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Life coach linked to Adelaide AFL team controversy charged with rape

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A life coach who was linked to a high-profile imbroglio involving an Adelaide Crows AFL training camp has been charged with rape and indecent treatment of children.

Queensland police last month released a missing persons alert for Wolfgang Raven Wildgrace and his wife Sonya Maria Lindley-Jones, who disappeared from their Brisbane home where they ran a counselling and therapies business.

Police cited concerns for the safety of the couple, who were later arrested in north Queensland and appeared in Mareeba Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Wildgrace 1

Sonya Maria Lindley-Jones and Wolfgang Wildgrace have been charged with indecent treatment of children.(Supplied: Facebook)

Mr Wildgrace, 58, faces one count of rape and 32 of indecent treatment of children.

Ms Lindley-Jones, 51, is charged with one count of indecent treatment of a child.

Mr Wildgrace is a former bricklayer who earned a bravery decoration from the Australian government in 1995 for disarming a gunman who was holding TAFE students hostage in Logan, south of Brisbane.

He changed his name by deed poll and became a self-described “emotional fitness personal trainer”, conducting men’s retreats on the Gold Coast for up to $735 a client.

Wildgrace 2

Police issued a missing persons alert last month for Brisbane couple Wolfgang Wildgrace and Sonya Maria Lindley-Jones.(Supplied: Facebook)

The couple registered “Emotional Fitness Personal Training” and “Emotional Fitness Australia” as trademarks.

In 2018, Mr Wildgrace helped another organisation deliver a leadership program called “Mark of the Warrior” to members of the Adelaide Crows AFL team in a pre-season training camp.

The program drew public criticism from a South Australian politician and was controversial with some players, who questioned the lack of formal qualifications of camp facilitators as they conducted “mind-training exercises”.

Critics included the now-retired Indigenous AFL great Eddie Betts, who told the Age newspaper in 2022 that he “sought permission to remove all the Aboriginal [players] from any further interactions with the ‘leadership specialists’ and their mind-training exercises”.

Wildgrace car

Queensland police released this image of a car in a missing persons alert for Brisbane couple Wolfgang Wildgrace and Sonya Lindley-Jones in February, 2024. (Supplied: Queensland Police)

Last month police in their missing persons alert released an image of a distinctive Orange 4WD vehicle bearing the name of the business, Wildgrace Counselling and Therapies, and the numberplate “GROWTH”.

The couple have been remanded in custody and are due to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court for a committal mention on 24 May.

AFL statement on the Western Bulldogs

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The Western Bulldogs have been issued a $20,000 suspended fine for administrative errors identified in the 2022 AFLW Total Player Payments submission in relation to third party agreements

The Western Bulldogs have been issued a $20,000 suspended fine for administrative errors identified in the 2022 AFLW Total Player Payments submission in relation to third party agreements.

The club will not have to pay the fine unless a similar breach is identified in the AFL or AFLW programs up to the end of their respective 2024 seasons.

These errors were identified in the ordinary course of audit procedures conducted by the AFL and were not considered material in nature with respect to value or intent.

Brisbane’s billion-dollar stadium mess explained as iconic home nears ‘death’s door’

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In the hours before Brisbane hosts Collingwood in a rematch of last year’s AFL grand final on Easter Thursday, the streets surrounding the Gabba were filling with fans.

From those enjoying a Schoefferhofer at the Brisbane German Club on Vulture St to patrons filling the restaurants on Logan Rd, just behind Stanley St, a sea of fans wearing maroon, yellow and blue, or the black and white of Collingwood, were readying themselves what is surprisingly already a critical clash for both clubs.

Now an established fixture to start the Easter weekend, a capacity crowd is expected for what will be the ninth sellout at the Gabba for the Lions in their past 14 games at the historic venue.

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Brandon Starcevich and Hugh McCluggage at the Gabba ahead of their game against Collingwood, Wednesday, March 27, 2024 – Picture: Richard WalkerSource: News Corp Australia

Even though neither of the 2023 standouts have won a game this season, Brisbane chairman Andrew Wellington has no doubt thousands more would pile in if the capacity at the Gabba was greater.

