Only two cases were heard but still the tribunal sat until 12.30 on Wednesday morning and Josh Barnes was covering it until the end. It's a situation that should never happen again.
And Eagles vice-captain Tom Barrass has declared he wants to be a Hawk - but what would West Coast need to get the deal done?
It was the marathon Tuesday night tribunal session that stretched into Wednesday morning, and at the end of it all the MRO decisions were confirmed. Josh Barnes drew the short straw saw in the New Day and he joins me to chat all about the picket and AI's decisions. And Edburg has the latest on Tom Barrass's request for a trade to Hawthorne, what that means for Saint Josh Battle and how everything just seems to be coming up Millhouse at glen Ferry. But first he's Josh here on the Held Sun Footy podcast. Bleary eyed, Josh Barnes joins me too.
Josh Andy, I'm a bit tired. You got any coffee in here or anything?
Oh, it's a bit bad. I drink my coffee early, but you were working early one time.
Were you a bed on Tuesday night?
Tuesday night or it would have been a late one for me?
About nine? Yeah? Okay, yeah, you were nine o'clock.
We were probably in deliberations in the Cozi picket case, the first case, yeah, and so there was another one to come.
Yeah yeah, well relatively fastical scenes. I would suggest when a three hour because I picket tribunal case that was thrown out and the three game suspension stood, and then the tribunal turned around and just like playing a five set men's match on center Court and Australian Open and then making the women play starting at two am. Matt Owi's from Carlton.
And that was a deep three setter. Yeah, that was a long way. That was another three hours Andy. So we finished up Wednesday morning at twelve thirty am was the final point. And that's when I finally shut my laptop for the night. It was a very very long night in the end. Yeah, Cozi picket didn't get off three matches still stands. I think they would have planned to appeal that, judging by their language on Tuesday night and matt Owi's the one game ban for the ration final does still stand. After all that, nothing changed at all, despite over and over again the lawyers arguing, and who knows. If they get paid by hour, they would have done pretty well last night.
Yeah, And if they get paid over the midnight they would have done you know, you get do you get penalties for working over midnight?
I hope So.
I haven't looked through the old EBA here in the Heldstone officers. But I'm going to have to now and plead my case.
So yeah, because I pick it who had yeh three game ban after three hours was thrown out, and then matt Awi's who was being represented by the tribunal whisperer Peter o'barrell, Talton's lawyer who seems to get everyone off but couldn't quite work the Matdowi's magic.
Yeah.
By my account, he has won five cases in a row for Carlton. So he lost in twenty twenty one for Lockie Plowman if you remember that, I didn't before remember that about this afternoon, but he got Patrick Cripsoff famously in twenty twenty two, one of a brandlow Jack Martin last year had a two game band reduced to one game which allowed him to play in the preliminary final and he replaced matt Awi's in Brisbane coincidentally, so he's done some. He's done four three other cases around that as well for the Blues to get them off. Jordan Boyd this year in July, he had that reduced from a one game bann to nothing. He is the master PFL and he threw absolutely everything at it last night and in the morning for sure. The I guess most frustrating part for me was the verdict was finally handed down at twelve nineteen am. I was suddenly decided that the charge will be upheld. And as they do always in these cases, tribuddlechair Jeff Gleason said, if anybody else will to say anything before he puts down the gavel, I suppose, and thenfail put his team up and said, yes, I do. He went on for another fifteen minutes about this about character witnesses. He talked about Matt Oways' basketball coach in his junior days put in a character witness. Jordan Russell, the assistant coach at Carlton, put in a character witness. They argue that on the Charlie Cameron defense from earlier this year, good bloke defense. Yes, but that was shot down by AFIL because Charlie Cameron actually played guilty that time and had two hundred games experience behind Hi where his Manos has seventy. Peter O'Farrell even argued that because matt Alis is from a basketball back ground, he's a Category B rookie, it would be good for the game for him to play to help grow that pathway.
