Carlton will quickly regroup in preparation for a mouth-watering “final elimination” against arch rival Collingwood next week, coach Michael Voss says.
Voss was trying to take positives out of Saturday night’s heartbreaking loss to the Demons, who stole a five-point victory from the jaws of defeat thanks to a classy Kysaiah Pickett goal with 11 seconds left in the game.
Shattered Blues players slumped to the ground on the final siren as Melbourne denied Carlton the opportunity to cement a finals berth for the first time since the 2013 season.
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Asked where it went wrong, Voss told reporters: “A bit of detail in the last couple of minutes didn’t quite get right, so I guess it’s easy to focus on that two minutes.”
Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd, who was at the MCG on Saturday night, witnessed a frustrated Voss walk towards the Blues’ rooms after the final siren, before he u-turned, consoled his players and walked from the field with them.
“This is as bad as a home and away loss gets … I’ve lost a prelim by a point but this is as close to what you get with a home and away loss,” Lloyd told Channel 9’s The Sunday Footy Show.
Patrick Cripps of the Blues and Michael Voss leave after the loss. Picture: Mark StewartSource: News Corp Australia
“Vossy, he stands on the bench with the players and coaches from down there – he just started charging off on his own, disconsolate, hands in his pockets. He was going to head straight down to the rooms.
“Just as he got close, I reckon it triggered and he thought: ‘I can’t just go off and leave my players there.’ He turned back around, walked 60m back, he tapped every player on the bum, he and ‘Crippa’ (Patrick Cripps) walked down arm-in-arm.
“So I reckon he thought to himself: ‘I’ve got to be here with my players and we’ve got one week to try and salvage and turn this around.’”
With the ninth-placed Western Bulldogs, who are a win behind Carlton, set to start as favorites in their own do-or-die clash against Hawthorn next Sunday, the Blues simply must beat old foe Collingwood to cement a finals berth.
Carlton, vying to feature in September for the first time since 2013, will take on the miracle-working Magpies in a sequel to the thrilling Round 11 affair in which the Pies won by four points.
“It’s really exciting for us,” Voss said.
Patrick Cripps of the Blues and Michael Voss. Picture: Mark StewartSource: News Corp Australia
“I’ve spoken about the opportunity that’s there and it’s about exposure for us playing in these sorts of games. It can only be a good thing for us and how we grow and develop out of this as a footy team.”
Voss said his troops would relish the opportunity to take on the in-form Collingwood in front of an MCG crowd likely to exceed 80,000.
“It’s effectively an elimination final,” Voss said. “We know what the week holds.
“We’ll get back to work and turn up here next Sunday, in what will be a really big game. I’m sure it’ll be really built up.
“The energy that we brought today was just real excitement to be able to play these sorts of games. I hope we bring that same energy.”
Demons rob Blues on the Buzzer! | 03:03
The Blues are likely to regain Adam Cerra, who was a late withdrawal because of groin tightness but Voss conceded his side wouldn’t have the luxury of bringing fellow midfielders George Hewett and Matthew Kennedy back into the line-up despite the high-stakes nature of the clash.
“(Close) just couldn’t quite get going this morning,” Voss said.
“George (Hewett) is starting to get going a bit, but I think the prognosis for him is that if he does actually start to train it might be more towards the finals.”
St Kilda midfielder Brad Crouch could be staring down the barrel of a stint on the sidelines following a late hit on Brisbane Lions defender Darcy Gardiner during Friday evening’s AFL match at Marvel Stadium.
During the second quarter of Brisbane’s 15-point victory, Crouch’s shoulder made heavy contact with Gardiner’s head near the boundary line.
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The dazed 26-year-old required medical attention following the ugly incident, which sparked a brief melee.
“That’s not good I don’t think,” footy icon Brian Taylor said on Channel 7 commentary.
“That’s head contact with a bump and it could’ve been a tackle.”
Melbourne AFLW footballer Daisy Pearce continued: “That’s weeks. At least a week and anything upward of that hinges on what those doctors are working out right now.”
Channel 7 commentator James Brayshaw replied: “You say that, but in the current landscape how would anyone know?”
Crouch will almost certainly come under scrutiny from the Match Review Officer, but the severity of his punishment remains unclear.
Earlier this week, the AFL Appeals Board overturned the AFL Tribunal’s decision to uphold Carlton captain Patrick Cripps’ two-match ban for rough conduct due to a lack of procedural fairness.
