Carlton Blues seek clarity from prominent commentator David King over Harry McKay knee injury; Collingwood Magpies and star forward Bobby Hill preparing end contract early; Essendon Bombers forward Nate Caddy discharged from hospital; expected to face Hawthorn Hawks
Updated ,first published
In today’s AFL briefing:
- Carlton sought clarification from leading commentator David King. He questioned Harry McKay’s pain threshold on Saturday night.
- The Magpies and Premier Striker Bobby Hill are set to part ways.
- Essendon star Nate Caddy has been released from hospital and is expected to play this week.
Nathan Buckley is openly expressing his disappointment at missing out as the Tasmania Devils’ first senior coach.
Buckley, who coached Collingwood to the 2018 grand final, has raised strong doubts that he will throw his hat in the ring for the other two coaching vacancies in the AFL – the next senior coaches at Carlton and Essendon.
“I haven’t really thought about where those roles stand,” a candid Buckley said on Fox Footy on Monday night.
“And I don’t think I will go through those processes.
“I’m definitely focused on the next six to 10 weeks [as an assistant coach] It’s about Geelong and how this plays out.
“I am committed to this [the Tasmania job]. and this [ambition] “It ended the day before.”
As drama unfolded in Tasmania over the weekend, the Devils committed to Ken Hinkley, with news of his appointment fading away late on Sunday.
Buckley said he was told by Devils CEO Brendan Gale that he was a failure.
“I texted you back [to Gale] ‘I’m disappointed, but thanks for letting me know’. And I’ll come back and touch base in time [with Tasmania, for some feedback] because this is clearly a busy time for the Devils.”
“Obviously Kenny is the perfect fit for Tassie. Good luck to them all, hope everything goes well.
“I’m sure they’ll look great.”
Buckley described his situation as a “crossroads.”
“The future is there [at the Cats] For me it will inform my next step in football. “If I hadn’t looked at Tassie I probably wouldn’t have come back, so it’s a crossroads,” he said.
“And I’m really grateful for where I’m at, rather than sitting on the sofa in the media for five years without really knowing what I was doing with football.
“But now that I’m back at the club, I don’t know what’s next.”
Blues seek clarity from top pundit on McKay injury
Jon Pierik
Carlton sought clarity from leading commentator David King after questioning Harry McKay’s pain threshold when he was injured in Saturday’s defeat to Collingwood at the MCG.
King, North Melbourne’s dual premiership and Fox Footy analyst, told his breakfast radio show on SEN on Monday that the Blues had called him to discuss his comments on Sunday.
“I got the call from Carlton [on Sunday] …and there was a lot [public] feedback about this [his commentary]. Look, my thoughts are my thoughts. “I’m not going to back down too much on this,” King said.
“I think we’ve talked about players being a bit easy going in the past. This time I’m not saying it’s Harry. He’s clearly got a problem and they’re telling me he’s going to miss two weeks. I was basically talking about some old Denis Paganism, which you’ll understand if you listen to what I said before.”
When asked to elaborate, King said: “Everything is fine. [Blues] I don’t agree with what the debate is about, that’s fine. This is football. I’m happy to continue from now on.”
Carlton has been contacted for comment.
On Sunday the Blues said McKay would be tested this week and could play against Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium next Saturday.
McKay’s night ended with a knee-to-knee collision with teammate Sam Walsh in the opening period. He struggled to run and spent the rest of the game on the bench with ice on his left leg before being escorted down to the rooms by the club doctor.
He was diagnosed Sunday with a small tear in his meniscus and bruising to his bones and could miss two weeks.
“It seems to me that the doctors are saying this is a pain management issue,” King said in his commentary.
“’We know you’re struggling and there’s some discomfort out there, but this is AFL football, we need you out there’.”
When it became clear that McKay would no longer feature in the game, King said: “Looks like he’s drawn a line on himself, put on the jacket, that’s it, the night is over. Incredibly disappointing. You wonder if there are any structural issues here, or is this just a pain tolerance argument?”
“This Harry McKay debate is going to escalate. There’s nothing worse than such an important player not being there. That changes the whole game.”
