Latest news with #Dillon
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 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.'
Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Hollyoaks future teased for Lucas and Dillon - but there's 'conflict' ahead
Hollyoaks fans want Lucas Hay and Dillon Ray, known as HayRay, to get together permanently and have a future on the Channel 4 soap, and now the stars playing them have dropped hints Fans hoping for a HayRay reunion on Hollyoaks could be in luck according to the stars playing the pair. Lucas Hay and Dillon Ray have been on and off for a while now, and every time it seems like they're back together something gets in the way. At a time where both characters are facing traumatic events in their lives, fans are hoping the pair will lean on each other and get through it all. But will HayRay, as they are known to adoring fans, finally get their romance back on track and be together? Cast members Nathaniel Dass and Oscar Curtis spoke exclusively to The Mirror about the big scenes ahead that could see the pair finally happy. While Lucas actor Oscar joked it may be short-lived, he did say he was sure there was happier times ahead for the on/off couple. With fans sure they are meant to be together, Dillon star Nathaniel teased there would be a "storm brewing" and "conflict" ahead, but that it could be the moment the pair get things on track. Of course we requested to speak to the pair together, with them agreeing it was a must. Speaking at the British Soap Awards 2025, they initially remained coy over whether HayRay were back. Nathaniel said: "We can't tell you that," with Oscar jibing: "You'd ruin the fun." Nathaniel then explained: "The beauty of Lucas and Dillon is you don't know. It's amazing when we are together and it's crushing when we're not, and I think thats' fun. "We can't say what happens and what doesn't but we know it's exciting." Oscar went on: "There's always something brewing, there's always a storm. The fans want the calm but the storm is always fun, and it makes it work." On the couple being so on and off, Nathaniel told us: "It's the ups and the downs as well. When one character is up the other one is down, and when you think one character's ready for a relationship, the other one's not. That's where the chaos works and where it shows, and it's hard as they are completely different characters and so they're never on the same page." On whether there is a future for HayRay, Oscar teased: "I'm sure there will be." Nathaniel then shared: "Let's hope so. It will be lovely to see, even if it's only for a little bit," as Oscar joked: "Yeah, at least two weeks." Joking aside, Oscar and Nathaniel are keen to see their characters reconcile for good and make their relationship work. Nathaniel said: "We had it for a little bit and hopefully can get back to that." Oscar has been keeping an eye on the fan reaction too, before feeding back to his co-star about what fans are saying. He told us: "I'm on social media every day. If I see something I don't like I'm like, 'never mind'." Nathaniel said it was "nice to hear the positive stuff" fans share about the couple. With that Oscar declared: "Hashtag HayRay," with his pal adding: "HayRay forever." Oscar then revealed "conflict" would be ahead on the show with Dillon agreeing, but both stars confirmed fans will see the characters together a lot more, no doubt sparking hopes the pair will finally make it work. Nathaniel told us: "There's conflict but there's a lot more. As characters we haven't spent a lot of time on screen together but you are definitely gonna see a lot more of us together after this. "There's the calming down and processing of what's happened, and then you'll see a lot more of them." Oscar concluded: "Let's put it this way, HayRay might be back for now."
West Australian
a day ago
- Automotive
- West Australian
Katanning local Dillon Clay wins agricultural and off-road category in inaugural tyre fitter of year awards
Katanning local Dillon Clay has been named Australia's top agricultural tyre fitter, taking out the agricultural and off-road category in the inaugural Tyre Fitter of the Year awards. Mr Clay was born and raised in the Great Southern town and has worked at Katanning's CGS Tyres for more than 10 years. He was presented the national award at a ceremony on May 22 after winning the State award. 'I was pretty stoked to win both the State and national awards, it was a bit of a surprise but always nice to have that recognition,' Mr Clay said. 'I think everyone, no matter what they do, likes to be recognised for the hard work they put in, and it's great for everyone that does work hard in this job that we can be recognised with these awards now.' Australian Tyre Traders' WA Sales Manager Daniel Trevaskis presented Mr Clay with his award at the Katanning ceremony, and said the win was 'absolutely deserved'. 'What truly sets Dillon apart is that he's more than a tyre fitter, he's a trusted adviser to the local farming and industrial community,' he said. 'Choosing the right tyre for the right application is critical, particularly in agriculture where the wrong fit can affect crop yields, machinery performance and operating costs. 'Dillon's years of experience, combined with his technical knowledge, mean many customers simply ask for 'whatever Dillon recommends' and that level of trust speaks volumes.' Mr Trevaskis said Mr Clay was also known for his warm and friendly attitude. 'His customers describe him as 'funny and very helpful' with many visiting the store just to have a yarn,' he said. 'His ability to build long-term customer relationships, offer tailored advice, and deliver results quickly and safely, all with a zero-incident safety record, and this when combined made him a clear standout among the national finalists.' Mr Trevaskis said the awards were designed to recognise the hard work and skill of the 'often overlooked' tyre fitters across the country, and the impact they have on keeping national industries including freight, agriculture, and construction on the move. 'Regional tyre fitters are the unsung backbone of Australia's heavy industries,' he said. 'In areas like Katanning, they are relied upon to keep everything from tractors and harvesters to freight trucks and construction machinery operating safely and efficiently. 'Without them, vital work in agriculture, construction, logistics and more would come to a standstill.'
