Tag: SEN

AFL Media’s chief correspondent Damian Barrett says it’s “time to go” for Mark Ricciuto from his role at the Adelaide football club.

Ricciuto, the club’s footy director, has seen his position at the Crows under increasing pressure since the release of Eddie Betts’ autobiography, The Boy From Boomerang Crescent.

Josh Jenkins and Bryce Gibbs have also provided damning accounts of the club’s 2018 pre-season camp of which Ricciuto had oversight for as footy director at the time.

Barrett admitted he’d heard good things about Ricciuto’s character, but suggested the club needed a “fresh approach” without him.

“He’s been very aggressive in targeting the individuals concerned in the whole reporting of this story, and there’s a Glenn Archer element to his time (on the board),” Barrett told The Sounding Board podcast.

“(He’s an) all-time great footballer for the club. (But) I question the role and effect and manners of the role as a director of the football club and I would have thought his time at the club as a result of this, after a long time at the club with other questionable decisions, might be up.

“Time to go… time for a fresh look, a fresh approach, and certainly a different, maybe more empathetic approach to the director role at that footy club.

“I’m not one to call for people to stand down, and this is an honorary job anyway, so he’s not going to lose any wages out of the role.”

Adelaide CEO Tim Silvers apologized to Betts last Wednesday, but in a sign that perhaps the club is committed to betterment, Silvers and chairman John Silvers penned an open letter on Monday.

“The most important thing we can do now is listen and offer our support,” the statement read while apologizing to those affected by the camp.

John Olsen and Tim Silvers have penned an open letter to AFC Members and supporters.

— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) August 8, 2022

Ricciuto offered an apology of sorts on his radio show on Triple M Adelaide last Wednesday, but drew criticism for appearing to try and move on just hours after the release of Betts’ biography.

Respected SEN broadcaster Gerard Whateley is another who has commented on Ricciuto’s tenability, indirectly calling for him to be removed from his position or to resign.

However, reports from Monday suggested the club legend was “determined” to hold onto his role.

The Sounding Board co-host Craig Hutchison shared Barrett’s sentiment, adding that Ricciuto’s term as director hadn’t been an overly successful one.

“(Ace a) footballer, 100/100. (As a) businessman, exceptional, very influential businessman, made a lot of money and makes good decisions,” Hutchison said.

“(As a) person, great person. (But as a) footy director and his ability to manage that in media, substandard. He hasn’t had a great off-field impact as a director on that club and his ability to manage that conflict with his morning radio has been poor.

“It creates a problem every time (on the radio). He spoke for 68 seconds last Wednesday and was seen to be brushing it off or wanting to move on, and it just made it worse.”

Nathan Buckley is tipping Carlton to play finals this season for the first time since 2013.

The Blues hold their destiny in their own hands and can sure up a spot in September with a win in one or both of their last two games.

However, given recent form issues and coming up against in-form sides Melbourne and Collingwood in the final two rounds, Michael Voss’ side is suddenly under pressure to play finals.

Buckley stated the side was “out of form”, but said the players will be more responsible than coaches for determining the culture in what is potentially the last two weeks of their season.

“Carlton was in great shape early, their best football early in the season was as good as any. They buffered personnel concerns as well as anyone did throughout the second quarter of the season,” he said on SEN’s Whateley.

“(But) they’re not playing as well now. For whatever reason, they’re out of shape, they’re not connecting as well, there are elements of their game that haven’t quite come together and that was largely around transition and that’s starting to hurt them now, more so than the middle of the year.

“I don’t know how Vossy (Voss) handles it, but once again, the information that you glean inside of an organization, inside of a team, the players will make the determination and direction as much as the coaches will.”

The former Collingwood coach believes the role of Patrick Cripps will be pivotal.

Cripps is facing a two-week suspension if he is unsuccessful at the court on Tuesday night, but will nevertheless have a big off-field role if his ban remains.

“This is where Patty Cripps becomes crucial, he’s still got a big part to play,” Buckled added.

“Not matter if he’s playing or not, his energy and his direction and leadership around the organization is going to be really important over the next couple of weeks.”

Ultimately, Buckley believes the Blues may play finals regardless of whether or not they turn their form around.

Carlton is on 48 points and face two games where they’ll start outsiders to finish the home and away season. Among many scenarios for Carlton to miss the finals, the most likely is the Bulldogs – on 40 points – winning their final two games against GWS and Hawthorn and overtaking the Blues on percentage.

