Latest news with #LukeHodge
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Kane Cornes apologises for ‘misleading' AFL umpire comments
A controversial footy analyst has apologised after a quartet of top-level AFL umpires contemplated legal action against three Channel 7 stars after being 'falsely accused of lying and misleading the AFL'. Comments from former AFL players Kane Cornes, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge regarding the umpires' handling of Lachie Schultz' Round 9 concussion were at the centre of the potential legal proceedings. 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 remarks were made on May 13 during The Agenda Setters program and were subsequently promoted online. On Thursday night, Cornes apologised via his radio platform SEN. The other two are expected to apologise on TV over the weekend. 'On May 14th edition of SEN Sportsday I accused field umpires who were officiating that round nine match between Fremantle and Collingwood of misleading the AFL and that they had not seen the incident in which Collingwood's Lachie Schultz suffered a concussion,' Cornes said. 'I made some of those comments having seen two initial statements made by the AFL with regards to the matter on Friday May 9th, and then also on Tuesday May the 13th. And further comments after seeing the additional statement made by the AFL, readdressing their initial statements. 'Now in light of the additional statement, which made it clear that the umpires had not misled the AFL, I acknowledge that the allegations made by me on this show were false and I withdraw them. 'I understand the umpires truthfully told the AFL that they saw the incident and did not mislead the AFL. So I unreservedly apologise to Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer, Justin Power and Martin Roger for making these false allegations.' Meredith, Fleer, Power and Rodger were the officiating umpires in the clash between Fremantle and Collingwood, in which Schultz was concussed during the final quarter. After the Magpies forward collided with Docker Jordan Clark, a notable amount of time passed before play was stopped to allow trainers to safely remove the forward from the field of play. The handling of the incident led to conflicting interpretations between the AFL and the officiating team. The league initially stated that the umpires had not seen the injured player and therefore didn't stop play. However, broadcast footage and accompanying umpire audio, aired by Seven, included one official stating: 'Got an injured player in the middle. I'm watching. We are OK. We are OK.' An umpire was then soon heard telling a player: 'We can only stop the play if the ball is coming near or if they instruct us to.' This was in direct contrast to the AFL's statement the day after the clash in Perth, which 'the umpires did not see the injured player at the time, so play continued'. The umpires were then accused of providing deceitful information to the league, but were later cleared of any wrongdoing as the league cited a miscommunication within the umpiring division. The AFL's error left the umpiring quartet susceptible to a mountain of backlash, inclusive of the Channel 7 personalities. 'It (the consideration of legal action) all stems from comments from three weeks ago, and the umpires remain filthy,' Morris reported on Nine's news bulletin, before elaborating later on Footy Classified with a statement from AFL Umpires Association chief executive Rob Kerr. 'The four umpires involved in the Schultz debacle three weeks ago … are considering taking legal action against Kane Cornes, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge for comments that they made on (Seven) on May 13.' Speaking on Triple M, Thomas said, as of Wednesday morning, that he 'hadn't received any formal documents from anyone'. He added: 'While I am aware of the statement that's been made and the report, I honestly can't say anything more until more information or anything else is brought to light. 'Unfortunately I can't give any greater insight to it, but that's as much as I can say.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
AFL umpires could take legal action against Channel Seven stars over one of the most controversial incidents of the season
The AFL is facing fresh turmoil with the umpires at the centre of the Lachie Schultz concussion incident considering legal action against footy greats turned Channel Seven stars Kane Cornes, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge over their comments on the scandal. Collingwood's Schultz was left dazed after a brutal head clash with Fremantle's Jordan Clark on May 8, triggering immediate concern from players and medics. Despite Schultz throwing up his arms in a classic 'fencing' concussion response and struggling to get to his feet, the game continued for almost 20 seconds. Multiple medical staff attended to Schultz as he staggered to the bench, but umpires failed to stop the game. The AFL initially claimed the umpires did not see the injured player and allowed play to go on. Laura Kane, the AFL's football operations boss at the time, then came forward to say information that the umpires had given was 'inconsistent' with audio uncovered by Seven's Agenda Setters show. The audio appeared to reveal that the umpires were aware that Schultz was hurt, but chose not to intervene. This led to Seven stars Kane Cornes, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge criticising the umpires. The league finally cleared the umpires, revealing a miscommunication between AFL House and the umpires. On Tuesday, Nine's Tom Morris reported that the AFL Umpires Association has confirmed that the four officials in control of the match - Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer, Justin Power and Martin Rodger - have been given legal advice. 'The umpires involved in the Fremantle vs Collingwood game have been advised as to their legal rights in relation to some of the commentary that followed the Lachlan Schultz concussion issue,' AFL Umpires Association chief executive boss Rob Kerr said in a statement provided to Morris. 'Being falsely accused of lying and misleading the AFL goes beyond simply questioning the management of the actual incident. 'Public commentary that casts aspersions on an individual's integrity and professional competence, particularly when that is core to the role they perform, harms their personal and professional standing and it is reasonable to consider how that can be rectified.' Morris told 9News Melbourne that the umpires are 'filthy' with Seven's footy experts. 'I can tell you that umpires Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer, Justin Power and Martin Rodger are considering taking legal action against Luke Hodge, Dale Thomas and Kane Cornes,' he said. 'The umpires remain furious that Hodge, Thomas and Cornes made comments heavily criticising them on Channel 7 on May 13.' Kane has not apologised to the umpires in question, but has admitted that the processes failed. 'Today we have determined there was a miscommunication from members of the umpiring department, not the field umpires, which formed the basis of our initial public statement on Friday,' Kane said. 'Those team members have been counselled and reminded of the importance of ensuring our process is fully followed regarding these types of incidents and in this instance it was not. 'I have asked GM Football Performance Josh Mahoney to review these processes to ensure the right information is communicated and to ensure this does not happen again. 'Everyone, including our umpires are aligned in ensuring the health and safety of players continues to be the utmost priority and the AFL has been in regular contact with the AFLUA today.'
