{"id":766451,"date":"2026-06-28T21:19:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T21:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/766451\/"},"modified":"2026-06-28T21:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T21:19:10","slug":"afl-2026-round-16-talking-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/766451\/","title":{"rendered":"AFL 2026, Round 16 Talking Points"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Everyone knows Nick Daicos is brilliant &#8211; but he\u2019s on the brink of all-time footy history.<\/p>\n<p>Plus the AFL\u2019s own goal on goalkicking leaves everyone baffled and much more, as the big issues from Round 16 are analysed in Foxfooty.com.au\u2019s Talking Points!<\/p>\n<p>Watch every match of every round of the AFL Premiership Season LIVE and ad-break free during play on FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? <a href=\"https:\/\/kayosports.com.au\/en-AU\/welcome\/afl?extcamp=fsaeditoriallinkafl-edt-fsp-lnk-awr-grc-afl-kyo&amp;channel=fsa&amp;campaign=fsacontra\" title=\"kayosports.com.au\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/poster-fallback.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WHAT&#8217;S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES\u2019: DAICOS HISTORY WE HAVE TO STOP AND ADMIRE<\/p>\n<p>In a frenetic landscape where performance is scrutinised weekly, opinions are ever-evolving and circumstances change in a blink, it\u2019s hard to stop and admire what\u2019s happening right in front of our eyes. <\/p>\n<p>Nick Daicos is the most overanalysed superstar in our game, such is his effervescence as one of the competition\u2019s top two players. <\/p>\n<p>And what\u2019s happening is he\u2019s rapidly becoming the player of our generation. <\/p>\n<p>Because in the blink of an eye, Collingwood\u2019s father-son gun is almost five years into a glittering career that\u2019s already worthy of Hall of Fame induction. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think we need to acknowledge greatness when it\u2019s happening right in front of our eyes,\u201d dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna told Fox Footy\u2019s First Crack on Sunday night. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd right now, Nick Daicos is on an historic run that we have not seen before and we may not see again. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if he continues on this trajectory that he\u2019s on this season, it will have been the best first five years we\u2019ve seen from any player in the history of the game. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd I think it\u2019s going under the radar a little bit, which is why I wanted to bring it to the attention &#8211; because he\u2019s on some sort of run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s come while also upping his forward minutes to 22 per cent as he develops into an even more damaging centre-forward force. <\/p>\n<p>McRae happy as Pies bank win | 08:36<\/p>\n<p>Post Round 15, Daicos sits first on the Coaches\u2019 Association leaderboard &#8211; the gold-standard measuring stick when it comes to assessing player performance &#8211; with 83 votes, five clear of Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli. <\/p>\n<p>\u201c(Those numbers) are quite extraordinary, what he is putting together off the back of the 37 and three he kicked on Saturday against Richmond,\u201d Montagna continued. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut when you dive a little bit deeper and take a look at the season he\u2019s having &#8211; I know everyone\u2019s got an opinion on Nick Daicos and what he\u2019s doing &#8211; but right now, take a look at the Coaches\u2019 Association leaderboard. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s presume he polls eight votes (against Richmond) \u2026 he\u2019ll be on 91 votes after 16 rounds. Only Nat Fyfe\u2019s historic run in 2015 has any player polled more CA votes after Round 16 &#8211; he had 100. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the rate that (Daicos) is going, he will break Dustin Martin\u2019s record of 122 votes that he polled from the coaches in 2017 &#8211; one of the all-time great seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the season, Daicos is averaging 35.5 disposals and 1.3 goals per game. He\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s hard to argue this isn\u2019t destined to be his year. <\/p>\n<p>Daicos has already stacked 12 games of 30+ disposals, and he\u2019s kicked at least one goal in nine of those matches. <\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>Jordan De Goey\u2019s resurgent season might see a few votes go his teammate\u2019s way on Brownlow night, but despite Collingwood\u2019s middling 2026 formline, Nick is still in the box seat to finally &#8211; belatedly &#8211; claim the game\u2019s biggest individual honour. <\/p>\n<p>Nick Daicos looks bound for the Brownlow. (Photo by Michael Willson\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt he\u2019s getting 30+ Brownlow votes again, which will mean he\u2019s the only player in history to have polled 30+ Brownlow votes three times,\u201d Montagna said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the only thing that\u2019s missing, is his ability to win it \u2026 it\u2019s been incredible (that he hasn\u2019t won yet). <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd if he does continue on the trajectory he\u2019s going on this year, he could end up winning the Brownlow Medal, he\u2019s going to win the best-and-fairest, he\u2019s going to be All-Australian, and he may win the MVP and Coaches\u2019 Association. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI spoke to some highly credentialed figures in the AFL and asked, \u2018What is the best first five years that we\u2019ve ever seen?\u2019 They said: \u2018Chris Judd\u2019. But that CV would be better than Chris Judd\u2019s first five years. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, I think we need to sit back sometimes and just acknowledge the greatness that we are witnessing \u2026 (if he wins the Brownlow and a few of those other awards) that is a Hall of Fame resume at 23 years of age.