Latest news with #NorthMelbourneFC
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
AFL club North Melbourne's greatest players boycott anniversary celebration 'because they don't want to share the spotlight with the women's team'
A group of North Melbourne Football Club legends are reportedly planning to boycott the club's 100-year celebration next month because they don't want to share the limelight with the team's AFLW premiers. The milestone event, which will commemorate club's centenary and the Kangaroos ' premiership win in 1975, has been organised to take place next month, but several greats are not pleased with the arrangements. Kangaroos premiership icons including Sam Kekovich and John Burns are boycotting the event because it is now also celebrating last year's AFLW premiers, according to reports. 'I continue to be horrified by this story, OK?' journalist Caroline Wilson said on Seven's The Agenda Setters program on Tuesday night. 'A couple of them [the Kangaroos greats] have already named and shamed themselves, and one of them of course is Sam Kekovich, who I think has said he won't be going. I think John Burns has thrown his hat into the ring as well. 'But as I suspected, this is largely about gender and about the club's decision to not only celebrate their first AFL (then VFL) premiership, which happened 50 years ago, but also to celebrate their inaugural AFLW premiership in the same room, which happened last year.' Wilson's take was backed up by another report on Fox Sports' AFL 360 program on Tuesday night. 'My understanding is a really big slice of that frustration surrounds the fact that they have to share that event with the AFLW premiers of last year,' panel member and journalist Jon Ralph said. 'I personally think it's ridiculous,' host Lauren Wood said. 'The reality of this is, it's actually not a premiership reunion. It's a centenary event that was the first VFL premiership that the club won, this was the first AFLW premiership that the club won. 'The club poured huge amounts of time, effort and money into developing this women's football program. 'This is a sign to the future of this football club, and the reality is that AFLW is now part of the football club.' North Melbourne legend Malcolm Blight had a different take on why a few of his former teammates won't show up at the match against the Western Bulldogs. 'Well, I've heard plenty, of course,' Blight said on SEN. 'It was originally gazetted for Round 20 when they play Geelong, which was the first team they played against in 1925. That sounded lovely. 'But suddenly they've got a Thursday night game playing the Bulldogs, and they've changed everything. 'You know, we're all getting a bit older, and a lot of them had holidays booked. 'It went from a dinner to a (cocktail event) stand-up with pies, pasties and sausage rolls. Apparently, that's right. 'So a few of the lads just are not buying into it.' Last week it was reported that players were snubbing the event because they would be standing up at the venue instead of sitting down at a gala dinner. 'About eight to 10 [players] are not going to turn up because it's a stand-up function at a bar,' 3AW's Ross Stevenson reported. Top footy journalist Caroline Wilson confirmed the rumour on Channel Seven's The Agenda Setters program. 'I think this is a bit churlish,' said Wilson. 'They're also celebrating their first AFLW flag, so there's going to be a lot of people at this function. 'There isn't enough room for everyone to sit down. There will be people going in, people going out, stuff going on on the ground.
News.com.au
21-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Still room to improve for young Roos
AFL: North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson speaks to the media after his side's impressive upset win over Carlton at the MCG.
News.com.au
21-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Looked down and there was a big gash'
AFL: Jack Darling has explained the severity of a nasty gash he received during North Melbourne's upset win over Carlton.
