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Damien Hardwick

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Suns coach Damien Hardwick vented his frustration after Friday night’s game.

Hardwick escapes fine for umpire criticism, Gold Coast still face sanction

Gold Coast coach Damian Hardwick has been put on notice about his criticism of umpires, but his club is still facing a fine over a separate incident arising from Friday night’s game.

  • Michael Gleeson

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The what-ifs are plentiful for Essendon. But what if they’d hired Neale Daniher?

Much as the non-hiring of Damien Hardwick has become folkloric for frustrated Bomber fans, it is easily forgotten that another Essendon Person, or EP, was overlooked in the club’s coach search that settled on Matthew Knights.

  • Jake Niall
Neale Daniher pushes Chris Fagan down the slide.

‘He plucked me from nowhere’: Lions premiership coach on Neale Daniher’s huge influence

The public life of Neale Daniher, who has died aged 65 after a fight against motor neurone disease, had three distinct phases: prospective champion, a celebrated coaching career and leading the Big Freeze. Remembering the man, his Daniher-isms and a transcendent national figure.

  • Jake Niall
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan has learnt plenty of lessons on his road back to AFL football.

Bad decisions, rehab, and a hard road back, but the sun is rising again for Jamarra

Before he knew it, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan wasn’t training or playing. He lost control of his football destiny, and was forced to spend four months in a rehabilitation facility. Here’s how he came back.

  • Jake Niall
Richmond Tigers coach Adem Yze.

‘Need games under your belt’: Tigers stay firmly focused on AFL rebuild

The Tigers’ bid to end an MCG win drought dating to last July falls short, unable to hang on to a slender half-time lead over Adelaide. “I don’t really care about the noise around rebuilds, and people’s philosophies around that. We know that it can work,” coach Adem Yze said later.

  • Marc McGowan
There’s only so much Adem Yze can do as a coach in his position.

Nightmare scenario: Three of the AFL’s big clubs are on the bottom. Will fans ‘tune out’?

It’s the AFL’s nightmare scenario: Richmond, Carlton and Essendon occupying the bottom three places on the ladder with two wins between them after seven games. The Tigers have a percentage of 54 and that seems flattering.

  • Michael Gleeson
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Time to ponder: The Blues looked dejected after their defeat.

Premiership quarter? Try collapse quarter. These numbers add up to a major concern for Carlton

In their three third quarters this season, Carlton have conceded 131 points and scored 43. In economic terms, three consecutive quarters of such negative growth represent a severe economic downturn. The Blues are now in the recession they have to have.

  • Peter Ryan
Collingwood used Scott Pendlebury on the bench as part of the AFL’s revised interchange bench.

I copped a spray over this AFL invention. Thank goodness it’s gone

I hadn’t been a fan of the AFL sub rule, but my loathing of it went up a level after one particular conversation.

  • Wayne Campbell
Petracca embraces teammate Touk Miller after the Norm Smith medallist’s stunning first game for the Suns.

Petracca doubted he could reproduce his best after ‘life-changing’ injuries. He just proved he can

None of Christian Petracca’s performances last year went near matching his effort against the Cats in opening round on Friday night.

  • Peter Ryan
Zach Merrett leads out the Bombers in the first of their round-24 clashes.

How the Bombers could pull off one of the biggest boilovers in AFL history

The football world is giving Essendon little, if any, hope of upsetting the Suns on Wednesday night. But the pressure is all on Damien Hardwick’s men.

  • Jon Pierik