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Courier-Mail
a day ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
AFL 2025: Top-10 draft pick Alix Tauru set to debut for St Kilda
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. St Kilda coach Ross Lyon is adamant his team is on track to 'pop' in coming seasons and will pursue plans to 'bang games' into young players. Alix Tauru is set to become the club's seventh debutant for 2025 when he plays against Collingwood on Saturday. St Kilda's progression under Lyon has been called into question after netting just five wins for the year, but he said 'we can't jump in and be four years down the track' and pointed to the Adelaide Crows' slow build as a 'great model' of what patience could bring. Tauru, 18 and taken at pick 10 in last year's draft, endured a four-week VFL suspension but looms as an 'exciting' inclusion as Lyon declared the youth project remained his key focus to get the Saints back to the top and he wouldn't be swayed in the search for immediate returns. 'It's pretty exciting. That would put us second for debuts this year with seven (behind Essendon, with 11),' he said on Thursday. Alix Tauru is set debut for St Kilda. Picture: Michael Klein 'Over the past two seasons we are top two, all our data, young players, debutants … games into players 22 and under in the last two years we sit comfortably in the top four in the comp. We'll keep pursuing that. 'There's no time warp machine, we can't jump in and be four years down the track. You can't buy experience, you have to bang games into them. 'Our strategic plan, it's evolved, but it's been really clear. 'I'll go back to the data set, it's indisputable, I can comfortably talk about games into players 22 and under. Nas (Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera), when I got here, he'd played one year. 'Over 23, 24 and 25, he's become an elite player in the competition. We're doing a lot right, but it takes time.' Lyon said the Crows, who have surged into the tour four in 2025, showed what could be achieved, aided by being able to 'lure' players to the club, with St Kilda pursuing Carlton big man Tom De Koning. Paddy Dow will return via the VFL. Picture: Michael Klein 'Adelaide is a great model, on metrics of games 22 and under they were second, second, fourth and now they are 16th (in past season),' he said. 'So at some point you get that experience, attract players to your club, and you pop.' While star St Kilda forward Max King suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, Lyon said Paddy Dow would return through the VFL having missed six months after a series of issues stemming from a staph infection. 'He had that staph infection in his knee, had a blister in his toe, then the staph went through the blister and resulted in numerous arthroscopes and it was a really serious situation,' Lyon said. 'He has carried himself extremely well. I don't think I've met a better young man in football. His resilience, his temperament, his embracing of his teammates … we're thrilled he's coming back. He's a talented midfielder who we have missed.' Originally published as Top-10 draft pick Alix Tauru set to debut for St Kilda as Ross Lyon backs youth led-recovery
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Cats' AFL unicorn Dangerfield marches on to 350th game
Once a local kid who stood on a milk crate watching his Geelong heroes from afar, Patrick Dangerfield will enter his 350th AFL game as the once-in-a-generation unicorn who transformed his boyhood club. Dangerfield will become the 25th AFL/VFL player to reach the rare milestone when he takes the field against Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night. The 35-year-old notched 154 games for Adelaide between 2008 and 2015 before heading home to Geelong as a free agent. The eight-time All-Australian has added another 195 games, the 2016 Brownlow Medal, three best and fairests and a long-elusive premiership in 2022 - the Cats' first in 11 years. "It coincided with a period where I wouldn't go so far as to say we were at the crossroads, but history is a pretty good guide in terms of list management and the length of time that teams can stay up in contention," coach Chris Scott said. "And we were certainly testing the boundaries of that through that period. "He didn't do it all himself, but he did a lot of it in terms of getting us back into contention. "Pat himself talks about it a lot - there's so many people that go into making a club successful over a long period of time. But none of them more important than him. "... We were hopeful that he could help a lot, but no one could be so optimistic to think that one player is going to come in and completely transform the fortunes of our football team. "But I'm