Australian superstar Ellyse Perry rejoining NSW
Perry, 34, spent six seasons playing in Victoria, moving south when she married former Melbourne Rebels and Wallabies star Matt Toomua.
But after 20 matches, 1052 runs and 13 wickets for Victoria, having played games while also starring for Australia, Perry is moving home and will play out her career for NSW.
'The last six years I've spent in Melbourne and at Cricket Victoria have been extremely fond ones and I'm incredibly grateful for all the opportunities and memories that I'll cherish,' Perry said.
'I'm really looking forward to being back in Sydney and closer to my family and longtime friends.'
Perry sits 10th on the list of all-time WNCL run-scorers for NSW, remains the state's third highest wicket-taker, and has now amassed more than 2,700 runs and 120 wickets in her WNCL career.
Leah Poulton, Head of Female Elite Cricket at Cricket NSW, said Perry's return is a significant moment for the program.
'We're thrilled to welcome Ellyse back home to the Breakers. She's not only one of the world's premier cricketers, but also a role model and leader whose impact extends far beyond the field,' Poulton said.
'Pez' professionalism, experience, and approach to the game make her an incredible asset to any team, and we're excited to have her back in our program.'
Originally published as Australian superstar Ellyse Perry is heading home and will play for NSW after six seasons in Victoria
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The Age
5 minutes ago
- The Age
Romance on the rocks: Winners and losers from the father-son rule, and why it's under siege
In 2005, Carlton great Marc Murphy sat down for dinner at Gambaro's restaurant in Brisbane for a seafood meal with Lions legends Leigh Matthews, Michael Voss, Jonathan Brown, Luke Power, Craig Lambert and recruiting boss Kinnear Beatson. He was eligible to play for the Brisbane Lions under the AFL's father-son rule because his father, John, who was also at the dinner, was a Fitzroy legend who won five club best and fairests in 214 matches. Murphy was awed by the company as the Lions pitched a four-year deal to wear the same colours as his dad. It was an impressive offer, and Murphy was keen to join the Lions, who had won three of the past four premierships. But as 2005 unfolded, and the draft order took shape, Victorian clubs secured the top five selections. As the likely No.1 pick, Murphy made a pragmatic rather than romantic decision. He opted to make himself available in the national draft. Carlton used their No.1 pick to recruit Murphy, who went on to captain the club and play 300 games in navy blue. 'I had to make a decision on whether to go up there or play with one of the big four clubs [the Blues, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn and Richmond had the first five picks],' Murphy said. 'If it was Fitzroy I probably would have gone straight there but because it was interstate, and I saw the opportunity to stay at home with family and play at a big club like Carlton… That was the main reason I stuck around and went into the draft.' Murphy's decision was uncommon then, and has become even rarer since. Nearly 20 years later the father-son rule, thought to be the only rule in world sport designed to send athletes to the clubs their parents represented, is shaping the AFL like never before. But the rule is under siege from some clubs who believe it is unfair, and that the so-called romance attached to it is at odds with the modern business of a league built on hard-headed commercial decisions, not to mention equalisation. Last year's Norm Smith Medal winner, Will Ashcroft, is the son of Lions three-peater Marcus Ashcroft. There was no way Brisbane were going to miss out on him in the 2022 draft, nor his younger brother Levi two years later. Nick and Josh Daicos, sons of Magpie marvel Peter, (collectively known as the Daicii) played in Collingwood's 2023 flag alongside Darcy Moore, the son of a dual Brownlow medallist. In terms of games played, premierships won and All-Australian jumpers earned by players who got to their clubs under the father-son rule since 1998, only Geelong have done better than the Magpies. Gary Ablett, senior and junior, are both among the greatest players Australian football has produced. Of the 14 father-son picks to have played for Geelong, famous names such as Hawkins and Scarlett also attest to the power of the rule to shape dynasties. While the data does not reveal a clear trend in the raw number of father-sons in the AFL, it does show that Geelong, Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and Essendon have been most blessed by genetics (in terms of games played by sons). Fremantle, however, have had just two father-son selections: Brett Peake, the son of former East Fremantle player Brian, played 75 games for the Dockers, while recent arrival Jaren Carr (son of Matthew) is yet to debut. Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick is among those calling for the rule to be abolished, or at least for the removal of priority access to father-sons if they are in the best 18 draftable players in the country. 'We believe the father-son [rule] should finish and strongly support the quarantining of the first round from academy and father-son picks to reinstate the integrity of the early part of the draft,' Garlick said. 