Sports – Page 174 – Michmutters

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Nelson Asofa-Solomona elbow, Match Review Committee ruling, Luke Patten, Wayde Egan elbow, judicial changes, escaped sanction, news

Nelson Asofa-Solomona elbow, Match Review Committee ruling, Luke Patten, Wayde Egan elbow, judicial changes, escaped sanction, news

NRL Match Review Committee manager Luke Patten has outlined why Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped punishment for an ugly elbow on Wayde Egan — explaining there was only “minor contact”.

Asofa-Solomona’s elbow came down hard on the dummy-half’s chin, forcing him to leave the field in the fourth minute.

The hulking front rower was placed on report for the incident, but escaped sanction — which has since been heavily scrutinized by the rugby league community.

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Patten, who played 282 NRL games, explained the MRC first cleared that the incident didn’t include a crusher tackle.

“There was a number of things for the MRC to consider,” Patten said.

“First of all we identified that there was an extra player, Kaufusi, contributing to the force of the tackle as he joins.

“Two big men, on a smaller man, we identified that Nelson creates space, so there is no crusher force or pressure applied to Egan’s neck here.”

Patten went on to explain that there was “clear separation” between Asofa-Solomona’s elbow and Egan’s head, meaning the MRC cleared a head slam.

Big Nelson drops dodgy elbow? | 00:40

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“There was a couple of other things that we needed to clear in this tackle, firstly it was the head slam, we see that there is clear separation from Nelson’s right arm as Wade Egan sort of gets thrown to the ground,” Patten said.

“Nelson has a good grip with his left arm, but there is clear separation, whereas in a head slam you’d see that arm isolate the head and really slam it into the ground.

Then, Patten moved on to the dangerous contact aspect — the exact charge that was handed down to Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves for a similar incident.

The Tricolours prop dropped his elbow onto the head of debutant Zac Fulton, earning a $3,000 fine with an early plea.

Patten said that in this instance there was only “minor contact” with Egan’s neck, and therefore no further action was taken.

King eye gouge raises questions! | 00:41

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“We have cleared that because his arm does separate from Egan, secondly was the dangerous contact aspect that we had to clear here,” Patten said.

“As I mentioned previously, Nelson has a grip with his left arm and there is clear separation, in one of the back angles you can see Nelson gets a grip under Egan’s left arm, under the underarm.

“We believe that Nelson’s right arm was diagonal from that grip, so diagonally across his chest and that there might be possible minor contact at the end of the tackle with Nelson’s forearm to possibly the neck and chin area.

“But that was only minor contact, it was a forceful tackle which unfortunately resulted in Egan’s head going into the ground.

“But these were all the things that we considered when we ruled that this accidental incident was ruled NFA for us.”

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Stuart O’Grady says ‘varying ability’ of athletes to blame for Commonwealth Games crashes

Bike crash

Olympic gold medalist Stuart O’Grady believes a varying ability of cyclists at the Commonwealth Games has contributed to spectacular crashes during the Birmingham event.

O’Grady made the claim on Monday after a spectacular crash saw three cyclists taken to hospital and spectators injured after a bike left the velodrome track and tumbled over the barriers.

“We have got a varying ability of athlete at the Commonwealth Games, more so than Olympics and World Championships,” O’Grady told Channel 7’s Sunrise.

“We may not be at the level as the big international superstars, so when you are racing on a few millimetres of tire on bikes with no breaks and high-pressure incidents, things can go wrong really quickly.”

group of riders crash into each other
England’s Matt Walls heads for the barrier trying to avoid riders who had fallen in a crash lower down the banking.(AP: Ian Walton)
Two riders lie on the ground and one ends up in the crowd after a crash
The 24-year-old Englishmen heads into the crowd as his Canadian opponent approaches from behind. (AP: Ian Walton)
Group of riders crash into each other, one rider ends up in crowd
The crowd desperately try to steer clear of Walls.(AP: Ian Walton)

England’s Matt Walls and Isle of Man’s Matt Bostock were involved in the crash, along with several other riders.

Walls was catapulted over the barriers and into the crowd at the Lee Valley VeloPark. The 24-year-old received treatment for more than 40 minutes before leaving the velodrome in an ambulance.

“[Some riders are] just not used to the pressures of the Commonwealth Games, these guys don’t race together often,” O’Grady said.

“You get a mixed bag of riders and ability. That is all the ingredients you need to cause these crashes, which look spectacular, but people can get really badly hurt. And if you’re good, that would be annoying to get taken out by some bloke.”

Join ABC Sport each morning from 4am as we live blog all the early action from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games

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Leichhardt Oval brawl erupts after Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners match

Leichhardt Oval brawl erupts after Sydney FC v Central Coast Mariners match

Police have launched an investigation after multiple flares were lit and a brawl broke out at the end of an Australia Cup soccer match in Sydney’s inner-west on Sunday night.

Police were called to the game at Leichhardt Oval in Lilyfield after Sydney FC’s penalty shootout win against the Central Coast Mariners following reports a fight had broken out outside the stadium.

Officers from Leichhardt Police Area Command arrived about 7.30pm alongside the NSW Police riot squad and the crowd dispersed.

