AFL great Gerard Healy has panned the “hysteria” surrounding the league’s controversial new man-on-the-mark rule. He said many “knee-jerkers” were jumping the gun in criticising the rule. Richmond and Melbourne had 45 scoring shots between them in a practice match on Friday. “The game may have just stumbled on a way to set the Sherrin […]

The AFL has confirmed crowd caps for Victorian venues when season 2021 kicks off next month. Up to 50,000 fans will be able to attend matches at the MCG. Marvel Stadium will be able to host a maximum of 28,961 fans. It means both stadiums will operate at 50 per cent capacity due to COVID-19. […]

Essendon defender Michael Hurley is unlikely to play for the Bombers any time soon, with new footy boss Josh Mahoney conceding the veteran defender has a “bit of a fight” on his hands to recover from an infection. Hurley was spotted on crutches and looking gaunt at the club’s practice hit-out against Carlton on Thursday. […]

Former AFL umpires boss Wayne Campbell admits the league’s controversial new man-on-the-mark rule will divide opinion this season. But he says it’s worth giving it a go. Under the new rule, the player manning the mark is not allowed to move at all until the umpire calls play on, regardless of whether or not the […]

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale has responded to two News Corp reports involving the Tigers that left fans asking several questions. The first? A report suggesting Dustin Martin would be the target of an overture from Sydney when Lance Franklin’s contract expired at the end of 2022. “It was a very interesting article, Gerard,” Gale […]

St Kilda has been dealt a double injury blow in the lead-up to the 2021 season, with gun ruckman Rowan Marshall suffering what the club is describing as “early signs of a stress injury” in his foot. It comes a day after the club revealed Zak Jones had suffered a hamstring strain. The Saints said […]