St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt has become the latest AFL great to join Channel Seven’s new-look media stable for the 2025 season.
After retiring in 2017, the 336-gamer and six-time Saints best and fairest winner quickly became one of the country’s most respected football analysts, co-hosting Fox Footy’s On the Couch program and providing special comments on AFL games for the network.
He shockingly departed his roles to head to Texas with his family at the end of 2022, but will be returning for next season with the AFL’s free to air broadcast partner.
“After living in Cath’s hometown of Houston for two years, working full-time in stadium and event technology with PMY, we are all really looking forward to coming back to Melbourne and joining the Seven family,” Riewoldt said in a statement.
“I’m excited about joining 7AFL and being part of the new vision for the network’s football coverage and programming in 2025 and beyond.
“Seven has assembled a great team and I cannot wait to get started and working alongside the team in bringing the game directly to footy fans all over Australia.”
Riewoldt joins controversial AFL pundit and fellow former great Kane Cornes in signing with the network, while veteran football journalist Caroline Wilson is also expected to join as part of a major shake-up of Seven’s mid-week and match-day programming.
Seven’s Director of Sport Chris Jones said he was ‘beyond excited’ to have Riewoldt aboard.
”Nick is one of the game’s greatest modern-day players and an elite football analyst. He’ll be a perfect addition to our already star-studded team of 7AFL experts, callers, and hosts,” Jones said.
”As we expand our AFL programming, more opportunities open up for industry talent to join football’s No.1 commentary team, and we can’t wait to see how Nick’s expertise will elevate and complement our already outstanding coverage in 2025.”
Nick Riewoldt has joined Channel 7’s broadcast team for the 2025 season. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
GWS free agent Isaac Cumming has reportedly chosen Adelaide as his destination for the 2025 season.
According to Nine’s Tom Morris, the in-demand Giant, who was courted by both South Australian clubs as well as Fremantle and Melbourne, will be a Crow when the AFL’s Free Agency period opens on October 4, on a reported four-year deal.
The long-kicking half-back played 81 games for the Giants since making his debut in 2018, but just six in 2024 after a string of injuries, though he did recover to feature in both their losing finals.
According to Morris, Crows veteran Taylor Walker, who like Cumming hails from NSW country town Broken Hill, was a major factor in convincing the 26-year old to join the Crows.
“I’ve been trying to talk to him, but I can’t get hold of him at the moment,” Walker said on Triple M on Wednesday when asked whether he had been involved in luring Cumming.
“My word, I have [spoken to him]… he’ll be a great addition to our footy club.
“We’ll see how that plays out over the next week or so.”
There is uncertainty over whether pop sensation Katy Perry will play one of her greatest ever hits when she performs at the AFL grand final on Saturday.
The lead-up to Perry’s performance has been tinged with controversy, with the 39-year old clashing with the AFL over her much-criticised new album, with the league compromising with her to play one of her new song and four classic hits.
However, one of the old favourites might not be iconic song ‘Roar’, with Perry revealing on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick that performing the mega hit would be ‘not fair’ given Brisbane are playing.
“Oh, the Lions! I have to cut my song ‘Roar’ out of the set because it’s not fair,” Perry said.
Win a Ziggy BBQ for Grand Final day, thanks to Barbeques Galore! Enter Here.
But when host and former Carlton great Brendan Fevola dismissed the idea, Perry appeared to concede, saying “Okay, I’ll play it. I’ll play it.”
Speaking on Nine’s Today Show on Wednesday, host Karl Stefanovic also addressed the rumours, saying it would be an ‘outrage’ if Perry didn’t play arguably her most famous song.
“It’s one of Katy Perry’s best songs and highest selling,” Stefanovic said.
“But there’s a vicious rumour… Katy Perry couldn’t sing her famous track ‘Roar’ because it would unfairly support the Brisbane Lions in their quest for another grand final victory.
“It would be an outrage if she can’t play it. It would be ridiculous.”
Saturday’s performance will be the second time Perry has taken to the MCG, having played in the wake of Australia’s women’s cricket team’s home T20 World Cup win in March 2020.