It would mean Richmond and the Dogs will fill 7th and 8th, but as Buckley notes, the Blues aren’t the ones doing the chasing.

“They could lose both games and still play finals, and I still think that’s the most likely outcome is that they sneak in,” he said.

“I don’t reckon they necessarily need to win a game for that to happen… they have to be caught and we’ve seen a lot of teams lose a lot of games when we potentially expected them to win.

“Everyone’s been falling over at hurdles, and maybe Carlton has done enough early in the season to qualify.”

Cripps will learn his court fate when proceedings kick off at 5pm AEST on Tuesday night.

His case will be heard second after West Coast’s Tim Kelly.

Essendon has made preliminary inquiries around unsigned North Melbourne forward Cam Zurhaar.

Zurhaar has been sitting on a Kangaroos contract for two months and has understandably held off committing given the ongoing uncertainty around who will take over as senior coach.

While the Bombers have some interest in the 24-year-old goalkicker, there is also a belief he re-signs at Arden Street once a coach is named.

Further, Essendon have other holes they want to fill, particularly the addition of a big-bodied midfielder.

Josh Dunkley requested a trade to the Dons in 2020, but the Western Bulldogs held the onballer to his contract. Angus Brayshaw was an Essendon target earlier this year before signing back on at Melbourne.

The Bombers feel a bigger midfielder would complement an existing engine room which includes Zach Merrett (179cm), Darcy Parish (180cm), Dylan Shiel (182cm), Jye Caldwell (183cm) and youngster Ben Hobbs (183cm).

Dunkley’s contract expires this year and while the Dogs have presented him with a long-term offer, negotiations have progressed slowly.

The Dunkley camp hasn’t rejected the offer, but haven’t presented a counter-offer, either.

Dunkley is said to be happy and engaged at Whitten Oval, but while the Dogs expect him to stay it’s not moving quickly.

Coleman Medalist Scott Cummings has ranked all 16 current AFL coaches by their job security as we approach the end of the 2022 home-and-away season.

Two coaches have already been sacked this season, with the landscape unlikely to shift further in the off-season, barring further developments.

Obviously, GWS caretaker coach Mark McVeigh and North Melbourne’s Leigh Adams have been excluded from the list.

From most to least safe, here’s Cummings’ list from SEN WA Breakfast.

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1. Chris Scott (Geelong)

“He’s on top of the ladder, signed until 2024.”

2. Craig McRae (Collingwood)

“He’s also signed until 2024.”

3. Simon Goodwin (Melbourne)

“He won a flag last year, signed until 2024 and I think he’s got the right people around him and Melbourne is still a good side.”

4. John Longmire (Sydney)

“They love him. The president loves him, the board loves him, the CEO loves him, the players love him, he’s safe. He will decide when he’s done.”

5. Justin Longmuir (Fremantle)

“Signed until the end of next year.”

6. Adam Simpson (West Coast)

“I don’t think he is going anywhere else and I don’t think the Eagles want him to. He’s had as many reasons as a coach has ever had for a poor year and he’s signed until 2024 so I reckon he’s absolutely safe.”

7. Damien Hardwick (Richmond)

“Again, signed until 2024.”

8.Stuart Dew (Gold Coast)

“Just re-signed until 2024.”

9. Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)

10. Chris Fagan (Brisbane)

“He’s only signed until the end of next year. I remember that’s high. I reckon he could be a bit further down the list. They want a big finals campaign.”

11. Michael Voss (Carlton)

“You know why he’s at 11? Because it’s Carlton and they go through them and they put all these expectations on themselves and if they don’t match them, they sack someone.”

12. Ken Hinkley (Port Adelaide)

“You know why he’s at 12? You know why he’s not at 18 after David Koch’s comments on the weekend? Because Kochie is the barber’s cat. He is full of p–s and wind. He says it every year. Everyone’s safe. He doesn’t make any decisions. Hinkley probably should be sitting at 15 or 16, I’ve got him at 12 because I don’t think Koch has the pills to make a tough decision.”

13. Luke Beveridge (Western Bulldogs)

“He’s signed until the end of next year.”

14. Matthew Nicks (Adelaide)

“I think he’s doing a good job and he’s got some good young players coming through, but I don’t think he’s rock solid. I don’t think his future is set in stone.

15. Brett Ratten (St Kilda)

“Even though he’s signed until 2024.”