That's how far we went in that last ditch appeal.
He said it should be a fine instead of a one game ban and it didn't work.
Wow, And after all that, yes, nothing changed, and you might we might go again with the if both clubs, as you say, it likely to choose the appeal option. That's quite incredible. So yeah, let's hope that the AFL changes something because twelve thirty is a ridiculous time to finish a tribunal.
Yeah, and I can tell you there were people at Carlton who were frustrated and angry this morning because they had to Obviously, the lawyers were staying up and that means it's a handful of stuff they have to stab. There was somebody updating their social media accounts, updating the website. Somebody has to stay up till twelve thirty doing that. There would be footy staff that'd have to sit around and support that always all that sort of business, and it's just ridiculous that they have to be staying up till that late. The reason that happened was because of the cozy pick at tribunal started at six thirty obviously didn't finish till after nine thirty. I was just scheduled for eight o'clock and didn't start until closer to ten, so that's why it went so late.
But it's just it's not good enough. I don't think for everybody, including me.
Yeah, he's exactly including him, especially you, Josh, because you're the one who has to then rock up again today. You talk to me right, Well, we'll watch this space on Aoi's and Picket and their possible appeals.
You're a Melbourne fan and you want to think about the Picket one. There's been a lot of arguing last night. There was a lot of arguing that Darcy Moore went to ground late and that was the reason there was high contact and so it wasn't Cosey Picket's fault that he collected him high.
I think you've got to take into account that that's a tactic that Picket uses a lot, pushing an opponent at high speed, nudging off balance to then turn on a diamond, pick the ball up and snap goal. So I think he's unlucky. Whether or not it deserves a suspension, that's not for me to decide. But I think he's unlucky because he uses that as a tactic and a very successful tactic. And yeah, Moore did seem to drop late. Yeah, so yeah, it's it's unfortunate, unfortunate that he'll missed the first three games of the season if they are unsuccessful with an appeal. But it feels like they should have some grounds for appeal given that that's the case that he does. Yeah, they were just as he's he almost decides prior to More dropping down to bump. You can see him start to settle into his star the start of his bump. So we'll wait and see.
Yeah, I think that's the argument that they have a run with last night. They may try again if there's an appeal that obviously he was trying to bump before More went to his knees. And I think it's one of those classic cases where if More wasn't concussed and he played on for a little bit, Duscy Moore and then were sort of subbed out maybe twenty minutes later. If he wasn't concussed, it'll probably be a fine. But because he was concussed and pick it chose to bump, and if you can cuss someone again, he suspended. I think that's I have little sympathy for Cousey unfortunately here because he's he made the decision to bump, and no matter what happens, even if your opponent falls in a hole in the ground, if you can cuss someone choosing to bump, then in trouble. Unfortunately, and he's been suspended five times now if this one holds, has been number five and Melbourne just can't afford to have their best forward missing the first three weeks of the season.
Man, there's all every possibility that he'll be expected to do spend more time in the midfield next year, and you know so he could be one of the starting midfielders. Yeah, I mean he also you know it's different to when he ran through Bailey Smith last year against the Bulldogs, but because that was a pretty spiteful thing. But this one he even drops down low, doesn't he to bump, but yes, he chooses to bump. Thursday night is all Australian night. Josh, we're not going to go through.
You know how I love a late night and you've got my suit pressed on being sent down there from the offers to cover it for us.
So in the red carpet you're going to ask ask gentlemen what they're wearing.
Yes, they'll do all that. Good.
Well, who have you got for the Coaches Award? Because that's the main way other than the All Australian The main money is the Coaches Award. And as you said, they stop publicizing the votes after round twenty two, so we know up to round twenty two. The last two weeks it's anybody's guess. Who give us a prediction who's going to win?
Now?
