AFL's bold bid to recruit sprinting sensation Gout Gout
The 17-year-old is the hottest prospect in Australian sport, already the country's fastest man ever over 200m and on the cusp of officially breaking 10 seconds in the 100m sprint.
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 his European debut last month in the Czech Republic, Gout ran down a high quality field at the Golden Spike event to win a 200m race and improve his national record to 20.02 seconds.
Gout is next scheduled to race in a Diamond League event in Monaco on Saturday morning (AEST) as he continues to introduce himself to the athletics world.
Watch Gout Gout's European debut in the video player above
CODE Sports reports the AFL is now keen on tempting the Queenslander to take part in this year's Grand Final Sprint.
First held way back in 1979, a 100m race is held by AFL players not competing in the grand final, typically during the halftime entertainment.
One player is usually nominated from each club, with former Hawthorn winger Geoff Ablett (four wins) and Patrick Dangerfield (three) the most successful sprinters in the event's history.
Geelong star Max Holmes and Collingwood's Beau McCreery took out the 2023 and 2024 events respectively.
CODE says an approach has been made to Gout's management over taking part, which would bring enormous interest to the colourful event.
This year's grand final is scheduled for Saturday September 27, just days after Gout will be hoping to run in the Athletics World Championships in Tokyo, so the timing could work well.
AFL spokesperson Jay Allen wouldn't comment directly on Gout, but did say the league is always keen on drumming up interest in the event.
'The Grand Final Sprint is a favourite tradition of the day and we are always looking at ways to amplify the race and the public interest in it,' he said.
'We will make any announcements closer to the Toyota AFL Grand Final.'
While the AFL has plenty of handy athletes, it is likely a handicap system similar to what is used at the Stawell Gift would be needed to give any footy players hope against Gout.
Gout's effort in the Czech Republic was just the latest step in an already remarkable career from a prodigious talent that has experts reaching for the record books every time he dons his spikes.
His feat was celebrated in a number of sporting circles, with many marvelling at his undeniable progress and others becoming aware of his extraordinary ability for the first time.
Gout's family migrated to Australia in 2005 and settled in Queensland, where he was born two years later.
Commencing high school at Ipswich Grammar School, he attended his school formal earlier this year and is in year 12.
Blessed with raw talent, Gout emerged as a sprinting prodigy at a meet in 2020 and has been shattering Australia's junior records ever since.
He took that a step further at the Australian All Schools Championships in December last year when he ran 20.04 seconds.
That broke the great Peter Norman's 200m record of 20.06s that had stood since the 1968 Olympics.
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Daily Telegraph
an hour ago
- Daily Telegraph
AFL news: Melbourne Demon Steven May learns his fate for his divisive bump on Carlton forward Francis Evans
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Steven May has learned his fate for his hit on Carlton forward Francis Evans that fiercely divided the AFL fraternity and led to a hugely drawn out deliberation. May's act left 23-year-old Evans bloodied with a broken nose and a displaced tooth, graded by the Match Review Officer as careless conduct, severe impact and high contact. Referred directly to the Tribunal, the AFL was seeking a three-match ban for the incident and after taking well over an hour to make a call, the charge was upheld and that is the suspension he received. 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? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The Demons entered a not guilty plea to the rough conduct charge and wanted the case thrown out, listing nine reasons for that stance, including May's height, the unexpected bounce of the ball and the fact he didn't jump from the ground. They argued May's contact was not unreasonable as he accelerated towards a footy that was in dispute and the defender believed he would take possession first. Francis Evans was left in a bad way after the Steven May hit. Photos:The AFL argued 33-year-old May had breached his duty of care, however, and they got their way, with May to serve three matches on the sideline. Fox Footy's David Zita, who was at the hearing, reported May telling the Tribunal: 'It was sort of skimming across the surface, so I definitely thought it was my ball, given how the previous couple of bounces went. 