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Magpies-relevant question teased out by this discussion is: How can the club maximise its generational asset?<\/p>\n<p>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. <\/p>\n<p>And with more talent by his side, the Pies should be eyeing multiple premierships inside the next decade, says Montagna. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a generational player, and they can\u2019t afford to waste his talent,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, they are doing everything they can to be competitive while they have the player in this sort of form. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019d want to win multiple over the next 10 years with Daicos there, but that\u2019s why it\u2019s about Lachie Neale, getting a key forward. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey know that they need to continue to be competitive while they have a player that is this generational talent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Georgiades avoids ban for high hit | 00:28<\/p>\n<p>\u2018CONTROVERSY OF THE LEAGUE\u2019S CREATION\u2019 ROLLS ON<\/p>\n<p>The AFL\u2019s rules are back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons once more \u2013 with two glaring goal errors in a matter of days.<\/p>\n<p>The first started on Thursday night when Lion Logan Morris was denied after the three-quarter time siren.<\/p>\n<p>Morris snapped truly but the umpire directly behind him deemed the Brisbane forward didn\u2019t get back to his mark when he kicked the Sherrin, and called play on as a result.<\/p>\n<p>But on Friday, the AFL declared they\u2019d made a mistake.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt seems to be a controversy of the league\u2019s creation. It\u2019s just absolutely bizarre, this one,\u201d Jon Ralph said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, pardon the pun, but it almost seems like the goalposts are shifting week on week on these post-siren set shots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLogan Morris thought he\u2019d kicked the goal \u2026 didn\u2019t realise it had been overruled by the umpire until the start of the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c(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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the explanation from the AFL, and this is where we\u2019re confused even more: \u2018Where 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\u2019. What\u2019s the line of the kick?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe thought we\u2019d 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?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Montagna: &#8220;No need to blow the whistle&#8221; | 01:24<\/p>\n<p>Ralph said \u201csurely common sense\u201d would apply to set shots after the siren, and unless players are well off their mark, their score should stand.<\/p>\n<p>Melbourne great Garry Lyon and triple premiership Cat Tom Hawkins didn\u2019t see eye to eye on the \u201cmistake\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI 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,\u201d Hawkins said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo surely he\u2019s, even in his young age, understands that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Lyon was adamant the responsibility was with the AFL, and not Morris.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is a mistake, and that\u2019s it. The umpire stuffed it up. Let\u2019s not worry about it. Let\u2019s move on. End of story,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not that hard. Put your hands up, see the bloke with his hands up, kick it over his head, and hopefully towards goal. \u201c<\/p>\n<p>Ralph questioned what the outcome would be if a small forward-type opted for the post-siren snap in a final.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSnappers are gonna want to snap. They\u2019ve got clarification for the AFL. Logan Morris said, I looked at the missive, I made sure I didn\u2019t improve my angle, and I still got robbed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd they made a mistake,\u201d Lyon interjected.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>ANOTHER after-the-siren no goal! | 00:54<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHawthorn 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,\u201d Ralph explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s six goals off the Coleman Medal. Now imagine there\u2019s only one chance to win a Coleman Medal and he has to take one off his tally because of that. It\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Fox Footy\u2019s Jay Clark said Fagan was \u201chaving a conniption\u201d over the loss of the six points given the tight finals race we are seeing in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Port Adelaide meantime had their own goal drama when Crow Ben Keays was awarded a goal \u2013 from a free kick that should never been paid because the ball crossed the goal line first.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of Riley Thilthorpe registering a behind, the ball bounced into play, the ARC didn\u2019t intervene and Port are now five points worse off in regards to their end of year percentage.<\/p>\n<p>However you look at it, Jack Riewoldt summed it up best stating: \u201cThe ARC is under more pressure than anything in this competition coming into the last seven weeks \u2026 under more pressure than any coach\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Another HOWLER for the ARC | 01:37<\/p>\n<p>\u2018THEY\u2019LL SURVIVE\u2019: WHY GIANTS NO LONGER NEED GREENE THE WAY THEY ONCE DID<\/p>\n<p>Eight rounds left and Toby Greene \u2014 the Giants\u2019 greatest ever player and on-field figure \u2014 remains unsigned.<\/p>\n<p>Yet Friday night\u2019s discussion on Fox Footy raised an intriguing prospect: The Giants might\u2019ve finally reached the point where losing Greene wouldn\u2019t break them.<\/p>\n<p>That would\u2019ve been an unfathomable prospect a few years ago, because the Giants once couldn\u2019t afford to lose their captain.