I think the two main sort of awards of intrigue that you can sort of debate early on, the Rising Star and the Coaches Award. The Rising Star I think ol Agency probably wins that. Obviously Harley Reid and Sam Darcy were taken out pretty early. It would have been an interesting debate between Darcy and Reid. I think Darciy probably would have edged him in the end.
Reid came out of the Blox like a smoking bullet. But yeah, he's sort of come back into the field as West Coast fortunes have tapered towards the back end of the season and Darcy has gone from strength to strength. So yeah, it's an interesting one, you know, to do the if you were to do the form, take out the fairest out of it.
Who's the best, Yes, probably would be.
It would be a lineball, I think between them, I think we'd have a few five and four votes, which isn't always the case. But yeah, the coaches one is also quite intrigued in australianhen we're talking about snubs and all that sort of stuff Friday morning, I'm sure. But the coaches ones, we do know until the end of round twenty two what the leaderboard is.
That's Isaac Keeney on one hundred and two votes.
He's led the whole season from why to WHI are slowly being caught down by others, including Nick Dakos and kalbzer On the ninety nine three votes behind him Patrick Cripson ninety five, loc Neil eighty nine as the only other contender. I think this is Patrick Crips's to lose in my opinion, even though he's four votes behind Dekos. Dacos will get ten votes in his last game. I think we were ground that forty disposals. The Hinge game for him will be round twenty three against Brisbane. We had that excellent second quarter, but then he didn't do a whole lot around that, So whether that's enough for ten votes or not, it's going to be interesting. Crips will get definitely ten against West Coast where he dragged his team out of the line there, and I think he probably gets ten against the Kilda in the last round. It's going to be pretty close, but I think it would be a high voting game for him.
Was you think that You think ross Lyon in a win will give his five votes.
To Patrick Cripps.
Well, maybe he'll give it to Jack Kiggins just for that snap, but I think he'll be certainly very very close to a turn voted, particularly about third quarter he dominated the game. Caleb Sarum finished the season a little bit flat, no votes in his final game for showing only a ninety disposal, which is a pittance for him. Isaac k and he did not play the last game of the season. He kicked three goals and twenty disposingn around twenty three. But I think he'll be overtaken even if he pulls well there, I think he'll be overtaken. So I think it's down to Crips and Dekos, and I think Crips might just get him.
Yeah, right, Well, this is on the record, so we can hold you to that.
We can delete it on a night.
Yeah, so another late night for you, but we get a free meal and you might get a couple of drinks once you filed.
Yeah, so we go maybe a little bit better than last night. I see him my desk. Hopefully I'm home a little bit earlier.
Very nice, Josh, Thanks for your Tom. Thanks Andy. Well, the Hawks are on top of the world.
They've got a final coming up against the Bulldogs in a couple of weeks time. Tom Barras has indicated that he wants to sign with the Brown and Gold, and Ed Burke joins me because what can't the Hawks touch that don't turn to gold.
Ed and he's good to be here.
Yeah, they're pretty excited the Hawks and captain James Sisily spoke this morning about how much it meant to have rival players requesting interest to showing their interest to join the club. He said that there's a lot of water to go under the bridge with the Barras deal. We've heard that Hawthorne's open to using their first round pick, but West Coast have emphasized that he's got three years left on his deal. He's the vice captain and that they're going to try and strike a deal that's in the best interest of them at the Eagles. So it could be quite a long process that drags out over this trade period.
Because it started.
You know, Hawthorne's need for a premium key position back has been well known through the season and it's all early doors. It was all about Battle from the Saints. It was you know, will he sign with Hawthorne or will he sign with some Kilder. So if the Hawks get barrass if that water flows under the bridge and they finally can put pen to paper, what does it mean for Josh Battle at the Saints.
I think we know the battles leaving. He is out the door at Sint Kilda. I think if you're in his camp you'd be looking now at Cartman Collingwood as well. I think you'd have to seeing how Barras fits in at Hawthorne.
You can see that need that.
