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News.com.au
09-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Image shows battle for AFL legend's son has taken a twist
Hawthorn champ Luke Hodge has been put on the spot as images showed a big twist in the battle for his son Cooper. The former Hawks captain was on Tuesday night asked to explain vision of his 16-year-old son training with Hawthorn players at the club's Waverley Park headquarters. It was the second day Cooper had spent on the field with the club this week. There has been plenty of intrigue surrounding the behind-the-scenes tug of war for the talented teenager with both the Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn having priority access to select him in the 2026 AFL Draft. Veteran football reporter Caroline Wilson in May said the Hawks would be devastated if they missed out on the Year 11 student when he is eventually able to nominate for the draft. 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. Cooper is able to nominate as a potential father-son selection because of is dad's distinguished career in the gold and brown. He also has links with the Brisbane Lions as a product of the Queensland club's junior academy. The family also lives in Brisbane. Hodge finished his career with two final seasons at the Lions before his retirement in 2019. Hodge played his cards close to his chest on Tuesday night when telling Channel 7's Agenda Setters it was '50-50' between the two clubs. 'Yeah, well, they got him down. CJ's brother was out there as well. I think Mark Williams' son was supposed to be out there as well, but he rolled his ankle,' Hodge said of his son spending time inside Hawthorn's headquarters. 'It was a good day once again going down there to really convince a young guy to come. They turned on the weather. It was about four degrees down there. I couldn't feel my hands. 'It was another good experience. He went out there and enjoyed the club.' It was explained by Channel 7 that Cooper also stayed with his dad's former teammate Jarryd Roughead during his Melbourne visit. Roughead has transitioned to a recruitment role with the Hawks and would be a key asset in getting Cooper to choose the Victorian club. 'It's a former teammate and a mate who's known Coop his whole life,' Luke said. 'He stayed at his house, but that's not surprising considering we don't have any family in Melbourne. My brother's down in Geelong, so the easiest thing was just to get him to stay at Roughy's.' He went on to say: 'I 100 per cent understand (the level of interest in this), but the only thing is he's a 16-year-old kid who has the flexibility or he's been lucky enough to spend two days at Hawthorn. 'But then on the flip side, with the Brisbane Lions academy, he's been lucky enough over the last two years to be able to enjoy and spend time with some of the players and get coached by Grant Brichall and Mitch Hahn and these kind of guys. 'So he's been very fortunate and he's really loving football at the moment.' Cooper's situation is similar to Sydney's Nick Blakey, who was eligible to head to North Melbourne because of his dad John's career with the blue and white. Blakey was also an assistant coach with the Swans at the time. It has been a big year for Luke Hodge. He was in June inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of his four premierships and two Norm Smith Medals with the Hawks. Hodge captained Hawthorn to the 2008 premiership and was a key member of the club's three-peat of premierships in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wedding belle for young Hawthorn star Harry Morrison after heartwarming proposal
The AFL season is reaching the business end, but one Hawthorn star already has plenty to celebrate. Young Hawks star Harry Morrison has announced on social media that he is getting married to long-term girlfriend Olivia Higgins. Morrison proposed to his beau on the beach, the couple pictured sharing a touching embrace after she said yes. 'The Next Chapter,' the couple posted to Instagram. Hawthorn teammates including Jarman Impey, Massimo D'Ambrosio, Conor Nash, Mabior Chol, Jai Newcombe and captain James Sicily were quick to offer their congratulations. 'Epic,' Jack Ginnivan posted with a heart emoji. 