Latest news with #JasonDunstall
News.com.au
7 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘That's extraordinary': Go home AFL, you're drunk
Football commentators are up in arms over a series of controversial moments during Collingwood's win over the Demons at the MCG on Monday. An incredible confrontation between Melbourne captain Max Gawn and star defender Steven May attracted all the headlines after the traditional King's Birthday blockbuster, but it hasn't stopped the umpires from coming under fire. 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. Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall was left staggered by the whistle-blowers after Collingwood was warded a free kick during an incident where Magpies captain Darcy Moore shoved Jake Melksham to take out the legs of teammate Jeremy Howe. Replays showed Moore had his hands on Melksham's back as the former Essendon player slid under Howe during a marking contest. The furious roar from the crowd said it all. You can watch the incident in the video player above. 'Oh you've got to be kidding me,' Dunstall said in commentary for Fox Footy. 'You got to be kidding me. He got pushed into him. It has to be Melksham's free kick. He just got pushed into Howell by Darcy Moore. That is extraordinary.' Fox Footy commentator Dwayne Russell said: 'That's how the fans saw it in the stands. That's how we all saw it, but the four (umpires) out there are the ones that count'. The decision was widely criticised by fans and commentators. One Melbourne fan wrote on X: 'The AFL has completely lost the plot. The umpiring is terrible. That free against Melksham WTF. And the MRO is a joke. 'I'm not usually a Twitter whinger but enough is enough.' It comes as former St Kilda coach Grant Thomas continued to publicly share his disappointment at the standard of umpiring this year. The 67-year-old said recently the standard of officiating is the worst he has seen. North Melbourne great David King said last month 2025 has been the worst season of officiating he has seen in the game. Kane Cornes also said last month: 'I feel like it's never been worse'. Thomas on Monday night was particularly unhappy with the handling of the special treatment Demons players gave to Collingwood star Nick Daicos. Ed Langdon was given the job of doing a hard tag on the Collingwood ball-winner — and his niggling tactics were clearly working. He held Daicos to just seven disposals in the first half. However, that changed dramatically in the second half when Langdon was penalised multiple times for holding and shoving Daicos during ball-ups. Thomas posted on X during the game: 'What the umpires are allowing Langford to get away with — at stoppages especially — is dreadful and sends a bad message to what's acceptable'. Fox Footy's Leigh Montagna described Langdon's actions as being a 'really old-school' tagger. Demons coach Simon Goodwin said his team had devised the tactic of using Langdon on Daicos weeks ago. The premiership coach was asked bluntly about the clear crackdown on Langdon's niggling tactics in the second half and said: 'It was certainly pretty clear post half-time, early especially, that they were watching some of the holding around the ball. 'I'm not sure what transpired at half-time, but obviously the free kicks were pretty evident early in the third quarter. 'I don't know what transpires in those breaks with the umpires and what they discuss, but hopefully they do it for every player.' Collingwood coach Craig McRae congratulated Langdon on his performance. 'He did a great job,' McRae told AFL 360. 'It's challenging because it's all contest and it's hard to get space. Nick's biggest weapon is when he's running – and Langdon is an elite runner. But we didn't really get the ball into open spaces to allow Nick to be at his best. 'There comes a time when you've just got to do your job and we thought Nick fought it out pretty well in the second half.' Daicos was clearly unsettled by the added physicality Langdon and Demons players dealt out and the Brownlow medal fancy at times let his frustrations show. McRae was honest in his appraisal of the Daicos brothers, Josh and Nick, in his side's thrilling one-point win over Melbourne. 'If one Daicos doesn't get you, the second one will. It's a nice duo, isn't it,' he declared with a smile in his post-match press conference. Josh was named the best player on the ground to take home the Neale Daniher Trophy as his younger brother faced one of the toughest tags in his short career. Daicos found more of the footy in the second half and eventually finished with 19 disposals and a goal. Josh finished as the leading disposal winner on the ground with 34 touches including 545 metres gained.
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Jason Dunstall blows up at umpire blunder
Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall was left shocked by a bizarre incident during Collingwood's win over Melbourne.
News.com.au
04-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
AFL legend goes nuclear over ‘absolutely ridiculous' election issue
AFL legend Jason Dunstall is not happy with the Australian Federal Election. The 60-year-old icon of the game was left airing his grievances surrounding the election in a fiery spray on Friday night. As the entire country prepared for the 2025 election, Dunstall was left seeing red at the state of it all and how ridiculous the spending was from some parties. The 269-game Hawthorn great pointed to the astronomical amount of pamphlets he had received in his letterbox as one of the major issues. 'I've made it known a number of times that I'm not thrilled with the state of our political system or politics in general if I'm brutally honest,' Dunstall said on Triple M. 'Can we start with the bombardment by mail, by text and by email that just continues to come relentlessly. 'Clean out the mailbox and there's four or five envelopes or posters or folded up cards telling you how to vote and who to vote for. 'A couple of days later the same things are there again. It is absolutely ridiculous, we are spending millions of dollars on advertising. Most of the television advertising, all they do is pot the opposition. 'Could they waste any more money? 'What about telling us what you're going to do and how you're going to do it? Less sledging more sales pitch would be a nice start.' Dunstall found himself in the same position as millions of Aussies through the week who needed to get out and vote early due to commitments on Saturday. But like countless others, he found that not only were his options limited … he was greeted with queues as far as the eye could see. 'I wanted to vote earlier this week because I have to work Saturday and I didn't want to be rushing around trying to find a place to vote. 'You talk about all the money they're wasting … how about spending some on early voting centres. 'It's about a tenth of what it was last time. I'm in Southbank and the nearest place I could go to was in North Melbourne, St Kilda and Abbotsford. 'I'm also absolutely pee'd off with the number of people that shove stuff at you telling you how you should vote and asking you how you're voting. Dunstall continued: 'And here's the worst part, if I don't vote I get fined $100. Now let me ask you a question: do we want to force people to vote, should it be compulsory and I want to know why. Do you want the people that don't care and aren't invested in an election to be influencing the decision on who runs the country? 'Why make them vote?' Dunstall admitted he hadn't yet voted and would look around on Saturday morning but if his nearby voting centres were chockers he would instead be taking the fine on the chin. Anthony Albanese is in pole position to win on Saturday — with the majority of polls and the bookies marking him as the strong favourite. But Peter Dutton remains 'absolutely' confident he'll triumph, thanks to the votes of millions of 'quiet' Australians.
