{"id":813762,"date":"2026-07-21T05:56:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:56:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/813762\/"},"modified":"2026-07-21T05:56:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T05:56:18","slug":"why-pubs-and-irish-expats-are-behind-the-afls-call-not-to-move-sold-out-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/813762\/","title":{"rendered":"Why pubs and Irish expats are behind the AFL\u2019s call not to move sold-out clash"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In today\u2019s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news:Laura Kane has defended the AFL\u2019s call to host the Australia v Ireland women\u2019s clash at North Sydney Oval.Craig McRae has opened up about premiership-winning small forward Bobby Hill.Chris Scott has heaped praise on assistant coach Nathan Buckley, who lost out on the Tasmania Devils coaching role to Ken Hinkley.<\/p>\n

AFLW boss Laura Kane has defended a decision not to shift the competition\u2019s looming international match to a bigger stadium, despite the game\u2019s boutique venue, North Sydney Oval, selling out.<\/p>\n

The league has come under fire from fans and past players for not opening up the first-ever Irish-Australia women\u2019s clash on August 1 to a larger live audience by relocating it to the SCG.<\/p>\n

\"AFLWAFLW players Georgie Prespakis, Taylah Gatt, Jesse Tawhiao-Warlaw and Sophie McKay.AFL Photos<\/p>\n

The intimate North Sydney Oval holds fewer than 10,000 people.<\/p>\n

But Kane said the league had monitored ticket sales and waiting lists to inform their decision.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Kate<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we announced this game, we wanted to create an amazing atmosphere, and so a sellout is incredible,\u201d Kane said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo I want to be, you know, in future talking about the MCG, the SCG or Marvel Stadium? Absolutely, I do, and we will get there.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut for now, our priority is making sure that we have a packed-out stadium, and we are going to get that with North Sydney Oval.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s such a great place to play footy, and really, it comes down to the data. What does the data tell us around what our fans want to do? When it tells us that we can fill the SCG, we\u2019ll play there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of seeking a bigger venue, the league opted to work with Sydney pubs to set up fan zones for the city\u2019s large Irish ex-pat community to watch the game.<\/p>\n

There are no AFL matches fixtured in Sydney that weekend.<\/p>\n

\"LauraLaura Kane at the AFLW season launch.AFL Photos<\/p>\n

Former Carlton and Brisbane Lions star Lauren Arnell called the decision \u201cbaffling\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re already telling people two weeks out, \u2018You can\u2019t come\u2019,\u201d the former Port Adelaide coach told the ABC. \u201cI just feel like you are limiting the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Kane, the AFL\u2019s executive general manager of AFLW, health and football operations said the league had turned its attention towards attracting a larger TV audience once the stadium sold out.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want people watching it in their lounge rooms. We want people watching it at restaurants, at pubs, at venues all over the country \u2013 not just in Sydney,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The AFLW season starts on August 9 when St Kilda and Carlton clash as part of an AFL double-header at Marvel Stadium, which coincides with \u2018Spud\u2019s Game\u2019, held in memory of Saints great Danny Frawley and to raise money for and awareness of mental health.<\/p>\n

Kane said the AFL was continually looking to reduce the number of AFLW venues, having already cut ground numbers from 38 to 27, and had done away with computer chips for ball-tracking technology.<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Article\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to make sure that we have the best technology available for both of our competitions, AFL and AFLW \u2026 and we felt that the time was right to evolve to vision and video review,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoth Greg Swann and I are looking at, \u2018What does optical tracking look like?\u2019, in the context of all venues that we play at, notwithstanding that there\u2019s a few extra W venues that we play footy at.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is the long-term solution? At the moment, the best technology that we feel [is] available for score review is video and the video review system, but it\u2019s always something that we\u2019re looking at improving.\u201d
– Danny Russell<\/p>\n

\u2018A lot of love and care\u2019: McRae\u2019s heartfelt message to premiership star<\/p>\n

Jon Pierik<\/p>\n

An emotional Craig McRae says Bobby Hill will forever be a beloved Magpie, as Collingwood and the Norm Smith medallist prepare to split.<\/p>\n

McRae said on Tuesday he had not seen Hill for some time, the star small forward and father of three dealing with personal issues.<\/p>\n

\"HappierHappier days: Bobby Hill embraces teammate Nick Daicos during a Collingwood training session.Eddie Jim<\/p>\n

Hill has spent significant time away from the club over the past year, managing only three VFL games this season, and appears certain to part ways with the club.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Nathan<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201c[I] haven\u2019t seen Bobby in the building for a while, which it\u2019s always something, as a coach, you go, \u2018[I] hope the young lad\u2019s going OK\u2019,\u201d McRae said, his eyes almost welling up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re out there, Bobby, we\u2019ve got a lot of love and care for you, and still do, and [we] never, never change, [and] never waver in our love and support for the young man.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always trying to remain connected, and sometimes [it\u2019s] a bit harder than other times.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hill is contracted until the end of 2030 on a deal worth about $750,000 per season, league sources say.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Ken<\/a><\/p>\n

