Injury concerns for key Cats?
AFL: The Cats are facing injury concerns for both Bailey Smith and big man Shannon Neale.
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Perth Now
24 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Hometown hero Hough on what Bunbury clash means to him
When North Melbourne plays West Coast in Bunbury on Sunday, 44 footballers will be in foreign conditions at Hands Oval. When Brady Hough's studs hit the turf, it'll feel like home. The South West product — from Harvey — is preparing for one of the most exciting opportunities of his short career. Region locals Hough and defender Reuben Ginbey will get the rare chance to play in front of friends and family in the first time premiership points have been up for grabs in regional WA. The 22-year-old is a product of South West Football League side Harvey-Brunswick-Leschenault, so he has played plenty at the Bunbury ground when taking on tenants South Bunbury. A strong contingent of loved ones will be on hand to watch the hometown hero be part of history. 'It means a lot. It's great for football in WA. It's a pretty big league down there and it's special for me,' Hough told The West Australian. 'I played in the South West league growing up, so to get back down there in front of players that I played against and some players that I played with, it'll be pretty fun and I can't wait to get down there.' Hough played senior football for the Lions as a skinny teenager before making the move to Peel Thunder and eventually the Eagles with pick No.31 in the 2021 draft. The Eagle credits his time playing alongside the likes of former Fremantle midfielder Jesse Crichton at a young age with fast-tracking his development. 'I spoke about it a lot going through my draft year and how much it (playing league footy) set me up to perform when I went to the next level,' Hough said. 'Being exposed to some bigger bodies playing league but also learning from those guys who have played in the AFL, those little things off them like what they do in preparation. 'They helped me out as a 16-year-old coming through the league ranks, they were great for me.' West Coast Eagles' Brady Hough with fans in Bunbury at Hands Oval. Credit: Amber Lilley/South Western Times / South Western Times A lot has been made this year of the lack of wins Hough has tasted in his limited time at the Eagles, breaking down in an interview with The West Australian after the club's heavy defeat to Carlton in Gather Round. And while getting a 10th career victory against the Roos would be sweet regardless, Hough concedes for it to come in Bunbury would come with a little bit extra. 'It'll mean a lot. Any win is great but I think it'll be great for the group and great for South West footy,' Hough said. 'We should have a fair crowd there and hopefully the majority will be in the blue and gold. 'We've got another home game next week and hopefully we can just get consistent with what we're chasing and really build some momentum going into the bye.' Brady Hough has continued his rise at West Coast. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Photos / AFL Photos via Getty Images Fast track to the start of this season and Hough had developed into one of the best medium-sized defenders in the AFL, being known for putting the clamps on some of the best small forwards including the likes of Charlie Cameron and Tom Papley. In a credit to his drive, Hough and coach Andrew McQualter made the move to turn him into a midfielder where he is beginning to thrive after a period of adjustment. 'I'm loving it. I've had some games where I've struggled and had some games where I thought I've gone pretty well,' he said. 'It's finding that consistency now within my role and I've learnt what it's all about now whereas going in I was trying to learn what it was about. 'Now, a few weeks in, I'm really settled and know what I need to do to perform and play my role for the team. 'Hopefully I can just get consistent with it now and I'd love to stay in there long-term and help the boys out as much as I can.' While Hough's position may have changed, he has also had to fall back on his defensive attributes, having been tasked with doing some tagging roles on the better midfielders if they get off the chain. Hough successfully limited the impact of Brownlow favourite Bailey Smith in the Eagles' loss to Geelong at Optus Stadium on Sunday night after the Cats midfielder had an incredible 15 disposals in the first term. North Melbourne have some star midfielders in Harry Sheezel and Luke Davies-Uniacke, but Hough said they would start by playing their own game before switching it up if one of them got 'off the chain'. 'We'll wait and see. We saw Bailey Smith started to get off the chain a little bit last week and I started to go to him,' Hough said. 'If someone does start to get a bit damaging then we might look to it but there's no plans now. 'I focus on my own game to start with and if we can play the game and win the stoppage like we want it should go a long way to winning the game and getting it played in our front half.'