'It's the equivalent of winning genetic tattslotto, but you didn't even have to buy a ticket.' St Kilda are another club that has criticised the rule, which is being considered by the AFL Commission. The Saints have gained just three players from the rule since the draft was introduced. David Sierakowski (son of 66′ premiership player Brian) played 93 matches before joining the Eagles and Bailey Rice (son of Dean, who actually played in Carlton's 1995 flag) played 11. Stuart Annand (son of Bud) did not play a game. Even Geelong CEO Steve Hocking said the rule needs a rethink despite the Cats' formidable haul. 'You do have to think about what is good for the game... It is a sentimental thing, but the game is becoming professional,' he told 3AW. But Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains (the Bulldogs are proud custodians of Sam Darcy, Rhylee West and Tom Liberatore) said the Dogs were staunch supporters of the father-son rule. 'We'd be extremely hypocritical if we weren't,' Bains told SEN. Sons and daughters Ninety-eight players have arrived at AFL clubs as father-son picks since the rules were changed in 1997 to ensure clubs had to give up a pick to acquire a player. Before that, players such as Richmond's Matthew Richardson and Essendon's Dustin Fletcher arrived at their clubs for free as pre-draft choices. In the 2024 national draft, six father-son selections were added to club lists. In the short history of AFLW, 13 women have joined the club their fathers played for under the father-daughter rule. Carlton lead the pack courtesy of captain Abbie McKay, daughter of Andrew. Abbie's younger sister Sophie also joined the Blues in the most recent draft. While Erin Phillips played for the Crows before her dad Greg's beloved Port fielded a W team, she finished her career at the Power as the league's most decorated player. There was hardly a dry eye in the ballroom when Erin and Greg became the first father-daughter pair in the Australian Football Hall of Fame in June. Globally, the rule is an anomaly. Even without it the offspring of professional athletes have advantages that help them into the big leagues, including exposure to the right people and pathways, to say nothing of genetics. The New Yorker reported that the most recent NBA season featured 35 players whose fathers represented NBA teams, up from 10 in 2009. As one executive told the magazine, the children of professional athletes have access to 'better training, coaching, and the right people who can put them on the right lists'. Some notable examples are Golden State superstar Stephen Curry and his brother Seth (currently with Charlotte) who followed dad Dell Curry into the NBA, while LA superstar LeBron James is about to enter his second season playing with son Bronny at the Lakers. To understand how rare that is, imagine if Mason Fletcher, who once trained at Essendon, had stuck with footy and run out for the Bombers alongside his dad, instead of pursuing a US college football career. Given Dustin was 40 and Mason just 15 when he retired after 400 games, it was close without being possible. Those arguing for the AFL's father-son rule to be scrapped or tightened wonder how bottom teams can catch up if premiership contenders such as the Lions and Collingwood – whom the best free agents are keen to join unless they receive a godfather offer such as the one St Kilda made to Carlton's Tom De Koning – also have priority access to the country's best young talent. 'All clubs want is access to exclusive talent,' one club source said. 'It's got nothing to do with romance.' Still, the romance argument is often trotted out to defend one of the quirkiest rules in world sport. Anthony Daniher's sons, Darcy and Joe, joined Essendon under the father-son rule to extend one of football's most celebrated family traditions. It wasn't easy for either of them to wear the same colours as their dad and three uncles, Terry, Neale and Chris. Although Joe, a prodigious and enigmatic talent, finished his career with a premiership at the Brisbane Lions after requesting a trade from the Bombers, Anthony remains a fan of the rule. 'The priority pick is a better conversation for struggling clubs than to drop what is a beautiful history, whether it be for men [or] women, and something that is unique to our game,' Anthony Daniher said. In another quirk, Joe's offspring will be eligible to join Essendon, not Brisbane, under the current rule, which requires the 100-game milestone be reached to make a son eligible. (Joe played 108 with Essendon and 96 with the Lions.) Under the rule introduced for W, the father must have played at least one AFL game for his club for it to have first access to his daughter. The father-son debate often morphs into an argument about the northern and next-generation academies despite the academies' objective being to grow the game. But Garlick, for instance, supports the northern academies, which give northern clubs priority access to talented kids in their zones. Together, the academies and the father-son rule mean a heavily compromised draft. 