Australian football is notably richer when it's open to everyone

The 30th Australian Football Hall of Fame was a reminder that there's more to the sport than the AFL. It was a reminder that the talent in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania was at various times every bit the equal of what was coming out of Victoria. Last night's inductees included a five-time All Australian, a self-described 'little fat kid from Colac', and a man considered the best ever Tasmanian footballer never to play on the mainland. They included a man who took more marks than anyone else in the history of VFL/AFL football, a giant raconteur from South Australia who reflected that 'football was simply something I did on a Saturday,' and a seven-time premiership player in the WAFL who later umpired five grand finals. A goalkicking machine from South Australia during the Depression years was also elevated to legend status.
But last night's event did something very different to the preceding three decades – it inducted two AFLW players. Erin Phillips won two WNBA championships, a basketball world championship gold medal and represented Australia at two Olympics. But until just over a decade ago, the idea of playing Australian football professionally seemed fanciful. 'I never wanted to be a boy,' she said last night, 'I just wanted the opportunities they had and that was footy.' Her dad, Greg, a Hall of Famer himself, was a fine footballer for Port Adelaide and Collingwood. He had thighs like John Nicholls, the sort of legs that could prop up jetties. Last night he was a blubbering mess. 'I can't imagine what it would be like to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she can't play the game she loves any more,' his daughter said. 'Now she's standing next to you in the Hall of Fame.'
Daisy Pearce bashed down the same barriers. 'I'm a pretty determined bugger,' she said last night. She won 10 premierships and seven competition best and fairests at the local level, before becoming a key driver of the AFLW. There were dozens of Hall of Famers in the room last night but few of them finished their careers on such a high note. Her dad, Daryl, also her junior coach, suffered a stroke in recent years and missed her final game, a premiership. But he was in the room last night to see her inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Football's women, a correspondent wrote in The Age in the 1970s, 'are mere appendages to the game, extras in an all-male saga, tolerated but not taken seriously'. That sentiment prevailed until not that long ago. In some corners of the internet and the industry more broadly, it still does. But more than anyone else, champion players like Phillips and Pearce proved the folly of this. They reminded men that this game they were brought up to assume was theirs is now open to the other 50.2% of the population, and that it's all the richer for it. Nearly three-quarters of a million girls and women now play Australian rules football. Pearce and Phillips, one suspects, would be pivotal figures for nearly all of them.
Every inductee last night said a variation of the same thing. They looked around the room and they saw their childhood heroes. Garry Lyon had a poster of Tim Watson on his wall. Nick Riewoldt idolised Jason Dunstall. Phillips followed her dad everywhere, even to the premiership dais. 'To look around the room right now – these were my gods,' Pearce said. She and Phillips said they could never have imagined standing in front of a room such as this as fellow professional footballers, as fellow Hall of Fame members, and as equals.
The Hawks have won their past seven matches at UTAS Stadium with their last loss coming against the Crows in 2023.
Nick Riewoldt, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame last night, was one of the great players of last few decades. Few made their direct opponent work harder or run further. Few deserved a premiership more. But few were so tortured by nerves and anxiety before games. He described it as like being on death row, awaiting execution. 'It was something to endure, not enjoy,' he said. He described it as a 'pit in your stomach feeling, fuelled by the fear of not performing perfectly and the judgment that came with it.'
For 24 hours before a game, he would sweat, struggle to sleep and eat, pace the house, snap at everyone and generally be a nightmare to himself and all around him. He would always be the first to arrive at the ground, whereupon he would warm up with a routine akin to Rocky Balboa training in Russia. The minute the ball was bounced, he was fine, and it was his opponent's time to start sweating.
The Melbourne captain backs May for 'showing care, his version of care', while speaking on Triple M radio, after the teammates' confrontation after a late turnover in the narrow loss to Collingwood.
'To borrow an infamous line from Will Smith, I think Melbourne should take our players' names out of their mouth. It's interesting, hearing the captain and coach speak specifically on Luke was really disappointing.'
Fremantle chief executive, Simon Garlick, takes a swipe at Melbourne while speaking on SEN WA Mornings, after the Demons made not-so subtle overtures to their former key forward Luke Jackson.
Any thoughts you want to share? Reply to this email or send your views to fromthepocket@theguardian.com.
Sign up to From the Pocket: AFL Weekly
Jonathan Horn brings expert analysis on the week's biggest AFL stories
after newsletter promotion
Western Bulldogs (including as Footscray) are part of the three longest streaks for matches played against an opponent without meeting in a final. Which club do they share the record with?
Answers in next week's newsletter, but if you think you know it, hit reply and let me know.
Last week's answer: Which clubs have met in the most grand finals? Collingwood and Melbourne have played seven times with a premiership on the line.
Congratulations to Michael Courtney, who was first to reply with the right answer.
No team is better than Collingwood at adapting to the needs of the moment – and the ladder leaders keep on winning even if by the narrowest of margins against Melbourne.
Reply to this email and drop me a line, or email fromthepocket@theguardian.com.
Have a friend who might? Forward this to them, or tell them how to get it.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Telegraph

