Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes inspires Storm to sixth straight victory
After an indifferent opening 40 minutes from both Hughes and the Storm, the reigning Dally M medallist quickly made the game his own after the break.
Hughes's four try assists — including a double to fill-in winger Kane Bradley — has assured Melbourne their place in the competition's top two heading into the home stretch of the regular season.
Melbourne's sixth straight win proved a hammer blow to the Knights' campaign, with their chances of final football now resigned to mathematical calculations.
Despite being up 8-2 in the shadows of half—time, Newcastle saw a glimpse of what was to follow from Hughes when he produced an inch-perfect chip for back-rower Eliesa Katoa to score untouched.
Queensland Origin hero Trent Loiero got the ball rolling for the Storm six minutes into the second half, before another Hughes bomb two minutes later saw Bradley fly sky high to extend Melbourne's lead.
Hughes would ice the game for Melbourne midway through the second half with a further two try assists for Loiero and Bradley's second four-pointers respectively, the latter coming off the back of a pinpoint 40-20 from the New Zealand international.
Newcastle provided some fight when Fletcher Hunt secured points from a ricocheted offload, but it would all be in vain when Katoa strolled over for a second try of his own in the final five minutes.
Despite the 18-point loss, there were positive signs for the Newcastle in the form of mid-season recruit Dominic Young.
The Roosters wantaway Young continued his stellar form in his Newcastle homecoming, having a hand in all three of their tries. A special chip-over-the-top effort from the Englishman to score the game's first try was one of few highlights for the Knights in an otherwise disappointing showing.
Of further concern for Newcastle is the immediate playing future of back-rower Dylan Lucas, who limped off midway through the second half with an apparent ankle injury.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Courier-Mail
Melbourne Football Club captain, Max Gawn on leadership and longevity
Now in his 17th season for Melbourne Football Club, the towering ruckman opens up about captaincy, longevity and life after retirement. In 2020 you were named Melbourne's captain and have since gone on to lead for six straight seasons. How has your idea of leadership evolved in that time? You get a bit more comfortable with your own thoughts. I still have some doubts and I still have the same jitters before tough conversations, that doesn't go away. But you certainly get a bit more comfortable in the role and back your own judgement. There's cool things I get to do like I get to go flip the coin. There's a whole minute where you get to flip the coin and then go talk to the boys before they run out there. That's a pretty cool process. What do you think makes for a great team captain? What makes for a great team captain, that's a broad question I don't have a real answer to. My main focus is to create - with a numerous amount of people - the most comfortable four walls possible so people can be their best self. Ideally, to perform at your best you need to be at your best self. Creating a comfortable work environment that allows people to thrive is my main focus. What's your advice for creating that positive team culture? Certainly, it needs to be from the bottom-up. Everyone needs to share their opinions and their voices. You need to work out what is comfortable for each person. We do a lot of storytelling around our backgrounds, our lives, what our passions are. One way or another, you all put your little one per cent in and it creates an environment that you enjoy. Also for myself, I've had a very interesting career where I've probably been in every single position that any player is at. I was a late draft pick, I was a horrible young player, I almost got de-listed. I've been in contract, I've been out of contract, I've been in trouble, I've been a good boy. I've been playing good AFL footy, I've been playing bad AFL footy. I've been sort of everywhere in a football career, so I can certainly talk to most people. In 2021, you led the club to its first premiership since 1964. When you had critics and a tide of public opinion against you, how did you silence the noise and find the confidence as a team to succeed? No matter what, a drought-breaking premiership is a pretty high pressure environment. You've got a lot of expectation from supporters, even to an extent club staff and board and well-paying members. There's a fair bit of pressure that this is the time, and this is the moment. We were actually over in Perth and it was still Covid times in the eastern states, particularly Melbourne. That probably was one blessing in disguise - that we were a long, long way from the supporters on the streets. We probably didn't really know how big the moment was in terms of Melbourne Football Club. We knew the significance of a grand final and a premiership, but what it meant to majority of Melbourne supporters, it was good