McRae said he had attempted to contact Hill, who has played 108 games across eight seasons with GWS and the Magpies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is an emotion attached to it … there\u2019s the playing part, the high performance of what he\u2019s capable of doing for our team and for our supporter base, and then there\u2019s the other personal part of, as a father, [you] get emotional thinking about a young man with three kids,\u201d McRae said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want the best for all our players [who have] come into our environment, [to] be good humans, and be a good father and a good husband. Those things that we\u2019re trying to instil, but yeah, environments change and shift, and so [we\u2019ve got] lots of love and care for them [Hill and his family].\u201d<\/p>\n

The eighth-placed Magpies head to Adelaide for Thursday night\u2019s clash against the Crows on a roll, having won five straight in a stretch of games they had targeted. Now comes a refresh with a new theme, but the Magpies may be without Scott Pendlebury, who could be rested.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowey\u2019s [Jeremy Howe is] back and someone has to go out \u2013 [there are] lots of [players in] good form, and players deserve to keep their spot … I anticipate that \u2018Pendles\u2019 plays. That\u2019s probably where it\u2019s going to land,\u201d McRae said.<\/p>\n

Josh Daicos (ankle) did not train on Tuesday, McRae adding a final call on his fitness could be as late as game time. Howe, the premiership backman, trained strongly and will return. Fellow defender Isaac Quaynor, who had a minor wrist issue in the last quarter against Carlton, is also expected to play.<\/p>\n

The Magpies will celebrate Jordan De Goey\u2019s 200th game, McRae saying the robust midfielder was in the best form he had been in during his coaching tenure. De Goey, pushing for All-Australian selection, is contracted until the end of 2027, and is keen on a multi-year extension, league sources say.<\/p>\n

The Crows, without the suspended Izak Rankine<\/a>, won by 14 points when the two clubs met at the MCG in round one.<\/p>\n

\u2018He would have been a great Tasmanian coach\u2019: Scott\u2019s praise for Buckley<\/p>\n

Danny Russell<\/p>\n

Chris Scott says his decorated assistant Nathan Buckley will escape any negative perception that is usually associated with applicants missing out on senior coaching jobs.<\/p>\n

Buckley joined the Geelong coaching panel at the start of this season to enhance his chances of landing the Tasmania Devils role.<\/p>\n

\"NathanNathan Buckley missed out to Ken Hinkley on the Tasmania Devils coaching job.Getty Images<\/p>\n

But the fledgling club announced this week it had overlooked the Collingwood great for Ken Hinkley.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspect if Tassie get the opportunity to talk publicly about him, they would say similar things to me, \u2018He was an outstanding candidate and would have been a great Tasmanian coach, but the fit wasn\u2019t quite as good as the other guy\u2019, who just happens to be one who coached for 15 years in the AFL, or thereabouts\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no shame in running, I don\u2019t know whether he ran second, but let\u2019s assume he ran second to Ken Hinkley \u2013 there\u2019s no shame in that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Geelong coach said Buckley\u2019s willingness to publicly announce his interest in the Tasmanian position spoke to \u201chow secure he is in his ability, and his position in the game\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to me that it is quite rare that a coach puts their hand up and says, \u2018This is something that I want, and I\u2019m prepared to go through the process\u2019,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t only go through the process, he went back to work, which, obviously, has been a real positive for us.<\/p>\n

\u201cI suspect it won\u2019t happen that much, so if you like his way of going about it, make the most of it now because I don\u2019t think you will see it too often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scott said it was less likely younger candidates would put themselves on the line in the same manner as Buckley.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe likelihood for all the candidates for these positions is that you are probably going to miss, irrespective of how good a job you do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cInevitably, the kind of perception could be, \u2018Well, there must have been a good reason why someone didn\u2019t get the job\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the reality is more likely that you could actually be a fantastic candidate, you are just not the right fit for that point in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut again, the perception of that can hurt, in particular young coaches. In that context, I am certain that the negative perception won\u2019t apply to \u2018Bucks\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buckley, who coached Collingwood to the 2018 grand final, said missing out on the Tasmanian gig had left him at a \u201cfork in the road\u201d.<\/p>\n

He has all but ruled out applying for the vacant Carlton and Essendon roles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t really reflected on where those roles sit and I don\u2019t think I would enter those processes,\u201d Buckley told Fox Footy on Monday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m absolutely focused on the next six to 10 weeks with Geelong and how that plays out. I was committed to that [Tasmania job], and that ended a day ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future there [at the Cats] for me will inform my next step in footy. I probably wouldn\u2019t have come back [to AFL coaching] in unless I\u2019d looked at Tassie, so it\u2019s a fork in the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really grateful for where I\u2019m at, rather than maybe just being on the couch, [having spent] five years in media, without really knowing what I was doing with footy.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now that I\u2019m back in a club, I don\u2019t know what\u2019s next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Buckley said Devils CEO Brendon Gale informed him of their decision to appoint Hinkley on Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s taken me a little bit of time to reflect because I was really keen on it. I was in on it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI texted back [to Gale] that, \u2018I\u2019m disappointed, but thanks for letting me know\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll come back around and touch base in time [with Tasmania, for some feedback] because it\u2019s obviously a busy time for the Devils.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"JonJon Pierik<\/a> is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":813763,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-813762","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\/813762","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=813762"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/813762\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/813763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=813762"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=813762"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=813762"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}