Sarah Black

1 week ago | afl.com.au | Sarah Black

A TASTE of top-flight football at the end of last year set rising Bomber Archie Roberts up perfectly for his breakthrough season. Roberts, 19, played the last month of Essendon's season in 2024, after being selected with pick No.54 from the Sandringham Dragons. This year, the tenacious small defender already has a Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination in his back pocket, is averaging 24.5 disposals, and did not concede a goal to his direct opponent (minimum 30 minutes) between rounds three and 10.

2 weeks ago | afl.com.au | Sarah Black

ESSENDON has sprung into the top eight with a gutsy 23-point win over Richmond in the annual Dreamtime at the 'G match on Friday night. The victory came at a cost however, with key position players Kyle Langford and Zach Reid finishing the 11.15 (81) to 8.10 (58) match on the bench. BOMBERS v TIGERS Full match coverage and statsBombers debutant Angus Clarke lit up the MCG with three first-half goals, while dynamic duo Nic Martin (35 disposals) and Zach Merrett (37) found plenty of the footy.

2 weeks ago | afl.com.au | Sarah Black

BOTH Essendon and Richmond will be sweating on scans for a number of important players, as Dreamtime at the 'G turned into a nightmare on the injury front. The Bombers' injury crisis worsened with Kyle Langford set for a stint on the sidelines with a quad issue, while the injury-prone Zach Reid was removed from the game with hamstring awareness. BOMBERS v TIGERS Full match coverage and stats"Zach Reid, we're not even sure it's an injury.

2 weeks ago | afl.com.au | Sarah Black

THE NAB AFLW season is such an intense period, players would be forgiven for taking it easy over the off-season. Instead, new Sydney recruit Lulu Pullar worked as a doctor in the emergency department of Alice Springs Hospital and created and ran a week-long football academy for girls in the red centre. Pullar – who previously worked at Sunshine Hospital in Melbourne's west while playing for North Melbourne – took up a short-term contract to work in Alice Springs in between seasons.

2 weeks ago | westernbulldogs.com.au | Sarah Black

The transition from star junior to AFL player is rarely as smooth as expected. Ryley Sanders was selected by the Western Bulldogs with pick No.6 in the 2023 Telstra AFL Draft, and played 14 matches in his first year. Five of those 14 games saw him either start or finish on the pine as a substitute, and his frustration boiled over in a match against Essendon last year, with an ABC boundary rider reporting he threw a water bottle and towel as he was subbed out.