1. I was a little surprised earlier this week to hear Crows star Taylor ‘Tex’ Walker has announced his retirement at season’s end. I thought the Texan was playing well enough to go around again but he knows his body better than me.

As a player Tex was as skilled a big man as any to play the game. For his size. I don’t think I’ve seen a better kick either side of their body. He could swing left or right with lethal effect. His goalkicking action was a joy to watch as well. Tex had huge footy IQ and this was one of the reasons he has played for as long as he has. His nous to get into great positions, even if he has lost a yard of pace. A ripping bloke and teammate loved by all at the Adelaide Crows. I think he will be elevated to the Hall of Fame at some stage. Congratulations, Tex, on a great career.

2. I was once an All-Australian selector. It is one of the toughest jobs in football, narrowing down the best players in the AFL into a squad of 44, let alone a final team of 23.

Every footy observer out there has about 50 ‘locks’ in their final team. ‘This guy has to be in,’ you hear online and on the talkback shows. Now, I’m not a selector but I have plenty of ‘locks’ as well. My latest is Kai Lohmann, what a year he is putting together in a powerful Brisbane forward line. He is building his game on pressure and work rate. As a result, the cherry on top is always the goals, he has 46 of those. Can do it in the air and at ground level. He also has personality and is infectious to the neutral footy fan. Love what he’s doing.

3. It’s really hard to move on in life sometimes. We all want to re-live our halcyon days. For me, as a Richmond fan, those days were the three flags between 2017 and 2020.

Unfortunately, this week, the Tigers farewell another premiership star in Nathan Broad. This week’s game against the Saints will be it for him. Broady was a late-comer to the AFL, recruited from Swan Districts with pick 67 in 2015 and debuted as a 23-year-old the following year. Unbelievably, he had played in three flags after 68 games. Always dependable and the ultimate team man down back, he could play on a tall or a small with equal effect and got the job done most weeks. The ultimate culture shaper off the ground, he was a favourite of the Tiger army. This leaves only four premiership players on the Tigers list. I hope he gets to sing the song after the Saints game on Saturday. Thanks Nathan.... and yes, I know, I need to move on!!!

4. It’s a tough caper coaching in the AFL. There is always a coach under pressure in our weekly news cycle. Two have already lost their jobs in 2025, Michael Voss and Brad Scott.

It always feels like who’s the heat on next? Recently, it feels like the speculation has come onto one of the great all-time coaches, Al Clarkson. I don’t really get why. Clarko has a year left in 2027 and there has been definite improvement at North. They won five games last year and as we head into the final two rounds, they sit on nine wins. They beat the Dogs well last week. Their final two games are Geelong at Marvel then onto the Swans at the SCG in the last game. A win in either of those and they will have doubled their wins in 2026. That feels like genuine improvement for mine. I give them a sneaky chance this week against the Cats at home. A big scalp to finish the year and release that pressure valve. Early in 2027 will then be the Litmus test for Clarkson and his squad. They will need a good start or that pressure will rise by the week.

5. Talking to many former AFL players over the last week, one thing that is pretty clear is that most of them would sign a waiver to take responsibility away from the clubs and league in the case of concussions and the future damage that could happen.

This is exactly why the decision must be taken out of the player’s hands, to save themselves from themselves. All athletes want to play the sport they love. The brain injury CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) can only be diagnosed post mortem and is caused by head knocks. The sportsman living with CTE but not knowing can have huge difficulties as life goes on, causing huge life problems for them and loved ones around them. If you needed any proof, ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary on former NFL star of the San Diego Chargers, Junior Seau, is very confronting. After retiring, Junior went from a fun-loving driven person to a shell of himself, lost and reclusive in retirement. Ultimately, he took his own life. He was then confirmed to have severe CTE. Such an important issue for all contact sport. LIFELINE: 13 11 14.

6. It really should have been a Coleman Medal-winning season for West Coast’s Jake ‘The Snake’ Waterman.

Jake has had more shots at goal than anyone in the comp. Unfortunately, and there is no other word for it, but he has the yips. I feel for him because for a lot of my career I had them. That little man in your head constantly at you as you line up for goal. Miss one early and the voice gets louder and louder. Advice seems to come from everywhere and everyone. Even your local barista might give you a pep talk. I once got a letter at the Tigers suggesting I bring back the ‘place kick’. Imagine if I had attempted that. LOL. It hadn’t been done for half a century. My only advice to Jake is, I’d find that one coach or mentor that he trusts to help work with him on his best routine and ignore the rest. Then it’s just back to practice, practice and more practice. Make that routine as faultless as you can under the pressure of match day. I never fully mastered it but it did get more reliable as I got older. Here’s to a Coleman in 2027 for the Snake. Such a good forward.

7. I’ve heard quite a few comments that Hawthorn does not need Ben King.

They already have Mitch Lewis, Mabior Chol and the veteran Jack Gunston. Young Calsher Dear is also waiting in the wings and has had limited opportunities in 2026. I disagree, as moving forward, he is that perfect replacement for Gunston, who may retire at the end of 2027. He will be 35 by the end of next season, nearly 36.. Gunston plays that deepest disconnected forward role. This is exactly what King does best. Stays at home and kicks a lot of goals from 0-30 metres out. King rarely gets a touch up outside 50. I think he would be the perfect replacement and would get on the end of that slick Hawks ball movement. It’s going to be interesting to see if Hawthorn can get this trade done with the Suns, if King indeed chooses the Hawks.

8. It all boils down to two things stopping Brisbane from being able to pull off a remarkable three-peat, motivation and desire.

If they bring these things, then the talent and list depth has them clearly able to beat anyone. With those two traits, their spasmodic pressure should stand up. It’s been an up and down year defensively. They have conceded 100 points on eight occasions. But when switched on, they look offensively untouchable. All of their forwards can kick a mini bag of goals, led by 21-year old-star Logan Morris. If Brisbane want it badly enough, it’s theirs for the taking. They have one thing Freo don’t yet, absolute belief in winning at the MCG.

9. AFLW is back and what a fantastic way it was to launch the season last Sunday at Marvel in the double header between the Saints and the Blues.

We have another one this weekend with North taking on Geelong at Marvel Stadium. What a great way to showcase the AFLW on the best arenas while exposing the game to more and more eyeballs. Not to mention that I’d much prefer to have an AFLW game on before the AFL than all the other loud match day activations we have now. The women’s code can only get better and better being played in the best environments with more people watching the games. I have three daughters and can not wait to get them to a Tigers double header in 2027. This is going to inspire a lot more girls to play Aussie Rules.

10. Who is coach of the year in 2026? It is down to three for mine. Melbourne’s Steven King, Fremantle’s Justin Longmuir and Collingwood’s Craig McRae.

While I should really wait for the final two rounds to be played, I’m going with King. In his first season as coach, taking over a team that had just lost three stars in Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver and Steven May, there was little expectation on Melbourne. At best, I thought a wildcard game was possible. He has the Demons in the hunt for the crucial double chance and I think they will win the final two games against Port and the Bulldogs. That will be a 16-win season. It’s the way they are playing though. He has completely changed their style from quite an honest contested ball team who kicked long, to a fast scintillating ball movement team. They also apply great pressure and harassment without the ball. They play with great freedom and energy and most of the team have improved. Unbelievably enjoyable season for the Dees fans to enjoy. Whatever happens from here, and anything could after beating Fremantle at the G last week, Steven King is the coach of the year.