AFL News: Bombshell file claims Freo megastar to hunt business, league responds as audio finds umps lied over Schultz incident

Fremantle megastar Luke Jackson is ready to request a business again to Melbourne on the finish of the season.

According to a bombshell file in The West Australian, the 23-year outdated ruckman, who departed the Demons in 2022 to enroll in the Dockers on a whopping seven-year deal, desires out simply 3 years into his contract, amid rumours of off-field private problems.

“The West Australian understands Jackson wants to return to the Demons – where he won a premiership in 2021 – on the back of significant off-field issues which himself, the club and management have addressed in recent weeks,” the file reads.

That contract, which doesn’t expire till 2029, is ready to present the Dockers important bargaining energy in any attainable business, with Demons ahead Kysaiah Pickett – who has been rumoured to be fascinated with a transfer to Western Australia or even reportedly messaged Fremantle avid gamers previous this 12 months announcing he can be dressed in pink in 2025 – all however positive to shape a part of any business, regardless of Dees president Brad Green last adamant Pickett is a required participant.

Jackson, who barracked for the Dockers as a kid, grew up in Western Australia and performed consultant soccer for the state as a junior prior to being decided on by way of the Demons with pick out 3 within the 2019 nationwide draft.

After debuting within the COVID-interrupted 2020 season, he broke out spectacularly as a 19-year outdated in 2021, claiming the AFL Rising Star Award and showing in Melbourne’s drought-breaking grand ultimate win over the Western Bulldogs, enjoying a a very powerful position within the ruck throughout the Demons’ well-known third-quarter burst that noticed them overturn a 19-point deficit to win by way of 74 issues.

He sought a business on the finish of the 2022 season which netted the Dees pick out 13 and Fremantle’s first and second-round 2023 draft alternatives, however issues have no longer grew to become out as deliberate for Jackson or the Dockers because the high-profile transfer was once made.

After a step forward finals collection in 2022, the Dockers have neglected September in consecutive seasons since Jackson joined the membership, and are off to a deficient 4-5 get started in 2025, with common grievance of the membership’s use of Jackson and Sean Darcy as twin rucks.

The 23-year outdated’s private existence has additionally proved tough, with SEN reporting previous this 12 months Jackson and female friend Kelsey Browne spent a lot of the low season with Browne’s circle of relatives at the Victorian surf coast.

It was once to start with reported in March Jackson was once serious about a go back to Victoria, with the Demons and Geelong amongst a number of golf equipment willing to trap him again around the Nullarbor.

Dockers trainer Justin Longmuir pushed aside business rumours previous, responding ‘Nothing’ when requested at a press convention whether or not his perspectives on Jackson last on the membership had modified.

However, Demons captain and Jackson’s premiership teammate Max Gawn cryptically hinted at his go back to pink and blue colors in an look on Triple M on Monday.

“WA is an unbelievable to place to be when you’re 18, 19 … these Perth boys go back at 22 and all their mates have sort of grown up a bit,” Gawn mentioned.

“There’s so many people that got a trade back to WA and then came back – not mentioning one that potentially could be coming back soon … let’s hope!”

‘Blatant lie’: AFL, umpires slammed as audio finds mistruths in Schultz concussion reaction

The AFL and its umpiring division are below hearth after unique audio on Seven’s The Agenda Setters published a ‘blatant lie’ within the league’s reporting of Collingwood ahead Lachie Schultz’s concussion.

Schultz was once knocked out past due within the 1/3 quarter of the Magpies’ win over Fremantle on Thursday night time after an uncongenial collision with Jordan Clark, with play controversially allowed to proceed as he first lay immobile at the Optus Stadium turf, then staggered from the sector with the help of Magpies running shoes.

On Friday, the AFL launched a commentary announcing the umpires ‘did not see’ Schultz being concussed.

“Upon review, if umpires were aware, play would have been stopped when [Josh] Daicos had possession in the middle of the ground,” the commentary reads.

However, umpire mic audio finds the 4 umpires – together with veteran pair Craig Fleer and Simon Meredith – mentioned Schultz in an instant following the incident, with an umpire even explaining to a Magpies participant that they weren’t in a position to forestall play.

“We can only stop it if the ball’s coming towards … or if they instruct us to stop. I understand, but that’s what we’re instructed to use,” the umpire mentioned.

On The Agenda Setters, reporter Caroline Wilson published the league and AFL normal supervisor Laura Kane have been most effective made conscious about the audio when contacted by way of her, announcing the 4 umpires have been ‘strongly counselled’ on Tuesday afternoon, with the umpires’ explanation why for the misreporting given as them having ‘had no memory of seeing the incident’.

Kane launched a brand new commentary to this system admitting the mistake.

“The statement we released was incorrect, but we were given the wrong information from the umpires. It’s inconsistent with the vision,” the commentary reads.

“They [the umpires] were going off memory and not the vision and we should always look at the vision.

“All the field umpires from the game have all been coached this afternoon that they should have stopped the game.

“Having said that, this is on me. It’s the footy department that runs umpiring and that sits with me.”

In reaction, former greats Luke Hodge and Kane Cornes have been scathing of the umpires, with Hodge deeming it a ‘blatant lie’ and Cornes calling for important suspensions to be passed out.

“You can’t say they didn’t notice because there was communication, so at least two of them knew what was going on, while the other two focused on the play. Then they have blatantly lied,” Hodge mentioned.

“That was the biggest thing to come out of that football game … for the umpires to say they couldn’t remember that, I find that very hard to believe.”

Cornes believes the AFL must ‘make a statement’ in opposition to the 4 umpires, who ‘shouldn’t be umpiring for a month’.

“If four umpires have all forgotten the same biggest incident of the weekend, I would be absolutely shocked at that,” he mentioned.

“In an era where we suspend players for tackles for three weeks … if this isn’t the biggest sanction to an umpire that’s been handed down in recent memory, I think these guys shouldn’t be umpiring for a month.

“Collingwood should be ropeable, Lachie Schultz should be ropeable, his family should be ropeable and I would be absolutely staggered if those four umpires umpire again in the next month.”