News.com.au
03-06-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Umpires weighing up taking legal action against Ch 7 personalities
Four AFL umpires are reportedly weighing up legal action against Kane Cornes, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge in the wake of Lachie Schultz's concussion saga. The four men in control of the contest that took place at Optus Stadium on May 8 have explored their legal rights regarding comments made by the Channel 7 trio over their handling of the incident. 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. Collingwood's Schultz was left concussed during the club's round nine clash against Fremantle at Optus Stadium on May 8. The 27-year-old was evidently dazed after an ugly fourth-quarter collision with Fremantle's Jordan Clark as play continued to unfold. A day after match the AFL released a statement saying the umpires 'did not see the injured player at the time so play continued'. AFL executive general manager of football Laura Kane was then forced to come forward and admit the information given by the umpires was 'inconsistent' with new audio first uncovered by Channel 7's Agenda Setters. The audio, which can be heard in the above video player, appeared to show the umpires were aware of Schultz' condition. The three former AFL stars, turned media personalities, were largely critical of the umpires involved after hearing the audio during a show that went to air on May 13. The saga took a fresh twist however only days later when the AFL issued a third statement which noted a miscommunication between the umpiring department and AFL House was to blame for the initial statement. Weeks later the story is now back in the spotlight with the four umpires considering taking legal action against the Channel 7 trio, according to Nine's Tom Morris. 'They are filthy. Not at the AFL, but at three of the most high profile experts in the game,' Morris told 9News Melbourne. 'I can tell you that umpires Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer, Justin Power and Martin Rodger are considering taking legal action against Luke Hodge, Dale Thomas and Kane Cornes. 'The umpires remain furious that Hodge, Thomas and Cornes made comments heavily criticising them on Channel 7 on May 13. 'I've spoken to Rob Kerr, who is the umpires' association boss. 'He confirmed in a statement to 9News that Meredith, Fleer, Power and Rogers were weighing up their legal options.' contacted Channel 7 who responded with: 'no official comment at this stage'. The move comes after Morris said on Channel 9's Footy Classified on May 13 that the umpires were not happy with Kane's handling of the incident. Morris said he has been told by one umpire: 'A large section of umpires are filthy. They feel they continually get thrown under the bus'. Kane ultimately admitted the AFL got it wrong with their first statement and said the miscommunication had come from the umpiring department, not the field umpires. 'Our process in determining what happened Thursday night failed and for that we take full responsibility,' Kane said. 'Today we have determined there was a miscommunication from members of the umpiring department, not the field umpires, which formed the basis of our initial public statement on Friday. 'Those team members have been counselled and reminded of the importance of ensuring our process is fully followed regarding these types of incidents and in this instance it was not. 'I have asked GM Football Performance Josh Mahoney to review these processes to ensure the right information is communicated and to ensure this does not happen again. 'Everyone, including our umpires are aligned in ensuring the health and safety of players continues to be the utmost priority and the AFL has been in regular contact with the AFLUA today.'
