Latest news with #Naughton
West Australian
4 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
WA Player Watch: Western Bulldog Aaron Naughton bags seven as young stars put hands up in VFL
As the AFL season reaches its pointy end, The West Australian takes a look around the country to see which WA products are having the biggest say at their club. The Bulldogs' spearhead had managed only 19 goals through the first half of 2025 as the rise and rise of giant father-son product Sam Darcy took the league by storm. But the Rockingham product stood firm and has sent a potent reminder of his depth of talent, matching his 19 goals from the first half in the past four weeks alone with three bags of five or more. Naughton again filled his boots against injury-riddled Essendon on Friday night, kicking a career-high seven goals in his side's monster 93-point victory to remain in the top eight. The former top-10 draft pick has established himself as a regular for the high-flying Crows this season, so much so that he got a run in the middle against Port Adelaide. In a 98-point Showdown massacre, Curtin collected 22 disposals and four clearances, with the 20-year-old showing off his strong frame. The most exciting thing? He has a brother in this year's draft who is also tipped to be a talented AFL footballer. Speedy midfielder/forward Jones is doing his best to put his hand up for selection at the Bulldogs as they fight for finals. Playing in the VFL against Essendon, the boy from Mt Barker was a dangerous presence, kicking two goals from 14 disposals and four marks. After kicking a career-best two goals against West Coast in Perth earlier this year, Tholstrup appeared keen to get back among the Demons' senior ranks for the rematch while playing for Casey. The wingman looked sharp around the contest, using his hands to feed the ball out from his seven clearances before getting back into the action with 20 touches and a goal.
Perth Now
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Thilthorpe shines as Crows score key win over Bulldogs
Riley Thilthorpe's career-best six goals have spearheaded a crucial 11-point AFL win for Adelaide over the Western Bulldogs. The 16.13 (109) to 15.8 (98) win on Saturday at Marvel Stadium consolidated the Crows' top-four berth with six rounds left and leaves the Bulldogs in danger of dropping out of the AFL's top eight. Thilthorpe, an imposing figure in the Adelaide attack with his bushy beard, took nine marks. It is Adelaide's third straight win at Marvel Stadium as they zero in on their first finals appearance since the disastrous 2017 grand final loss to Richmond. Worryingly for the Bulldogs, all their seven losses this season have been against finals contenders, and Saturday represented a significant test that they failed. They didn't give up, kicking five goals to two in the last term, but they fell too far behind when the Crows held a game-high lead of 32 points early in the final quarter. Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli was mighty with a game-high 37 possessions, and his counterpart Jordan Dawson also was outstanding in the midfield, while Dogs key forward Aaron Naughton kicked five goals. The first half was a tale of key forwards - Naughton kicked all of the Bulldogs' three goals in the first term and added his fourth in the second. Then Thilthorpe made life tough for the Bulldogs defence with four goals in the second quarter. Adelaide defender Jordon Butts had kept Bulldogs key forward Sam Darcy goal-less, but the Crow suffered a chest injury in the second term and ended up in hospital for tests. The Crows were left a man down in the third term when Brayden Cook, recalled for this game, had a clash of heads with Rory Lobb as they went for the ball. Cook immediately left the game with concussion, but Lobb was able to continue. There was no love lost between Naughton and his opponent, combative Irishman Mark Keane. When Naughton kicked his fifth from a free kick off the ball in the third term, he immediately went over to Keane, which sparked a melee. The Crows slowly pulled clear of the Bulldogs, leading by 19 at the main break, then 27 points at the final change.
