Freo spy gets booted out of Dogs training; Nicks speaks on Rankine ban

Naismith was wearing all black, including a black cap, and was holding a coffee but made no other effort to disguise himself. The long-haired, 206cm former ruckman, who retired last year after an interrupted career ravaged by ACL injuries, is a surprising and unconventional spy of choice, given his large, recognisable frame. The Bulldogs players training at Whitten Oval on Friday. Credit: Getty Images It’s not the first time spying has happened in the AFL. Fremantle previously were caught out for spying on a Port Adelaide training session back in 2015.

Perhaps the best-known example of “Spygate” in sport was when former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa was caught spying on rivals Derby County in 2019. Loading Bielsa later admitted he had spied on all of Leeds’ opponents, famously detailing his tactics in an hour-long PowerPoint presentation to journalists. This week, Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir insisted the pressure was on the Bulldogs. Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, who spoke before the amusing spy drama, wasn’t buying into it.

“I’m not that interested in the tit-for-tat on that,” he said. “The equation’s simple. “Both clubs are in the same situation: you win or you’re out.“

AAP Rankine ‘is not the victim’, says Nicks Adelaide ace Izak Rankine shouldn’t be portrayed as a victim after being banned for an inexcusable homophobic slur, his coach says.

Matthew Nicks says a lot of people would be “doing it tough” in the wake of Rankine’s four-match suspension. The Crows coach says while he and the club were offering Rankine every support, there was no excuse for his slur directed at an opponent. “Izak has got some great support around him,” Nicks said on Friday. “He has acknowledged where he went wrong and he’s worked his way through that in the right manner.

“He understands that we have got to be better in that space. “But he’s not the victim in this. And by no means do we want that to be looked at that way – and he knows that.” Crows coach Matthew Nicks. Credit: AFL Photos The AFL initially proposed a five-match suspension. But the league’s chief executive Andrew Dillon cited a “compelling medical submission” from the Crows for reducing the sanction to a four-game ban.

Dillon and Adelaide, whose chief executive Tim Silvers admitted nervousness about Rankine’s mental health, have refused to elaborate on the medical submission. Loading “No one is making excuses,” Nicks said. “No one is arguing that there shouldn’t have been a penalty. “We know we have to be better in that space.

“And we’re educated around that. Staff, players, everyone within the football club, is educated around why, what it is we’re trying to change in society. “We didn’t get it right on this occasion. We will continue to educate.” Izak Rankine’s chances of playing again this year hang by a slender thread. Credit: Getty Images Rankine wanted to return to the club as soon as possible but would likely spend some time away. “That will be the balance ... Izak probably spending a little bit of time away from the club to, I guess, re-energise himself,” Nicks said.

“Our players will get a break – when I say break, they’ll re-energise next week, as will the whole league .” The four-match ban offers Rankine hope of playing in the grand final, should the ladder-leading Crows reach the premiership decider via the long route by losing in week one of the finals series. The brilliant playmaker, regarded among the AFL’s most talented players, and the Crows understood the impact of his slur on the LGBTQIA community, Nicks said.

Nicks acknowledged the club’s culture had been tested by Rankine’s offensive remark to an unnamed Collingwood player in Adelaide’s three-point win last Saturday night. Loading “It’s moments like this you look at the culture and what it is we’re building and you know that you’ve still got work to do,” Nicks said. “We aim for perfection but we understand it’s pretty tough to get there, but there’s a lot of things that we’re doing right. “We constantly address that, we constantly talk about the values and how it is we behave and the importance of role modelling.

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