Stefan, 40, from The Entrance, said he was walking to the car park with his wife and daughter about 15 minutes after the game ended when a flare flew towards them.

“We heard all this commotion outside as we were walking out to the car park… saw a barrier getting thrown and sliding on the road while I was holding my daughter and then saw a flare flying over and landing [two metres] away from us,” he said.

“There was a lot of screaming and shouting, there were objects flying around us, I saw some rocks going past us and then basically saw the security guards running away, it was just the families that were in the stadium on their own.”

He said no formal procedures were being followed after the brawl broke out and it took about 15 minutes for police to arrive.

“We were speaking to Sydney supporters so no idea who that group was, but there was no lockdown procedure, no cops, no security.

“Total Shambles.”

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‘I wanted to dig a hole and jump in it’

'I wanted to dig a hole and jump in it'

“Are you going to have nightma…”

“Yup!”

The question wasn’t even fully formed and Meg Lanning had given her answer. No, she would not be sleeping well after dropping the catch that would have handed legspinner Alana King a hat-trick, just the second for her country in women’s T20Is.

In fairness, Lanning, the Australia captain, was as good-natured as anyone could possibly be about the situation, from burying her face in the Edgbaston turf right there at slip where if you gave her 99 similar chances she’d take them, to wincing in the background as reporters quizzed King a couple of meters away afterwards about the incident and then facing up to the same journalists, knowing full well what was coming.

“I’ll have nightmares,” Lanning said. “I wanted to dig a hole and jump in it as quick as I could. I tried my best and I dropped it.”

Softening the blow somewhat was the fact that Australia had one foot in the Commonwealth Games semi-finals with Barbados 53 for 8 at that point. Barbados managed just 64 before being bowled out. Then Australia, led by Lanning’s unbeaten 21-ball 36, overhauled the target with 71 balls to spare and sealed a place in the knockout stages with one group game to go.

Asked if her innings was a response to her faux pas in the field, Lanning said: “I wasn’t overly pleased, let’s put it that way. I was just disappointed for Kingy. She was bowling so well and to let her down like that was not ideal. But that’s cricket, I guess.

“I was just keen to contribute really. I was just pouncing on some loose balls when I got them and giving myself a chance and it felt like I was able to do that.”

Deandra Dottin conceded 25 runs off her first over, the last of the powerplay, all to Lanning and extras as Australia, via their captain, accelerated after a watchful start on a slow, hybrid pitch staging its sixth match in three days. From that point, Alyssa Healy joined the fray also, moving from four runs off 14 balls to 23 not out off 24 as Australia eased to victory.

For her part, King was understanding.

“That’s cricket, right? No one means to drop a ball or anything,” King said. “It’s just the way the game goes, but I’m just happy that I could contribute in any way I can.

“Every ball I bowl, I’m trying to get a wicket so that was no different but it caught the outside edge and yeah, that’s just cricket, I guess. But I’m just really happy with how I played today.

“I felt that there was definitely a bit more bite in the wicket today. It is the sixth game on it so it’s a bit tired, a bit slow, which works into our hands a little bit.”

King entered the attack in the eighth over after Lanning had won the toss and sent in Barbados, who lost captain Hayley Matthews early for what turned out to be their top score, on 18.

King struck with her second ball, brushing the outside of Dottin’s front pad in line with middle stump as she knelt down to tuck the ball to fine leg, having faced 22 balls for her eight runs.

After Tahlia McGrath claimed the first of her three wickets when she had Kycia Knight caught by Megan Schutt at deep backward square and Ashleigh Gardner bowled a tight spell, including a double-wicket maiden to remove Kyshona Knight and Trishnan Holder, King roared back into action .

At the end of her second over, King dismissed Aaliyah Alleyne playing across a ball that pegged back leg stump. Then, with the third ball of her third over, King pinned Shakera Selman lbw and then struck Shamilia Connell on the back leg next ball. What followed as Keila Elliott’s edge somehow popped out of Lanning’s hands at first slip was the stuff of bad dreams. Fortunately for Australia, it was all right on the night.

Valkerie Baynes is a general editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Commonwealth Games Day 4: Latest news, schedule, results from Birmingham

Gold Coast Bulletin

Australian cycling star Matthew Glaetzer was robbed of a Commonwealth Games bronze medal in a decision labeled a “travesty”.

Glaetzer, who was made to sweat for over an hour while officials reviewed footage, had his bronze medal taken off him in a decision widely condemned by the cycling community.

The lengthy review deemed Glaetzer impeded Scotland’s Jack Carlin during the bronze medal sprint, a ruling which was slammed by Aussie cycling royalty Kathy Bates.

Bates, commenting for Channel 7, called the officials’ decision “a poor interpretation”.

“I don’t agree,” Bates said. “If they are going to be that picky they need every camera angle and they sure need a super zoom.

“I’m having nothing of it. The any time limit contact is when Jack Carlin swung back up the track and even touched Matt Glaetzer. If anyone got impeded it was Matt Glaetzer. But the judges, you have to respect their decision. I’m not sure I respect this one to be honest.

