Tones

FREMANTLE rookie Bailey Banfield has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension after playing all but one game in his debut season.



Banfield, 20, will be promoted to the senior list next season after extending his stay at the Dockers until at least the end of 2020.



Overlooked in two National Drafts, Banfield has made the most of his opportunity, performing some excellent negating roles on gun opposition midfielders.



The Claremont product was selected for round one and played every game until he made way for team balance ahead of the club’s win over Carlton last Sunday.



“It’s been awesome playing through the midfield and lining up in the centre square bounces with some of the biggest names in footy,” said Banfield.



“It’s been one of the highlights of my year.”



“You’re just playing on the best player and you’re seeing what they do, their work-rate and just the little tips and tricks about how they get the ball and how they defend and filing that away for future use.”



Banfield has averaged 14.7 possessions and four tackles and is in the mix for a recall to take on one of Geelong’s star midfield trio in Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood or Gary Ablett at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday.



Banfield’s re-signing comes after fellow rookie Taylin Duman and yet-to-debut- tall forward Hugh Dixon extended their stays at the club until the end of 2019 and 2020 respectively.



Fremantle are in talks with uncontracted veterans Aaron Sandilands and Hayden Ballantyne about their futures, with coach Ross Lyon describing the situation as ‘delicate’.



Sandilands is the Dockers’ third-longest servant with 265 games under his belt, while Ballantyne is keen to play on but is yet to receive a formal offer.

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RICHMOND premiership captain Trent Cotchin has extended his contract with the club until the end of 2022.



The 28-year-old’s original contract expired at the end of 2020, but the extension will surely see him finish his career as a one-club player, signing on until he is 32 years old.



Cotchin has captained the club since 2013, and his honours include the 2012 Brownlow medal, three Jack Dyer medals as the club’s best-and-fairest and an All Australian jumper in 2012.



“Trent is everything we could ask for as the captain of our football club. His leadership and care for his team mates, as well as the courageous way he plays the game is just exceptional,” said Richmond football manager Neil Balme.



“He leads by example with his talent and toughness on-field, and his maturity and authenticity off-field. We’re lucky to have him leading our playing group.”



Cotchin’s contract extension comes in the wake of the re-signing of vice-captains Alex Rance and Jack Riewoldt, along with emerging talents Jayden Short and Jack Higgins.



Premiership players Bachar Houli, Shaun Grigg, Nathan Broad and Jacob Townsend remain out of contract.

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ST Kilda defender Nathan Brown will miss the remainder of the season after he was suspended for three games for his bump that concussed Essendon speedster Adam Saad.



The suspension means he will also miss the start of the Saints’ 2018 campaign.



Brown had pleaded not guilty to intentionally engaging in rough conduct against Saad in an attempt to reduce the grading to careless and thus earn only a two-game suspension.



In pleading not guilty, Brown said his team mates were making ‘little to no ground’ on Saad and that he believed he had to 'somehow slow Adam’ so he didn’t regain the ball.



“My sole intent was to stop Adam from following up the ball,” said Brown at the witness stand.



Brown’s statement was supported by the officiating umpire, Jacob Mollison, who said it was his belief that Saad could 'absolutely’ still influence the play before being bumped by Brown.



But, the AFL’s legal counsel, Jeff Gleeson QC, told the tribunal that the ball was 'considerably’ more than five metres away at the time of impact, also contending that Brown had a clear view of Saad and could have avoided contact altogether had he tried to do so.



The AFL Tribunal deliberated for just nine minutes before upholding Match Review Officer Michael Christian’s assessment of the incident and handing Brown a three-game sanction.



“I wholeheartedly accept the findings of the tribunal tonight and thank them for their time,” Brown said afterward.



“Again, I apologise to Adam and his family. Hopefully he can take the field for Essendon this week.”



St Kilda locks horns with Hawthorn and North Melbourne to round out its 2018 season.

