star free agent Zac Bailey facing the exit door due to the reported gap between Brisbane\u2019s offer and Adelaide\u2019s<\/a> in a more immediate threat for the reigning premiers. <\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s going to be interesting to see what Brisbane does with its strategy. Because Chris Fagan has said they think only the best players in the comp deserve that sort of money,\u201d Montagna added.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Morris\u2019) trajectory is on track. It\u2019s going to be fascinating to see… what Brisbane is prepared to pay to keep him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it feels like they\u2019re going to lose Zac Bailey for not wanting to match (Adelaide\u2019s offer).<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep a big eye on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Hawthorn sharpshooter Ben Dixon said there will always be big market for key forwards given how valuable they are.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think you\u2019re on the right money,\u201d Dixon said.<\/p>\n
\u201cA key forward now is worth way more, they\u2019re harder to get. Like you\u2019re saying with King.\u201d<\/p>\n
Key forwards first to 100 goals (since 2000)<\/p>\n
1. Jeremy Cameron (41 games)<\/p>\n
2. Lance Franklin (49 games)<\/p>\n
3. Taylor Walker (50 games)<\/p>\n
4. Jesse Hogan (50 games)<\/p>\n
5. Sam Darcy (50 games)<\/p>\n
6. Logan Morris (54 games)<\/p>\n
‘Trouble’: Bevo coy on Butters catch up | 03:04<\/p>\n
ROOS\u2019 \u2018ALL-CLUB\u2019 FAIL AS NUMBERS PAINT WORRYING PICTURE<\/p>\n
Has North Melbourne actually improved this year?
Perhaps the more appropriate question is; how much have they improved?<\/p>\n
A horror show 124-point loss to Fremantle \u2014 a game North sold to Bunbury \u2014 has been labelled an \u201call-club fail\u201d as part of a two-week stretch out west as the Roos look to bounce back against West Coast.<\/p>\n
And raised serious alarm bells with what feels like a big step backwards for Alastair Clarkson\u2019s Roos.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so rare that you see a professional team beaten in such a manner,\u201d Fox Footy AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley said on the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is the possibility of big margins and that can happen from time to time, but what happened on Saturday was both inexplicable and inexcusable.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an all-of-club failure, if you take these decisions (to sell a game). <\/p>\n
\u201cThey looked like the expendables when they took this deal over in Western Australia. The league wanted to lessen the travel of the Dockers and the Eagles \u2013 and North Melbourne stepped forward to take the cheque.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you do that out of the needs of the club \u2013 and the club does need it \u2013 there\u2019s a competitive obligation. They just didn\u2019t meet (it).\u201d<\/p>\n
AFL community gather for Daniher tribute | 03:50<\/p>\n
Even though North has already won the same amount of games as last year, five, the numbers suggest there\u2019s been little improvement<\/p>\n
Clarkson\u2019s side is still getting virtually the same returns in points against (102.8 in 2025, 101.5 in 2026, scorer per inside 50 against (49 to 5o per cent), chain to score against (28 to 25 per cent) and defensive 50 to inside 50 against (26 per cent both seasons).<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d think things would\u2019ve changed a bit, but they\u2019re not good stats,\u201d triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown said on Fox Footy\u2019s On the Couch.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve had a soft draw \u2026 absolutely it (the fast start) was a false economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI reckon those numbers have got to be much better considering the draw they\u2019ve had. With an Alastair Clarkson defensive system, something\u2019s breaking down there.\u201d<\/p>\n
AA SKIPPER? DAWSON COMPARED TO GREATS IN REMARKABLE SEASON <\/p>\n
Crows skipper Jordan Dawson is producing a career-best season in the face of adversity.
The star midfielder\u2019s ability to power on through his tragic family circumstances and put together a stellar 2026 a testament to his character.
Dawson is posting a career-high player rating (18, ranked No. 6 in the AFL) including nine games with top-game ratings.