“I want to because I think rules are rules but I think this is a pretty crappy decision. I’m devastated for Matt Glaetzer. I don’t see how the Australians will accept this and don’t feel robbed. This is an absolute travesty in my mind. I don’t even think Jack Carlin will be pleased at that turnaround. You want to win fair and square, and that is the most ridiculous relegation I have ever seen.

“I’m very devastated for Matt Glaetzer. And I think it is a poor interpretation.”

Footage showed a distraught Glaetzer when the verdict was announced, while teammate Matthew Richardson celebrated his gold medal.

“You can see it in his face. This decision has just broken him, it is not fair in my estimation,” Bates said.

“He doesn’t have a right of appeal. It is probably why the decision has been taken so long because they were deliberating it, and certainly Australians were arguing as hard as they could and fighting the case for Matt Glaetzer.

“This is just absolute heartbreak for him. The look on his face from him, guys, there have been a lot of tears tonight at the velodrome for happy reasons and now sad ones.

“I won’t give my opinion. But I think what everyone in Australia is thinking right now and I think the same as that man on our screens. We are absolutely devastated having the bronze medal taken from him after the superhuman efforts of the last couple of days. Totally devastated.”

6:03PM FIVE ATHS STARS TO WATCH

Athletics starts at the Commonwealth Games today. Here is who to keep an eye out for—including an Aussie star.

WOMEN Kelsey-Lee Barber (AUS) – Javelin
The 30-year-old seemed set fair to finally land a Commonwealth Games gold — having taken bronze and silver in the last two editions — after she retained her world title.

The Olympic bronze medalist, though, contracted Covid-19 shortly after her world triumph but the team insisted she would make it to Birmingham.

Barber can take heart that her compatriot Jessica Stenson finally won the marathon title on Saturday despite having Covid less than a month before the Games

Keely Hodgkinson (ENG) – 800m

The 20-year-old should be the hottest of favorites to be crowned Commonwealth Games champion. She took silver in last year’s Olympics behind Athing Mu and then lost out by the barst of margins (0.08sec) to the American in the world final.

That defeat left her bristling.

“I’m definitely a little bit annoyed,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for her but I’m obviously gutted. I came here to win the gold and it didn’t happen.” After her silver de ella in Tokyo, Hodgkinson, who has put studying for a criminology degree on hold, was rewarded by a sponsor with a spin in an Aston Martin.

She felt that her Eugene performance did not merit a repeat but gold in Birmingham should be good enough for a second outing.

MEN Ferdinand Omanyala (KEN) – 100m

The African 100 meter champion could gain compensation at the Games after his world title challenge was shattered by only obtaining a visa to enter the United States at the last minute.

The 26-year-old bowed out in the semi-finals but said he had no regrets and was looking forward to competing in Birmingham.

“The challenge of life is intended to make you better, not bitter,” he tweeted. “Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems. No matter how much falls on us, we keep moving.”

Jake Wightman (SCO) — 1500m One of the surprises of the world championships when he took gold in a race being commented on in the stadium by his father and coach Geoff.

The 28-year-old became Britain’s first 1500m world champion since Steve Cram in 1983 and is keen to use it as a springboard for Commonwealth gold and then the European 800m crown in Munich later this month.

“It’s crazy. The time frame between coming back from the worlds and then going into the Commonwealths,” he said.

“It’ll be tough to kind of get myself back up, which is why I need to let myself chill out for a few days to get ready for the tough rounds again and get back into that championship environment.”

Emmanuel Korir (KEN) – 400m

The 27-year-old is the undoubted king of the 800m having added world gold to his Olympic crown.

Eyebrows may be raised as to why he would not attempt to make it a triple of 800m titles in Birmingham.

However, he is extremely confident in his abilities at 400m. He said after the world final that he knew he would win as with a slow first lap he was the best 400m runner in the field.

A further aid to his hopes is he is pretty fresh having only started his season at the end of June.

MUM’S BOOZY 6AM CELEBRATION

On the Gold Coast, in the early hours of Monday morning, a bottle of champagne was popped and passed around – punctuated by some swear words – to signify the arrival of a new sporting superpower.

As sisters Maddison and Teagan Levi stepped forward to accept their Commonwealth Gold, mum Richelle was uncorking the bubbly and getting ready for a big day of celebrating.

Her daughters had helped Australia to an upset semi-final win over New Zealand, and then a trouncing of Fiji in the final to secure gold.

It was a revival of the team’s 2016 Olympic triumph and ushered in a new era of Sevens superstars.

But before all of that? There was a euphoric celebration in the southern hemisphere that may not only have woken up a decent chunk of Queensland’s east coast, but also would’ve made mother Mary blush.

“Mum had a bottle of champagne ready at 6 in the morning — she was ready to celebrate and I think she’ll be on it all day celebrating,” a jubilant Maddison Levi said after Australia’s historic maiden Sevens gold medal win over Fiji.

“I don’t know if I can say it on camera (what mum said) but they were definitely happy.

There were tears of joy. It was a pretty emotional rollercoaster…. they’ve been with us through the highs and lows and to have two kids standing on that podium is pretty awesome.

“They definitely had tears. But lots of swearing, I can confirm.”

Maddison might have undersold the party going back home.

