There is a new front-runner for the West Coast Eagles coaching role, with Collingwood assistant coach Hayden Skipworth emerging as the ‘leading candidate’ for the vacancy left by Adam Simpson.
Channel 7 broke the news that he had jumped in front of the other contenders in the race for the role in Andrew McQualter and Stephen King.
“The highly-rated Skipworth has become a focus of the Eagles’ coaching selection panel, impressing with his focus on development and modern game plan principles,” Ryan Daniels reported on Seven News.
“The 41-year-old has been part of the Collingwood coaching panel since 2020, playing a key role in the Pies premiership success under Craig McRae.”
He also was part of the Essendon coaching panel under John Worsfold and played in 55 games for Adelaide and the Bombers.
It’s been more than two months since Simpson and the Eagles parted ways and in that time there have been several candidates suggested for the job but later pull out of the running including Dean Cox, Fremantle assistant Jaymie Graham and Port Adelaide assistant Josh Carr.
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Fox Footy’s AFL 360 hosts believe Skipworth is well prepared due to his time at the Magpies, but still does not know what to make of the race for the AFL’s only coaching vacancy as the 2024 season comes to an end in the coming weeks.
“They’re in the phase where it would feel like four coaches going through the last step – Skipworth, Steven King, Rhett Montgomerie and Andrew McQualter, and the tea leaves say that this has moved in Skipworth’s direction,” Whateley said.
Magpies assistant coach Hayden Skipworth talks with Beau McCreery. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
“Well, I’m not drinking any of the tea leaves, I haven’t seen any of the tea leaves Gerard to be honest,” Herald Sun Chief Footballer Writer Mark Robinson replied.
“All I know is what I’ve been reading; I read last week that Steven King was the favourite, got told over the weekend that Andrew McQualter’s looking really good – and now you’re telling me Monday night that the West Australian journos are saying that Hayden Skipworth (has) now rocketed to favouritism.
“I know Skipworth’s pretty well respected; he was at Essendon, then at Collingwood – so if he gets a job, well done – he’s done a very, very good apprenticeship.”
A week after seeking a trade, Western Bulldogs midfielder Jack Macrae has reportedly nominated St Kilda as his club of choice for next season.
AFL.com journalist Callum Twomey reported that despite the premiership midfielder having three years remaining on his deal, he wants to play elsewhere in 2025.
The 30-year-old played 19 matches for the club this season with an average of 18.4 disposals and 63 tackles per game.
(Photo by Steve Bell/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
The former All-Australian and 2016 premiership winner also played four as a sub, and spent parts of the season at VFL level.
Macrae seems to have fallen down the pecking order in terms of Bulldogs midfielders with coach Luke Beveridge trying a number of players in the role including Ed Richards and Ryley Sanders.
It comes after another star midfielder Bailey Smith also requested a trade away from the Western Bulldogs.
Essendon have moved to quickly squash talk that their captain Zach Merrett could potentially be headed to St Kilda on a massive “godfather” deal.
Nine journalist Tom Morris reported that the Saints were preparing to launch a bid ‘too good to refuse’ in order to boost the midfield stocks at the club.
“There’s been no formal contract offer yet, but those close to the Bombers captain are aware of the Saints’ approach,” Morris told 9News on Sunday night.
“I understand what’s been informally tabled equates to a godfather deal worth well over $1 million per season, which is more than what he’s on at the moment.
Zach Merrett. (Photo by Martin Keep/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
“Even though it’s unlikely to turn Merrett’s head, it speaks to the aggressive nature of St Kilda’s trade strategy.
“Ross Lyon is understood to be a huge fan of the four-time best and fairest, as is Brendon Goddard (St Kilda’s midfield assistant coach), who played with Merrett at Essendon.”
Both clubs have since come out and denied any such move, with the Bombers strongly stating that he is off limits to rival clubs and is Merrett is contracted until the end of the 2027 season.
“Neither the club nor Zach have any interest in exploring the concept. He is our captain and not going anywhere,” an Essendon spokesman told the Age.
St Kilda also distanced themselves from the report, stating: “We have not approached his management with a contract offer for Zach to join St Kilda. There has also not been any formal discussion of this topic with Zach or his management.”