When the Lions are firing, as they have been dating back to a semi-final appearance in 2019, the atmosphere at the ground is electric and it is a brilliant place to watch footy.

From the speakers pumping John Denver’s classic Take Me Home, Country Roads following a goal from small forward Charlie Cameron to the Brisbane Lions anthem sung to the tune of La Marseillaise after a win, it is a rich footy experience. As Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley said on Wednesday; “There is not a bad seat in the house.”

But those attending will not see the chaos and decrepit conditions behind the scenes at the Gabba, as identified in the Sport Venue Review headed by Graham Quirk investigating how best Brisbane should prepare for the 2032 Olympics.

18/3/2024: Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk talks about his Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games venues review, that was conducted over the last month, in the Botanic Gardens, outside parliament, Brisbane. pic: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier MailSource: News Corp Australia

It makes for alarming reading and has been the subject of major discussion in Queensland for months amid government backflips when it comes to planning for the future.

Put simply, by the end of this decade, the Gabba will be on death’s door.

With a maximum attendance of 37,000 for AFL games and 33,000 for cricket, the historic venue already lags behind the other mainland states and will also fall behind Tasmania should the contentious Macquarie Point stadium be build by the end of this decade.

The ramifications are already evident. The Gabba has lost its hold on the first Test of the summer, with WACA chief executive Christina Matthews saying on Wednesday they had received assurances Perth Stadium has hosting rights for the next seven summers.

The problems identified by the Quirk report commissioned by the Queensland Government, which now stands accused of ignoring the key recommendations, are concerning.

Part of the Gabba roof failed in 2008 and it is near the end of its shelf life. Degradation has been identified in the steel structure. The cooling and ventilation system is at the end of its viability. The lifts are unreliable and need upgrading to meet fire safety standards while the lighting at the ground must be improved.

The review found meeting the requirements for back-scene improvements would cost $1 billion … without actually enhancing the viewing perspective or capacity at the ground. It would be a Band-Aid solution.

And that does not consider other major issues. For example, an ambulance cannot currently enter the playing field should it be required. Non-able bodied access to the ground is a disaster. There are no female locker rooms or toilets. Conditions for caterers are inferior.

Anyone who has spent time in the locker rooms below will know that they are inferior to the training complexes at every AFL club, let alone suitable for an international sporting venue.

And when the Cross River Rail station opens outside the Gabba, a source told foxsports.com.au there are real concerns about overcrowding outside the venue given fans can only access the stadium at the section their ticket is in.

“Rebuilding the ageing Gabba requires substantial investment and, even when complete, will still not deliver a truly international standard stadium due to the constraints of the site. There is no alternative partial redevelopment option that will provide value for money or substantially avoid the need for a total rebuild in the long term,” the Quirk review concluded.

“It is recommended that, when an alternative stadium becomes available, the existing structure be demolished and the site be repurposed.”

East Brisbane State School would have to make way for a rebuild of the Gabba for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. East Brisbane 1st July 2023 Picture David ClarkSource: News Corp Australia

KNOCKING DOWN THE GABBA? NOT SO FAST

While the Olympics are very much a celebration of international athletes, there is also a hope that they leave a lasting legacy on the host city. But the Brisbane Games were going to cause an issue for key domestic sports.

Leading into Christmas last year, Australia’s domestic sports were gnashing their teeth about the prospect of having to relocate from the Gabba for an extended period during a rebuild when it seemed the venue was the preferred option to host the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

It would end a streak dating back to the summer of 1976-1977 of the 128-year-old venue hosting a Test match, while the Lions were assessing temporary solutions at a time when they are considered to be in the premiership window.

The cost of either adding capacity to the Lions new training venue in Springfield, which is world class, or upgrading the RSA Showgrounds was expected to be in the vicinity of $80 million and came with the prospect of the club receiving no compensation for a loss in revenue associated with crowds, sponsorship revenue and other streams of income at the Gabba.

But the prospects of a new stadium being built at Victoria Park appealed given the long-term benefits associated with a move from the Gabba, which would be demolished based on a key recommendation of the Quirk Review.

