A Suns star is still off-contract—and the Crows are preparing to pounce.
Plus the intriguing contract situation surrounding a young Magpies forward.
Get the latest player movement news and updates in AFL Trade Whispers!
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CROWS KEEPING TABS ON SUNS STAR
Adelaide is making a major play for homegrown forward Izak Rankine in what would be one of the biggest coups of this year’s trade period.
Gold Coast officials have long been confident of retaining Rankine after already re-signing fellow South Australian Jack Lukosius, as well as Ben King, Ben Ainsworth, Elijah Hollands and Mac Andrew.
The Suns are also expected to soon ink Lachie Weller on a four-year contract.
Rankine, who was drafted from SANFL club West Adelaide with the No. 3 pick in the talent-laden 2018 class, is out of contract at season’s end but is not a free agent.
The Crows would likely need to part with their first-round draft selection, which is currently No. 4 after their weekend win over Carlton, if they convince Rankine to leave, but that may be only the start of what was required.
However, the 22-year-old’s contract status, and the possible threat of Adelaide grabbing him in the pre-season draft, could complicate any potential negotiations.
Izak Rankin of the Suns. Picture: Russell FreemanSource: Getty Images
The Blues did exactly that with ex-Gold Coast footballer Jack Martin three years ago after discussions between the clubs broke down, heavily front-ending his deal to ward off other suitors.
Essendon already made a lucrative pitch to Rankine’s management this year to try to lure him to Victoria, with the young star’s career-best season catching rivals’ attention.
His agent, Garry Winter, of W Sports and Media, was previously on Adelaide’s board, and it could be worth up to $800,000 per season for Rankine to become a Crow on a long-term deal.
Rankine’s three-goal performance against West Coast on Sunday was his seventh match with multiple majors in 2022, along with averaging 14 disposals and six score involvements.
He would be a significant upgrade on rebuilding Adelaide’s small forward corps and could form a deadly duo with last year’s first-round draftee Josh Rachele.
Rachele’s 17 goals rank fourth at the Crows – behind tall targets Taylor Walker (42) and Darcy Fogarty (22), as well as spring-heeled forward Shane McAdam (18) – while Ned McHenry and James Rowe have each kicked only 10.
They sit in the bottom four on the ladder and for scoring, so Rankine would provide an excellent boost ahead of a season where Matthew Nicks’ team hopes to take a leap.
Suns keep finals hope alive | 01:25
Adelaide’s list management team met with Melbourne goals neak Kade Chandler, another South Australian, during last year’s trade period before he decided to stay at the Demons.
The Crows were linked with Western Bulldogs midfielder Josh Dunkley for many months but it’s now believed Port Adelaide would be the South Australian club he would join if he left the Kennel.
Dunkley’s girlfriend, Tippah Dwan, plays netball for the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Asked last week about the delay in Rankine re-signing, Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew said they were “still confident” he would be at the club in 2023.
“There’s always a process. Things happen at different rates and different speeds,” Dew said.
“A number of contracts we’ve done have actually taken longer, so as long as the conversations are happening, that’s where the confidence comes from.
“It’s when it goes quiet (that you get concerned), and it’s certainly not like that – the dialogue’s still there.”
—NCA Newswire
HENRY, PIES ‘NOT OVERLY CLOSE’ TO FRESH CONTRACT
Collingwood and young forward Ollie Henry are “not overly close” on signing a new deal, but both parties remain confident a contract will be signed soon, reports SEN’s Sam Edmund.
Henry has had a promising yet rollercoaster 2022 season with the Magpies so far, booting 21.15 from 14 games. He started as the sub against Freo in Round 10 but came on to kick 4.1, while he was the unused medical sub against the Adelaide Crows in Round 18 and has spent the past two weekends in the VFL, booting 4.2 and 3.1 respectively.
The 20-year-old is uncontracted beyond this season. In May I told AFL Media he wasn’t in a rush to sign a new contract but declared he was “loving his time at Collingwood”.
