Hawks bottom out after shock loss to Suns
End of an era looms after 86-point loss to the Gary Ablett-inspired Suns leaves the Hawks at the foot of the AFL ladder.
Jon Pierik is a sports writer with The Age, focusing primarily on AFL football, cricket and basketball. He has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.
End of an era looms after 86-point loss to the Gary Ablett-inspired Suns leaves the Hawks at the foot of the AFL ladder.
Carlton midfielder Nick Graham enhanced his hopes of a senior recall with an impressive performance in Saturday's VFL season opener against Port Melbourne.
While the Tigers had made an unbeaten start to the new season, they still faced questions about the quality of their opponents - Carlton and Collingwood. That's why the home clash on Saturday against the West Coast Eagles, tipped to be a serious top-four contender, was seen as an early litmus test.
Collingwood crashed Lance Franklin’s milestone game and held on for a thrilling one-point AFL win over Sydney on Friday night.
Coach Rodney Eade says the Gold Coast Suns will remain supportive of Gary Ablett despite the champion midfielder claiming he could retire at the end of this season unless a trade was brokered.
Carlton ruckman Andrew Phillips will return from injury when the Northern Blues begin their VFL campaign against Port Melbourne on Saturday.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says the Demons want to be regarded as a "hard and ruthless" side but one that plays within the rules.
Dustin Martin will line up against West Coast on Saturday but a final decision on whether he wears a helmet will be left to the Richmond star.
Having been forced to ''fly the flag'' last weekend, winless Carlton insist they will be ready for a fierce contest against an Essendon side set to welcome back ruckman Matthew Leuenberger on Sunday.
AFL chief Gillon McLachlan says the league has offered support to Ben Cousins' "exasperated" family, as the fallen footballer begins a year-long stint in a Perth jail.
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