Latest news with #LeighMontagna

West Coast coach questions St Kilda legend Leigh Montagna over 'extraordinary' snub

Yahoo

11-08-2025

Sport
Yahoo

West Coast coach questions St Kilda legend Leigh Montagna over 'extraordinary' snub

West Coast coach Andrew McQualter has publicly questioned why Eagles player Reuben Ginbey was snubbed from the AFLPA's 22Under22 squad. And it's former St Kilda teammate Leigh Montagna in his sights. Ginbey has been one of the few shining lights in West Coast's dismal campaign, which will see them take the wooden spoon. The 20-year-old has often been asked to take on their opposition team's best player, and he did so again on Sunday against Riley Thilthorpe of the Adelaide Crows. Ginbey managed to hold Thilthorpe goalless for two-and-a-half quarters on Sunday before the Adelaide key forward kicked three second-half majors to help Adelaide seal a nine-point win and avoid a massive upset. The Eagles youngster has also been exemplary against the likes of Charlie Curnow and Josh Treacy this year. But his stellar form wasn't enough to earn selection in the 40-man squad named by the AFL Players' Association for the best players under the age of 22. St Kilda legend Montagna is the chair of selectors for the 22Under22 squad, with support from the AFLPA and Champion Data. Andrew McQualter questions Reuben Ginbey snub The retired 287-gamer is also a former teammate of McQualter. The pair played together for a number of years at the Saints, including in the drawn 2010 grand final against Collingwood - and their loss in the replay. But it didn't stop McQualter from publicly questioning Ginbey's snub on Sunday. "It was extraordinary he wasn't in that under 22 team," McQualter said after the Eagles' loss to the Crows. "People aren't watching closely enough if he's not in that team. Reubes isn't driven by awards. That's not why he plays the game. He may have been disappointed. I didn't actually ask him, but I just don't think they're watching closely enough for some of the things Reuben's done this year. But we love him on our team. He is just an unbelievable competitor." McQualter revealed Ginbey didn't hesitate when informed he'd be marking Thilthorpe, who stands 11cm taller than the Eagles young gun. "Reubes didn't even flinch," McQualter said. "He's like, 'Yep, no worries', and he prepared himself really well." RELATED: AFL world divided over startling development around James Hird Sad blow for Dermott Brereton and family after brutal scenes AFL fans call out Reuben Ginbey oversight Fans will decide the final 22 for the Under-22 team, with voting closing on Wednesday. The final team will be announced on August 20. Eagles fans were also stunned to learn Gibney hadn't even been selected in the 40-player cut-off. "This was a bad omission by the selectors and Reuben was a gun out there today. He's a keeper," one person wrote on social media. Another wrote: "Just checking Reuben Ginbey is under 22 years old. It's my understanding he is under 22. Baffling omission from the 22under22." While a third added: "Reuben Ginbey pretty stiff to miss the 22 under 22 squad. Been excellent defensively in a one-win team. More deserving than Uwland and Humphries?" Ginbey???? — Shay (@Shay_mie95) August 6, 2025 Ginbey really hammering home how awful his non-selection was again this evening. — Drew Jones (@DrewJonesFOX) August 10, 2025 Crazy that Gibney isn't here. The guy has been a one man army down back. — Snoozing (@Snoozenzzz) August 6, 2025 Where is Reuben Ginbey? Surely this is a joke? — Jane Angel 💙💛🦅 🐾 🏊‍♀️🌹 (@JaneMAngel) August 6, 2025 with AAP