Goodwin and Fagan discuss trade rumors | 03:43
Edmund reported on SEN Breakfast on Tuesday that talks between Henry’s management and the Magpies were ongoing, adding they’d met “in the last week or two”.
“Not overly close at this stage at Collingwood, but I think this one gets worked out. Both parties expect that to be the case,” Edmund told SEN Breakfast.
“The Pies want him to stay and Henry wants to stay, but with (Dan) McStay coming in there’s some things to work out around what his future looks like on game day.”
“I think they’ll get there, no real reason to think otherwise at this stage. It just needs to be worked through with the pieces coming back the other way like Dan McStay and the like.”
Carlton’s loss to Adelaide has been compounded by a string of injuries.
Plus the latest on a star Richmond duo.
Get the latest AFL injury news in our Round 20 Casualty Ward!
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CARLTON has suffered some significant injury blows after the loss to Adelaide.
corey durdin is set to miss a week with a shoulder injury he suffered during the game, while George Hewett’s back issue will see him miss a second straight game, which this one being a crunch clash against Brisbane at the Gabba.
Nick Newman is set to miss the rest of the regular season after sustaining a shocking cut to his knee.
Newman was injured by his opponent’s footy boots which dragged across his leg as he attempted to lay a tackle.
late in the contest matt kennedy was assisted from the field after a head knock, with scans revealing he suffered a fractured jaw, which will see him sidelined for at least a fortnight.
Crows surprise Blues at Adelaide Oval | 01:31
RICHMOND admits it is “doubtful” star defender Dylan Grimes will play again in the home-and-away season after his latest hamstring injury.
Grimes suffered the injury in the second half of Sunday’s thrilling win over Brisbane, adding to a streak of soft tissue injuries for the 31-year-old.
Tigers fitness boss Peter Burge said on Tuesday that Grimes’ injury required “further investigation”.
“At this stage it’s probably looking doubtful that he’s going to play in the last three home and away games of the season.
“So, we’re going to need to have a look at what lies beyond that. We’ll gather some information over the next couple of days and we’ll give everyone an update.“
Meanwhile, Dustin Martin remains in a “holding pattern” with his hamstring injury.
The club says it’s “hopeful” a round 23 return is still on the cards, but admits, “if we’re not able to progress significantly in the next week or so, that starts to become a little less clear.”
The Lions Also Lost Zack Bailey in the first half of Sunday’s contest, with the mid-forward taken to hospital with a chest issue after a collision with Richmond’s Marlion Pickett.
Remarkably, despite Bailey spending Sunday night in hospital as his teammates returned home without him, the Lions are yet to rule him out of Round 21.
Scans cleared the 22-year-old of any serious injury and he was able to be discharged.
“Bailey spent the night in hospital in Melbourne after receiving a knock to his sternum in Sunday’s match with Richmond at the MCG,” the Lions said in a statement.
“Bailey was released from hospital on Monday and cleared to fly home to Brisbane.
“He will be further assessed to determine his availability for Sunday’s match against Carlton at the Gabba.”
COLLINGWOOD will be without star taylor adams for the remainder of the home and away season after he limped off in the win over Port Adelaide.
Coach Craig McRae confirmed Adams’ suffered a groin injury.
After scans, the club released a statement confirming the extent of the injury layoff.
“Collingwood vice-captain Taylor Adams will miss the remainder of the AFL home and away season after scans revealed a strain to his groin,” the statement read.
“The 28-year-old will be assessed further in the coming weeks.”
But there is good news for defending Jeremy Howeafter he suffered a heavy knock.
“Howey just got a knee in the backside and unfortunately just couldn’t function,” McRae said.
“He’ll be fine but he just couldn’t get back on the ground.”
Howe was able to complete a pool recovery session with teammates on Monday.
“He is expected to complete limited training on Tuesday before being assessed on Thursday,” the club said.
