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As the last Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs halfback to steer the club to an NRL grand final, Trent Hodkinson knows firsthand how positional misalignment can derail a once-promising side. Now, he’s sounding the alarm on a familiar pattern unfolding at Belmore this season, one that mirrors the turbulence that forced him out of the club nearly a decade ago.

Hodkinson’s legacy with the blue-and-whites remains one of the club’s most celebrated recent chapters. In 2014, just months after he and halves partner Josh Reynolds broke Queensland’s long State of Origin winning streak, Hodkinson led the Bulldogs to the NRL’s ultimate decider. Their successful pairing was built on complementary strengths: Hodkinson served as the chief playmaker, controlling match tempo with a pinpoint kicking game, while Reynolds thrived in the five-eighth role, playing off instinct and creating opportunities with spontaneous play. The dynamic worked seamlessly—until a 2015 roster restructuring pushed Hodkinson out the door to make room for two five-eighths, Reynolds and Moses Mbye. The result was disastrous: in 2016, the Bulldogs posted the lowest point total of any top-eight side in the competition.

Today, Hodkinson sees the same problematic setup taking shape. Current Bulldogs playmakers Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton are both natural five-eighths, in his assessment, and the lack of a dedicated, controlling halfback at the No.7 position has left the team’s attack adrift. Through the early part of the 2024 season, Canterbury has scored the second-fewest points of any club in the NRL, a statistic that echoes the 2016 slump.

NRL Immortal Andrew Johns has already publicly called for Galvin to shift permanently to five-eighth, a recommendation Hodkinson fully endorses. The former Bulldogs playmaker has thrown his support behind two candidates to fill the vacant halfback role: veteran experienced playmaker Sean O’Sullivan, who is already a member of the Bulldogs roster, and young up-and-comer Mitchell Woods, who is currently working his way back from injury.

“It reminded me of 2015 when it was myself, Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye, and three couldn’t go into two. I got pushed out of the club but I truly believe Moses and Josh were two five-eighths,” Hodkinson explained. “It’s a similar situation now. I know Lachie’s been playing seven and he played a really good game the other week against Penrith, but I feel like they’re very similar players. Toby Sexton, who left the club last year, was a genuine seven, and you’ve got O’Sullivan there who’s a genuine seven.”

Beyond naming O’Sullivan as an immediate option, Hodkinson is pushing for the club to give the talented 19-year-old Woods an opportunity at the top level. As a member of the coaching staff for New South Wales’ under-19s Origin side, Hodkinson has seen Woods’ ability firsthand, and says the young prospect fits the profile of a traditional game-controlling halfback the club desperately needs.

“I’m not the coach there and (Cameron) Ciraldo gets paid the big money to make the decisions, but I’d even like to see young ‘Woodsy’,” he said. “We had him last year in the 19s Origin team and he’s a genuine seven. I haven’t seen him too much the last 6-8 months with how he’s going physically, but he’d be more than capable to step up.”

Hodkinson also suggested Galvin, who has a large physical frame, could make a successful transition to lock if the club opts to bring in a dedicated halfback. He added that while Galvin turned in an impressive performance against the Panthers recently, the young playmaker needs to improve consistency to hold the No.7 role long-term.

Against the common modern argument that the halfback and five-eighth positions are interchangeable—just numbers on the back of a jersey—Hodkinson stands firm that the two roles remain distinct. “I still think they’re unique positions, I really do,” he said. “You’ve got to have that one dominant half and that guy that steers them around the field. They’re similar at times but I think they’re still separate positions. You’ve got a seven, a halfback, and you’ve got a six, a five-eighth. As much as they’re compared to being very similar, they’re still very different in a way.”

Woods, who turns 20 next month, faces ongoing speculation over whether he is mature enough for the intensity of NRL football. But Hodkinson argues that young playmakers can only prove their readiness at the top level by being given an opportunity to compete.