'If you want the romance you have to pay for it,' said one senior club official who preferred to remain anonymous while the AFL Commission was considering the issue. The Lions dynasty Will Ashcroft was rated as the second-best player in the 2022 draft behind Aaron Cadman, who went to the Giants. To ensure Ashcroft followed his dad to the Lions, Brisbane gave up picks 34, 35, 38 and 40. They also gave up picks 41, 47 and 49 to bring in Jaspa Fletcher at pick 12. Fletcher is the son of four-club player Adrian, a brilliant ball-winner who played 107 matches with Brisbane, as well as 79 with Fremantle, 23 with Geelong and 22 at St Kilda. Combining luck with smart planning, they had scored two players rated in the top 12 picks in the country before Melbourne had the chance to add one, yet they had beaten the Demons in that year's semi-final. Ashcroft and Fletcher arrived at a Lions outfit already challenging for a flag. Two years later, both stood with their dads in the MCG change rooms with premiership medals hanging around their necks. Also there was Sydney great Andrew Dunkley with his son Josh, and Anthony Daniher with his son Joe, celebrating their son's wins in different colours to the ones they wore into battle. In the Swans' runner-up rooms was Nick Blakey, who had chosen to join Sydney rather than follow his father to North Melbourne, despite John playing 135 matches with Fitzroy and 224 for the Kangaroos. The timing of Ashcroft and Fletcher's arrival, along with Levi Ashcroft (rated at pick four in 2024), exasperated other clubs who argue that the father-son and academy systems have ruined the draft as a competitive balance measure in an era of free agency when equalisation levers are so critical. However, Lions premiership coach Chris Fagan says this does not take account of Brisbane's smart recruiting decisions from the open draft pool and trades. 'I think the people who complain about it just don't have any father-sons at the moment. I am not sure they would be coming out with the same complaints if they had a handful,' Fagan said. 'What goes around comes around.' 'I think the idea that sons and daughters of great players previously at the club get the opportunity to play at that club is a great part of our game, so I am not in any hurry to see that go.' When romance hits the rocks Murphy, Blakey and Daniher and are not the only second-generation talents to have ended up with different clubs, either by choosing a different path in their draft year or switching clubs later. Ablett jnr is at top of the list having switched from Geelong to the Gold Coast on a lucrative contract at the end of 2010, later returning to finish his career at the Cats. Jarrad Waite, Nick Davis, Sean Dempster, Mitch Morton, Tyler Brown and Zaine Cordy are other examples of players who moved away from the club their dads represented. Hawthorn hesitated but eventually traded out Josh Kennedy – the son of four-time premiership player and Hawks' scion John jnr and grandson of legendary John Kennedy snr – to Sydney. Josh won a flag with the Swans against the Hawks. Liam Picken – son of Collingwood great Billy – played in the Bulldogs' premiership that also included Josh Dunkley, the aforementioned son of Swans hard man Andrew. Loading Jack Silvagni, who is carrying the most famous name at Carlton, could leave the Blues this season, perhaps for arch rivals Collingwood. Heath Shaw ended up at the Giants and his brother Rhyce at Sydney after being father-son selections at Collingwood. Heath Shaw says a version of father-son rule should continue. 'There are still misses when it comes to father-son,' Shaw said. 'Most people want to play for the club their dad played for. Some don't want to live in their fathers' shadows, but I went past him so that didn't matter anyway.' He says clubs that complain about the rule should make bids on father-son prospects so the club with access to them pays a heavier price at the draft. 'I like the father-son rules,' Shaw said. How clubs farm father-son prospects Clubs connect with the sons of former player during their primary school years, running footy clinics, showing the children and their dads through the facilities, meeting the senior coach, giving them jumpers with their dad's name and number on them, inviting them to stand in a guard of honour during match day and keeping in touch. If the family lives interstate, they may arrange a special visit to train with the club, as Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge's son Cooper did a month ago. If a prospect shows promise, they might be integrated into the club's NGA or academy program to accelerate their development. It doesn't always work out. Relationships with former players have been known to fray when a club has overlooked the offspring of a famous dad. Other times, clubs are almost duty-bound to take a player on the fringe of being drafted who is the son of a champion rather than run the risk of them being successful at another club. What (and who) is next? Murphy says the father-son rule should stay, but the AFL should forecast a change in the rules for 2029 or 2030 to let the current crop flow through and allow list managers prepare for change. 'I love the sons playing at their dad's former team and the names live on that those teams, but I think it has got to be changed to get a like-for-like [payment], so if you are a top 10 pick the club has to find an equivalent pick to get you. I think the days of offering up three picks in the thirties for them should change,' Murphy said. With Carlton to recruit Harry Dean (son of 1987 and 1995 premiership Blue Peter) this year, and Cody Walker (son of high-flyer Andrew) next year, the debate is not going away. Loading The Bombers await Koby Bewick (son of Darren), recently named in the under-16 All-Australian team alongside Tevita Rodan, whose dad, David, played 111 games for Port between stints at Richmond and Melbourne. The Power also have Louis Salopek (son of Steven) to look forward to in the 2027 draft. Can the AFL Commission come up with a system that keeps the romance alive, while also living up to their mandate for competitive balance?
