Australian Football Association of North America

After 10 seasons as senior coach of Collingwood, Nathan Buckley announced he would step aside after the Round 13 match. This despite a hard-fought win against the Crows in Round 12. However, it was just the third win for the Magpies who sit 16th in the standings with nine losses. St Kilda legend and long-time assistant Robert Harvey will take over as interim coach for the rest of the season. Football boss Graham Wright said the decision was made collaboratively following six months of chats.

Buckley, 48, made the call to step aside almost immediately and faced the media with Anderson and Wright. The press conference was virtual due to COVID protocols. Buckley said he felt "blessed to be part of this football club” and explained his decision to depart midseason and why he thought the club was in decent shape for the future,

The AFL held their midseason rookie draft in early June. All 18 clubs had available spots open on their lists and 22 players were selected. The selection order was in reverse to the standings at the end of Round 11.

The eligibility criteria: any player who nominated for the most recent draft, a delisted player (cannot be selected by the club from which he was delisted), a player who has been retired for more than one year. Any player who does not meet these requirements can be nominated by a representative of the AFL Talent Pathway, their AFLPA accredited agent, or the player themselves and be considered for an exemption.

THE DRAFT

Note: player information is the same as for previous drafts: selection number, name, the club of origin, age, height, weight, and position

AFL Umpire Head Coach Hayden Kennedy has advised the AFL that he will be stepping down from that role after the conclusion of Round 10. Kennedy, a teacher by profession, began umpiring AFL games in 1988 and went on to officiate in 495 games, including five Grand Finals. He retired after Round 17, 2011 as the record holder for most games umpired. That record was broken by Shane McInerney (502) games) before he retired at the end of 2019. Kennedy would easily have surpassed 502 games had it not been for a bout of plantar fasciitis (inflammation of tissue in the foot) several seasons before he retired. 

Just as Round Seven was concluded, the footy community was mourning the death of game and Geelong icon Frank Costa. Costa, 83. succumbed to cancer. Costa, a successful businessman in the fruit and vegetable industry, assumed the presidency of Geelong in 1998 when the club was virtually on its knees - badly in debt and without any finals success in decades. Under his leadership, the debt was all but erased, the club became a dominant powerhouse and again tasted premiership success in 2007 and 2009. When he stepped down and handed the reins over to Colin Carter in 2010, the club was in a very strong position both on and off the field, going on to win the 2011 premiership. He is also responsible for bringing in current CEO Brian Cook and former coach Mark Thompson. At one point the trio made a pact that they would remain until the Cats won a premiership. Under his guidance, the club's home ground - GMBHA Stadium - was revitalized, upgraded, and expanded.