Latest news with #OpeningRound
The Advertiser
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Lions welcome back Keidean Coleman from ACL tear
Brisbane defender Keidean Coleman has been named for his first AFL match in 14 months, while Oscar Allen will return for West Coast as the club hunts its first win of the season. Coleman hasn't been seen at senior level since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in Opening Round last year. The 25-year-old has been training strongly in recent weeks, and he'll make his long-awaited return in Sunday's clash with Melbourne at the Gabba. Coleman replaces Jarrod Berry (concussion), while Conor McKenna has been named in place of Darcy Fort. Melbourne have recalled first-year forward Aidan Johnson for his third AFL outing, while Jake Melksham and Harry Petty are also back in a big boost. Jacob van Rooyen, Koltyn Tholstrup and Matthew Jefferson were all dropped. Van Rooyen kicked 28 goals in his debut season and followed it up with 30 last year, but he has kicked just four goals in six games this campaign. He managed just 0.1 from 10 disposals against Hawthorn last week in what was his first AFL match since round five. "We don't want to bring young players in and out of the team," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said of Van Rooyen. "We had a pretty strong plan with Jacob and had some things that we wanted to work on in his game to get him right back to his best. "But obviously with Petty and Melksham being out of the team last week we were sort of forced in a way to bring him (van Rooyen) back into the AFL. "There were some things in his game that were heading in the right direction but we want to see a little bit more. "He's working incredibly hard, he's a big part of our future and there's no question that he'll be back in the AFL team in the not-too-distant future." Allen was a late withdrawal for West Coast's two-point loss to Richmond last week with a knee issue, but he returns for Saturday's meeting with St Kilda at Optus Stadium. The Eagles are on bottom of the ladder with a 0-9 record. The Saints welcome back forward Mason Wood from concussion, while Tobie Travaglia and Angus McLennan were also named. Dougal Howard (hamstring) and Liam Stocker (foot) were both sidelined. North Melbourne go in unchanged for their clash with Richmond, with the Tigers calling up Kaleb Smith to replace James Trezise. Brisbane defender Keidean Coleman has been named for his first AFL match in 14 months, while Oscar Allen will return for West Coast as the club hunts its first win of the season. Coleman hasn't been seen at senior level since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in Opening Round last year. The 25-year-old has been training strongly in recent weeks, and he'll make his long-awaited return in Sunday's clash with Melbourne at the Gabba. Coleman replaces Jarrod Berry (concussion), while Conor McKenna has been named in place of Darcy Fort. Melbourne have recalled first-year forward Aidan Johnson for his third AFL outing, while Jake Melksham and Harry Petty are also back in a big boost. Jacob van Rooyen, Koltyn Tholstrup and Matthew Jefferson were all dropped. Van Rooyen kicked 28 goals in his debut season and followed it up with 30 last year, but he has kicked just four goals in six games this campaign. He managed just 0.1 from 10 disposals against Hawthorn last week in what was his first AFL match since round five. "We don't want to bring young players in and out of the team," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said of Van Rooyen. "We had a pretty strong plan with Jacob and had some things that we wanted to work on in his game to get him right back to his best. "But obviously with Petty and Melksham being out of the team last week we were sort of forced in a way to bring him (van Rooyen) back into the AFL. "There were some things in his game that were heading in the right direction but we want to see a little bit more. "He's working incredibly hard, he's a big part of our future and there's no question that he'll be back in the AFL team in the not-too-distant future." Allen was a late withdrawal for West Coast's two-point loss to Richmond last week with a knee issue, but he returns for Saturday's meeting with St Kilda at Optus Stadium. The Eagles are on bottom of the ladder with a 0-9 record. The Saints welcome back forward Mason Wood from concussion, while Tobie Travaglia and Angus McLennan were also named. Dougal Howard (hamstring) and Liam Stocker (foot) were both sidelined. North Melbourne go in unchanged for their clash with Richmond, with the Tigers calling up Kaleb Smith to replace James Trezise. Brisbane defender Keidean Coleman has been named for his first AFL match in 14 months, while Oscar Allen will return for West Coast as the club hunts its first win of the season. Coleman hasn't been seen at senior level since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in Opening Round last year. The 25-year-old has been training strongly in recent weeks, and he'll make his long-awaited return in Sunday's clash with Melbourne at the Gabba. Coleman replaces Jarrod Berry (concussion), while Conor McKenna has been named in place of Darcy Fort. Melbourne have recalled first-year forward Aidan Johnson for his third AFL outing, while Jake Melksham and Harry Petty are also back in a big boost. Jacob van Rooyen, Koltyn Tholstrup and Matthew Jefferson were all dropped. Van Rooyen kicked 28 goals in his debut season and followed it up with 30 last year, but he has kicked just four goals in six games this campaign. He managed just 0.1 from 10 disposals against Hawthorn last week in what was his first AFL match since round five. "We don't want to bring young players in and out of the team," Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin said of Van Rooyen. "We had a pretty strong plan with Jacob and had some things that we wanted to work on in his game to get him right back to his best. "But obviously with Petty and Melksham being out of the team last week we were sort of forced in a way to bring him (van Rooyen) back into the AFL. "There were some things in his game that were heading in the right direction but we want to see a little bit more. "He's working incredibly hard, he's a big part of our future and there's no question that he'll be back in the AFL team in the not-too-distant future." Allen was a late withdrawal for West Coast's two-point loss to Richmond last week with a knee issue, but he returns for Saturday's meeting with St Kilda at Optus Stadium. The Eagles are on bottom of the ladder with a 0-9 record. The Saints welcome back forward Mason Wood from concussion, while Tobie Travaglia and Angus McLennan were also named. Dougal Howard (hamstring) and Liam Stocker (foot) were both sidelined. North Melbourne go in unchanged for their clash with Richmond, with the Tigers calling up Kaleb Smith to replace James Trezise.
7NEWS
22-04-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Sydney coach Dean Cox questioned over ‘horrible' body language during game
Sydney coach Dean Cox is going through a year from hell in his first season in charge of the Swans, and once again he sat through another grim loss on the team's home deck on Sunday. Yes, the Swans have many injury concerns, but the team's season is already in tatters and they have games against Gold Coast and the GWS Giants on the immediate horizon. Cox, a very popular figure in the industry, is also in the gun for his demeanour and demonstrative antics during games. Sydney's 2005 premiership coach Paul Roos said the team's performance against Port Adelaide on Sunday was 'un-Sydney' like, and he described their cavalier style as 'Globetrotter football'. Veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson said Cox looked very flat after the Swans' Opening Round loss (also at the SCG), and she was again concerned about his body language when he moved himself to the bench (from the coaches' box) on Sunday. 'What concerned me a lot when he came to the bench during that Port Adelaide game was there were just too much drama (going on),' Wilson said on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters. Wilson showed vision of Cox and football boss Leon Cameron on the bench, waving their arms furiously during the second half. Cox also was seen holding his head in his hands in pure frustration in the second half when Port Adelaide kicked the first goal of the third term. 'I think if you're seeing that as a player ... I don't think you want to see that,' she said. Expert commentator Kane Cornes agreed. 'If you're going to be on the bench, there needs to be positivity. You've got to be engaging with your players, talking instructions, otherwise get up to the box where your players can't see it,' Cornes said. Hawthorn legend Luke Hodge said coaches needed to talk to players 'about being calm and having the right mindset' in the heat of battle. 'So if you've got a coach down there losing his marbles and carrying on, that's taking the attention of the players from what's going on out there,' he said. Collingwood premiership hero Dale Thomas said it looked 'horrible'. 'I'm happy with that being in the box but you can't be doing that if you are down on the ground, because that sends a horrible message to your players who are doing their absolute best,' Thomas said. 'But the concerns I have at the moment (for Sydney though) are with their defensive efforts, and some of them aren't very good.' Thomas ran vision of Port Adelaide running the ball out of the Sydney forward line and then kicking an easy goal. 'Just look at the lack of cohesion once this ball is won back from Port Adelaide. So are they a pressing defence? Are they a collapsing defence? There are players going in all sorts of direction. 'They have no idea what they're doing coming forward. There's a loose handover (in there) .... That's an end to end transition through the middle of the ground (the SCG) that they play better than any other side. 'That is, again, confusion, and no doubt that is why time and again we're seeing Dean Cox with that frustration.' 'They would have gone through a defensive mode, and at the minute, they are on completely different pages.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Like Cats in mud: Lions reveal plans for wet Gabba
Brisbane coach Chris Fagan has urged his men to embrace the chaos as another wet-weather wrestle with Geelong looms. Heavy rain soaked the Gabba when the AFL sides last met in Brisbane a year ago and the Lions were schooled, registering their lowest-ever score at the venue in a 9.9 (63) to 4.13 (37) loss. Storms hit during Friday's captain's run at the Gabba and are expected to continue this weekend in the Opening Round clash that was postponed due to Cyclone Alfred. "Fair to say they handled the conditions a lot better than what we did," the Lions coach said on Friday of last year's Brisbane meeting. "We took the time to focus in on that and we'll be ready, if that's the way the weather is. "It just becomes a simpler game (in the wet). "Contest to contest, take territory and that's where we made a mistake by over-handballing in those conditions and helped cause our demise. "There's a lot of chaos in the game, even more chaos when it's a wet day, because the ball spends a long time on the ground and it's alive." Both teams will include key personnel that were in doubt during the week. Lions small forwards Kai Lohmann (ankle) and Charlie Cameron (calf) will play their first games of the season while Tom Stewart (knee) and Bailey Smith (calf) have been named for Geelong. "He's (Stewart) a superstar defender, probably the best intercept defender in the game," Fagan said. "We'll have our plans for him (and Smith), he's a very, very good player and a handy in." The two sides have enjoyed a spirited rivalry, their most-recent battle won by the Lions when they came from 25 points down to qualify for last year's grand final. "I don't know it's something you have to talk about," Fagan said of the clubs' history. "It's something that's present in the minds of players from both teams and should lead to a healthy clash, I would have thought."