It comes after reports at the start of this month that Merrett was unhappy at the club, especially with the coaching staff not offering Jake Stringer and Jayden Laverde longer contracts.
The Bombers were also well in the running for finals at the midway point of the season, but had a disappointing end to the year finishing eleventh.
With the trade talk seemingly put aside, Former Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has urged the “frustrated” skipper to work on himself to steady the club and have them playing finals again.
“I’m suspicious in that he’s been frustrated for a number of years. Frustrated with the standard and not winning a final. He wants to play on the big stage,” Lloyd said on Nine’s Footy Classified on Monday night.
“But I also think he can improve himself, not on field, because he can’t do any more.
“Try and add to fixing this place, rather than showing frustration, where it’s got other clubs thinking they can try and prize him out.”
Three Carlton players have been told they are free to search for a new club, with contracted pair Matt Kennedy and Lewis Young joining Matt Owies who has come off contract after 2024.
Channel 7 reported that Kennedy, who was subbed off before halftime in the Blues’ elimination final, has had a disagreement with the club over his best role on the field.
“He sees himself as an inside midfielder, but the Blues see his future in his ongoing forward role – he’s become one of three Blues told they can look around,” reporter Mitch Cleary told Seven News.
Playing every game for the Blues in 2024, Kennedy kicked 16 goals in 2024 and comes off contract after next season – and he and his wife had just become parents to their first child.
Young has played 43 games for Carlton in three years and still has another two years left on his current deal.
The Blues have already delisted five players including Jack Martin, and have reportedly expressed interest in GWS free agent Nick Haynes and Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston.
Versatile unrestricted free agent Isaac Cumming will leave GWS and join either Adelaide or Port Adelaide.
Cumming, 26, has offers on the table from both the Power and Crows but has been more heavily linked to the latter.
He has yet to confirm a preferred destination, but days after the Giants’ season ended in heartbreaking fashion, Cumming, who hails from Broken Hill, told the club he wanted to head to South Australia.
“Wingman Isaac Cumming has informed the club of his decision to explore his options as an unrestricted free agent,” the Giants said in a statement.
“The Broken Hill product played 81 games for the club over eight seasons and will explore free agency options in South Australia.”
Cumming, who also had an offer to stay on the table from GWS, is expected to be one of several Giants to depart.
Fellow free agent Harry Perryman, 25, has been heavily linked to Port Adelaide, along with Hawthorn, but appears more likely to join the Power.
Veteran defender Nick Haynes, 32, is widely expected to join Carlton.
Cumming was originally part of the Giants’ academy.
He can play on both the wing and in defence but managed just six games in 2024 due to a run of calf and hamstring injuries.
As an unrestricted free agent, Cumming can move automatically to the club of his choice when the free agency window opens on October 4, but the Giants could receive a compensation draft pick.
Meanwhile, The Giants have also confirmed Nick Haynes is leaving the club, with the unrestricted free agent expected to join Carlton.
He played 211 games for the Giants – but was limited to just eight this year – and realised that there would be an ongoing battle to get a spot in the starting side going forward.
“We want to thank Nick for his 13 seasons at the club and he leaves with our best wishes as he looks to seek more AFL opportunities,” Giants executive general manager of football Jason McCartney said.
“As an inaugural player and life member of the club, we’ve watched him grow into the player, person and now father that he is today.
“We thank him for being a valuable member of our club for such a long time and we wish him and his family nothing but the best.”
Gary Rohan was back at Geelong training sporting a new look, just days after having surgery to repair a fractured skull.
He suffered the gruesome injury during the Cats VFL semi-final loss to the Southport Sharks while attempting to mark a ball in the forward line.
At the time it seemed like an innocuous injury as he left the ground and failed the HIA, only for the forward to share the severity of the collision from his hospital bed on social media.
The 2022 premiership player seemed to be back in good spirits as he rejoined his teammates despite having no chance of playing in the preliminary final on Saturday evening.
33-year-old completed very light training, with a strip of hair shaved across the middle of his head from ear to ear, showing dozens of staples clearly visible amid the snaking scar.
Rohan is off contract at season’s end, but could still be a very remote selection hope if the club does reach the grand final, by defeating Brisbane in their 13th preliminary final in 18 years.
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