“You probably don’t know until you give them a crack and get out there and then they’ve just got to figure it out themselves,” he said. “I’m sure there’s plenty of eyes at the Dogs or at multiple clubs that know when these young fellas are ready to make the step. It’s exciting, there are some really good, talented young halves coming through and I’m excited to see how they all go.”

For now, the Bulldogs’ coaching staff led by Ciraldo holds the final call on how the club will resolve its halves puzzle, but Hodkinson’s warning echoes across Belmore: failing to address the current positional imbalance could lead to a repeat of the struggles that derailed the side nearly a decade ago.

The Richmond Tigers Australian Football League club has been dealt a fresh injury blow, with two of its young high-potential players set for extended time off the field after suffering new setbacks in training and VFL competition over the past week.

First-round draft pick Josh Smillie, who has yet to make his senior AFL debut after being recruited by Richmond at the end of 2024, re-teared a previous quad injury during a low-intensity kicking drill at club training last week. Ben Serpell, Richmond’s high performance manager, confirmed that while the re-injury did not damage the original surgical site where Smillie underwent treatment for his prior quad issue, there is currently no confirmed timeline for the young talent’s return to competitive play.

“To be clear, the original surgical site’s still intact, so we are going to shift him back to the TBC time frame,” Serpell told reporters. The high performance manager also acknowledged the deep frustration both players are feeling after their latest setbacks, noting that the entire club shares that disappointment. “Both Josh’s (Smillie and Gibcus) are clearly very frustrated with their injuries at this point in time, as is everyone at the Club. I think at this point in time it’s really important that we get our arms around these guys and support them through their respective recoveries and make sure that we get behind them as they progress forward.”

The injury news is similarly discouraging for key defender Josh Gibcus, who picked up an ACL strain during a Victorian Football League (VFL) match over the weekend. Gibcus was initially assessed for the knee injury in the first quarter of the game, cleared to return to play, but reported ongoing discomfort in the days following the match. A follow-up MRI confirmed the strain, which Serpell emphasized is not a full rupture, and did not occur on the same knee that Gibcus previously had reconstruction surgery on.

As the injury is an uncommon presentation, club medical staff will consult multiple specialist surgeons to weigh treatment options, including a non-surgical path that has already proven successful for another of the club’s players. “It is an uncommon injury, so we need to be considered with our approach for his return to play. We need to consult a number of different surgeons. We can see, for instance, Gab Seymour from our women’s program sustained a similar injury last year. She didn’t go through surgery, and she’s back out training. So we are hoping for the best for Josh,” Serpell said. The club plans to update supporters once a clear treatment and recovery plan is finalized for Gibcus, who will remain sidelined in the interim while the club assesses its options.

As the new round of the National Rugby League (NRL) approaches, the competition is bracing for a series of major team changes, driven by a mix of encouraging injury recoveries and devastating late-season setbacks for several franchises. One of the biggest stories heading into the weekend is the triple crisis hitting the in-form Wests Tigers, who will be without three critical players when they face off against the Cronulla Sharks this Sunday.

Young star fullback Jahream Bula, who has been managing a nagging shoulder injury for multiple weeks, will be sidelined for up to four weeks to prioritize full recovery. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by Sunia Turuva. Bula’s absence is compounded by two more absences: inspirational captain Api Koroisau is suspended for three weeks, forcing hooker Tristan Hope to step into his position, while Kai Pearce-Paul will also miss the clash due to a head knock, with Tony Sukkar named as his replacement. This wave of injuries and suspensions marks a major blow for head coach Benji Marshall’s rapidly improving side, coming as they prepare to face a Sharks team that has shaken up its starting 17 to address defensive struggles. Cronulla has promoted veteran starters Cam McInnes and Briton Nikora to the first team to shore up their leaky defense ahead of the encounter.

While the Wests Tigers face a major test of their depth, two of the league’s biggest superstars have received the all-clear to return to action, delivering a massive boost to their respective sides. In the Hunter region, the Newcastle Knights are preparing to welcome back star fullback Kalyn Ponga from a hamstring injury for their upcoming clash against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Ponga’s return is paired with good news for the Knights: powerful centre Bradman Best has also been cleared to make his comeback. To fit the returning stars into the lineup, Fletcher Sharpe will shift to five-eighth, while Sandon Smith moves back to a bench role. For the visiting Rabbitohs, forward Keaon Koloamatangi has been named in the starting back row.

