'I don't understand AFL': The reason behind Slater's code-switch

A NEW challenge, a new code. Legendary Melbourne Storm fullback Billy Slater is honest when asked about his knowledge of AFL, admitting he doesn’t understand it despite joining St Kilda’s football staff for 2019. But that’s not what his role is about. Driving leadership, high standards and professionalism in preparation will be the focus for Slater, who played 319 NRL games for Storm in AFL territory.

“Whether I attend games and get involved in the nitty gritty of preparing for a game... I don’t understand AFL and I don’t come here as a specialist AFL coach,” he said. “Hopefully I can just input what I know and what I’ve experienced in my career. “Around the specifics of the skills of the game are different but at the end of the day we’re a team trying to strive for one goal.

Billy Slater switches codes to link with St Kilda Saints

Retired Melbourne Storm rugby league great Billy Slater is switching codes and joining St Kilda AFL club to work in a leadership development role. The Storm superstar, who retired after their NRL grand final loss earlier this month, will link with the Saints in a newly-created position. Former Collingwood AFL skipper Nick Maxwell performs a similar
role at the Storm. Regarded as one of the NRL's greatest players and one of the key leaders of Storm's revered culture, Slater will work closely with all AFL players, coaches and high-performance staff at the Saints. The part-time position will see the 35-year-old play a mentoring role with the club's leaders, while also sharing his experiences in relation to professionalism, training standards and match-day performance across the whole playing group. Slater is expected to the begin the part-time role early in the pre-season.

New footage reveals Nic Naitanui's class after missing premiership victory

A newly released interview with Nic Naitanui has shed light on his terrific response to missing out on West Coast’s premiership victory. Naitanui sat out the entire 2017 season recovering from an ACL injury before his return this year was cut short in July by a second tear. The 28-year-old became the ‘highest-paid ruck coach’ in the league, according to Eagles coach Adam Simpson, and was a key cog behind the scenes as Scott Lycett and Nathan Vardy contributed to the flag.

Naitanui did not go into hiding following the game, sharing videos of Luke Shuey celebrating with a shoey and playing hide and seek in the middle of photos as the Eagles toasted their win. But while a game-day role on the bench helped Naitanui feel involved, his teammates were just as crucial to how he reacted after the win. “I can probably say it on air now. Jack Redden yesterday was like ‘that’s alright, mate, you can take a photo for your Instagram with my medal tomorrow night’,” Naitanui said from the rooms in a post-game interview that never made it to air on the day. “Luke Shuey said I can wear one of his medals when he wins the Norm Smith and he ends up winning it! “I don’t know, I don’t look for pity or sympathy. I just like to make sure the boys are happy, and they do the same as well. They show a lot of respect.”

Jack Darling still copping it over horror deja vu

West Coast midfielder Elliot Yeo reckons Jack Redden has been the "best-on ground" in the post-premiership celebrations, and says the team is still having a laugh over Jack Darling's dropped mark in the grand final. The Eagles are still in celebration mode after pipping Collingwood by five points in last Saturday's grand final. More than 40,000 fans welcomed the team back to Perth on Sunday, and the players have been lapping up their premiership success.

Darling's dropped mark near the goalsquare in the dying stages of the grand final could have cost West Coast victory. It brought back memories of his dropped mark in the third quarter of the 2015 grand final, with that error costing the team dearly. But luckily for Darling the drop didn't matter this time around. "The boys were celebrating as JD's almost marked it," Yeo told 96FM on Wednesday. "We thought, 'He'll take this and go back and kick it'. And then he fumbles it. We have a bit of a laugh about it now."

Tom Lynch move leaves Swans boss unhappy over Lance Franklin saga

In the wake of Tom Lynch’s move to Richmond, Andrew Prydham has taken a cheeky jab at the AFL over their ‘disgraceful’ handling of the Lance Franklin trade. Richmond’s acquisition of Lynch has opened up old wounds for the Sydney Swans chairman, after the club was hit with a trade ban when they snared Buddy from Hawthorn in 2013.

The Swans were banned from trading in 2014 and 2015 despite the AFL integrity department finding no wrongdoing on the club’s behalf. Prydham referenced Lynch’s move to Richmond as he labelled their trade ban a ‘disgrace’. “It was one of the more disgraceful decisions that the AFL Commission has ever made,” Pridham told The Daily Telegraph on Wednesday. “There is no satisfactory answer for the ban. Having said that we have all moved on.”

West Coast star 'extremely embarrassed' after vulgar video leaked

Mark LeCras has been forced to apologise over a video of him celebrating the West Coast Eagles’ premiership triumph. LeCras posted a video using some vulgar language to describe how the Eagles beat the Pies in Saturday’s decider. “Let me set the scene here,” a weary-looking LeCras says. “Grand final, playing Collingwood, we’re down by five goals … I think you c**** know what happened.”

The video was sent to a private group, but managed to find its way into the public domain. The 32-year-old issued an apology on social media on Tuesday night. “I am extremely embarrassed that a video post using unacceptable language that I sent to a private group has been circulated publicly,” LeCras wrote. “I unreservedly apologise for the use of that language and any offence it has caused. “I take full responsibility for this error.”

Demons take major step towards losing Hogan

Melbourne have left the door open for Jesse Hogan to seek a trade to Fremantle. And if that happens the Demons will chase Gold Coast captain Steven May hard. Melbourne have steadfastly fought off advances from the Dockers in the past, with the WA club keen to lure the power forward back to his home state. But the Demons have softened their stance with Hogan, who has dealt with the death of his father and testicular cancer in the past 18 months, and is out of contract at the end of next season.

"Jesse's got a bit of thinking to do over the next few days," Mahoney told Trade Radio on Tuesday. "He's at a stage of his career where he's got to work out what's best for him and one option he wants to consider is going back to Perth. "He's going to take the next few days to think about that. (A trade) is certainly a chance at this stage. "Through his management he'll come back to us before the trade period starts on Monday." The Demons are keen for the 23-year-old to stay but are understanding of his personal circumstances should he request a trade.

Journo apologises after private conversation airs on AFL Trade Radio

Journalist Craig Hutchison has apologised after a private conversation between himself and Damian Barrett aired during an AFL Trade Radio program. Hutchinson revealed he was somewhat relieved the content of the private conversation wasn’t more disastrous, given the pair would regularly bag a number of people in their off-air conversations. “We apologise to anyone that was displaced by that unfortunate little own goal this morning,” Hutchison told The Sounding Board podcast in relation to the aired conversation. “Given how a standard five-minute conversation between you (Barrett) and I … we could potentially bag 20 to 30 people, I think we probably take the positive out of this.

“I remember Stephen Quartermain telling me on my first day on TV back in 1997 … any time you see a microphone, you should always assume it’s live. Now, I think that extends to mobile phones, too.” AFL Trade Radio is an online radio program which airs on AFL.com.au and its platforms. Thankfully the journalistic pair didn’t necessarily bag anyone in their wrongly-aired discussion, but did make mention of an embarrassing blunder by Carlton premiership coach Robert Walls. AFL Media employee Cam Noakes saved the pair from further embarrassment by texting Barrett and alerting him to the mishap.