“Despite the abrupt and unfortunate ending, Luke should be enormously proud of committing himself completely across his incredible career, on and off the field, right up until his final moment,” Hawthorn’s executive general manager of football Rob McCartney said in a statement.
“Having played his 308th game in the brown and gold just a few weeks ago, Luke’s legacy as one of our club’s true greats has been etched into the history books
“The club will be there to support Luke through every stage of his rehabilitation, just as Luke has been there to support so many others during his time in the brown and gold.
Last month Hawthorn announced that this season would be Breust’s last.
“Luke’s accolades and achievements will see him remembered as one of Hawthorn’s genuine greats – three-time premiership player, twice an All-Australian, five times our leading goalkicker, 550-plus total career goals, 300-plus games – Punky has done it all,” McCartney said at the time.
The Breust news on Saturday came as Hawthorn were expecting to head into next weekend’s blockbuster preliminary final against Geelong with an otherwise clean bill of health following their comprehensive win over the Crows.
The Hawks had the luxury of resting five-goal star Jack Gunston and fellow forward Jack Ginnivan late in the match at Adelaide Oval when the game was in the keeping.
Both had reportedly overcome hamstring concerns heading into the clash, but neither seemed restricted throughout the course of the match.
Hawthorn said on Saturday they were not aware of any injury concerns following Friday night.
Meanwhile, defender Tom Barrass credited coach Sam Mitchell for his decision to cross from West Coast Eagles at the start of the year.
“Sam is a great educator and a really in-depth thinker,” Barrass told 3AW.
“It was just having a new person, coming with a new opportunity and sort of saying there is more to learn, there is more to this career and more to life. You don’t win four flags by chance and play a big role in that.”
Watch the ump-bump footage that cost a country footballer a league medal
Danny Russell
This is the second-hand ump-bump that cost country footballer Jai Thompson his second consecutive Horsham District Football Netball League medal.
Wearing the North Melbourne blue and white vertical stripes, the Harrow Balmoral coach topped the Dellar Medal count with 27 votes on Monday night but was ruled ineligible because he had been reprimanded for misconduct.
Jai Thompson, in the blue-and-white vertical stripes and playing for Harrow Balmoral, pushes an opponent into the umpire.Credit: Internet
Footage from the opening game of the season shows Thompson jostling with an opponent in the centre square at the start of the game but as he pushes the Taylors Lake player to the side he collides with the central umpire.
Thompson was hit with the misconduct charge on the Monday after the game and accepted a reprimand for the low-level offence.
While he did not miss a game through suspension, the league’s rules state: “Any player who has been found guilty of an on-field offence during the home-and-away season shall not be eligible to win the award.”
The league medal went to Pimpinio midfielder Matt Rosier on 18 votes.
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Harrow Balmoral president Tereasa Hobbs said the ump-bump incident happened at the “first bounce of the first game” against Taylors Lake.
She said Thompson chose not to challenge the decision, even though “he did not agree with it”, because he did not want to risk a suspension.
“We didn’t fight it at the time or appeal it because round two was a big game – we had our unfurling of the flag – and Jai did not want to miss it,” Hobbs said.
“He wanted to play with the boys and took the reprimand and, unfortunately, it cost him at the end of the year.”
Hobbs said the club was disappointed for their coach to miss out on the award on a technicality.
“But you follow the rules and the rules are there for a reason,” she said. “What people think of the incident is up to them.”
Hobbs said Thompson was an “in and under” workhorse who was always around the ball.
“He’s had such a good year, and to poll nine votes ahead of the person who was awarded the medal, it’s a big gap,” she said.
“But he is a very humble man, and he said, ‘it is what it is, and I’ve got bigger things to worry about’.”
Those bigger things include this weekend’s Horsham District Football Netball League grand final at Natimuk.
Harrow Balmoral take on Noradjuna Quantong in a bid to win their third consecutive premiership.
Thompson had not dropped a game as coach until round eight this year when his side lost by 35 points to Noradjuna Quantong, ending a 42-game winning streak.
But Harrow Balmoral beat Noradjuna Quantong by 11 points in the second semi-final two weeks ago.
Thompson, the former Leopold player who moved to Balmoral after his wife bought the post office, polled 23 votes last year to win the Daller Medal by two votes.
Melbourne’s new CEO started on Monday. But he had already overseen a coach sacking
Danny Russell
Paul Guerra has sensationally revealed he was part of Melbourne Football Club’s decision to sack Simon Goodwin before the season’s end.
The new Melbourne CEO, who only started in the role on Monday, said he and incoming president Steven Smith were party to the board’s decision to axe the 2021 premiership coach in August.
Guerra also doubled down on Melbourne’s decision to appoint Steven King as the club’s new coach on Friday ahead of Nathan Buckley.
Melbourne chief executive Paul Guerra.Credit: Jason South
“Ultimately, the Melbourne Football Club, we got our man. Steven King came out on top,” Guerra told 3AW on Saturday.
“Nathan Buckley, first and foremost, is a standout person, a standout individual and an outstanding coach.
“If he goes ahead with Tassie, we wish him all the success there.
“He came through our process, we enjoyed the conversation. Ultimately though when you get your man, you get your man.”
Guerra said the club had made the right choice to cut ties with Goodwin.
“I was part of the decision, so I want that clear, even though I was working at another employer,” he said.
“It was the right decision. The timing for that was to ensure we got the new coach before the trade and the draft period opened up.”
“Simon will always be a legend of the Melbourne Football Club, and when Simon wants to come back to the football club, we’ll roll the red carpet out for him.”
Guerra said the board under current president Brad Green had made some big decisions this year.
“They have appointed a CEO, they’ve removed a coach, and they have appointed a new coach,” Guerra said.
“You can’t do that unless you have alignment, and all those decisions have been taken through the board.
“So, yes, in answer to your question, Steven [Smith] was involved in that process as well.
“I think a lot of credit needs to go back to the board of the Melbourne Football Club for having the courage to make the decisions they have done.”
Bombers great Lloyd says Merrett should leave
Danny Russell
Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd says the vitriol surrounding disgruntled midfielder Zach Merrett has turned nasty, and it is best if the captain and the club part ways.
Lloyd said supporters of the club who have always loved and admired Merrett have turned against him.
“I just think for both parties now it would be best if he wasn’t playing for Essendon Football Club next year,” Lloyd told 3AW.
Lloyd said he was seeing and hearing discontent among the Bombers faithful.
Zach Merrett has already met with Sam Mitchell.Credit: AFL Photos
“The venom that’s coming towards him from Essendon people – they’re hurt,” Lloyd continued.
“They are shattered that the guy who was about to win – or should win – his sixth best and fairest, one of the great records the game has ever seen, they wanted him to be their Matthew Richardson of Richmond or Patrick Cripps of Carlton.”
But Lloyd said Merrett did not want to continue on “half-baked” as the club loses ruckman Sam Draper and will have to fight to hold on to Jordan Ridley.
“My view is that he’s certainly made a call,” Lloyd said. “So for every time he has contemplated it, this is now he’s just gone all in.
“He’s the captain of the football club, and he’s decided this is not where I want to be any more.
“Between him and his manager, I’ve never seen anything more open where his manager is giving quotes to journalists, giving the reasons why Zach doesn’t want to be there.”
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