<\/p>\n<p>But while the Giants \u2014 who are injury-depleted and in a fight to keep in touch with the wildcard race \u2014 desperately want to keep Greene, they\u2019re investing in the next generation and tier of players \u2026 and building a list that can survive without him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose close to him (Greene) still say he\u2019s hugely loyal and if they had to have a dollar on him, they would say he\u2019s likely to stay. But we know the offer is there \u2014 three years at $2 million \u2014 from Geelong,\u201d CODE Sports report Jon Ralph told Fox Footy after the Giants\u2019 loss to Hawthorn on Friday night.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe club says they\u2019re absolutely desperate to keep him. Jason McCartney, the football boss, tells Fox Footy: \u2018We desperately want to retain him.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I think what the season\u2019s proven is that the next premiership window is probably two or three years down the track and it\u2019s all about the kids. I think if he leaves, for the first time you can say they\u2019ll survive without him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes it\u2019ll be a challenge. But what McCartney says is they are so excited about the kids who maybe are not household names, but we\u2019re seeing them grow up in front of our eyes. That\u2019s Harvey Thomas on a wing, Phoenix Gothard, Joe Fonti, Cody Angove \u2014 who they love, no one knows about him \u2014 and even Darcy Jones, who\u2019s back in about a month off an ACL.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe club has put forward a six or seven-year deal to Lachie Ash, who\u2019s a free agent next year. They\u2019ve got a very similar deal in front of Tom Green.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo they want to put their resources into those kind of players, not necessarily Toby \u2014 even though that deal is fair.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bizarre scenes in boundary infringement | 02:05<\/p>\n<p>Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis said considering the emotional burden Greene had carried since 2012, few \u201cwould 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\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s done all he possibly can, I think, at the Giants to get them in a position where they consistently play finals. He\u2019s been a big-game player for well over a decade,\u201d Lewis told Fox Footy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy gut feel tells me that he will leave at the end of the season \u2014 and maybe he goes to Tom\u2019s (Hawkins\u2019) old side to play with Jeremy (Cameron) to play in big games and finals. But I don\u2019t think anyone would begrudge him if he made that decision.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s not playing his absolute best. Does he look frustrated? He\u2019s probably always looked frustrated, but he had probably five opportunities there (on Friday night) where he could have got fined or almost suspended.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo I think a new lease on life for a player like Toby, who\u2019s carried this football club for a decade, he would just love \u2014 especially in an environment like Geelong where we\u2019ve seen what they\u2019ve been able to do with their stars in terms of prolonging their careers, but getting the best out of them in the back-end.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Triple premiership Cat Tom Hawkins suggested a new environment \u2014 especially a club in flag contention \u2014 would see other senior leaders \u201cshouldering a big load\u201d so Greene wouldn\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe can\u2019t underestimate he\u2019s a foundation player at the Giants. Culturally, he\u2019s really important,\u201d Hawkins told Fox Footy. \u201cBut that takes a toll on you, both physically and mentally, and shortens your actual lifespan on the footy field.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the opportunity to come back home \u2014 and I agree it\u2019s not a foregone conclusion that he goes and plays at Geelong<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 but I think he\u2019ll be looking at some contenders.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Greene has dragged the Giants through their formative years and into premiership contention. He can stay and remain one of the club\u2019s biggest stars.<\/p>\n<p>But the lure of a fresh start might be too good to refuse. And if that\u2019s ultimately the case, the Giants believe they\u2019d be well placed, for they no longer need Greene the way they once did.<\/p>\n<p>Cripps gets laugh over Reid | 00:46<\/p>\n<p>HIRD DETAILS REVEALED AS KEN GIVES TELLING COACHING HINT<\/p>\n<p>Essendon will meet with club legend James Hird about its coaching vacancy, and a timeline for that high-profile rendezvous has emerged. <\/p>\n<p>It comes as Ken Hinkley gives an indication on whether he\u2019ll throw his hat in the ring for the Bombers\u2019 top job. <\/p>\n<p>Essendon just days ago confirmed its panel charged with hand-picking the club\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n<p>And while a variety of assistant coaches and experienced mentors are set to come into calculations, the big name on everyone\u2019s lips is set to get his crack at it. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Bombers have confirmed that they will meet with James Hird about their coaching vacancy,\u201d First Crack\u2019s Jay Clark told Fox Footy on Saturday night. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cExpect that to happen within the next two to three weeks &#8211; certainly within the next month. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve finalised that process \u2026 Expect them to interview 5-10 people and whittle that down to a shortlist of three. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe know they\u2019ll interview a heap of assistants, and clearly expect Ken Hinkley will be a man that they will call.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Roo gives beautiful Tony Modra update | 01:56<\/p>\n<p>Multiple reports have relayed the Bombers\u2019 stance that the winning candidate doesn\u2019t have to be an \u201cEssendon person\u201d, with the club also moving to deny a report that Welsh\u2019s preferred choice is former teammate and current interim coach Dean Solomon. <\/p>\n<p>Solomon, who was a Bombers board member as recently as last year, has yet to officially indicate whether he\u2019ll go into the running for the full-time role, as he focuses on coaching out the Dons\u2019 2026 campaign. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s 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. <\/p>\n<p>He claimed the 59-year-old \u201cstill has the coaching bug\u201d &#8211; but a smiling Hinkley expertly didn\u2019t give anything away when quizzed on his interest in the Essendon vacancy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI did a thing during the week about coaches\u2019 cliches, and rule number two is that I don\u2019t deal in hypotheticals,\u201d Hinkley told Super Saturday Live. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf and when someone rings me, the first thing I\u2019ll say (is) \u2018hello\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While Hinkley was coy amidst the questioning, he did confirm: \u201cI miss coaching.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Power stun Crows in Showdown 60 | 03:27<\/p>\n<p>AFL \u2018LAG\u2019 THAT NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED AS COACH\u2019S CONTRACT PLAY EMERGES<\/p>\n<p>The conversation around Sam Mitchell\u2019s next contract has reignited calls for change to the AFL\u2019s soft cap structure. <\/p>\n<p>Seven\u2019s Tom Morris reported midweek that Mitchell, whose current Hawthorn coaching deal ends in 2027, was \u201cgettable\u201d and would take a call from rivals. <\/p>\n<p>But there isn\u2019t really anyone who believes there\u2019s a serious chance that Mitchell would leave the premiership-contending Hawks. <\/p>\n<p>Instead, the leak is almost certainly a ploy to drive up his price as Hawthorn and Mitchell\u2019s management get the ball rolling on the Brownlow medallist\u2019s next contract. <\/p>\n<p>But while Mitchell &#8211; already ascending as one of the game\u2019s top tacticians &#8211; 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. <\/p>\n<p>The Hawks aren\u2019t strangers to this conundrum, and as explained by Midweek Tackle\u2019s Jon Ralph on Friday night, they face a not-too-dissimilar situation to Damien Hardwick and Gold Coast in 2023. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course he\u2019s going to stay at (Hawthorn),\u201d Ralph said of Mitchell on Fox Footy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Hawthorn CEO, Ash Klein, said Mitchell will be here for a very long time. Of course, the deal (talks are) underway. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey know he wants to get paid, like any coach who wants to maximise his value. (But) here\u2019s the thing &#8211; 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. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think that message will be heard loud and clear. Sam probably wants to get top dollar. He won\u2019t be that greedy, will he? He\u2019s going to stay, but he needs to keep that elite support crew around him, which he has right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Schultz, McStay in 3QT confrontation | 00:40<\/p>\n<p>Four-time Hawthorn flag-winner and former teammate of Mitchell, Jordan Lewis, believed coaches \u201care understanding of that\u201d. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, they hold a really significant position, but a lot of the assistant coaches under them, if they\u2019re not good at their job, it impacts the way that the team performs,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt impacts the way that they\u2019re able to coach. So, I think he\u2019s clever enough to understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Gerard Whateley said he had a \u201cvery low tolerance\u201d for the talk about Mitchell\u2019s contract, given a change to the soft cap structure would make the discussion moot. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the one part of the story that I think this teases out, is the senior coaches\u2019 wage shouldn\u2019t be in the soft cap,\u201d he said post-Hawthorn\u2019s win on Friday night. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe should get top dollar, and the best coaches should get far more than they currently get. And it shouldn\u2019t be weighed against what else you\u2019re getting in the football department. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know part of it has been placed outside \u2026 There\u2019s a lag here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At the moment, per AFL rules, 20 per cent of the senior coach\u2019s salary sits outside the soft cap. <\/p>\n<p>And in a change from 2026 onwards, clubs are also able to provide marketing services agreements to their senior coaches &#8211; funded by club sponsors or partners &#8211; outside the soft cap, up to $100,000 per year. <\/p>\n<p>But Whateley believes that simply isn\u2019t enough, calling for the head coach\u2019s salary to be exempt from football department spending. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe senior coaches should be earning whatever they can possibly earn, which would allow so much money in the industry,\u201d he continued. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe soft cap can be better spread through the assistants, with a senior coach cap outside it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ralph added: \u201cAnd through mental health as well, which is something the AFL has really reinforced this year. The more that\u2019s outside, the more we spend on the right areas that we need to.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Everyone knows Nick Daicos is brilliant &#8211; but he\u2019s on the brink of all-time footy history. Plus the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":766452,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-766451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/766451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=766451"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/766451\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/766452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=766451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=766451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=766451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}