Latest news with #MitchCleary
7NEWS
a day ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
AFL players blindsided by umpire contact crackdown as new policy comes in mid-season
AFL players could now be suspended for accidental umpire contact in a change that has blindsided players who have been retrospectively fitted with track records. Any player with four incidents of umpire contact over a two-year period will now be sent directly to the tribunal where they could be suspended at worst, or further fined at best. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: AFL cracking down on umpire contact. The AFL confirmed the change in a statement released on Monday. 'When an offending player is sanctioned for a fourth or subsequent offence for careless contact with an umpire from across the last two AFL years, the MRO or the EGM football performance will now likely directly refer the player to the tribunal,' the statement reads. The AFL may then seek from the tribunal an alternative sanction for the offence, which may include an increased fine and/or where applicable, a suspension at the tribunal's absolute discretion.' It's a move that has riled up the playing group, who say they were given no heads up. 'The players have today released a statement to us here at The Agenda Setters saying they actually asked the AFL for a statement and a sit-down, the players and the AFL, a couple of weeks ago,' Mitch Cleary told The Agenda Setters on Monday night. 'That was denied, and they learnt of this today when the AFL released it for the first time.' Dale Thomas added: 'They were so frustrated, the players, and they came up with all these things; between the MRO and the way that has been adjudicated, some of the rule changes — and especially this one, with the threshold changing from what was actually umpire contact. 'And by no means is that dismissing the seriousness of some of those injuries, with the whiplash, the concussions — that's not a part of that. 'The players are talking (about) purely how they're going to be fined for this contact and what constitutes being fined. 'They got to the point where they went to the body, the AFLPA, and said, 'Alright, we want you to organise a sit-down with the AFL and we want to have a seat at the table to work through all these issues, because at the minute, we have no clarity on any of it, and it seems the goal posts are moving week in, week out'. 'It'll be, by the end of this year, over the 24-month period, $1m the players have given back in fines to the AFL through various sanctions.' It means there are several players who are already one mistake away from being sent to the tribunal. Matt Rowell is already up to four incidents in the past two years, as is Jack Macrae, while Adam Cerra has two. 'So if Matt Rowell essentially gets one more of these umpire contacts, he can be sent to the tribunal and potentially suspended and be out of the race for the Brownlow,' Cleary said. 'But they only learnt of it today; the players weren't warned.' Caroline Wilson didn't have as much sympathy for the players. 'You know what? Tough. Tough. They were warned a year ago,' she said. Kane Cornes fired back with an example of Josh Dunkley accidentally clipping the foot of an umpire despite not even facing him while focusing on his opponent. 'I get you on some of those; some of those you're right, some of those they've set up in the wrong spot,' Cornes said. 'But there are others that players have been fined (for), which is just an accident. 'Do not suspend a player or fine a player for that. 'That's just a clip of the heels, it's a tough game, there are a lot of people on a football field, he's not even looking. 'To think that Josh Dunkley could potentially miss a final for an incident like that, or even be fined, is ridiculous, so I still think there needs to be some discretion in how serious the incident is on a case-by-case basis.' Interestingly, the decision has been made while incoming football performance boss Greg Swann is overseas and yet to even begin his role, with Geoff Walsh acting as his stand-in replacement, since the responsibility was taken out of Laura Kane's portfolio.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Mystery as it's claimed Sydney Swans AFL coach John Longmire made a VERY suspicious move on grand final day
John Longmire's decorated coaching career has taken a bizarre turn following revelations about a missing recording from the 2024 AFL Grand Final. The former Sydney Swans coach, who stepped down at the end of that season, failed to return his coach's audio from the Swans' 60-point thrashing at the hands of the Brisbane Lions. That audio was intended for the AFL's annual Sound The Alarm documentary, which gives fans an inside look at the biggest game of the season through real-time coach recordings. Since 2019, the series has featured mic'd-up audio from both coaches on Grand Final day, capturing pre-game addresses, coaching box exchanges and three-quarter time instructions. But for 2024, the audio from Longmire has vanished - and according to AFL insiders, it never even made it back to the league. Channel Seven reporter Mitch Cleary broke the story on The Agenda Setters, revealing Longmire simply never returned the SD card containing the recording. 