AFL News: 'Mob of perennial sooks' - Danger blasted for Ginnivan 'chicken wing' accusation, Giant requests trade

Geelong star and AFL Players Association president Patrick Dangerfield has hit out at Collingwood youngster Jack Ginnivan, following an alleged ‘chicken wing’ tackle during the Cats’ qualifying final win.

Ginnivan laid the tackle on Dangerfield during the first quarter on Saturday, but while he was cleared by the AFL, the 32-year old has urged the youngster to not do it again.

“I think it’s important that when you’re in a vulnerable position as a player you’ve got a responsibility to treat players with care,” Dangerfield told 9 News on Wednesday.

“If he had his time again, I’d like to think he’d do something different.”

Dangerfield’s comments have since unleashed a social media storm, with Magpies fans accusing the Cats star of hypocrisy, having singled out Ginnivan over other incidents through the season.

Some were quick to point out the silence over Cats captain Joel Selwood placing Ginnivan in a headlock in the Magpies’ Round 3 match, while others suggested Dangerfield may have been guilty of a similar tackle on Pie Taylor Adams during the match.

Still others were furious at the AFLPA president for making an example of the 19-year old Ginnivan.

Dangerfield’s Cats will face the winner of Melbourne and Brisbane in the preliminary final next Friday, while Ginnivan’s Magpies face a do-or-die semi final against Fremantle on Saturday night.

Hopper Tigers bound after requesting trade

GWS midfielder Jacob Hopper has reportedly requested a trade to Richmond.

The on-baller remains under contract at the Giants for 2023, but the club’s salary cap crisis appears set to push him out the door.

The Tigers and Geelong had been the prime suitors for the inside bull’s signature, with an expected long-term deal on the cards at the former.

Should the trade go through, Hopper will link up with fellow Giant Tim Taranto, who has reportedly accepted a whopping seven-year deal to head to Punt Road.

Lyon opens up on Bombers snub

Ross Lyon has explained why he ruled himself out of the race for the Essendon coaching position.

The former St Kilda and Fremantle boss had been one of the frontrunners for the position, with the Bombers seeking an experienced coach to take the reins for 2023, but told the club he had ‘no desire’ to be part of their process to replace the sacked Ben Rutten.

Speaking on Triple M’s Midweek Rub on Wednesday, Lyon expressed his reservations about a return to coaching, saying there was ‘no vibe’ between himself and the Bombers.

“There was a missed call on Sunday night, I checked the message bank – [Essendon football general manager] Josh Mahoney,” Lyon said.

“So I rang him 6:30 Monday night and we had a discussion. Off the bat I just said, ‘Look, I don’t feel it’s the right fit for me, but can you just explain what it is?’

“And he was really good – really simply, they’re gonna have five or six candidates, at least two steps, maybe three, but the first step I wouldn’t be in.

“I think that’s for guys who hadn’t coached before, there’s some hurdles for them to jump, and I think they narrow it down from them.

“The second round would be a couple of hours, two hours with a presentation on how you connect with players, sort of build that relationship and what your first 30 days would look like.

“I said: ‘Oh look, send me through the steps’. It was an NDA.”

After taking some time to contemplate the information, Lyon said he decided against undertaking the application process.

“I thought about it for an hour and a half and then I just emailed him back and said, ‘Thanks for the call, I have no desire to take it any further’.

Lyon’s decision has come in for criticism, with Fox Footy’s AFL 360 host Mark Robinson suggesting the 55-year old wanted to be handed the job rather than needing to apply for it, as Alastair Clarkson has recently done at North Melbourne.

“It looks like he doesn’t want to go through the process of sitting down in front of people asking him questions,” Robinson said.

“He just wants to be given the job… he’s not in Alastair Clarkson’s league of: ‘Here you go, we want you to coach’.

“I don’t think he’s at that level and Essendon can’t afford to do that – they need to have a process.”

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

‘Absolutely embarrassing’: Drunk Dog savaged for Mad Monday scene

Former AFL great Matthew Lloyd has taken Western Bulldogs defender Zaine Cordy to task, after photos emerged of him in a sorry state during the club’s Mad Monday celebrations.

Cordy needed to be helped into a taxi by teammates Tom Liberatore and Ryan Gardner, outside the Railway Hotel in Yarraville on Monday.

Speaking on Nine’s Footy Classified, Lloyd was scathing of Cordy’s drunken state.

“This is a horrible look for any league footballer,” Lloyd said.

“Now I’ll ask Zaine; would you ever see your captain [Marcus Bontempelli] in this state? Would you ever see [Scott] Pendlebury, Lachie Neale, all the great players? [Christian] Petracca, [Clayton] Oliver?

“That’s embarrassing. Absolutely embarrassing for a league footballer to be in that state, even at end-of-season drinks.”

Lloyd said the incident sets a terrible example for any young Bulldogs at the event, saying Cordy, who has been at the club for eight years, should have known better.

“Be in control. Imagine you’re a young first-year player looking at that, and he’s been in the system for nearly 10 years,” Lloyd said.

The incident is a further disappointment in an underwhelming campaign by the Bulldogs, whose season was ended by Fremantle in last week’s elimination final.

Cordy has been offered a two-year contract by the club after playing the final five games of the season, but will be a free agent should he choose to depart.

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McCart-IN: Swans brothers sign on

Good news just keeps coming at Sydney, with star defenders Tom and Paddy McCartin signing new deals to remain at the club.

McCartin, given a lifeline by the Swans at the start of the year after a series of concussions forced him out of the game while at former team St Kilda, has been one of the stories of 2022 as a reborn key backman.

He will now be at the Swans until at least the end of 2024 after inking a new two-year deal, while younger brother Tom has extended his stay until at least 2027.

“Paddy has done a remarkable job to return to senior football and play a really key role for us in defence,” Swans football general manager Charlie Gardiner said in a statement on Thursday.

“It has been a testament to his hard work and resilience and we are all incredibly proud of what he has been able to achieve since moving to Sydney two years ago.

“To see him enjoying his football and getting the best out of himself is fantastic.”

“To get a couple more years is fantastic – it’s a long way from where I was last year. I’m feeling good personally and loving my footy, and I feel really fortunate to be playing finals,” Paddy McCartin said.

“For me and Tommy to be able to sign on together is really exciting and I’m looking forward to seeing what our team can do in the next few years.”

The pair will be crucial to the Swans’ premiership chances as they await a home preliminary final against one of Collingwood or Fremantle.