'I was surprised Evans got to the ball first and did not try to bump him, maintaining the original line. 'I attempted to slow down, but it was too late. 'I just can't believe I didn't take possession. I thought I did everything right, so I'm just a bit shocked.' May was keen to see a replay. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images) Evans at least had a smile on his face in the rooms after Carlton's win. Picture: Michael Klein The Demons were expected to strongly lean on the case of Fremantle captain Alex Pearce, who initially copped a three-game ban for his collision that concussed Port Adelaide's Darcy Byrne-Jones back in May. In that incident, the defender had his suspension overturned in what was widely considered a crucial test case for players contesting the ball in collisions which cause concussion. The verdict means May season is all but over, now missing games against St Kilda, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs, returning for the round 23 clash with the Hawks. There were a huge range of opinions over May's incident, which came in the third quarter of the Blues' eight-point win. Port Adelaide veteran Travis Boak conceded the outcome for his former teammate Evans was a terrible look, but wondered what else May could have done. 'In my view it's a footy act, in terms of he looked like he had a play on the ball,' he said on AFL 360. 'He went for the ball and the last minute his decision is 'oh no, I can't get the ball' and sort of braced and that's where the impact came from. 'I don't think there's much he can do here, he had a play for the ball until the very last second and has to make a split decision almost to protect himself. 'Unfortunately 'Frankie' gets hit in the head and the outcome looks really bad, there's a lot of blood and concussion and we don't want to see that. 'But it's a decision made at the last second so I'm not sure what else he could've done.' Evans is surrounded by teammates after the collision. (Photo by) West Coast premiership player Will Schofield told AFL Tonight: 'Maybe we see a one-week penalty because of the outcome, but I don't think this is an act we need out of the game. 'I thought he did everything right until he didn't and those sorts of accidental outcomes, I don't think we should be penalising.' Pies great Nathan Buckley took a different stance, telling Fox Footy: 'I don't know whether our game is capable of allowing that anymore.' Many fans took the same side as Boak, but there was still a cross section of opinions on social media. One wrote on X: 'Should be nothing, stop encouraging the continued destruction of the game.' Another tweeted: 'That is 1000% a footy action, contesting the football at all times. It's not even a bump.' A third offered: 'There is no duty of care towards the player and May contacts the head.' A fourth wrote: 'S**t that's terrible, should be 5 weeks.' In the lead-up to the hearing, journalist Jon Ralph told Fox Footy's Midweek Tackle his intel regarding Melbourne's likely defence. 'They (the Demons) are convinced that Steven May will get off and they think that the Alex Pearce case is the key,' he said. 'Melbourne believes the fact that it was a marking contest for Alex Pearce, rather than a groundball, actually helps them. Because with Pearce, the ball was in the air, it wasn't moving (bouncing unpredictably) there. Another angle of the May incident. Photo: Fox Sports 'With May, on a slippery night, the ball bounced and bounced, and they felt it was absolutely going to bounce towards May. 'So, in that case, Tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson, when he dismissed the Pearce case, said 'it has never been the Tribunal's position that a concussion inevitably results in a careless finding'. 'Adrian Anderson, the Melbourne advocate, will go to work on that statement. Pearce's testimony was absolutely compelling, so Steven May … he will tell the truth. '(Melbourne's) position is that it would actually add confusion and indeed chaos if he was actually suspended, because we would be totally confused about where we're at, when we got a bit of clarity with Alex Pearce a few weeks back.' In the end, the AFL got its way and May will be out for three weeks. – with Fox Sports Originally published as AFL star Steven May learns his fate for divisive Carlton act
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Walters embraces 'lifetime' chance to coach Australia
