Latest news with #MarcusBontempelli
The Age
21 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
‘As bad as I've seen' AFL demands an explanation for dangerous SCG ‘sandpit'
Dillon was on the phone first thing Saturday morning seeking an explanation for the substandard surface, speaking with chair of Venues NSW David Gallop, an organisation that oversees the SCG Trust. The AFL leases the ground from the trust. The AFL will also send a turf expert to Sydney this week to ensure another surface debacle does not unfold for the Swans' coming clash against Fremantle on Sunday, July 6. One heart-stopping moment happened during the third term when Bulldog star Bailey Williams's legs buckled awkwardly on the shifting ground as he chased after the ball. Another glaring example happened when speedster Nick Blakey slipped over as he tried to take off on a customary run at a crucial stage of the last quarter. The Bulldogs won a tense contest by nine points to mark captain Marcus Bontempelli's 250th game. Brownlow medallist and geelong premiership star Jimmy Bartel slammed the surface as unacceptable. 'I've genuinely got concern,' he told 3AW after the match. 'When I saw Bailey Williams charging out for the footy and went to change direction and (slipped), that had ACL written all over it. 'As we know, it would have to take a star to get hurt to do anything. 'It shouldn't matter who it is but could you only imagine of Isaac Heeney or Chad Warner or (Sam) Darcy or Bont (Marcus Bontempelli) went down with an injury? What would we be saying? 'There's no way you could tick that off (the surface). Guys have got studded footwear in and if they decided to change direction, they were gone.' Bartel said the clubs and the AFL 'got lucky' that no player suffered a serious injury. Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown questioned whether the Friday night match should have been allowed to go ahead. 'This is as bad as I have seen in years,' Brown told Fox Footy. 'I remember playing on the early (Marvel Stadium) surface, and that was a sandpit, but this is shocking. 'It's disgraceful management to let the ground get to this. It's a shame.'
Sydney Morning Herald
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘As bad as I've seen' AFL demands an explanation for dangerous SCG ‘sandpit'
Dillon was on the phone first thing Saturday morning seeking an explanation for the substandard surface, speaking with chair of Venues NSW David Gallop, an organisation that oversees the SCG Trust. The AFL leases the ground from the trust. The AFL will also send a turf expert to Sydney this week to ensure another surface debacle does not unfold for the Swans' coming clash against Fremantle on Sunday, July 6. One heart-stopping moment happened during the third term when Bulldog star Bailey Williams's legs buckled awkwardly on the shifting ground as he chased after the ball. Another glaring example happened when speedster Nick Blakey slipped over as he tried to take off on a customary run at a crucial stage of the last quarter. The Bulldogs won a tense contest by nine points to mark captain Marcus Bontempelli's 250th game. Brownlow medallist and geelong premiership star Jimmy Bartel slammed the surface as unacceptable. 'I've genuinely got concern,' he told 3AW after the match. 'When I saw Bailey Williams charging out for the footy and went to change direction and (slipped), that had ACL written all over it. 'As we know, it would have to take a star to get hurt to do anything. 'It shouldn't matter who it is but could you only imagine of Isaac Heeney or Chad Warner or (Sam) Darcy or Bont (Marcus Bontempelli) went down with an injury? What would we be saying? 'There's no way you could tick that off (the surface). Guys have got studded footwear in and if they decided to change direction, they were gone.' Bartel said the clubs and the AFL 'got lucky' that no player suffered a serious injury. Triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown questioned whether the Friday night match should have been allowed to go ahead. 'This is as bad as I have seen in years,' Brown told Fox Footy. 'I remember playing on the early (Marvel Stadium) surface, and that was a sandpit, but this is shocking. 'It's disgraceful management to let the ground get to this. It's a shame.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dogs celebrate Bont milestone with tense win over Swans
The Western Bulldogs have given their AFL finals hopes another shot in the arm with an entertaining nine-point win over Sydney. Joel Freijah kicked four goals as the Bulldogs seized control early and resisted a strong Swans fightback to post the 16.9 (105) to 14.12 (96) victory at the SCG on Friday night. It was the Bulldogs' third-straight win and improved their record to 9-6, solidifying their spot in the top eight, while the Swans (6-9) face an uphill battle to play finals. Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli (18 disposals, one goal) celebrated his 250-game milestone but was upstaged by his protege Freijah, who kicked a career-best four majors from 23 touches. In game 250, this is VINTAGE Bont 🙌#AFLSwansDogs — AFL (@AFL) June 27, 2025 Key forwards Sam Darcy and Aaron three goals each against an undersized Sydney defence, who lost Tom McCartin (illness) before the bounce and Dane Rampe (calf tightness) mid-game. Swans superstar Isaac Heeney threatened to drag his side over the line with five goals and ruckman Brodie Grundy was outstanding after quarter-time. Tom Papley lit a fuse when he targeted Darcy before the bounce and the Bulldogs' spearhead responded with the first two goals of the match. Both were teed up by Tim English, who had three goal assists in the first term alone, and the Dogs led 4.2 to 3.5 after term one. Darcy's brilliant finish on the run kick-started the second quarter and another two goals from Naughton helped the visitors skip 28 points clear before the main break. But the Swans, despite a series of bad misses from set shots, hit back