Everyone knows Nick Daicos is brilliant – but he’s on the brink of all-time footy history.
Plus the AFL’s own goal on goalkicking leaves everyone baffled and much more, as the big issues from Round 16 are analysed in Foxfooty.com.au’s Talking Points!
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‘RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES’: DAICOS HISTORY WE HAVE TO STOP AND ADMIRE
In a frenetic landscape where performance is scrutinised weekly, opinions are ever-evolving and circumstances change in a blink, it’s hard to stop and admire what’s happening right in front of our eyes.
Nick Daicos is the most overanalysed superstar in our game, such is his effervescence as one of the competition’s top two players.
And what’s happening is he’s rapidly becoming the player of our generation.
Because in the blink of an eye, Collingwood’s father-son gun is almost five years into a glittering career that’s already worthy of Hall of Fame induction.
“I think we need to acknowledge greatness when it’s happening right in front of our eyes,” dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy’s First Crack on Sunday night.
“And right now, Nick Daicos is on an historic run that we have not seen before and we may not see again.
“And if he continues on this trajectory that he’s on this season, it will have been the best first five years we’ve seen from any player in the history of the game.
“And I think it’s going under the radar a little bit, which is why I wanted to bring it to the attention – because he’s on some sort of run.”
Nick is on a scorching tear over the past six weeks in particular, averaging 35.5 disposals, 2.0 goals, 10.0 score involvements and 1.8 score assists.
That’s come while also upping his forward minutes to 22 per cent as he develops into an even more damaging centre-forward force.
McRae happy as Pies bank win | 08:36
Post Round 15, Daicos sits first on the Coaches’ Association leaderboard – the gold-standard measuring stick when it comes to assessing player performance – with 83 votes, five clear of Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli.
“(Those numbers) are quite extraordinary, what he is putting together off the back of the 37 and three he kicked on Saturday against Richmond,” Montagna continued.
“But when you dive a little bit deeper and take a look at the season he’s having – I know everyone’s got an opinion on Nick Daicos and what he’s doing – but right now, take a look at the Coaches’ Association leaderboard.
“Let’s presume he polls eight votes (against Richmond) … he’ll be on 91 votes after 16 rounds. Only Nat Fyfe’s historic run in 2015 has any player polled more CA votes after Round 16 – he had 100.
“And the rate that (Daicos) is going, he will break Dustin Martin’s record of 122 votes that he polled from the coaches in 2017 – one of the all-time great seasons.”
For the season, Daicos is averaging 35.5 disposals and 1.3 goals per game. He’s on track to become the first player in AFL history to average 35 and 1 over the course of a season, with Dane Swan and Gary Ablett Jnr the closest names to fall just short.
He’s won a premiership, been an AFLCA Player of the Year, claimed an AFLPA MVP, won a Copeland Trophy and donned three-straight All-Australian jackets. The Brownlow Medal, though, has proven elusive.
But it’s hard to argue this isn’t destined to be his year.
Daicos has already stacked 12 games of 30+ disposals, and he’s kicked at least one goal in nine of those matches.
In the first year where umpires are allowed to access statistics to guide matchday voting, his biggest obstacle is no longer standing in his way.
Jordan De Goey’s resurgent season might see a few votes go his teammate’s way on Brownlow night, but despite Collingwood’s middling 2026 formline, Nick is still in the box seat to finally – belatedly – claim the game’s biggest individual honour.
Nick Daicos looks bound for the Brownlow. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“There’s no doubt he’s getting 30+ Brownlow votes again, which will mean he’s the only player in history to have polled 30+ Brownlow votes three times,” Montagna said.
“That’s the only thing that’s missing, is his ability to win it … it’s been incredible (that he hasn’t won yet).
“And if he does continue on the trajectory he’s going on this year, he could end up winning the Brownlow Medal, he’s going to win the best-and-fairest, he’s going to be All-Australian, and he may win the MVP and Coaches’ Association.
“I spoke to some highly credentialed figures in the AFL and asked, ‘What is the best first five years that we’ve ever seen?’ They said: ‘Chris Judd’. But that CV would be better than Chris Judd’s first five years.
“So, I think we need to sit back sometimes and just acknowledge the greatness that we are witnessing … (if he wins the Brownlow and a few of those other awards) that is a Hall of Fame resume at 23 years of age.”
The Magpies-relevant question teased out by this discussion is: How can the club maximise its generational asset?
How Collingwood fares in the recruitment space remains to be seen, but it has reportedly thrown its hat in the ring for Zak Butters and Lachie Neale in a wider attempt to give Daicos a supreme running mate, with Scott Pendlebury counting his AFL days.
