“I feel a breath of contemporary air,” Gawn advised this masthead when requested in regards to the greatest change King had dropped at the Demons.
“Quite a lot of us, Simon [Goodwin] himself, had been carrying plenty of baggage after not nailing our finals marketing campaign in 2022-23 and bottoming out and never going effectively in ’24.
“The truth that’s been given a complete new contemporary begin – we’ve obtained a coach who wasn’t concerned in that, a CEO who wasn’t concerned in that, and a president who wasn’t concerned in that. We’ve obtained a number of gamers who weren’t concerned in that.
“It’s nearly like for those who had been nonetheless caught in that period, we’ve moved previous that.”
On the eve of his seventh season as skipper, Gawn stated vice captain Jack Viney, Jake Lever, Tom Sparrow and Trent Rivers all had been able to succeeding him as skipper however anointed Langdon for the function. Langdon led the Dees of their follow match final week towards North Melbourne.
“If I gave it up as we speak, Jack Viney, if I gave it up subsequent 12 months, I like Ed Langdon,” Gawn stated of who he’d go for as Melbourne’s subsequent skipper. “I reckon he’s obtained a bit about him.”
Not that Gawn has any plans of vacating the put up.
“I nonetheless love the captain a part of it,” Gawn stated. “The factor I like is interacting with my teammates. That’s the bit I like about soccer.
“I like coaching. Casey’s nice as a result of no journos come to Casey so it’s actually simply 45 gamers and their coaches. I get to steer my males, they get me to behave like an 18-year-old with the Gen Zs, [it’s] a lot enjoyable.
“That’s the bit I like. I like coaching, having conversations, and I like interacting with younger males. I do love main, I like the job, I don’t take the job flippantly.”
‘I knocked him out’: Toby Greene reveals he punched his father after AFL match
Better Western Sydney captain Toby Greene has revealed he punched his father within the rooms after a sport, embarrassed by his drunken behaviour.
GWS star Toby Greene.Credit score: AFL Photographs
Greene made the revelation within the first episode of the Amazon Prime Video sequence Closing Siren: Contained in the AFL the place he particulars his troubled relationship together with his estranged father Michael Greene.
Greene’s father was jailed for 9 months, decreased on enchantment, for assaulting a feminine police officer whereas watching his son’s Giants of their heavy loss to Richmond within the 2019 grand last.
The Giants star’s dressing room confrontation together with his father got here earlier in his profession.
“I knocked him out within the change rooms as a result of he was drunk and carrying on,” Greene stated within the sequence, which premiered on Wednesday night time.
“He’s fairly loud and boisterous and he’s extraordinarily drunk. And I used to be simply embarrassed and simply advised him to f— off and punched him. So, yeah, it’s laborious.
“Like the explanation I like footy is due to him and obtained into it. That’s what I’ll take with me, and you then be taught your classes from some issues that he’s achieved that you could’t do.”
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Greene spoke publicly in 2020 about his father’s troubles in The Phil Davis Podcast, hosted by former GWS captain Phil Davis, saying his father had a “profound influence” on his profession however “among the stuff outdoors of that left a bit to be desired”.
He was extra candid within the sequence.
“Ten, 15 years ingesting alcohol and medicines most likely taken a good toll on his physique and mind,” Greene stated.
Greene is among the many finest gamers of his technology however has an in depth tribunal rap sheet, racking up $47,850 in fines in his 14-season profession. He has additionally been rubbed out for 16 video games, his most up-to-date suspension coming in final 12 months’s Sydney Derby in July.
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The sequence exhibits a dialog between Greene and his spouse Georgia Stirton within the days after the derby, the place the participant is berated for what he describes as his newest “mind fart”.
Stirton outlined the influence the participant’s poor on-field self-discipline had on their household, saying it led to on-line abuse from trolls.
“Individuals are saying, ‘I hope relations die’ or, ‘You need to kill your self’,” Stirton stated within the documentary.
“Or I’ve a DM saying, ‘, I noticed him dishonest with ladies’ and, ‘Has he bashed you up?’
“It most likely impacts me greater than Toby.”
Lions ahead feasts, new Solar threatens in goal-fest
AAP
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Jed Walter teased for Gold Coast however Logan Morris delivered as two-time defending AFL premiers the Brisbane Lions prevailed in a Springfield shootout.
A close to full-strength Suns began scorching of their last pre-season conflict earlier than subsequent week’s Opening Spherical matches, however the hosts rallied on Thursday night time to win 19.12 (126) to 11.11 (101).
Hulking Suns ahead Walter (two targets, 5 marks) took two sturdy first-quarter marks and roosted one main from effectively outdoors the arc earlier than his affect waned within the second half.
The 20-year-old might have undone his good work although, on report for a excessive shot on younger Lion Zane Zakostelsky that might see him miss the Suns’ opener towards Geelong subsequent Friday.
Ugle-Hagan, who got here throughout from the Western Bulldogs however didn’t play in any respect final season as he handled off-field points, kicked two targets and had a string of impactful touches round aim with out sticking one in every of many huge marking makes an attempt.
Lions younger gun Morris (4 targets) took the spoils although, dominating in his battle with Mac Andrew, who gave away two 50-metre penalties for again chat.
Suns dynamo Leo Lombard – badly injured within the corresponding sport final 12 months after a shoulder-charge gone mistaken – completed with three targets, together with an excellent effort from the boundary with the final play of the sport.
“We obtained via what we wished … minuted into guys towards a hardened opposition,” Suns assistant Shaun Grigg stated.
“He [Ugle-Hagan] hasn’t performed footy for over 400 days. To suit into our system, get used to our ball motion … we’re thrilled with the work he’s achieved.”
Lions stars Cam Rayner, Dayne Zorko and Harris Andrews all sat out the conflict whereas Oscar Allen and Ryan Lester missed the competition with concussions sustained final week.
Of their absence, fit-again pair Keidean Coleman and Lincoln McCarthy impressed to offer coach Chris Fagan some welcome complications forward of subsequent Saturday’s date with the Bulldogs on the Gabba.
