Jonathon Patton

Just as Round Five was getting underway, Jonathon Patton announced his immediate retirement from all levels of football. Patton, 27, was the number one draft selection in 2011, being snapped up by the Giants. He has struggled with injuries across his eight-year career. He played 89 games for GWS before being traded to Hawthorn at the end of 2019 but has managed just six games for the Hawks. The injury issues are only one part of the story. In January, he was stood down from Hawthorn after at least four women complained that he sent them lewd and explicit photos, videos, and messages on social media. He was later hospitalized for mental health issues and released in March. Since his release, the AFL Integrity Unit is free to interview him and ramp up their investigations. 

In making the announcement, Patton said, “I have made the difficult decision to retire ... to focus on my health, wellbeing, and future outside of the game.

Round seventeen was full of upsets, great finishes and some very big injuries. The Giants resurrected their season with a win over the Tigers, the Eagles rode their big forwards to a classy win over Collingwood, and the Crows celebrated the re-signing of favorite son Rory Sloane by banking a win against the highly fancied Cats.

Biggest loser of the weekend has to go to Port Adelaide, who not only forfeited a chance at second place on the ladder by losing to an undermanned Fremantle,

After another top notch round of footy, Richmond holds onto top spot on the AFANA Power Poll as a result of its 47 point win over the Adelaide Crows, damaging the Crows chances of returning to finals football in 2018. Collingwood had to fight hard to defeat a determined Essendon, while the Swans stumbled at home against a very impressive Geelong.

Port Adelaide kept in touch with the top two after a comfortable win over Saint Kilda, the Eagles returned to the winners list in the “battle of the decimated forward lines” as they held off the Giants in Perth, and the Hawks solidified their run at the finals with a second half blitz to defeat the Bulldogs. 

by Lisa Albergo reporting for AFANA from Chicago

The Greater Western Sydney Giants decided not to select former Crow Kurt Tippett in the preseason draft, leaving the door open for the Sydney Swans. Tippett basically priced himself off the Giants' radar with a reported request for

Jamie Kloeden reporting for AFANA from Adelaide, South Australia

If ever there was a game that new boys Greater Western Sydney were going to be fired up for it was this Round 19 clash with Port Adelaide. Not only was it a chance for former Power players Chad Cornes, Jonathan Giles and Dean Brogan to show their old team what they are made of, and for former coach Mark Williams to get back at the team that let him go, but it was the 1000th appearance at VFL and AFL level for legendary coach Kevin Sheedy. Having played at Richmond and coached at Essendon, Sheedy now holds the reins at the newest team in the League and becomes the first man in history to achieve this milestone.