News.com.au
31 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Lindsay Park's second seed joins vaunted attack on Stradbroke Handicap
Lindsay Park may never get a better chance to break its Stradbroke Handicap duck after co-trainer Ben Hayes gave Rise At Dawn the green light to join a vaunted attack on Queensland's greatest race. The famous racing dynasty has never won the Stradbroke but has raging $2.80 favourite War Machine, the sizzling winner of the BRC Sprint, and $8 second betting fancy Rise At Dawn. Rise At Dawn finished 2-1/2 lengths off Joliestar in Saturday's Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup and Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers Will and JD, is keen to give him a Group 1 shot seven days later. Rise At Dawn carried 59kg in the Kingsford Smith Cup, but now plunges to 52.5kg in the Stradbroke. 'I was quite happy with his run on Saturday as he was racing at short of his best trip and was racing at weight-for-age against some of the best sprinters in Australia,' Hayes said. 'He sat in behind the speed, he held his run right to the line and looks to have pulled up well. 'He now drops a stack in weight so that's a huge thing.' There have been few Stradbroke contenders in history who have been a shorter price than what War Machine is six days out from the great race. Hayes indicated War Machine had improved from the last time he was seen at the races, when blowing away his opposition and stamping his Stradbroke ticket when dominating his rivals by 2-3/4 lengths in the BRC Sprint. Hayes said both War Machine and Rise At Dawn had golden chances in the $3 million Group 1 handicap. 'Fingers crossed, you can have the two favourites but you can still get beat, but to be honest I couldn't be happier with both of these horses,' Hayes said. 'Either one of them could win. 'The big boy (War Machine) is well. 'His last run was a perfect tune-up for the Straddy and he is a very progressive horse who gets in with 53kg. 'He's a horse who is a bit lazy in trackwork, like Mr Brightside, but he turns up race day.' * Roughie king Maloney strikes again with Derby pick-up ride In other Stradbroke-related news: * Chris Waller gave boom three-year-old colt Angel Capital an exhibition gallop at the Gold Coast races on Saturday. It is likely Angel Capital would make the Stradbroke final field cut-off, but Waller is undecided about whether to race the Yulong owned youngster. * Matt Dale is strongly considering giving evergreen veteran Front Page a shot at the Stradbroke after winning the Moreton Cup on Saturday. Connections would need to pay a hefty late entry fee and Dale will decide in the next 24 years whether to unleash the rising nine-year-old on the Stradbroke. Dale has never tested Front Page over 1400m but the prospect of a weaker Stradbroke and a week of fine weather may convince connections to deploy the proven Group 1 performer. * Tony Gollan is holding out hope that Transatlantic will sneak into the Stradbroke field. Transatlantic will jump over other contenders in the ballot order after his win in the Listed Spear Chief Handicap on Saturday at Eagle Farm. After narrowly missing the Stradbroke field with Antino and Freedom Rally in the last two years, Gollan hopes Transatlantic has done enough to make the field. He is now a $13 chance. * Trainer Rob Heathcote says Rothfire 'trotted up 95 per cent sound' on Sunday morning in his recovery from a foot injury. 'He's only a slim chance of racing in the Straddy, but he's still a chance,' Heathcote said.
West Australian
33 minutes ago
- West Australian
Bailey Smith hosts secret meeting with AFL CEO and Geelong bosses
AFL boss Andrew Dillon drove to the home of Bailey Smith for a secret fireside meeting on Thursday night amid the Geelong superstar's recent headline-grabbing indiscretions. 7NEWS understands Dillon and Smith were joined by Cats coach Chris Scott, chief executive Steve Hocking and head of football Andrew Mackie at the Surf Coast property. Dillon organised the meeting after Smith's social media post last month alluding to illicit drug use saw the Cats and AFL hold robust conversations over the 24-year-old's behaviour. The AFL opted not to penalise the explosive midfielder for the now-deleted Instagram comment, instead warning Smith that he would be sanctioned should a similar incident arise. Smith was fined for two separate 'obscene gestures' to fans during Gather Round and Easter Monday matches this year. Those with knowledge of Thursday's intimate catch-up insist Dillon didn't lecture Smith, instead reiterating his importance as a role model as one of the faces of the competition. Dillon and the Cats officials outlined that should Smith's career trajectory continue with fewer off-field controversies, his marketability would only rise. As well as a playing contract worth more than $850,000 per season, the Brownlow Medal contender has lucrative partnerships with Cotton On, Monster Energy, McDonalds, Stuff That Matters and his own alcohol label Barry's. Such was the importance of the meeting, Dillon opted to drive 90 minutes for the Surf Coast early on Thursday evening before heading to Marvel Stadium to meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The PM enjoyed the hospitality at the Western Bulldogs-Hawthorn clash alongside Hawks president Andy Gowers — a premiership teammate of Dillon's at VAFA club Old Xaverians. With pressure rising on his football department in recent months, Dillon has made a concerted effort to be more personable with his connections to key figures. However, the league CEO meeting at the home of a star player, with his coach, CEO and football boss, is seen as extremely rare. Dillon met with Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, Richmond coach Adem Yze and Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell at the Graham Hotel in South Melbourne in early May. He followed by meeting coaches Simon Goodwin (Melbourne), Alastair Clarkson (North Melbourne), Chris Scott (Geelong) and Brad Scott (Essendon) at Fitzroy's Builders Arms Hotel a fortnight later. Geelong have been the subject of an ongoing AFL audit this season into third party payments that is expected to result in a fine for administrative lodgement errors — not explicit hidden deals — in the next fortnight. Chris Scott was forced to include part of his salary from his external arrangement with club sponsor Morris Finance into the Cats' soft cap earlier this season. Smith was a late out for Geelong's win over Gold Coast on Saturday with a hamstring concern he picked up in the win against West Coast six days earlier. He is expected to be in the frame to play against Essendon at the MCG next week.