Instead Queensland Premier Steven Miles’ government has ignored the recommendations of the report, which identified a stadium in Victoria Park as a legacy-defining project for Brisbane 2032.

As a result, things have changed for the major domestic sports in the short-to-medium term.

The Queensland Government now says it will allocate $1 billion to upgrade the Gabba and Suncorp Stadium, with the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre that was built for the Commonwealth Games in 1982 to receive a $1.6 billion makeover to host the Olympics.

When acknowledging this week that the Queensland Government opted for the cheaper as opposed to best option, Mr Miles told The Today Show;

“I don’t think Queenslanders were ready for an extra billion dollars to be spent on the Olympics and Paralympics while they’re struggling with their household bills right now.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles (pictured), Deputy Premier Cameron Dick, Police Minister Mark Ryan and Acting Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski pictured inspecting the new Youth Remand Centre at Wacol. Wacol Wednesday 27th March 2024 Picture David ClarkSource: News Corp Australia
Developing Queensland – Brisbane Queensland Australia – January 10 2023 : Woolloongabba (Gabba) stadium is seen on a summer morning. This stadium is set to welcome Brisbane Olympics summer games in 2032.Source: Supplied

The decision was the subject of yet a scathing editorial in the Courier-Mail on the morning of Collingwood’s clash against Brisbane on Easter Thursday.

Are the domestic codes happy? They are still looking to Victoria Park in Brisbane’s inner-north as the preferred venue in the long-term.

While the economic impact is vastly better for the Brisbane Lions in the short-term, they are of the view that the State Government decision simply postpones what will become a significant issue shortly after the Olympics are completed.

Wellington, who is a chartered accountant with extensive experience in the financial industry, said the Lions believe further consideration should be given to building at Victoria Park.

“The Lions really believe there should be further investigation of the Victorian Park Stadium option,” Brisbane’s chairman told foxsports.com.au.

“The current decision seems to ignore the fact that the Gabba will be nearing the end of its useful life around 2030. So regardless of what investments are made in QSAC or other options, there’s going to have to be some material form of investment in the medium to long-term at the Gabba.

“If you are going to do that, given some of the restrictions associated with the Gabba site, surely you would want to explore some alternative options.

“The Quirk report was quite clear that in that committees view, taking a legacy perspective, the Victoria Park option was likely to

represent the best value for money for Queenslanders.”

Andrew Wellington at the North Melbourne Grand Final breakfast at MECC. Picture: Andrew HenshawSource: News Corp Australia

When launching the summer of cricket for 2024-25 at the MCG on Wednesday, Cricket Australia’s boss Nick Hockley said the Gabba had fallen behind the rest of the country.

“We’ve talked about the Perth Test. We’ve seen how having a city-centre, state-of-the-are stadium can be the catalyst for sport but (also) more major events,” he said.

“The reality is the other major metros, now Tasmania with the prospect of a new stadium there, are well ahead in terms of the fan experience, the provision for players, just the ease of operation. We want to make sure, as best as we can, that there is a really fantastic solution for the long-term for Queenslanders.”

Hockley, who had a significant role when working on the London Games in 2012, said the 2032 Olympics offered Queensland an opportunity for transformational change.

“We want to be a really constructive partner with the Queensland government. Myself, having worked on the London Olympics, you don’t get many opportunities for real transformational change and a catalyst to invest,” he said.

“There’s going to be some significant investment into the Gabba … and we’re not going to be displaced from the Gabba, so having that clarity is really, really important.

“But I think we are working to really understand what all that means and ultimately what is really important is the longer term, what happens beyond 2032. And I think cricket fans in Queensland and footy fans deserve a fit-for-purpose, long-term solution that’s going to help grow our respective sports. It needs investment, regardless.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MARCH 27: Nick Hockley, CEO of Cricket Australia (2L), poses with Australia fans during the Cricket Australia 2024/25 International Schedule Announcement at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 27, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images for Cricket Australia)Source: Getty Images

HOW ABOUT THE OLYMPIANS? THE SWIMMERS ARE MAKING A SPLASH

The focus on Australia’s domestic codes may prove galling for administrators and athletes involved in Olympic disciplines given the Games is their time to shine.