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MELBOURNE’S finals hopes have been dealt a major blow with spearhead Jesse Hogan to miss the rest of the season.



The Demons confirmed on Tuesday he had suffered a ‘partial stress fracture’ in the navicular bone in his right foot during Sunday’s loss to Sydney at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.



Hogan, 23, revealed he had felt soreness during the opening stanza, which escalated during half-time, before returning to play out the match.



“It’s just a crack so it’s not disastrous. We caught it pretty early,” said Hogan.



“The pain was hovering so it didn’t crack all the way through thankfully so I won’t require surgery or anything, but it’s enough to keep me out for the rest of the season.”



After multiple scans on Monday, Demons elite performance manager Dave Misson said that Hogan would not kick a football in anger again in 2018.



“He had an MRI scan and a CT scan and what it showed was a partial stress fracture to the navicular bone,” Misson said.



“What that means for Jesse is that essentially his season is over. It can develop into a serious injury and we feel we’ve got it quite early.”



“It’s not going to require surgery and we’re looking at a positive outcome for his preparation going into 2019.”



“We think he’s going to be right to go for the start of pre-season, but unfortunately for the rest of the season, that’ll be it for Jesse.”



Hogan said the injury could have been far worse had the club decided not to end his season prematurely.



“Initially when I saw sans I thought it might have been four-to-six weeks,” Hogan said.



“It’s obviously really disappointing, but there’s worse injuries. For example, (Alex) Johnson did his ACL so I can’t complain.”



“Footy’s a pretty cruel game at times. I’ve had my own troubles and I think everyone does.”



“You can’t have a perfect run, it’s unfortunate obviously but you’ve just got to look at the positives and tick off the next box in your recovery.”



Meanwhile, speedster Jayden Hunt will be sidelines for two-to-four weeks with the ankle he re-injured against the Swans, his first game since round seven.



Veteran Bernie Vince’s VFL shoulder injury that required surgery on Saturday night will see him miss the rest of the year.



Co-captain Jack Viney remains three weeks away from returning from his latest toe setback, while Joel Smith (collarbone) could feature before the conclusion of the home-and-away season.



All Australian defender Michael Hibberd (quad) and half-forward Jake Melksham (hamstring) are in the mix to play West Coast after training on Tuesday.



Melbourne’s push for a finals berth for the first time since 2006 is delicately balanced ahead of matches against top eight teams in the Eagles and Greater Western Sydney.



Yet to register a win against a top eight team this season, the Demons must win one of their two remaining matches to be in control of their own destiny.

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MELBOURNE’S finals hopes have been dealt a major blow with spearhead Jesse Hogan to miss the rest of the season.



The Demons confirmed on Tuesday he had suffered a ‘partial stress fracture’ in the navicular bone in his right foot during Sunday’s loss to Sydney at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.



Hogan, 23, revealed he had felt soreness during the opening stanza, which escalated during half-time, before returning to play out the match.



“It’s just a crack so it’s not disastrous. We caught it pretty early,” said Hogan.



“The pain was hovering so it didn’t crack all the way through thankfully so I won’t require surgery or anything, but it’s enough to keep me out for the rest of the season.”



After multiple scans on Monday, Demons elite performance manager Dave Misson said that Hogan would not kick a football in anger again in 2018.



“He had an MRI scan and a CT scan and what it showed was a partial stress fracture to the navicular bone,” Misson said.



“What that means for Jesse is that essentially his season is over. It can develop into a serious injury and we feel we’ve got it quite early.”



“It’s not going to require surgery and we’re looking at a positive outcome for his preparation going into 2019.”



“We think he’s going to be right to go for the start of pre-season, but unfortunately for the rest of the season, that’ll be it for Jesse.”



Hogan said the injury could have been far worse had the club decided not to end his season prematurely.



“Initially when I saw sans I thought it might have been four-to-six weeks,” Hogan said.



“It’s obviously really disappointing, but there’s worse injuries. For example, (Alex) Johnson did his ACL so I can’t complain.”



