WATCH AFL Round 21 Predictions - All-Australian Ruck & Jezza Ton
Are the Dogs and Giants one of the games biggest rivals?
Max Gawn or Brodie Grundy for All-Australian?
Can Jeremy Cameron kick 100 goals?
Will the Hawks defence be able to stop the Crows three headed forward line monster?
Which rising star would you want in your team, Dan Curtin or Murphy Reid?
Are Fremantle the real deal this season?
The panel full of banter chat about their locks of the week, big calls & key match-ups, including a big debate on the Rising Star + All Australian spots and if anyone at North Melbourne can stop Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera from dominating again!
Get around the AFL Today Show brought to you by panellists Liam 'Stats Guy' McAllion, Leo Mullaly and Marcus Bazzano as they talk out all things footy for the 2025 of AFL season!
FOLLOW AFL TODAY SHOW CONTENT
The AFL Today Show is your ultimate footy companion, covering every single team equally and in depth! We break down each game and round of the 2025 season with three shows a week, expert tips, social posts galore, in-depth analysis, debates, interviews with players and top journalists, as well as plenty of banter—chatting about all the things that make AFL great!
Two shows every week, including a round preview show and a round wrap on every game!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
39 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Beers, tears and existentialism: the unseen side of AFL
Far from the roar of the SCG, former AFL player Brandon Jack has found peace leaving selfies with young footy fans behind. Instead, the son of rugby league great Garry Jack and brother of ex-AFL star Kieren has been visiting bookstores around Australia, signing copies of his debut novel Pissants. "I've had moments where I've felt like, 'yeah, this is more enjoyable to me than football ever was,'" Jack tells AAP. Looking back, his five-year, 28-game AFL career was not so much the realisation of a childhood dream as a period of intense anxiety. "I had five years kind of being on the fringe; of being in the team, out of the team, of resenting the team for not being in it," he says. "Post-footy and seeing a psychologist for a long time, I realised there's this fear of, 'am I good enough?' "I was continually just told, 'no, no, no.' That did something to me that I don't think I reconciled or realised until years later." Those feelings of rejection are at the heart of Pissants , which details the misadventures of a crew of rowdy AFL players who can't find what it takes to win the approval of coaches, teammates and fans. With stardom painfully close but never within reach, the group self-medicate with drugs, alcohol and a shared twisted sense of humour. While Pissants is a work of fiction, the inspiration is obvious. "The book is almost like different versions of me at different points in my life communicating with each other," Jack says. Those voices will be familiar to those who read Jack's memoir 28, in which he detailed his attempts to numb the pain of an unsuccessful and unsatisfying footy career with alcohol. But the adage 'comedy equals tragedy plus time' rings true in the case of Pissants, where the absurdity of life in the AFL system is a source of humour above all else. In a series of uncomfortable interactions, players find themselves telling journalists, coaches and club psychologists what they want to hear, while thinking and feeling something completely different. The authenticity will appeal to footy fans sick of hearing about players 'taking things one week at a time'. "I hate the whole media training thing that happened in footy - I really do," Jack says. "I think it deprived us of so many opportunities to have interesting characters." Jack admits there was nothing interesting about the front he presented during his playing days. "The way we were at the Swans was club-first: you are not to stand out. So I didn't really have a personality externally. "I did a lot of writing but I would never share it. I was always very secretive with my stuff." There were fears of standing out and concerns he'd be seen as uncommitted. "As a football player, your primary purpose is to play football and to win games for your team. "In my third year, when I was worried about my contract, I stopped going to uni part-time because I didn't want anything to be a distraction, or for people to think I was distracted." Like the characters in Pissants, Jack floundered in footy purgatory, unable to win respect in the game but feeling forbidden from finding an identity outside it. Much has changed for him since leaving the Swans in 2017 and the 31-year-old is pleased to see footy is moving forward too. The likes of Bailey Smith and Jack Ginnivan lead a new breed of AFL players praised by fans, media pundits and sponsors for showing their personalities. But one thing remains the same. "It's a lot easier to be who you are if you're a successful player," Jack says. Those not performing well rarely speak publicly - and if they do, it's typically to play the clown. "One of my least favourite things is when a footy player who didn't have a very successful career comes out and just takes the absolute piss out of himself and that becomes their kind of schtick," Jack says. "I've been there and it's f***ing tough. It hurts you deeply." He suspects some players still face the struggles depicted in Pissants. "At every club, there are five or six guys who are in this spot and I can just so clearly picture them in someone's garage drinking beers while the senior game is on because they just don't want to watch it." Having explored the complexity of his feelings about football across two books, Jack is ready to move on. He is working on a series of short stories that have nothing to do with sport and is excited to see where writing takes him. "It'll be interesting to see when the switch sort of flicks from 'football player turned writer' to just 'writer'. That would be nice," Jack says. "But I'm not going to crucify myself waiting for it to happen. It'll happen eventually."