But it is worth noting those sports will be the major stakeholders once the Olympic circus has left Brisbane in eight years time.

That aside, from the Paris Olympics this year to the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, there is significant excitement following the difficulties experienced by the Covid-affected Tokyo Olympics.

Athletics Australia president Jane Fleming and Queensland Athletics chief executive Dave Gynther hosted an online forum on Wednesday night to discuss the latest news surrounding the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics.

Reigning Olympic 200m and 400m freestyle champion Ariarne Titmus said she is dismayed the Olympic trials will be held at the Brisbane Aquatic Centre in Chandler, a venue built of the 1982 Commonwealth Games.

She is also disturbed that the current plan is to build a temporary pool at Brisbane Arena in the Roma Street precinct instead of a permanent option.

“I feel disappointed in that I don’t think we are putting our best foot forward as a city,” she said on Wednesday.

“We will come off the back of the LA Games in 2028. America does everything huge, but I believe that Brisbane can do it better.

“(But) the biggest legacy they leave behind would be an Olympic training centre and I cannot believe that building a (permanent) pool is not on the cards.

“I really hope that with all these discussions around the Olympics, the athletes are put first and (that we) remember why we took on the Olympic Games, (namely) to create a legacy and build our city and inspire the next generation of athletes coming through. I really hope that is at the forefront of decisions.”

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA РNewsWire Photos РMARCH 27, 2024. Olympic swimmers Ariarne Titmus during an event to reveal the team̥s water events uniform design in Brisbane. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWireSource: News Corp Australia

Fellow champion swimmer Cate Campbell was similarly scathing of the uncertainty surrounding the planning for the Olympics.

“We are really squandering an incredible opportunity by all this bickering, by short-term visions by the government looking for ways to keep themselves in a job, as opposed to what will actually be good for southeast Queensland,” she told Today.

“I know that the state Premier is talking about cost of living and not wanting to spend things, but you’ve just spent $450,000 on a review when you had a perfectly good action plan.”

WHY NOT QSAC?

AFL legend Leigh Matthews, who coached the Lions to a hat-trick of premierships between 2001 and 2003 and has been a board member, said the issues surrounding the Macquarie Point stadium build in Hobart and the decision to ignore key recommendations in the Quirk report in Brisbane came down to one thing.

“This is exactly the same debate that is going on up in Brisbane and in Queensland about the 2032 Olympic Games,” he said on 3AW last Saturday.

“Stadiums are a 20-year, 30-year, 40-year thing and unfortunately modern political leadership for the long-term is just sadly lacking. They are just thinking about the short-term stuff.

“Stadiums are long-term issues and I am afraid the politics of our society these days just doesn’t seem to be able to handle that.”

MELBOURNE , AUSTRALIA. January 27 , 2024. Australian Open Tennis. Day 14. Mens final. Jannik Sinner vs Daniil Medvedev on Rod Laver Arena. Leigh Matthews . Pic: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia

But the Queensland premier Mr Miles said upgrading QSAC will be a cheap and serviceable option and that the Brisbane 2032 will prove a hit regardless of the venue.

Temporary seating would be built to transform the venue into a 40,000 stadium and while that would be the smallest capacity for an opening ceremony since the Amsterdam Games in 1928, it does have the backing of the International Olympic Committee.

Australia’s IOC supremo John Coates told The Australian that the model preferred by the Queensland Government fitted with the ruling body’s move towards lower-cost games using existing facilities where possible.

“If there was to be a new stadium, this is contractually very different from what is signed (by the IOC and the Queensland government) to have a low cost Games, so it would have to have approval from the IOC and the sports federations which would be affected by the decision,” he said.

“Mr Quirk was part of the team which helped get the Games and so this would not be a surprise to him. The IOC is very sensitive to the cost of the Games and so this approval (any deviation from the contract) is not a given.”

Despite Coates imprimatur, those advocating for a new stadium to be built at Victoria Park ponder whether the strict wording regarding existing facilities is being deliberately misinterpreted.