happy enough to say, in the fullness of time, that he did that." For Scott, former AFLPA president Dangerfield is a player as influential off the field as on it, noting his ability to juggle being a friendly ear to teenage draftees with having "high-powered negotiations" with the AFL hierarchy. "The impact he's had on the club, off field, it's been instructive for all of us, and certainly on a personal level he's been great for me," he said. If Dangerfield was the driving force behind Geelong's latest success, then the club has been just as important for the Moggs Creek local. He joins former teammates Gary Ablett Jr, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins in reaching 350 games. "It speaks to the organisation and the environment that's been created that players want to hang around," he said. "They want to enjoy the environment. They want to squeeze everything out of their career. "And it's not necessarily the game that catches up with you mentally. It's your body physically failing you, which I think is a great spot to be." Scott stands by past comments that Dangerfield, an explosive midfielder with relentless attack on the ball, was a "unicorn" of a player. "He was the best player of that type in the competition," he said. "I've always had a bias, personally, towards the powerful inside midfielders. There have been some pretty good ones over the years, (Nat) Fyfe and (Dustin) Martin at that time. Patrick was singular in the way he played. "... Habitually, he does some things that no other player can do." Now in his 18th season, Dangerfield has been transformed from a midfielder to a more permanent forward, which he considers a "game changer". It appears a move that could extend his career, though he refuses to look any further forward than his contract for next year. "I'm happy to say I'm loving the game as much as I've ever loved it, to be honest," he said. "And perhaps that's because you do get closer to the end than the start. "And you realise how fortunate you are to play the game, to be involved in it, to try and feel young with the young players that come in and the stories they have and the way they go about things. ".. That keeps things fun. It keeps you willing to be around." Once a local kid who stood on a milk crate watching his Geelong heroes from afar, Patrick Dangerfield will enter his 350th AFL game as the once-in-a-generation unicorn who transformed his boyhood club. Dangerfield will become the 25th AFL/VFL player to reach the rare milestone when he takes the field against Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night. The 35-year-old notched 154 games for Adelaide between 2008 and 2015 before heading home to Geelong as a free agent. The eight-time All-Australian has added another 195 games, the 2016 Brownlow Medal, three best and fairests and a long-elusive premiership in 2022 - the Cats' first in 11 years. "It coincided with a period where I wouldn't go so far as to say we were at the crossroads, but history is a pretty good guide in terms of list management and the length of time that teams can stay up in contention," coach Chris Scott said. "And we were certainly testing the boundaries of that through that period. "He didn't do it all himself, but he did a lot of it in terms of getting us back into contention. "Pat himself talks about it a lot - there's so many people that go into making a club successful over a long period of time. But none of them more important than him. "... We were hopeful that he could help a lot, but no one could be so optimistic to think that one player is going to come in and completely transform the fortunes of our football team. "But I'm happy enough to say, in the fullness of time, that he did that." For Scott, former AFLPA president Dangerfield is a player as influential off the field as on it, noting his ability to juggle being a friendly ear to teenage draftees with having "high-powered negotiations" with the AFL hierarchy. "The impact he's had on the club, off field, it's been instructive for all of us, and certainly on a personal level he's been great for me," he said. If Dangerfield was the driving force behind Geelong's latest success, then the club has been just as important for the Moggs Creek local. He joins former teammates Gary Ablett Jr, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins in reaching 350 games. "It speaks to the organisation and the environment that's been created that players want to hang around," he said. "They want to enjoy the environment. They want to squeeze everything out of their career. "And it's not necessarily the game that catches up with you mentally. It's your body physically failing you, which I think is a great spot to be." Scott stands by past comments that Dangerfield, an explosive