ABC News
39 minutes ago
- ABC News
From big laughs to bold stories, settle in for your fix of the ABC's 2025 Logie-nominated shows
When the exhaustion of searching through the streaming services sets in, look no further. We don't want to brag but the ABC has received 44 Logie nominations this year. From deep-dive documentaries to side-splitting comedies, it would be selfish of us not to share these gems for your viewing pleasure. There's something for everyone, so jump onto ABC iview and get streaming. Click on the boxes below to find out more. Looking for a laugh? Escape with some drama Return to Paradise Return To Paradise. ( ) Watch it here What's it about? DI Mackenzie Clarke is forced to leave London under a cloud of suspicion and return to the last place she ever wanted to be, her hometown of Dolphin Cove, Australia where her tenacity and work ethic helps her solve murder mysteries. Who stars in it? Anna Samson, Lloyd Griffith, Tai Hara and Catherine McClements. If you like this, you'll also enjoy: Mystery Road: Origin and Grantchester. Might snag a Logie for: Best Drama Program, Best Lead Actress in a Drama for Anna Samson or Best Lead Actor in a Drama for Lloyd Griffith or Tai Hara. The Newsreader The Newsreader. ( ) Watch it here What's it about? After achieving their dreams, Dale reigns as 'King of News' and Helen's fearless reporting earns her acclaim. But when a cynical network move pits the former lovers against each other, their bond will be tested like never before. Who stars in it? Anna Torv, Sam Reid, William McInnes and Marg Downey. If you like this, you'll also enjoy: The Family Next Door and Little Disasters. Might snag a Logie for: Best Drama Program or Best Supporting Actress for Marg Downey or Michelle Lim Davidson. Plum Plum. Watch it here What's it about? Football hero Peter 'The Plum' Lum is living the dream until he's diagnosed with a brain disorder. His ex-wife implores him to talk to his girlfriend and son, but he can't find the words, until a couple of dead poets appear. Who stars in it? Brendan Cowell, Asher Keddie, Susie Porter and Jemaine Clement. If you like this, you'll also enjoy: Significant Others and Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo. Might snag a Logie for: Best Miniseries or Telemovie. For the music lovers Take 5 with Zan Rowe Take 5 with Zan Rowe. ( ) Watch it here What's it about? Music is memory. Hearing a song can take you to a place, a feeling, a moment. Guests reveal a side to themselves you've never seen before. Who's the host? Zan Rowe. If you like this, you'll also enjoy: Creative Types with Virginia Trioli and The Piano. Might snag a Logie for: Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter for Zan Rowe. New Year's Eve New Year's Eve 2024. ( ) What's it about? The biggest names in music joined the ABC in bidding a huge farewell to 2024, plus the New Year's Eve fireworks from the Sydney Opera House. Who is the host? Zan Rowe, Charlie Pickering and Concetta Caristo. If you like this, you'll also enjoy: Classic 100 Concert and That Blackfella Show. Might snag a Logie for: Best Entertainment Program. Countdown 50 Years On Countdown 50 Years On. Watch it here What's it about? In 1974, Countdown burst into loungerooms all over the nation and set the music scene on fire. 50 years on, the ABC is inviting you back to the party to celebrate the little Aussie show that became a global phenomenon. Who's the host? Tony Armstrong and Myf Warhurst. If you like this, you'll also enjoy: Midnight Oil: The Hardest Line and Slim & I. Might snag a Logie for: Best Entertainment Program. Heart-warming viewing Your next DIY inspiration Deep dive into the news For the kids Each of these shows is nominated for a TV Week Logie Award. You can vote for them here.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Rugby League 26 video game developer hits back at criticism from players who 'should know better'