Irish Independent
10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Chime open new resource centre in Louth
The official opening of Chime's new centre in Park Street was performed by Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, Hildegarde Naughton TD. It is one of 12 locations nationally which are vibrant centres for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, offering a broad range of assistance, including hearing aid and other tech services, as well as one-to-one and group support. Minister Naughton praised Chime for its caring support of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and for the new services on offer for people in Louth, Meath, Monaghan, and Cavan. The centre offers advice and support, including hearing aid services, assistive technology and support groups. Nationally, Chime also offers the support of its Explore Programme to support with access to further education and employment, and Child and Family services including social workers and a Deaf specialist multi-disciplinary team. 'As a charity, Chime's provision of advice, services, and community support to Deaf and Hard of Hearing people, as well as its championing of equal rights and full inclusion, is remarkable,' said Minister Naughton at the opening. 'This opening is a continuation of my, and the Government's, commitment to improving services for people with disabilities, and ensuring that they can live full lives with the same rights and access to services, education, transport, sport, culture, careers and means to live independently as all other citizens enjoy.' Sharing her personal story at the launch, Catriona McCaughey, a client of Chime, expressed her gratitude to the charity. 'Chime have supported me through some very stressful times,' she said. 'I hope that by sharing my story, I can help raise awareness of the challenges Deaf people face, and highlight the importance of communication, connection, and equal access. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more 'There are still too many barriers in Ireland, but with greater understanding and the right changes, we can build a society where no Deaf person is left behind.' Chime CEO, Mark Byrne, said the centre would provide much needed services to the north-east, where there are over 20,000 people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. 'We are delighted to bring this service to Dundalk as part of our network of 12 dedicated centres and over 30 outreach clinics nationwide,' said Mr Byrne. 'Our goal is to bring essential services for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people directly into communities, supporting individuals throughout their hearing care journey. 'It will offer vital support, connection, and accessible resources to the local community. 'Chime is committed to building an inclusive community where Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals feel valued, supported and empowered.'
Sydney Morning Herald
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
AFL key take-outs round 17: Where have the close finishes gone?
With 14 wins needed to qualify for finals there should be plenty of desperate finishes in the final seven rounds. We need them. The winter hibernation has gone on too long. Do scores win premierships? History says defences do Western Bulldogs defeated North Melbourne by 49 points We said last week that it was not outlandish to think the Bulldogs could still make the top four, considering they have one of the easiest runs home, according to Champion Data. They made the most of a banged-up North Melbourne on Thursday night, and now await Essendon at Marvel Stadium. Then comes Melbourne and West Coast – an excellent run for this time of the year. But what we really have been drawn to are the number of scoring options Luke Beveridge has at his disposal in the league's highest scoring team, and how the complexion of their forward line changes when Aaron Naughton gets going. Naughton is something of a lightning rod for criticism for Bulldogs' fans. Held goalless by Hawthorn and St Kilda last month, there were public questions again, including by prominent commentator David King, whether he would be better suited to playing in defence, a switch Beveridge has long eschewed. But Naughton's five goals against the Kangaroos, four of which came in the second term when fellow tall Sam Darcy was well held by the emerging Will Dawson, highlighted why he is needed up forward. Naughton also had five marks for the term, and was the reason why the Bulldogs led at the main break. He appears a far more dangerous weapon when Darcy is by his side. Since the latter's return in round 14, Naughton has booted 12.5, leaving him with 31 for the season [Darcy has 29 for the season]. Naughton was instrumental in the Bulldogs scoring 100 or more points for the tenth time this season, including in their past four games. Their efficiency, as we mentioned against the Swans last week, is superb. From 66 inside 50 against the Kangaroos, they had 34 scoring shots. And what should be particularly frightening for opponents is that, outside of Darcy and Naughton, they have 10 other players with double-figure goals, including Rhylee West [24] and former Blue Matt Kennedy [19]. That's the recipe of a team that could inflict some serious damage come September. The only concern for the Bulldogs is their defensive profile is not where it was by the end of last season. They have conceded more points than any top eight team after 16 matches and gave away 78 points in the first three quarters against North Melbourne before tightening up. Work is to be done in that area. – Jon Pierik Forget 'eyes in' motto, Vossy. Bring fresh eyes only Collingwood defeated Carlton by 56 points at the MCG, Friday night After Port Adelaide's loss to the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, Ken Hinkley – who is handing over the coaching