Latest news with #NickRiewoldt
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Footy legend Nick Riewoldt slams the AFL for being TOO WOKE to take action over the most powerful woman in the game
Footy legend Nick Riewoldt has taken aim at the AFL for not demoting executive general manager of football Laura Kane sooner, labelling them 'social justice warriors'. The AFL announced last week that Kane's AFL football operations role will be split into two roles, with the 34-year-old no longer overseeing key football areas. Kane has become a lightning rod for criticism this season over issues such as the Willie Rioli saga, the standard of umpiring and AFL miscommunication around what happened when Collingwood player Lachie Schultz was concussed in a game against Fremantle. A separate head of football performance role is now being created . Kane will continue to oversee the AFL and AFLW, plus the VFL and VFLW and a newly formed medical and healthcare team that will oversee areas including mental health and concussion. It was confirmed on Monday that Lions chief executive officer Greg Swann will take on the role as the head of football performance. Riewoldt said Swann's arrival is long overdue. 'If the AFL weren't so consumed with being social justice warriors, Laura Kane would have been moved aside 12 months ago,' he said on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters on Monday night. 'It is (a win) now. Either the role was too big, or she was the wrong person (for the job).' AFL chief Andrew Dillon insists there's nothing personal in the demotion of Kane. 'It was a big, big role,' Dillon told SEN radio on Friday. 'Decisions affect people but they're not personal. 'It's actually about what's the right thing for the AFL, not just for now, because the AFL's in an incredible position at the moment. ' ... We have now got a structure that actually allows us to continue to be successful for the next three to five years and that was the thinking.' In a separate interview on ABC Radio, Dillon rejected the notion that unconscious gender bias was a factor in Kane's dealings with clubs and subsequent demotion. 'It's not a gender thing,' he said. 'Laura has broken down a lot of barriers. She is an incredibly talented administrator.' Swann, who has been involved in club administration for more than 25 years, will oversee hot issues including the match review system, umpiring and laws of the game. 'I'm leaving to go the AFL to head up footy, I suppose, in the simplest terms,' Swann said when he confirmed his appointment to Lions colleagues. Lions coach Chris Fagan said Swann would be a major boost for the AFL. 'I'm really pleased for Swanny, it will be great for the game,' he said. 'He's one of those composed, calm and experienced people. We're obviously sad to lose him ... but things don't last forever. 'ln this instance, it will be a great win for the AFL. 'He'll help bring another angle to decision making that perhaps hasn't been there in recent times.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The unique meaning behind two tiny details on footy heartthrob Bailey Smith's uniform
Geelong star Bailey Smith has opened up about the unique messages he writes on his footy boots before games, offering an insight into the Brownlow Medal favourite's mindset. Smith, known for his style on and off the pitch, captured the attention of Channel 7's Brian Taylor before Sunday's match against West Coast. 'This man here, Bailey Smith, he's talking the talk, but he's walking the walk to go with it,' Taylor said as the camera zoomed in to the midfielder's boots. 'Have a look at that: 'spartan' and 'take souls'. 'Take souls' - I've done a bit of investigating - has sort of a loose meaning, but it means you're so incredible at what you do that it forces other people to respect you, that's what 'take souls' means. 'That's a man full of confidence.' Footy legend Nick Riewoldt chimed in: 'Oh yeah, absolutely - and he's backing it up. 'One of the best players in the competition at the moment.' Smith was interviewed after the match and explained that he's been writing on his boots for a while. 'I just write on them every week, so nothing new,' he told Seven. 'Just (to) keep me in the present, keep me in the moment, that's about it.' The star midfielder racked up a season-high 38 disposals and Jeremy Cameron kicked four final-quarter goals as Geelong avoided a major boilover in a 43-point win over West Coast at Optus Stadium. The Cats led by just seven points early in the final quarter of Sunday night's match, and Eagles forward Noah Long had the chance to close the margin to one point with his 35m set shot. But Long's miss proved costly, with Geelong kicking seven of the next eight goals to secure the 17.14 (116) to 11.7 (73) win. Cameron was restricted to one goal across the first three quarters under the tight attention of Reuben Ginbey, but the star forward exploded late to blow out the margin. Smith tallied five clearances, one goal and 834m gained to go with his 38 disposals. He already had 25 disposals to his name by halftime before a tight tag from Brady Hough slowed him somewhat. Max Holmes (27 disposals, seven clearances) was also influential for Geelong, who improved their season record to 8-4. 'He just kept getting the ball early,' Geelong coach Chris Scott said of Smith. 'I thought he and Holmes were really penetrating.'