Saturday night’s heavyweight matchup between the Brisbane Broncos and Sydney Roosters is already shaping up as an early preview of the upcoming State of Origin series, with another superstar returning to the field. Broncos fullback Reece Walsh, who has been sidelined with a facial fracture, has been named to start in the clash, where he will go head-to-head against Roosters captain James Tedesco, who is currently fighting to retain his spot in the New South Wales Blues Origin squad. Walsh is not the only key returnee for Brisbane: star forward Pat Carrigan is also back in the starting side after completing his suspension.

Across the other NRL fixtures this weekend, a series of other changes and positional shakes have been confirmed. The Canterbury Bulldogs have retained Matt Burton and Lachlan Galvin in their halves partnership for their game against the North Queensland Cowboys, but winger Marcelo Montoya has been dropped from the starting side following a poor performance in Brisbane last round. The Cowboys have also made a change on the wing: Zac Laybutt will step in for Murray Taulagi, who misses out with a concussion.

For defending premiers Melbourne Storm, halfback Jahrome Hughes will miss the upcoming game, with Tyran Wishart tapped to fill the void at halfback. The clash will also mark the NRL debut of exciting young winger Hugo Peel, who has earned a spot in the starting lineup. Melbourne has also made multiple changes to its back row, with Ativalu Lisati, Shawn Blore and Alec MacDonald all named to start.

The Redcliffe Dolphins have named Brad Schneider at five-eighth for their next fixture, with winger Jack Bostock named to an extended bench as he works his way back from a long-term injury. The Canberra Raiders named Simi Sasagi in their starting back row, but the forward will need to pass a late fitness test later this week to take the field. Canberra will definitely be without Noah Martin (ankle injury) and Zac Hosking (concussion) for the round.

Finally, New Zealand Warriors head coach Andrew Webster faces a selection call in the halves, with Luke Metcalf in line for a return after being named to the extended bench for the side’s trip to Sydney to face the Parramatta Eels. Parramatta has named experienced veteran Dylan Walker in its lineup despite the centre leaving last week’s game with his left arm in a sling.

As one of the players most personally impacted by the Australian Football League’s (AFL) experiment with ARC (AFL Review Centre) rule changes, Adelaide Crows forward Ben Keays was blindsided by the league’s sudden reversal of the new policy – just days out from the high-stakes annual Showdown clash against in-state rival Port Adelaide.

Keays found out about the rule backflip during a routine media interview on Tuesday, barely hiding his shock at the sudden update. “Wow … I will probably leave it at that, I hope you guys don’t mind,” he told reporters, after confirming the announcement was the first he had heard of the change.

The rule rollback brings the game back to the policy that directly cost Keays and the Crows a place in the 2023 finals. In that year’s round 23 match against Sydney, a late match-winning goal from Keays was incorrectly ruled a behind by the on-field goal umpire. By the old rules, the ARC could not intervene to correct the call once play had resumed after the score review. The mistake ended up eliminating Adelaide from finals contention by the thinnest of margins.

In response to widespread criticism of that controversial incident, the AFL introduced a new rule for the 2025 season: the ARC would now be allowed to correct incorrect goal calls even after play had restarted, rolling back to the goal line to reset play once the correct call was made. However, after a series of logistical teething issues during the opening rounds of this season, league officials made the last-minute decision to scrap the new rule and revert to the pre-2025 framework.

The unexpected policy change comes as the Crows prepare for one of their biggest matches of the 2025 season, Friday night’s Showdown at Adelaide Oval. Currently, Adelaide holds a 3-4 win-loss record after seven rounds, with a 96.1 percentage, while Port Adelaide enters the fixture on the back of a stunning upset win over premiership contender Geelong, putting Adelaide’s early premiership aspirations at serious risk.

