By Marc McGowan
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Collingwood apologise to former Saints Nicky Winmar and Gilbert McAdam.
- Zach Merrett likely to miss crucial Anzac Day blockbuster through suspension.
- A rib injury sidelines a versatile Bulldogs big man.
Bombers skipper could miss Anzac Day clash
Essendon will almost certainly be without captain Zach Merrett for their blockbuster Anzac Day clash with Collingwood after he was offered a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle.
Merrett’s tackle on Demon Tom Sparrow came in the final five minutes of the Bombers’ shock 27-point defeat of the premiership favourites.
The Essendon star initially grabbed Sparrow around the neck as he grappled with him before flinging him to the turf head-first.
Match review officer Michael Christian assessed as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact.
The AFL’s crackdown on dangerous tackles resulted in bans for in-form Hawk Will Day (two games) and Geelong’s Gary Rohan (one) from round four incidents, while Richmond defender Nathan Broad copped a four-match suspension earlier in the season.
Skipper Zach Merrett had a telling impact for the Bombers against the Demons.Credit: Getty Images
Day unsuccessfully challenged his ban, while the Cats withdrew their own appeal after initially planning to contest Rohan’s sanction at the tribunal.
In other MRO findings, Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw and Port Adelaide’s Dylan Williams can accept $1000 fines with early guilty pleas for tripping Essendon ruckman Sam Draper and Bulldog Mitch Hannan, respectively.
Essendon may appeal Merrett’s sanction but his likely absence from Tuesday week’s annual contest at the MCG is a major blow to their chances of winning a fifth game from six tries under new coach Brad Scott.
The 27-year-old midfielder, who replaced Dyson Heppell as captain for this season, is averaging almost 30 disposals, six inside 50s and five clearances per game as one of the catalysts for the Bombers’ 4-1 start.
The Magpies have also made a strong start to the season.
Pies apologise to Nicky Winmar
Collingwood have released an official apology to ex-Saints Nicky Winmar and Gilbert McAdam for the racial abuse they copped during a match 30 years ago between the clubs at Victoria Park.
The Magpies and St Kilda meet again on Sunday, and worked together to organise a “respectful pre-game acknowledgement” of the moment where Winmar lifted his jumper and said “I’m black, and I’m proud” on April 17, 1993.
Collingwood also apologised for comments their former president Allan McAlister made in the days following the match, describing them as “appalling”.
McAlister said at the time the Pies had nothing against Indigenous Australians “as long as they conduct themselves like white people, well, off the field, everyone will admire and respect them”.
Nicky Winmar after Collingwood and St Kilda ran through a joint banner in Adelaide during Gather Round.Credit: AFL Photos
“The Collingwood Football Club understands that racism is harmful and has no place in our game and apologises to Nicky Winmar and to Gilbert McAdam for the hurt they experienced playing football,” the Magpies’ statement read.
“It takes courage to stand against racism and when First Nations people do so; it is our opportunity – all Australians – to listen, learn and change for the better.
“To go back and reflect on where we got things wrong is important to us, and we will continue to listen and learn as we progress our club.”
Collingwood commissioned the Jumbunna Institute to conduct an independent review in 2020 that resulted in the Do Better Report, which found the club guilty of systemic racism.
The Magpies have since implemented 18 recommendations from that report, but said in their statement they “remain on a journey” despite making progress.
Racism remains a significant AFL issue, with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Izak Rankine among the footballers to be abused online and/or during a match this year.
Rib injury sidelines Dog
Western Bulldogs defender Josh Bruce faces weeks on the sidelines after injuring multiple ribs from a collision in Saturday night’s loss to Port Adelaide.
On Sunday, the Bulldogs confirmed the 30-year-old sustained a “significant injury” to his ribs and his return to play would be revealed in the coming weeks. He played only five games last season after recovering from an ACL setback.
Bruce immediately clutched at the left side of his ribs and was in obvious pain after the Power’s Jed McEntee bumped into him as they contested for the Sherrin at ground level in the third quarter. The Dogs subbed him out of the match soon after with rib soreness.
Josh Bruce looks set to spend several weeks out with a rib injury.Credit: Getty Images
Speaking afterwards, coach Luke Beveridge was hopeful Bruce would not miss an extended period.
“He’s got some rib stuff going on. I haven’t got the detail [yet], but it was bad enough for us to sub him off,” Beveridge said. “I think it was more the midfield stuff we lost the handle on, but I thought Josh was going OK – he was playing pretty well. After the first quarter, where the backs were probably a bit unstable, I thought they really got it together and defended some pretty telling opportunities for Port.
“It would have had some impact [losing Bruce]. We had to put Bailey Williams back, and Toby [McLean] comes into the picture and plays wing and none of it really worked – but in a parallel universe it does … sometimes you get the lick of the ice-cream with that, and sometimes you don’t.
“Hopefully, Josh won’t be out of the game for too long.”
Alex Keath looms as Bruce’s replacement after sitting out round five while under the AFL’s concussion protocol.
Bruce, who arrived from St Kilda as a goalkicking solution and kicked 48 majors in 2021, has played all five matches this year as a defender after training there throughout the summer.
The Western Bulldogs are prioritising Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Rory Lobb in attack, and even second-year tall Sam Darcy earlier in the season.
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