16. Ben Rutten (Essendon)

Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has named his top seven old-school current day players.

Lloyd said the list was off the back of Brayden Maynard’s performance against Melbourne on Friday night, where the tough 25-year-old set the tone for Collingwood’s win.

lloyd told sports day: “Off the back of Maynard’s game, (I’ve named my top seven) old-fashioned footballer (types) who you loved to see in other eras, in the 80s, 90s, 2000s (etc.).”

Check out his top seven below:

7. James Sicily (Hawthorn)

“I think that I’d love to see him fighting and scrapping in another era.”

6. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)

“I think with this guy, you can see the glint in the eye sometimes.

“I think he could play in any era and he’s tough, he’s underrated for his toughness.”

5. Mitch Robinson (Brisbane)

“The way Mitch plays, I would love to have seen him in the 90s.”

4. Cam Zurhaar (North Melbourne)

“Cam Zurhaar, I could see him and his build (fitting in with an old-fashioned style).”

3. Joel Selwood (Geelong)

2. Jack Viney (Melbourne)

1. Brayden Maynard (Collingwood)

“What he did at the start of the game and the end of the game (on Friday night), he plays on the edge.

“He rarely gets suspended… I like the way he went to Ed Langdon. Did it well, did it smartly and put a bit of fear into him.”

Carlton’s quest to play its first finals series since 2013 has been complicated given the loss of the side’s “strength” over recent weeks.

Carlton started the year with one of the dominant midfield units, Patrick Cripps leading a brutal on-ball brigade featuring Marc Pittonet, George Hewett, Matthew Kennedy, Sam Walsh and Adam Cerra.

But the drop-off from earlier this season to Round 21 is stark. The Blues lost to Brisbane by 33 points on Sunday, but of particular concern, were belted in center clearances.

Hewett hasn’t played since Round 18 with a back problem, while Kennedy has a fractured jaw and could return in Round 23.

This issue has been compounded by Cripps’ two-game suspension and injuries to depth midfielders including Ed Curnow.

“They lost the center clearances 23-9, that was their strength,” Essendon great Matthew Lloyd told sports day.

“So they’ve lost that strength now with no Kennedy and no Hewett and now Patrick Cripps.”

Cripps was cited by the MRO for a bump on Lion Calum Ah Chee and is staring down the barrel of a two-game suspension.

If he’s suspended, it would leave first-year Blue and former Docker Cerra to lead the inside midfield in Round 22 against Sydney.

On Close, sports day co-host Sam McClure said: “Cerra’s been a bit down, I’m not sure if that’s harsh or not”.

Lloyd agreed the 22-year-old has “been down” and “hasn’t had a good year”.

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes went a step further on Nine’s Footy Classified.

“If you do sign a big contract, you want more than (his output), particularly when Hewett and Kennedy are out, you’ve got to step up and alleviate some of the pressure on Walsh and Cripps,” he said.

“It’s rubbish ball use really (what he did on Sunday), and I think he’s been a disappointing signing so far.”

“If you do sign [a player to] a big contract, you want more than this.”@kanecornes says much-hyped Blues recruit Adam Cerra has been a ‘disappointing’ signing so far, after arriving on a four-year deal. #9FootyClassified | Watch on @Channel9 pic.twitter.com/zNqZMwnqH9

— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) August 8, 2022

Cerra is averaging 23 disposals, 4.7 inside 50s and 3.9 clearances per game in 2022.

All in all, the Blues have to win one of their final two games to guarantee a finals spot, but that’s easier said than done given they play in-form sides Sydney and Collingwood to finish the season.

But with a growing injury list and no clear returns for Round 22, Lloyd remains concerned about their depth.

“With that drop off (of numerous players) the defense is being opened up, Lewis Young and these guys getting exposed in defence,” the five-time All-Australian added.

“They’re missing targets, their depth looked really poor I thought. With these guys out it suddenly exposes others to play that probably shouldn’t be playing in a Carlton team that makes the finals.”

Will Hayes, Jack Carroll and Lache Fogarty remain depth options available in the VFL to add to Carlton’s battered midfield, while Liam Stocker could also fill a role.

Should Adelaide open their war chest for Izak Rankine and pay him $800,000 over five years to come to the club?

Garry Lyon believes the Crows should if they’re comfortable with dedicating that much salary cap space to the livewire forward.

