Magpies star to notch 3731-day first
The duo are among five key returns to football as Collingwood's assault on the final month of the home-and-away season gets a boost, with Billy Frampton also coming back through the VFL, while Dan Houston and Tim Membrey will be named to take on Richmond in the AFL on Sunday.
The Magpies will also get a look at a potential future star, with Tom McGuane, the son of former premiership hero Mick, also set to play in the VFL game.
It will be De Goey's first VFL game in more than a decade as he plots his path back to the AFL team having played only five games in 2025 and none since round 9 because of an achilles issue.
He was also put on concussion protocols after a training clash with teammate Brayden Maynard delayed his return. Jordan De Goey playing VFL football in 2015. Kylie Else Credit: News Corp Australia
Norm Smith Medallist Hill hasn't played at AFL level since round 16, having taken time away for the club to deal with personal issues as well as battling illness.
The presence of the duo at Kinetic Stadium in Frankston, with the AFL team not playing until Sunday, could ensure a monster crowd at the suburban venue.
De Goey in particular, is the most intriguing watch in that game after the matchwinner has endured a wretched run with injury this year.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae says there's 'always an element of risk' with a player returning from injury, but he is confident in De Goey's power of work.
'We're excited for what that looks like, (De Goey has) been out for I don't even know how many weeks,' he said.
'Bobby Hill will play a game in the VFL as well … it will be great to have those two players for our club.
'There's always an element of risk with all things but, based on the last three weeks of training, (De Goey) looks really fit and strong.
'It's opportunity to get out and play, particularly for Bobby, he's had a bit of stuff going on, to see him smile.
'It might be hard down at Frankston on the Hill … they've got bongos going on, it's actually really enjoyable. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.
'Billy will play in the VFL as well … we could train him another week but we thought let's just get him in the VFL for some minutes. There will be a cast of thousands down at Frankston.'
The Magpies face Richmond on Sunday after suffering successive losses for the first time in 2025.
Collingwood's Darcy Moore had an uncharacteristically poor game against Fremantle last Sunday, losing his battle with Docker Patrick Voss.
McRae spoke to Moore about his performance earlier this week and expects to see a response from the captain.
'I had a good chat to Darcy earlier in the week, the six goals weren't only on him. We have a team system we like to think supports him,' he said.
'But there's opportunities to get better and maybe that's a platform they'll show now, if you sort of isolate Darcy a little bit.
'We want a leader defending the ground a bit better than he did at times on the weekend, we won't shy away from that.'
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The Advertiser
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- The Advertiser
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Hardwick admitted Davies' selection was partly a horses for courses approach against a Lions midfield that had overpowered his own in recent outings. "The definition of insanity is … we didn't want to be having the same conversation if we lost the same way," he said, having also recalled Jy Farrar and Nick Holman. "It's taken me a bit of time to understand what that looks like against Brisbane. "They all stood up ... he's (Davies) only starting to understand what he may be and get an understanding of where he can end up." With the Suns now on the cusp of a maiden finals campaign - and potentially a top-four finish - Davies may be cottoning on to what's possible quicker than Hardwick realises. "A win like that ... it's pretty big and beating Brisbane, it's a big challenge," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Richmond. "If we can do that .. we can go anywhere." Admitting his sleep's "been sucking" during the Tour de France, Alex Davies sheepishly felt like a domestique in his AFL return for Gold Coast. A fan of Tadej Pogacar, who claimed a fourth Tour title on Sunday, the big-bodied Davies insists he can be the footballing