reins to Josh Carr at season's end – was positive about the future and said he wanted to encourage his players to enjoy their football and lead them in a way that fosters that. Carlton coach Michael Voss might feel as though he is in a different position to his former mentor, but his strong suit is, and always has been, his leadership. He needs to open the floor to understand what has stopped his team from playing four quarters of combative football and work with his most in-tune players to ensure he facilitates an environment they want to enter for the next seven weeks. The team looked tired and broken from playing a contested brand over many years, and they have stopped believing it can work. Their ball movement was awful against the Magpies. Their effort in the second and third quarters was way below par. Voss's greatest assets right now are a senior core of Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman, George Hewett and Sam Walsh who can give an unvarnished opinion on what is needed on the field. The skipper Patrick Cripps is obviously a key, but he seems so wounded he might be better off taking direction for once rather than being called on to give it, adopting a subservient leadership approach for the remainder of the season, and just focusing on keeping the group connected. Assuming he remains, as he should, the warrior Cripps should consider handing over the captaincy at season's end to Weitering. Scott Pendlebury did so with grace at the end of 2022 and has continued to excel since that point. And Voss needs to take every opportunity he can to play younger players who will be there next season and try other more senior players in different roles with Zac Williams move to the middle a good start. Ashton Moir showed signs of his talent against Collingwood and Matt Carroll's run along the Shane Warne Stand wing in the third quarter was a glimpse into his ability. Harry O'Farrell was exposed, but his lack of strength can be rectified over time, and the VFL team won again with both Camporeale boys impressing. The players can't do what Voss wants them to do right now after 82 matches of brutal football. The coaches need to find each players' strength and let them go after it for the final seven rounds regardless of results. That doesn't mean ignoring competitiveness. That will be judged but the players need to be fresh to bring their competitive best for four quarters. Right now, they have a bad case of the mid-winter Blues. - Peter Ryan More antagonistic Suns are starting to shine Gold Coast beat Essendon by 41 points at Marvel Stadium Gold Coast would have lost the match to Essendon last season. They would have definitely lost it the year before. Challenging them for three quarters away from home would have been enough for them to wilt. But with more mature stars Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell in the middle and two players inside 50 – one reliable in Touk Miller, the other a future star in Bailey Humphrey – the Suns kicked 6.3 (39) to 0.1 (1) in the final quarter. The 38-point gap was the biggest final quarter margin in their favour in the club's history. Even better they are not altering their ways at centre bounces because of a knee-jerk AFL ruling which threatens to suspend Matt Rowell if he inadvertently touches an umpire. It's healthy to hear as the Suns have been the 'how high do we need to jump?' club in relation to the AFL for too long. Of course the AFL's financial support is necessary, but they need to adopt a public position of club first in all their public utterances and Hardwick's criticism of the new ruling and Rowell's steadfast refusal to change the way he sets up at a centre bounce despite the idle threat of a suspension if he touches an umpire in play is a good sign the club is maturing. The recession the Saints had to have Hawthorn defeated St Kilda by 20 points at Marvel Stadium Saints' coach Ross Lyon employed then treasurer Paul Keating's famous quote in 1990 to convey to Saints' supporters a message that the club's decision to temporarily go back to go forwards would eventually pay dividends. That strategy is appropriate and consistent with Lyon's utterances since he took over from Brett Ratten who was in fact, despite president Andrew Bassat's words at the time he was sacked, doing a very reasonable job with the list he had. What Bassatt also said at that time though was that the club needed to 'have a stronger crack at getting the foundations right.' That's why the club's decision to end their alignment with Sandringham to have their own standalone team is a significant part of their restructuring as they look to get the best out of what is now a promising crop of youngsters. What is at stake was obvious on Saturday night. Alix Tauru's first quarter tackle and third quarter mark was brilliant enough for Saints' supporters to thank rather than boo departed free agent Josh Battle. Tauru was the player they chose using the compensation pick received for losing Battle. They have obvious talents in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Marcus Windhager, who they must re-sign, and Mitch Owens but there are also players who can be excellent, consistent AFL players with the right development program. Max Hall, a rookie pick, was excellent while Darcy Wilson and Liam Henry have shown their talent but need intensive work to become consistent AFL performers. Tobie Travaglia is also promising and when they get Max King and Matteas Phillipou back fit and firing they will match it with Hawthorn soon enough, particularly if Tom De Koning, even at a price beyond what ruckman are worth, joins them. Amid all that they should pause too and pay more credence in public forums to the excellent job their skipper Jack Steele has done to keep things together while such change was occurring. He laid 15 tackles against Hawthorn and his leadership role has been underrated.