11 minutes ago

• Telegraph

The Lions gaffes that must be eradicated in Australia

Tom Curry and Fin Smith joined Andy Farrell, their British and Irish Lions head coach, in delivering scathing assessments of Friday evening's 28-24 loss to Argentina, stressing that wastefulness cannot continue in Australia. The Lions' defeat was characterised by inaccurate offloads that coughed up possession and Farrell slammed his team's 'error rate' in Dublin, suggesting that they 'lost enough ball for a full tour'. Curry, who played 80 minutes at blindside flanker, was particularly frustrated. 'The biggest point is that we need to be more clinical with the ball,' he said. 'The exciting thing is that we have got people in position, people are running, but, f---, we can't score points if we are dropping it and giving it away that easily. That comes first and foremost.' "Not acceptable... dissapointed" ‼️ Andy Farrell's scathing assessment of the Lions defeat 🗣️ — Sky Sports (@SkySports) June 20, 2025 Like Farrell, the 27-year-old refused to point to a lack of familiarity – either between players or with a new attacking system – as justification. On his second Lions tour to follow 2021, Curry is hoping to eradicate sloppiness as quickly as possible with the Test series set to get under way on July 19. 'I have been on these things before and you can wait until Monday before you say this stuff, but you can get to the sixth week and still make the same excuse,' he added. 'Six weeks is not a long time so we can't make that excuse the whole way through [the tour]. We nipped that in the bud straight away. We need to take personal responsibility for our own performances and how excited we get on the ball. 'That is the really annoying thing, because on the flip side it's really exciting because we do have our hands on the ball and are in great spots. But come on, we need to take personal responsibility when we have it.' Forcing passes out of contact became a recurring and debilitating feature of the Lions performance. On the half-hour mark, Tommy Freeman arced off his wing behind the run of Bundee Aki and freed his arms, only for Sione Tuipulotu to drop a deft pass: Freeman should not shoulder all the blame for this, given he had a clear line of sight to Tuipulotu and lifted the ball into the path of his centre. It could probably be categorised as a constructive mistake. Around four minutes later, though, came a riskier effort. Having roamed across from the Lions' right wing and stepped up at first receiver, Freeman fixed two defenders and attempted to flip the ball to Marcus Smith. The latter seemed to call for a pass, but has overrun his team-mate by the time the ball is released: Other mix-ups in the second half were even less excusable and will have caused Farrell even more angst. Luke Cowan-Dickie spun through a tackle but was intercepted by Lucio Cinti as he aimed to link up with Fin Smith: Tadhg Furlong made ground around the fringes of a ruck before an aimless offload went to Gonzalo García, the Argentina scrum-half: Tuipulotu had a tumbling pass snaffled by Tomás Albornoz as well, and Curry admitted that the Lions had gone against the principles Farrell had outlined in training. 'Andy's been hot on [how] you've got to see your pass and know someone is there,' he said. 'There were key moments today when that didn't happen. That's what I'm saying – we can't say it in training and not do it in a game.' Successful offloads, such as one from Marcus Smith to Freeman in the first half as well as the interplay between Tuipulotu and Fin Smith that led to Aki's try, can carve open defences. As he urges greater caution, Farrell will not want to stifle creativity. The line-out was another scruffy area for the Lions and Curry pinpointed a gaffe with nine minutes remaining – when Ronan Kelleher's throw sailed over the top without the Lions even hoisting a jumper into the air – as another costly mistake. 'It's either a body language thing or we didn't communicate to the hooker well enough,' he explained. 'It's one of those two.' After spending 80 minutes at fly-half, Fin Smith was equally disheartened. 'I'm gutted, pretty deflated,' he said. 'It's probably not how I saw my first Lions cap going. I'm sure once I take the emotion out of it, the sun will come up tomorrow and we'll review it. Hopefully we can take stuff out of it but, yeah, it's incredibly disappointing.' Amid encouraging flashes, the Lions suffered from clunky moments in which a lack of cohesion derailed them. One such lapse occurred in the 76th minute after a scrum had earned the Lions a penalty advantage. Fin Smith fed Tuipulotu and wrapped around his centre, only for a pull-back pass to drop on to the turf: The Lions' hope is that execution matches up with their ambition and Fin Smith admitted that he might have reviewed the footage as soon as the early hours of Saturday morning. 'We don't feel too far away but I might watch that back and it will feel miles away,' said the Northampton Saints playmaker. 'We're not where we need to be, which is the main thing.' 'I'm sure it's not the first time the Lions have not played particularly well in their first outing,' Smith added. 'The main thing is how quickly we can respond and how quickly we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We need to get back on the training pitch and get better as quickly as possible.' Farrell's message has been for the tourists to refrain from moping or sulking, even if the long-haul flight to Perth, where the Lions face Western Force on Saturday in their first game on Australian soil, will present ample opportunity to study video clips of hasty offloads and other technical hitches. As the Lions all acknowledge, Argentina have handed them a wake-up call. Actions, not words, are required to regain impetus.