Kevin Walters won a World Cup final for Australia with a famous pass as a player and now is "proud" he gets to coach the Kangaroos on the three-Test tour of England. Walters, 57, replaces new Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga in the role on a 12-month contract and said he had put aspirations to coach in the NRL again on hold in 2026. "Certainly. At the moment, my focus is the Kangaroos," Walters said. "I want to do a great job there with the Ashes series. It's a big job. "It's a 12-month contract so it's the opportune time for me to come in and get some hard work done and then prepare these guys for what will be a very tough series. "When that phone call came to ask if I would be interested in coaching the Kangaroos, the hairs on the back of my neck really stood up and bristled. "As a kid, you dream about ... playing for the Kangaroos, which I was fortunate enough to achieve, and now to be given the opportunity to coach them, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Walters coached Queensland to two State of Origin series wins out of four and was at the helm of Brisbane when they reached the 2023 grand final before being sacked at the end of the following year. If successful on the Ashes tour there is a strong chance he would be retained for next year's World Cup to be hosted in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Walters played 12 Tests for Australia and was a hero of the 1992 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The Kangaroos were trailing 6-4 when Walters came off the bench to throw a classic "out ball" to his Brisbane teammate Steve Renouf who scored the match winner in 10-6 win. Former NSW coach Brad Fittler turned down the opportunity to replace Meninga while former Kangaroos coach and current South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett was ruled out of contention by the Commission due to his club responsibilities. Former Australia captain Cameron Smith told 100% Footy on Monday night that despite being interested in the coaching role, he was not given the opportunity to present his case. He did receive notification from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys that Walters had got the job. "He gave me a phone call to let me know the decision was made to go with Kev and that was about it," Smith said. "I'm happy with that decision, I respect that decision. "If I had an opportunity to put my case forward I would've but the decision was made by the game's hierarchy to go with Kevvie and I think it's a great appointment." During the conversation Smith said V'landys spoke about a possible assistant role. "That could be something to look at but I've not had any further discussions with Peter or Andrew Abdo or anyone in the NRL about that," he said. Walters said a possible role for Smith on the coaching staff was "something that we'll have to have a look at". "I'm not sure of Cameron's position at the moment and what he wants to do but he's been a great leader for the Kangaroos and I have worked with Smithy as a captain-coach relationship with the Queensland team for a few years," Walters said. "We've got a good relationship. I'll get my feet under the desk first. There's a lot of decisions to be made around staff. Certainly, we'll look at that in the next couple of days." Kevin Walters won a World Cup final for Australia with a famous pass as a player and now is "proud" he gets to coach the Kangaroos on the three-Test tour of England. Walters, 57, replaces new Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga in the role on a 12-month contract and said he had put aspirations to coach in the NRL again on hold in 2026. "Certainly. At the moment, my focus is the Kangaroos," Walters said. "I want to do a great job there with the Ashes series. It's a big job. "It's a 12-month contract so it's the opportune time for me to come in and get some hard work done and then prepare these guys for what will be a very tough series. "When that phone call came to ask if I would be interested in coaching the Kangaroos, the hairs on the back of my neck really stood up and bristled. "As a kid, you dream about ... playing for the Kangaroos, which I was fortunate enough to achieve, and now to be given the opportunity to coach them, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Walters coached Queensland to two State of Origin series wins out of four and was at the helm of Brisbane when they reached the 2023 grand final before being sacked at the end of the following year. If successful on the Ashes tour there is a strong chance he would be retained for next year's World Cup to be hosted in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Walters played 12 Tests for Australia and was a hero of the 1992 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The Kangaroos were trailing 6-4 when Walters came off the bench to throw a classic "out ball" to his Brisbane teammate Steve Renouf who scored the match winner in 10-6 win. Former NSW coach Brad Fittler turned down the opportunity to replace Meninga while former Kangaroos coach and current