“Footy’s a pretty cruel game at times. I’ve had my own troubles and I think everyone does.”



“You can’t have a perfect run, it’s unfortunate obviously but you’ve just got to look at the positives and tick off the next box in your recovery.”



Meanwhile, speedster Jayden Hunt will be sidelines for two-to-four weeks with the ankle he re-injured against the Swans, his first game since round seven.



Veteran Bernie Vince’s VFL shoulder injury that required surgery on Saturday night will see him miss the rest of the year.



Co-captain Jack Viney remains three weeks away from returning from his latest toe setback, while Joel Smith (collarbone) could feature before the conclusion of the home-and-away season.



All Australian defender Michael Hibberd (quad) and half-forward Jake Melksham (hamstring) are in the mix to play West Coast after training on Tuesday.



Melbourne’s push for a finals berth for the first time since 2006 is delicately balanced ahead of matches against top eight teams in the Eagles and Greater Western Sydney.



Yet to register a win against a top eight team this season, the Demons must win one of their two remaining matches to be in control of their own destiny.

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SYDNEY has confirmed the news the football community has feared, with luckless defender Alex Johnson set for the sixth knee reconstruction of his career, this time on his ‘good’ right knee.



The 26-year-old has had 12 knee operations, and just a week earlier made an emotional return to the AFL in the Swans’ victory over Collingwood.



Johnson stayed in Melbourne with his family before returning to Sydney on Monday.



“Clearly this is a really disappointing outcome for Alex,” said Sydney football manager Tom Harley.



“Alex has worked so hard over the past six years to get back to playing football and for this to happen in his second game back is just shattering for him and for us.”



“Alex has shown unbelievable resilience and determination over his career, and will continue to be an inspiration to his team mates and the wider AFL community.”



“As we saw after the injury on Sunday, Alex is the ultimate clubman and will be doing all he can to support his team mates from the sidelines for the remainder of the season.”



Johnson spoke with Dr. Tom Cross and Dr. Julian Feller as he decides how to deal with his latest setback.



“He’ll have a further consult next week and we’ll map out what the recovery looks like after that.”



The loss of Johnson wasn’t the only blow to come from last Sunday’s stirring nine-point win over Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with fellow defender Nick Smith likely to miss the rest of the year after suffering a hamstring tendon injury in the opening term.



Smith, 30, has lined up in 20 matches this year and the reliable stopper hasn’t dipped below that number since 2010.



“Nick’s got a hamstring tendon injury. At this early stage it looks like six weeks, which obviously makes the season challenging,” Harley said.



“He had a scan yesterday. We’ll gather all of the facts as to the next steps with Nick.”



“Clearly it was disappointing he wasn’t able to play any further part in the game on Sunday and it looks like he’ll be having an extended period on the sidelines also.”



Speedy forward Gary Rohan had a broken hand operated on late last month and hurt it again in the NEAFL last Saturday, but could be right to play in Saturday’s crunch clash against Greater Western Sydney at Spotless Stadium.



“He copped a knock on it early in the game which prevented him from playing any further part in the game,” said Harley.



“He’s been cleared of any damage which is important, so he had X-rays and scans on the Sunday…so we’ll assess him as the week goes by. Hopefully for Gary, he’s able to get up this week.”



Meanwhile, veteran defender Heath Grundy could be named to take on the Giants after taking time away from the game to deal with a mental health issue.



“(He) has trained really well. We’re expecting him to train really well again this week and I would expect him to be in the selection discussion come later in the week,” Harley said.

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ADELAIDE skipper Taylor Walker won’t play again this season, accepting a two-game suspension that caps off a frustrating 2018 campaign.



Walker was handed a two-match ban for a tackle that knocked out Greater Western Sydney star Josh Kelly in last Saturday night’s 14-point loss to the Giants at UNSW Oval in Canberra.



The defeat ended the Crows’ chances of making finals ahead of their remaining matches against North Melbourne and Carlton.