A big part of that is because of Dawson\u2019s ability to go forward and hit the scoreboard. He\u2019s averaged a career-best 1.3 goals per game to go with his 25.1 disposals, 5.7 marks, 5.6 tackles and 4.8 inside 50s.<\/p>\n
It included a 22-disposal, three-goal captain\u2019s performance in last week\u2019s win over Geelong in a game emotions overcame Dawson after the final siren.<\/p>\n
It prompted Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley to compare the gun captain to the likes of Nat Fyfe, Patrick Dangerfield and Patrick Cripps.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been through every amount of adversity that you could possibly imagine in his life, and the emotions came through at the end of the game. But to watch him live from the opposition box isn\u2019t as much fun as it might be to be an Adelaide fan sitting in the crowd, or to be an Adelaide teammate with him on your side,\u201d Buckley said on Fox Footy\u2019s On the Couch.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is the man for them. He\u2019s playing with real aggression and real presence \u2026 He reminds me of a Nat Fyfe, a Patty Dangerfield and a Patrick Cripps.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd when you consider what he\u2019s being able to carry at the moment, he is the type of player that when your offence fails, let\u2019s just kick it to Jordan \u2026 because he\u2019s as aerially as strong as those three that I mentioned, his leadership is as strong, he\u2019s a better runner and he\u2019s the best user out of the four.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan Dawson is producing a career-best season in the face of adversity (Photo by Sarah Reed\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Dawson is going so well that he\u2019d be the deserving favourite for All-Australian captain right now. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a title Dawson\u2019s 2026 season personifies. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe senses the moment,\u201d triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been blessed with many great captains this century and they\u2019ve all had that quality of sensing the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dawson feels so ingrained at West Lakes that you forget sometimes the South Australian previously played for Sydney.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s your classic case of a gun halfback that evolved into a star midfielder and bona fide top 10 player in the competition in a new role. <\/p>\n
Former Swans coach John Longmire admitted the club couldn\u2019t have foreseen Dawson would be this good, but was still desperate to keep him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe finished third in our club champion award. I think we offered him a seven-year contract, a five-year contract, a two-year contract \u2014 whatever he wanted,\u201d Longmire told Fox Footy\u2019s AFL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought he\u2019d be a good player, but he\u2019s taken it even further.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been extraordinary for Adelaide, he\u2019s been so good. Such an impressive player and person.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat he\u2019s doing at the moment under that sort of duress that\u2019s happened to him and his family, it\u2019s extraordinary.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
POSITIONAL SWITCH TO REVIVE MALIGNED STAR<\/p>\n
With Peter Wright and Archer May sidelined, Ben McKay might be ready to step up in a new role forward. <\/p>\n
There\u2019s not many players that have come under more scrutiny in recent years than McKay after he crossed to the Bombers on a heavily front-loaded six-year deal that was believed to be worth as much $1.5 million in the first season.<\/p>\n
Heck, McKay even copped Bronx cheers from Essendon fans earlier this year before he was sent back to the VFL.<\/p>\n
But Dean Solomon\u2019s forward experiment looked good against Carlton in a game McKay took five marks inside 50 with 2.2 and seven score involvements from just nine disposals. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s an area of the ground young gun Nate Caddy desperately needs help, hence the Bombers\u2019 interest in Jed Walter. <\/p>\n
Gary Ablett Jr. – Hall of Fame Speech | 22:37<\/p>\n
Though McKay, who was originally seen as a long-term forward when he was drafted by North Melbourne, could be the answer for now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a young star down there at Essendon called Nate Caddy \u2026 He is the most valuable asset to Essendon right now,\u201d Richmond great Jack Riewoldt told Fox Footy\u2019s On The Couch. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd having Ben McKay play forward is so important to have a running mate. You need a big bull, you need a big body.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not saying he\u2019s going to be a great forward going forward, but he needs to look after Nate Caddy \u2013 and that\u2019s exactly what I reckon Dean Solomon does. It\u2019s important to have that elder statesman up forward, so not all the focus goes onto Caddy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said McKay playing forward is \u201cnot a long-term fix\u201d but \u201can absolute necessity\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cBen McKay looked bereft of any confidence at all and was losing his competitiveness as a key back. So it was nearly a no-brainer to actually throw him in to some other part of the field to give himself a chance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe is a big body, he can take a contested mark, you don\u2019t have to go defending anyone, the ball comes to you and he actually moved with intensity I hadn\u2019t seen for a long time. The last couple of weeks have actually fizzed him up and given him a real crack at playing a real role for his team. I think he feels like he\u2019s failed in the other role, so the coaching has given him another chance.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018WATCH\u2019 ON SWANS AS RIVALS GO TO WORK<\/p>\n