As one Queenslander quipped to foxsports.com.au this week, if an “existing venue” is critical to funding, surely the Gympie local council could put their hands up for an upgrade to the showgrounds at the town sitting by the Mary River.

Brisbane 3032 Olympic Committee at the Townsville Sports Reserve. International Olympic Committee member John Coates. Picture: Evan MorganSource: News Corp Australia

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? IS VICTORIA PARK DONE AND DUSTED?

For all the discussion, it seems probable much will rest on the outcome of the next state government election to be held on October 26.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, who replaced Graham Quirk in the role in 2019 and was re-elected in local government elections held earlier in March, has firmed his view on the benefits of a new stadium being built at Victoria Park.

Late last year, he was a proponent for expanding greenlands as part of the Victoria Park Vision when pointing out the advantages of its proximity to public transport.

“The Victoria Park Vision will add to great new lifestyle opportunities that continues to see people flocking to the city to enjoy our sunny and laid-back lifestyle,” he said.

Schrinner, who stepped down from the government’s Games forum last year, declared last weekend the games were at a “crossroads” and stressed Victoria Park was a compelling site to host a new stadium, particularly if it could be built below the current estimate of $3.4 billion.

“The reality is they spend a billion dollars on the Gabba that is still not fit for purpose, still not upgraded, and then QSA is not really a replacement for the Gabba either, so we will be left with effectively two poor outcomes when it comes to stadiums when you could do it properly at Victoria Park,” he said.

Should there be a change in direction post the election, John Coates said it will require approval from the IOC in Lausanne.

For all the current kerfuffle, one thing is certain. The Games will proceed. But whether it leaves a golden legacy for Brisbane remains to be seen.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner at Victoria Park, proposed site for an Olympic stadium. Picture: Liam KidstonSource: News Corp Australia

‘Trying too hard’: Nicks on reasons behind Crows’ winless start

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Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks says a mental issue is behind his club’s winless start to the AFL season

Jordan Dawson leads his team off the ground after the R2 match between Adelaide and Geelong at Adelaide Oval on March 22, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

ADELAIDE coach Matthew Nicks has pinpointed a “mental issue” behind his club’s winless start to the AFL season.

Nicks believes his players have come undone by pondering the bigger picture instead of the fine details presented in each moment of a game.

“It’s probably for us more about process than anything,” Nicks said on Thursday before flying to Perth to play Fremantle on Friday night.

“I think we might be getting stuck in the bigger picture of looking at outcome at the moment.

“Our guys, no lack of effort – sometimes that shows you’re trying too hard.

“You’re thinking about how do we win this game of footy rather than just the process of each and every moment in the game.

“So we’ve done some work around that.

“It’s more of a mindset piece. As I said, there’s no lack of effort there, it’s just us being able to build a game, start the game well.”

Nicks, in his fifth year as Crows coach, was widely tipped to return the club to the finals for the first time since 2017.

But now some pundits are forecasting a 0-5 start with the Dockers game followed by matches against Melbourne and Carlton.

Matthew Nicks talks to his players during the R2 match between Adelaide and Geelong at Adelaide Oval on March 22, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

“That’s the work, to not look at that outcome, the bigger season, even the game as a whole,” Nicks said.

“It’s breaking it down into those moments, key moments, first couple of minutes of the game, how important it is to start well, or at least winning half the contests.

“We did that on the weekend, kicked the first goal, Geelong came out and knocked the next four (goals).

“We’ve addressed that. It’s more of a mental issue for us.

“There’s no lack of effort or contest, sometimes it’s maybe you’re trying a little too hard in that moment.”

Mid-season prospect emerges, Tiger to wait, Hawks on the hunt

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Jack Hutchinson, Jack Graham and Sam Mitchell. Picture: AFL Photos

Get all the latest news in the trade, free agency and draft landscape every week in Inside Trading, AFL.com.au‘s dedicated column for player movement. Find out the latest on contracts, deals, trades, draftees, rules, agents and who is going where from the AFL.com.au team. 

CAT SIGNS ON

MARK O’Connor‘s time down under will continue for at least another two seasons after the Irishman secured a contract extension this week. 