Sydney Morning Herald
5 minutes ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Romance on the rocks: Winners and losers from the father-son rule, and why it's under siege
In 2005, Carlton great Marc Murphy sat down for dinner at Gambaro's restaurant in Brisbane for a seafood meal with Lions legends Leigh Matthews, Michael Voss, Jonathan Brown, Luke Power, Craig Lambert and recruiting boss Kinnear Beatson. He was eligible to play for the Brisbane Lions under the AFL's father-son rule because his father, John, who was also at the dinner, was a Fitzroy legend who won five club best and fairests in 214 matches. Murphy was awed by the company as the Lions pitched a four-year deal to wear the same colours as his dad. It was an impressive offer, and Murphy was keen to join the Lions, who had won three of the past four premierships. But as 2005 unfolded, and the draft order took shape, Victorian clubs secured the top five selections. As the likely No.1 pick, Murphy made a pragmatic rather than romantic decision. He opted to make himself available in the national draft. Carlton used their No.1 pick to recruit Murphy, who went on to captain the club and play 300 games in navy blue. 'I had to make a decision on whether to go up there or play with one of the big four clubs [the Blues, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn and Richmond had the first five picks],' Murphy said. 'If it was Fitzroy I probably would have gone straight there but because it was interstate, and I saw the opportunity to stay at home with family and play at a big club like Carlton… That was the main reason I stuck around and went into the draft.' Murphy's decision was uncommon then, and has become even rarer since. Nearly 20 years later the father-son rule, thought to be the only rule in world sport designed to send athletes to the clubs their parents represented, is shaping the AFL like never before. But the rule is under siege from some clubs who believe it is unfair, and that the so-called romance attached to it is at odds with the modern business of a league built on hard-headed commercial decisions, not to mention equalisation. Last year's Norm Smith Medal winner, Will Ashcroft, is the son of Lions three-peater Marcus Ashcroft. There was no way Brisbane were going to miss out on him in the 2022 draft, nor his younger brother Levi two years later. Nick and Josh Daicos, sons of Magpie marvel Peter, (collectively known as the Daicii) played in Collingwood's 2023 flag alongside Darcy Moore, the son of a dual Brownlow medallist. In terms of games played, premierships won and All-Australian jumpers earned by players who got to their clubs under the father-son rule since 1998, only Geelong have done better than the Magpies. Gary Ablett, senior and junior, are both among the greatest players Australian football has produced. Of the 14 father-son picks to have played for Geelong, famous names such as Hawkins and Scarlett also attest to the power of the rule to shape dynasties. While the data does not reveal a clear trend in the raw number of father-sons in the AFL, it does show that Geelong, Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and Essendon have been most blessed by genetics (in terms of games played by sons). Fremantle, however, have had just two father-son selections: Brett Peake, the son of former East Fremantle player Brian, played 75 games for the Dockers, while recent arrival Jaren Carr (son of Matthew) is yet to debut. Fremantle CEO Simon Garlick is among those calling for the rule to be abolished, or at least for the removal of priority access to father-sons if they are in the best 18 draftable players in the country. 'We believe the father-son [rule] should finish and strongly support the quarantining of the first round from academy and father-son picks to reinstate the integrity of the early part of the draft,' Garlick said. 'It's the equivalent of winning genetic tattslotto, but you didn't even have to buy a ticket.' St Kilda are another club that has criticised the rule, which is being considered by the AFL Commission. The Saints have gained just three players from the rule since the draft was introduced. David Sierakowski (son of 66′ premiership player Brian) played 93 matches before joining the Eagles and Bailey Rice (son of Dean, who actually played in Carlton's 1995 flag) played 11. Stuart Annand (son of Bud) did not play a game. Even Geelong CEO Steve Hocking said the rule needs a rethink despite the Cats' formidable haul. 'You do have to think about what is good for the game... It is a sentimental thing, but the game is becoming professional,' he told 3AW. But Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains (the Bulldogs are proud custodians of Sam Darcy, Rhylee West and Tom Liberatore) said the Dogs were staunch supporters of the father-son rule. 