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The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Callan Ward turning heartbreak into inspiration sums up all that is wonderful about AFL
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon would have to rank among the most wooden media performers I have seen or heard. Many in the industry speak highly of him and his ability to distil and diffuse, the sort of operator every leader wants by their side. But he is no frontman. Last week, he did the radio rounds justifying the latest executive shakeup. As always, it sounded like he was reading off well-thumbed, suggested speaking notes. Look, he droned; crowds, ratings and revenue are all up – we're doing so much right! It was an AI response to a very human sport. The best of Australian rules football can't be explained in media releases, or in org charts, or in SEN Fireball Friday hot takes. The best of this sport can be found at the grassroots level, or on hall of fame night, or in thousands of little moments around the country each weekend. One of those occurred late on Saturday afternoon, in front of bugger all people, in a part of the country where footy hasn't yet taken hold. The best of the sport was probably the worst moment of Callan Ward's career. The GWS Giants inaugural co-captain lay on a massage table, sobbing. Lachie Whitfield, a teammate of 13 years, crouched down to Ward's level, hugged him, and kissed him on the cheek. Sentimental slop, you may say, and it is to a degree. But in an industry of grind and grift, it was a tender, human moment that said a lot about both the injured player and his club. When Ward first went to Greater Western Sydney, some saw him as a traitor. He had grown up in Melbourne's inner west, the son of a man who played VFA for Yarraville and the grandson of a former South Melbourne captain. He was booed by Western Bulldogs supporters when he was still playing for them. The Herald Sun devoted its front page to the story, under the headline 'Money Rules', with a photo of Ward's mother Kerri and his three sisters holding a framed photo of their brother in action for the Bulldogs. Don't blame Callan, his mum said. Blame the AFL. 'The days of the one-club player are really dying out, particularly when you have clubs being set up like this where they come along and offer ludicrous amounts of money to play football.' Inspirational. Despite his injury, Cal Ward fires up his team before the final term.#AFLGiantsTigers But Ward was no cheque collector, no mercenary and no flight risk. There was a swagger, a competitiveness and a camaraderie at the Giants that was distinct from what the Gold Coast cultivated. No one personified that refusal to yield more than Ward. Even when they were being trounced by 20 goals, they'd be mouthing off, putting their heads over the ball, and rallying around one another. Yes, plenty of players left to return to their home state, but they never had the player drain of the Suns, especially among their leaders. There were a lot of flashy, preternaturally talented players on that list. But Ward was a proper footballer. He didn't do many interviews, didn't rant or rave, and was a completely different personality to his co-captain Phil Davis. But he was the sort of leader people were drawn to and rallied around. He was rarely out of the top half dozen players. He was a reliable big game performer. He excelled in the often brutal Sydney derbies. But there was more to his game than a headfirst bulldozer. Martial artists often speak of 'heavy hips and light feet' and Ward had the ability to get down low, to evenly distribute his weight over the ball, and accelerate out of a stoppage. Ward has had some rotten luck. He played in five losing preliminary finals, and several of them could have gone either way. In the 2016 preliminary final, one of the best games of this era, his head collided with Zaine Cordy's knee and he was left twitching on the turf. He wrecked his knee early in the 2019 season, the only year the Giants have played off in a grand final. Late in last year's qualifying final, another classic, he charged through a stoppage, split a pair of Swans and banana kicked a goal to put them up by two majors. But the Giants lost that game and coughed up a seven-goal lead to eventual premiers Brisbane a week later, putting Ward's retirement plans on hold. He's been a remote footballer this year, living in separate states to his wife and his three gloriously named sons, Romeo, Ralfie, and Rex. Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion There have been better and more talented footballers than Callan Ward. There have been footballers with more accolades, blazers, votes and medallions. There have been footballers who racked up bigger numbers, who looked better on a stats sheet. But there aren't many footballers who've been more admired, or meant more to a single club. His injury and his three-quarter time address summed up everything that is hard and wonderful and meaningful about the sport. They were moments where football spoke for itself, where nothing needed to be defended, or sold, or spun.
West Australian
29-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
West Australian young gun Darcy Jones signs two-year contract extension with GWS Giants
West Australian rising star Darcy Jones has signed a two-year contract extension with Greater Western Sydney, tying him to the club until the end of 2028. The Swan Districts product has emerged as one of the best young talents in the AFL in recent years, with his blistering pace, agility and forward craft having an instant impact at the top level. Affectionately dubbed 'the kid with the lid', Jones has quickly become a cult figure at the Giants, sporting an eye-catching orange and charcoal helmet across his 24 games so far. After an ACL injury in the pre-season wiped out his debut campaign, the former first-round pick burst on the scene in round seven last year with a brilliant debut and hasn't taken a backward step. The 21-year-old has continued to improve this season, including a career-high 24 disposals and two-goals against West Coast. Giants footy boss Jason McCartney said the club was thrilled to lock Jones, who was already contracted for next season, in for the next few years. 'Darcy is the kind of player that excites fans and energises a team,' McCartney said. 'To come back from a serious knee injury and have the impact he did in his debut season speaks volumes about his character, work ethic, and natural talent, and we're thrilled to have him locked in for at least the next three seasons. 'His pace and his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and others around goal are real weapons and we're excited about what he can produce for us over the coming years as part of a really dynamic forward line.'