equivalent of the Slovenian star and win his own ball. The 23-year-old's 30 touches and 10 tackles in the Suns' historic 66-point defeat of the Brisbane Lions on Saturday showed that. But it was the 191cm midfielder's work on Josh Dunkley - designed to free Suns star Matt Rowell - that he was picked for. And Davies delivered as a footballing domestique - French for servant - as best-on-ground Rowell finished with 37 touches, 15 clearances and 12 tackles. "Domestique," Davies offered with a laugh, when asked if he felt like a Suns hit-man or bodyguard. "My sleep's been so bad, been sucking (while watching the Tour). "But yeh, a big body ... helping Rowelly. But I can get my own footy ... 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Hardwick admitted Davies' selection was partly a horses for courses approach against a Lions midfield that had overpowered his own in recent outings. "The definition of insanity is … we didn't want to be having the same conversation if we lost the same way," he said, having also recalled Jy Farrar and Nick Holman. "It's taken me a bit of time to understand what that looks like against Brisbane. "They all stood up ... he's (Davies) only starting to understand what he may be and get an understanding of where he can end up." With the Suns now on the cusp of a maiden finals campaign - and potentially a top-four finish - Davies may be cottoning on to what's possible quicker than Hardwick realises. "A win like that ... it's pretty big and beating Brisbane, it's a big challenge," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Richmond. "If we can do that .. we can go anywhere." Admitting his sleep's "been sucking" during the Tour de France, Alex Davies sheepishly felt like a domestique in his AFL return for Gold Coast. A fan of Tadej Pogacar, who claimed a fourth Tour title on Sunday, the big-bodied Davies insists he can be the footballing equivalent of the Slovenian star and win his own ball. The 23-year-old's 30 touches and 10 tackles in the Suns' historic 66-point defeat of the Brisbane Lions on Saturday showed that. But it was the 191cm midfielder's work on Josh Dunkley - designed to free Suns star Matt Rowell - that he was picked for. And Davies delivered as a footballing domestique - French for servant - as best-on-ground Rowell finished with 37 touches, 15 clearances and 12 tackles. "Domestique," Davies offered with a laugh, when asked if he felt like a Suns hit-man or bodyguard. "My sleep's been so bad, been sucking (while watching the Tour). "But yeh, a big body ... helping Rowelly. But I can get my own footy ... I can play my own game; I know what I can do." Davies played just seven AFL games in Hardwick's first year at the club in 2024 and had to settle for VFL domination this season until getting the call-up on Saturday. The Suns' midfield is stacked with Rowell, injured Touk Miller and captain Noah Anderson well supported by Bailey Humphrey and emerging trio Will Graham, Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers. Contracted until the end of next season, Davies said he was "shocked" to read reports last week that he was open to an earlier move to a rival club for greater opportunities. But, while insistent he was settled and happy at Carrara, the Cairns product didn't deny it. "All my mates sent it to me and I was like, 'What's going on?'," he said of the report. "The job at hand is getting to finals because it's a special opportunity we have right now and all I'm thinking about." Hardwick admitted Davies' selection was partly a horses for courses approach against a Lions midfield that had overpowered his own in recent outings. "The definition of insanity is … we didn't want to be having the same conversation if we lost the same way," he said, having also recalled Jy Farrar and Nick Holman. "It's taken me a bit of time to understand what that looks like against Brisbane. "They all stood up ... he's (Davies) only starting to understand what he may be and get an understanding of where he can end up." With the Suns now on the cusp of a maiden finals campaign - and potentially a top-four finish - Davies may be cottoning on to what's possible quicker than Hardwick realises. "A win like that ... it's pretty big and beating Brisbane, it's a big challenge," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Richmond. "If we can do that .. we can go anywhere."