we were so far away. What we did was create a really cool month. We were locked in for two weeks to do the isolation but we were in a nice little resort which made it nice and we created a pretty cool place. We had some dads that were missing their kids, I think Jake Lever's daughter was four weeks old. He was obviously trying to win a flag, but you've got to balance that. For us to win a flag, we need Jake at our best self. How do we get Jake at his best self with a four-week-old daughter back home that he's missing. So, we were able to create some safe environments where if he didn't want to train or he needed to do something at a critical time, he was able to do it. We always did that family-first mentality, even though family wasn't there. But it created the best version of Jake, which obviously got us in a better environment for the team. We get involved in a lot of wrestling and a lot of contest-type activity, which can be tolling as well. Image: Getty And on the day of the premiership, how do you lead the team in the change room before walking out to the field? Is there anything you're saying to the players to put them in a winning headspace? I think - and I love leaders who do this - it's showing vulnerability. Early on, I reckon I walked into the game going, 'I'm going to be that tough leader that shows the big occasion doesn't bother me.' I went and snuck in and watched Birds of Tokyo play. I got a bit overwhelmed that Birds of Tokyo were the lead act for us. I came back into the room and was showing my nerves and that I was a bit overwhelmed, and I think it put everyone else in a state of calm knowing that if I realised the big occasion, it's OK to be nervous. If you had walked into our rooms pre-game, you would have gone, 'Geez, these guys are incredibly nervous.' But I think it's OK to be nervous, it's OK to care about something a lot. The position of ruckman is considered one of the most physically and mentally taxing in the AFL. How do you train and prepare mentally to perform at your best? I'm biased here. Make sure we write this in bold: it's the most critical position on the ground. No, it is quite tolling and we are bigger than everyone else so the load that goes through our bodies is obviously a lot higher. We get involved in a lot of wrestling and a lot of contest-type activity, which can be tolling as well. I've been relatively good in the back-end of my career at staying fit and healthy. I certainly think one thing is maintaining my week as best as I can. I like to get into the water at some point, I like to get into the sauna at some point. I like to do stretching. I'm very lucky, I've even got my own home space with a home sauna, home ice-bath, and a pilates reformer machine, too. I've worked out some little things that can get me into a good mindset, but it's still incredibly tough. Image: Getty You could essentially open up shop and charge players for this I've thought about a gold coin donation for a little bit, and then I just started to bring the guys in. We'd all sauna and ice-bath before a game. We have about four or five guys that come over and do it all here. Injuries in competitive sport are inevitable, and in the 2024 season you were sidelined for some weeks with a lower leg injury. What toll did this setback take on your mindset and how did you get through it? I'm a bad injured person, so I can relate to everyone out there. Especially short-term injuries, so a two-week calf or two-week hamstring, I'm really bad. I can't handle that. I've worked out some little things that can get me into a good mindset, but it's still incredibly tough. The longer injuries, I've had a few long-term injuries when I was young. My mindset was if I wasn't playing AFL, I'd be at the gym at 6am, working my ass off and then going to work. When I play AFL, I get to go to the gym at 10 o'clock in a great facility and watch the boys train. It's a pretty cool gig when you're a young player and you're injured. When you're older, there's that mixture of letting the team down by not being out there, and then wanting to do everything you can to get back because short-term injuries - the difference between 14 days and 15 days - could be a game. Everyone's trying to beat the initial diagnosis. Say the Physio says, 'This will be a 21-day hamstring,' you're like, 'Ok, operation Get Back In 20 Days.' That sort of mindset just puts you to work. It is tough but it also is the reason why I don't like getting injured and I do everything I can to stay not injured because I know how rough it can be. Even though it's 20 days out of your life and you still get paid and you get to stay healthy and fit and be out in the sunshine a lot. The stresses of letting your team down and non-stop trying to beat the recovery is quite an intense little period. But also, the benefits from a strength point of view and functional training is well and truly proven. Image: Getty You've recently become Your Reformer's newest Wellness Ambassador. Why did you start incorporating reformer pilates into your training routine and what benefits have you seen? Get