The County Kerry product arrived in Geelong in 2016 and will now remain at GMHBA Stadium until at least the end of 2026.

O’Connor and Irish games record holder Zach Tuohy joined Tadhg Kennelly as the only players from the Emerald Isle to win a premiership when the Cats went all the way in 2022. 

The 27-year-old has become a permanent fixture under Chris Scott in the past five seasons, playing at least 20 games in four of those campaigns to sit on 111 games. 

Only six other Irishmen have reached the century, with Tuohy (272) surpassing Jim Stynes‘ long-standing record of 264 appearances last year. Kennelly (197), Pearce Hanley (169), Sean Wight (150) and Conor McKenna (106) are the others to hit triple figures. 

With two-time GAA young player of the year Oisin Mullin also playing against Adelaide last Friday night, Geelong currently has three Irishmen in its best 23. – Josh Gabelich

Mark O’Connor, Oisin Mullin and Zach Tuohy ahead of Mullin’s debut during the R11 match between Geelong and Greater Western Sydney at GMHBA Stadium, on May 27, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

SWANS STAR IN TALKS

SYDNEY is heading towards re-signing one of its gun out-of-contract players, with midfielder James Rowbottom in discussions for a multi-year extension.

Rowbottom is one of five big names whose contracts at the forefront for the Swans this season, alongside midfield superstar Errol Gulden, young forward Logan McDonald and free agent pair Will Hayward and Ollie Florent

Talks are progressing on a new deal, likely for four years, which would take him through to the end of 2028 when he would be an unrestricted free agent. This is Rowbottom’s sixth season at the club, seeing him be two years from free agency.

James Rowbottom celebrates a goal with Chad Warner during the R1 match between Sydney and Collingwood at the MCG on March 15, 2024. Picture: AFL Photos

The 23-year-old has been a midfield regular for the Swans in recent seasons and in the past two years has finished in the top three of the club’s best and fairest, including in its Grand Final season in 2022.

The Oakleigh Chargers product and tackling machine is four games away from reaching his 100th appearance for the Swans since being drafted as a second-round pick in 2018. – Callum Twomey

GIANTS FREE AGENT WATCH

GREATER Western Sydney free agent Isaac Cumming is expected to generate interest from rivals this year despite his injury-hit absence in the first half of the season.

Cumming is an unrestricted free agent for the Giants, meaning he could depart without the Giants having the option to match a bid for him, and is not rushing into a contract decision as he recovers from soft-tissue setbacks to start his 2024 campaign.

The 25-year-old had an ongoing quad problem that was due to set back his start of the season before then suffering a calf injury during his recovery recently, likely ruling him out for the first two months of the year.

Isaac Cumming celebrates a goal during the preliminary final between GWS and Collingwood at the MCG on September 22, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

But clubs are still set to monitor Cumming as a potential free agent recruit given the Giants’ wealth of attacking half-backs seeing him likely play on a wing when he returns from injury.

The Giants Academy product, who was a top-20 pick in the 2016 draft, played 65 of a possible 72 games in the past three seasons. – Callum Twomey

MID-SEASON PROSPECT EMERGES

COLLINGWOOD VFL forward Jack Hutchinson has emerged as an early candidate for the mid-season rookie draft.

Hutchinson, a powerful medium forward who attacks the ball and launches at marks, made his debut for the Magpies’ VFL side last week. He had previously caught the eye for scouts in the practice matches and kicked a goal from nine disposals against Sandringham in round one.

TRADE HUB All the latest player movement news

The 22-year-old will need to play three state league games to be eligible for the mid-season rookie draft under the AFL rule introduced last year, having played for Wonthaggi last season in the Gippsland League. 

His coach at Wonthaggi was former Magpie Jarryd Blair, who was in attendance at RSEA Park last week for the VFL clash.

Clubs are watching Hutchinson closely given his exciting traits in the air and presence inside-50 and he is shaping as a clear option for the mid-season draft, which has spawned mature-age success stories such as Jai Newcombe, John Noble and Sam Durham in recent seasons. – Callum Twomey

CLEARANCE TO TRADE PICK? 