The outcome baffled the footy community, and the AFL Appeals Board could face further scrutiny following Crouch’s late hit at Marvel Stadium.
“Good on Carlton for pursuing it and getting their player free but I thought we were all about protecting the head and Cal Ah Chee had no chance whatsoever to protect his own head last week,” Lion coach Chris Fagan told reporters in the post- match press conference.
“And he was off early in the game last week and he’s not playing this week as a result of it so we get penalized for that and unfortunately Cal gets injured.
“We’ve just got to protect the head – it’s as simple as that.”
Melbourne great Garry Lyon fumed on Fox Footy: “It’s the greatest raffle in sport right now… it’s a farce.
“We don’t know what’s going on. ‘Procedural fairness’, come on.
“I hope this is not the start of a long concussion run for Callum Ah Chee, because we’d go back to this moment and go, ‘This is an AFL that makes a lot of noise but (doesn’t do enough)’ .”
St Kilda will need a minor miracle to qualify for the finals after Friday’s 12.9 (81) to 9.12 (66) defeat.
Brisbane opened up a 26-point buffer late in the second quarter, but for the third game in a row, they either gave up a sizeable lead, or had one eaten into significantly, as the Saints exploded in the third quarter to lead by five points, putting the Lions’ top-four ambitions in peril.
However, Brisbane’s pursuit of a double chance would’ve been severely impeded if Saints spearhead Max King kicked straight, but he could only must five behinds, including four missed set shots from directly in front in the second half when the Saints enjoyed all the momentum .
In response, Rayner stepped up to the plate, showing King how it’s done, booting three of Brisbane’s four final-quarter goals, to finish up with a team-high four majors, and prove to be the match winner.
The Saints will likely drop to 10th this weekend, meaning they will have to not only beat the Swans in Sydney in the final round next week, but will also need a raft of other results to go their way to make the finals.
St Kilda coach Brett Ratten has said star forward Max King “won’t be seeing anybody outside the club” to help improve his set-shot routine, instead backing in those at the club to help steady the 22-year-old’s game.
King imposed himself in the air during Friday night’s loss to Brisbane at Marvel Stadium, but kicked five behinds and ended up goalless as the Saints’ final hopes were all-but dashed.
Speaking post-game, Ratten was staunch in his defense of King.
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Cripps free to play, ban overturned! | 00:35
“It’s part of the game and you look through great forwards to have played the game, they’ve had a night where they haven’t scored like they wanted to,” he said.
“The pleasing part we know about Max is that Tuesday was a day off for the players and he was at Marvel Stadium for an hour-and-a-half having goal-kicking practice. Every day we’re at the footy club or not at the footy club he’s there having extra goal-kicking and really rehearsing and fine-tuning his game to make sure he gets the opportunity to score on game-day. He’s doing a power of work.
“What I do know is I want Max King in my corner. He’ll be at our footy club for 10 years and when we look back we’ll be saying what a great player he is and what he’s done. Tonight he had a night where it didn’t work for him.
“He did everything right but finish, for great forwards that’s happened in the game. He’s 21 years of age, we love what he brings to the footy club, he’s developing and we know that he’s doing the work. Sometimes you don’t get the reward all the time but he’ll keep doing that and you watch, he’ll turn it around.”
King has enjoyed a relatively impressive season in front of goal, booting 47 goals from his 21 games.
There have been occasions, however, where inaccuracy has plagued him, most notably his return of one goal and seven behinds in round six and two goals and five behinds in round 20 before tonight’s five behinds.
Ratten said a myriad of factors were at play for King.
King kicked five behinds on Friday night (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images).Source: Getty Images
“I wouldn’t say high pressure, I think sometimes the goal-kicking, it’s got so many elements to it,” he said.
“It’s the technical aspect, the mental aspect, the fatigue, what part of the ground, people score from different parts and score easier when the ball is on the right side versus the left.
“I want to go to war with Max because he delivers and he will deliver.”
The Saints in 2021 knocked back Max King’s request for help from Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd – who also coached King at Haileybury College – instead opting to leave King’s goal-kicking practice to those internally.
Asked on Friday night if there had been a change since then, Ratten’s response was firm.
“He won’t be seeing anybody outside the club, he doesn’t need to. We’ve got people with the skillset to keep working there,” he said.
“As I said to you, it’s not just all about the technical aspect, there’s a mental aspect to it as well. With goal-kicking, it’s a closed skill and there’s different elements to it.