ready for the stereotype-breaker: I'm a ruckman with a beard that lifts weights, that's also an ambassador for Lululumen and Your Reformer. I haven't always been the best in the weights room, I don't love it. Weights would be the thing that's last on the to-do list to get myself ready to play. It's obviously a critical part of football and being a professional athlete - being strong. But I needed to work out what was another way for me to be strong that's in my realm of interests. As much as I still lift and still do a lot of weights, balancing it out with stretching and mobility and a little bit of core and glute work on a reformer keeps my mind at ease and gets me in my best mindset. But also, the benefits from a strength point of view and functional training is well and truly proven. The difference between the start of my career to the back-end of my career, I'm not going to put it all on core and doing the pilates, but it certainly has helped me with my mindset and also strength wise. Professional careers in the AFL are typically short, with the average length of seven years. What do you make of your longevity in the sport? I've been able to be a part of a premiership, win some best and fairest awards, and have some pretty good individual honours along the way, but the longevity is the thing I'm most proud of. I think to be able to stay loyal to one football club for 17 seasons and be able to play good football deep into my 30s - well, not deep 30s, I'm still in my early 30s but deep in football world 30s - I'm incredibly proud of that. You just can't ride the highs too much, or ride the lows too much. Image: Getty You're known for your sense of humour and self-deprecating nature. What role does humour play in helping the team bounce back from defeat on the footy field? I think what's important is if humour is in your best self and you are a funny person - which I'm not necessarily saying I am, there are certainly five or six players I could name that are hilarious at our football club - if you're asking them not to be themselves post a loss, you'd spiral in the wrong direction. I think everyone handles losses differently and you will get those players who think about it for a couple days and are a bit serious about it, but you've got to let those class clowns come in and be themselves, because they are actually the ones that bring those guys that overthink it back out. Fortunately and unfortunately, you've got a came every week, so you can't really ponder it too much. I played a game yesterday and I'm already thinking of the next in five days time. You've got to get out of yourself as quickly as possible. I'm not sure if you're up to date, but I kind of lost the game with a kick that I did at the end of the game. The more I think about that, the more I hurt my game in five days. So, I need your Christian Petracca to be his class clown self, and get me out of myself and I think humour plays a great role in that. Successful teams are the ones who can bounce back from defeat quickly and refocus after a loss. What strategies have you adopted that help with that? You just can't ride the highs too much, or ride the lows too much. You have to be balanced. We lost by a point yesterday, and if we had won by a point, the whole shift is different but it shouldn't be. It should be relatively balanced. What does certainly help is family. I've got two boys, the three-year-old is starting to get a bit upset when Melbourne loses but the one-year-old couldn't care less. The fact that you have those two in the room, win or loss, and they just want to see you, that makes it a lot easier when you walk in. But you've just got to try and remind yourself that I've played 240-odd games and I've lost half of them, you don't win every single game and it's a pretty balanced competition and balanced season. If you can keep a relatively calm mindset, it'll put you in the best place for the back-end of the year. I love football so my three-year-old is obsessed by it, to the point where we're trying to limit a few football things now because it's a bit over-obsessed. Image: Getty You became a dad in 2022. How has fatherhood changed your perspective of the game? I've realised that kids are clones of yourself. I love football so my three-year-old is obsessed by it, to the point where we're trying to limit a few football things now because it's a bit over-obsessed. He knows all the 18 songs, has footy cards galore. It's wild. He loves it, which I love. I love the fact that he loves something that I love. I always made the joke that I'm not going to force him to do anything but he'll be playing football. He can do whatever he wants, but he'll be playing football. But they're both beautiful boys. I enjoy playing football a lot, but I enjoy playing football with my family even more. How do you navigate the demands of training with family priorities? Yeah, you just bring them in and everyone else looks after them, it's great. No, we're very flexible. If there's a daycare pick-up or kinder pick-up that gets in the way of training, that always takes priority. If