'We'd be extremely hypocritical if we weren't,' Bains told SEN. Sons and daughters Ninety-eight players have arrived at AFL clubs as father-son picks since the rules were changed in 1997 to ensure clubs had to give up a pick to acquire a player. Before that, players such as Richmond's Matthew Richardson and Essendon's Dustin Fletcher arrived at their clubs for free as pre-draft choices. In the 2024 national draft, six father-son selections were added to club lists. In the short history of AFLW, 13 women have joined the club their fathers played for under the father-daughter rule. Carlton lead the pack courtesy of captain Abbie McKay, daughter of Andrew. Abbie's younger sister Sophie also joined the Blues in the most recent draft. While Erin Phillips played for the Crows before her dad Greg's beloved Port fielded a W team, she finished her career at the Power as the league's most decorated player. There was hardly a dry eye in the ballroom when Erin and Greg became the first father-daughter pair in the Australian Football Hall of Fame in June. Globally, the rule is an anomaly. Even without it the offspring of professional athletes have advantages that help them into the big leagues, including exposure to the right people and pathways, to say nothing of genetics. The New Yorker reported that the most recent NBA season featured 35 players whose fathers represented NBA teams, up from 10 in 2009. As one executive told the magazine, the children of professional athletes have access to 'better training, coaching, and the right people who can put them on the right lists'. Some notable examples are Golden State superstar Stephen Curry and his brother Seth (currently with Charlotte) who followed dad Dell Curry into the NBA, while LA superstar LeBron James is about to enter his second season playing with son Bronny at the Lakers. To understand how rare that is, imagine if Mason Fletcher, who once trained at Essendon, had stuck with footy and run out for the Bombers alongside his dad, instead of pursuing a US college football career. Given Dustin was 40 and Mason just 15 when he retired after 400 games, it was close without being possible. Those arguing for the AFL's father-son rule to be scrapped or tightened wonder how bottom teams can catch up if premiership contenders such as the Lions and Collingwood – whom the best free agents are keen to join unless they receive a godfather offer such as the one St Kilda made to Carlton's Tom De Koning – also have priority access to the country's best young talent. 'All clubs want is access to exclusive talent,' one club source said. 'It's got nothing to do with romance.' Still, the romance argument is often trotted out to defend one of the quirkiest rules in world sport. Anthony Daniher's sons, Darcy and Joe, joined Essendon under the father-son rule to extend one of football's most celebrated family traditions. It wasn't easy for either of them to wear the same colours as their dad and three uncles, Terry, Neale and Chris. Although Joe, a prodigious and enigmatic talent, finished his career with a premiership at the Brisbane Lions after requesting a trade from the Bombers, Anthony remains a fan of the rule. 'The priority pick is a better conversation for struggling clubs than to drop what is a beautiful history, whether it be for men [or] women, and something that is unique to our game,' Anthony Daniher said. In another quirk, Joe's offspring will be eligible to join Essendon, not Brisbane, under the current rule, which requires the 100-game milestone be reached to make a son eligible. (Joe played 108 with Essendon and 96 with the Lions.) Under the rule introduced for W, the father must have played at least one AFL game for his club for it to have first access to his daughter. The father-son debate often morphs into an argument about the northern and next-generation academies despite the academies' objective being to grow the game. But Garlick, for instance, supports the northern academies, which give northern clubs priority access to talented kids in their zones. Together, the academies and the father-son rule mean a heavily compromised draft. 'If you want the romance you have to pay for it,' said one senior club official who preferred to remain anonymous while the AFL Commission was considering the issue. The Lions dynasty Will Ashcroft was rated as the second-best player in the 2022 draft behind Aaron Cadman, who went to the Giants. To ensure Ashcroft followed his dad to the Lions, Brisbane gave up picks 34, 35, 38 and 40. They also gave up picks 41, 47 and 49 to bring in Jaspa Fletcher at pick 12. Fletcher is the son of four-club player Adrian, a brilliant ball-winner who played 107 matches with Brisbane, as well as 79 with Fremantle, 23 with Geelong and 22 at St Kilda. Combining luck with smart planning, they had scored two players rated in the top 12 picks in the country before Melbourne had the chance to add one, yet they had beaten the Demons in that year's semi-final. Ashcroft and Fletcher arrived at a Lions outfit already challenging for a flag. Two years later, both stood with their dads in the MCG change rooms with premiership medals hanging around their necks. Also there was Sydney great Andrew Dunkley with his son Josh, and Anthony