And with more talent by his side, the Pies should be eyeing multiple premierships inside the next decade, says Montagna.
“This is a generational player, and they can’t afford to waste his talent,” he added.
“So, they are doing everything they can to be competitive while they have the player in this sort of form.
“They’d want to win multiple over the next 10 years with Daicos there, but that’s why it’s about Lachie Neale, getting a key forward.
“They know that they need to continue to be competitive while they have a player that is this generational talent.”
Georgiades avoids ban for high hit | 00:28
‘CONTROVERSY OF THE LEAGUE’S CREATION’ ROLLS ON
The AFL’s rules are back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons once more – with two glaring goal errors in a matter of days.
The first started on Thursday night when Lion Logan Morris was denied after the three-quarter time siren.
Morris snapped truly but the umpire directly behind him deemed the Brisbane forward didn’t get back to his mark when he kicked the Sherrin, and called play on as a result.
But on Friday, the AFL declared they’d made a mistake.
“It seems to be a controversy of the league’s creation. It’s just absolutely bizarre, this one,” Jon Ralph said.
“So, pardon the pun, but it almost seems like the goalposts are shifting week on week on these post-siren set shots.
“Logan Morris thought he’d kicked the goal … didn’t realise it had been overruled by the umpire until the start of the fourth quarter.
“(But on Friday) the AFL came out and said that although that he came back to that line between the goal and the man on the mark, he had kicked the ball over the man on the mark, it should have stood.
“This is the explanation from the AFL, and this is where we’re confused even more: ‘Where a player lines up perpendicular to the line of their kick, they must kick over the man or the mark or kick from the line of the kick’. What’s the line of the kick?
“We thought we’d actually simplified this one, and all of a sudden, we have a reference point, which is the line of the kick. What the hell are we doing here?”
Montagna: “No need to blow the whistle” | 01:24
Ralph said “surely common sense” would apply to set shots after the siren, and unless players are well off their mark, their score should stand.
Melbourne great Garry Lyon and triple premiership Cat Tom Hawkins didn’t see eye to eye on the “mistake”.
“I think we can over analyse it and the AFL have probably got themselves in this position, but (Morris) would do a lot of work on his on his set shot goalkicking knowing that if you want to take the opportunity to kick around the corner, you run the risk of something not going quite right or not getting to a certain point,” Hawkins said.
“So surely he’s, even in his young age, understands that.”
But Lyon was adamant the responsibility was with the AFL, and not Morris.
“That is a mistake, and that’s it. The umpire stuffed it up. Let’s not worry about it. Let’s move on. End of story,” he said.
“It’s not that hard. Put your hands up, see the bloke with his hands up, kick it over his head, and hopefully towards goal. “
Ralph questioned what the outcome would be if a small forward-type opted for the post-siren snap in a final.
“Snappers are gonna want to snap. They’ve got clarification for the AFL. Logan Morris said, I looked at the missive, I made sure I didn’t improve my angle, and I still got robbed,” he said.
“And they made a mistake,” Lyon interjected.
“He did the right thing. He understood it. Everything he did was right. Nick Watson wants to know what to do today, do exactly what Logan Morris did.”
ANOTHER after-the-siren no goal! | 00:54
The no-goal came only weeks after Hawk Nick Watson was denied a post-siren score after the umpire determined he went off the mark.
“Hawthorn went to the umpires department after that goal and they said, what should he do right? What should he do wrong? And the AFL umpires basically said to him, he should do exactly what he did,” Ralph explained.
“He’s six goals off the Coleman Medal. Now imagine there’s only one chance to win a Coleman Medal and he has to take one off his tally because of that. It’s crazy.”
Lions coach Chris Fagan questioned the no-goal call to Morris, and once the AFL admitted an error had been made he then called for the score to be reinstated.
Fox Footy’s Jay Clark said Fagan was “having a conniption” over the loss of the six points given the tight finals race we are seeing in 2026.
Port Adelaide meantime had their own goal drama when Crow Ben Keays was awarded a goal – from a free kick that should never been paid because the ball crossed the goal line first.
Instead of Riley Thilthorpe registering a behind, the ball bounced into play, the ARC didn’t intervene and Port are now five points worse off in regards to their end of year percentage.
However you look at it, Jack Riewoldt summed it up best stating: “The ARC is under more pressure than anything in this competition coming into the last seven weeks … under more pressure than any coach”.
Another HOWLER for the ARC | 01:37
‘THEY’LL SURVIVE’: WHY GIANTS NO LONGER NEED GREENE THE WAY THEY ONCE DID
Eight rounds left and Toby Greene — the Giants’ greatest ever player and on-field figure — remains unsigned.
