Jon Ralph

The AFL has broken with recent tradition to kick-start September with two blockbuster qualifying finals in a move to prioritise winning over eyeballs.

The AFL has closed its case on a potential inappropriate touching episode involving Brisbane player Henry Smith after Sydney opponent Nick Blakey made clear he had not been aware of the incident.

One senior coach said recently they don’t want to know the salary of their stars in case it coloured their perception of the player.

Essendon will send as many as six of its senior players overseas to Qatar and America across summer in a bid to injury-proof their bodies amid a torrid injury toll this season.

Carlton backed in its man.

Ten seasons ago Jack Silvagni begged his father Stephen to draft best mate Dan Houston to Carlton so they could continue their football journey together.

North Melbourne’s forward line to take on the Giants will be decimate with Paul Curtis suspended and Nick Larkey again injuring his posterior cruciate ligament.

North Melbourne’s forward line to take on the Giants will be decimate with Paul Curtis suspended and Nick Larkey again injuring his posterior cruciate ligament.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae has flagged major changes to the club’s defence against a tall Hawks forward line on Thursday but defended captain Darcy Moore’s recent performances.

Harley Reid is keen to sign a new deal at West Coast but only with the security of a long-term trigger which gives him the chance to earn over $20 million at the Eagles.

The Western Bulldogs have been handed a huge advantage in their must-win clash against the Giants with GWS accepting Toby Greene’s one-match ban for a strike on Isaac Heeney.

Football’s national draft is already broken as a competitive balance mechanism without the free agency loophole that the AFL may be about to stop in its tracks.

Laura Kane was 11 days into her official tenure as the AFL’s new football boss when she sent Brayden Maynard to the tribunal for a landmark test case over his contentious finals smother on Angus Brayshaw.

Steven May will have to run the gauntlet of a tribunal decision to clear his name after his collision with Carlton’s Francis Evans but is only at risk of a three week ban.

The AFL has ruled out introducing more flexibility in its 2026 fixture as it attempts to save a round 24 fixture that could still finish with one of the biggest dead rubbers.

North Melbourne has decided to appeal the three-week ban handed to All Australian contender Tristan Xerri – risking another $10,000 from their football soft cap – after his careless strike on opponent Tom Sparrow.

Gold Coast star Ben King will be free to take on Melbourne on Saturday despite the collision which concussed Lachie Whitfield as footy’s stars continue their squeaky clean winter.

Shai Bolton hunted down Nick Holman like a cheetah pursuing a gazelle.

Ross Lyon is a wide consumer of culture with ‘White Lotus’ and ‘MAFS’ on his weekly must-watch list but we cannot confirm if he has a SuperCoach side.

MCC and AFL officials say a hi-tech entry screen system was alerted when two men allegedly smuggled loaded guns into the Carlton-Collingwood blockbuster but security staff failed to stop and search them.