Daily Mail
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
North Melbourne AFL team's greatest players refuse to show up to 50th anniversary grand final celebration over one tiny detail
A group of North Melbourne Football Club legends have sparked controversy for their plans to reportedly snub the team's 50th anniversary grand final celebration because they'll have to stand up at the venue. The event, which will commemorate the Kangaroos ' premiership win in 1975, has been organised to take place in a Melbourne bar, but the decision has reportedly annoyed more than a few former players. 'About eight to 10 [players] are not going to turn up because it's a stand-up function at a bar,' 3AW's Ross Stevenson reported earlier this week. Top footy journalist Caroline Wilson confirmed the rumour on Channel Seven 's The Agenda Setters program on Tuesday night. 'I think this is a bit churlish,' said Wilson. 'They're also celebrating their first AFLW flag, so there's going to be a lot of people at this function. 'There isn't enough room for everyone to sit down. There will be people going in, people going out, stuff going on on the ground. 'C'mon guys, find a sofa, sit down with your buffet meal and celebrate with your mates.' The 1975 premiership side includes an array of footy greats, including Malcolm Blight, Wayne Schimmelbusch and Sam Kekovich - with all the team members now in their 70s. The side also included Barry Cable, who was in 2024 charged with with child sexual abuse after he allegedly assaulted a young girl in the 1960s. The Kangaroos are also celebrating their 100th-year anniversary this year and will mark the landmark occasion at the Marvel Stadium during their Thursday night clash against the Western Bulldogs in round 17. Plenty of fanfare is expected for the iconic match, with the club also set to welcome back several key faces from years gone by - including footy great Wayne Carey. According to Channel 7's Caroline Wilson, Carey is due to return alongside former team-mates Anthony Stevens and Glenn Archer for the match. Interestingly, the news came six months after the two-time Leigh Matthews winner, Carey, was controversially snubbed by North from a video celebrating their 100-year anniversary. The Roos forward is seen as one of the greatest players to have played AFL footy, winning seven All-Australian jackets and guiding the North Melbourne club to two premierships in 1996 and 1999. He also captained the team for eight years between 1993 and 2001. Despite that, Carey, Stevens and Archer will now all reunite for the landmark celebration. It comes following Carey's shocking and messy exit from the footy club back in 2001 after his extramarital affair with Steven's wife, Kelli. The affair left the footy world stunned after they had been caught in a toilet at a house party. The two-time premiership captain subsequently left the club to join the Crows. 'All three men (Carey, Stevens, Archer) are well aware that they will be there together and united for the first time,' Wilson said on The Agenda Setters. 'There was speculation last year when North unveiled their centenary jumper. And if you remember, there were North champions through the eras and there was no Wayne Carey. And Corey McKernan was very upset about this.'
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zurhaar the late hero as Kangaroos escape major scare
West Coast appear destined to collect this year's AFL wooden spoon after North Melbourne produced a late four-goal burst to snatch a thrilling 10-point victory in Bunbury. The wayward Eagles kicked 1.13 across the first two and a half quarters of Sunday's match before finally hitting their groove to surge to an 18-point lead early in the final term. North Melbourne had been error-riddled and looked one-dimensional until that point, but exploded with the final four goals of the match - including two to Cameron Zurhaar - to secure the 9.8 (62) to 6.16 (52) win. Cam IN FRONT!#AFLNorthEagles — AFL (@AFL) June 8, 2025 Finn O'Sullivan started the four-goal run when he made the most of a 50m penalty to kick truly, before Zurhaar kicked his first of the match to make it a six-point game with nine minutes remaining. West Coast clung on dearly for the next seven minutes until Zurhaar took a brave pack mark to give North the lead. Captain Jy Simpkin iced the win with a running snap in the final 45 seconds. The result means North Melbourne (3-8-1) are now two and a half wins ahead of last-placed West Coast (1-12). Richmond (3-10) are two wins clear of the Eagles. Not only did North Melbourne snare the win, but they will also collect a cool $1 million for "hosting'' the match in Bunbury, a coastal town two hours drive south of Perth. It's part of a three-year deal in which North Melbourne will play two home games a season in WA, including next week's clash with Fremantle at Optus Stadium. The only downer for North Melbourne out of Sunday's match was a game-ending injury to defender Charlie Comben, who was subbed out in the third quarter after copping a painful knee to the shoulder in a marking contest. Paul Curtis kicked three goals for North Melbourne, while Tristan Xerri was huge in the ruck with 37 hitouts, 10 clearances and 22 disposals. Former Eagle Jack Darling was held scoreless from 10 disposals. Eagles co-captain Liam Duggan tallied a team-high 23 disposals, Elijah Hewett racked up 22 disposals and six clearances, while forward Jack Williams kicked two goals. North Melbourne kicked the only three goals of the opening quarter - including two to Curtis - despite losing the inside-50 count 21-10. West Coast's 0.5 was a poor return for a quarter they dominated, with Archer Reid's close-range shocker summing up their ineptitude in front of goal. The Eagles had 0.8 to their name and had just entered their forward-50 arc for a staggering 34th time when Williams finally broke the goal drought with a close-range set shot late in the second quarter. The goal reduced the margin to seven points at halftime, with North holding the lead despite being pummelled 39-17 in the inside-50 count. West Coast had a woeful 1.13 to their name before producing a 4.1 spurt to finish the third quarter. But just as the game looked won for the Eagles, North hit back hard in a thrilling finish.