Walker has had an injury-interrupted season and said it would be a good opportunity for him to sit out the last two games, while giving others a chance in his place.



“I’m not going to challenge it - it probably sums up my season,” said Walker.



“It’s been very challenging for me individually and us as a footy team.”



“I’ll just cop it.”



“My body’s crying out for a bit of a rest at the moment, so it gives opportunity for someone else to play the last two games.”



Walker said he thought he could be in trouble when Kelly had to be helped off the ground, and didn’t take any further part in the match.



“It does happen so quick, and I remember getting emotional thinking, ’S—, this could be a sling tackle, so I let him go,” Walker said.



“But, they’re just so protective of the head and if the consequence is that they’re knocked out or hit in the head, then you’re in trouble.”



“It’s disappointing, but that’s just the way the rules go.”

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ADELAIDE skipper Taylor Walker won’t play again this season, accepting a two-game suspension that caps off a frustrating 2018 campaign.



Walker was handed a two-match ban for a tackle that knocked out Greater Western Sydney star Josh Kelly in last Saturday night’s 14-point loss to the Giants at UNSW Oval in Canberra.



The defeat ended the Crows’ chances of making finals ahead of their remaining matches against North Melbourne and Carlton.



Walker has had an injury-interrupted season and said it would be a good opportunity for him to sit out the last two games, while giving others a chance in his place.



“I’m not going to challenge it - it probably sums up my season,” said Walker.



“It’s been very challenging for me individually and us as a footy team.”



“I’ll just cop it.”



“My body’s crying out for a bit of a rest at the moment, so it gives opportunity for someone else to play the last two games.”



Walker said he thought he could be in trouble when Kelly had to be helped off the ground, and didn’t take any further part in the match.



“It does happen so quick, and I remember getting emotional thinking, ’S—, this could be a sling tackle, so I let him go,” Walker said.



“But, they’re just so protective of the head and if the consequence is that they’re knocked out or hit in the head, then you’re in trouble.”



“It’s disappointing, but that’s just the way the rules go.”

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HAWTHORN youngster James Worpel won plenty of admirers for his attack on the ball against Geelong skipper Joe Selwood on Saturday and it’s helped him claim the round 21 Rising Star nomination as well.



The 19-year-old gathered 23 possessions and eight tackles in the Hawks’ 11-point win in the MCG clash, with the Geelong Falcons product’s best moment coming in the third term when he unflinchingly won a hard ball against Selwood - with the rivals coming from different directions - that set up a Jack Gunston major.



Worpel’s well-rounded performance came after kicking the match-winner against Essendon the previous round and 32 disposals in the round 18 victory over Carlton.



Snared with Hawthorn’s first selection at last year’s National Draft, number 45 overall, Worpel has played seven games since making his AFL debut against St Kilda in round six.



Worpel has averaged 16.7 touches, 5.4 score involvements and 4.1 tackles per game, and ranks in the top five among rising stars for inside 50s, clearances, score involvements, goal assists and centre clearances.

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HAWTHORN youngster James Worpel won plenty of admirers for his attack on the ball against Geelong skipper Joe Selwood on Saturday and it’s helped him claim the round 21 Rising Star nomination as well.



The 19-year-old gathered 23 possessions and eight tackles in the Hawks’ 11-point win in the MCG clash, with the Geelong Falcons product’s best moment coming in the third term when he unflinchingly won a hard ball against Selwood - with the rivals coming from different directions - that set up a Jack Gunston major.



Worpel’s well-rounded performance came after kicking the match-winner against Essendon the previous round and 32 disposals in the round 18 victory over Carlton.



Snared with Hawthorn’s first selection at last year’s National Draft, number 45 overall, Worpel has played seven games since making his AFL debut against St Kilda in round six.



Worpel has averaged 16.7 touches, 5.4 score involvements and 4.1 tackles per game, and ranks in the top five among rising stars for inside 50s, clearances, score involvements, goal assists and centre clearances.

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