Katy Perry performs on stage with the Australian team following their victory in the 2020 Women’s T20 World Cup Final. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Collingwood coach Craig McRae is ‘happy to say’ the Magpies won’t be pursuing Jake Stringer in the upcoming AFL Trade Period, having been linked with the mercurial Essendon forward.
Despite having hit a trigger for a one-year contract extension at the Bombers, Stringer’s name has been heavily floated in trade circles, with the Dons unwilling to grant his request for a two-year extension.
While Sydney remain the frontrunners for the 30-year old’s services, the Magpies had also emerged as a suitor; however, speaking on SEN, McRae refuted the claims.
“I’ll admit, we looked at it, it came across our desk that Jake Stringer [could be on the table],” McRae said.
“Jake Stringer’s not signed, you have a look at the depth of it. But I’m happy to say here that we won’t be bringing Jake Stringer to our footy club.
“We did our research, and we did all things behind the scenes like where he fits on our list, the money, the tenure and whatever.
“But no, I’m happy to say he won’t be coming to Collingwood next year.”
Port Adelaide’s footy boss Chris Davies is hailing the resilience of Ken Hinkley, saying the veteran coach hasn’t lost energy to continue for a 13th AFL season.
Hinkley’s 12th season in charge of Port finished with a six-goal preliminary-final loss to Sydney.
The 57-year-old holds the VFL/AFL record for most games coached without reaching a grand final – 274.
“There is nothing right now that’s suggesting to me that Ken doesn’t have the energy for the 2025 season,” Davies told reporters on Thursday.
“It takes a toll on every coach … the 18 AFL senior coaches have a tough job.
“They bear the brunt of people feeling like they’re on top of the world if they’re at the top of the ladder, or equally that they’re the problem when their team is down the bottom – whether that be Ken or the other coaches around the competition.
“Ken is a remarkably resilient person who has shown over time that he is able to get a fair bit out of this group. You don’t perform the way that we do without having a coach who can drive and motivate both his playing group and also the staff around him.”
Hinkley was certainly energised after the semi-final victory over Hawthorn. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Port assistant coach Josh Carr is widely expected to take over from Hinkley when he goes.
“When the time comes that Ken wants to give the game away, then I think we’ve got some very good candidates internally to take over that position, ” Davies said.
“I have said that ad nauseam but I’m not going to say that it (the time) is right now.”
Davies said it was wrong for anyone to suggest the Power didn’t “achieve something” this season.
“We didn’t get to the grand final and we didn’t win, so we acknowledge that,” he said.
“But no-one here or no-one outside of our club is going to stop us from feeling like we achieved something this year.”
But Davies appeared to acknowledge frustration among some Port fans surrounding Hinkley.
“We obviously would like him to feel the support of our entire club,” Davies said.
“But equally we also know that everyone is entitled to an opinion as well on that.
“Ken has been around long enough to know that the ultimate part of what he can deliver for the club is our win-loss record.
“And of course, we’ve spoken enough about the fact that we haven’t got to a grand final through this period where we have had pretty good levels of performance through the minor round and in some finals.
“We’re not going to be able to stop that probably until this time next year again.
“But Ken does a good job. And I think any suggestion that he’s not doing a good job or that our squad hasn’t achieved something this year is entirely wrong.”
with AAP
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson has noted a significant shift in Rachele's mentality ahead of the crafty forward's fourth AFL season.
Adelaide star Ebony Marinoff has won the AFLW best and fairest award, beating North Melbourne's Ash Riddell by three votes. Marinoff held off Riddell…
Premiership favourites North Melbourne remain unbeaten in 2024 after advancing to their third straight AFLW preliminary final with a seven-point victory over Adelaide in…
The highly-publicised player discontent at the Melbourne Football Club shows little signs of dying down, and commentator Kane Cornes says it won't fully go…
Finals looked a long way off for a team playing without skill, spirit or pride, as the gap between the Crows best and their worst is the biggest in the league.