Daniher with his son Joe, celebrating their son's wins in different colours to the ones they wore into battle. In the Swans' runner-up rooms was Nick Blakey, who had chosen to join Sydney rather than follow his father to North Melbourne, despite John playing 135 matches with Fitzroy and 224 for the Kangaroos. The timing of Ashcroft and Fletcher's arrival, along with Levi Ashcroft (rated at pick four in 2024), exasperated other clubs who argue that the father-son and academy systems have ruined the draft as a competitive balance measure in an era of free agency when equalisation levers are so critical. However, Lions premiership coach Chris Fagan says this does not take account of Brisbane's smart recruiting decisions from the open draft pool and trades. 'I think the people who complain about it just don't have any father-sons at the moment. I am not sure they would be coming out with the same complaints if they had a handful,' Fagan said. 'What goes around comes around.' 'I think the idea that sons and daughters of great players previously at the club get the opportunity to play at that club is a great part of our game, so I am not in any hurry to see that go.' When romance hits the rocks Murphy, Blakey and Daniher and are not the only second-generation talents to have ended up with different clubs, either by choosing a different path in their draft year or switching clubs later. Ablett jnr is at top of the list having switched from Geelong to the Gold Coast on a lucrative contract at the end of 2010, later returning to finish his career at the Cats. Jarrad Waite, Nick Davis, Sean Dempster, Mitch Morton, Tyler Brown and Zaine Cordy are other examples of players who moved away from the club their dads represented. Hawthorn hesitated but eventually traded out Josh Kennedy – the son of four-time premiership player and Hawks' scion John jnr and grandson of legendary John Kennedy snr – to Sydney. Josh won a flag with the Swans against the Hawks. Liam Picken – son of Collingwood great Billy – played in the Bulldogs' premiership that also included Josh Dunkley, the aforementioned son of Swans hard man Andrew. Loading Jack Silvagni, who is carrying the most famous name at Carlton, could leave the Blues this season, perhaps for arch rivals Collingwood. Heath Shaw ended up at the Giants and his brother Rhyce at Sydney after being father-son selections at Collingwood. Heath Shaw says a version of father-son rule should continue. 'There are still misses when it comes to father-son,' Shaw said. 'Most people want to play for the club their dad played for. Some don't want to live in their fathers' shadows, but I went past him so that didn't matter anyway.' He says clubs that complain about the rule should make bids on father-son prospects so the club with access to them pays a heavier price at the draft. 'I like the father-son rules,' Shaw said. How clubs farm father-son prospects Clubs connect with the sons of former player during their primary school years, running footy clinics, showing the children and their dads through the facilities, meeting the senior coach, giving them jumpers with their dad's name and number on them, inviting them to stand in a guard of honour during match day and keeping in touch. If the family lives interstate, they may arrange a special visit to train with the club, as Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge's son Cooper did a month ago. If a prospect shows promise, they might be integrated into the club's NGA or academy program to accelerate their development. It doesn't always work out. Relationships with former players have been known to fray when a club has overlooked the offspring of a famous dad. Other times, clubs are almost duty-bound to take a player on the fringe of being drafted who is the son of a champion rather than run the risk of them being successful at another club. What (and who) is next? Murphy says the father-son rule should stay, but the AFL should forecast a change in the rules for 2029 or 2030 to let the current crop flow through and allow list managers prepare for change. 'I love the sons playing at their dad's former team and the names live on that those teams, but I think it has got to be changed to get a like-for-like [payment], so if you are a top 10 pick the club has to find an equivalent pick to get you. I think the days of offering up three picks in the thirties for them should change,' Murphy said. With Carlton to recruit Harry Dean (son of 1987 and 1995 premiership Blue Peter) this year, and Cody Walker (son of high-flyer Andrew) next year, the debate is not going away. Loading The Bombers await Koby Bewick (son of Darren), recently named in the under-16 All-Australian team alongside Tevita Rodan, whose dad, David, played 111 games for Port between stints at Richmond and Melbourne. The Power also have Louis Salopek (son of Steven) to look forward to in the 2027 draft. Can the AFL Commission come up with a system that keeps the romance alive, while also living up to their mandate for competitive balance?
