritise his Tongan heritage over a potential Ashes tour berth as fellow Kangaroos defector Payne Haas declared Samoa now has the playing stocks to win next year's World Cup. Haas confirmed on Sunday his switch of allegiance to the rising Pacific nation, with high hopes that fellow Australian stars Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow do the same for this year's Pacific Championships. Tonga's October 26 clash with Samoa at Suncorp Stadium is predicted to draw one of the best Test attendances in decades on Australian soil and outsell the 33,196 who turned out for Australia's win over the Mate Ma'a in Brisbane last year. Toia's decision to represent his family's Tongan roots does, however, take another outside back option off the table for Australia's three-Test tour of the UK in October and November. Big names Latrell Mitchell and Tom Trbojevic loom as the Kangaroos' first-choice centre pairing for the first Ashes tour since 2003. However, both have been hampered by injury as South Sydney and Manly have struggled this season, and arguments could be made for them focusing on club commitments given their injury histories. Toia's rise as a rookie of the year contender and an eye-catching debut Origin series keeping Mitchell quiet had him in Kevin Walters' sights, particularly given Stephen Crichton (Samoa), Valentine Holmes (torn rotator cuff) and Campbell Graham are unavailable for Australia. Like Tabuai-Fidow, Brisbane's Kotoni Staggs is still considering whether he makes himself available for Australia or Tonga at season's end. Melbourne's Xavier Coates, Canterbury's Matt Burton and Jacob Kiraz, Parramatta's Zac Lomax and Josh Addo-Carr, and Roosters rugby convert Mark Nawaqanitawase loom as Australia's other leading three-quarter options.