the father is struggling at home because of inability to nail timings of picking up kids or helping out Mum at home, they're probably not being the best version of themselves when they get to the club. Once again, it's always a balance but family does come first pretty much in every scenario. I think if you look at our team, a lot of our dads are playing incredibly good football and I think it's because there's a bit of autonomy in the program and you're able to balance it out with some family. The average age of retirement in the AFL is 32, yet you're still performing at an elite level. Have you thought at all about life after retirement? What are you looking forward to? I've certainly thought about retirement and I'm pretty excited about what's next which I think keeps you in a really good headspace with what you're doing currently. I'm not scared of retirement, I'm not worried about retirement, it'll come and I'm very excited for what's next. I'm very excited to be with my family and be on a journey into what lies ahead. I've got some really big passions in hospitality, I've been involved in a food truck with my brother, The Bearded Jaffle, but I've now got a restaurant and a wine bar. I love the football landscape and the media world, and I've got some pretty cool ambitions that I'd like to travel and do as well. I think that's exciting. If you get yourself into a headspace where you're excited for what's next, you sort of commit with everything you've got while you've still got. It's more, 'I'm inspired by you, but I'm not going to do the bacon at 4 am.' Image: Getty Tell us more about this restaurant! I have a restaurant in Hawthorn called Motor, it's an old garage-style building. We cook with fire, it's cool. We started with a wine bar in Camberwell, that's East End Wine Bar. That's been going for about seven years, and the restaurant three years. They're both very fun. My mum has been in hospitality for years and my mum is my hero, so I was always going to copy her albeit she was actually in hospitality doing the work, whereas I'm just sitting on the outsides and calling them my bars. Are these a family operation or a solo adventure? They're not. It's more, 'I'm inspired by you, but I'm not going to do the bacon at 4 am.' Originally published as Melbourne Football Club captain, Max Gawn on leadership and longevity
News.com.au
11 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘End this now': Footy world slams Richmond vs Essendon game
Essendon and Richmond are two proud AFL clubs fighting desperately to get back among the top teams in the competition. On Saturday night, sadly, they were both a laughing stock in the Tigers' nine-point win, 6.10 (46) to 4.13 (37). Huge numbers of fans watching on were calling the MCG clash the worst game of the year, while Fox Footy commentator Anthony Hudson was left asking if umpires had 'ever decided not to give any (Brownlow Medal) votes'. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. In a reasonable opening quarter, the teams kicked three goals apiece, including a popular first goal from debutant and No. 12 draft pick Taj Hotton after his return from an ACL injury. And that was basically it in terms of highlights from this game. The two teams produced 53 minutes of painful, goal free football from the start of the second quarter until more than 15 minutes into the third, when 12 behinds were kicked. The Bombers kicked six behinds in the second quarter to Richmond's solitary point and the commentators were left blaming a 'vortex' in the Ponsford Stand pocket as players repeatedly butchered possession and sent shots on goal out on the full. In one passage of play, Hotton produced a neat handball that resulted in Luke Trainor kicking out on the full when he had an open target in the forward line. 'Little bit of magic there. But we just can't get a goal, that's the problem,' Garry Lyon said. A short time later, Tim Taranto kicked to Jacob Kotschitzke inside 50m and the forward managed to juggle the ball off his own face and over the line when under zero pressure. 'Oh no. It strikes again, the vortex. He's falconed himself,' Hudson said. Brad Johnson asked: 'What is going on in that forward pocket tonight?' Lyon chimed in: 'There's just this uneasy murmur going around the ground right now. 'We don't want to talk the game down.' When Hudson suggested you couldn't take your eyes off the game, perhaps a similar vein to watching a car accident, Lyon replied: 'No, you can. You can.' At halftime, with the Bombers leading by a point, Hudson declared: 'What we can promise you is that the third quarter will be better than the second.' It was a bold call from the commentator after what everyone had witnessed in that first half. Lyon said: 'There was a lot of junk, let's be honest. So let's see if we can clear the decks here.' The Tigers are at least rebuilding and have a host of top young talent following premiership victories in 2017, 2019 and 2020. It's more dire for the once-mighty Bombers, who are stuck on one of the most famous modern 'records' in the AFL, having not won a final since way back in 2004. The behinds kept coming in the third quarter, with five more being kicked before Archer May finally kicked Essendon's fourth goal, ended that dreadful 53 minute stretch. The commentators were left trying to make jokes to amuse themselves, bereft of any highlights to discuss. 