Richelle told Channel 7 later in the morning she was already two bottles of champagne down before 9am.

“Two bottles of champagne already done,” she said.

She was joined by at least one supporter wearing pajamas for a live cross on Channel 7 as the party raged into the morning.

Maddison and sister Teagan are the new face of women’s rugby in Australia, following the path trodden by teammates Charlotte Caslick and Sharni Williams, and earlier Ellia Green and Emilee Cherry.

Powerful, pacey, skilful. There’s a reason they’re among the most in-demand female athletes in the country – with AFLW and NRLW clubs lining up to steal them from rugby union.

“We got to stand next to each other, so it was pretty sentimental. We’ve achieved a Commonwealth Games medal, not many people can do that in their lives let alone have their sister side-by-side,” Maddison said.

But judging by smiles that lit up Coventry Arena stadium on Sunday night, the Levi clan is comfortable in rugby union right now.

“When I first started I aspired to be like Charlotte Caslick and the likes of Ellia Green and now that I’m in this role I’d love to inspire the younger generation because I think it’s such a great sport,” Maddison explained.

“The opportunities you get you can’t get with most sports. And to have younger girls look up to me and hopefully one day be standing side-by-side with girls you call your sister and be celebrating this moment is pretty monumental.”

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Collingwood Magpies and Richmond Tigers face injury concerns; Jack Silvagni no certainty to return

Collingwood Magpies and Richmond Tigers face injury concerns; Jack Silvagni no certainty to return

The decision to drop Silvagni, squeezed out by Marc Pittonet’s return, and relegate him to the medi-sub role has been debated by the Blues, and been a major public talking point.

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The versatile Silvagni, predominantly utilized as a forward and an under-sized back-up ruck, has had his best season but the Blues wanted to play frontline ruckmen Tom De Koning and Pittonet, along with key forwards Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow, while maintaining their three small forwards.

The pairing of De Koning and Pittonet, the latter back for his first match since round six, didn’t provide the punch the Blues needed but coach Michael Voss said it was difficult to judge their partnership on “a very small sample space”.

Pittonet had 30 hitouts but only eight disposals and one mark, while De Koning, who also spent time forward, had 13 hitouts, eight touches and three marks but was goalless on a night the Blues again managed only 55 points – as they had done in the loss to Geelong a fortnight earlier.

Silvagni was among the Blues’ best (13 touches, including a key goal midway through the third quarter) when injected into the game after Durdin was subbed out.

Garry Lyon, a long-time friend of the Silvagni family, questioned whether the Blues had pulled the wrong lever by dropping a man considered one of the team’s emotional heartbeats.

“People can say what they want, [that] this is a nonsense, I am not saying it’s the sole reason they lost, but when you have got a team that is still trying to establish their credibility and bona fides coming off a couple of years of disaster, or longer than that, then there is something to be said for maintaining the bloke whose gap between his best and worst is as narrow as probably anyone in the team’s. [Sam] Walsh is up there as well,” Lyon said on SEN on Monday.

Tom De Koning, Patrick Cripps, and Marc Pittonet against the Crows in round 20.

Tom De Koning, Patrick Cripps, and Marc Pittonet against the Crows in round 20.Credit:Getty Images

“So, you know what you get – he goes out, he is heart and soul, he is a worker, he is a competitor, at a ground that you can’t, or haven’t been able to, win [at] and you just take him out of the team.

“Michael Voss is absolutely within his right to say: ‘We wanted to try this’, but I just wonder on the back of it, whether or not it had a bigger impact on the psyche of their team and the emotional connection, and the emotional investment as opposed to structurally and wanting to see different things.”

The Blues are keen for robust midfielder George Hewett to return as soon as possible, but his back issues have meant he has been unable to train fully. Hewett has missed the past fortnight and will again be assessed through the week. He has played a key role since crossing from Sydney, averaging almost 29 touches per game, and is behind only Patrick Cripps for most tackles.

Kennedy’s absence could help Paddy Dow return after 17 touches in the VFL, but the Blues will debate whether Will Setterfield and Zac Fisher take on more minutes through the midfield.

Defender Caleb Marchbank, with 16 touches in the VFL, is another subject for selection debate, having succumbed to injury against Essendon in round 13 – his first senior match since round 16, 2019.

Voss lamented that his team had been “out-worked” by the Crows. This, in part, was shown in the Blues’ 23 missed tackles – the most by any team this season.

However, the seventh-placed Blues, having slipped from an 8-2 win-loss record to 12-7, are determined to hit back against the Lions. They need one win from their final three matches – they also face Melbourne and Collingwood – to secure a September berth for the first time since 2013.

‘Warriors down’: The round 20 injury ward

Nell Geraets

Collingwood and Richmond are waiting to learn how long some of their players will be sidelined after a round in which several key players went down with injury.

Tigers co-captain Dylan Grimes and Magpies’ leader Taylor Adams await the outcome of further tests.

Hard-nosed midfielder Adams was subbed off before half-time with a groin injury during the Pies’ six-point defeat of the Power. Despite some good news after defender Jeremy Howe was declared “fine” for selection this week, the club confirmed the 28-year-old Adams would undergo scans in the coming days to assess the extent of the damage.

