Latest news with #SwanMedal
West Australian
11-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Motormouth Mitch: The Swan Districts midfielder West Coast should consider for mid-season rookie draft
From mid-season draft options to the problem with Sean Darcy's future at Fremantle, The West Australian's football reporter takes a no-holds-barred look at the week's football action. Eagles Mid-Season Must West Coast's clearance troubles have been the bane of new coach Andrew McQualter's early coaching tenure. And it's why many fans and experts believe they will target former Geelong midfielder Brandan Parfitt in the mid-season rookie draft this month. Parfitt was recruited by Perth and has starred but is already 27 and doesn't fit their rebuild strategy. If the Eagles do want to recruit a mature-age prospect to help with their clearance woes, then they could do a lot worse than Swan Districts star Jye Chalcraft. The Eagles have shown previous interest in the tough midfielder and he's making name for himself as one of the best clearance players in the WAFL. Chalcraft joined Swan Districts last year and was an instant star as they made a preliminary final. And it should be no surprise given he won consecutive fairest and best awards for Geelong in the VFL, before finishing second behind Sandover medallist Nik Rokahr in the Swan Medal last year. Chalcraft has only just turned 24 and in arguably career-best form. In Swans' destruction of Subiaco on Saturday night he had a whopping 16 clearances to with 38 disposals and nine score involvements. Making it even more impressive is the fact he had them against a Lions side that had former Eagle Greg Clark, who is normally a beast in the middle but struggled to keep up with Chalcraft. Darcy Dilemma Fremantle's reluctance to accept that the two-ruck system doesn't work earlier may cost them more than a year of premiership contention. It could hurt them at the draft table. And see arguably their most important player walk out the door. As Paul Hasleby wrote in The Sunday Times, the Sean Darcy-Luke Jackson combination isn't gelling. And to make matters worse Darcy is injured once again, which is a big concern no matter how minor. For a long time, experts and fans have questioned the strategy to spend so much money on two ruckmen, but the Dockers have been adamant they both fit in the team. In reality, Fremantle should have off-loaded Darcy a few years ago when they acquired Jackson, cashing in at the trade table. Now if they decide to make a move on Darcy, they're unlikely to get as good a return on their investment. Darcy is contracted for another five years. The size of this contract, combined with the recent troubles with injuries is likely to mean that clubs are going to be reluctant to hand over a heavy price at the trade table. A few years ago, you could argue that Darcy would be worth at least one first round draft pick and a little bit more. Now, you wonder if a club would be willing to risk more than a third-round draft pick. Jackson fits the role of a modern-day ruckman more than Darcy and is younger, so he is the obvious choice to keep if the Dockers do decide to move one on. But there continues to be rampant speculation that other clubs are targeting Jackson, who is playing a combined role as forward-ruck when Darcy is in the team. Jackson is an All-Australian calibre ruckman at his best, but he's not going to get to that level parked in the goalsquare. He needs to be playing about 80 per cent ruck and taking a break on the bench. If another club comes with more money and the promise of more time in the ruck, then why wouldn't he move? Fremantle have gone so far down the two-ruck path it might be too late to get out. And it could be the legacy of what should be a time where they're contending for a flag. Umpiring Farce The game has never been more over officiated than it is right now and it's ruining our game. I am always hesitant to criticise umpires. They're so valuable to the game and from grassroots level to the AFL there is a struggle to get people to take up the role. And to be fair the modern problem is not the umpires' fault. The AFL as an organisation has changed the rules and interpretations to try to speed the game up As a consequence they've ensured that a feel for a game has gone out the window and instead the whistle dominates. Take the start of Essendon against Sydney at Marvel Stadium. The Bombers kicked the first three goals of the game - all from 50m penalties. And while you could argue that each was there by the letter of the law, it was to minor a price to pay for such simple indiscretions as moving when manning the mark. That rule is already ridiculous but when it is put in focus so much it is then over officiated and it ruins what could've been a good contest. Then there was the Showdown on Saturday night. Too many times the umpires were involved in what is one of the best games of the season. It was a great contest and just needed to flow. The AFL needs to fix this situation, make the game easier to umpire and more fluent.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Footy legend Andrew Krakouer is mourned by teammates and loved ones after his tragic death aged just 42
Hundreds have gathered to mourn and farewell AFL legend Andrew Krakouer who died of a suspected heart attack in Perth last month at the age of 42. Born in Melbourne, he racked up 102 games for Richmond from 2001 to 2007 before a jail term interrupted his AFL career and ended up changing his life for the better. Krakouer was sentenced to at least 16 months in jail for a serious assault in 2006, with his younger brother also imprisoned over his role in the attack. However, he fought his way back into the AFL after his release on parole in 2009, going on to rack up 35 games with Collingwood from 2011 to 2013. Once his first-grade career was over, he moved into construction and became a TV host and public speaker who specialised in sharing the lessons he'd learned during his rollercoaster career. A funeral service, held at the spiritual home of Krahouer's WAFL premiership with Swan Districts, brought together former teammates, family and friends. Among the many mourners present was former Pies teammate Héritier Lumumba who remembered Krakouer as an 'incredible human being'. 'He moved like he just had rhythm all the time, he always was always on beat, he was graceful and had the ability to move clean under pressure, but it also showed up in how he navigated life as well,' Lumumba said. 'He was loyal to his people and just wanted to do the best and get the most out of himself in life, whether it was in the media, whether in the community, he was a man that met every challenge head on. 'We all know the legendary bloodline that Krakouer came from and you know the brilliance that the family has given to the football world, inspiring so many is something that Andrew carried forward from his uncle and his dad. 'He did things on the field that had never been seen before, and inspired a whole new, different way of playing the game of football. 'He didn't stand in that shadow, he came in, and he added to that legacy, he did things that were just remarkable. 'I know how many people he inspired doing it, but it wasn't just what he did on the field, moreso it was what he did off the field. 'His spirit will live on his work, his impact will continue to inspire people for generations to come.' Krakouer's Swan Districts coach Brian Dawson explained that there were 'simply not enough superlatives to describe his 2010 season or his grand final display'. 'He won just about all there was to win in 2010. He played in the State team, he won the Sandover Medal with 44 votes, eight clear of the runner-up, he won the Swan Medal for the cub fairest and best,' Dawson explained to mourners. 'He won the club award for best player in the finals, he won the Simpson Medal in the grand final with the maximum 15 votes, and a premiership medal to top it off, where he absolutely dominated the game, with 41 possessions, four goals and most importantly the winning goal with 28 seconds left to play. 'His grand final display ranks as probably the finest and most impactful individual game ever played in the WAFL.' In 2022, Krakouer signed on to host the SBS TV show Yokayi Footy, and last year he released a children's book aimed at helping kids whose parents have been jailed. 'My Dad's Gone Away' was inspired by Krakouer's experiences as a prisoner - and by the jailing of his father Jim when he was just 13 years old. His Yokayi co-host, Megan Waters, said Krakouer's story was simply 'remarkable.' 'The reality of moving forward in a world that Andy no longer physically exists in is one of the most gut-wrenching things I have ever faced,' she said. 'The way he moved through the world made people feel seen as it was important for him to do what he could uplift our community and lead by example. 'I am so grateful to have learned from him, who I become moving forward and the values that I carry will be a testament to the mark that he's left.'