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3 hours ago
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'Domestique' embraces grunt work in Suns' tour de force
Admitting his sleep's "been sucking" during the Tour de France, Alex Davies sheepishly felt like a domestique in his AFL return for Gold Coast. A fan of Tadej Pogacar, who claimed a fourth Tour title on Sunday, the big-bodied Davies insists he can be the footballing equivalent of the Slovenian star and win his own ball. The 23-year-old's 30 touches and 10 tackles in the Suns' historic 66-point defeat of the Brisbane Lions on Saturday showed that. But it was the 191cm midfielder's work on Josh Dunkley - designed to free Suns star Matt Rowell - that he was picked for. And Davies delivered as a footballing domestique - French for servant - as best-on-ground Rowell finished with 37 touches, 15 clearances and 12 tackles. "Domestique," Davies offered with a laugh, when asked if he felt like a Suns hit-man or bodyguard. "My sleep's been so bad, been sucking (while watching the Tour). "But yeh, a big body ... helping Rowelly. But I can get my own footy ... I can play my own game; I know what I can do." Davies played just seven AFL games in Hardwick's first year at the club in 2024 and had to settle for VFL domination this season until getting the call-up on Saturday. The Suns' midfield is stacked with Rowell, injured Touk Miller and captain Noah Anderson well supported by Bailey Humphrey and emerging trio Will Graham, Leo Lombard and Jake Rogers. Contracted until the end of next season, Davies said he was "shocked" to read reports last week that he was open to an earlier move to a rival club for greater opportunities. But, while insistent he was settled and happy at Carrara, the Cairns product didn't deny it. "All my mates sent it to me and I was like, 'What's going on?'," he said of the report. "The job at hand is getting to finals because it's a special opportunity we have right now and all I'm thinking about." Hardwick admitted Davies' selection was partly a horses for courses approach against a Lions midfield that had overpowered his own in recent outings. "The definition of insanity is … we didn't want to be having the same conversation if we lost the same way," he said, having also recalled Jy Farrar and Nick Holman. "It's taken me a bit of time to understand what that looks like against Brisbane. "They all stood up ... he's (Davies) only starting to understand what he may be and get an understanding of where he can end up." With the Suns now on the cusp of a maiden finals campaign - and potentially a top-four finish - Davies may be cottoning on to what's possible quicker than Hardwick realises. "A win like that ... it's pretty big and beating Brisbane, it's a big challenge," he said ahead of Saturday's clash with Richmond. "If we can do that .. we can go anywhere."
News.com.au
13 hours ago
- News.com.au
Roos' identity crisis amid Clarko question as ‘sickening' loss lays bare failed draft trade gamble
Questions continue to be asked of North Melbourne's on-field identity after a 'sickening' 101-point loss to Geelong on Saturday night amid more evidence of a failed draft gamble. The Kangaroos finished a staggering -41 for inside-50s, -10 for clearances, -16 for contested possessions, and -18 for marks inside 50 on a night they couldn't come close to halving the territory battle nor begin to contain the Cats' purring forward line, with superstar Jeremy Cameron running riot for 11 majors. It was North Melbourne's 14th-straight defeat at the hands of Geelong and its fifth-straight loss as it remains with a measly four wins to its name for the season. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. 'For North Melbourne fans, that would've been a sickening watch; incredibly frustrating. You feel sorry for the Kangaroos fans, who have watched this for six years,' the Herald Sun's Jay Clark told Fox Footy's Super Saturday Live post-match coverage. Dual All-Australian and two-time Kangaroos premiership player David King pondered the machinations of the club's game plan and lamented its inability to adequately defend. 'This (the North Melbourne rooms) would be an awful place to be, at the moment. It's a tough one, because when you watch them play, it's kind of difficult to work out what they're trying to execute,' he began. 'Are they handballing when the options are available, and then run and gun? Or is it take territory and get numbers to drop of ball? Is it a mix of both? I don't know what they're doing defensively; that's just not working at all — 40 (Geelong) scores tonight.' The Cats scored 27 times from 58 intercepts on Saturday night, exemplifying the ease of which they were able to transition and punish the Roos on the counter. 'They just smashed them; they walked through them. The amount of times Jeremy Cameron was out the back by himself, and it'd be uncontested possession, uncontested possession, goal,' King continued. 'I'd love to ask Alastair Clarkson 'what are you trying to achieve?' Show us what it should look like, and then we can at least enjoy the ride. Because we just go from week to week and not see it. We have seen it in patches throughout the year, but we're not seeing it now. 