The Age
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
AFL key take-outs round 17: Where have the close finishes gone?
With 14 wins needed to qualify for finals there should be plenty of desperate finishes in the final seven rounds. We need them. The winter hibernation has gone on too long. Do scores win premierships? History says defences do Western Bulldogs defeated North Melbourne by 49 points We said last week that it was not outlandish to think the Bulldogs could still make the top four, considering they have one of the easiest runs home, according to Champion Data. They made the most of a banged-up North Melbourne on Thursday night, and now await Essendon at Marvel Stadium. Then comes Melbourne and West Coast – an excellent run for this time of the year. But what we really have been drawn to are the number of scoring options Luke Beveridge has at his disposal in the league's highest scoring team, and how the complexion of their forward line changes when Aaron Naughton gets going. Naughton is something of a lightning rod for criticism for Bulldogs' fans. Held goalless by Hawthorn and St Kilda last month, there were public questions again, including by prominent commentator David King, whether he would be better suited to playing in defence, a switch Beveridge has long eschewed. But Naughton's five goals against the Kangaroos, four of which came in the second term when fellow tall Sam Darcy was well held by the emerging Will Dawson, highlighted why he is needed up forward. Naughton also had five marks for the term, and was the reason why the Bulldogs led at the main break. He appears a far more dangerous weapon when Darcy is by his side. Since the latter's return in round 14, Naughton has booted 12.5, leaving him with 31 for the season [Darcy has 29 for the season]. Naughton was instrumental in the Bulldogs scoring 100 or more points for the tenth time this season, including in their past four games. Their efficiency, as we mentioned against the Swans last week, is superb. From 66 inside 50 against the Kangaroos, they had 34 scoring shots. And what should be particularly frightening for opponents is that, outside of Darcy and Naughton, they have 10 other players with double-figure goals, including Rhylee West [24] and former Blue Matt Kennedy [19]. That's the recipe of a team that could inflict some serious damage come September. The only concern for the Bulldogs is their defensive profile is not where it was by the end of last season. They have conceded more points than any top eight team after 16 matches and gave away 78 points in the first three quarters against North Melbourne before tightening up. Work is to be done in that area. – Jon Pierik Forget 'eyes in' motto, Vossy. Bring fresh eyes only Collingwood defeated Carlton by 56 points at the MCG, Friday night After Port Adelaide's loss to the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, Ken Hinkley – who is handing over the coaching reins to Josh Carr at season's end – was positive about the future and said he wanted to encourage his players to enjoy their football and lead them in a way that fosters that. Carlton coach Michael Voss might feel as though he is in a different position to his former mentor, but his strong suit is, and always has been, his leadership. He needs to open the floor to understand what has stopped his team from playing four quarters of combative football and work with his most in-tune players to ensure he facilitates an environment they want to enter for the next seven weeks. The team looked tired and broken from playing a contested brand over many years, and they have stopped believing it can work. Their ball movement was awful against the Magpies. Their effort in the second and third quarters was way below par. Voss's greatest assets right now are a senior core of Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman, George Hewett and Sam Walsh who can give an unvarnished opinion on what is needed on the field. The skipper Patrick Cripps is obviously a key, but he seems so wounded he might be better off taking direction for once rather than being called on to give it, adopting a subservient leadership approach for the remainder of the season, and just focusing on keeping the group connected. Assuming he remains, as he should, the warrior Cripps should consider handing over the captaincy at season's end to Weitering. Scott Pendlebury did so with grace at the end