Yet Friday night’s discussion on Fox Footy raised an intriguing prospect: The Giants might’ve finally reached the point where losing Greene wouldn’t break them.
That would’ve been an unfathomable prospect a few years ago, because the Giants once couldn’t afford to lose their captain.
But while the Giants — who are injury-depleted and in a fight to keep in touch with the wildcard race — desperately want to keep Greene, they’re investing in the next generation and tier of players … and building a list that can survive without him.
“Those close to him (Greene) still say he’s hugely loyal and if they had to have a dollar on him, they would say he’s likely to stay. But we know the offer is there — three years at $2 million — from Geelong,” CODE Sports report Jon Ralph told Fox Footy after the Giants’ loss to Hawthorn on Friday night.
“The club says they’re absolutely desperate to keep him. Jason McCartney, the football boss, tells Fox Footy: ‘We desperately want to retain him.’
“But I think what the season’s proven is that the next premiership window is probably two or three years down the track and it’s all about the kids. I think if he leaves, for the first time you can say they’ll survive without him.
“Yes it’ll be a challenge. But what McCartney says is they are so excited about the kids who maybe are not household names, but we’re seeing them grow up in front of our eyes. That’s Harvey Thomas on a wing, Phoenix Gothard, Joe Fonti, Cody Angove — who they love, no one knows about him — and even Darcy Jones, who’s back in about a month off an ACL.
“The club has put forward a six or seven-year deal to Lachie Ash, who’s a free agent next year. They’ve got a very similar deal in front of Tom Green.
“So they want to put their resources into those kind of players, not necessarily Toby — even though that deal is fair.”
Bizarre scenes in boundary infringement | 02:05
Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis said considering the emotional burden Greene had carried since 2012, few “would be critical of Toby if he wanted to go to a Geelong or to a Melbourne side, to play in front of big crowds and big finals”.
“He’s done all he possibly can, I think, at the Giants to get them in a position where they consistently play finals. He’s been a big-game player for well over a decade,” Lewis told Fox Footy.
“My gut feel tells me that he will leave at the end of the season — and maybe he goes to Tom’s (Hawkins’) old side to play with Jeremy (Cameron) to play in big games and finals. But I don’t think anyone would begrudge him if he made that decision.
“He’s not playing his absolute best. Does he look frustrated? He’s probably always looked frustrated, but he had probably five opportunities there (on Friday night) where he could have got fined or almost suspended.
“So I think a new lease on life for a player like Toby, who’s carried this football club for a decade, he would just love — especially in an environment like Geelong where we’ve seen what they’ve been able to do with their stars in terms of prolonging their careers, but getting the best out of them in the back-end.”
Triple premiership Cat Tom Hawkins suggested a new environment — especially a club in flag contention — would see other senior leaders “shouldering a big load” so Greene wouldn’t have to.
“We can’t underestimate he’s a foundation player at the Giants. Culturally, he’s really important,” Hawkins told Fox Footy. “But that takes a toll on you, both physically and mentally, and shortens your actual lifespan on the footy field.
“I think the opportunity to come back home — and I agree it’s not a foregone conclusion that he goes and plays at Geelong
— but I think he’ll be looking at some contenders.”
Greene has dragged the Giants through their formative years and into premiership contention. He can stay and remain one of the club’s biggest stars.
But the lure of a fresh start might be too good to refuse. And if that’s ultimately the case, the Giants believe they’d be well placed, for they no longer need Greene the way they once did.
Cripps gets laugh over Reid | 00:46
HIRD DETAILS REVEALED AS KEN GIVES TELLING COACHING HINT
Essendon will meet with club legend James Hird about its coaching vacancy, and a timeline for that high-profile rendezvous has emerged.
It comes as Ken Hinkley gives an indication on whether he’ll throw his hat in the ring for the Bombers’ top job.
Essendon just days ago confirmed its panel charged with hand-picking the club’s next senior coach, with president Andrew Welsh, vice president Anthony Di Pietro, director Ted Richards, CEO Tim Roberts and culture GM Caroline Monzon set to put their heads together.
And while a variety of assistant coaches and experienced mentors are set to come into calculations, the big name on everyone’s lips is set to get his crack at it.
“The Bombers have confirmed that they will meet with James Hird about their coaching vacancy,” First Crack’s Jay Clark told Fox Footy on Saturday night.
“Expect that to happen within the next two to three weeks – certainly within the next month.
“They’ve finalised that process … Expect them to interview 5-10 people and whittle that down to a shortlist of three.