South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett was ruled out of contention by the Commission due to his club responsibilities. Former Australia captain Cameron Smith told 100% Footy on Monday night that despite being interested in the coaching role, he was not given the opportunity to present his case. He did receive notification from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys that Walters had got the job. "He gave me a phone call to let me know the decision was made to go with Kev and that was about it," Smith said. "I'm happy with that decision, I respect that decision. "If I had an opportunity to put my case forward I would've but the decision was made by the game's hierarchy to go with Kevvie and I think it's a great appointment." During the conversation Smith said V'landys spoke about a possible assistant role. "That could be something to look at but I've not had any further discussions with Peter or Andrew Abdo or anyone in the NRL about that," he said. Walters said a possible role for Smith on the coaching staff was "something that we'll have to have a look at". "I'm not sure of Cameron's position at the moment and what he wants to do but he's been a great leader for the Kangaroos and I have worked with Smithy as a captain-coach relationship with the Queensland team for a few years," Walters said. "We've got a good relationship. I'll get my feet under the desk first. There's a lot of decisions to be made around staff. Certainly, we'll look at that in the next couple of days." Kevin Walters won a World Cup final for Australia with a famous pass as a player and now is "proud" he gets to coach the Kangaroos on the three-Test tour of England. Walters, 57, replaces new Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga in the role on a 12-month contract and said he had put aspirations to coach in the NRL again on hold in 2026. "Certainly. At the moment, my focus is the Kangaroos," Walters said. "I want to do a great job there with the Ashes series. It's a big job. "It's a 12-month contract so it's the opportune time for me to come in and get some hard work done and then prepare these guys for what will be a very tough series. "When that phone call came to ask if I would be interested in coaching the Kangaroos, the hairs on the back of my neck really stood up and bristled. "As a kid, you dream about ... playing for the Kangaroos, which I was fortunate enough to achieve, and now to be given the opportunity to coach them, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Walters coached Queensland to two State of Origin series wins out of four and was at the helm of Brisbane when they reached the 2023 grand final before being sacked at the end of the following year. If successful on the Ashes tour there is a strong chance he would be retained for next year's World Cup to be hosted in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Walters played 12 Tests for Australia and was a hero of the 1992 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium. The Kangaroos were trailing 6-4 when Walters came off the bench to throw a classic "out ball" to his Brisbane teammate Steve Renouf who scored the match winner in 10-6 win. Former NSW coach Brad Fittler turned down the opportunity to replace Meninga while former Kangaroos coach and current South Sydney mentor Wayne Bennett was ruled out of contention by the Commission due to his club responsibilities. Former Australia captain Cameron Smith told 100% Footy on Monday night that despite being interested in the coaching role, he was not given the opportunity to present his case. He did receive notification from ARLC chairman Peter V'landys that Walters had got the job. "He gave me a phone call to let me know the decision was made to go with Kev and that was about it," Smith said. "I'm happy with that decision, I respect that decision. "If I had an opportunity to put my case forward I would've but the decision was made by the game's hierarchy to go with Kevvie and I think it's a great appointment." During the conversation Smith said V'landys spoke about a possible assistant role. "That could be something to look at but I've not had any further discussions with Peter or Andrew Abdo or anyone in the NRL about that," he said. Walters said a possible role for Smith on the coaching staff was "something that we'll have to have a look at". "I'm not sure of Cameron's position at the moment and what he wants to do but he's been a great leader for the Kangaroos and I have worked with Smithy as a captain-coach relationship with the Queensland team for a few years," Walters said. "We've got a good relationship. I'll get my feet under the desk first. There's a lot of decisions to be made around staff. Certainly, we'll look at that in the next couple of days."
