Bombers, Suns hold the keys to Friday's AFL draft

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Gold Coast hold the keys to the first round of Friday's AFL draft, where Essendon will anoint the first No. 1 pick in the club's history.

Ex-Eagle's plea to Ben Cousins: 'You can't help someone who can't help himself'

A former Eagles teammate of troubled former AFL star Ben Cousins has made an emotional plea to the fallen Brownlow Medallist boldly claiming "you can't help someone who can't help himself".

'Stress reaction' sidelines Carlton's Cripps for three months

Carlton says young midfielder Patrick Cripps has suffered a stress reaction in his lower back that will sideline him for at least 12 weeks.

Sam Fisher's nervous wait for draft night

Sam Fisher has been doing his best to contain his nerves ahead of Friday night's AFL draft.

Brownlow lunch ceremony for Mitchell, Cotchin

The AFL Commission will award a Brownlow Medal each to 2012 winners Trent Cotchin and Sam Mitchell at a ceremony in Melbourne on Tuesday December 13.

Board challengers question Tigers for protecting O'Neal

The fight for a seat on the Richmond board continues to intensify, with challenger Peter Casey questioning why the Tigers have "ring-fenced" president Peggy O'Neal.

Dees doctors not at fault in Lumumba case: Vince

UPDATE: Melbourne has moved to defend its handling of the AFL's concussion protocols in wake of Heritier Lumumba's claims but the club insists the veteran defender has not threatened legal action.

Giants charged over Lachie Whitfield case

• UPDATED

The AFL has charged the GWS Giants with "conduct unbecoming" over the Lachie Whitfield affair.

Superdraft 4: The Geelong dynasty

Steve Johnson was convinced he would become a Hawthorn player ahead of the 2001 draft, 15 years ago.

Will Brodie: diary of a draftee

Young footballer Will Brodie documents 2016, the year before he enters the AFL draft.

Demons post profit for third year in a row

Melbourne's financial position continues to mirror their onfield resurgence, the AFL club posting a profit for the third year running.

GWS could get draft penalties in 2017 over Whitfield case

AFL remains determined to penalise Greater Western Sydney for conduct unbecoming over the Lachie Whitfield affair but could now defer draft penalties until 2017.

AFL coaches to grow game in new deal

The AFL has cautiously entered into a new one-year deal with the AFL Coaches' Association with a view to the industry body becoming less financially reliant on the league in future.

Ageing Hawks at a crossroad, says Sewell

Hawthorn great Brad Sewell has challenged the Hawks' ageing stars to aim up after anointing Greater Western Sydney as the 2017 AFL flag favourites.

Set to retire, Lumumba could take legal action against Demons

Melbourne defender Heritier Lumumba is set to retire from football amid threats of legal action over his treatment for concussion.

'A nice fit in red, black and white': Ex-Saint fuels Fyfe rumours

Those pesky rumours about the future of Dockers superstar Nat Fyfe has again bubbled to the surface, with former Saints big man Justin Koschitzke claiming the Brownlow Medallist could be at St Kilda in 2018.

AFL's Scott twins mourning unexpected family tragedy

The younger brother of AFL coaches Chris and Brad Scott has died unexpectedly at the age of 37.

Giants test Canberra market to find future stars at talent search

Karabar High School is a world away from the bright lights and hype of the AFL draft, but the GWS Giants hope a talent identification "prototype" tested in Queanbeyan will unearth future stars.

Tigers attempt to tame board challengers with constitution change

Richmond will attempt to make it harder for agitators to launch potential boardroom coups in a motion to be presented to their annual general meeting on 14 December.

Kangaroos honour retired AFL great Harvey

North Melbourne have honoured retired AFL champion Brent Harvey by retiring his famous No.29 guernsey indefinitely.

Dons seek goalkicking expert to guide Daniher

Essendon are on the hunt for a goalkicking expert to guide spearhead Joe Daniher as the Bombers attempt to improve their forward potency.

Jarrod and the Berry boys

Jarrod Berry was at home, playing on the PlayStation, on the day everything changed.

Smiles, nerves, excitement as young defender joins Melbourne

Other secondary school graduates headed off on schoolies, but as soon as Katherine Smith finished her last exam she threw herself into life as an AFL footballer.

A downward spiral: the strife and times of Ben Cousins

Ben Cousins' latest run-in with the law continues a worrying trend for WA's most famous footballer.

North Melbourne signs young rugby player as potential ruckman

He's a rugby player and rowing star, but in choosing a career Tom Jeffries has opted for the relative unknown - AFL football.

Ben Cousins under police guard in hospital after minor car crash

Troubled former AFL star Ben Cousins has reportedly been hospitalised with minor injuries after crashing his car into a truck.

Yarran's departure prompts debate on social media pressures

AFL football operations manager Mark Evans has conceded that Chris Yarran's departure from Richmond highlights the pressure that some players face, but says there are no easy solutions. 

AFL asks coaches: decide how you want game umpired

As coaches prepare for their annual summit to discuss rule changes for 2017, the AFL says they need to decide what sort of umpiring they want. 

AFL draft depth a testament to the game's growth

AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan says the depth in Friday's draft is a testament to the development of the game in more remote parts of Australia. 

Fresh doubts over Watson

Essendon admits that captain Jobe Watson needs to rediscover his passion for football again, claiming that losing his 2012 brownlow medal has challenged his love for the game.

Collingwood put through paces in first public training session

Working out in the gym next to Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury, rising football star Moana Hope says she has to pinch herself.

Finals or bust: Scott Pendlebury echoes Nathan Buckley's rallying cry

It will be finals or bust for Collingwood in 2017 Scott Pendlebury said, echoing the sentiments of under-pressure coach Nathan Buckley.

AFL knew of Lambert-Whitfield connection say Brisbane Lions

Brisbane have accused the AFL of failing to warn them of the cloud hovering over Craig Lambert as part of the Lachie Whitfield drugs saga before they recruited the now-banned player welfare worker.

AFL in a muddle over Brownlow presentation

Even allowing for the appropriate sensitivity afforded Essendon's devastated Jobe Watson, the inescapable impression is that the AFL has danced around the practical details of how to manage the handover to Sam Mitchell and Trent Cotchin.

Who got Lade? Port did

Brendon Lade is returning to Port Adelaide after seven years as an assistant coach at AFL rivals Richmond.

Dogs won't be hoodoo gurus

The Western Bulldogs won't look back at their painful history of preliminary final losses in the lead up to their Saturday night clash with GWS Giants.

Hogan departure won't be 'catastrophic': Schwarz

Melbourne great David Schwarz says the potential defection of Jesse Hogan would not be "as catastrophic" now as it would have been last year.

Football romance, or the road to the future?

There’s two very contrasting narratives developing heading into the penultimate weekend of the AFL season. And sentimentally, they’re at opposite ends of the spectrum.

Chris Judd: It's time to deny the top four clubs access to free agents

The thing that AFL fans love about the game is risk and the unknown outcome accompanying it: the risk players take when they commit to a physical contest, when they launch three deep in a pack to stand on someone's shoulders in a marking contest, when they have a shot from the boundary. All are weekly features on highlights reels.