“We know they’ll interview a heap of assistants, and clearly expect Ken Hinkley will be a man that they will call.”
Roo gives beautiful Tony Modra update | 01:56
Multiple reports have relayed the Bombers’ stance that the winning candidate doesn’t have to be an “Essendon person”, with the club also moving to deny a report that Welsh’s preferred choice is former teammate and current interim coach Dean Solomon.
Solomon, who was a Bombers board member as recently as last year, has yet to officially indicate whether he’ll go into the running for the full-time role, as he focuses on coaching out the Dons’ 2026 campaign.
It’s not yet clear if Essendon will sound out experienced pair John Longmire or Ken Hinkley in its search, but Clark believes the former Port Adelaide coach of 13 seasons will be a person of interest at Tullamarine.
He claimed the 59-year-old “still has the coaching bug” – but a smiling Hinkley expertly didn’t give anything away when quizzed on his interest in the Essendon vacancy.
“I did a thing during the week about coaches’ cliches, and rule number two is that I don’t deal in hypotheticals,” Hinkley told Super Saturday Live.
“If and when someone rings me, the first thing I’ll say (is) ‘hello’.”
While Hinkley was coy amidst the questioning, he did confirm: “I miss coaching.”
Power stun Crows in Showdown 60 | 03:27
AFL ‘LAG’ THAT NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED AS COACH’S CONTRACT PLAY EMERGES
The conversation around Sam Mitchell’s next contract has reignited calls for change to the AFL’s soft cap structure.
Seven’s Tom Morris reported midweek that Mitchell, whose current Hawthorn coaching deal ends in 2027, was “gettable” and would take a call from rivals.
But there isn’t really anyone who believes there’s a serious chance that Mitchell would leave the premiership-contending Hawks.
Instead, the leak is almost certainly a ploy to drive up his price as Hawthorn and Mitchell’s management get the ball rolling on the Brownlow medallist’s next contract.
But while Mitchell – already ascending as one of the game’s top tacticians – deserves top coin in his fresh agreement, the balancing act between making sure the senior coach is well-remunerated, and also ensuring appropriate spending on assistants, etc., continues to be a difficult one for clubs to navigate.
The Hawks aren’t strangers to this conundrum, and as explained by Midweek Tackle’s Jon Ralph on Friday night, they face a not-too-dissimilar situation to Damien Hardwick and Gold Coast in 2023.
“Of course he’s going to stay at (Hawthorn),” Ralph said of Mitchell on Fox Footy.
“The Hawthorn CEO, Ash Klein, said Mitchell will be here for a very long time. Of course, the deal (talks are) underway.
“They know he wants to get paid, like any coach who wants to maximise his value. (But) here’s the thing – Damien Hardwick accepted well less than $1 million (at the Suns), because he knew that every dollar that was spent extra on him was less on the support staff.
“I think that message will be heard loud and clear. Sam probably wants to get top dollar. He won’t be that greedy, will he? He’s going to stay, but he needs to keep that elite support crew around him, which he has right now.”
Schultz, McStay in 3QT confrontation | 00:40
Four-time Hawthorn flag-winner and former teammate of Mitchell, Jordan Lewis, believed coaches “are understanding of that”.
“Yes, they hold a really significant position, but a lot of the assistant coaches under them, if they’re not good at their job, it impacts the way that the team performs,” he said.
“It impacts the way that they’re able to coach. So, I think he’s clever enough to understand that.”
Gerard Whateley said he had a “very low tolerance” for the talk about Mitchell’s contract, given a change to the soft cap structure would make the discussion moot.
“That’s the one part of the story that I think this teases out, is the senior coaches’ wage shouldn’t be in the soft cap,” he said post-Hawthorn’s win on Friday night.
“He should get top dollar, and the best coaches should get far more than they currently get. And it shouldn’t be weighed against what else you’re getting in the football department.
“I know part of it has been placed outside … There’s a lag here.”
At the moment, per AFL rules, 20 per cent of the senior coach’s salary sits outside the soft cap.
And in a change from 2026 onwards, clubs are also able to provide marketing services agreements to their senior coaches – funded by club sponsors or partners – outside the soft cap, up to $100,000 per year.
But Whateley believes that simply isn’t enough, calling for the head coach’s salary to be exempt from football department spending.
“The senior coaches should be earning whatever they can possibly earn, which would allow so much money in the industry,” he continued.
“The soft cap can be better spread through the assistants, with a senior coach cap outside it.”
Ralph added: “And through mental health as well, which is something the AFL has really reinforced this year. The more that’s outside, the more we spend on the right areas that we need to.”