“It’s not just we bring somebody in and they fix up the hand drop or anything like that. He hasn’t got many flaws, but sometimes it can go against you.”
Brisbane Lion Callum Ah Chee has called out online racial abuse in the wake of Carlton’s successful appeal of skipper Patrick Cripps’ two-week suspension and the club has referred it to the AFL Integrity Unit.
Cripps was cleared by the AFL appeals board on Thursday night, having been given a two-week ban for a big hit on Ah Chee in last week’s clash at the Gabba.
The AFL on Friday confirmed it would not appeal that decision and Cripps was free to play against Melbourne this weekend.
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But amid the fallout, Ah Chee, who was injured in the incident and will miss Brisbane’s match with St Kilda due to the AFL’s concussion protocols, was the target of racial abuse that he spoke out against on his personal Instagram account.
“Not something you want to wake up to in the morning,” I posted.
“How can this still keep happening. Why can’t my brothers and I just play the game we love without having to worry about s**t like this… If my son grows up playing the game – I hope he doesn’t have to deal with this hate.
“It hurts and I’m sick to death of seeing it.”
The Lions also condemned the comments calling the behavior “disgusting” and reported it to the AFL Integrity Unit.
“The Brisbane Lions celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and the incredible contribution Indigenous players have made to our club and to our great game,” a clubs statement said.
“It’s disappointing to have to do so, but in moments like this we take the approach as a footy club to urge people to educate themselves about the harmful impacts of racially motivated comments and online abuse.
“At the Lions we are a family and when one hurts, we all hurt.
“If you know anyone who behaves in this way, call it out as completely unacceptable.”
Ah Chee was supported by Brisbane teammate Mitch Robinson, who said the abuse was “as weak as it ever gets”.
“Sick of having to see our Indigenous and multicultural players subject to racism over and over again,” he posted on Twitter.
“If you see it, even if you might know these uneducated trolls on social media keep calling it out and report them.”
The AFL confirmed it would not appeal against Cripps’ ban being overturned, noting the case “involved complexities”, but the reasons for the decision would be closely reviewed.
“The AFL acknowledges and accepts the decision of the AFL appeals board in overturning the tribunal’s decision to suspend Patrick Cripps from the Carlton Football Club,” a league statement said.
“As the appeal board chairman commented last night, the case involved complexities and the AFL will closely review the appeal board’s detailed reasons for the decision that will be received in due course.
“That said, the health and safety of our players at an elite and community level is of paramount importance and that priority will continue to inform the AFL’s ongoing work in taking action where health and safety is impacted or at risk.”
Jason Horne-Francis’ failure to complete his “proper ice bath and recovery” is what led to his shock axing from the side to face Adelaide, 7NEWS has revealed.
Horne-Francis was left out of the Kangaroos’ line up for what would have been his first homecoming to play in front of family and friends since being snapped up with North’s first number one draft pick.
7NEWS journalist Mitch Cleary said the prized draft pick was omitted for “disobeying his coach” last weekend.
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“The star teenager was called out by interim coach Leigh Adams and senior players on Sunday for failing to complete his proper ice baths and recovery in front of their very eyes,” Cleary reported.
“I have spent this morning with a dozen teammates training in Melbourne (instead of traveling with the squad).”
He’ll now play in the VFL after failing to live up to the club’s “Monday to Friday” expectations.
With Horne-Francis putting off contract extension talks earlier this year, there’s fears the 18-year-old could be preparing to depart the ‘Roos at the end of 2023 – when his initial two-year draft deal expires.
But North Melbourne great Brent Harvey says the club will not be “held to ransom” by Horne-Francis’ uncertain future.
“I think there’s always a risk (when dropping him),” Harvey said on RSN on Friday.
“He’s going to have the spotlight on him because he’s the number one draft pick… (but) he hasn’t gone out and robbed a bank, he hasn’t done anything bad; teammates love him, staff love him, the coaches love him – he hasn’t done anything bad. This is just part of the development of a young boy to get his preparation right and everybody else. Not just Jason.
“The risk is there (that he departs)… we know the risk, everybody knows the right. Not just Jason. It could be draft pick number five, not number one and they’re from Adelaide or Perth – the going home factor is always going to be there. Same as a Perth club that drafts a Melbourne boy – it’s always going to be there.
“But you can’t get held to ransom for these little things. You’ve got to make sure your culture is number one and that’s what our coach is doing right now and I absolutely love it.”