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Devastated': Frenzy over AFL legend's son comes to the surface
Luke Hodge has been grilled as intrigue continues to swirl surrounding the future of 16-year-old son Cooper. The Hawthorn premiership-winning captain was put on the spot on Tuesday night by the Channel 7 Agenda Setters panel when asked to indicate which football club his rising star son would like to play for. 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 situation has bubbled behind the scenes over the past two years with Cooper's talent seeing him branded a future AFL player at the age of 15. The Year 11 student is only eligible to register for the 2026 AFL Draft. The drama came to the surface on Tuesday night when the 40-year-old Hawks champ was asked about his son's links with Hawthorn as a possible father-son draft selection — and his son's links with the Brisbane Lions as a product of the Queensland club's junior academy. Hodge finished his distinguished career with two final seasons at the Lions before his retirement in 2019. He moved into a leadership role at the club after hanging up his boots. However, he will always be best remembered for the four premierships he won with the Hawks. It's why Cooper's future has captured so much attention — despite the 2026 Draft still more than 15 months away. Veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson on Tuesday told Hodge the Hawks would potentially be 'devastated' if Cooper registered for the Draft categorised as a Next Generation Academy (NGA) prospect — something that would give the Lions first rights to select Cooper. You can watch the exchange in the video player above. NGA selections and father-son prospects have been widely criticised across the competition in recent years with suggestions from some AFL greats that the national draft has become compromised. With all that swirling in the background, Hodge on Tuesday night insisted the family is not feeling any pressure to make a decision. When asked for his 'gut feel', Hodge responded: 'I couldn't tell you. He's still 13-15 months away'. Wilson said she would 'wager' that the Hawks would be 'devastated' if Cooper chose Brisbane ahead of the 2026 draft, but Hodge disagreed. 'That's not what they've told us,' he said. 'So they have said, and we've had the same from both Brisbane and Hawthorn, that they just want to see him develop and achieve his goal.' He went on to say: 'There's no way he would have developed as he has in the last 12 months if it wasn't for the Lions academy. 'But then on the flip side, Hawthorn have also been great. They've had him down to the club a number of times.' Agenda Setters co-host Kane Cornes seemed staggered that Hodge believed there was no pressure coming from either club. Cooper has continued to attract attention this year with his performances for the Brisbane Lions Academy in the Coates Talent League. A talent scout earlier this month told Fox Footy Hodge's options to nominate for both clubs was 'not a bad choice to have, considering where both teams are at right now.' Cooper has been on a trajectory to play elite football ever since he was named in the under-15 All-Australian team. Hodge has repeatedly been asked about the drama, but has done his best to avoid questions about it. 'My response to all that is, 'He's a 15-year-old kid'. He's 15, he just wants to play football, he likes football, so much can happen in three years,' he told SEN in 2023. 'So much can happen in three years. He's developed in 12 months.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Behind the scenes': New details emerge in sad situation around Cyril Rioli
Days after Cyril Rioli and former teammate Luke Hodge were seen catching up during Hawthorn's game in Darwin there are claims the club's president is working overtime for a get-together with the Hawks great. The AFL community was extremely happy to see Hawthorn greats Hodge and Rioli share a brief encounter during last Thursday's game. Rioli declined an invitation to attend Hawthorn's training session on Wednesday in Darwin where he lives, and is still largely estranged from the club due to allegations of racism. But he did make a surprise appearance at the game on Thursday night between the Suns and Hawks. Rioli was spotted in the crowd with wife Shannyn, who were there to watch Rioli's cousins Daniel Rioli and Ben Long. The 2015 Norm Smith medallist was spotted clapping when Gold Coast scored a goal, and wasn't wearing any Hawthorn gear. A chat with Hodge delighted the AFL community after the former Hawks captain recently revealed he hadn't been able to contact Rioli for a number of years. And following the good news that surrounded their meeting, AFL reporter Tom Morris claimed Hawthorn president Andy Gowers is working behind the scenes to bring some of the former players together after recent events. "There was some great vision the other night of Cyril Rioli, the the four-time premiership champion catching up with his old captain and teammate Luke Hodge," Morris said on Channel 9's Footy Furnace. "There is some positivity that has evolved over the last few weeks regarding Hawthorn and Cyril Rioli. I am not saying that a reunion is imminent. "What I am saying, is there is work being done behind the scenes that has people quite positive that there could be some sort of get-together between Rioli and the club at some stage in the not to distance future." Hawthorn president Andy Gowers has been working exceptionally hard to bring everyone - including Cyril Rioli - back to the club. Still a way to go, but there is cautious optimism things are moving in the right direction. @9NewsMelb — Tom Morris (@tommorris32) May 18, 2025 Speaking to Channel 7 after catching up with Rioli, Hodge was thrilled to have seen his former teammate and admitted it had been a while since the pair got together. "I hadn't seen him since about 2018," Hodge told Channel 7. "I saw Mark Evans (Gold Coast SEO) talking to him so I just wanted to go over and say g'day. It was good. He's looking great and had a smile on his face. He said his cousin was flying out there running across the halfback line. It was great to see him and Shannyn over there." This is quite the development considering Hodge had previously mentioned he'd tried multiple times to get into contact with Rioli to no avail. It came after Rioli chose not to attend Hawthorn's centenary celebrations at the MCG. Rioli was one of a number of people who levelled allegations of racism against the club, which resulted in an out-of-court settlement last year. There was no determination of fault, but Hawthorn issued an apology. Rioli still hasn't been back at the club properly, but his attendance at Thursday night's game marked an important step in many people's eyes. Former teammate Jordan Lewis said on Fox Footy: 'Geez he was a good player. If you ever saw Cyril one out on the wing, you would just kick it in his direction. We would love to have seen a lot more of him." Fellow premiership teammate Shaun Burgoyne said: 'It is a great thing Cyril being back at the footy. As a Hawthorn great, Hawthorn people love seeing him involved. 'Getting back to the footy is the first step for him. We'll get him to enjoy watching Hawthorn play again. I'm not sure if it is on behalf of Hawthorn that he is here or if it is on his own accord ... but the fans still love him and it is good to see him back here watching the footy.'