Despite the off-field rule drama hanging over the build-up, Keays said he is relishing the unique intensity of the cross-town derby. “I just love the energetic and intense atmosphere, sort of the hum of the crowd. That’s what makes it such an amazing fixture, it’s like a bit of a cauldron out there on the Adelaide Oval and that’s created by both sets of fans. I am looking forward to all the Crows fans being there in full voice and bringing that intense atmosphere,” he said.

One major off-field issue remains unresolved for the Crows ahead of the match: the availability of star captain Jordan Dawson, who is still grieving the sudden passing of his brother. Dawson took the field against Brisbane last weekend but was clearly emotional after the final siren, and the club has not yet confirmed whether he will feature on Friday. Keays confirmed the entire squad is standing behind Dawson and his family, whatever decision he makes. “Absolutely, we’re going to support Daws however he needs, support his family as a club and whatever he needs we’ll be there for him,” he said.

Against a backdrop of repeated near-misses and crushing recent disappointment, Atletico Madrid and long-serving head coach Diego Simeone know exactly what is at stake when they welcome Premier League leaders Arsenal to the Metropolitano Stadium for Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg. This high-stakes clash comes just over a week after the club’s devastating Copa del Rey final defeat, a result that left tens of thousands of traveling Atletico supporters returning home empty-handed — a familiar bitter feeling for a side that has fallen at the final hurdle of Europe’s top club competition three times before, including losses to city rivals Real Madrid in 2014 and 2016, and a defeat back in 1974. The club has never lifted the Champions League trophy, making this run a historic chance to end that long drought.

This semi-final tie also falls during Atletico’s 123rd anniversary celebrations, adding extra emotional weight to a fixture that already promises to deliver electric atmosphere. In the team’s first home match following the Copa final heartbreak, Atletico fans greeted the side with a chilly reception during a La Liga clash against Athletic Bilbao. That negative mood shifted by the final whistle, however, as Atletico scraped a tense 3-2 victory — only their second win across all competitions in their previous nine outings. The three points provided a much-needed confidence boost heading into the Arsenal tie, and a reminder of the side’s fighting spirit.

Simeone, Atletico Madrid’s most successful manager in history, has echoed the fans’ desire for tangible success. “The fans don’t need messages from me; what they need is to win,” he stated ahead of the semi-final. Star striker Julian Alvarez, who hit the woodwork twice during Atletico’s 4-0 group stage defeat to Arsenal back in October, echoed his coach’s determination, saying: “We have to get up from that blow and give everything to get to the final.”

The Metropolitano Stadium, which opened in 2017 to replace the iconic Vicente Calderón, has already proven to be a fortress for Simeone’s side this season. While it lacks the decades of history of its predecessor, big European nights under the lights like this one are exactly how new legends are built. When Atletico eliminated Barcelona in the quarter-finals, the atmosphere was described as frenzied and intoxicating, and supporters are expected to turn up the volume even higher for Arsenal’s visit. Leading Madrid newspaper AS summed up the fan mood: “Congratulations Atletico — if you beat Arsenal, then the anniversary celebration will be perfect.”

Simeone has publicly called on Atletico’s famously passionate fanbase to give his side the critical edge against the English leaders, noting that the club’s current run of deep Champions League runs has been built on hard work and unwavering supporter backing. “We need them now more than ever, and hopefully, we can give them what they want on the pitch,” he said.

Critics have long clung to the myth that Simeone’s Atletico rely solely on dour, defensive football, but recent dominant home performances have blown that narrative apart. Earlier this season, they blitzed Barcelona 4-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final and romped to a 5-2 derby victory over Real Madrid, displaying clinical attacking flair alongside their trademark intensity. For Simeone, who is in his 14th season at the helm, non-negotiable traits have always remained the same: relentless work rate, unbreakable competitiveness, and the ability to dig in against superior opposition. The team’s motto “Coraje y corazon” — courage and heart — sums up this identity, and even in their current attacking setup, Atletico looks to hurt opponents with blistering power and pace.

The squad is well-equipped to deliver on that identity: dynamic forwards Giuliano Simeone, Marcos Llorente and Alexander Sorloth bring constant physical pressure, while even creative talisman Antoine Griezmann — Atletico’s all-time top goalscorer, who will leave for MLS side Orlando City this summer — is renowned for his relentless work off the ball. Simeone joked at a recent press conference, sitting alongside Griezmann: “If you don’t run, you’re coming off tomorrow.”

Alvarez confirmed he is 100% fit ahead of the tie, despite his difficult outing against Arsenal in October, but Atletico will be without energetic injured midfielder Pablo Barrios. Llorente noted that both sides have evolved dramatically since that early-season meeting, and the recent win over Athletic has given the squad renewed belief. Griezmann, who is soaking up every moment of his final weeks at the club, said: “I’m enjoying these last few games here. I hope I can gift something incredible to the fans.” For Simeone and the entire Atletico squad, though, the only gift that will satisfy the fanbase is silverware — and a win over Arsenal would put them one step closer to the redemption they have chased for so long.

The Melbourne Storm, one of the most dominant rugby league clubs of the 21st century, is facing its worst run of form in the Craig Bellamy era, after dropping a sixth consecutive match that has all but ended the club’s 2026 finals campaign. The slump has sparked widespread criticism of club and Queensland captain Cameron Munster, the franchise’s star five-eighth who has posted career-worst numbers across every key attacking and defensive metric this season. But teammate and utility Tyran Wishart has jumped to defend the veteran playmaker, saying the entire squad shares responsibility for the losing streak and that the team remains fully confident Munster can return to his elite best.

Saturday’s 2026 Anzac Day clash at home against the South Sydney Rabbitohs marked a new low for the Storm: it was the first time the Rabbitohs had ever beaten Melbourne in Melbourne, and the defeat stretched the club’s losing run to six matches – a result Bellamy had never had to navigate across his decades-long tenure as head coach. Following the demoralizing loss, Bellamy made his frustration with the squad’s performance crystal clear.

Speaking to Fox League post-match, Munster, one of the most dynamic running five-eighths of the modern era, opened up about the team’s struggle, admitting the side fell well short of the standards expected of the historic club on a day that honors Australian and New Zealand service members. “We spoke about today about how lucky we are to play on a day like Anzac Day. You want to turn up for your teammates, club and the soldiers who served our country,” Munster said. “We all had moments we want to have back as players and as a group. We were very poor again … as a spine, we’ve been very poor. It’s frustrating because we’re training so well. We’ll have to go back to the drawing board.”

The 2026 season has been a stark departure from Munster’s usual elite form. He has not crossed the try line in 23 consecutive outings, and all of his key attacking statistics have plummeted from his 2025 campaign. Last year, Munster notched 25 try assists; this season, he has recorded just four. He has broken the opposition line only once all year, and his average running metres per game are the lowest of his entire 14-year professional career. Defensively, the trend is equally concerning: he is missing a career-high 4.1 tackles per match, and on Saturday he was outmatched by rising Rabbitohs forward Tallis Duncan, who dominated physical collisions when carrying the ball.

With the season teetering, the Storm will be forced to adjust their line-up for Friday’s clash against the Dolphins: starting halfback Jahrome Hughes is ruled out after sustaining a head knock, meaning Munster will line up alongside a new halves partner. Despite the mounting pressure and off-field criticism, Wishart said the entire squad remains firmly behind Munster, emphasizing that the playmaker has never shied away from accountability and continues to put in maximum effort at training.

“He always tries hard and you can never knock him for that,” Wishart said. “He’s the first to put the blame on himself, but we all love playing with him. We know what he can do, he’s a competitor, and that’s what we love about him. The rest of this year, we’ve got full belief in what he can do so that’s not an issue for us.”

For a club that has dominated the NRL for more than 20 years, missing the 2026 finals would be a historic shakeup to the league’s hierarchy, as the Storm works to reset and recover from its worst losing run in modern club history.

AFL powerhouse Collingwood Football Club has officially confirmed that veteran club champion Scott Pendlebury will be rested for this week’s high-stakes Thursday blockbuster against Hawthorn, leaving the exact date of his historic league games record breaking still up in the air.

At 38 years old, Pendlebury is currently just one game short of matching Brent Harvey’s long-standing all-time AFL record of 432 senior matches. Following a standout performance in the Anzac Day clash against Essendon that earned him a fourth Anzac Day medal, the club faced questions over whether the veteran would line up just five days later against Hawthorn, a turnaround coach Craig McRae says was always likely to be too much for the aging star.

McRae revealed that the call to rest Pendlebury ultimately came from the player himself, after pre-planned conversations about managing his workload through the demanding season. “Pendles, funnily enough, I had a conversation with him yesterday and he was pretty keen to miss this game,” McRae told reporters. “So he’ll be managed, 38 years old, five-day breaks, all those things, but it’s not like it’s a reaction to this game – it was planned to some degree. It was never completely ruling him out until, like I said, we talked to the athlete and the athlete says, ‘I think I would enjoy the break’.”

The current timeline will see Pendlebury equal Harvey’s record when Collingwood faces Geelong at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground the following week. But the club is still yet to lock in when he will officially break the record, facing a tricky balancing act between on-field performance and off-field celebration after that clash.

After the Geelong match, Collingwood is scheduled to travel to Sydney to face the ladder-leading Sydney Swans, before returning to the MCG for a match against West Coast the week after that. The club must now choose between fielding one of their most valuable players for the tough away clash against the competition leaders, or resting him to let him break the record in front of a home crowd against West Coast – a moment that would draw major fan and media attention.

McRae declined to reveal the club’s future plans for Pendlebury, noting the decision would depend on how the veteran’s body holds up after the Geelong game, and that competitive performance will always be a core factor in the call. “It’s a delicate balance,” McRae said. “Potentially, yeah, but do you have the Powerball numbers for me this Thursday? It’s hard to predict the future. We’re living in the moment of what is, so he won’t play this week, then he’ll play Geelong and we’ll see where that goes. We’ll have a conversation about how his body is and we all weigh up performance too.”

While Collingwood will be without their veteran playmaker against Hawthorn, they will welcome back star defender and captain Darcy Moore, who has been sidelined through the pre-season and early rounds with recurring soft tissue issues. Moore had indicated he was ready to play last week, but the club opted for a cautious approach to avoid further injury setbacks. McRae confirmed this week that Moore would definitely line up against the Hawks: “Darcy will play, yeah, like we said this time last week, we were ambitious he would play but he’s available.”

Australia and New Zealand’s National Rugby League (NRL) is adding a heartfelt new layer of purpose to this year’s highly anticipated Magic Round, launching the groundbreaking Kick for a Cause charity initiative that aims to raise $1 million to support children battling cancer across both nations.

Replacing the league’s former Try July fundraising program, the new campaign has secured major backing from insurance provider Youi, which has committed to donating directly for every successful kick scored during the May 15-17 event in Brisbane. For every completed conversion kick and penalty goal, Youi will contribute $1,000, while a larger $2,000 donation will be made for every field goal kicked across the three days of competition.

All funds generated through the initiative will be distributed to 11 leading pediatric cancer centers across Australia and New Zealand, in partnership with two respected non-profit organizations: the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation and the Starship Foundation. These 11 institutions deliver specialized clinical treatment, fund pioneering medical research, and run critical support programs for young cancer patients and their families who face the daily challenges of the disease.

Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V’landys emphasized that the campaign brings the entire rugby league community together around a shared mission. “Every child fighting cancer deserves the very best care, comfort and hope – and rugby league is stepping up to help deliver it,” V’landys said. “At Magic Round, our game comes together in a powerful way. Every kick, every cheer and every dollar raised will make a real difference for kids and families doing it tough. We thank our partner, Youi, for their support of this important initiative and urge all fans travelling to Brisbane for Magic Round as well as those cheering on from home to get behind a very worthy cause by helping those who need it most.”

The official launch of the campaign took place earlier this week at Manly’s 4 Pines Park, where Manly Sea Eagles star brothers Jake, Tom and Ben Trbojevic led the event. The launch holds deep personal meaning for the trio, who formed a close bond with 12-year-old Beau Hewitt, a passionate Manly tragic who passed away last year from a rare form of cancer. The brothers first met Beau in 2024 through connections at the local Mona Vale Raiders junior club, and quickly grew close to the young fan, who had an extraordinary knowledge of the game that left a lasting impact.

Beau, who played for the Mona Vale Raiders, even once tipped the brothers off about an impending coaching ambush from then-Manly head coach Des Hasler ahead of a key match. Recalling their time with Beau, Jake Trbojevic said the young fan’s love for rugby league was unmatched. “He played for the Raiders, and lots of people reached out for us to come meet him in the hospital,” Jake said. “We went and met him in the hospital, and just seeing how much he loved rugby league was like no other, honestly. He loved it. Seeing how much he loved rugby league, you could honestly ring and have a chat with him. He’d even text you about game plans. He was well advanced for his years.”

Jake added that carrying on Beau’s legacy through the Kick for a Cause campaign is a point of pride for the brothers. “He was a great kid, we really enjoyed hanging out with him, and just seeing how it all went was horrible. It was horrible for his family, but seeing his legacy live on through things like this makes you proud. Getting to know Beau and seeing what that whole experience was like was horrible. I can only feel very sorry for families going through it, and I think cancer has a lot to answer for, especially when it’s kids. No person deserves cancer, but no kid does. So to see the NRL and Youi get behind this cause is remarkable, and it obviously makes us very proud.”

Off the campaign trail, Jake Trbojevic offered a lighthearted piece of advice for wingers across the league: bring the ball under the posts whenever possible to set up easier conversion kicks that will boost total fundraising. The veteran forward also showed off his kicking skills at the launch, but confirmed he is happy to let Manly’s regular goalkicker Jamal Fogarty remain the team’s first option.

For Tom Trbojevic, the superstar fullback will not take the field at Magic Round this year as he continues his recovery from a recurring hamstring injury. Still, he said his rehabilitation is progressing on schedule, and he remains optimistic about a return to action in roughly four weeks. “It’s going good. Obviously, I’m disappointed and it’s frustrating, but I’m back on the mend and just working hard to get back out there,” he said. “It’s probably hard to get a vibe right now, but it feels like I’m on schedule. I guess it’s hard to really tell.”

Ahead of one of the most anticipated AFL matches of the season, Hawthorn Football Club senior coach Sam Mitchell has remained tight-lipped about his full game plan, but confirmed his coaching staff has prepared multiple strategic approaches to shut down Collingwood Magpies superstar Nick Daicos when the two sides face off on Thursday night.

Currently riding a six-match winning streak, the Hawks have emerged as one of the most in-form teams in the 2024 AFL competition. However, Mitchell acknowledges that securing a seventh consecutive victory will depend heavily on his side’s ability to limit Daicos’ impact across the ground. While Hawthorn defender Finn Maginness successfully neutralized Daicos in their 2023 matchup, Mitchell stressed that relying on a single tactic would be insufficient against the young, rapidly improving star.

In a playful press interaction, Mitchell joked about keeping his strategies under wraps, telling reporters: “That’s a good question, have you got any ideas? No? Me neither.” He later confirmed: “We’ve got a couple of things up our sleeve that we’ll use, you’ll find out on Thursday night, hopefully we can stop him.”

Mitchell noted that Maginness’ 2023 performance remains a reliable option in Hawthorn’s tactical toolkit, but the 22-year-old Collingwood gun has elevated his game considerably since that clash. “Just because it worked once, it doesn’t mean it works again. Nick, even though he was a star from the first game he played, he’s improved his game year-on-year. He’s better now than what he was this time last year, so how we stop him is a big challenge,” Mitchell explained.