'John Longmire was mic'd up on the day,' Cleary said. 'But post-game, when he handed back the equipment to the AFL, he took the SD card and, to this day, the AFL don't have the SD card - he never gave it back.' Cleary went on to say that Longmire tried to get the card working with his son after the game, without success. The coach has since declined payment for his participation in the audio project, given the content was never recovered. Though Cleary acknowledged clubs always have final say over what gets aired, the key difference here is that the AFL never got the chance to review it. 'It's up to the clubs and coaches to give approval,' he said. 'But in this case, the AFL never even received the content to begin with.' That has left many wondering what was said inside Longmire's coaching box during the Swans' heavy defeat. Longmire, known for his passionate style and infamous 'sprays,' has a history of giving intense feedback in the heat of battle. Former Swans players such as Dan Hannebery, Steve Johnson and Josh Kennedy have all spoken about fierce verbal exchanges with the coach. Kennedy has previously revealed Longmire's scathing halftime address against Essendon, while Jordan Dawson has spoken about a stern post-game conversation that shifted the course of his career. Cleary believes the missing audio may contain similarly fiery commentary. 'I think there were things said in that coaches' box on the day that shouldn't see the light of day,' Cleary said. 'Some of it may have been about players, some of it just heat-of-the-moment stuff.' Chris Fagan, who coached in the 2023 Grand Final and participated in the same series, said he understood why a coach might want to listen back to their own recordings. Longmire's departure from the role adds another layer to the story. He resigned two months after the Grand Final, despite having a contract for 2025. His coaching record remains impressive: 333 games, 208 wins, one premiership in 2012, and four losing Grand Finals, including three by massive margins. He now serves in a performance director role at the Swans, with Dean Cox stepping up as senior coach.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Pickle juice: TV reporter is mocked for making a rookie mistake as he tries disgusting health drink footy stars swear by
Pickle juice has become the foul-tasting health trend in sports from the AFL and NRL to the Premier League, but it turns out plenty of people are consuming in the wrong way - as two leading footy analysts found out on Thursday. The Hawthorn took on the Gold Coast Suns in Darwin while the second match of the Women's State of Origin was held at Allianz Stadium in Sydney. During both matches, the pickle juice was brought out to assist cramping players. Drinking a small shot of the awful-tasting juice can calm a muscle cramp in under a minute because the sharp taste tells the nerves to relax the muscle. It has become a major health trend and is used by weekend warriors and international footballers alike. However, it turns out you're not actually supposed to drink it. Channel Seven analyst Mitch Cleary learned that the hard way when he knocked back some of the foul stuff for a dare, while giving a live cross in Darwin. 'The doctor is also running around giving everybody pickle juice out to the trainers running around the ground,' he said. 'So Hawthorn are well aware that they might be cramping up late in this quarter.' That led to a challenge from veteran commentator Brian 'BT' Taylor, who told Cleary to 'knock the top off' the pickle juice and drink it himself. It was challenge accepted, as he skolled the foul-tasting liquid. 'Don't rush to your local supermarket to get some of that into you, BT,' he grimaced. Former Hawthorn champion Luke Hodge quickly educated Cleary on the error of his ways. 'You're not supposed to swallow it, you're supposed to spit it out, mate,' he said. Hodge is right - simply swishing the juice around like mouthwash is all that is required to send the required signal to the impacted nerves. 'You don't necessarily need to swallow pickle juice to benefit from its potential cramp-relieving properties,' one viewer pointed out. 'Swishing the juice in your mouth for a short time, and then spitting it out, can still trigger the necessary neurological reflex that might help alleviate cramps. Swallowing it, however, can provide an extra electrolyte boost.' A similar scenario unfolded in the Women's State of Origin, this time with Bulldogs boss Phil Gould being schooled on the best way to ingest pickle juice. 'There's a few starting to go down,' he said. 'The field is very heavy, having some pickle juice. She spat it out! 'Pickle juice can't help you if you spit it out.' Co-commentator Peter Psaltis then asked: 'I'm not a pickle juice expert, are you?' 'Well I think it's better if you swallow it, don't know if it's any good if you spit it out,' Gould replied. But Gould was then proven wrong. 'One of our producers is saying you do have to spit it out,' Psaltis said. Gould was shocked, asking: 'You're supposed to spit it out, are you?'