'Magical!' added Lloyd Meek. New recruit Josh Battle also congratulated the pair, commenting: 'So good. Congratulations.' Morrison, born in Benalla, Victoria in 1998, began his football journey with the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup. Despite suffering an ACL injury in 2014, he returned strongly the following year and helped the Benalla Saints secure back-to-back premierships. In 2016, he was a standout in the TAC Cup Grand Final, which led to Hawthorn selecting him with pick 74 in the national draft. Morrison made his AFL debut in Round 23, 2017, against the Western Bulldogs. The following season, he became a regular on Hawthorn's half-back flank, played 21 games, and earned a Rising Star nomination in Round 20 before suffering a broken jaw. Over the next few years, he developed into a reliable wingman, reaching a career-best average of 19.2 disposals per game in 2022 and securing a contract extension through 2024. In 2024, he maintained his form with strong performances across 12 games, including finals, which led to another two-year deal keeping him at the club until the end of 2026. By mid-2025, Morrison had reached 117 AFL games and kicked 28 goals and has become a trusted figure in Hawthorn's evolving lineup.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Footy star confesses that he crashed his club CEO's car - and reveals why he told him NOT to complain about it
Brisbane Lions star Cam Rayner has recounted the hilarious story of how he once crashed a club CEO's car on his way home from a training session and why he hilariously told the footy boss not to complain about the damage. The 25-year-old medium forward is now in his eighth season at the footy club and is enjoying one of his best years yet off the back of his side's premiership-winning season in 2024. Born and raised in Melbourne, Rayner would be drafted to the Queensland club as the No 1 pick of the 2017 draft. The time between when a prospective player is picked at the AFL Draft to the moment they are heading out for their first training session is a very fast-paced process with club's going to great lengths to ensure that players can move to their new club's with ease. Many young footy stars, particularly those travelling interstate, are given housing by their clubs, with other players or members of the management. The move is designed to help them develop bonds around the club and Rayner, interestingly, moved to live with Brisbane CEO Greg Swann, who has been in the role since July 2024, having also spent time working as a CEO of Collingwood and Carlton. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Footy on Nine (@footyonnine) 'When I first moved up to Brisbane - Harley will know coming away from home - it's pretty much, exam, drafted and then you're gone,' he began, speaking to Channel 9. 'In between that little space, my birthday fell, so I went and got my licence and got up to Brisbane and that's the first time driving by myself - without anyone else in the car. 'Took Swanny's car - the CEO, who I was living with at the time - and drove it into the club and on the way out took out the boom gate at the footy club. 'I don't think Swanny found it funny at the time... he was a little bit pissed off...' he added laughing. In the years following his arrival, the footy star has gone from strength to strength and is actualising his potential as one of the best young stars in the league. Last season, he notably kicked 31 goals - including a major in the Grand Final - which was a career high tally for the forward. Rayner was then pressed on what kind of car Swan had been driving, revealing: 'It was a club car. So I was kind of like: "Mate, you've been handed that car anyway so don't start complaining if I drive it into the boom gate".' He then revealed the funny exchange he had with the CEO, after revealing on the show how he revealed the news to him. 'I went back to his house that night and we were having dinner,' Rayner said. Obviously, I like to have a bit of a joke and we've got a pretty good relationship and I said: "Mate, I've smashed your car into the boom gate". 'And he's gone: "It's gold mate," and has just sat on the couch. 'I'm like: "Nah seriously, go outside and have a look at your car, it's got a smash through the front of it". 'He didn't find it funny the second time, but obviously a good story to hold onto.' Interestingly, footy fans last year hailed footy coach Chris Fagan for his leadership and insight after he had predicted Rayner would one day make up for a shocking missed attempt at a goal during the 2018 season. The 25-year-old found redemption after he scuffed a shot in their round 20 clash against the Kangaroos in his first season at the club, which would have won the Lions the game. Last year, he booted a match-winning kick against Geelong to help the Lions book their spot in the AFL Grand Final against the Swans. 'I was pretty glad he had the ball in his hands in the dying stages to win a game of footy and, as a lot of our young players did, they stood up,' Fagan said at the time. 'They might have made some mistakes during that period, but it will stand them in good stead down the track, and I'm sure Cam Rayner in his career at this footy club will make up for that one over and over again.'