His availability is up in the air ahead of the Pies’ clash with reigning premiers Melbourne on Friday.

Taylor Adams' availability is in doubt following a groin injury.

Taylor Adams’ availability is in doubt following a groin injury.Credit:AFL Pictures

Howe spent the last half of the final term against Port Adelaide on the bench after suffering a knee to the backside, but coach Craig McRae said after the game that the 32-year-old had suffered no significant injury.

Richmond’s thrilling comeback win over Brisbane on Sunday was marred by Grimes’ suspected hamstring injury, which the player, himself, was not optimistic about.

“I have [Grimes] seems to think it was bad, so we’ll wait and see what that’s like,” coach Damien Hardwick said after the game.

“That’s the challenging thing about AFL football, isn’t it? It’s such a tough game and warriors go down – especially brave ones like Dylan.”

Richmond has expressed concern over Dylan Grimes' hamstring injury.

Richmond has expressed concern over Dylan Grimes’ hamstring injury. Credit:AFL Pictures

Hardwick said he was concerned by the look of the tumble, but the club maintained no official decision had been made yet over Grimes’ availability against Port Adelaide on Saturday, noting the 31-year-old would be further assessed early in the week.

“I don’t want to speculate, but it’s not great at the moment,” Hardwick acknowledged.

“It’s a little bit challenging at the moment, and emotional for all of us because he’s such an important player to the fabric of our footy club.

“We hope it’s not too severe. We’ve got our fingers crossed at this stage.”

Melbourne narrowly avoided a major injury blow of their own as star ruckman Luke Jackson passed all concussion tests after sustaining a knock to the head, clearing him of any further concussion protocol requirements and setting him up for selection against Collingwood on Friday.

Phillips to helm the Power

Nell Geraets

Port Adelaide has named AFLW star Erin Phillips as captain of the expansion side’s inaugural season.

Despite beginning on the basketball court, Phillips has become a hot commodity on the field for her ability to kick goals. The 37-year-old joined the Power for their first season in 2020 after leading the Crows alongside Chelsea Randall since 2017.

Port Adelaide captain Erin Phillips and her father, former Port Adelaide player and AFL hall of famer, Greg Phillips.

Port Adelaide captain Erin Phillips and her father, former Port Adelaide player and AFL hall of famer, Greg Phillips.Credit:Port Adelaide Football Club

“It is a huge honor to be named captain of Port Adelaide,” Phillips said.

“I feel incredibly privileged to be trusted to lead this amazing group of women, both on and off the field this season.

Phillips’ captaincy allows the powerful midfielder to continue the legacy of her father, Greg, who played 343 games for the Power between 1976 and 1993, including a stint as captain.

“My dad always said to me the only thing better than playing for this club is being captain of this club, and he was right,” Phillips said.

“Telling him the news that I had been named captain was a very special and emotional moment for both of us.

“I’m so excited to be following in his footsteps and can’t wait to lead the team on to the ground for the first time. It will be yet another special moment for this group and for Port Adelaide.”

The two-time WNBA champion and Olympic basketballer made her transition to the AFLW in 2016, quickly becoming known as a prolific ball-winner and a consistent contender for best on ground.

Soon to follow in Port Adelaide’s footsteps are fellow expansion sides Hawthorn, Essendon and Sydney as they decide who will take the helm of their teams ahead of their own highly anticipated inaugural seasons.

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Trade Whispers, Collingwood Magpies, Jamie Elliott, Melbourne Demons, Luke Jackson, Fremantle Dockers, Matthew Pavlich, Bailey Banfield, Dan McStay, Tim Taranto

Trade Whispers, Collingwood Magpies, Jamie Elliott, Melbourne Demons, Luke Jackson, Fremantle Dockers, Matthew Pavlich, Bailey Banfield, Dan McStay, Tim Taranto

Dockers great Matthew Pavlich claims Luke Jackson is Fremantle’s “answer for the future” and believes the club should be “going hard for him”.

Plus the Pies are confident on a new deal for a star for 2023 and beyond.

Get the latest player movement news and updates in AFL Trade Whispers!

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

WHY JACKSON IS FREMANTLE’S ‘ANSWER’

Fremantle should be “going hard” for Luke Jackson, according to Dockers great Matthew Pavlich as he believes the 20-year-old is the “answer” for the future.

Jackson is out of contract at the end of this season, and has put talks on hold with the Demons. It’s fueled speculation he wants to return home to WA for 2023 and beyond.

While there’s plenty of debate over just how much the young ruckman is worth per season, with some estimates at $800,000, Pavlich says a partnership between Jackson and Sean Darcy is one Fremantle fans should get around.

“There’s the now and then there’s the future,” he said on SEN WA.

“The now, Luke Jackson would be a pretty good player in that Fremantle side. If you take out, I guess you’d have to give something to get something. So is it Rory Lobb for Luke Jackson? Is that part of the deal? I don’t know.

AFL investigating alleged racist slur | 00:24

“Whether he’s the answer right now, he’s a great player. We know what he’s capable of. He’s 20.

“In the context of young developing ruckmen, he’s a great young developing ruckman.