The Hawks had a lot of success with Sam Frost and Jack screamsure and Josh Weddall playing on tours this season. We'll see how that goes against the Bulldogs are stacked up forward in the elimination final, but with Barass, there is there room for another What are they doing with James Sisily?
Are they going to throw them forward?
So there's a lot of different variables and I think they'd have to be interested from Carlton, from Collingwood trying to shore up their key defensive stocks with Battle particularly at the Piers, who don't have the picks to trade for a player.
So what do you think it's the barrass still done? You know, as you said the West Coast, he's a required player, he's for three years vice captain. The Hawks willing to give their first round pick. Do you think that does that get the the deal done? Forty four days with until trade period ends, so there's a lot of time. Hawthorne's got to concentrate on an elimination final. But does one first round pick get the job done?
I don't think so.
It's complicated with Barras because he's had a few very good seasons where he's been cast with your Australian team. He's won an Eagles Best and Fairest in twenty twenty two and has that contract for three more years. But he's also twenty eight. He's had a few back problems. Hawthorne will probably offer him a four year deal, so there's a lot there to unpack it and to determine his value. I think there'll need to be more picks than that. Fowth On throw any one in and don't think there'd be any players involved in that deal. But you might need a future second on top of that first round pick, because that first round pick is probably going to come in at about eleven or twelve.
Yeah, once it gets out of the single figures, it loses a little bit of cachet. Even though they say that this is a pretty deep draft and a fairly even draft. I mean, the Hawks, other than the battle deal, their cocker hoop at the moment, they've finished, you know, in the bottom half of the eight but an elimination final against the Dogs. James Cicily must have been difficult to keep the smile off his face when he spoke to media.
Yeah yeah, he said. He said this has come much sooner than he expected. He played in Hawthorn's last final series in twenty eighteen, but he said this is well ahead of where he expected to be. He mentioned that there was a round thirteen win over GWS and Lon Sestin where Hawthorne just scrapped to get home. It was about six points, and he said that they hadn't played their best footy in that one, and being able to get the win against the Giants in Tazzi just gave him the belief that they could actually contend in finals. But they've had to come a long way. Even after that win, they're only seven to five and I think they were still outside the eight. So it's been such a long road back for the Hawks.
And also it's incredible when you look at the final ladder after the final round and see how healthy Hawthorns percentage is, because for the majority two thirds of the season, that was the thing that was going to get them out of the eight, was there low percentage. They started the season zero on five. They lost some games by significant margins and everyone was sort of thinking, oh, well, he come the Hawks, but maybe, you know, their poor start to the year will sort of keep them out on percentage. But Jez have brought home and it's going to be a big one. And what would what would a Josh Battle and Tom barrass back line look like against the Dogs. Well, you know, maybe we'll have to wait till next season. Could they both find their way to the Hawks, do you reckon?
I think there's still a good chance. I think Hawthorne is planning for that. They're really hopeful that they can still in that battle as well. But I just think if you're Josh battle right now, you're thinking where do I actually fit in this team? What kind of role do I want to play it? Because there's other opportunities at big Victorian clubs too. But Sisily did mentioned that they've got mutual friends. Siciley is still very close to Bradley Hill, it's close to battle at Saint Kildre. He spoke about that in his pressure Is asked if you've spoken the battle and he said, well, we've got mutual friends. We chat a bit, so there is a relation there and maybe that will help.
Well, it seems that the only way is up for the Hawks, and well I have to watch this space. We've got, yeah, a month and a half until the trade period finishes, and a lot will happen before then.
Thanks your time, Ed Hekes anny that'll do us.
On today's Herald Sun Footy podcast, I'm Andy BelAZ and my thanks to Josh Barnes and Ed Burke for joining me today. Make sure you keep an eye out for Mick mcguaan on Thursday lunchtime, all the finals previews over the weekend at top forty players under twenty four, and of course Robbos can't mistackle on Sunday night. I'll catch you next week