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Perth Now
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Hawks face huge tests as Dons, Eagles battle injuries
KEY STORYLINES TO WATCH FOR IN ROUND 12 OF THE AFL SEASON HAWTHORN FACE DEFINING PERIOD The 'Hollywood Hawks' were premiership favourites after starting the year 4-0, but the hype has dwindled following four defeats in their past seven games. After losing to reigning premier Brisbane, Hawthorn have more tough matches to come against Collingwood, the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide in a stretch that will shape their season. BOMBERS FACE TALL ORDER Already dealing with four season-ending injuries, and important talls Jordan Ridley and Harry Jones being sidelined long-term, Essendon lost Kyle Langford and Zach Reid against Richmond. Brad Scott and his coaching team will have to make some significant shifts in their line-up ahead of a tough trip to Brisbane on Thursday night. CAVALRY COMING FOR HIGH-FLYING MAGPIES After showcasing their depth and ironclad system - and the talent of the Daicos brothers - with a last-quarter demolition of North Melbourne, Collingwood are set to regain players for their match against Hawthorn. Darcy Moore (shoulder), Lachie Schultz (concussion), Jordan De Goey (achilles), Scott Pendlebury (illness), Bobby Hill (personal reasons) and Steele Sidebottom (back) are all chances to be available, but Brayden Maynard (foot) is set for a stint on the sidelines. BLUES SET FOR SOME SOUL SEARCHING Michael Voss isn't ready to give up on Carlton's finals hopes but concedes there's plenty of work ahead for a team that takes a disappointing 4-7 record to its mid-season bye. The Blues, who had lofty ambitions of ending a 30-year premiership drought this season, face an unenviable task to turn their campaign around. ARE WEST COAST DESTINED FOR THE SPOON? West Coast forward Jake Waterman could miss the rest of the season after his shoulder popped out in Sunday's 66-point loss to Adelaide. And with Jeremy McGovern's future in doubt due to concussion, the last-placed Eagles are without their two All-Australians from last year and facing an almighty task against Geelong on Sunday. HAVE FREMANTLE REGAINED THEIR MOJO? The Dockers made it two victories in succession with a 49-point thrashing of Port Adelaide in the wet, with Luke Jackson playing a match-winning role in the ruck. Fremantle's midfield has risen to a new level on the back of Jackson's dominance, but they'll face a huge test against the Suns' star-studded on-ball division at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
7NEWS
13-05-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Melbourne accused of ‘favourable treatment' to Clayton Olvier and Christian Petracca at expense of group
Melbourne have been accused of 'pandering' to Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver to the detriment of their teammates. That's the view of Channel 7 commentators Kane Cornes and Nick Riewoldt, who were both in agreeance on The Agenda Setters. Petracca and Oliver were both subjected to intense trade speculation at the end of last season before ultimately staying with the club. The Demons rebuilt the fractured relationships by focusing on spreading the love throughout the pre-season, a message that coach Simon Goodwin has continued to preach throughout the year. 'I've never seen a club and a coach pander to two players like Melbourne have done from the start of the year,' Cornes said on The Agenda Setters. 'I understand all the questions are directed to Simon Goodwin about Petracca and Oliver. 'You know the way you answer that? 'There's 44 players on our list, not two, and I've spoken a lot about how much we rate and respect Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, but this is a team game'. 'I've never ever seen Chris Scott do that and speak about Bailey Smith repeatedly since day one of pre-season to the point where he is pumping him up for a tagging role. 'It's just amazing how much they have tried to pump these two guys up from day one. It's love and it's all this. What about the other players in the side? What about the players that give absolutely everything?' Oliver missed the Round 8 win over West Coast due to personal issues, but returned to the field against Hawthorn in a surprise tagging role. The gun midfielder, who signed a massive contract until 2030, has failed to reach the heights that took him to four best and fairest awards, three All-Australians and two AFLCA Player of the Year Awards. 'Their investment for the output, it's just not a good return on your investment of $1.3m. If he's not getting All-Australian every two out of three years, if he's not getting 30 and 10 clearances,' Cornes continued. Host Craig Hutchison interjected, saying, 'the role of the day required him to do that (tagging).' But Cornes wasn't having it. 'I understand but that's once again pandering to him,' he said. 'If he's not in the side to be a 10-clearance per game, 30-possession player, he goes back to the VFL and finds the footy 40 times to get himself back in the ball. 'That's what you would do if he's Tom Sparrow. If that's Tom Sparrow out of form, he goes back to the VFL, gets himself 30 and comes back to the team in great form. They are just finding a way to cover once again for Clayton Oliver.' Fellow panellist Caroline Wilson was 'shocked' by Cornes' take, given Oliver's much-publicised mental health issues. 'I'm shocked by that view. I'm shocked,' she said. 'But in the context of everything Clayton Oliver has been through, and he didn't play a week ago ... it's not a football issue. 'It's a much wider issue than a football issue and Simon Goodwin is trying something different. 'He's not going to do it for the rest of the year, or maybe he will. If he thinks this is a good thing for Clayton Oliver — he knows Clayton Oliver's problems more than you do.' Riewoldt said that it wasn't about that, it was about the praising of Oliver. 'I think it's more the gushing over the role. OK so you went out and played a role. I think it's the gushing about it,' he said. 'I understand where Clayton's coming from. I understand that. He made the mature decision to take the week off because he was struggling, applaud that absolutely. 'But from a pure football perspective, yes more at play, this is an issue for Melbourne and this is going to be an issue for them ongoing if he's not able to transcend being a tagger.' The St Kilda champion added that the 'pandering' might be creating a negative environment at the club. 'The way they've pandered to Petracca and Oliver, a player who shopped himself around and wanted to get out, and a player who they were also trying to shop,' he said. 'I think the overcorrection has meant that there's been a ripple through the rest of the group, these guys are put up on a pedestal and these players are given favourable treatment at the expense of the group. 'It's very tough to be in an environment like that and then preach team collectiveness, equal playing field, integrity of selection, all of those things at the same time.'
7NEWS
24-04-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Luke Beveridge drops Liam Jones for Western Bulldogs' clash with GWS Giants
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has dropped a selection bombshell ahead of his team's huge clash with the GWS Giants on Saturday night. Beveridge, who is not afraid to make wild calls at the selection table, has dumped the team's key defender Liam Jones. 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary confirmed the stunning decision on Thursday. The news comes as the GWS Giants welcomed back star forward and reigning Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan from a calf injury. Hogan was sorely missed in the Giants' low-scoring affair against Adelaide, with the Giants only kicking one goal in the opening half before losing by 18 points in wet conditions. Last year Beveridge raised eyebrows when he dropped midfielder Jack Macrae, and clever defender Caleb Daniel. Both those players (former All-Australians) left the club at the end of the season. Fans were also up in arms when he used Bailey Dale as a sub in Round 5. 198cm defender Jedd Busslinger has been named to make his AFL debut for the Bulldogs. Busslinger was the No.13 draft pick in 2022, but had two shoulder reconstructions in his draft year. He starred in the VFL on Sunday with 32 disposals and eight marks.