“Is he a great player yet? No. He’s got the potential to be a really great player.

“He’s the answer for the future. He can help Fremantle long-term.

“I would absolutely be going hard for him… him and Sean Darcy as a combination between ruck/forward – that’s a threat for a long time if you’re a Fremantle supporter.”

But what would the Dockers have to offer and where would Jackson fit into the line up?

Pavlich says Darcy would still remain the number one ruck in his eyes.

“What they miss is a dynamic leading forward at the moment,” he said.

“But if you wanted to look at Luke Jackson in a Fremantle jumper on Friday night then you’d take out something and it’d have to be one of the key forwards from the Fremantle line up.”

Despite all the contract talk surrounding Luke Jackson, Melbourne captain Max Gawn is confident his premiership teammate will knock back a huge offer to join Fremantle.

“Luke’s a talent and he’s got every right, as every player does, to look at any offer that’s coming his way,” Gawn told reporters on Monday.

“Most arrogant performance!” | 03:02

“I’m pretty confident he’s going to be a Melbourne player still and I know that’s very far from what the consensus is out in the media.

“He was the happiest person I’ve ever seen (last Friday night) beating Fremantle, who is the team that he’s supposed to be going to.

“I love playing with him, I love being his leader, I love being his friend, I love coaching him and I love seeing little bits that I’ve told him during the week come out on game day.

“I’m really excited, especially for the next seven weeks, to play with Luke and then hopefully for the next few years.”

Local fans in Perth taunted Melbourne players last Friday night by hanging a Fremantle jersey with “Jackson” written on it over the race. The jersey was snatched and then thrown away by Jackson’s teammate Jake Melksham.

FEET STAR SET TO LOCK IN NEW DEAL

Collingwood are looking to lock in Round 19 hero Jamie Elliott on a new deal for 2023 and beyond.

Elliott becomes an unrestricted free agent after 11 seasons with the club.

Magpies CEO Mark Anderson on Monday said he was pleased with progress on a new deal for Elliott.

“Discussions are going well with ‘Billy’,” Anderson said on SEN.

Bombers inflict more misery on Kangaroos | 01:11

“Graham Wright heads up that area and does a great job in that space.

“Discussions with Billy are going well.”

But he refused to be drawn into talk about potential offers for Lion Dan McStay or Giant Tim Taranto.

“We’re focused on our current playing group with four rounds to go,” he said.

“We’ve got a great list and they’re performing.

“So we are staying focused.

“We don’t talk about players at other clubs and it wouldn’t be appropriate to do so.”

Collingwood have a host of players out of contract including Jordan De Goey, the Brown brothers Callum and Tyler, Steele Sidebottom, Mason Cox and young Josh Carmichael.

FRINGE DOCKER URGED TO STAY PUT

Bailey Banfield is having a great season for the Dockers, and sits inside their top five goal scorers in 2022.

But the 24-year-old remains on the fringe, as an unused medi sub on five separate occasions and activated as the sub in other matches.

Round 20 MROnews | 00:43

WA commentator Tim Gossage argued Banfield would get a game at “four or five other clubs and play 20 games a year” if he left the Dockers in search of a more permanent role.

But Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich urged Banfield to “stick it out”.

“Would he get personal satisfaction and would he get a sense of purpose of being in a group and building and working his way into a team? No he would n’t (if he he left), ”Pavlich sad on SEN.

“He could go to, you’re right, half a dozen clubs, 12 clubs and be playing most weeks.

“But all his effort, his leadership, he’s rated really highly down there. It would not be necessarily worth his time if he chose to leave.

“He’s put all this effort in… I would stick it out but that’s just the way I look at those things.”

While statistics show Banfield has kicked 18 goals from 19 matches, he didn’t get on the field for five of those games.

Banfield was snapped up with pick five in the 2018 rookie draft after being named Claremont’s best and fairest in the WAFL in 2017.

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Kyle Chalmers feeding Emma McKeon, Cody Simpson drama says Johanna Griggs

Kyle Chalmers feeding Emma McKeon, Cody Simpson drama says Johanna Griggs

Former Australian swimmer turned popular TV presenter Johanna Griggs says Kyle Chalmers is “feeding” the very headlines he’s railed against at the Commonwealth Games as she issued a reality check about the media’s role in covering sport.

The swimming star has blasted the media in Birmingham, accusing it of focusing on “clickbait” rather than the impressive results of our men and women in the pool.

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There have been reports and speculation about an icy dynamic within the Dolphins camp, sparked by the relationship between Chalmers, Emma McKeon and Cody Simpson.

Chalmers and McKeon were romantically linked last year and now the 28-year-old superstar is dating Simpson — who is competing in England as part of his first ever Australian team since ditching his music career and returning to competitive swimming.

The trio have repeatedly denied their relationship has caused any friction.

Chalmers cast doubt on his future in the sport if what he called “fake headlines” continued to be thrust into the spotlight, saying the media doesn’t understand the impact his stories have on athletes’ mental health.

However, Griggs — who won a backstroke bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games — says Chalmers is only giving the story more oxygen by continually mentioning it in interviews and on social media.

