AFL shouldn't be spooked by NRL's Origin behemoth as it weighs up mid-year competition
It is completely reasonable to consider an NBA-style tournament, which, in effect, might represent a reprise of the old night series – the Ansett Cup was one version – that sat inside the regular season.
It is not to this column's jaded taste, and I doubt that most fans will support a mid-year tournament, given their innate opposition to radical reforms.
Many, however, will favour the parallel proposal, as The Age's Sam McClure reported, of a regular season that is cut back to 20 games, when the Tasmania Devils arrives, with one game added for rivalry round (showdowns, derbies, blockbusters in Melbourne) and another for Gather Round.
The Devils' scheduled entry in 2028 provides a great opportunity to re-shape the fixture. It was this recognition that framed the proposal.
The old night series had some value – and was even taken semi-seriously by clubs. Kevin Sheedy certainly used to cite night premierships on his resume, as did Denis Pagan.
But the franchise diminished over time, as night footy became entrenched in the 'real' season, and it dwindled further into irrelevance once the good teams used it merely as a vehicle to prepare for the season proper.
What the AFL and some clubs have recognised, though, is that their competition does not have any meaningful prize besides the premiership cup (the same applies to the AFLW); Michael Voss, unlike Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, does not have another trophy on the line to salve his reputation/job (not that it saved Ange).

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Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
Forgotten AFL star has ‘a million dollars' stolen in car smash and grab
Former AFL star Koby Stevens has revealed his car been broken into and he has lost 'over $1 million in documentary footage. Stevens, who retired in 2018 due to concussion injuries, is filming a documentary called Thrive which was expected to be released this year. The former footballer, who played for West Coast, the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda has called the documentary an 'extraordinary cinematic journey that spans continents and showcases real-time evidence of brain healing'. 'It's been a long road raising finance, overcoming challenges, and telling a story that is as much about hope as it is about healing and building out a global media company,' he has previously said. Famous Aussie actor and St Kilda superfan Eric Bana has been involved in the production (he is the narrator), and it also includes key people from the movie industry. But now an emotional Stevens has revealed the footage has been stolen from his car in a smash and grab. 'My name is Koby Stevens. I played AFL for ten years and had to retire in 2018 due to concussion. You might have seen the story around,' he said in social media post, shared by sports presenter, Jacqueline Felgate. 'We have been shooting a huge documentary the last four years, travelling the world about concussion, and following some of the biggest athletes in the world and their healing journeys ... doing so with Eric Bana. 'This morning in St Kilda I loaded one of the huge hard drives and camera gear into my car and it was smashed into before I left and stolen. 'The hard drive is backed up but it has over a million dollars worth of footage on it from all over the world for the film, and some pretty important people in it like Eric Bana, etc, which is obviously extremely important and sensitive and hasn't been put out to the public yet because we are still in production. 'It's pretty distressing someone has this now.' Stevens, who only managed 91 games in a nine-year career due to his injuries, has previously said he is obsessed with 'brain health and repairing'. He said his obsession started because he wanted to do the things he loved 'well into the future and live without fear of breaking down' as he aged. 'I explored everything from functional neurology to psychedelic-assisted treatments, plant medicine, TMS, hot-cold, mindfulness, week long fasts to repair my guts from smashing painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills for nine years,' he said. 'If there was research to back it up, I was all in, now, life's never been more beautiful.' And he said he wanted to share his experience to help educate others. 'I've always been a big believer that our stories should be used as education for those next in line,' he said. 'I planned to deal with the fallout privately, hide it and just escape. I was embarrassed and angry, and like most men wanted to deal with it alone. 'My belief was (that) pain was just part of the game and respect was earned that way – you kept moving and didn't talk about it.' Fans were shattered for Stevens after he went public with the crime. 'This is devastating,' one fan said. 'Heartbreaking,' said another. And another: 'I'm so ashamed of what Melbourne has become 😞so hoping you get this back.'