PORT Adelaide would need AFL clearance to trade its future first-round pick in this year’s exchange period under the League’s two-in-four-years draft rule. 

Under the League’s future trading rules, clubs must make two first-round picks at the draft over a rolling four-year period. The AFL put on the handbrake so that clubs can’t trade away all of their future selections and land themselves in long-term list strife. 

However, a clause in the rule allows clubs to apply for permission to trade out their picks if they haven’t hit the two-in-four requirement. 

Port Adelaide has used two first-round picks since 2020 (Lachie Jones that season and Josh Sinn in 2021) but has not used any the past two seasons as it has gone on a targeted run of trades, having also traded out a future first-rounder for this season, making it three years in a row they don’t hold a first-round pick.

Josh Sinn in action during the R14 match between Port Adelaide and Geelong at Adelaide Oval on June 15, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

However, given the League’s provision within the rule, the Power’s marquee addition of No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis as a 19-year-old trade recruit in the 2022 period, which cost the Power two first-rounders across 2022 and 2023, would likely see them able to trade their future first-round selection as Horne-Francis could count among their other top draft choices in the rolling period.

Another option for the Power that would allow them to trade the future first-round pick would be to attain a first-round pick in this year’s draft intake through a trade. 

DRAFT HUB Click here for the latest draft news

Richmond and Carlton are the other clubs to have used an equal competition-low two first-round picks over the past four years, although both of those clubs are able to trade their picks this year. The Tigers used two first-round picks in 2021 and would only need AFL clearance to trade their future pick if they had already traded their 2024 first-rounder. 

Carlton is free to trade its current first-rounder and future first-rounder given it has used first-round picks in the past two seasons so has already hit its four-year quota. – Callum Twomey

FLAG TIGER TO DELAY TALKS

RICHMOND midfielder Jack Graham is prepared to wait through the season before kickstarting talks on his next contract, as the club’s dual premiership player weighs up his free agency decision.

The South Australian, who won flags at the Tigers in 2017 and 2020, has missed the start of the season with a quad injury but remains one of the League’s most high-profile free agents this year.

Graham toured Port Adelaide’s facilities when he was still under contract with Richmond back in October 2022, but opted to remain at Punt Road and then hit a trigger in his deal early last season that took him through to free agency.

But with the Tigers expected to undergo a transition in their list profile under new coach Adem Yze, both the player and the club have agreed to hold off talks over his next contract until later in the campaign.

“He’s a quality player and at the moment, we’re just going to see how it all unfolds,” Graham’s manager Marty Pask from Kapital Sports Group told AFL.com.au‘s trade and draft show Gettable last week.

“Richmond’s in an interesting position, with the list and where they’re at. They’ve got a couple of older guys and they’re starting to play some youth as well.

“We’ve obviously met and agreed just to take a breath and look at how the season starts for everybody, then we’ll kick the tyres a little bit more on that in the next little while.”

Despite the decision to delay talks around Graham’s future into the season, Pask said there remained an understanding from both parties regarding his situation. 

Jack Graham and Kamdyn McIntosh celebrate after the AFL Grand Final between Richmond and Geelong at the Gabba on October 24, 2020. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

“It’s the preparedness now for club and player to actually not panic and just say, ‘Hey it is your free agency year so how do we attack this and what does it look like?'” Pask said.

“I’ve done deals with [Richmond list manager] Blair Hartley for a very long time, so there’s certainly nothing there that’s untoward or anything that should surprise anyone, other than we’re looking at this as his free agency year.

“Where is Richmond at? What do they want to do? And what does Jack Graham want to do and where is he at? Both parties talk through that.” – Riley Beveridge

HAWTHORN’S HUNT

HAWTHORN’S investment in the draft over the past six years will see it more open to offloading its top draft choice this year as it hunts more stars.

The Hawks have one of the biggest salary cap war chests in the AFL and have been active in the search for high-priced additions in recent years, having pursued Ben McKay, Esava Ratugolea and Lachie Schultz, among others last season.