“The only person who is going to potentially derail (his campaign) — although it certainly didn’t look like it this morning in his 100m freestyle — could be Kyle himself,” Griggs told Sydney’s 104.9 Triple M Breakfast with MG, Jess & Pagey.

“He seems to be feeding it, which is the ironic situation with all these sorts of things.

“You can’t just expect the headlines to always be great. You have to accept that occasionally they might be about other people and sometimes they may not necessarily show you in the same light.

“Do I think they (the headlines) are affecting Emma McKeon? Absolutely not.

“She’s amazing, right. So she’s proven, without question, that she is able to compartmentalize whatever’s going on.

Johanna Griggs dropped some truth bombs on Kyle Chalmers.
Johanna Griggs dropped some truth bombs on Kyle Chalmers.Source: Supplied
Chalmers is swimming brilliantly despite his concerns. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

Griggs, who is part of Channel 7’s team covering the Games, also suggested the freestyle king needs to accept headlines aren’t always going to be positive in the world of professional sport.

“I think it would be tedious for them, being asked about it non-stop,” Griggs told Triple M.

“If you’re a tennis player, that happens not only at every major tournament, it happens at every press conference, it happens at every week — same as the footballers, week in, week out.

“It’s the reality of sport so I’m hoping Kyle stops feeding it.

“I get he’s feeling incredibly swamped at the moment. Every time he mentions it, he makes it a bigger story.”

Chalmers has won gold medals in Birmingham as part of Australia’s mixed relay team and in the 4x100m men’s freestyle relay.

After his impressive swim in the heats of the individual 100m freestyle event, the 24-year-old was asked how he was feeling.

“Terrible. Terrible. It’s been probably the hardest 12 hours in my sporting career for sure,” he said. “It is extremely hard. Extremely challenging.

“When you’re on the other side of the world and don’t have your direct support network around you it’s already hard enough, let alone last night.”

Chalmers was referring to the previous day’s press conference, which was stopped after a barrage of questions about his dynamic with Simpson and McKeon.

He said the way the situation has unfolded left his mum in tears when they spoke after the relay victory.

“I really feel I don’t deserve any of that and to be honest with you, it makes me question why I do this sport and where my future lies going forward,” Chalmers said.

“I don’t want any of this. I swim because it’s what I’m good at. I love swimming. I love being part of the Australian swimming team. Standing up in front of big crowds and swimming fast, but I don’t want the rest of it.

“And for me it’s taking too much of a toll on my mental health. It embarrasses me that my family, my grandparents have to sit down and read the stuff that gets put in the media.

“It upsets me that I have to go home to my mum crying on FaceTime to me.”

Emma McKeon’s relationship with Cody Simpson has generated plenty of headlines. Picture: Emma McKeon/InstagramSource: Supplied

He may be upset out of the water but in the pool, Chalmers looks as classy as ever. The South Australian — who won 100m freestyle gold at the Rio Olympics and silver at last year’s Tokyo Games — is eyeing off another medal in his pet event this week.

Chalmers crushed his 100m freestyle semi-final on Monday morning, touching the wall first and setting a new Commonwealth Games record time of 47.36 seconds.

Australian swimming champion Cate Campbell is working for Channel 7 in Birmingham and praised Chalmers for how he’s handling things during their poolside interview on Monday morning, before talk turned to his tattoos and what they symbolize.

“I’ve had three heart surgeries, I have a chain (tattoo) that is broken because my heart was holding me back and now it’s fixed,” Chalmers said.

“I’m the lion (tattoo) that’s broken out. So yeah, that’s a special one for me.”

Chalmers added he’s been brilliantly supported by those closest to him.

“I don’t have anything else to say, it’s rough,” he said. “It’s been a whirlwind. It’s nice to swim fast. I think it’s easy to put on a brave face and smile. It’s hard, it’s very hard.

“The team has been amazing.

“I just wanted to put my headphones on and switch off and not talk, (but) all of my teammates, coaches and staff coming up and saying they are there for me has been really special. I wouldn’t have been able to get through it without my teammates.

“I’m not a robot. We have feelings, we have emotions, we’re no different than anyone else. We struggle a lot, mental health is a huge thing in sport.”

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Sports

Aussie cycling star Matt Glaetzer robbed of bronze medal

Returning to the track following a shocking crash on Sunday that left him battered and bruised, Australian cyclist Matt Glaetzer has been dealt another cruel blow – denied a bronze medal on review in the men’s sprint.

Glaetzer came from behind to storm home against Scotland’s Jack Carlin, provisionally securing the bronze medal.

But after deliberating for more than half an hour, Birmingham officials relegated Glaetzer to fourth for moving in on Carlin, snatching away his medal.

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While Aussie teammate Matthew Richardson went on to win gold in the event, Glaetzer’s stripping split the cycling world with suggestions Carlin had initiated the contact by moving off his line and into the way of Glaetzer.

Aussie cycling great Katey Bates labeled the decision “an absolute travesty”.

“I’m having nothing of that,” she said in commentary for Channel 7.

“The only time they made contact is when Carlin swung back up the track, and he in fact touched Glaetzer – if anybody got impeded, it was Glaetzer.

LIVE UPDATES: Commonwealth Games day three highlights

“I don’t see how the Australians will accept this and not feel robbed. This is an absolute travesty in my mind.”

The lost bronze medal was the second major blow to Glaetzer in two days after he was involved in a nasty crash in the kierin quarter-finals after becoming tangled with another rider.

After touching wheels with another bike, Glaetzer was knocked off his bike and into the path of British competitor Joe Truman while traveling at over 70 km/h. The impact tore Glaetzer’s suit, with wounds opening up on several parts of his body.

“I was very sore this morning,” he said ahead of the race that broke his heart.

“Right side of my body was just on fire from the burns – had to just grimace through this morning and see what I’ve got in the body.”

Glaetzer also revealed that a piece of the track had lodged into his elbow.

“I definitely did take a souvenir – had to get the scalpel out to get it out, it went pretty deep into my elbow.

“Not nice, it’s the brutal part of our sport. Make one mistake and you’re eating wood.”

But not even a heavy fall could stop the man who beat thyroid cancer in 2019 from earning what many thoughts should have been a bronze medal.

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Commonwealth Games in pictures: Shayna Jack becomes emotional after winning first solo international swimming medal

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Sports

Port Adelaide Power, Collingwood Magpies, prison bar jumper denied, David Koch, Eddie McGuire, Jeff Browne, Showdown

Port Adelaide Power, Collingwood Magpies, prison bar jumper denied, David Koch, Eddie McGuire, Jeff Browne, Showdown

“Fuming” Port Adelaide club president David Koch believes he has “been played” by Collingwood after the Power’s request to wear their heritage prison bar jumper was again knocked back by the Magpies.

Speaking on FIVEaa radio, Koch said Port did “the right thing” and put the jumper request into the AFL back in March to wear for the Round 23 Showdown.

Koch didn’t hold back when asked about claims the Magpies told him Port’s jumper request would be denied back in March.

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“That is the greatest load of rot I’ve ever heard,” Koch said.

“In fact, two weeks ago the Collingwood president Jeff Browne rang me out of the blue and said: ‘Kochie look mate, we’re taking your request really seriously, we understand how important it is to your members, we understand the history of it … I’ve been canvassing opinions both in Melbourne and South Australia and I’m putting it to my board (last week) and I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I’m quietly confident we could have good news for you.’

“So that was just two weeks ago the president of the Collingwood Football Club rang me out of the blue and told me this.”

A Port fan holds up a prison bar jumper sign during the Round 8, 2021 Showdown. Picture: Sarah ReedSource: Getty Images

Koch claimed the club had been taken advantage of by Collingwood as debate continues to rage over whether the Power should be allowed to wear their heritage prison bar strip.

“Remember Collingwood have always said: ‘We own black and white in the AFL/VFL. They are our colours’ – as if you can own two colours. Don’t get me started on that,” he said.

“On the weekend, Collingwood VFL played the Southport Sharks in the VFL who are black and white. So why can’t we play in our traditional prison bar guernsey, Showdown in Adelaide, that’s all. Not against Collingwood. Not for the rest of the year. I don’t think it’s unreasonable.

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“I can’t help but feel that we’ve been played in this for being nice and a bit mislead by the club and also conversations I’ve had with the president.

“It just shows, dare I say, the pettiness of this which has got completely out of hand. I don’t know whether it’s a case of the big Victorian clubs once again going: ‘Hey, you just keep in your place you interstates, South Australian clubs. We run this competition, you do as we say.’”

An agreement was put in place when Port Adelaide entered the competition in 1997 that the prison bar jumper was only to be worn in the AFL’s Heritage round.

But there is no longer one dedicated round by the AFL, with clubs opting to do their own heritage celebrations each year.

“Yes, an agreement was signed when we came into the AFL – that’s 30 years ago. Times have changed and clubs are celebrating their heritage,” Koch said.

Port Adelaide Power press conference | 05:23

“Why can’t we declare a Showdown as celebrating our heritage?

“I’m fuming because we have done the right thing, we’ve just quietly gone about it, and I can’t help feel as though that good nature has been played.

“You look at virtually every AFL club being allowed to play in their heritage guernsey this year … but we’re not allowed to do the same.”

Koch later added in a statement: “Surely we’re past these trivial arguments and acknowledge this is one of these things where it’s time for change and we progress the game, as a truly national competition which acknowledges the rich heritage we all bring.

“We’re not asking to wear it every week, it’s for Showdowns, in Adelaide, to celebrate the rich heritage of Port Adelaide and of South Australian football. It just feels logical, harming no body and promoting the history of Australian football.

“At a time when the number 1 issue in the game is fan engagement and attendance, it’s such an easy solution.

“What we are asking for is entirely reasonable. To wear our iconic Prison Bar Guernsey in Showdowns to celebrate the heritage of Port Adelaide and South Australian football. Not against Collingwood, just two times a year, in Adelaide. I don’t see how it impacts anyone negatively at all.”

Last year, the Power were threatened with the loss of premiership points if they wore the prison bar jumper for the Showdown, against the AFL’s ruling.

So the team waited until post-match to change out of their playing strip and into the prison bar Guernsey.

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