McRae reiterates hope to re-sign De Goey | 00:36
The decision to ax Horne-Francis shocked the AFL community, with Fox Footy’s Nick Riewoldt labeling the move “strange”, while David King questioned the call given the teen would have motivation to perform in front of his support network.
Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy even told 3AW’s sports day that Horne-Francis’ non-selection for the Crows game was “a bookend to a pretty disappointing season”.
But Harvey opened up on the decision to ax Horne-Francis, who was also left in the VFL for a week after returning from suspension earlier this season.
“There’s some stuff that we call Monday to Friday, it’s preparation stuff – you need to tick the boxes,” he said.
“This is not just about Jason … (Caretaker coach) Leigh Adams has got very good standards, I’ve got to be a little bit careful … but we’ve got players not playing in our team and I’ll name one right now : Kayne Turner.
“He would run through brick walls for every single one of his teammates and every single one of his supporters – he does everything right.
“If he’s not playing, he’s playing in the reserves at the minute, you’d want to be doing everything right to make sure you’re holding up your end of the bargain. We call that Monday to Friday and if you haven’t got your Monday to Friday in order, that’s just not good enough right now.
Koch keeps Hinkley for 2023! | 02:49
“Was it good enough in Round 3, Round 4, Round 5? Maybe.
“But with Leigh Adams in charge, the standards have gone to another level and players have to play their part. Monday to Friday is just as important as performing on game day for us.
“There’s not just one incident where we’ve just said (to Horne-Francis): ‘Nah, you’re not playing because of this’. It’s not that at all, everything comes into calculations, the form side of it, what he’s doing after stoppage. There’s so much that comes into it.”
Harvey, who played 432 games for the Roos and was a premiership winner in 1999, said the club needed to instill the best culture possible in Horne-Francis and the Kangaroos squad moving forward.
“The end of the day, we’ll always come back to what’s best for the football club and what’s best for the culture,” Harvey said.
Cripps free to play, ban overturned! | 00:35
“He’s 18 years old, there are going to be little mistakes along the way.
“Any draftee that comes is not perfect, they are never perfect… he’s come over from interstate, straight into an elite environment.
“Our job is to teach them. Then they’ve got to learn themselves.
“I think he’s done fantastic in his first year away from mum and dad.
“(But) if you compromise on your culture, things go pear shaped real quickly.”
Carlton’s finals hopes have received a huge boost after Captain Patrick Cripps had his two-match suspension overturned at the AFL Tribunal Appeals Board.
Key points:
Carlton star Patrick Cripps has had his suspension overturned
Cripps is free to play against Melbourne on Saturday
Appeals Board chairperson Murray Kellam said the findings of the initial hearing on Tuesday were unreasonable
Cripps was unsuccessful in overturning a rough conduct charge at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night, and his hearing at the Appeals Board on Thursday night loomed as his final hope of having his two-match suspension squashed.
The 27-year-old’s airborne collision, which left Brisbane’s Callum Ah Chee with concussion, was graded as careless, high impact and high contact.
Christopher Townshend QC, acting for Cripps, argued that there was a “denial of natural justice” because AFL Court chairman Jeff Gleeson failed to give directions to the jury on Tuesday night before they retired to consider their verdict.
Townshend said Gleeson himself had created confusion by effectively stating Cripps’ action was a bump.
“In the absence of even Mr Cripps being asked if he wanted to bump his opponent … the chairperson later postures, ‘Can you bump and contest at the same time?'” Townshend said.
“(The jury was told to consider a) thesis that the chairperson has suggested rather than what the evidence has shown.
“A fair examination of the whole of the evidence could not support clear satisfaction that the player was doing something other than an incident where both players had eyes for the ball, and both players contested the ball, as found by the Tribunal.
“We say for the foregoing reasons the Tribunal’s decision is infected by error and so unreasonable that it requires reversing.”
AFL counsel Nicholas Pane said a player could contest with his eyes on the ball but still be in the action of bumping.
Chair Murray Kellam and jurors Richard Loveridge and Stephen Jurica deliberated for one hour and 45 minutes before deciding in favor of Cripps.
It means Cripps is free to play in crunch games against Melbourne and Collingwood in the final two rounds.
Currently seventh on the ladder with a 12-8 record, the Blues will need to win one of the two matches to guarantee the club’s first finals spot since 2013.
If Carlton lose both matches, they will need to rely on other results in order to stay inside the top eight.