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
AFL great wants major Opening Round change amid telling call on divisive topic
Brisbane Lions legend Jonathan Brown says he likes the theory behind the AFL's Opening Round initiative but has suggested a major change to make it less controversial. The topic continues to divide footy fans and commentators, with many in Victoria opposed to the idea of the state missing out on hosting games to kick off the new season. It comes amid reports from veteran AFL journalist Jon Ralph that Opening Round is "absolutely certain" to go ahead next year despite the backlash. The AFL introduced the concept last year to try and grow the game in the 'northern states' of NSW and Queensland but it's led to strong opposition from footy fans in other states that miss out on the action to start the new season. Ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred wreaked havoc with last week's Opening Round fixtures, with Brisbane's clash against Geelong at the Gabba and Gold Coast's match at home to Essendon both postponed as a result. It meant only two matches went ahead, with Sydney stunned at home by Hawthorn and the GWS Giants belting Collingwood to lay down an early marker. And dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna insisted on Monday night that the AFL's Opening Round idea had "missed the mark" and called for it to be scrapped as anger continues to mount in the traditional AFL states. 'The minuscule advantage the AFL think they are getting having exclusive games up in the northern states is being compromised by what it is doing with the inequities in regards to player safety, the fixturing and all these factors," he said on Fox Footy's First Crack. Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd is another strong critic of Opening Round and slammed the AFL for not including all 18 teams to launch their new season. "What other competition in the world has a soft launch of their season? What other comp would do that and launch as softly as the AFL does?" "What other competition in the world has a soft launch of their season? What other comp would do that?"Llordo says the AFL needs to return to starting the season with a full round.#9FootyClassified | Watch on Nine & 9Now — Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) March 10, 2025 Lloyd agrees it's important to promote and expand the game in the northern states but argued that could be done in the first few games - particularly the primetime Thursday and Friday night slots to open the season. But the Essendon legend says the AFL is missing a trick by staggering teams involved in the start of the season when interest around the sport is at fever pitch. AFL journalist Sam McClure argued that the AFL is a "national game" and that the league should be doing more to try and expand it on non-traditional markets outside Victoria. But Lloyd says the fact the AFL is a national sport played all around the country, is the very reason why the league shouldn't exclude other states from Opening Round. RELATED: AFL makes call on Craig McRae punishment amid Nick Daicos detail Jamarra Ugle-Hagan in shock link to Collingwood amid troubles Eddie McGuire's son Xander wins over AFL world after debut on Ch7 Three-time Brisbane premiership legend Brown says while he's a strong supporter of growing the AFL in non-traditional states, he argued it would be a better and less divisive idea to hold a 'Northern Round' later in the year. 'You see what the NRL has done with Vegas, it seems to be a unifying thing – not that all the teams go there but for the whole league – and it (Opening Round) seems to be creating a bit of a divide for us between the Southern states and the Northern states,' Brown told Fox Footy's On The Couch. 'And the time to celebrate the northern clubs is in the wintertime when everyone wants to get out of the southern states, get up to a bit of warmth. There could be that opportunity around that split round weekend where you have the four games on a particular weekend up there in the school holidays – 'The Northern Round' – and then the other clubs play on the alternate weekend. That could be a better way to celebrate it, I think, but anytime they get to promote northern states football is a good thing." But veteran AFL journalist Ralph said despite the backlash against Opening Round, AFL bosses are determined to push ahead with it next year and the numbers back them up. 'I think it's absolutely certain to go on next year in its third incarnation – and I think it's quite likely to be a very similar shape to this year,' Ralph said. 'I know the AFL feels like they know that it's on the nose in Victoria the heartland – certainly they're not opposed to considering a Victorian game on the Sunday afternoon – but their view is that it creates an extra week of content... 'Last year the heartland clubs protested so much, in Round 1 they set an AFL attendance record. So the AFL says they don't really vote with their feet. Every one of those four northern state clubs had a massive year-on-year attendance figure and all setting those attendance records very early."
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top pick's setback for Opening Round
Gold Coast Sun top draft pick Leo Lombard is in a race to be fit for Opening Round after he sustained a shoulder injury in Thursday night's practice match. Lombard, who was firming for an Opening Round debut, was in sparkling touch in the three-team match simulation before leaving the field clutching at his shoulder. Suns forward coach Brad Miller declared Lombard was '100 per cent in the frame' for an immediate AFL debut before his shoulder concern. Gold Coast assistant coach Shaun Grigg said Lombard would be sent for scans. 'The only thing we know is obviously shoulder, coming off (the ground), we don't know the severity of it just yet,' he said. 'We will get scans over the next couple of days, hopefully not too serious, he was going well out there. 'We'll get those scans and assess early in the week.' Gold Coast won both its matches against Brisbane and Collingwood, but it was how that impressed Grigg. 'I think the identifiable thing that came out was probably our pressure, that was really noticeable on the night from us,' he said. 'We were able to win those turnovers and get the ball back to score off them as well. It was great to play against opposition, bashing and crashing against ourselves for a period of time. 'To play some good teams, both the Lions and the Pies, it was good.' Gold Coast hosts Essendon in Opening Round.