Former Essendon captain Tim Watson laid out his thoughts, going through the stats.

“I was thinking to myself, is he really worth that? He’s a great highlights reel type player, but in terms of productivity, where does he rank alongside every other small forward in the game?” Watson told SEN Breakfast.

“From Champion Data, they say he’s the 10th best overall forward in the competition. He was the number one player in the competition for forward 50 ground balls.

“My eye tells me that he does things that other players are incapable of doing, but does he do enough of them?”

To which Lyon responded: “No he doesn’t because if he did he’d be Gary Ablett like.”

The former Melbourne captain however supports Adelaide’s play for Rankine, saying they have to pay him overs to pry him out of the Gold Coast – who recently believed they had the small forward locked away.

“So he’s not at that level, but he’s at a level where Adelaide are prepared to pay probably $200,000 more than he’s worth to get him back,” he said.

“I’d say he’s worth $600,000, but to get him out you’ve got to pay overs and that’s where Adelaide is at.

“Four weeks ago he was staying, that’s what I’m told, and then they’ve managed to change his mind, but they haven’t given up Gold Coast.

“(Adelaide) is the youngest team in the competition, so they must have some salary cap space, so do it. $800,000 sounds like obscene money, but you’ve got to move the kid back and if you’ve got the youngest list in the comp, get them together and grow them together.”

Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes has blasted the club’s chairman David Koch for his comments on Ken Hinkley’s future at Alberton.

With Hinkley under some pressure to remain as coach next year but contracted for 2023, Koch set a fire under the club’s footy program on Monday morning.

“It’s not just about one individual person. It’s the whole program. Turn it around or watch out,” Koch told FIVEaa.

“Every single person’s role will be assessed at the end of the year, as we do each year.

“But this year (it is) more important than ever and we are not afraid to make change. We have made plenty of changes (before). We have high expectations both on field and off field.”

It’s a change of tone from the Power hierarchy. Just days before, club CEO Matthew Richardson had called out the “disrespectful” comments towards Hinkley, saying: “This is not a reset moment. As we’ve said, Ken’s contracted, he’s our coach and I think sometimes it’s just the fact that it keeps coming up is disrespectful”.

Cornes suggested Koch had caved to the loudest voices on Hinkley.

“This is a classic example of a chairman kicking with the breeze,” he said on SEN SA Breakfast.

“He had felt the angst from the supporter group, he felt like he needed to make a strong statement to alleviate some of the concerns from the very Port Adelaide supporter group who share their feedback regularly.

“Their desire to sack Ken Hinkley right now, Kochie (Koch) listened to that and he’s said, ‘even though my language has been one way all year, with two games to go I’m going to alleviate some of the concerns from the Port Adelaide supporter group and make a big, strong, sweeping statement about the coaching with two weeks to go’: ‘turn it around or watch out’.

“Turn what around? There are two weeks left in the season. What do you need to know in the next two weeks regarding Ken Hinkley’s ability to coach this club that you haven’t already discovered in the last ten years?

“Either make a call or back him in… ‘turn it around or watch out’, what a ridiculous thing to say.”

Cornes isn’t so concerned about what the club decides, as long as a decision is made.

Port Adelaide entered 2022 with the expectation they would once again be at the pointy end of the ladder, but a series of injury and form issues early saw them start the season 0-5.

They’ve somewhat recovered to be 8-12, but won’t play finals in 2022. Given Hinkley’s uncertainty at Port Adelaide, he’s been linked to the vacant jobs at GWS and North Melbourne.

But as Cornes notes, the Port coach can’t apply for other jobs while he’s still uncertain about his future.

“The thing that David Koch needs to do is make a call, is he your coach or is he not your coach? And if he’s not your coach, you have to tell him now so that he has the opportunity and you give him the respect to go and find another job,” the Power Hall of Famer said.

“There are two vacant coaching jobs right now that Ken Hinkley would absolutely be in the mix for it, but he can’t be in the mix for it if he thinks he’s going to be coaching Port Adelaide next year.

“Conversely, if he is your guy and you’ve contracted him for next year, which they have, back him in now. There’s nothing to be learned in the next two weeks that you don’t already know and you haven’t already discovered in the last 10 weeks.

“It was a stupid thing to say, it sent the media into a spin and it now has everyone questioning if Ken Hinkley will be there next year.”

Hinkley and Port Adelaide travel to Marvel Stadium to take on Essendon on Sunday.