midfielder with relentless attack on the ball, was a "unicorn" of a player. "He was the best player of that type in the competition," he said. "I've always had a bias, personally, towards the powerful inside midfielders. There have been some pretty good ones over the years, (Nat) Fyfe and (Dustin) Martin at that time. Patrick was singular in the way he played. "... Habitually, he does some things that no other player can do." Now in his 18th season, Dangerfield has been transformed from a midfielder to a more permanent forward, which he considers a "game changer". It appears a move that could extend his career, though he refuses to look any further forward than his contract for next year. "I'm happy to say I'm loving the game as much as I've ever loved it, to be honest," he said. "And perhaps that's because you do get closer to the end than the start. "And you realise how fortunate you are to play the game, to be involved in it, to try and feel young with the young players that come in and the stories they have and the way they go about things. ".. That keeps things fun. It keeps you willing to be around." Once a local kid who stood on a milk crate watching his Geelong heroes from afar, Patrick Dangerfield will enter his 350th AFL game as the once-in-a-generation unicorn who transformed his boyhood club. Dangerfield will become the 25th AFL/VFL player to reach the rare milestone when he takes the field against Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night. The 35-year-old notched 154 games for Adelaide between 2008 and 2015 before heading home to Geelong as a free agent. The eight-time All-Australian has added another 195 games, the 2016 Brownlow Medal, three best and fairests and a long-elusive premiership in 2022 - the Cats' first in 11 years. "It coincided with a period where I wouldn't go so far as to say we were at the crossroads, but history is a pretty good guide in terms of list management and the length of time that teams can stay up in contention," coach Chris Scott said. "And we were certainly testing the boundaries of that through that period. "He didn't do it all himself, but he did a lot of it in terms of getting us back into contention. "Pat himself talks about it a lot - there's so many people that go into making a club successful over a long period of time. But none of them more important than him. "... We were hopeful that he could help a lot, but no one could be so optimistic to think that one player is going to come in and completely transform the fortunes of our football team. "But I'm happy enough to say, in the fullness of time, that he did that." For Scott, former AFLPA president Dangerfield is a player as influential off the field as on it, noting his ability to juggle being a friendly ear to teenage draftees with having "high-powered negotiations" with the AFL hierarchy. "The impact he's had on the club, off field, it's been instructive for all of us, and certainly on a personal level he's been great for me," he said. If Dangerfield was the driving force behind Geelong's latest success, then the club has been just as important for the Moggs Creek local. He joins former teammates Gary Ablett Jr, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins in reaching 350 games. "It speaks to the organisation and the environment that's been created that players want to hang around," he said. "They want to enjoy the environment. They want to squeeze everything out of their career. "And it's not necessarily the game that catches up with you mentally. It's your body physically failing you, which I think is a great spot to be." Scott stands by past comments that Dangerfield, an explosive midfielder with relentless attack on the ball, was a "unicorn" of a player. "He was the best player of that type in the competition," he said. "I've always had a bias, personally, towards the powerful inside midfielders. There have been some pretty good ones over the years, (Nat) Fyfe and (Dustin) Martin at that time. Patrick was singular in the way he played. "... Habitually, he does some things that no other player can do." Now in his 18th season, Dangerfield has been transformed from a midfielder to a more permanent forward, which he considers a "game changer". It appears a move that could extend his career, though he refuses to look any further forward than his contract for next year. "I'm happy to say I'm loving the game as much as I've ever loved it, to be honest," he said. "And perhaps that's because you do get closer to the end than the start. "And you realise how fortunate you are to play the game, to be involved in it, to try and feel young with the young players that come in and the stories they have and the way they go about things. ".. That keeps things fun. It keeps you willing to be around."