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
AFL players are taught to conquer their fears but some need saving from themselves
Three of the best marks I've ever seen on a footy field were from players sprinting back with the flight of the ball. If I was trying to explain the appeal of the sport to someone who'd never seen it, I'd show them the marks of Mark Harvey, Nick Riewoldt and Jonathan Brown. But why? I'd probably mumble something about courage and commitment and any of the other cliches peddled by coaches and commentators. The truth is there is something visceral about an act like that, a sort of car crash fascination that gets us out of our seats even more than a screamer or a close game. It's a young man's act. Young men will do silly things under orders and out of fear of embarrassment. One of the first things you notice about older footballers, at least when the prefrontal cortex fully develops, is the different way they assess risk. Even Harvey, as reckless and as fearless a footballer to play the game, had a measure of restraint and self-preservation in his later years. It's worth remembering who these men played under. Harvey was a Kevin Sheedy player through and through. Leigh Matthews later told Brown, 'Toughness is keeping your eyes on the ball when you don't know where the pressure is coming from – you conquered your fear'. Riewoldt played under Grant Thomas, who now brings his unique joie de vivre to the Twittersphere, but who as a coach would rewind videotapes and pause on players who had pulled out of a contest. Writing about this for The Age, former Hawthorn forward Tim Boyle quoted one of Riewoldt's teammates, Matt Maguire. 'You had to be courageous,' Maguire said. 'How you played was a reflection of who you were as a person. If you went hard for the ball and didn't deviate you were a trustworthy, reliable person. If you didn't, you felt that you weren't.' On the weekend, Darcy Byrne-Jones presumably had one thought in his head – 'gotta go'. It was pouring rain, his Port Adelaide teammate had overcooked the kick and the defender turned forward ran blindly into Alex Pearce. In handing the Fremantle captain a three-week suspension, the AFL sought to tighten the parameters around duty of care. To the rest of the competition and to footballers of all abilities, ages, and genders, they were saying, 'you have to approach a contest differently to what you have in the past'. We needed this to be tested at the tribunal. And throwing the case out was the right decision. There is very little more that Pearce could have done. It was a good example of how difficult it is for players to exercise their duty of care, and the futility of lawyers neatly summarising football incidents and legislating change. A better way to avoid these incidents would be to crack down on what Byrne-Jones did. I'm not suggesting he was in any way culpable. The poor bugger did what every junior footballer has been taught and encouraged to do for decades, and he was rewarded with a bout of concussion. But by running back with the flight of the ball, he put Pearce and more importantly, himself, in an impossible position. We've moved well beyond the days of Gary Ablett Sr mowing down John Gastev. In 1.7 seconds, Pearce had to factor in a range of variables – a wet ball, an errant kick, a captain's responsibility to lead by example and a rough idea of 'duty of care' that is almost impossible to define, let alone fulfil. All this happened in the backdrop of an interview from former Adelaide and Collingwood player Paul Seedsman on the ABC. The 33-year-old compared his ongoing concussion symptoms to that of having a stroke. Some days he can't lift his arms and legs or get out of bed. It's worth remembering interviews like that each time the AFL cracks down on dangerous acts and we shake our fists and bemoan a game gone woke. Acts we have valorised for decades now need to be umpired out of the game. As the parameters tighten around head-high tackles and bumps, footballers have changed their techniques, their footwork, the way they gird their torsos, and the way they process risk. The next step would be that the person running at the ball has the right to that space, rather than the person running back with the flight. It would require a rule change and a shift from the people who play, umpire, coach, commentate and support the game. It would make the sport less gladiatorial. But in effect, much like the AFL's concussion panel, it would be saving the players from themselves. The Cats' favourable fixture across the rest of the season includes six matches at their fortress at GMHBA Stadium as they chase a sixth top-four finish in the past seven years. If anything, Gary Ablett's achievements at Gold Coast surpassed his career at Geelong. Here was a club with no history, no pulse, poor facilities and few fans. He played alongside rugby league players, time-servers and cheque collectors. They were allocated the worst time slots. Every week, there would be someone hanging off him for four quarters. And every week, he was excellent. In 2014, the Suns were actually going OK. They were 8-6 and on track to play finals for the first time. But when Ablett's shoulder was wrenched out of its socket by Collingwood's Brent Macaffer, it was the portent of a lost decade to come. Gold Coast won the game but fell in a heap thereafter. Ablett ended up polling 22 Brownlow Medal votes from his 14 games. 