with three consecutive majors to trim the margin to nine points by halftime. Sydney's Heeney and the Bulldogs' Freijah lit up the third quarter at opposite ends - kicking four goals and three respectively - and the lead changed hands six times as the teams repeatedly traded blows. At one point the Dogs kicked four consecutive goals to reassert their authority, but Heeney's fourth meant the teams kicked 6.1 apiece in a rollicking third term. The contest became an arm-wrestle in the final quarter and the Bulldogs hung on, with Hayden McLean blowing a late change to set up a grandstand finish. McLean's miss with about one minute left continued the trend of the night, with the wayward Swans kicking 4.10 from set shots to the Dogs' 8.5. Sydney swingman Aaron Francis faces scrutiny over a swinging arm to Lachie Bramble's body. Francis and direct opponent Rory Lobb can also expect fines over their prolonged wrestling match in the final term.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Key Swans forward backed to respond from horror outing
Sydney coach Dean Cox has thrown his support behind Joel Amartey, backing the key forward to respond from a horror outing in front of goal. The 25-year-old was plagued by inaccuracy in last week's important win over Port Adelaide, finishing with 0.6. Another of Amartey's shots from 40m fell short, while two other attempts at goal sailed out on the full. The Swans got away with it against the inconsistent Power, but the finals contending Western Bulldogs, buoyed by superstar captain Marcus Bontempelli's 250th match, will be a different proposition at the SCG on Friday night. "The first part is to create opportunities and give them to yourself," Swans coach Dean Cox told reporters on Thursday. "We've had three players in the last five years take seven marks inside 50. "He's (Amartey) done it twice, and Lance (Franklin) has done it once so that's the first part of the puzzle that we have wanted to get right. "And to his credit, his ability to lead with the ball, the blocking off the ball, and the work for each other certainly allowed that. And then now it's about finishing off his work. "Before that game, he was above 70 per cent from set shots. "So people have days like that, it's about him trying to work on it throughout the week, which he's done." Joel Amartey takes a big grab and ices the game with a calm snap in the dying stages on Friday night🤝Mark of the Week, presented by @qatarairways — Sydney Swans (@sydneyswans) May 18, 2025 Amartey has endured a frustrating year, restricted to just seven games because of injury and suspension. But Sydney are undoubtedly a better team when he plays, having a 4-3 record with him involved this year. The Swans have started to turn around their campaign following an uncharacteristically slow start to the season. Star midfielder Chad Warner, who will run out for his 100th AFL game, this week revealed the Swans had realised they had dropped their on and off-field standards in the first half of the campaign. Last year's painful grand final belting by the Brisbane Lions, Cox taking over from long-time coach John Longmire, and a stack of key players missing contributed to the 4-8 slump. But if Sydney can make it three-straight wins by accounting for the Bulldogs they will genuinely be back in the hunt for finals. "We understand that at times things can waiver from that, so it's just about calling it out when it arises," Cox said about the Swans' standards. "It probably took a week or two too long, I think the bye certainly gives you a chance to reset and look at the whole program and what's actually happening, what we need to work on, and that's what we did. "On top of that, we understand you have to train at a certain level to play at a certain level. "The boys have improved in that area, which has been good."
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
AFL 2025: Collingwood coach Craig McRae on Nick Daicos tag, Tasmanian link
Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos is fronting taggers armed with tactics from one of the game's greatest midfielders. Daicos has been on the radar of opposition coaches for nearly each of his 84 games – but none more focused than the past two weeks. The star Magpie didn't have his normal impact against Melbourne's Ed Langdon but had 30 disposals and a goal against St Kilda stopper Marcus Windhager last Saturday. Collingwood coach Craig McRae played alongside regular tag breakers in his time at Brisbane, and leant on their tricks to help his young star. 'I think Simon Black was the best I'd seen in my time … but I sort of gave some things Blacky used to do to Nick,' he said. 'Everyone is trying to support him and he's a high-end talent, Nick, and this is progression. 'Chatting to Pendles, Pendles went through this early in his career. You have to go through this, (Marcus) Bontempelli is still doing it a couple of weeks ago. 'The best players have to cope with this and this is a part of Nick's journey now. 'I thought we supported him a bit better; he's a pretty hard player to tag, his running capability is huge.' McRae welcomed the Saints' tag last week, referencing how little reducing the impact of star Western Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli had on the scoreboard. He doubled down on Thursday in preparation for West Coast, pondering whether the focus on Daicos makes the Magpies a better side. 'Maybe, arguably at times we are yeah, that's the debate, isn't it?' he said. 'I said here a couple of weeks ago, it's interesting, maybe if you tag someone what it costs your team and we'll try and manipulate it as much as we can.' Daicos spoke on Wednesday about the possibility of joining Tasmania at the end of his existing contract at Collingwood. McRae joked there would be a hidden addition to Tasmania's pitch to Daicos. 'Yeah, I heard this … if Nick goes to Tassie, I am going with him,' he laughed. 'It's a double deal … not yet (taking it seriously), I love Nick, please don't leave.'