7NEWS
a day ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Patrick Dangerfield's daughter steals the show with cracking one-liner at 350th game media conference
Patrick Dangerfield's daughter Flic has stolen the show ahead of her dad's 350th AFL game. Geelong captain Dangerfield will become the 25th AFL/VFL player to reach the rare milestone when he takes the field against Brisbane at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night. The 35-year-old notched 154 games for Adelaide between 2008 and 2015 before heading home to Geelong. The eight-time All-Australian has added another 195 games, the 2016 Brownlow Medal, three best and fairests and a long-elusive premiership in 2022 — the Cats' first in 11 years. He has also become a father of three to George (seven), Felicity (five) and Winnifred (two). Dangerfield had his two daughters with him at Wednesday's media conference and they joined him at the desk, while they waited for coach Chris Scott. The sisters appeared to enjoy their time in front of the microphones, with plenty of laughs and giggles. When Scott finally arrived, Flic graciously vacated the seat before she was encouraged back to the mic by her dad. 'What do you have to say to Chris ... don't get shy now,' Dangerfield said. Flic then took her moment and nailed it. 'You're late,' she said to Scott before everyone erupted in laughter. Scott hailed the recruitment of Dangerfield, which immediately helped the Cats return to the finals after a rare miss in Scott's rein. 'It coincided with a period where I wouldn't go so far as to say we were at the crossroads, but history is a pretty good guide in terms of list management and the length of time that teams can stay up in contention,' coach Chris Scott said. 'And we were certainly testing the boundaries of that through that period. 'He didn't do it all himself, but he did a lot of it in terms of getting us back into contention. 'Pat himself talks about it a lot - there's so many people that go into making a club successful over a long period of time. But none of them more important than him. '... We were hopeful that he could help a lot, but no one could be so optimistic to think that one player is going to come in and completely transform the fortunes of our football team. 'But I'm happy enough to say, in the fullness of time, that he did that.' For Scott, former AFLPA president Dangerfield is a player as influential off the field as on it, noting his ability to juggle being a friendly ear to teenage draftees with having 'high-powered negotiations' with the AFL hierarchy. 'The impact he's had on the club, off field, it's been instructive for all of us, and certainly on a personal level he's been great for me,' he said. If Dangerfield was the driving force behind Geelong's latest success, then the club has been just as important for the Moggs Creek local. He joins former teammates Gary Ablett Jr, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins in reaching 350 games. 'It speaks to the organisation and the environment that's been created that players want to hang around,' he said. 'They want to enjoy the environment. They want to squeeze everything out of their career. 'And it's not necessarily the game that catches up with you mentally. It's your body physically failing you, which I think is a great spot to be.' Scott stands by past comments that Dangerfield, an explosive midfielder with relentless attack on the ball, was a 'unicorn' of a player. 'He was the best player of that type in the competition,' he said. 'I've always had a bias, personally, towards the powerful inside midfielders. There have been some pretty good ones over the years, (Nat) Fyfe and (Dustin) Martin at that time. Patrick was singular in the way he played. '... Habitually, he does some things that no other player can do.' Now in his 18th season, Dangerfield has been transformed from a midfielder to a more permanent forward, which he considers a 'game changer'. It appears a move that could extend his career, though he refuses to look any further forward than his contract for next year. 'I'm happy to say I'm loving the game as much as I've ever loved it, to be honest,' he said. 'And perhaps that's because you do get closer to the end than the start. 'And you realise how fortunate you are to play the game, to be involved in it, to try and feel young with the young players that come in and the stories they have and the way they go about things. 'That keeps things fun. It keeps you willing to be around.'