'I apologised for probably costing him the Brownlow,' Macaffer later said. He may as well have apologised to the entire Gold Coast franchise. The Gold Coast defender played under Lyon when they were both at Fremantle but has little interest in the St Kilda coach's jibe that the Suns are the AFL's 'nepo baby'. 'It was a pretty shitty time, because you're not playing. The media are good at times, but I suppose my teammates ended up sort of resenting me with all the talk of me moving.' Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories after newsletter promotion Bailey Smith opens up on his mental health struggles and the toll an impending move from Western Bulldogs to Geelong took on him, while speaking on the Real Stuff podcast. What is the highest place Gold Coast have finished on the ladder? Bonus point if you know the year. Answers in next week's newsletter, but if you think you know it, hit reply and let me know! Last week's answer: Which club has won the most Dreamtime at the 'G clashes? Richmond has won 12 of the 21 matches while Essendon last week clinched its ninth victory in the annual blockbuster. Congratulations to Michael Gregory, who was first to reply with the right answer. Melbourne's muscular missile Kysaiah Pickett has sparked the Demons' revival since his return from suspension and lit up the MCG in a huge win over the Swans. Experts urge the AFL to go beyond a mental health round, Jack Snape reports, amid calls for more player voices to be used to better reach the community. Reply to this email and drop me a line, or email fromthepocket@ Have a friend who might? Forward this to them, or tell them how to get it.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Might get overlooked': Nick Riewoldt's actions come to light after Cornes incident
Nick Riewoldt has been praised for de-escalating a situation between Kane Cornes and Luke Beveridge on Thursday night, after the pair had a verbal exchange before Geelong's win over the Western Bulldogs. And some are calling for the AFL to sanction Cornes after the incident threatened to boil over into something much worse. Cornes was preparing for his commentary duties with Channel 7 on Thursday night when Bulldogs coach Beveridge walked past him on ground level at GMHBA Stadium. Cornes and Beveridge then exchanged words, and Cornes could be seen moving towards the coach before Beveridge walked away. Cornes is currently banned from the Bulldogs' dressing rooms over constant criticism he's levelled at Beveridge, which the club believes has become personal. He also blasted the Dogs for their handling or Marcus Bontempelli's recent injury, accusing them of not being honest with when the skipper would return. Beveridge clearly isn't a fan of the former Port Adelaide player-turned-media member, and Cornes moved to explain what happened before first bounce. Cornes said Beveridge was "staring at me quite strongly", so he said "G'day Bevo". He added: "There was a confrontation, there were some words spoken. But he's combative, and they do like to protect their club and their players. I don't have an issue with it, it's a big game of footy. Clearly the relationship between myself and the Western Bulldogs isn't a strong one." "I didn't really know what to say, so I just said, 'G'day, Bevo' and it wasn't received that well as you can see in the vision. I would have liked to go on with the conversation and have it respectfully, but it wasn't the time or the place." Beveridge refused to elaborate after the game, which the Cats won 20.7 (127) to 16.17 (113). "Ultimately, we come in here and we talk about the game," the coach said in his presser. "That's all we're after, isn't it? If you're trying to drum up any controversy, I don't think there was any. I've really got nothing to say." Some have suggested the AFL should hit Cornes with some sort of sanction. The fact he started walking towards Beveridge during the incident meant it could have escalated into something even uglier, while Cornes' Channel 7 colleague Riewoldt has been