The Independent

20 minutes ago

• The Independent

Tom Curry urges Lions to make most of Australia tour after Argentina setback

Tom Curry has warned his British and Irish team-mates they can not afford to waste a moment in their search for respect as they target an immediate response to their defeat by Argentina. The Lions arrived in Perth on Sunday smarting from the 28-24 loss at the Aviva Stadium that drew a scathing assessment from head coach Andy Farrell, who refused to blame the squad's lack of familiarity for the setback. Western Force provide the first opportunity to make amends for the error-strewn opener and Curry, a tourist with the elite of British and Irish rugby in 2021, knows time is of the essence if the team are to be ready to face Australia. 'The thing with this sport and this tour is that it comes and goes so quickly. You've got to make the most of it,' the England flanker said. 'Every meeting and every session. Before you know it we'll be playing in Australia so we can't let moments pass us by. 'We speak a lot about respect with our own team-mates. We've only got six weeks together. Respect is so hard to earn but so easy to lose. 'It's really important that every session and meeting we turn up and push in the right direction. 'We have got to pull tighter, it's the only way. I feel like this group has taken so many steps off the field. I haven't got a bad word to say about anyone.' Against Argentina the Lions showed ambition in attack and dominated at the scrum, but the vast number of handling errors, malfunctioning line-out and vulnerability in the air are areas of pressing concern. Curry, who impressed outside of his own dropped passes, echoed Farrell's warning that a lack of time together must not be seen as a barrier to success on the tour. 'We've nipped that in the bud straight away. You can get to the sixth week and still make the same excuse. Six weeks is not a long time so we can't make that excuse the whole way through,' he said. 'We need to take personal responsibility for our own performances and how excited we get on the ball. 'On the flip side, it's really exciting because we got our hands on the ball and got into great spots. But come on, we need to take personal responsibility for the ball when we have it.' Fin Smith made his Lions debut in Dublin and the England fly-half feels the need to rally as quickly as possible following the disappointment against Argentina. 'I'm sure it's not the first time the Lions have not played particularly well in their first outing,' Smith said. 'The main thing is how quickly we can respond and how quickly we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves. We need to get back on the training pitch and get better as quickly as possible. 'No moping about, no sulking. We need to get back on the horse straight away and have conversations that are going to make us better. That's definitely the aim.'

Daily Mail​

28 minutes ago

• Daily Mail​

The Lions must 'take personal responsibility' after Argentina defeat, urges Tom Curry - as Fin Smith calls for a response as squad arrive in Australia

The British & Irish Lions arrived in Perth on Sunday with a warning from two of their England stars that they must improve and quickly ringing in their ears. Tom Curry and Fin Smith cut despondent figures after Andy Farrell's side warmed up for their tour of Australia with a shock 28-24 defeat by Argentina. The post-match mood at the Aviva Stadium was dark. Flanker Curry pulled no punches, describing the Pumas loss as an 'opportunity gone.' He added: 'We need to take personal responsibility for our own performances. F***, we can't score points if we are dropping the ball and giving it away that easily. 'We have got to respect the ball a lot more. When something goes against us, we have got to keep our chests up and crack on. We have to have tough conversations. 'I am not going to say it is going to be a party. We don't need that. We've only got six weeks together. This is the thing with this tour. It comes and goes so quickly. 'You've got to make the most of it. Before you know it, we'll be playing in Australia so we can't let moments pass us by. We've got to fully take it on the chin. 'We speak a lot about respect with our own team-mates. Respect is so hard to earn but so easy to lose.' There was an understandable rustiness to the Lions' first outing. But head coach Farrell, captain Maro Itoje and the squad are determined not to use their limited preparation time together as an excuse. On Sunday, the Lions confirmed they had added no additional players to their squad. Against Argentina, they produced moments of promise in attack – one which was guided in Dublin by No 10 Smith. But there were too many spilled balls. Farrell described the attack as 'clunky'. His team also had defensive and line-out issues. Smith, one of 14 Lions debutants against Argentina, said he was 'gutted' and 'pretty deflated' at how his bow has gone. 'We created a lot, but we just didn't look after the ball. The number of times we threw poor offloads meant we just couldn't keep pressure on them,' Smith added. 'There is a lot to get better at. I'm sure it's not the first time the Lions have not played particularly well in their first outing. Fin Smith admitted he was 'gutted' and 'pretty deflated' at how his Lions debut had gone 'The main thing is how quickly we can respond and how quickly we can stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Andy has already said that – no moping.' After landing Down Under, the Lions will spend the next few days acclimatising ahead of their first game on Australian soil against the Western Force on Saturday. Yes, they lost against Argentina. And yes, the performance wasn't perfect. As competitive professionals, Curry and Smith were understandably disappointed. But the crucial passes that didn't stick in their first game surely will do with more training time in the bank. The post-match analysis of Argentina was unusual in that most media pundits, this writer included, saw more positives than Farrell's players did. 'We're not about throwing the ball out the back. Andy's been hot on you've got to see your pass and know someone is there,' Curry said. 'There were key moments against Argentina when that didn't happen. We can't just keep saying it and not doing it.'