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Richmond's Taj Hotton could play first game since being drafted in the after overcoming ACL injury
Richmond fans could finally get a look at draftee Taj Hotton who only has to get through main training to play his first game of the year, in the VFL, after recovering from an ACL injury. Hotton was taken with pick 12 in last year's draft, having dropped down the pecking order after hurting his knee. 'Exciting to say that Taj is a test for this week,' Richmond High Performance Manager Ben Serpell said. 'If he gets through main training on Thursday, then he'll be available to play this weekend.' But premiership winning veteran Jayden Short hasn't recovered from a calf injury as hoped and won't be available for selection for another week. ST KILDA confirmed star forward Max King had suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury and would seek 'further medical advice' to get him back on track. King hasn't played a game in 2025. 'It's a very frustrating situation for Max, who has done everything possible to put his body in the best position to play this year,' football boss David Misson said. 'Our priority is Max's long-term health and setting him up for a successful career here at the Saints, not rushing him back before he's ready.' But in better news, Mattaes Phillipou could return against Collingwood on Saturday, needing to pass a fitness test during Thursday's main training session to put his hand up for selection. HAWTHORN key forward Mitch Lewis is also on the cusp of a return from his ACL injury with the hope he could be back in the VFL next weekend, 11 months after going down. 'We are expecting him to be available to play Round 16 in his return game from his ACL,' High Performance Manager Peter Burge said. 'It's around 11 months since he's played football, really exciting for him.' Captain James Sicily remains on the to be confirmed list, however, yet to fully train as he deals with a hip/abdominal issue. WEST Coast co-captain Oscar Allen has avoided the worst-case scenarios after hurting his knee late in last Sunday's loss to Carlton. The Eagles suspect the key forward has suffered a plantaris injury, which won't require any surgery. ESSENDON young gun Harrison Jones is still unable to run after suffering a setback in his return from an ankle injury and there won't be a timeline put on his comeback until he can get back on his feet. Jones, 24, avoided surgery after suffering a minor fracture in the base of his foot in round 9 but coach Brad Scott said the recovery had stagnated. 'Harry had a really serious injury and he was optimistic in the first two weeks how quickly it turned around,' he said. 'But there's no doubt it has stagnated in terms of his recovery. He thought he'd be running by now. He's not really even close to that. 'The TBC is because we can't give a return to play until he's back with some sort of running load.'
7NEWS
4 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
American tradition set to flood AFL blockbuster as Geelong celebrate Patrick Dangerfield's 350th
Geelong will flood GMHBA Stadium in an American-style white-out as they celebrate Patrick Dangerfield's 350th AFL game on Friday night. White t-shirts will be draped over every seat in the stadium ahead of the top-four clash with Brisbane, free for fans to wear and keep. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Geelong set for stadium white-out to celebrate Patrick Dangerfield's 350th. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Fans wearing t-shirt handouts in club colours has become a customary tradition in the NBA, particularly in the playoffs, and American college football, where hosting teams strive to extract as much home-court (or ground) advantage as possible, making for a hostile environment for visitors. With the NBA Finals between Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers in full swing over in the US, Geelong are following suit, according to 7NEWS Melbourne's Xander McGuire. 'Geelong is bringing one of American sport's most famous traditions to GMHBA Stadium,' McGuire said. 'Inspired by Penn State's famous white-out, Geelong's kitting out the Cattery with white, Geelong-themed t-shirts. 'All 40,000 seats will have a free tee on them, with the Cats hoping to ramp up their home-ground advantage with a college football-like cauldron.' But they'll be without star young defender Sam De Koning, who has damaged his left shoulder. De Koning will need surgery to repair an AC joint injury he suffered in their 95-point thumping of Essendon. De Koning was substituted out of Saturday's game in the third quarter at the MCG after a ground ball contest with Bombers midfielder Will Setterfield. The 24-year-old is expected to miss four to five weeks. Geelong teammate Zach Guthrie is backing the depth in their defensive stocks as they look to extend to mark Dangerfield's milestone with a win against the third-placed Brisbane Lions (9-4-1). The Cats (10-4) are second on the ladder and boast a five-game winning streak. Star utility Mark Blicavs was deployed in De Koning's role against Essendon, while Guthrie has pointed to youngster Connor O'Sullivan as another option. 'Sam is a really important player for us. He's one that we really depend on every week to play on those taller types,' Guthrie said on Monday. 'He's been doing a really good job for us but we've got a number of guys who can roll through that position.' Guthrie's brother Cam has suffered another setback in his return to AFL. The older Guthrie, after having surgery on his left achilles in February, was forced to sit out of a VFL game last week with a calf complaint. The 32-year-old onballer has not featured at AFL level this year and has played just ten games in the last two seasons. Cam Guthrie gets a handball away during last season's VFL semi-final against the Southport Sharks. (Julian Smith/AAP PHOTOS) But Zach Guthrie, 26, remains confident his brother's return is imminent. 'He ended up missing the VFL game on the weekend, just to hopefully try and get it right,' Guthrie said. 'I think the positive signs are that it's hopefully not too serious. 'Fingers crossed, I'd like to play some footy again with him soon.'