The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
McGovern's legacy lives on for besieged Eagles backs
Powered by Jeremy McGovern's "seeds of wisdom", Harry Edwards is confident he can hold down West Coast's key defensive post for years to come alongside partner in crime Reuben Ginbey. Tom Barrass's move to Hawthorn at the end of last year and McGovern's concussion-forced retirement last month means Edwards is now 'the man' in West Coast's besieged defence. The 24-year-old has notched just 52 AFL games since being taken as a rookie in 2017 and there were doubts whether he could become the team's go-to key defender when a poor start to the year resulted in him being dropped. But Edwards returned with a bang in round nine, playing every game since then and excelling in the role of key backman. Edwards will be back in action on Sunday when West Coast face Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, with key forwards Mitch Georgiades and Ollie Lord lying in wait. "I had a bit of a shaky start to the year and went back to WAFL to work on a few things," Edwards said. "I needed to improve some of my positioning and contest stuff, which is my one wood. "It's always a tough role playing the deepest back on big forwards in a developing side. "But I feel like I've taken some good steps this year and I can be that guy for the Eagles for years to come." Another player to have excelled in defence this year has been Ginbey, who often mans key forwards who are bigger and taller than him. "Bloody hell, I love Reuben. He's a superstar," Edwards said. "I love playing with him. He can play on talls. He can play on smalls. I couldn't speak higher of him." Edwards said defence coach Luke Webster and former West Coast captain Shannon Hurn had played pivotal roles in his progress. He also lavished praise on five-time All-Australian McGovern, who is regarded as one of the best AFL defenders of all time. "He's a good mate of mine," Edwards said. "He drops seeds of wisdom here and there for me. "He's probably the best defender in the modern era, so to be able to take things from his game and have him teach me stuff over the course of my journey has been invaluable." Port Adelaide (7-9) lost Esava Ratugolea, Sam Powell-Pepper and Dante Visentini to season-ending injuries in last week's 28-point loss to Brisbane. West Coast, who are aiming to celebrate Jamie Cripps' 250th game for the Eagles with a win, axed Tim Kelly, Sandy Brock, Bo Allan and Jack Williams. Tom Cole, Matt Owies, Tyrell Dewar and fit-again defender Rhett Bazzo, who has played just one AFL match since the start of 2024, come into the side. Powered by Jeremy McGovern's "seeds of wisdom", Harry Edwards is confident he can hold down West Coast's key defensive post for years to come alongside partner in crime Reuben Ginbey. Tom Barrass's move to Hawthorn at the end of last year and McGovern's concussion-forced retirement last month means Edwards is now 'the man' in West Coast's besieged defence. The 24-year-old has notched just 52 AFL games since being taken as a rookie in 2017 and there were doubts whether he could become the team's go-to key defender when a poor start to the year resulted in him being dropped. But Edwards returned with a bang in round nine, playing every game since then and excelling in the role of key backman. Edwards will be back in action on Sunday when West Coast face Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, with key forwards Mitch Georgiades and Ollie Lord lying in wait. "I had a bit of a shaky start to the year and went back to WAFL to work on a few things," Edwards said. "I needed to improve some of my positioning and contest stuff, which is my one wood. "It's always a tough role playing the deepest back on big forwards in a developing side. "But I feel like I've taken some good steps this year and I can be that guy for the Eagles for years to come." Another player to have excelled in defence this year has been Ginbey, who often mans key forwards who are bigger and taller than him. "Bloody hell, I love Reuben. He's a superstar," Edwards said. "I love playing with him. He can play on talls. He can play on smalls. I couldn't speak higher of him." Edwards said defence coach Luke Webster and former West Coast captain Shannon Hurn had played pivotal roles in his progress. He also lavished praise on five-time All-Australian McGovern, who is regarded as one of the best AFL defenders of all time. "He's a good mate of mine," Edwards said. "He drops seeds of wisdom here and there for me. "He's probably the best defender in the modern era, so to be able to take things from his game and have him teach me stuff over the course of my journey has been invaluable." Port Adelaide (7-9) lost Esava Ratugolea, Sam Powell-Pepper and Dante Visentini to season-ending injuries in last week's 28-point loss to Brisbane. West Coast, who are aiming to celebrate Jamie Cripps' 250th game for the Eagles with a win, axed Tim Kelly, Sandy Brock, Bo Allan and Jack Williams. Tom Cole, Matt Owies, Tyrell Dewar and fit-again defender Rhett Bazzo, who has played just one AFL match since the start of 2024, come into the side. Powered by