'I know the ruckman's (Tristan Xerri) not there, I know Nick Larkey's not there, but that shouldn't have as big an effect as what it does on their ability to stop the opposition moving the ball full length of the ground.' Patrick Dangerfield was tactically substituted out of the game, his 200th for Geelong, and the sight of the veteran sitting on the bench munching on a kebab while the game was still going on would have rubbed salt into the wound for North fans. Serious questions continue to be asked of the Roos' direction under Alastair Clarkson in the third year of the four-time premiership coach's reign, with the club benefitting from top picks for the better part of the past six years. In 55 games under Clarkson, North Melbourne is 10-44-1. The club has finished 17th on the ladder in consecutive seasons and currently sits 17th with four games left to go this season. Asked when the pressure on Clarkson genuinely gets turned up, King answered: 'It's a great question; it's hard to answer. I think you have a blind faith in the club that the decision-makers will get it right. 'Words are cheap; it's really hard to just listen to the same conversation over and over and over. It's a tough place to be, there's no doubt about that ... third year in, a penny for his thoughts, is he able to do what he once thought he could do with this group? Are there any doubts there? 'You walk off the ground tonight, you have to doubt your own plan. You've got (Jack) Darling, (Luke) Parker and (Caleb) Daniel to the club to try and stiffen up with a bit of seniority; that doesn't look like it's working as well as it probably should.' North Melbourne fielded eight former top-12 draft picks against Geelong, as King declared the club's issues didn't revolve around an absence of talented players. 'It's not a talent issue; it's a system problem,' he said. 'You can be really brutal and say 'it's coaching', right, but it's also performance of that system. 'Where's the disconnect? Are the players not understanding? Are they not prepared to work hard enough to ensure the system works? I think they're good enough, and I don't think they're that young that they can't compete defensively. That's not really a talent issue. 'I'm the same as all those people in the room and all those watching on, I don't understand the system, because I see so many flaws in it, so many holes in it. 'I don't see it; it's not consistent enough to say 'this is their identifiable brand'. And I think when you see 150 points against, I think even they'd say 'you wouldn't be able to see it tonight'.' Speaking post-game on Saturday night, Clarkson, who lamented glaringly obvious deficiencies in contest, clearance and territory, made it a point to highlight the discrepancy in experience between the sides. 'The Geelong forward line versus the North Melbourne backline, just see the void that sits there in terms of just experience and exposure,' he said. 'And I don't want to make excuses for our players, but it's where we're at, though. 'And we're giving these young players some exposure and opportunity, and in our back end in particular, we're going to be left very, very vulnerable down there against a formidable forward line if we couldn't control the middle of the ground as well as we'd like. And Geelong was too good in that space.' The Roos fielded the second-youngest team in the competition in Round 20, with eight-game key defender Wil Dawson among those in royal blue and white tortured by Cameron and the Cats, who licked their lips each time they entered forward 50. 'Everyone will look at win-loss and all that sort of stuff, and making progress — and even if it is just win-loss, we have made some progress,' said Clarkson in his press conference. 'But we've had three performances that were well below our best, which (were) the Carlton game in Round 6 here, the Hawthorn game about a month ago down in Tassie, and tonight. 'But outside of that, we've been much more competitive than what we were last year, winning more quarters and being in more games at three-quarter-time than we had last year.' But while Clarkson continues to preach that non-linear progress continues to be made at Arden Street, the Roos' list management's choice to trade away the club's first-round pick this year has come back to bite hard. Last November, North Melbourne — banking on a significant uptick this season — traded its future first-round pick to Richmond to secure the No.27 selection, key-position utility Matt Whitlock, who has played just one senior game in his debut season. That future choice is currently slated to wind up as the second overall pick. Injecting young talent isn't as urgent for the Roos as it has been in previous seasons, but given the stagnancy of this season, it's premium draft capital they'd absolutely love to have this off-season. 'I think they thought they would be further progressed, because they did trade that pick away,' Clark said on Fox Footy. 'Would they have traded that No.2 pick away if they thought they were going to finish second-last on the ladder? No way. They thought they would be up the ladder; they thought they would improve, that's why they gave that pick away. 'So, it tells you that they thought they would be better than they're at; that's really clear.' The Roos are currently slated to make their first draft choice this November at No.20, holding a pair of picks at the top of the second round.