“My old coaches used to say, ‘Hopefully it’ll be a two- or three-week process,'” King said of his former coaches, including the great star Denis Pagan. [injury]. If this is 15-20 minutes [injury]You will lose a lot of respect.’”
Carlton said McKay was ruled out by club doctors that night.
King added at half-time: “If it’s just a bit of pain management then you’ve got a lot more to answer for. Hopefully that’s not the case for Harry and time will tell.”
McKay, the 2021 Coleman medalist, has struggled with mental health issues throughout his career.
In the AFL Players Association’s annual insight and impact report published last week, 34 per cent of players said they felt some level of disrespect from the broadcast media. This included concerns about focusing on negativity and exaggeration.
After seven straight wins under manager Josh Fraser, the Blues have lost their last two games against Hawthorn and Collingwood but remain in contention for the wildcard spot. They host Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
Magpies and star premiership forward set to leave
Jon Pierik
Collingwood are trying to part ways with premiership star Bobby Hill.
The 2023 Norm Smith medalist is under contract through the end of 2030 on a deal worth approximately $750,000 per season.
Industry sources confirmed talks between the Magpies and Hill’s Mac’s Sports Promotions management were ongoing. The Magpies and Mac’s Sport Management have been contacted for comment.
Hill has not played a senior match since round 21 last year, largely due to personal issues.
He took a long break over the summer but was accepted back into the team earlier this season. He was training with a coach at suburban grounds before returning to the club.
The dynamic small forward played three VFL matches but was unable to establish a consistent presence at the club.
Coach Craig McRae has repeatedly said he’s excited about Hill’s potential return, but there was always the caveat of the unknown.
McRae said in June that Hill was still working through personal issues.
When asked about Hill, McRae replied, “Honestly, we’re fighting.”
“It’s a little bit of a work in progress, let’s be really clear. He’s got a lot going for him. He’s a work in progress, but it’s nice to have him in the building.”
“He’s a long way from playing football… but we still get some opportunities to at least make him feel loved and appreciated while he’s in our building.”
Hill and his partner, Georgia Devlin, welcomed their third child in May.
Seven reported on Monday that Hill was seeking a transfer to the Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast or Port Adelaide.
Hill was originally drafted by Greater Western Sydney at number 24 in 2018.
He played 102 senior matches over eight seasons.
Bombers confident Caddy will face Hawks
Jon Pierik
Essendon are confident Nate Caddy, who was hospitalized with an irregular heart rate during Sunday’s three-point win over Greater Western Sydney, will be available for selection this week.
Caddy collapsed on the field during the substitution in the first quarter and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. He underwent further tests but the results came back clear and he was discharged on Sunday night.
Essendon general manager of football Daniel McPherson said he expected Caddy to train this week ahead of Saturday’s match against arch-rivals Hawthorn.
“There was some concern in the first quarter when Nate’s heart rate went up,” McPherson said Monday.
“He was removed from the game and our medical team assessed him on the ground before sending him to hospital for further evaluation. “He was discharged and returned home last night.
“He is expected to be able to train and play this week without worry.”
Caddy recently signed a contract extension until the end of 2031, providing a major boost for the struggling Bombers who are no longer bottom of the table.
Winger Xavier Duursma (hamstring) will be out for the rest of the season.
The Bombers were able to sing the club song for only the second time in 31 games after edging the shocked Giants. It was their first win since defeating Melbourne in the Gather Round in Adelaide on 11 April; They had not tasted victory in Victoria since May last year.
This was Dean Solomon’s first win as interim coach since replacing Brad Scott in May.
While only 14,601 fans attended the match, the joyful scenes of the Bombers were worth seeing.
“It’s a great feeling. Our football club has been on its knees for a while and the football world has jumped on it and they’re enjoying the fact that we’re sitting on the bottom,” Solomon said.
“We felt it and we didn’t like it, so to step back a little bit and get a win, even if it’s just a win, I’m really happy for these players.”
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Jon Pierik is a sports reporter for The Age. He covers the AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect with: X or email.
