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AFL off-field behaviour

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Brisbane Lions superstar Lachie Neale.

‘The kids are No.1’: Lachie Neale’s emotional 12-week countdown to a career-defining call

After a tumultuous off-season in his personal life, Brisbane Lions champion Lachie Neale was back to his best during Gather Round and heads into his 300th match on Sunday.

  • Peter Ryan

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Paul Briggs, the founding president of Rumbalara Football Netball Club, resigned from the AFL’s Indigenous Advisory Council.

‘We felt really disrespected’: Indigenous advisers quit claiming AFL plan is shallow and self-centred

Paul Briggs, a decorated community leader, resigned along with two other advisers after the AFL Commission bypassed them when it ticked off targets to increase the number of First Nations players in the game.

  • Caroline Wilson
Jessica Dawson and Jaryd Dawson.

Tragic update after brother of Jordan Dawson goes missing in South Australia

The older brother of Adelaide captain Jordan Dawson has died, after going missing in the south-east of South Australia on Tuesday.

  • Hannah Kennelly and Scott Spits
Melbourne’s Eden Zanker taunts former Demons teammate Libby Birch, now at North Melbourne, in the 2025 AFLW preliminary final.

I’ve been taunted on the field. It’s about time the AFL stamped that behaviour out

Every time something crosses the line – cheap shots, retaliation, verbal back-and-forth – it drags the game away from what it should be.

  • Libby Birch
In the spotlight: New Demons chief executive Paul Guerra.

Demons sorry for ‘distress’ caused by meeting with players’ partners

Melbourne have responded to reports they discussed Steven May’s alleged personal issues during a phone hook-up between club bosses and the partners of players.

  • Jon Pierik
Tanner Bruhn (right) leaves the ground with his teammates aftee their win over the Crows.

Tanner Bruhn opens up on his AFL return after a year from hell

The Geelong star was stood down while he faced sexual assault charges last year, which were eventually withdrawn. He’s returned to the field with purpose this season.

  • Peter Ryan
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AFL CEO Andrew Dillon announces the new illicit drugs policy alongside Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains, Collingwood captain Darcy Moore, AFLPA boss James Gallagher and football operations boss Laura Kane.

Club bosses told when AFL players have serious drug issues – but coaches stay in the dark

Every AFL and AFLW player will be hair tested twice per year and the identity of players with ongoing serious drug issues will be known by the relevant club’s chief executive, president and football boss under the league’s heavily revamped illicit drug policy.

  • Jake Niall
Tom De Koning in his first hitout for St Kilda.

Expecting a free run at a top-10 pick for your club? Not so fast

A proposal to eliminate free agency compensation picks from the first 10 selections of the 2026 AFL national draft is in doubt.

  • Sam McClure, Peter Ryan and Andrew Wu
Bodycam footage of the cherry picker incident in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Bodycam footage shows Hawthorn players arrested on cherry picker

The video, released by the Scottsdale Police Department on Tuesday, shows the AFL players initially claimed they didn’t know the lift wasn’t theirs when police confronted them.

  • Lachlan Abbott
Former Geelong Cats sponsor Sy Giang Nguyen.

Cats sponsor made secret Crown payments for player accommodation

Geelong players received free accommodation at Crown casino from a club sponsor, raising concerns about the scope and rigour of a recent salary-cap investigation by the AFL.

  • Cameron Houston