AFL 2021 LIVE updates: Hawthorn Hawks, West Coast Eagles open Sunday football with Blues and Bulldogs to follow

Key posts

  • Medical subs – Hawks v Eagles
  • Eagles ball-winner
  • Contested possession key for Eagles
  • Kennett wants Mitchell to coach ‘one day’ but no guarantees
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Clashes of the titans: The AFL’s murky uniform policies

At a time in which they had more than enough problems both on and off the field, Collingwood became embroiled in two controversies in the space of a week which had to do with the theoretically trivial matter of what they wear onto the field.

An Anzac Day clash with Essendon took on new meaning after both clubs designed predominantly black one-off jumpers for the occasion. It was such an issue that Pies coach Nathan Buckley even asked his players at half-time of the game whether they were having trouble discerning between their teammates and opponents. Then days later the AFL ruled in favour of the Magpies, barring Port Adelaide from wearing their historical “prison bar” jumper in the round eight Showdown against Adelaide.

This breed of issue tends to bob up a handful of times a year, products of the opaque realm that is the AFL’s clash jumper policies, in which passions often run high and it is argued there are rules for some and rules for others.

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Medical subs – Hawks v Eagles

No late changes for either club with Dylan Moore (Hawks) and Luke Foley (Eagles) listed as the medical subs.

Eagles ball-winner

Contested possession key for Eagles

In the past four rounds, both sides have struggled in the contest. Hawthorn has lost the contested possession differential in three of its past four games – averaging 16 fewer per game – ranked 17th. West Coast has lost the contested possession differential by 10 per game over these rounds – ranked 15th.

Kennett wants Mitchell to coach ‘one day’ but no guarantees

Jeff Kennett has staked out Hawthorn’s position on the prospect of Sam Mitchell succeeding Alastair Clarkson as senior coach: Kennett would like Mitchell to coach the Hawks “one day” but made plain that, contrary to speculation, there were no guarantees about the four-time premiership champion taking over from his mentor.

Kennett told the Sunday Age that the Hawks were helping prepare Mitchell – who is coaching Hawthorn’s VFL affiliate team, Box Hill – to become a senior coach.

Sam Mitchell and Alastair Clarkson.Credit:Getty Images

“Sam is very important to us. He will probably coach next year with Box Hill … he’s an impressive young man.

“I hope one day he will be our senior coach.”

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Good afternoon

G’day everyone! I’m Roy Ward and welcome to today’s AFL live blog as we bring round eight to a close with some important match-ups.

Hawthorn and West Coast will start at 1.10pm and we’ll have a few articles to post before then, Western Bulldogs and Carlton follow it with Brisbane Lions and Fremantle to finish the round.

Please feel free to leave a comment on the blog at anytime and enjoy the games to come.

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