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
First-year Swan cops five-match ban for homophobic slur
Sydney defender Riak Andrew has been slapped with a five-match AFL suspension after being found guilty of using a homophobic slur while representing the Swans' reserves team. First-year player Andrew, the younger brother of Gold Coast star Mac Andrew, used the slur during the Swans' VFL clash with North Melbourne on Saturday. The AFL Integrity Unit investigated the matter after a North Melbourne player informed an umpire about it during the match. The investigation found that Andrew used a highly offensive homophobic slur towards a North Melbourne opponent. "In the course of the investigation, Andrew made full admissions and was remorseful and apologetic," the AFL said in a part of the five-match ban, Andrew will undertake Pride in Sport education. "I am deeply sorry for the word that I used in Saturday's game and any hurt that it has caused," Andrew said in a statement. "While I did not understand the full impact of the words I used at the time, I certainly do now, and have deep regret for my actions. "This has impacted not only our club but the broader community, and for that I am truly sorry. I am committed to using this as an opportunity to learn and get better." Andrew's slur came as Sydney prepare to hold their annual celebration of LGBTIQA+ communities, when they host Essendon at the SCG on August 2. The 20-year-old was taken with pick No.55 in last year's draft and is yet to make his AFL debut. Earlier this month, West Coast midfielder Jack Graham was found guilty of conduct unbecoming and suspended for four matches for using a homophobic slur during his side's loss to GWS. Another three AFL players were suspended for using homophobic slurs last season. "It is important that we continue to make clear that homophobia or homophobic language has no place in our game at any level or in the wider community for that matter," AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said in a statement on Wednesday night."It is disappointing to be dealing with another incident and while we will always examine the individual circumstances, the clear message is that this language is not acceptable in any workplace and that includes on the field of play" Sydney defender Riak Andrew has been slapped with a five-match AFL suspension after being found guilty of using a homophobic slur while representing the Swans' reserves team. First-year player Andrew, the younger brother of Gold Coast star Mac Andrew, used the slur during the Swans' VFL clash with North Melbourne on Saturday. The AFL Integrity Unit investigated the matter after a North Melbourne player informed an umpire about it during the match. The investigation found that Andrew used a highly offensive homophobic slur towards a North Melbourne opponent. "In the course of the investigation, Andrew made full admissions and was remorseful and apologetic," the AFL said in a part of the five-match ban, Andrew will undertake Pride in Sport education. "I am deeply sorry for the word that I used in Saturday's game and any hurt that it has caused," Andrew said in a statement. "While I did not understand the full impact of the words I used at the time, I certainly do now, and have deep regret for my actions. "This has impacted not only our club but the broader community, and for that I am truly sorry. I am committed to using this as an opportunity to learn and get better." Andrew's slur came as Sydney prepare to hold their annual celebration of LGBTIQA+ communities, when they host Essendon at the SCG on August 2. The 20-year-old was taken with pick No.55 in last year's draft and is yet to make his AFL debut. Earlier this month, West Coast midfielder Jack Graham was found guilty of conduct unbecoming and suspended for four matches for using a homophobic slur during his side's loss to GWS. Another three AFL players were suspended for using homophobic slurs last season. "It is important that we continue to make clear that homophobia or homophobic language has no place in our game at any level or in the wider community for that matter," AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said in a statement on Wednesday night."It is disappointing to be dealing with another incident and while we will always examine the individual circumstances, the clear message is that this language is not acceptable in any workplace and that includes on the field of play" Sydney defender Riak Andrew has been slapped with a five-match AFL suspension after being found guilty of using a homophobic slur while representing the Swans' reserves team. First-year player Andrew, the younger brother of Gold Coast star Mac Andrew, used the slur during the Swans' VFL clash with North Melbourne on Saturday. The AFL Integrity Unit investigated the matter after a North Melbourne player informed an umpire about it during the match. The investigation found that Andrew used a highly offensive homophobic slur towards a North Melbourne opponent. "In the course of the investigation, Andrew made full admissions and was remorseful and apologetic," the AFL said in a part of the five-match ban, Andrew will undertake Pride in Sport education. "I am deeply sorry for the word that I used in Saturday's game and any hurt that it has caused," Andrew said in a statement. "While I did not understand the full impact of the words I used at the time, I certainly do now, and have deep regret for my actions. "This has impacted not only our club but the broader community, and for that I am truly sorry. I am committed to using this as an opportunity to learn and get better." Andrew's slur came as Sydney prepare to hold their annual celebration of LGBTIQA+ communities, when they host Essendon at the SCG on August 2. The 20-year-old was taken with pick No.55 in last year's draft and is yet to make his AFL debut. Earlier this month, West Coast midfielder Jack Graham was found guilty of conduct unbecoming and suspended for four matches for using a homophobic slur during his side's loss to GWS. Another three AFL players were suspended for using homophobic slurs last season. "It is important that we continue to make clear that homophobia or homophobic language has no place in our game at any level or in the wider community for that matter," AFL general counsel Stephen Meade said in a statement on Wednesday night."It is disappointing to be dealing with another incident and while we will always examine the individual circumstances, the clear message is that this language is not acceptable in any workplace and that includes on the field of play"