They are among the clubs to have shown significant interest in Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, who is set to spurn rival offers to remain with the Dogs, while also remaining in the mix for Dogs midfielder Bailey Smith. The Dogs have offered Smith a two-year deal but he is expected to take time for his contract call.

The Hawks have used seven first-round picks since 2019 – Will Day, Denver Grainger-Barras, Josh Ward, Cam Mackenzie, Josh Weddle, Nick Watson and Will McCabe – giving them a bedding of talent to develop during their rebuild. 

Cam Mackenzie and Josh Weddle after the R10 match between Hawthorn and West Coast at UTAS Stadium on May 21, 2023. Picture: AFL Photos

Sam Mitchell told AFL.com.au in the pre-season that the first half of the year would guide the Hawks’ needs but that they would be more likely to part with an early pick than during the first stage of the rebuild. 

“We knew the first two years would be about building a foundation, then it would be about what’s missing. By halfway through this season we’ll have a much better idea about what are the bits and pieces we need for our list,” the Hawks coach said. 

“Whether the best way to fill those needs is through the draft, through trade period or free agency is to be discussed but I think we are at a more likely situation to trade a first-round pick than we have been the last two years. It would have been near on impossible to trade early picks the last two years and I think as we go forward it’s more likely than it has been. Not to say it’s likely, but it’s more likely than it has been.” – Callum Twomey

“Happening for a long, long time”: Renowned sports doctor says “many clubs” complicit in ‘off-the-books’ drug testing

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Renowned sports medico Dr. Peter Larkins says off-the-books drug testing of AFL players by clubs has been happening “for at least a decade”.

Following a speech to parliament by Federal MP Andrew Wilkie that prompted the AFL to come out and confirm the existence of a system that allows AFL players to test for illicit drugs prior to game day, Larkins is confident it’s not a problem confined to the Melbourne Football Club.

Wilkie cited statements from former Demons president Glen Bartlett and Dr. Zeeshan Arain that confirmed it occurred at Melbourne.

And despite the revelations proving a bombshell among footy fans, Larkins was not at all surprised.

“I’m sort of surprised it took this long to go public,” he admitted to SEN.

“The illicit drug policy is a confidential program that all 18 clubs have been using since 2005 and the self-reporting by a player where he can come to me if I’m the club doctor and say, ‘geez Doc, I think I went off track last night at my mate’s birthday’, that’s been around for at least a decade.

“So the intention there was to try to get behind why the player had taken cocaine, ecstasy, MDMA, whatever he had taken. This was the no-punishment program, the medical program…

“It’s been happening for a long, long time, not just at Melbourne. Melbourne has maybe had a few more and that needs to come out as to whether there were repeat offenders, but there’s been many clubs that have had a player come to them and be self-reported, be tested mid-week and they’re not allowed to play.

“This is where the ethical dilemma for the doctors is really the struggle. Then an excuse has to be a reason for withdrawing them from the weekend’s game. That’s often that they’re managed, pull a hamstring or have a back spasm.

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“But at the end of the day, the doctor is required, confidentially, to protect the player’s medical information from the coach and from the AFL.”

As confirmed by AFL CEO Andrew Dillon on Wednesday, the league’s illicit drugs policy helps to keep players with illicit drugs in their system away from the footy field. It's a medical model, not one designed with punitive intentions.

Dillon defended the system as one “focused on player health and well-being”. He added that the system – which is different to the one governed by WADA and Sports Integrity Australia – was under review, with an outcome expected later this year.

Larkins believes there’s no clear solution and that compromises will have to be made from at least one side.

“The issue is do we have one code only? Because this is not the WADA code… this is the so called ‘welfare code’, which has intercepted people that have gone off track and put them on the straight and narrow, they’ve had counselling and drug rehabilitation and no one ever hears about it,” Larkins added.

“If we take it away, we don’t test for them, you don’t know about it, they’re going to turn up on a weekend and get tested potentially, and then we have the Joel Smith situation again.

“We’re not saying it’s not in society, but I don’t have the solution. This is going to be more discussions throughout the season.”

Listen to Dr Larkins on SEN's Dwayne's World below: