Tassie chief on stadium fears, coaching update; AFL set to limit clubs’ contact training — Daily

The Tassie Devils chief has responded to stadium cost fears and provided an update on the club’s coaching search.

Plus the AFL is set to make a major change to how clubs train.

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DEVILS CHIEF REJECTS STADIUM FEARS, PROVIDES LATEST ON COACHING SEARCH

Tasmania Devils CEO Brendon Gale says there’s “no doubt” around the 19th club’s AFL entry due to the potential cost of a stadium blowing above projections.

The planned $1 billion-plus Macquarie Point stadium has already been through two elections. But there’s concerns of a cost blowout ahead of the Devils’ planned admission in the competition in 2028 and arena’s projected build completion by 2031.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Wednesday night, Gale said the Hobart stadium’s plans were on track, starting with the Significant Early Works Package Program pre-construction phase next month.

“The Macquarie Point Development Corporation briefed our board last month, shortlisted tenders, they’re going through their whole process,” he said.

“There’s nothing from them to suggest that things aren’t on track.

“We’re really excited. Anticipated completion around the back-end of 2030, that was always going to be the case.

“It’ll need to be commissioned, tried-and-tested and we’ll be starting in 2031.

“We’re moving ahead, we’ve received nothing but encouragement from the AFL. We’re really excited, we’re enthused.

“Everything is working towards 2028. Clearly, the stadium won’t be available then, but we’ll have a substantially improved UTAS Stadium, $140 million upgrade in a beautiful city (Launceston).

“And then we’ll have Bellerive, these are satisfactory venues.

“But when the stadium does come online, it’ll be another sugar hit, it will be really exciting.”

Gale also confirmed the club would appoint a senior coach “by the end of the season,” with John Longmire, Ken Hinkley and Nathan Buckley considered the frontrunners.

“The rubber hits the road now,” the Devils chief said of the coaching search.

“We’ve had a number of exploratory discussions over the last 12 to 18 months.

“I’ve learned as much as I have in a long time, where the game’s at and where it’s heading.

“Now we sort of sharpen our focus a bit.

“I’m confident we’ll make a strong decision and we’ll have that resolved by the end of the season.

“We take a few different people into consideration and it’s a decision we all have to make together.”

Asked if Tassie will ask the question of current AFL coaches at rival clubs, Gale said: “Like most things, there’s an element of sensitivity in approaching these things.

“And probably inappropriate to comment too much further.”

The Devils also “won’t be making any apologies” for their aggressive approach towards recruiting rival players.

It’ll be helped by several list concessions including a $5 million sign-on bonus outside the salary cap over the first two seasons.

“This is a ruthlessly competitive competition,” Gale said of the club’s recruiting plans.

“We have to make the most of the rules, concessions and benefits we’ve been given, and we will.”

AFL TO LIMIT CONTACT TRAINING

Clubs will be limited in how much contact training they can do from 2027, reports Tom Morris.

A consultation group will determine how many hours are permitted each week, with the NRL recently limiting its teams to 115 minutes a week.

One former fitness boss estimated clubs do around 30 minutes of contact work a week during the season, and 120 minutes a week across the off-season, with a current fitness boss estimating the biggest weeks reached 240 minutes.

Four clubs, two of them contenders and two of them strugglers, “were identified as high risk in the pre-season and asked to cut back their contact hours for the 2026 season” according to Morris’ report.

It also said club bosses “were supportive of the AFL’s stance given the focus on head trauma and believe the stricter limitations will have minimal impact in a practical sense”.

The State Coroner, after the inquest into the death of Shane Tuck, recommended limiting contact training sessions and in 2024 the league said it was considering the move.

The AFL has six definitions which it uses to define what contact training is:

1. Non-contact drills such as stretching and kick to kick

2. Warm-up drills such as lane work and ball movement with no defenders

3. Low density, incidental or controlled contact such as one v one ground balls, wrestling and aerial contest

4. Moderate density, incidental contact drills such as stoppage rehearsal with passive defenders

5. Moderate density with full contact drills such as match simulation or small sided games

6. High density full contact match simulation with full contest

MERRETT HITS BACK AT ‘OBSESSIVE NATURE’ BEHIND CRITICISM

Essendon star Zach Merrett believes some of the scrutiny and reporting around his footy future has “borderline crossed the line”, adding there was “an obsessive nature of some personnel in the media”.

After his well-publicised attempt to join Hawthorn during last year’s trade period fell over on deadline day, the noise around Merrett’s future has remained intense, despite being contracted until the end of 2027.

Multiple outlets have reported Merrett, 30, remains in the Hawks’ sights.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday morning, Merrett revealed he’d experienced some “dark moments” in recent times due to the external scrutiny on him.

“It’s been unique,” Merrett said. “I was probably a little bit naïve to the amount of chatter and focus and noise that would present this year. A lot of it has been justified, I think some of it is borderline crossed the line with the obsessive nature of some personnel in the media.

“But I get to rock up every day, do my dream job. There’s so much greatness that comes with footy and fun and enjoyment and passion. That five per cent (of negativity) is probably a cost of that 95 per cent.

“I understand, it is what it is. I still get to do what I love doing, but there has been some dark moments no doubt.”

Asked if accusations around him not giving 100 per cent effort had frustrated him, Merrett said: “Yeah definitely. They can only judge how I’m playing and I’m not going to criticise their views, it’s their opinions. Maybe if they could back it up with some data might be nice, but I don’t have any judgment around those people.

“They don’t know what my intent is or what I’m doing nine to five, Monday to Friday. They’re paid to have opinions.

“I’ve had a few exchanges with a couple of people in the media behind closer doors, which will remain there. I think there’s been an imbalance of reporting – and that’s been a bit frustrating, but their role is to get clicks and tell stories. Mine’s to play footy, so I’ll keep trying to get better.”

Merrett said he enjoyed the Bombers’ bye period to emotionally “delve down and process the last few weeks, but then also reflecting my own performances and my own game”.

‘VERY HAPPY, AS YOU CAN TELL’: MITCHELL RESPONDS TO RIVAL INTEREST

Hawthorn mastermind Sam Mitchell has shut down further questioning over his future as the club’s head coach, as vacancies remain at Carlton and Tasmania.

Seven’s Tom Morris reported on Tuesday night that he believes the fifth-year Hawks coach is “gettable” at a rival club, before adding Mitchell “would take a call from a rival club if a rival club was interested in him.”

Speaking to journalists at his weekly mid-week press conference, the four-time premiership Hawk again stated his commitment to his club.

“I’m very happy at Hawthorn, as you can tell. This is probably the least happy I get, at a press conference!” Mitchell joked on Wednesday morning.

“I am very, very happy at Hawthorn. There’s a big difference between taking a phone call, which it’s rude not to, and discussing coaching other teams.

When asked if he was expecting any calls from Carlton or Tasmania, he responded. “I am not suspecting anything like that, no.”

Hype around Mitchell’s future is centred around his current contract, which expires at the end of next season alongside several other high-profile rival coaches.

“That’s all going exactly as it should, so I wouldn’t be reading anything into that. There’s conversations going on in the background, and I’m sure they’ll sort themselves out over this coming period,” he added when quizzed on negotiations for a new deal.

YOUNG EAGLE CLEARED OF SERIOUS MISCONDUCT

West Coast forward Malakai Champion has been cleared by the WAFL Tribunal for an alleged nose-blowing incident on June 13.

The hearing for Champion’s ‘serious misconduct’ charge took roughly 90 minutes on Wednesday evening, with both Champion and Swans District defender Sebastian Bright presenting evidence on the matter.

There was no video footage of the alleged incident in their Round 10 WAFL fixture, where the 20-year-old Eagle was alleged to have performed a “bushman’s blow” on his opponent.

He was referred directly to the tribunal for the act, which involves placing one finger over a nostril and blowing out of the other.

Champion was found not guilty on the grounds of inconclusive evidence, after not fronting the tribunal last week due to West Coast’s mandatory mid-season break.

“WA Football advises that West Coast Eagles player Malakai Champion has been found not guilty of serious misconduct following an incident in the Round 10 Sullivan Logistics WAFL match against Swan Districts at Steel Blue Oval on Saturday, June 13,” WA Football said in a statement.

“The incident occurred during the second quarter of the match with Champion sent to the WAFL Tribunal, which was held on Tuesday evening.

“The WAFL Tribunal found the evidence against Champion was inconclusive.”

Champion has played eight of his 10 AFL career games this season, and has kicked four goals.

‘COULDN’T BREATHE’: CONFUSION OVER UMPIRE DISSENT REACHES NEW HIGH

Melbourne great Garry Lyon has pleaded the AFL to be more consistent with their officiating of player dissent moving forward, after walking back their hard-lined stance in recent times.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360, the Australian Football Hall of Fame member spoke in response to several examples of Gold Coast captain Noah Anderson expressing disappointment at several umpiring decisions in recent weeks.

“I’ve heard all this before, to be honest Gerard,” Lyon said on Tuesday night.

“Maybe not to this point, but there was a crackdown on on-field abuse as well, which is much more visual and has much more of an affect on juniors and understanding respect to umpires.

“We went through a stage where you couldn’t point, you couldn’t look, you couldn’t breathe … and then slowly, there’s no statement from AFL House saying ‘we’re just going to loosen this up a little bit’. It just changes to the point now where you look at it and go: ‘It’s open slather again. You can argue, you can gesticulate, you can challenge, you can point to the scoreboard – and sometimes they do pay it when you do that, sometimes they don’t.’ So come on, either make a rule you consistently enforce and don’t just let it slacken over a 12-week period.

“I’m supporting (the umpires), but don’t pay lip service to other statements that you make about umpire criticism and abuse from players – and then come down heavy with a $20,000 fine on this. Be consistent.

“I ask the AFL, if you’re listening: ‘Can I argue with the umpire? What degree can I argue? Can I point to the scoreboard now or can I not?’ Because I see both and sometimes you get a 50 (metre penalty) and sometimes you don’t.”

389-game umpiring great Ray Chamberlain simply responded: “No argument.”

Zak Butters’ alleged “abusive language” towards umpire Nick Foot in Gather Round earlier this year is the most recent high-profile case regarding dissent.