It’s not the end of the world if Carlton falls out of the top eight from here, according to David King.

The Blues need to win one more game to make it, with the Bulldogs likely to overtake them on percentage if they don’t.

Losses to Adelaide and Brisbane on the road have left them still needing that 13th win, with Melbourne and Collingwood to come.

With an injury list in double digits all season and the pending suspension of Patrick Cripps, that final victory feels unlikely.

However, King believes Carlton has laid out their game style, since they have the tools and shouldn’t be too dismayed if they miss out.

“We were there at the start of the season for their practice game at IKON Park to work out who they are. They were going flat out at every training session, flat out at every pre-season game. It’s a long year,” King told SEN Breakfast.

“They’ve shown this season that in 2023 and 2024 they’re going to be a force. They’ve set standards.

“They aren’t as physically imposing as they were in the first eight weeks of the season, they aren’t as brutal in the contest and clearance, their top players maybe aren’t in ripping form, they’ve hit the wall a little bit for me

“Which is probably expected. I probably expected this with Collingwood, Hawthorn, the first-time coaches coming in have got to set standards and get rolling so early in pre-season and there’s no tapering.

“It hasn’t happened at Collingwood, but it has happened at Carlton. There’s no shame in that.

“If Cripps gets a few weeks and they go in without three or four of their midfield set, they’ll get what they get, but there’s so many positives out of Carlton this year.

“It doesn’t really matter if you finish seventh, eighth, ninth or 10th. It doesn’t change where you’re going next year.

“I just think the positives far outweigh the negatives.

“I’d love to do a study on teams that have finished seventh and eighth the last few years and how it’s impacted the following two to three seasons. Has it actually helped them or is it a false economy?

“They go so hard in the last three weeks to limp into eighth and more often than not they’re out week one and all the talk and all the excitement, it just becomes a nonsense.

“In terms of the way they play, I think there’s been enormous gains this year. Michael Voss has done a great job.

“They’ve run out of personnel. Injuries have got them.”

On top of likely losing Cripps for the final two games, the Blues will likely be without Matt Kennedy (broken jaw) and George Hewett (back) from their starting midfield group.

The Blues will seemingly have at least 14 players unavailable for Saturday night’s clash with Melbourne.

Whether Carlton can get Patrick Cripps’ Match Review charge reduced or thrown out could well define the club’s season.

The Blues skipper was cited by the MRO for a collision on Sunday with Brisbane’s Callum Ah Chee, who was subbed out with concussion shortly after.

Cripps is set to miss two weeks with the incident graded as careless conduct, high impact and high contact. However, Carlton is widely tipped to challenge the result at the court and has until 11am AEST on Tuesday morning to confirm whether they will do so.

Crippa goes BANG 💥

Is Patty Cripps in trouble with this hit on Callum Ah Chee? pic.twitter.com/xWPrJkXAZh

— 7AFL (@7AFL) August 7, 2022

But Essendon great Matthew Lloyd can’t foresee a successful challenge.

“I thought two (weeks) was right,” he told sports day shortly after the news broke.

“I thought that when you jump off the ground, I felt like he turned and didn’t really reach and make a good enough attempt at football.

“To me, Cripps has just turned, braced, and knocked a guy out.

“I thought you’re in trouble, two weeks straight away. I don’t see how they get off this one.”

The potential challenge will be of greater significance given its timing. Carlton may need to win one of their final two games to lock themselves into September, and Cripps, the club’s go-to midfielder, would likely need to be there.

But in a glimmer of hope for Blues fans, 1988 Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy suggested he could potentially see the ban being changed.

He compared the case to that of Lachie Plowman’s last year, with the defender’s court case and subsequent appeal both unsuccessful and a two-week ban remained.

Carlton’s Lachie Plowman has learned his fate following a marathon court hearing.

Full details 👇

— AFL (@AFL) May 25, 2021

“I think it’s more line-ball for me (than the Plowman bump),” Healy said.

“That’s why we’re going to send it to the court… I think he’s in trouble, but I still think it’s not a closed case this one, whereas Plowman’s, I think that was a bit of a joke that they took that to appeal .

“(If the two-week ban remains it) really makes it difficult for them to retain their spot in the eight. I thought with Cripps in, maybe George Hewett back, they’re a chance in the last game.”

The Blues play Sydney and Collingwood in the remaining two games of the season and will go into both as underdogs.