The 11-2 Swans are well placed sitting over two games clear inside the top two.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s a few cracks starting to appear in their profile as teams have gone to work on the premiership frontrunner for the majority of the first half of this season.<\/p>\n
Since Round 8, Dean Cox\u2019s side is ranked No. 10 in the competition for contested possession differential, No. 11 in points against and clearance differential, as well as No. 12 in points against off turnover.<\/p>\n
In four of its five wins during that stretch, Sydney has only narrowly edged out Melbourne, North Melbourne, Collingwood and St Kilda in unconvincing performances that could\u2019ve gone the other way.<\/p>\n
And while Errol Gulden\u2019s return isn\u2019t far off, the Swans\u2019 injury list is growing with Justin McInerney, Tom McCartin and Tom Papley are<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can look at it two ways. They sit really comfortable on the ladder and they\u2019ve started the season off in really good form. They\u2019re also still missing their second-best player in Errol Gulden, who\u2019s a lane-changer,\u201d Hawks legend Jordan Lewis said on Fox Footy\u2019s On the Couch. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think a lot of stuff they\u2019ve done at the start of the season seems to be straight-lining in terms of their aggression straight towards goal and their handball chains quite often are hard unless they change the angles.\u201d<\/p>\n
To get more specific, Lewis said St Kilda did a job at coming forward and applying great pressure to force Sydney into turnovers in a similar method Collingwood deployed a few weeks. <\/p>\n
Dean Cox\u2019s Swans might be 11-2, but cracks are starting to appear in the numbers (Photo by Darrian Traynor\/AFL Photos\/via Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
Lewis said the Saints came forward and applied great pressure to force the Swans into turnovers. Pies did something similar a few weeks ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery side has a blueprint. It\u2019s just whether you\u2019re on defensively that day determines whether Sydney gets through or not and maximises their strength or don\u2019t,\u201d Lewis said.<\/p>\n
Sydney\u2019s ability to score from counter punch through the corridor, which was such a strength in the early rounds, has been largely nullified. <\/p>\n
The Swans were ranked No. 1 in the AFL from rounds 0 to 6 in points per 100 intercepts (99.3), but have dropped to No. 11 since (58.1), which is down on the AFL average (66.2).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first seven rounds, it was 25 per cent of their score. Now it\u2019s 10 per cent of their score in the last six weeks,\u201d dual premiership Kangaroo David King said on Fox Footy\u2019s First Crack Preview.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a big shift on. You don\u2019t have an advantage for long in this competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour point of difference, you can\u2019t expose it as Round 6, 7, 8 or 9. Because (rivals have) 15 weeks to work out how to combat that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re still winning and finding ways. Which, I think from a Dean Cox point of view, would be healthy. He\u2019d be pleased with that, to use a Sydney term.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it is a watch as we head into the deeper rounds and they\u2019ve got some big games to come.\u201d <\/p>\n
ROUND 14 AFL FIXTURE (All times AEST) AND FOX FOOTY COMMENTARY ROSTER<\/p>\n
WESTERN BULLDOGS v ADELAIDE<\/p>\n
Thursday June 11, 7:30pm at Marvel Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6:30pm on Channel 504, with Sarah Jones, Jason Dunstall, David King, Leigh Montagna, Mark Howard, Matt Hill, Cameron Mooney & Jon Ralph<\/p>\n
GEELONG CATS v GOLD COAST SUNS<\/p>\n
Friday June 12, 7:40pm at GMHBA Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 6:30pm on Channel 504, with Garry Lyon, Tom Hawkins, Jordan Lewis, Anthony Hudson, Gerard Whateley, Jason Dunstall, Ben Dixon & Jon Ralph<\/p>\n
MELBOURNE v ESSENDON<\/p>\n
Saturday June 13, 1:15pm at the MCG<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 12:30pm on Channel 504, with Leigh Montagna, Kelli Underwood, Jordan Lewis, Cameron Mooney & Ruby Schleicher<\/p>\n
NORTH MELBOURNE v WEST COAST EAGLES<\/p>\n
Saturday June 13, 4:15pm at Optus Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 4pm on Channel 504, with Adam Papalia, David King, Brad Johnson, Kath Loughnan & Jay Clark<\/p>\n
PORT ADELAIDE v SYDNEY SWANS<\/p>\n
Saturday June 13, 7:35pm at Adelaide Oval<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 7:15pm on Channel 504, with Mark Howard, Dwayne Russell, Mark Ricciuto, Ken Hinkley, Shaun Burgoyne & Jay Clark<\/p>\n
RICHMOND v BRISBANE LIONS<\/p>\n
Sunday June 14, 1:10pm at Ninja Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 1pm on Channel 504, with Anthony Hudson, Gerard Healy, Jack Riewoldt, Eddie Betts & David Zita<\/p>\n
ST KILDA v GWS GIANTS<\/p>\n
Sunday June 14, 3:15pm at Marvel Stadium<\/p>\n
How to watch on Fox Footy: From 3pm on Channel 504, with Dwayne Russell, Matt Hill, Brad Johnson, Nick Dal Santo, Sarah Jones & David Zita, followed by Bounce and First Crack<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A great has made a huge call on the AFL\u2019s next $2 million player \u2014 though it\u2019s 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