Collingwood's worrying ‘red flags' exposed in horror loss to Hawthorn

News.com.au

07-08-2025

Sport
News.com.au

Collingwood's worrying ‘red flags' exposed in horror loss to Hawthorn

Collingwood's top four hopes are slipping away - despite the club sitting 10 points clear at the top of the ladder only a month ago. In a woeful turnaround, the 'broken' Magpies have fallen to a fourth loss in five games as a number of 'red flags' were exposed in the horror outing. 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? Join now and get your first month for just $1. Thursday night's 64-point defeat at the hands of Hawthorn is the second-worst recorded under McRae - with their worst a 66-point loss also to Sam Mitchell's Hawks just 12 months ago. Statistics show the Pies are averaging just 69 points in their last five games while conceding 39 points from clearance in those losses. The 25 points scored by Hawthorn off Collingwood turnovers on Thursday night is also a third-worst under McRae. 'There's some real concerns with Collingwood,' Fox Footy's Leigh Montagna said. '20 players with 100 games (plus experience) but they looked rudderless really with their leadership and what they were trying to do through the game. 'They couldn't problem solve, they couldn't work out how to stop Hawthorn and how they could challenge themselves.' Collingwood's woes were laid bare in the third term as damning vision showed just how easily Hawk Jai Newcombe was able to stroll inside 50 and convert for his side. 'This is a toasting – a midfield toasting at the moment,' two-time premiership Roo David King said. 'Newcombe just exploded and they couldn't go with him. Look at Newcombe – all by himself, 30 from goal, corridor. 'Not one Collingwood mid responsible for Jai in the hottest of hot spots. 'You can't go with this midfield. 'I'm sorry – but they refuse to defend at the moment ... Right now, they are being absolutely sizzled in the middle.' Montagna warned it was 'starting to unravel' at the Pies late in the season. 'I don't think the midfield mix is right,' he conceded. 'Now that both ends of the ground are sort of falling down, they are just a bit clunky. 'Now it's all starting to look a bit broken. 'They've got a bit of work to do to try and get their system back because there are areas of their game now that are becoming real red flags.' The loss was so brutal, coach Craig McRae issued an immediate apology to Collingwood fans. 'I apologise to our Magpie army - that's a disappointing performance. You can't sugarcoat that,' he said. 'We're hurting. That one really hurt.' AFL great Jason Dunstall said the Pies' 'panic' was ringing alarm bells as the fumbles crept in against the Hawks. 'Your confidence is shot and that's something you've got to get back very quickly,' AFL great Jason Dunstall added. 'You can't just go out and pick it up off the supermarket shelf. 'I don't quite know what has happened … maybe the good teams have just caught up? Maybe just worked them out a little bit, or they've had a few players drop off? I don't know what it is. But they need to discover something quick. 'They look a little bit lost … there's some pow-wows need to be had down there. 'When you look at 139 percent and they've dropped 14.8 – nearly 15% - in the space of five weeks, that's massive. 'When they got that 10 points clear we all sat here and thought, they've prepared beautifully, they can manage their players, pick and choose the way they head to September. All of a sudden they are one of the teams in the top half of the table that have the biggest queries over them just about how well they are going.' Two-time premiership Roo David King accused the Magpies of looking 'rattled' and 'all at sea' with their ball movement. 'Collingwood are now in a flat spin with their defensive 50 work. Which is their best midfield mix? I don't know. There's question marks now. 'We've talked about the heavy reliance on Nick Daicos – you can avoid that answer all you like but it's obvious for all of us to see. 'They've got queries you don't want. 'Over the last eight weeks, they are the easiest team to move the ball coast to coast against. Their back 50 is now a big concern. '(Billy) Frampton looked all at sea. We don't know how Jeremy Howe comes through tonight … how is he long term? '(Darcy) Moore is not the player right now that we had six weeks ago. 'I think they've got real concerns defensively behind the ball.' And it doesn't get any easier for the Magpies who will now take on ladder leaders Adelaide in Adelaide next week.

‘Needs to get out': ‘Embarrassment' theory explains Lynch's ugly punch

News.com.au

30-06-2025

Sport
News.com.au

‘Needs to get out': ‘Embarrassment' theory explains Lynch's ugly punch

The future of under-fire Richmond forward Tom Lynch has been queried, as he awaits suspension for his gruesome hit behind play on Adelaide defender Jordan Butts. Lynch, 32, is expected to receive a punishment that rubs him out of playing any football for at least four weeks — with Fox Sports News' David Zita reporting the AFL will push for a five-week ban. 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 two-time premiership player was hardly sighted against the Crows on Sunday afternoon at the MCG, and failed to register a disposal in the first two-and-a-half quarter with five free kicks against him to his name as his angst increased. Speaking on Fox Footy's AFL 360, St Kilda great Leigh Montagna and host Gerard Whateley dissected the incident which has drawn ugly comparisons in nature to Barry Hall's punch on Brent Staker in 2008, and Andrew Gaff's blow on a young Andrew Brayshaw 10 years later. 'You sense he had the red mist going ... he was already giving away free kicks. I think he'd given away five free kicks before he got a disposal,' Montagna said on Monday night. 'To be fair, I don't think anyone would expect to see what we saw; that caught everyone by surprise. We haven't seen anything like that for years, 2018 might've been the (Andrew) Gaff incident. 'I wonder whether there was a frustration about his own form and how he was playing. Whether there was a sense of embarrassment and frustration that he couldn't touch the footy, and it just got too much for him. Lynch, who has begun preliminary discussions with Richmond for a one-year extension at Punt Road, remains out of contract beyond 2025 at a club continuing to blood a plethora of young talent. Out of the finals race and in the back half of their season, a five-week suspension would leave Lynch available for just three more matches this season. Subsequently, it could force both him and the club to think about life without each other. 'The whole industry needs to do its job here, and that's not to get beguiled by the lawyers. The right level of punishment is a confronting one,' Whateley said. 'Nash gets his four weeks for the round-house on (Gryan) Miers and the ball is there. It's agricultural, the ball is there. This has to be the biggest suspension of the year. 'I also think with Lynch it's an interesting moment. It's highly unlikely he's going to play in the next successful Richmond team ... he's going to have to find a way to manage all this. 'He's going to have to manage this for the remainder of his playing days, and if he can't, he probably needs to get out of it.' Fox Footy expert Jack Riewoldt has previously floated the idea of his former teammate moving back to his former club the Gold Coast Suns and finish his career playing under three-time premiership coach Damien Hardwick. Whichever way his situation is looked at though, Montagna believes his mindset needs to alter quickly if he is to continue mentoring young Tiger talent. 'He has to completely change his mindset ... he can't let the frustrations boil over. He needs to start thinking about the team instead of himself; that is his role in the side now,' Montagna ended by saying. 'Maybe he says, if it's too hard for him, put his hand up and say: 'Maybe I can go to a contender for another year or two' if he thinks he's got it in him. 'He's going to have a lot of work to do on himself ... he's let himself and the team down.'