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
GAA starlet pays touching tribute to Dillon Quirke who will ‘inspire Tipperary for years to come' after All-Ireland win
TIPPERARY captain Sam O'Farrell dedicated their All-Ireland U20 hurling title to Dillon Quirke. The Advertisement 2 Tipperary won the All-Ireland U20 hurling title Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile 2 Captain Sam O'Farrell dedicated it to Dillon Quirke Credit: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile Captain Sam O'Farrell used a section of his victory speech to pay tribute to Dillon Quirke, who The Tipp skipper said: "On happy occasions like this, there's always some sadness when we think of the people who are no longer with us to celebrate this victory. "There's one man in particular I want to mention, who wherever Tipperary hurling teams play will never be forgotten. "That man is Dillon Quirke. Advertisement Read More on GAA "An All-Ireland winner at under-21 level in 2018. For the blue and gold, he always played with pride, determination, courage and skill. "And it is those qualities that we wanted to bring here today and represent the Tipperary jersey as Dillon did when he played. "Dillon will continue to inspire Tipperary hurlers for many years to come." Quirke's memory had also been Advertisement Most read in Sport Live Blog It came ten years after their last one in 2015, when Quirke was part of the team. And Tipperary GAA star 'had to do live apology on RTE' the day after cursing during All-Ireland interview - He said: 'We won here in 2015, Ronan Teehan was the captain. Dillon Quirke was corner-back the same day. "There is a whole load of the lads sitting in Sydney at the moment in a pub having a barbeque celebrating, they couldn't get home, they're working. Advertisement "There's lads all around the world. But Dillon couldn't be there. 'I didn't want to say anything to any of the boys all week, I put on his jersey from 2015 underneath my own today. "I wanted him here. He helped us. He was something else. "He is such a loss to Clonoulty, the school, everything. I didn't want to burden the boys with anything about emotion. Advertisement "We had a picture inside in the dressing-room of Dillon. We don't kind of allude to it or mention it but the boys know who he is. 'It's for us and the staff and the people involved. Evelyn Heffernan works with us and two of her boys Enda and Ronan were playing in 2015, best of friends with Dillon. 'You just knew coming down there was something bigger happening. "Just delighted to think of Dillon and to remember him on the day because he lived for Harty and just loved that medal so much." Advertisement GOOD CAUSE In the wake of Dillon's untimely death, his dad set up the Dillon Quirke Foundation to help screen young people for cardiac issues. And speaking back in January, he believes his son's passing can He told The Irish Sun: 'I've heard dozens of stories from parents that ring to say, 'we're obviously very sad about what happened to you and your family, but you've now saved our child'. 'And so, what better story could one have to hear? To hear that is tremendous for us. Advertisement 'It's a big solace to me personally because we're doing so much with the foundation.'
Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Now that the bloodletting has begun, this is who Andrew Dillon must hire as his No.2
Having started his long-overdue shake-up of the game's head office – but certainly not ended it – Andrew Dillon's next move must be to do everything in his power to convince Tom Harley to leave Sydney to serve as his wingman and unofficial successor. Harley answers so many questions the clubs are asking of the AFL. They are bickering among themselves and behaving in some obvious cases like bad sports. But they are united in their call for some clear, decisive leadership and a better understanding of their woes from Dillon and his team. Harley is the person to further unite them and, should he perform as well as he has in all his previous football challenges, he would immediately create for AFL CEO Dillon a leadership succession plan for which headquarters is crying out. Dillon and his just-demoted football boss Laura Kane, along with the spin team, continue to point to how good the game is and how big the crowds are. But the AFLW is bleeding and needs a major overhaul, and the game's judiciary at every level, starting with umpiring, needs new and better leadership. And frankly it's just insulting for Dillon to point to big profits and a record surplus when coaches feel so disrespected and their football department staff are so overworked. This may not have affected the quality of the on-field game, but the football cost cuts have come at the expense of high-maintenance and troubled players and Indigenous footballers struggling to acclimatise away from home. The angst around the northern academies says many things about the competition, but most specifically it shows that when the clubs throw their weight and expertise around on game development, they do a far better job of it than the AFL. Two weeks ago this columnist stated that Dillon must not waste the crisis he and his executive were facing. He should be applauded for taking charge and finally reaching a relatively painless settlement with Tanya Hosch, and recognising that Kane – as the game's football boss – had taken on far too much responsibility. Now he must move on to other departments, such as game development and human resources, that are crying out for an overhaul. Removing key football responsibilities such as umpiring, player movement, the MRO and the game's laws from Kane was always going to be highly sensitive given how strongly Dillon backed her in the face of some unconscious bias from the clubs. But Kane had become too remote with some key staff and alienated too many experienced football bosses who claimed she was difficult to communicate with at times.