Perth Now
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
‘Kid with the lid' signs two-year extension with GWS
West Australian rising star Darcy Jones has signed a two-year contract extension with Greater Western Sydney, tying him to the club until the end of 2028. The Swan Districts product has emerged as one of the best young talents in the AFL in recent years, with his blistering pace, agility and forward craft having an instant impact at the top level. Affectionately dubbed 'the kid with the lid', Jones has quickly become a cult figure at the Giants, sporting an eye-catching orange and charcoal helmet across his 24 games so far. After an ACL injury in the pre-season wiped out his debut campaign, the former first-round pick burst on the scene in round seven last year with a brilliant debut and hasn't taken a backward step. Darcy Jones. Credit: Matt King/AFL Photos / via Getty Images The 21-year-old has continued to improve this season, including a career-high 24 disposals and two-goals against West Coast. Giants footy boss Jason McCartney said the club was thrilled to lock Jones, who was already contracted for next season, in for the next few years. 'Darcy is the kind of player that excites fans and energises a team,' McCartney said. 'To come back from a serious knee injury and have the impact he did in his debut season speaks volumes about his character, work ethic, and natural talent, and we're thrilled to have him locked in for at least the next three seasons. 'His pace and his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and others around goal are real weapons and we're excited about what he can produce for us over the coming years as part of a really dynamic forward line.'
News.com.au
26-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Coniglio: ‘I woke up and couldn't walk!'
AFL: Greater Western Sydney Giants' Stephen Coniglio speaks about his nerve injury and says he still doesn't have a return date.
West Australian
20-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
CRAIG O'DONOGHUE: Essendon Bombers need to move on from the idea James Hird is always the answer
The obsession with James Hird returning to coach Essendon is one of the most misguided and dumbest things in footy. Even putting the supplements scandal aside, why would any club appoint a man as coach when he hasn't been working in the industry full-time? Hird hasn't been a Head Coach since 2015 and he's barely spent any time working at a club since. He spent a short period helping former teammate Mark McVeigh at Greater Western Sydney in 2022. Hird is also supporting Port Melbourne coach Brendan McCartney this season. But he's not the coach. Hird has done nothing in the last decade to prove that he can coach, yet some people around Essendon (particularly former president Paul Little) think he's the answer to every problem. Hird coached Essendon 85 times and won 41 of those matches. Brad Scott has currently coached Essendon 55 times and had 27 wins. It's not like Hird had a record that makes him a stand out. There have been more than 20 coaching changes since Hird left Essendon. If he's so good, why haven't other clubs tried to get him on board. Why isn't Tasmania targeting him to lead their entry to the AFL? The crazy part about this latest move is that Hird isn't even the one pushing this agenda. Yes, there was a time when Hird wanted the job. He was interviewed for the position when Scott was appointed. But even he was shocked by the latest news. 'I nearly fell off the couch when I heard it,' Hird said when asked about the push for him to return. Hird was a star. He won a Brownlow Medal, a Norm Smith Medal, five best and fairests and is a five-time All-Australian. Hird made the ball sing. But the reality is Hird's legacy at Essendon and in football was tarnished by the supplements scandal. That entire saga showed the dangers of appointing coaches who don't have experience. Hird was hand picked to coach the Bombers and made key mistakes which Essendon still haven't recovered from. Bringing him back would only bring those problems back to the surface and that's the last thing the club needs. The Bombers need stability. Since Kevin Sheedy finished up at the end of 2007 they've been led by Matthew Knights, Hird, Mark Thompson, Hird again after he completed a suspension, John Worsfold, Ben Rutten and now Scott. Instability destroys clubs. If Little truly cares about the club succeeding, he needs to understand that he's part of the problem. Essendon hasn't won a final since 2004. That means a generation of kids have grown up being told they support a massive club but are yet to actually see anything that even resembles success. Many of those people aren't old enough to remember Hird as a player and they'd barely remember him as a coach. Those people will have kids of their own soon and will be responsible for handing on the legacy of being a Bombers fan. That's the club's future. I've been an Essendon fan for more than 40 years. Here's what the club needs to do. Recruit well. Develop those players. Stop looking for short term solutions. Tell the agitators in the background to shut up and get out of the way. James Hird isn't the answer. It's time to move on. Actually, it was time to move on a decade ago.