'I look forward to seeing how the umpires vote this on Brownlow night,' Johnson said. Hudson swiftly replied: 'They may not give any votes. Have they ever decided not to give any votes in a game?' Former Giant Taranto then finally stood up for the Tigers in the final term, taking a mark inside 50m and kicking the goal for Richmond's first since late in the first quarter. 'I don't think (the kick) was 15 metres in the end, but goals have been that hard to come by, I think the umpires were feeling sorry for the crowd,' Lyon quipped. 'Tim Taranto is a senior player in this group, this is his opportunity to get them back level, massive chance for a rare victory here for Richmond.' He did just that as Hudson screamed: 'Tim Taranto's kick goes the line and beyond! 'And the arms are raised in triumph and scores are level again at the MCG. 'For all that we've endured, we could be set for a grandstand finish.' Full credit to Hudson for managing to find his voice in such a low standard contest. Fans online were far less forgiving, with many saying the same thing, particularly in that first half. Nick McFarlane tweeted: 'If there's been a worse half of footy for the year, I'm sure we were involved in that too.' Amie wrote: 'This is genuinely one of the worst games played this year.' Milan said: 'Cancel culture should do their thing & end this game right now.' Komo offered: 'Arguably the worst quarter of footy I've witnessed live in my 53 years on the planet.' Gurtofen wrote: 'One of the worst halves of AFL football I have ever seen. It's a lottery as to which team is worse.' Harry Taylor appeared to be at the ground, tweeting: 'That was the worst quarter of football I have ever seen. Definitely in person.' Essendon fan Andrew wrote: 'On behalf of footy, I'm sorry.' Account @valleyflaxman declared: 'Watching Richmond and Essendon after the first two games today is like drinking paint as the main course at a Michelin star restaurant.' Footy fans had been treated to two high quality matches prior to this one, the Crows' victory over the Bulldogs and GWS' triumph over Geelong. We might leave the last word to X user Max Allen, who was reminded of a traumatic story while watching the game at the MCG. As a kid I saw Dad run over our cat,' Allen wrote. 'Poor thing was asleep on the Land Cruiser tyre but didn't realise til it flung out the back half way up to the shed & nearly hit me on the motorbike. 'Was incredibly traumatic but nothing compared to that first half of footy.'
Perth Now
11 hours ago
- Perth Now
British and Irish Lions suffer injury in Test tune-up
The British and Irish Lions have demolished an Australia and New Zealand invitational outfit 48-0, but the tune-up has come with a cost. The Lions lost England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie to suspected concussion in Saturday night's Adelaide Oval fixture. The 32-year-old was hurt as the tourists put the polish on preparations for the Test series opener against the Wallabies in Brisbane in a week. The Lions enter the first Test unbeaten in five tour games, but with significant concern over Cowan-Dickie. The experienced Englishman was crunched in a tackling collision with AUNZ co-captain Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the opening half. Cowan-Dickie was stretchered off as the Lions made early inroads against a combined Australia and New Zealand squad featuring 17 players with international experience. Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe was the chief beneficiary of his side's dominance, scoring two of his three tries in an early 13-minute span. Van der Merwe opened scoring in the seventh minute when piercing through the left side after some slick work from Ireland's Hugo Keenan. Just three minutes later, Ben White crossed after a grab-and-go, before van der Merwe added his second try in the 20th minute. The Lions held a commanding 17-0 lead before Cowan-Dickie's injury in the 36th minute took the sting from the opening half before a 43,124-strong crowd. But soon after the restart, the tourists extended their command when Sione Tuipulotu sliced with ease through the disjointed locals. The Lions led 24-0 when coach Andy Farrell summoned his son and ex-England captain Owen from the bench for his first outing of the tour. Farrell was involved in the set-up of the Lions' next try when Scott Cummings tore through a hole in the 62nd minute. Just two minutes later, van der Merwe completed his hat-trick when again gifted time and space from a sagging AUNZ defence, before Ronan Kelleher added another. Henry Pollock then beat AUNZ's Harry McLaughlin-Phillips in a dive for another try in a fifth consecutive tour win - the Lions opened with a 54-7 trouncing of Western Force, before accounting for the Reds (52-12), Waratahs (21-10) and Brumbies (36-24).
