It was over by the end of the first quarter. Twenty-three rounds and a nail-biting preliminary final, all leading up to thousands of Sydneysiders making the migration to Melbourne for the grand final and our hearts were broken by the end of the first quarter. The Swans team that turned up at the MCG on Saturday looked nothing like the […]

Eels coach Brad Arthur wasn’t wrong when he said Parramatta had no idea what to expect in grand final week. The blue and golds will take the field next Sunday with just one player, Ryan Matterson, who has featured in a decider. Their opponents played in last year’s grand final and will know what to expect and how to rectify […]

1 of 1 Father’s depression battle driving Lane’s Parra rise Shaun Lane has known chronic depression his whole life. Learning to make the best of a difficult situation has been the catalyst for the career-best form that has him in World Cup contention and 80 minutes from an NRL grand final. Full story Recommended: Meet Federers ex-tennis player wife Mirka […]

The four Indigenous families at the centre of Hawthorn’s racism scandal have engaged top troubleshooting lawyer Leon Zwier, who acted for Collingwood on the Do Better report, to represent them in the AFL’s independent investigation into the alleged mistreatment of First Nations players and their partners. As the fallout from the crisis continued, with a third former Hawthorn coach standing […]

As most of Australia enhanced its great public holiday tradition by taking a day off to farewell the Queen, Sarah Bears used her time to farewell the Swans from the SCG on Thursday ahead of Saturday’s grand final against Geelong in Melbourne. Usually school teacher by weekday, Bears drove the 108-kilometre round trip from Campbelltown so she could wish her […]

In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news: The Cats and Swans prepare to release their grand final teams. Jake Niall’s grand final preview. John Nicholls will present the Jock McHale Medal to the premiership coach. Check back throughout the day for updates. Holmes, Reid and McInerney face their moment of truth Jon Pierik Geelong wingman Max Holmes […]

Hawthorn’s former player development manager has stepped down “indefinitely” from his role at a prestigious Melbourne private school amid the fallout from a report into alleged racism at the club. Caulfield Grammar emailed parents on Wednesday night to inform them Jason Burt, who was previously Hawthorn’s player development manager, had taken a leave of absence from his position at the […]

Within hours of a report appearing on the ABC website that contained allegations made about the way former Hawthorn officials treated Indigenous players, the AFL held a press conference. The seriousness of the allegations demanded they do so but it was no coincidence from my vantage point that it took a non-Indigenous journalist’s story in the mainstream media to prompt […]

Cowboys young gun Jeremiah Nanai is the latest player considering pledging his allegiance to Samoa just weeks out from the World Cup after teenage phenomenon Joseph Suaalii gave up a guaranteed Kangaroos jumper to represent the Pacific nation. On a dramatic day for the World Cup, in which Roosters props Lindsay Collins and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves were both officially granted exemptions […]