of 2022 and has continued to excel since that point. And Voss needs to take every opportunity he can to play younger players who will be there next season and try other more senior players in different roles with Zac Williams move to the middle a good start. Ashton Moir showed signs of his talent against Collingwood and Matt Carroll's run along the Shane Warne Stand wing in the third quarter was a glimpse into his ability. Harry O'Farrell was exposed, but his lack of strength can be rectified over time, and the VFL team won again with both Camporeale boys impressing. The players can't do what Voss wants them to do right now after 82 matches of brutal football. The coaches need to find each players' strength and let them go after it for the final seven rounds regardless of results. That doesn't mean ignoring competitiveness. That will be judged but the players need to be fresh to bring their competitive best for four quarters. Right now, they have a bad case of the mid-winter Blues. - Peter Ryan More antagonistic Suns are starting to shine Gold Coast beat Essendon by 41 points at Marvel Stadium Gold Coast would have lost the match to Essendon last season. They would have definitely lost it the year before. Challenging them for three quarters away from home would have been enough for them to wilt. But with more mature stars Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell in the middle and two players inside 50 – one reliable in Touk Miller, the other a future star in Bailey Humphrey – the Suns kicked 6.3 (39) to 0.1 (1) in the final quarter. The 38-point gap was the biggest final quarter margin in their favour in the club's history. Even better they are not altering their ways at centre bounces because of a knee-jerk AFL ruling which threatens to suspend Matt Rowell if he inadvertently touches an umpire. It's healthy to hear as the Suns have been the 'how high do we need to jump?' club in relation to the AFL for too long. Of course the AFL's financial support is necessary, but they need to adopt a public position of club first in all their public utterances and Hardwick's criticism of the new ruling and Rowell's steadfast refusal to change the way he sets up at a centre bounce despite the idle threat of a suspension if he touches an umpire in play is a good sign the club is maturing. The recession the Saints had to have Hawthorn defeated St Kilda by 20 points at Marvel Stadium Saints' coach Ross Lyon employed then treasurer Paul Keating's famous quote in 1990 to convey to Saints' supporters a message that the club's decision to temporarily go back to go forwards would eventually pay dividends. That strategy is appropriate and consistent with Lyon's utterances since he took over from Brett Ratten who was in fact, despite president Andrew Bassat's words at the time he was sacked, doing a very reasonable job with the list he had. What Bassatt also said at that time though was that the club needed to 'have a stronger crack at getting the foundations right.' That's why the club's decision to end their alignment with Sandringham to have their own standalone team is a significant part of their restructuring as they look to get the best out of what is now a promising crop of youngsters. What is at stake was obvious on Saturday night. Alix Tauru's first quarter tackle and third quarter mark was brilliant enough for Saints' supporters to thank rather than boo departed free agent Josh Battle. Tauru was the player they chose using the compensation pick received for losing Battle. They have obvious talents in Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Marcus Windhager, who they must re-sign, and Mitch Owens but there are also players who can be excellent, consistent AFL players with the right development program. Max Hall, a rookie pick, was excellent while Darcy Wilson and Liam Henry have shown their talent but need intensive work to become consistent AFL performers. Tobie Travaglia is also promising and when they get Max King and Matteas Phillipou back fit and firing they will match it with Hawthorn soon enough, particularly if Tom De Koning, even at a price beyond what ruckman are worth, joins them. Amid all that they should pause too and pay more credence in public forums to the excellent job their skipper Jack Steele has done to keep things together while such change was occurring. He laid 15 tackles against Hawthorn and his leadership role has been underrated.
