Key posts
Freo coach’s no-comment over player’s sharing of anti-Israel post
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir shut down questions during his post-match press conference on Friday night about his captain Alex Pearce sharing anti-Israel posts by Irish hip hop band Kneecap.
Pearce was criticised by Jewish groups during the week for his online support of Kneecap, a Belfast group that sparked controversy at the Coachella music festival earlier this month by displaying signs that read, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” and, “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.”
Caleb Serong and Alex Pearce leave the field after their Friday night loss to St Kilda.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Longmuir was asked by a journalist following the Dockers’ 61-point loss to St Kilda at Marvel Stadium whether Pearce would be apologising for causing “significant offence and distress to the Jewish community”?
“I am not going to sit here and talk to Pearcey,” Longmuir said.
“I know the club has had discussions with Pearcey, I wasn’t involved in those discussions. I’ll leave that one go.”
Kneecap performed a free pop-up concert at Melbourne’s Federation Square on March 10 this year, drawing a crowd of more than 10,000 people.
Wind causing issues at Mars
We might have underestimated the impact of the wind in an earlier post.
It is causing the players in Ballarat some issues in the opening term. Port Adelaide is kicking with the strong breeze and the ball is living in their forward half, although to date, they have managed just 1.4 (9).
The Bulldogs are having to run the ball out of defence, but any mistake means the ball is quickly rebounded.
The wind is also shaping across the Bulldogs’ goals, so any shot on the big sticks needs to consider an extreme shift. Reverse swing comes into play.
Buku Khamis has managed to do just that: marking on the behind line, and swinging on to his left foot for a six-pointer. A big goal against the breeze for the Dogs.
Port 1.4 (10) lead Bulldogs 1.0 (6) with 10 minutes until quarter time.
We have lift-off at Mars
The ball has been bounced in Ballarat and Port Adelaide have won the first centre clearance and notched up the first goal – a clever snap from Willie Rioli.
But it was not a straight call. The goal umpire originally called that the ball had been touched off the boot by a lunging Bulldog skipper Marcus Bontempelli.
The decision was soon overruled by the bunker. Several slow-motion replays showed that Bontempelli’s hands were a long way from touching the ball.
Is Gawn the game’s greatest ruckman?
By Marc McGowan
It is football’s impossible question to answer, but one that Max Gawn continues to ignite. Just who is the greatest ruckman of all-time?
Any conversation on this topic starts with Graham “Polly” Farmer, John Nicholls, John Schultz, John “Sam” Newman, Len Thompson, Gary Dempsey, Peter Moore and Simon Madden, and continues with modern champions Dean Cox and Gawn.
Read Marc McGowan’s article in full HERE.
Freo coach’s no-comment over player’s sharing of anti-Israel post
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir shut down questions during his post-match press conference on Friday night about his captain Alex Pearce sharing anti-Israel posts by Irish hip hop band Kneecap.
Pearce was criticised by Jewish groups during the week for his online support of Kneecap, a Belfast group that sparked controversy at the Coachella music festival earlier this month by displaying signs that read, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” and, “It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.”
Caleb Serong and Alex Pearce leave the field after their Friday night loss to St Kilda.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Longmuir was asked by a journalist following the Dockers’ 61-point loss to St Kilda at Marvel Stadium whether Pearce would be apologising for causing “significant offence and distress to the Jewish community”?
“I am not going to sit here and talk to Pearcey,” Longmuir said.
“I know the club has had discussions with Pearcey, I wasn’t involved in those discussions. I’ll leave that one go.”
Kneecap performed a free pop-up concert at Melbourne’s Federation Square on March 10 this year, drawing a crowd of more than 10,000 people.
‘We don’t want to see the bird’: Laura Kane
Last year the AFL collected $564,000 in fines from players via the match review officer, a massive jump from $284,000 in 2023. It is on record pace again, but it doesn’t appear a deterrent, as Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters has been fined for 20 offences in 123 matches.
Rather than suggesting the AFL had gone too far, league footy boss Laura Kane said repeat offenders were on thin ice.
Bailey Smith interacted with a member of the crowd at the Adelaide Oval after Geelong’s round five win.Credit:
“If we don’t see changes of behaviour at some point, we have available to us through our MRO the ability for players to miss games. We want unnecessary behaviour on the field that has nothing to do with the way that the game’s played stamped out. It’s a lot of money, and I’m sure it’s money the players don’t want to pay,” Kane said.
Among actions that the AFL does not want to see is players such as Geelong’s Bailey Smith giving the finger to fans.
“We don’t want to see [the bird],” Kane said.
“Adults might not think it’s a big deal. It’s just not behaviour we want to see.”
Read Pete Ryan’s full interview with Kane about the state of the game HERE.
Today’s schedule
Game 1: Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide, Mars Stadium, 1.20pm
In a nutshell: The eighth-placed Bulldogs bring in Adam Treloar and Lachlan McNeil for their clash against ninth-placed Port Adelaide at a relatively sedate Ballarat today. The weather forecast: a top temperature of 18 degrees – that’s a scorcher for Ballarat in May – a slight chance of rain and northerly winds of between 25-35km/h.
Game 2: Adelaide v Carlton, Adelaide Oval, 4.15pm
In a nutshell: The Blues (13th) are shooting for their fourth-straight victory, following wins against West Coast, North Melbourne and Geelong. A tough ask to take on the fifth-placed Crows on their home deck. A big in for Adelaide is forward Darcy Fogarty, while the Blues have lost Jack Silvagni, Zac Williams and Matthew Cottrell to injury, bringing in Lewis Young, Sam Docherty and Lachlan Cowan.
Darcy Moore of the Magpies and Tyson Stengle of the Cats compete for the ball .Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Game 3: Collingwood v Geelong, MCG, 7.35pm
In a nutshell: The top-placed Magpies have shot to premiership favouritism, following their 6-1 start to the year, while the Cats (seventh) have been inconsistent, beating Hawthorn on Easter Monday and then dropping their next match to Carlton. They have brought in Mitch Duncan for the injured Tom Stewart. Stewart is a huge loss. The Pies have brought back Darcy Moore, Mason Cox and Lachie Schultz for Jeremy Howe (managed), Daniel McStay (injured) and Lachlan Sullivan (omitted).
Game 4: West Coast v Melbourne, Perth Stadium, 7.35pm
In a nutshell: The Demons will be expecting to add another scalp to their resurgence, following two wins on the trot against Fremantle and Richmond. They will be without Clayton Oliver who is dealing with personal issues and have dropped Tom Fullarton, but bring in Jake Melksham and Daniel Turner. The Eagles are still looking for their first win of the season.
Good afternoon and welcome
Good afternoon and welcome to our Super Saturday AFL blog.
My name is Danny Russell and I will kick-start your smorgasbord of footy today from the first bounce of the Western Bulldogs-Port Adelaide clash at Ballarat, starting 1.20pm.
So sit back and enjoy the ride.