The coach also emphasized that his staff has mapped out multiple contingency plans, accounting for the ripple effects of limiting Daicos’ involvement. “So if we stop him, what does it open up for them is something we need to weigh up because he’s obviously a potent player wherever he plays and we certainly need to have plan A, B and C for Nick Daicos,” he added.

The blockbuster comes off the back of a hard-fought win for Hawthorn against the Gold Coast Suns in Tasmania last weekend. Mitchell used the post-match press conference to highlight clear growth in his young side, particularly in their ability to manage momentum shifts throughout matches – a key area of focus following their exit from the 2023 finals series at the preliminary final stage.

“One of the areas we needed to work on was managing momentum and with that comes a little bit of maturity,” Mitchell said. “When I looked at our game last week, it felt like a bit more of a mature performance. It wasn’t just run and gun at all costs and it wasn’t slow it down at all costs. We picked and chose how to defend and how to attack different moments in the game and we felt like that gave us better opportunities to control momentum.”

Mitchell acknowledged that the side still has room for improvement after conceding several unforced goals against the Suns, but framed the overall performance as a clear step forward in the team’s development. “We didn’t get it all right – we gave away some easy goals at different stages – but the thinking behind it I felt was a much more mature version of what we want to be,” he said.

Drawing a parallel to past premiership-winning sides, Mitchell noted that consistent success at the highest level requires a foundational level of team maturity that complements the club’s young, exciting playing group. “If you look at premiership sides historically, there’s a level of maturity across their team. Hopefully we play with a young, vibrant energy that people want to come and see and they’re still going to do their celebrations. But underlying it is a level of maturity that is needed to win big games.”

A major health scare for Melbourne AFL defender Harrison Petty has ended with an unexpected positive update: the blurred vision that forced him out of last Sunday’s win over Brisbane is almost certainly the result of a severe vestibular migraine, not a concussion as initial fears suggested.

Petty was removed from the field in the closing stages of the Demons’ thrilling clash against the Lions after he suddenly became disoriented following an uncontested kick. Immediately after the match, head coach Steven King confirmed the player had reported sudden blurred vision, which sparked widespread concern given Petty’s documented history of previous concussions, including a high-impact collision with a teammate during a 2018 training camp.

Speaking to media ahead of Melbourne’s upcoming test match against Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday morning, King shared the much-anticipated results of multiple medical assessments that have all but ruled out a concussion diagnosis. “He’s going well, he’s had a lot of tests done and I think at this stage we’ve ruled out concussion even though we’ve put him in the protocols to look after his welfare,” King told reporters. While one final test result is still pending, King said extensive evaluations conducted by external medical consultants have pointed to a migraine as the root cause of Petty’s episode.

“At this stage it looks some type of migraine – which is great news,” King said. “He’s still in the protocols, but we’re really bullish on him getting through. If he gets through protocols this week, he’ll be in a really good place to potentially play. We just want to make sure he gets through and ticks off the boxes he needs to, so that’s a great result for Harrison and for us.”

King also pushed back on suggestions that Petty’s past concussion history was linked to this latest incident, noting that the defender felt surprisingly well immediately after the match – a symptom that did not align with a typical concussion presentation. “Remarkably, he was actually pretty good after the game, which sort of told us it might not be as simple as concussion,” King explained. Acknowledging he was not a medical expert, he clarified that the issue was classified as a vestibular migraine, and there was no connection to the player’s previous head injuries. “This was more a vestibular migraine – I am not sure if that’s the word, I am not a medical expert, so I can’t give too much opinion on it, but it’s not linked at all. It was probably the best scenario for us and outcome we could’ve hoped for, really.”

In addition to the update on Petty, King addressed questions surrounding young player Jai Culley’s recent knee concern, confirming that an earlier routine check-up for minor knee discomfort was unrelated to the season-ending ACL rupture Culley later suffered. “No fear at all. I think players come off all the time to get assessed by doctors and Jai’s one incident was pretty obvious that’s where it happened,” King said. “I think a lot of players when they come off and complain of sort of (injury), you do get assessed, whatever part of the body. He’s fine, unfortunately it was that one incident which took place.”