The Age
7 hours ago
- The Age
‘One of the best': Dogs' pulsating win draws praise; Bottom-placed Eagles push Crows to the brink
That followed Aaron Naughton kicking the first two goals of the second half to increase the Bulldogs' lead to a match-high 21 points, only for the contest to transform into a tense arm wrestle. Sam Darcy, who otherwise had a mostly quiet afternoon, was part of two integral moments that ensured the Dogs prevailed and remained just one win outside the top eight with two rounds to go. Darcy firstly played on from a mark just outside the Bulldogs' attacking 50 before delivering a magnificent pass to Rhylee West, whose superb checkside finish gave their side the lead for good. But that was not confirmed until the final minute, after Demon Harry Petty's clever tap to teammate Daniel Turner in the goal square saw Melbourne slash the deficit to six points with 52 seconds left. The Demons' upset bid effectively ended with a courageous Darcy mark, where he ran back with the flight before hurdling a pack of players to emerge with the Sherrin, in a moment skin to Nick Riewoldt's famous effort 21 years ago at the SCG. 'It was huge,' Beveridge said of Darcy's final-quarter interventions. 'We changed the ruck situation because of the day that he was having. Things weren't going right. He ended up going into the ruck and sharing some time with Tim ... what do they say? It might not be your day, but it might be your moment. Well, he had a couple of critical moments. 'That was just a sensational mark that he took there.' Only Adelaide and Geelong boast a superior percentage to the Dogs, but they will likely need to win their last two matches, against West Coast then the Dockers, or rely on their rivals above them slipping in the next fortnight. Ed Richards was outstanding in one of the best games of his career. The star midfielder amassed 31 disposals, two goals – both of them in the final term, to regain the lead for the Bulldogs – 17 contested possessions, 15 score involvements and 14 clearances in a performance that should earn him maximum Brownlow Medal votes. Beveridge also hailed fellow on-ballers Marcus Bontempelli (33 disposals) and Tom Liberatore (24), while Naughton finished with at least five goals for the fifth time in his past six games. Melbourne were gallant in defeat, and edged in front with back-to-back goals to Harvey Langford and substitute Blake Howes almost 20 minutes into the final term. Demons captain Max Gawn was a towering presence and thorn in the Bulldogs' side all day. He seems certain to end this season as an eight-time All-Australian. Veteran defender Tom McDonald was another strong performer in a mostly inexperienced Melbourne backline, while Clayton Oliver won 10 of his 27 touches in the last quarter, and Jai Culley enhanced his hopes of gaining a new contract with another eye-catching display. 'I'm really proud of the group, first and foremost. It's been a tough week for everyone, but for the guys to play the way they did, and to be so close, I think it says a lot about this group and the path they're on,' Chaplin said. 'I thought our leaders were fantastic all week, led by 'Gawny' and 'Vines' [Jack Viney], Ed [Langdon] in his 200th, 'Trac' [Christian Petracca] – they've had to deal with a fair bit. 'But to go down against a team that is in really good form and pushing for finals, by a goal – and right in the last minute – I couldn't be prouder of the group. Chaplin, who started the day coaching his son's under-12s Camberwell Sharks team, repeated he did not want to replace Goodwin full-time at the Demons despite harbouring ambitions to be a senior AFL coach. 'I want to be a senior coach [one day]. I really enjoyed it. It's not too different. I mean, you're sitting up there, and you're always in conversations with the assistants in what we can change, but now you're the face of it. 'Every conversation you have with somebody; it could be their most important conversation of the day, and that's really important to me. I've just got to make sure that I keep giving to the rest of the group, and we keep driving the club forward. 