Jeremy McGovern's "seeds of wisdom", Harry Edwards is confident he can hold down West Coast's key defensive post for years to come alongside partner in crime Reuben Ginbey. Tom Barrass's move to Hawthorn at the end of last year and McGovern's concussion-forced retirement last month means Edwards is now 'the man' in West Coast's besieged defence. The 24-year-old has notched just 52 AFL games since being taken as a rookie in 2017 and there were doubts whether he could become the team's go-to key defender when a poor start to the year resulted in him being dropped. But Edwards returned with a bang in round nine, playing every game since then and excelling in the role of key backman. Edwards will be back in action on Sunday when West Coast face Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, with key forwards Mitch Georgiades and Ollie Lord lying in wait. "I had a bit of a shaky start to the year and went back to WAFL to work on a few things," Edwards said. "I needed to improve some of my positioning and contest stuff, which is my one wood. "It's always a tough role playing the deepest back on big forwards in a developing side. "But I feel like I've taken some good steps this year and I can be that guy for the Eagles for years to come." Another player to have excelled in defence this year has been Ginbey, who often mans key forwards who are bigger and taller than him. "Bloody hell, I love Reuben. He's a superstar," Edwards said. "I love playing with him. He can play on talls. He can play on smalls. I couldn't speak higher of him." Edwards said defence coach Luke Webster and former West Coast captain Shannon Hurn had played pivotal roles in his progress. He also lavished praise on five-time All-Australian McGovern, who is regarded as one of the best AFL defenders of all time. "He's a good mate of mine," Edwards said. "He drops seeds of wisdom here and there for me. "He's probably the best defender in the modern era, so to be able to take things from his game and have him teach me stuff over the course of my journey has been invaluable." Port Adelaide (7-9) lost Esava Ratugolea, Sam Powell-Pepper and Dante Visentini to season-ending injuries in last week's 28-point loss to Brisbane. West Coast, who are aiming to celebrate Jamie Cripps' 250th game for the Eagles with a win, axed Tim Kelly, Sandy Brock, Bo Allan and Jack Williams. Tom Cole, Matt Owies, Tyrell Dewar and fit-again defender Rhett Bazzo, who has played just one AFL match since the start of 2024, come into the side.


West Australian
3 hours ago
- West Australian
Harry Edwards hopes to emulate Jemermy McGovern's legacy as West Coast remain under siege
Powered by Jeremy McGovern's 'seeds of wisdom', Harry Edwards is confident he can hold down West Coast's key defensive post for years to come alongside partner in crime Reuben Ginbey. Tom Barrass's move to Hawthorn at the end of last year and McGovern's concussion-forced retirement last month means Edwards is now 'the man' in West Coast's besieged defence. The 24-year-old has notched just 52 AFL games since being taken as a rookie in 2017 and there were doubts whether he could become the team's go-to key defender when a poor start to the year resulted in him being dropped. But Edwards returned with a bang in round nine, playing every game since then and excelling in the role of key backman. Edwards will be back in action on Sunday when West Coast face Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval, with key forwards Mitch Georgiades and Ollie Lord lying in wait. 'I had a bit of a shaky start to the year and went back to WAFL to work on a few things,' Edwards said. 'I needed to improve some of my positioning and contest stuff, which is my one wood. 'It's always a tough role playing the deepest back on big forwards in a developing side. 'But I feel like I've taken some good steps this year and I can be that guy for the Eagles for years to come.' Another player to have excelled in defence this year has been Ginbey, who often mans key forwards who are bigger and taller than him. 'Bloody hell, I love Reuben. He's a superstar,' Edwards said. 'I love playing with him. He can play on talls. He can play on smalls. I couldn't speak higher of him.' Edwards said defence coach Luke Webster and former West Coast captain Shannon Hurn had played pivotal roles in his progress. He also lavished praise on five-time All-Australian McGovern, who is regarded as one of the best AFL defenders of all time. 'He's a good mate of mine,' Edwards said. 'He drops seeds of wisdom here and there for me. 'He's probably the best defender in the modern era, so to be able to take things from his game and have him teach me stuff over the course of my journey has been invaluable.' Port Adelaide (7-9) lost Esava Ratugolea, Sam Powell-Pepper and Dante Visentini to season-ending injuries in last week's 28-point loss to Brisbane. West Coast, who are aiming to celebrate Jamie Cripps' 250th game for the Eagles with a win, axed Tim Kelly, Sandy Brock, Bo Allan and Jack Williams. Tom Cole, Matt Owies, Tyrell Dewar and fit-again defender Rhett Bazzo, who has played just one AFL match since the start of 2024, come into the side.