The boss of video game developer Big Ant Studios has hit back at criticism of the newly launched Rugby League 26 game, following high-profile players slamming the release. Some players, including Sydney Roosters prop Millie Elliott and State of Origin star Kennedy Cherrington, have criticised their likeness in the game, while issues with the gameplay and the inability to use players in their real-world positions have also caused backlash. Issues ranged from retired players being highly rated, to stadiums being in the wrong cities, while gameplay was also highlighted on social media. Ross Symons, chief executive of Big Ant Studios, hit back at the criticism of likenesses in Rugby League 26. "The ones that are talking should know better because, frankly, they've made statements that really are reasonably outrageous, because we have gone around the world, even to the north of England, just to scan women in game," he told the ABC. "Eighty per cent of our sponsorship money goes to women's sport. We take it extraordinarily seriously. "We actually travelled to capture NRLW players specifically in captures up to Townsville and everywhere. "They were told, 'Please, please be at the shoot because if you're not at the shoot, you won't look like you'. We were very clear. Symons said Big Ant Studios would be attending the NRLW Magic Round to conduct more facial scans to add to the game. "We have offered to capture as many players who would like to sit in the chair. And sitting in the chair takes 45 seconds," he said. Rugby League 26 was highly anticipated, as it came eight years after the last iteration, Rugby League Live 4. Cherrington described the game as "half-finished", while social media was flooded with gamers reporting glitches and errors. Symons said some of the issues stemmed from a compressed rollout timeline, which required the developers to submit the game for disc printing two months before the launch date. He also said that despite calls from the public, delaying was "not an option we were given" and that online multiplayer feature issues were temporary. "Then the product we want people to have is ready with a day one patch, because things change," he said "Even in sport itself, just the nature of sport where things change, where rosters change, injuries occur, ratings change." Big Ant was also criticised for its inability to manage demand on its servers, which locked players out for hours. Symons said the demand for the game was six times higher than expected, and said it had outsold video game franchise members Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach and Donkey Kong Bananza. "It is number one by a margin and our servers also had that problem." Despite the backlash about Rugby League 26 from users, the fact there is a game for a code played predominantly in just three countries is noteworthy. A large part of that, and the reason for an eight-year hiatus, was the commercial viability of making a game for a relatively small market. Big Ant Studios was the recipient of the Digital Games Tax Offset (DGTO), introduced in 2023 to encourage local game development studio investment in Australia, which allows companies to claim back 30 per cent of qualified Australian expenditure. This funding model is similar to other schemes designed to encourage local filmmaking, and Symons says this program "allows us to take risks that we otherwise couldn't take". "The world would call the AFL, the same with NRL and to some extent cricket, a niche sport. It's our lifeblood and we love it, but no one else wants to make these sports games. "That's where the DGTO really, really does help, it enables to tell Australian stories and in particular, Australian sport because I don't think Australian sport gets a title if it's not for things like the DGTO because it just becomes not commercially viable." Big Ant Studios also made the AFL and cricket video games, as well as a tennis game based around the Australian Open. The Sydney Roosters were approached for comment but did not respond before publication.