'I've had some amazing support this week, and just really want to finish this next two weeks off, and it gives me an opportunity to lead a program and sit in the driver's [seat].' Demon Caleb Windsor suffered a left hamstring injury, while Bulldog Laitham Vandermeer sustained a concussion after falling backwards in an aerial contest with Kysaiah Pickett. Injured Thilthorpe the hero as Crows avoid huge upset AAP Riley Thilthorpe suffered a frightening injury scare before becoming the match winner as Adelaide avoided the upset of the season in a thrilling nine-point win over West Coast at Optus Stadium. Sunday's first versus last battle was meant to be a stroll in the park for the Crows, but West Coast kicked six unanswered goals from late in the first quarter until early in the third to open up a shock 17-point lead in front of 32,845 fans. The Eagles still led by 10 points when Tim Kelly goaled early in the last quarter, but Adelaide kicked the next four to secure the 13.9 (87) to 12.6 (78) victory. It lifted the Crows (16-5) a game clear on top of the ladder ahead of their last two matches against Collingwood and North Melbourne. Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks had his hands on his head on seeing Thilthorpe writhing in pain on the turf after being collected high by a flying Liam Duggan bump in the third quarter. Thilthorpe was left nursing a neck and shoulder injury and went to the bench for an extended medical check. Duggan's high bump is likely to end in a suspension for the Eagles co-captain, who was playing his 200th game. Thilthorpe was able to return later in the term and kicked a goal during a run of four straight majors as Adelaide momentarily settled the ship. West Coast pushed ahead again courtesy of two goals to Liam Ryan late in the third quarter and a major to Kelly early in the fourth. With eight minutes to go, Adelaide were holding on to a one-point lead. Enter Thilthorpe. Giants thump North Melbourne in Canberra mismatch The Giants had 10 days to stew on their shocking and unexpected 88-point defeat to the Western Bulldogs last week - one that not only damaged their premiership credentials, but plunged their finals prospects into mathematical doubt. On Sunday, they achieved the tiniest degree of atonement. Tiny because it was, after all, only against North Melbourne. And they did only what they had to do: win. Do that again – on Saturday, against the Gold Coast Suns – and their spot in the top eight will be secure, assuming they also take care of business in the final round against St Kilda. From a North Melbourne perspective, this performance was even more reason to be sceptical about the Alastair Clarkson project at Arden Street, which doesn't seem to be trending in the right direction, no matter how hard you squint. The final margin of 54 points flatters them. The outcome was never, not once, in any doubt. You might call it an honourable loss for the Kangaroos – 20.13 (133) to 12.7 (79) – but they're sick of those. This was their seventh consecutive defeat, their worst sequence of the year, and with an average deficit of 52 points. From the outset, this game felt like a mismatch. It felt like both teams clocked that pretty early and conducted themselves accordingly. As a contest, it was basically over late in the first quarter, when Cadman kicked the last of four unanswered goals (and their fifth overall, from just 11 inside 50 entries) by Greater Western Sydney, who were playing, for the last time this season, at their home away from home in Canberra. The margin at quarter-time was just 15 points, but there was already the palpable sense that the afternoon was heading in a singular direction. So it proved. The Giants added another four goals in a row to start the second term and stretch the margin to 48 points. Unlike in their last win, the derby against the Swans a fortnight ago, there were no party tricks; it was as if they were conserving energy for tougher battles ahead, which won't have pleased their perfectionist coach Adam Kingsley. Their best remains arguably the best in the competition, but there's a question mark on their consistency, and it won't go away. Their star-studded forward line, in the absence of Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan, did the damage. Callum Brown kicked an equal career-best five goals, rising star Cadman had four (but should have also had five, after being inexplicably run down in the goal square), and returning skipper Toby Greene and dynamite recruit Jake Stringer booted three each. In the middle, hometown lad Tom Green (10 clearances, 14 score involvements, one goal) and Finn Callaghan (31 disposals, nine clearances, one goal) ran the show. The visitors had their moments, sure. On debut, Cooper Trembath was their top-scorer with three goals, delighting the strong contingent of family members who had flown up to Manuka Oval to watch him, and there were occasional flashes of real class from Luke Davies-Uniacke. A few times, the 'Roos enjoyed a little run-on – but those periods were almost tacitly approved by the opposition, who seemed to go through the motions and let it happen.