praised for his attempts to calm Cornes down. Riewoldt could be seen saying "Kane" on numerous occasions, and started walking towards his colleague in case he needed to pull him back. One person wrote on social media about the St Kilda champion: "What might get overlooked here is Riewoldt showing once a leader, always a leader. He straight away called Cornes back away from the situation. Good man." RELATED: Teammates' move for Nick Daicos that could be bad news for rivals AFL world gutted over heartbreaking news about West Coast hero The incident with Beveridge comes after North Melbourne placed a ban on Cornes and now refuse to deal with him over constant attacks on some of their players. Speaking on Fox Footy, leading reporter Jon Ralph suggested the AFL needs to step in and remind Cornes of his responsibilities. 'Cornes was already banned from the Dogs' rooms after a series of negative articles and comments in regards to Beveridge," he said. "The club believes it's personal – called him a 'poor ambassador for his football club', called for his sacking repeatedly. 'People around the situation felt like Cornes stepped into his space and they're thankful that Beveridge walked on. The question here is whether this is deliberately disrespectful and antagonistic, whether it was the time and the space for Cornes to talk to Beveridge." David King, who works with Cornes on SEN radio, said: 'This is what Kane does. This is his schtick, this is what he does – and I think there are no winners. Tonight there are no winners. It makes two intelligent people look really foolish.' While Leigh Montagna added: 'It's not a good look when you've got two people who don't like each other and these sorts of things can happen.' If ken and Clarkson got fined cornes should face the heat — cynical66 (@sinecal77) May 22, 2025 You started it, Kane. You squared up as he walked past and Roo had to reel you back in. — The Inside Mids (@SC_InsideMids) May 22, 2025 Cornes is turning the AFL media landscape into a negative nasty place. He has been the worse thing that has happened to our game. — Mitchell 🌸 (@LionTells) May 22, 2025 What might get overlooked here is Riewoldt showing once a leader, always a leader. He straight away called Cornes back away from the situation. Good man. — Dave Lloyd (@AlbertonPower) May 22, 2025
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Former Panthers hardman Mark Geyer reveals awkward moment he knew he was losing his high-profile radio job
Footy great Mark Geyer has opened up on the moment he found out he was being sacked by Triple M last year. The former Panthers star said he had been left feeling 'blindsided' by the channel. It came after Mick Molloy had opted to leave the channel and return to Victoria to host a new show with footy great Nick Riewoldt. Geyer was deemed surplus to requirements and subsequently got the axe. Geyer said he was 'devastated' by the decision, having been at the broadcaster for 17 years. He was later replaced by former NRL star Beau Ryan, Natarsha Belling and ex-Tigers star Aaron Woods. 'I get the landscape,' Geyer said on the decision to The Daily Telegraph. The footy great had been informed of the decision in the Spring via an email. 'Nothing is forever. I'm a realist that way. 'But it was the uncertainty that hit me. 'I had five kids, a grandson and a mortgage, was 56-years-old and didn't know what was next.' Geyer was capped three times for the Kangaroos and made 135 appearances for the Panthers, scoring 29 tries. After also spending time at Balmain and the Western Reds, he'd retire in 2000 and would later pursue a career in the media. Writing for several newspapers before joining up with Fox and Triple M. However, it wasn't long before Geyer found himself a new job. The former second-row landed a role with 2GB and Nine Radio. 'It was nice to be wanted,' he said. Geyer has struck a three-year deal to join the broadcasters and has been working on The Continuous Call Team as well as multiple Wide World of Sports programmes. The former Panthers star revealed to The Daily Telegraph. 'I remember as a young player, there was nothing better than having sideline eye Tony Megahey put the headphones on you after a game and you'd be speaking to 'Bolts' (Ray Hadley), 'Chippy' (Peter Frilingos) and 'Bozo' (Bob Fulton),' he laughed. 'It's great to be part of that this year. He then added that he had always been a long-standing fan of 2GB, before making a humble admission about his presenting style. 'It's funny, you know, because I've actually been in the media for more years now than I played footy. 'I'm not a great wordsmith, I know that, and I muck a few things up. 'Sometimes I know what I want to say and it doesn't quite come out as intended.