Carlton has omitted Tom De Koning, Will Setterfield and Paddy Dow for Saturday’s must-win game against Melbourne.
The Blues bring Marc Pittonet back into the side along with Liam Stocker, while they’ve named Patrick Cripps in the center as he awaits his fate at the AFL Appeals Board.
The Western Bulldogs have omitted Alex Keath for a second time this season, with Ryan Gardner coming into the side in his stead, while Lachie Hunter and Stefan Martin return.
Key forward Josh Bruce has been managed.
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Meanwhile, North Melbourne has made a couple of selection statements, with Hugh Greenwood, Jason Horne-Francis and Josh Walker omitted from the side that will take on Adelaide on Saturday.
As confirmed on Wednesday, veteran midfielder Ben Cunnington will play his first AFL game in 13 months, with Ben McKay and Jackson Archer also returning.
Dangerfield likely to face Suns | 01:17
Geelong has been boosted by the return of quartet Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Mark Blicavs and Gary Rohan to face the Suns. But they’ve managed Mitch Duncan, Isaac Smith and Mark O’Connor, while Luke Dahlhaus (omitted) and Jon Ceglar (medi-sub) also haven’t been named.
Brisbane has turned to a pair of Jack’s — Jaxon Prior and Jackson Payne — to replace injured duo Marcus Adams and Callum Ah Chee for their primetime match-up against the Saints.
St Kilda veteran Dan Hannebery has been ‘managed’ for Friday night’s clash against the Lions after suffering an ankle injury last round.
Fremantle has opted to bring Sam Switkowski straight into its senior team, with the small pressure forward to play his first AFL match since Round 13.
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Bomber Dylan Shiel, as well as Power forward duo Todd Marshall and Mitch Georgiades have been named for Sunday’s Essendon-Port Adelaide clash, but star veteran Robbie Gray has been managed.
Shane Edwards (Richmond), Liam Shiels (Hawthorn), Peter Ladhams (Sydney) and Ollie Henry (Collingwood) have all been named on the extended benches for their respective Sunday matches.
Carlton has omitted Tom De Koning, Will Setterfield and Paddy Dow for Saturday’s must-win game against Melbourne.
The Blues bring Marc Pittonet back into the side along with Liam Stocker, while they’ve named Patrick Cripps in the center as he awaits his fate at the AFL Appeals Board.
The Western Bulldogs have omitted Alex Keath for a second time this season, with Ryan Gardner coming into the side in his stead, while Lachie Hunter and Stefan Martin return.
Key forward Josh Bruce has been managed.
Meanwhile, North Melbourne has made a couple of selection statements, with Hugh Greenwood and Jason Horne-Francis omitted from the side that they will take on Adelaide on Saturday.
Patrick Cripps will miss the final two rounds of the regular season after an unsuccessful appeal at the AFL Tribunal over a rough conduct charge.
Carlton attempted to argue that Cripps’ act – which left Callum Ah Chee concussed – was “not a bump” and was instead a pure contest.
Cripps, giving evidence, insisted his eyes were on the ball at all times, while the AFL argued Cripps had alternatives to how he could’ve contested the ball.
The AFL went as far as to argue Cripps elected to bump.
After a lengthy deliberation period, the Tribunal found the charge should be upheld.
MORE TO EAT
Meanwhile West Coast star Tim Kelly also fronted the Tribunal, contesting a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Adelaide’s Sam Berry, which was assessed as careless conduct with medium impact and high contact.
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Ban likely for Cripps after heavy bump | 02:00
Kelly’s legal representative argued the impact from the tackle should be classified as ‘low’ rather than ‘medium’.
Giving evidence, Kelly said there was little ill feeling from Berry towards him in the aftermath of the tackle, while a medical report showed Berry required no treatment and would not miss any games or training sessions as a result.
Kelly added: “To be brutally honest, it didn’t look like there was much impact at all.”
Ultimately, the Tribunal upheld the charge of medium impact and thus upheld Kelly’s ban.
Speaking after the side’s loss, Carlton coach Michael Voss came to the defense of Cripps’ action.
“I thought it was a good answer,” he said.
“The umpire probably told the story, he didn’t pay a free kick, did he? Clearly he felt the arms were out and it was evenly contested and clearly when you have not a lot of time to adjust in those circumstances, it made for a difficult contest.
“From what I’ve seen, the arms were outstretched and it was a pretty even contest.”
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