Brodie Grundy is no certainty to receive an AFL call up for Round 21, while Brody Mihocek is in a race to provide his fitness after missing Round 20 with a hip injury.
Grundy made his return in the VFL last weekend after 13 weeks on the sidelines with a PCL injury.
“Grundy played into the fourth term and collected the typical bumps and bruises sustained during a first game back,” the club said.
“He will also be assessed on Thursday.”
GEELONG are set to be without Gary Rohan for the clash with St Kilda after he was subbed out with a head knock.
Coach Chris Scott was unsure if Rohan was officially concussed, but said he was told Rohan “couldn’t go back on”.
“He said to me he’s perfectly fine, so that’s a good sign,” Scott said post-match.
“You never know how these guys are going to pull up.
“You know when it’s bad… but this isn’t one of those if appearances are anything to go by.”
Feet pip Port to the points at the MCG | 02:20
HAWTHORN coach Sam Mitchell is counting the cost of the loss to St Kilda.
The Hawks gallantly fought back in the final term, despite being down to three on the bench.
mitch lewis injured his knee early in the contest but tried to run it out, Josh Morris suffered a shoulder injury while Jacob Koschitzke suffered a cork.
“We lost three today,” Mitchell said.
“Tank Morris, he was going really well. I was sad for him – he finally got his chance. He’s put together a really good month of footy.
“He popped his shoulder, it came back in but obviously wasn’t going to come back on the field.”
Mitchell said the club wasn’t going to risk Lewis even though he tried to play on with his knee injury.
“Mitch Lewis has had a little bit of a sore knee for a while and just landed on it awkwardly,” he explained.
“It wasn’t OK to keep going.
“It’s one of those injuries where there’s a small amount of risk to it… the game was put away so we weren’t going to risk an important player like him.”
Mitchell praised Koschitzke’s ability to play on despite being clearly hampered by injury.
Saints survive fast-finishing Hawks | 01:00
“Kossie really worked hard. He has got a really nasty corky – he could hardly walk even to half time but we were already three on the bench so we needed him to soldier on,” he said.
“I have committed to that and gave us what I could. He couldn’t run or lead very much but he gave us a reply.
“Sometimes as a young player having to fight through when your body is nowhere near its best is an important lesson to learn.”
MELBOURNE coach Simon Goodwin says young ruckman Luke Jackson will be right to go against Collingwood after passing his concussion test in Perth.
Jackson came from the ground in the win over Fremantle appearing to be dazed but was given the all clear.
“He just had a little knock late in the game. He was checked by the docs and got the all clear,” Goodwin said.
“There’s nothing wrong with him, he’ll be fine. He’ll be ready to go next week.
“He got checked and passed his test.”
Goodwin also said Christian Salem would be able to back up after a blow to his face left him bleeding from the nose.
“Salem had a bit of a cut to his face, but we’ve come through unscathed,” Goodwin said.
james hames (concussion) and ben brown (knee soreness) will both need to provide their fitness to face the Pies on Friday night.
“Brown, following two weeks on the sidelines due to knee soreness, has ramped up his training program this past week and will also look to be available for selection,” the club said.
Joel Smith played his first VFL minutes since suffering a serious ankle injury back in Round 7.
the WESTERN BULLDOGS are sweating on star Adam Treloar‘s fitness ahead of this weekend’s must-win game against Fremantle.
Treloar has been battling a calf complaint and finished his past two matches early.
“Adam suffered some calf tightness in the game against Melbourne,” Dogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell said.
“He still wasn’t 100% during his fitness test last Thursday, so was unavailable for selection.
“We will again assess Adam as this week progresses and make a call on his availability towards the back end of the week.”
Anthony Scott (concussion) and hayden crozier (ankle) remain in the hunt for selection.
Scott was now “symptom-free” after being convicted in the clash with Sydney in Round 17, while Crozier has made steady progress since his ankle injury suffered in the VFL a month ago.
“We couldn’t be happier with how he has progressed over the last two weeks since coming out of the CAM boot,” Bell said.
“He will start to integrate back into training this week and we will determine if he returns to playing this weekend or next.”
Jarrod Brander‘s first season with GWS is over after the utility injured his hamstring playing the VFL.
Jacob Wehr is also unavailable for selection this weekend through injury.
Wehr suffered a calf strain against the Swans, ending his run of 10 straight game since debuting in Round 10.
Matt Flynn (ankle) and Conor Stone (hamstring) will have to provide themselves fit to face Essendon on Saturday.
In some good news for the club, Bobby Hill has been medically cleared to return after undergoing surgery for testicular cancer.
Hill hasn’t played since his shock diagnosis back in May.
PORT ADELAIDE are confident Travis Boak may back up against Richmond, despite fracturing his hand in the loss to Collingwood.
The 34-year-old was able to play out the match, after suffering the injury in the second term.
“He will be monitored throughout the week with an expectation that he will be able to take on the Tigers,” the club said in a statement.
Darcy Byrne-Jones will need to pass a fitness test after spraining his ankle early in the clash with the Pies.
The club expects Riley Bonner to be available for selection after he clears the AFL’s Health and Safety protocols, while dan houston could come into the mix after serving his 12-day concussion break.
FREMANTLE will be without skipper Nat Fyfe until at least Round 23 as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Fyfe hasn’t played since the Round 19 draw with the Tigers and remains no guarantee to play before finals.
“We’ve got a target of round 23 for Nat, obviously there’s a bit of work to do before we get there but that’s our target,” Dockers footy boss Peter Bell said.
Sam Switkowski is another Docker pushing to return before finals, as he recovers from a serious back injury.
“Sam’s a really important player for us, so if he is to come back it will be really positive,” Bell said.
The club it was still to put a line through Jye Amiss despite the rookie’s kidney injury landing him in hospital.
“Jye is going pretty well, we’ll be in constant dialogue with the specialist,” Bell said.
“Every day he’s getting better, it’s great to have him back out there. We haven’t put a line through him for the season, that’s for sure, so he’s training well.”
Lions forward Eric Hipwood insists Brisbane can win the AFL premiership from anywhere in the top eight, saying form – rather than ladder position – was the key heading into next month’s finals series.
Brisbane has dropped to fifth spot after their seven-point weekend loss to Richmond at the MCG.
With three rounds of the regular season remaining, the Lions should still make the top four if they can beat Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne this month.
But if Brisbane has to settle for a spot in the bottom half of the top eight, Hipwood believes his side can still win the flag, provided form and consistency is found in the next three weeks.
Under the current finals system, the Western Bulldogs are the only team to clinch the premiership from outside the top four, having won the flag in 2016 after finishing seventh on the ladder.
“That’s what you strive for at the start of the season, to get that double chance (by finishing in the top four), but you’ve seen teams win the grand final from outside the top four,” Hipwood said.
“We’d like (a top-four spot), but we just want to be competitive come the end of the season.”
Hipwood was adamant Brisbane would find form before the finals, saying there were “positives” to take from the loss to the Tigers, who fought back from 42 points down to win and keep alive their hopes of playing football finals this season.
“It was disappointing that we did lose, but we’re still optimistic. We had a lot of opportunities to win the game and we just couldn’t ice it,” Hipwood said.
“We played some really good footy, especially in that first half.”
“What hasn’t been spoken about enough is that Richmond are a bloody good team.
“They’re certainly up there with the best and they brought that on the weekend. I don’t think the ladder position (ninth) represents where they’re at.”
Despite Brisbane’s loss, the towering Hipwood had his best game since returning in round nine after 10 months on the sidelines following a knee reconstruction.
He kicked four goals and grabbed six marks in an encouraging sign with the finals approaching.
“I’ve been quite inconsistent and I’m quick to identify that myself but I am building,” Hipwood said.
“I didn’t really have any practice games or anything like that prior to coming (back) into the AFL.
“I’m getting better week-in, week-out – that’s all that really matters.”
It’s crunch time for the AFL clubs in finals and flag contention – and most of them have several issues to address and fix before September.
Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown told Fox Footy’s On The Couch Geelong and Melbourne had “separated” themselves from the chasing pack, while Melbourne champion Garry Lyon said the way the Sydney Swans had been winning of late suggested they can be “added to the group”.
So the On The Couch panel, with the help of Champion Dataon Monday night discussed the concerns at seven clubs in the finals mix and their issues that would be “keeping coaches up at night”.
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BRISBANE LIONS
The Lions have slipped out of the top four – and now face a tough task to get back in there.
They’ve gone 5-5 from their past 10 games, while they’re 4-4 against top-10 teams across the entire season so far.
St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt pointed to several alarming Champion Data rankings around the Lions’ defensive profile.
Since Round 10, the Lions have been ranked 16th for points against, 15th for opposition scores per inside 50, 13th for points against from turnovers, 14th for points against from clearances and, of most concern, 18th for points against from defensive half.
“We know offense hasn’t been their issue of late. It’s the fact that they’re getting scored against so heavily, particularly from the defensive half,” Riewoldt told On The Couch.
“This hasn’t been a major issue for them over the last few years. Defensively they’ve been so strong, so in a year where we all thought they’ll take the next step, this was not part of the game that they could afford to drop away, which it has dramatically.”
Fagan addresses Clarko whispers | 00:43
“It’s clearly not just the defensive half of the ground where the struggles are or the back six – it’s all over the ground. So defending ball movement and not exposing your back six.”
Brown questioned whether the Lions’ forwards were wired to prioritize hitting the scoreboard, rather than applying pressure.
“Teams are able to move the ball from the Lions’ forward half, so clearly they’re not putting enough pressure on there,” he said.
“The other thing is the five or six forwards at the Lions are thinking: ‘For me to bring value to the team, in my own mind, I need to kick two or three goals today’ – thinking about themselves. I’m not sure where the focus lies there and where the balance lies between kicking goals and putting the defensive pressure on and playing a role for the team and making my teammate better.
“I’m just seeing some little things along the way, so that’s a watch.”
FREMANTLE
Like Brisbane, the Dockers have fallen out of the top four and now face an uphill battle to earn a double chance for September.
Lyon said the Dockers looked “unimaginative” and “passive” in their most recent performance against Melbourne. They now haven’t won since Round 17.
Brown pointed out points from turnover had become “a really big problem” for the Dockers, ranking 16th in that category since Round 10.
Demons demolish Dockers in Perth | 02:09
“The thing is they can’t move the football at the moment,” he said.
“Teams have obviously started to work them out. They’re pressing up, they’re taking away their uncontested marks.
“Their ability to move the football is a huge concern for mine.”
CARLTON
Dual premiership Kangaroo David King labeled the Blues’ loss to Adelaide as one of the most “arrogant” performances he’d seen by an AFL team in years.
Instead of cementing their spot in the top eight, the defeat has left the Blues somewhat vulnerable ahead of the final three weeks. They need one more win to guarantee a finals spot, but they have a tough run against Brisbane, Melbourne and Collingwood.
In the past six weeks, according to Champion Datathe Blues have been ranked 14th for points scored and 13th for scores per inside 50 – rankings that stunned Riewoldt because of Carlton’s personnel up forward.
“Most arrogant performance!” | 03:02
“Their scoring has dried up, which is the last thing you’d expect to happen with this group when you consider who they’ve got in the front half,” he said.
“They’re just not scoring and their efficiency when they actually get it in there to (Charlie) Curnow and (Harry) McKay and these guys is just not at the level it was at the start of the season.”
Brown added: “They were off with their contest work and competitiveness. Disappointing on the weekend.”
ST KILDA
The Saints squeezed into the top eight on the weekend, surviving an almighty comeback from a fast-finishing Hawthorn to make it two wins on the trot.
But they just haven’t been the same team since their Round 13 bye, losing five of their past eight games.
And since their bye, the Saints are ranked 15th for both points differential from turnover and points differential from clearances.
Saints survive fast-finishing Hawks | 01:00
“They’ve got two areas here … They’re well aware of this and the way they move the footy would be another one,” Lyon said.
“They’re in the eight right now and they’ve got three games to go, so it’s their spot to lose.”
RICHMOND
After three close losses and a draw, the Tigers conjured a mighty close win on Sunday against the Lions to keep their final hopes alive. It was just their second win in six games.
Those past six weeks have seen a dip in Richmond’s off-ball ability. They’re ranked 17th for contested possession – an area not seen as a strength of the Tigers’ during their premiership dynasty – but 18th for pressure – a massive strength during their premiership era.
“The concern is without the footy,” Brown said. “We say ‘without the footy’ because the contested footy hasn’t been great, but it’s been their pressure, which has been 18th in the last six weeks.
“The reason that’s important for Richmond is they were highly ranked in the 2017 to 2020 season, so they need to be doing that well to be a contender.”
Tigers claw back to claim stunning win | 03:02
WESTERN BULLDOGS
The Dogs felt the full brunt of a brutal Geelong team last weekend, blown away during a ruthless third term.
They now sit 10th on the ladder, meaning they must win at least two of their final three games against the Dockers, Giants and Hawks if they are to feature in September.
What would help their cause would be an improvement in defending all movement – an area in which they’re ranked 14th across the 2022 season.
“There are defensive concerns,” Riewoldt said.
“When you’ve got a back six that we’ve talked about being susceptible at times, you want to be able to defend ball movement and stop it actually getting in there – and that’s not the case at the moment.
“The ball’s going from one end of the ground to the other far too easily.”
COLLINGWOOD
Lyon said it was a “bit of a stretch” to find an improvement area for a Magpies team that’s won 10 consecutive games.
But Riewoldt said the Pies could sharpen up at the coalface, although he added: “The part of their game they have to improve is probably clearance – but you can win the ball without being great in that area.”
Richmond have pulled off the biggest comeback win in 2022, after coming back from 42 points down to top Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.
The Lions will be left kicking themselves after coughing up the seven-goal lead as the Tigers finals hopes remain alive with the win.
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Lions defender Darcy Gardiner turned the ball over in the dying seconds as the ball ended up in the hands of Tom Lynch who kicked the sealer to claim the 15.14 (104) to 13.13 (97) win.
Mitch Robinson and Charlie Cameron missed shots late in the fourth quarter as they failed to make the most of the opportunities presented to them.
Richmond at the other end made no mistake as they stormed home in front of a raucous MCG crowd.
The damning loss for the Lions thoroughly exposes the biggest hurdle in their premiership hunt.
Not for eight-years have the Lions emerged victorious at the MCG. The latest loss makes it a damning 11 straight defeats.
With the league no longer in Covid protocols, the Grand Final is set to return to the home of football for the foreseeable future and until the Lions show they’re a serious threat on the road … they won’t be adding to their trophy cabinet any time soon.
The Lions are currently fourth favorite according to Sportsbet to win the premiership, behind Geelong, Melbourne and Sydney.
Brisbane finish the 2022 home and away season with games against Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne. Two of those games take place at the Gabba.
The loss has them sitting in fifth spot on the ladder, equal on points with the Sydney Swans in fourth.
For Richmond the win propels them into the ninth spot on the ladder, two points behind St Kilda with games against Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and Essendon to come to close out their season.
Win all three and they’ll almost certainly book a finals spot, two and the run the gauntlet.
Mark McVeigh’s brutally honest assessment that his players “checked out” in the 73-point Sydney derby loss could cost him the Giants’ senior coaching job, Fox Footy’s Nick Riewoldt has warned.
McVeigh did not hold back in his post-match criticism, as he labeled the performance “embarrassing” and “extremely disappointing”, while stating only eight players “went to the wall” for four quarters.
Speaking about McVeigh’s stunning statement, Riewoldt said he feared the comments could cost the caretaker coach the full-time gig in 2023.
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“I think it puts a line through it (his coaching aspirations at GWS),” he said on Best on Ground.
“If that’s the concession that you’re making as a coach, that you think some of your players have checked out and you are responsible for getting the players up every week, I think it becomes very difficult for the club to say: ‘You ‘re the man going forward’.”
McVeigh remains in the running for the full-time job next season, reportedly alongside four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, Melbourne’s Adem Yze and Richmond’s Adam Kingsley.
Fellow panelist and former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said he admired McVeigh’s honesty.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard those comments,” he said.
“That’s as honest as you can get.
GWS Giants press conference | 10:43
“That comment… I love to see that because that is absolutely honest. If that’s his opinion of him, and you’ve got to take that at face value, it’s a real challenge.
The Giants were smashed in all the stats that mattered, down -117 in disposals, -33 in inside 50s and -24 in tackles – including laying just six inside 50 for the match.
Riewoldt said the result isn’t a direct reflection on McVeigh’s ability as a coach, but raised questions about his connection with the players.
“It doesn’t mean that he can’t coach. But the ability to get this group up … how can the Giants, if they think the players have checked out under his coaching, how can they have confidence to make that appointment?” Riewoldt said.
“I think it puts them in a really difficult position to go and appoint him after that.”
Buckley said he now wanted to see what sort of response the Giants players had in the clash with Essendon.
why? Preuss FLATTENS Rowbottom | 00:23
“The next couple of weeks will be what tells you about Mark McVeigh’s bona fides as a coach and his connection with those players because they will respond to that? Because there’s always something to play for,” he said.
“The response is going to say more than the comment.”
Earlier this month, McVeigh confirmed he would enter the race to become the Giants coach for 2023 and beyond.
(The club hierarchy) have been very open with me and terrific, they’ve been amazing and they’ve supported me,” he said.
“There are other coaches that they’ll be talking to, which is absolutely right (to do), and I’m just another one of those that are trying to win the role.
“I certainly know where it sits and I’m very clear on the approach going forward.”
GWS will face Essendon, the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle in the final three rounds.
Geelong captain Joel Selwood celebrated his 350th AFL game in perfect style, with a post-game moment summing up the veteran’s softer side off-field.
Selwood and the Cats notched a 10th consecutive win on Saturday night, defeating the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium to remain a game clear atop the AFL ladder.
A rousing post-game celebration of Selwood involved a chair-off from teammates, congratulations from friends and family, but took an unexpected turn when the 34-year-old ventured back out to the four corners of the centre-square to thank fans for their support.
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Geelong Cats press conference | 10:14
“How good does that look, how well is that done,” former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said on Fox Footy’s Best On Ground.
“Football is a team game, but it is played by individuals who contribute blood, sweat and tears to the cause.
“To be able to be acknowledged in that arena and in that cauldron of his own accord without even his teammates around, that’s pretty special.”
Geelong coach Chris Scott paid tribute to Selwood’s glittering career so far, but said the moment in the centre-square was an insight into the star skipper’s state of mind.
“The thing that keeps striking me about Joel is that he’s a carer,” he said.
“It might be a little bit of a soft word to attach to such a tough guy, but he’s always thinking about other people.
“That’s what I saw out on the ground too, he’s not going out to wave to the crowd and accept all the adulation, he’s going out there to thank them and show his appreciation for being a part of his big night and big career.”
Scott admitted he had been “a little bit emotional the whole week” about Selwood’s milestone and remains in awe of his side’s captain.
“I’m still pinching myself every day walking into the Geelong footy club,” he said.
“It’d be nice to be able to tell my kids and grandkids one day that I spent a lot of time with Joel Selwood. It’s a royal privilege.”
Selwood’s glittering CV could be capped this year with his first premiership as captain, having already played in three earlier in his career.
