Latest news with #CalebSerong
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Since Adam was a boy': Lyon defends Windhager
Ross Lyon has derided the focus on his tagger Marcus Windhager, saying star AFL midfielders have had close attention "since Adam was a boy". The St Kilda coach was unimpressed that the AFL Tribunal upheld Windhager's fine for striking Collingwood opponent Nick Daicos, predicting a surge in penalties as a result. Lyon and his Collingwood counterpart Craig McRae have been vocal about the Windhager-Daicos duel, which highlighted last Saturday night's clash. Marcus Windhager has been offered a striking fine ($1500 down to $1000 with an early plea) for this incident with Nick Daicos. @FOXFOOTY — David Zita (@DavidZita1) June 22, 2025 "Just to be clear, what are the tactics? I don't understand," Lyon asked at a Friday morning pre-training media conference. "Sorry for going out and competing. I thought you were allowed to compete in AFL - I never knew playing on someone was a tactic, manning up at stoppage. "Since Adam was a boy, people have played and the great midfielders get tighter attention, that's just the way it is." In reference to Windhager's fine, Lyon said: "It set a high standard for contact, hasn't it? It's really interesting. "There are going to be a lot of fines in the AFL." Lyon would not confirm Windhager's assignment for the game in Perth on Sunday against Fremantle. But on Thursday, gun Dockers midfielder Caleb Serong said he and teammate Andrew Brayshaw would "embrace" the match-up. "Terrific - well done Caleb," was Lyon's reply. The Saints coach said the umpiring department had visited the club during the week and had discussed several issues, including how Windhager can let the umpires know when opponents try to disrupt his tagging role. This will be the first time Lyon coaches against his old club in Perth. He coached the Dockers from 2012-19, taking them to the 2013 grand final. "That's not something I've thought about ... it's a decade ago. It's part of my history, I'm proud of what we achieved there," Lyon said. "I walk back in comfortably." He also said there was no succession plan in place for senior assistant coach Corey Enright, following media speculation this week. "He can have it today if he wants - I don't know if I really (want to) go over to Perth," Lyon said, as a joke. "We'll just continue to grow him. There's nothing anywhere in writing or any agreement. "Clearly I have less summers in front of me than I've seen, right? So it probably applies to my football coaching as well. "It's above my station in life at the club. It's certainly not something that's present or front of mind ... (but) it's a nice theory, we like it." Lyon and football boss Dave Misson also spoke about key forward Max King, who will not play at all this season because of an ongoing knee problem. "We feel like we've identified the problem, the meniscus repair. We feel like his knee is in good shape," Lyon said. "We wish we had gotten to it earlier, but we didn't, for a whole bunch of reasons that I can't explain." Misson said they are "pretty confident" after King's latest surgery in the past few days that when he resumes running in three months, there will be no more problems. King went to Adelaide and had a special ultrasound to work out why his knee kept having "clunking" episodes when he was running
Sydney Morning Herald
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Could this be the year another Docker gets a Brownlow?
At 24, Caleb Serong's CV is already stacked full of accolades: he's been a rising star, AFLPA best first year player, AFLCA best young player, has two All-Australian blazers, a dual Doig Medallist and is a four-time Glendinning-Allan Medallist. Serong's vice-captaincy shows how highly he's valued internally, while he's widely regarded as one of the competition's best midfielders. Come September, this may well be formalised by taking home the game's highest individual honour. And right now, Serong is making his Brownlow bid. On the national stage of Thursday night football, the star delivered his most complete performance of the season against Essendon. Thirty-five touches at 83 per cent efficiency, seven clearances, two goals, 783 metres gained and 10 inside-50s. It's a game midfielders dream of – winning the ball at the source and making it count, gaining territory for their team and impacting the scoreboard. It was the most recent showing of a purple patch which has coincided with Fremantle winning five on the bounce. Serong has been at the forefront of the Dockers' winning ways.
The Age
23-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Could this be the year another Docker gets a Brownlow?
