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7NEWS
02-06-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Caroline Wilson slams AFL boss Andrew Dillon for umpiring and free-to-air Saturday lockout response
Caroline Wilson has taken aim at AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon after a tumultuous few months at league headquarters. In his second season in charge of the game, Dillon has had to navigate scathing criticism of the AFL justice and suspensions systems, constant questions around umpiring, the messy departure of longtime executive Tanya Hosch, the backlash at the AFL's decision to remove free-to-air football from Saturdays and, in recent days, the demotion of footy boss Laura Kane. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Caroline Wilson takes aim at AFL boss Andrew Dillon. All the while, Wilson says, Dillon has failed to show the empathy in his communication to fans that they deserve. 'Andrew, the umpiring is in serious trouble at the moment, and a significant section of football lovers feel completely abandoned by the removal of free-to-air football from their Saturday TV screens,' Wilson said on Monday night's episode of The Agenda Setters. 'You should be honestly acknowledging this, and find a way to show supporters how worried you are about it, instead of answering questions by wrote. 'Andrew, show us the empathy that those who know you, know is there. 'Andrew, it's great that you've finally started to walk the walk, but there's no shame in talking the honest talk.' Co-host Craig Hutchison challenged Wilson on the point, arguing he had shown great leadership in the past week at least. 'I disagree with you, Caroline. I think he's had a very good four or five days in making strong decisions,' he said. 'He's been available, he's been accessible, he's done the radio rounds, he's presented himself tonight to us and to others outside AFL House. 'I think that's what you want in a leader, I think you're seeing him visible, you're seeing him make decisions.' Wilson added: 'He won't acknowledge how upset footy fans are about free-to-air on Saturdays, he won't acknowledge how much trouble the umpiring is in — I mean, clubs who never complain are openly lobbying the AFL now.' Hutchison: 'I thought your argument was how he's selling himself, now your argument is the substance behind the sell — which one is it?' Wilson: 'Both! He's walked the walk, I think he's got to talk the talk. He needs to explain that he's acknowledged the problems. 'The elderly, people living in remote areas, people living in the country, Indigenous football fans, fans in New South Wales and Queensland — they're being cheated. They feel cheated from free-to-air football.' The AFL announced on Monday that longtime club CEO Greg Swann — who has led Brisbane since 2014 after previous stints at Carlton and Collingwood — would come in as the league's new boss of football performance, working under Dillon and alongside Kane. Wilson said his presence will take a massive load of the shoulders of Dillon and Kane, who have borne the brunt of the criticism from AFL fans and clubs. 'Greg Swann will be doing so much of the media now,' Wilson said. 'Laura Kane, I think almost one of the nails in her coffin, three weeks before all this happened, she did a series of radio interviews, and with the Herald Sun and The Age, and a lot of it was like AI. 'I think she acknowledged umpiring had a bit of an issue, but Andrew's got to admit that the umpiring is a problem. 'Clubs are now openly saying we've got to go back to three umpires.'
News.com.au
13-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL in meltdown as ‘cover up' exposed before league forced to backflip
The AFL has been accused of a 'cover up' with the league plunged into disarray on the back of previously unheard audio emerging on Tuesday. AFL House is reported to be in crisis with the Lachie Schultz concussion storm taking several twists. The Collingwood star was evidently dazed after an ugly fourth-quarter collision with Fremantle's Jordan Clark during the Magpies' win on Thursday night at Optus Stadium. 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. The small forward struggled to gather himself in the aftermath, even while in the hands of medical staff, but play was allowed to continue as the Pies went forward and kicked a goal. Sixteen seconds of open play elapsed between the collision and Jamie Elliott taking a mark inside the 50m arc with no whistle from the umpires to halt play. Collingwood captain Darcy Moore said after the game 'it didn't feel right' for play to continue. You can listen to the new audio in the video player above. The AFL on Friday released a statement saying the umpires 'did not see the injured player at the time so play continued'. AFL executive general manager of football Laura Kane has now been forced to come forward and admit the information given by the four umpires to AFL general manager of football performance Josh Mahoney was 'inconsistent' with new audio first uncovered by Channel 7's Agenda Setters. The audio, which can be heard in the above video player, showed the umpires were clearly aware of Schultz' condition but allowed play to continue anyway. The umpires running the game were Justin Power, Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer and Martin Rodger. Meredith is one of the most experienced umpires in the game and has overseen 509 games and nine grand finals. The audio shows one of the whistle-blowers said: 'Got an injured player in the middle.' The same umpire then said: 'I'm watching. Let it go. Let it go.' Kane on Tuesday issued a statement to Channel 7 addressing the damning audio clip. 'The statement we released was incorrect, but we were given the wrong information from the umpires. It's inconsistent with the vision,' Kane said. 'They (the umpires) were going off memory and not the vision and we should always look at the vision. 'All the field umpires from the game have all been coached this afternoon that they should have stopped the game. 'Having said that, this is on me. It's the footy department that runs umpiring and that sits with me.' Port Adelaide great turned footy commentator Kane Cornes on Seven said 'those guys (umpires) should not be umpiring for a month'. Cornes said the AFL was 'in crisis' as a result of the new audio. Leading footy reporter Jon Ralph on Tuesday said the AFL was not in a position to be able to say if further action will be taken against the four umpires. 'Laura Kane is extremely disappointed by the umpires,' Jon Ralph said on Fox Footy's Midweek Tackle. 'My question to the AFL tonight is: will those umpires be stood down? 'The league could not provide clarification on that, they are still working through it.' Ralph said: 'The cover up is always bigger than the crime.' There were more twists to emerge on Tuesday night with veteran reporter Caroline Wilson reporting Kane's 'coaching' meeting with the umpires involved was in reality a 'pretty tense meeting'. Wilson said on Agenda Setters the Schultz incident had been 'sickening'. Meanwhile, AFL journalist Tom Morris on Tuesday night told Channel 9's Footy Classified umpires are not happy with Kane's handling of the incident. Morris said he has been told by one umpire: 'A large section of umpires are filthy. They feel they continually get thrown under the bus'. Schultz will miss at least Collingwood's Round 10 clash with Adelaide as he progresses through concussion protocols.