At 24, Caleb Serong's CV is already stacked full of accolades: he's been a rising star, AFLPA best first year player, AFLCA best young player, has two All-Australian blazers, a dual Doig Medallist and is a four-time Glendinning-Allan Medallist. Serong's vice-captaincy shows how highly he's valued internally, while he's widely regarded as one of the competition's best midfielders. Come September, this may well be formalised by taking home the game's highest individual honour. And right now, Serong is making his Brownlow bid. On the national stage of Thursday night football, the star delivered his most complete performance of the season against Essendon. Thirty-five touches at 83 per cent efficiency, seven clearances, two goals, 783 metres gained and 10 inside-50s. It's a game midfielders dream of – winning the ball at the source and making it count, gaining territory for their team and impacting the scoreboard. It was the most recent showing of a purple patch which has coincided with Fremantle winning five on the bounce. Serong has been at the forefront of the Dockers' winning ways.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Luke Jackson stars as Dockers dominate baby Bombers
Luke Jackson produced yet another rucking masterclass and Josh Treacy broke his run of ducks to lift Fremantle to a 41-point win over injury-hit Essendon at Optus Stadium. Jackson tallied 21 disposals to go with 48 hitouts, 10 clearances and three goals in the 16.8 (104) to 9.9 (63) win in front of 37,570 fans on Thursday night. Treacy, who entered the match on the back of a three-game goalless run, finished with three majors to go with crashing pack after pack. Fremantle's fifth win on the trot improved their record to 9-5 ahead of next week's home clash with St Kilda. Essendon (6-8) face a major battle to turn around their fortunes, with their fourth consecutive loss leaving them well adrift of the top eight. Jackson dominated his contest against Essendon debutant Vigo Visentini, who battled hard for 15 disposals and 17 hitouts but was outclassed by Fremantle's star big man. It continued a rich vein of form for Jackson, who has thrived in the lead ruck role this season, especially in the games when Sean Darcy isn't playing. "He's a special player. We love having him. He's not going anywhere," star Fremantle midfielder Caleb Serong told Fox Footy. "He's locked in with us. I think what him and Sean are going to build over the next couple of months is really exciting. "I can't wait to be a part of it. As a midfielder, I'm licking my lips." Serong also had a big night with 35 possessions, seven clearances and two goals. Dockers veteran Nat Fyfe, who spent the previous two matches as the sub, was given a start but tallied just three first-half disposals on the way to a total of 11 for the game before being subbed out early in the final quarter. Jye Caldwell (32 disposals, eight clearances) and Darcy Parish (31 disposals, six clearances) racked up big numbers for Essendon, while Nate Caddy showed flashes of brilliance - including a spectacular grab in the second quarter - on the way to 15 disposals and a goal. The RISE from Nate Caddy 🤯#AFLFreoDons — AFL (@AFL) June 19, 2025 Fremantle's four-goal burst to start the second quarter broke the game open after a tight opening term, and it also led to plenty of spice. Former Bomber Patrick Voss was clearly fired up, and at one point he was left to fight off three Essendon players - Andrew McGrath, Jayden Laverde and Angus Clarke. After Voss was involved in another skirmish, this time with Nic Martin, Fyfe came in to try to cool down his teammate. Shai Bolton was also keen to get into the face of Essendon players, but Essendon fed off the higher emotion to cut a 29-point deficit back to 16 by half-time. Essendon subbed out Xavier Duursma at half time with hamstring tightness, opening the door for sub Archie Perkins to impress. There were two critical moments in the third quarter that shaped the contest. First, Perkins took his eyes off the ball and fumbled what should have been an uncontested mark for him inside 50m while running with the flight of the ball. A few minutes later, Fremantle's Nathan O'Driscoll put his body on the line to make a key spoil while running with the flight of the ball himself. O'Driscoll's bravery led to a Serong goal, sparking a run of three straight majors for Fremantle as the lead blew out to 37 points by the final change. Visentini was Essendon's 11th debutant of the year, and the Bombers fielded seven first-year players against the Dockers.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Josh Treacy's mini goal drought no cause for concern
Caleb Serong has described teammate Josh Treacy as Fremantle's most important player, saying the star forward's influence hasn't waned despite a rare three-match goalless run. Treacy was right in thick of the Coleman medal race earlier this season after opening the campaign with 17.6 from his first five matches. But the goals have dried up substantially for the 22-year-old since then, with Treacy kicking just 6.7 over the past eight games. That includes goalless displays in recent wins against Port Adelaide, Gold Coast and North Melbourne - all played in the wet. It's in stark contrast to Treacy's reputation for consistency, having kicked at least a goal in 28 consecutive games before hitting the skids in round eight this year. Despite the lack of goals in recent weeks, Treacy's presence has been critical in Fremantle's four-match winning run, with his powerful marking up the ground and bullocking attack on both the ball and player proving inspirational. Treacy also took a match-saving mark deep in defence with three opponents around him in the dying moments of Fremantle's six-point win over North Melbourne last week. "Those are the special moments that win you games," Serong said ahead of Thursday night's clash with Essendon at Optus Stadium. "He (Treacy) is our most important player. He's someone we can just kick it to and know either he's marking it or getting it to the ground. "And then what he does at ground level is incredible. "The attack on the footy that he has - it's not very often that he's coming off second best. He's a pretty special player. "So internally, there's no question about his impact on the game." big Josh Treacy, big MOTY nom 😍VOTE for our guy → — Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) June 16, 2025 Treacy's bullocking work has played a massive role in helping fellow spearhead Patrick Voss to thrive. Voss, who was delisted by Essendon in 2023 without playing a game, has kicked six goals across his past two games and looms as a key figure again on Thursday night against his former team. The Dockers will be without Alex Pearce (shin) for a third straight match, while Sam Switkowski has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Essendon's decision to rest veteran ruck Todd Goldstein means they'll unveil their 11th debutant of the season - Vigo Visentini. The 12th-placed Bombers (6-7) are on a three-match losing streak, and are still licking their wounds following last week's 95-point defeat to Geelong. "They've had a couple this year where they've responded really well after tough losses, so they'll be fired up," Serong said.
