Son of great makes big draft call; former Blues list boss joins new club — AFL Daily

The son of Luke Hodge has made his draft plans.

Plus Carlton’s ex-list manager has landed a new gig in clubland, and details on clubs’ stricter limits on contact training next pre-season. More in AFL Daily!

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HODGE’S SON MAKES DRAFT CALL

Luke Hodge’s son has made his big draft call.

Cooper Hodge has officially nominated Hawthorn as his preferred destination as a father-son selection in the 2026 draft.

The 18-year old could’ve nominated Brisbane, as he’s part of the club’s academy.

But Hodge will seek to join the club his famous father played 305 of his 346 games for and won four premierships at in a coup for Sam Mitchell’s side.

EX-BLUES LIST BOSS RETURNS TO TIGERLAND

Carlton’s former list boss has landed a new gig in AFL clubland.

Nick Austin will return to Richmond as the club’s new list strategy and player acquisition.

Austin departed Carlton in May soon after Michael Voss’ resignation following six years as the Blues’ head of list management.

Austin has since made appearances on Herald Sun’s ‘Trade Secrets’, where he’s provided insights to list management and some of Carlton’s key moves under his lead.

But Austin is now set to return to the Tigers next month ahead of the opening of free agency on October 2.

Austin spent six years at Richmond as its list management and recruiting officer from 2011 2018 and was the Western Bulldogs’ national recruiting manager for two drafts, before he joined Carlton.

“Nick has enormous experience in the industry and has built a successful career across analysis, list management and recruiting,” Tigers executive general manager of football Blair Hartley said.

“As the game continues to evolve, particularly in the list space and with the addition of a 19th team, having someone of Nick’s credentials and experience will be important for us moving forward.

“He will be a huge asset for our club, and we are delighted to welcome him and his family back to Richmond.”

The Blues surged to an elimination final after Voss and Austin’s departure in a stunning turnaround under new senior coach Josh Fraser.

Carlton footy boss Chris Davies said last month the club wouldn’t appoint a new list manager for the upcoming trade and draft period, with Davies currently overseeing plans.

Carlton also parted ways with ex-national recruiting manager Mick Agresta on the eve of the season after eight years in the role.

AFL LIMITS CONTACT TRAINING IN MAJOR CONCUSSION MOVE

AFL clubs will be subject to strict limits on contact training for the first time next pre-season as part of the league’s latest cautious move to reduce concussion and head trauma.

The league confirmed on Monday afternoon it would introduce mandatory weekly caps for the 2027 men’s pre-season, including separate restrictions on ‘high-intensity’ contact work.

Clubs will be limited to two hours of contact training per week before Christmas and across the first two weeks after the break, with no more than one hour allowed to be high-intensity.

That will increase to 160 total minutes and 90 high-intensity minutes in weeks three and four after Christmas, before a maximum of 160 total minutes and 120 high-intensity minutes from week five onwards.

Notably too, teams will also be banned from conducting high-intensity contact training on consecutive days.

Clubs will be required to audit their contact training volumes and provide footage to the AFL when requested, while information and vision from any training concussion must also be submitted to the league.

In general terms, the new contact training regimen has the following features:

1. Mandatory limits to contact training volume

2. Mandate clubs do not engage in high intensity contact training on consecutive days

3. Recommended graded return during the first week of a player’s return to training

4. Mandated ongoing industry monitoring of contact training volume and concussion trends

The changes follow the AFL’s multi-year study into players’ exposure to contact training and its relationship with head impacts and concussion risk.

The league found concussions at training occurred most commonly during match simulation and small-sided, high-intensity drills, while there was no correlation between the amount of contact training conducted by clubs and their ladder position.

The AFL said the new restrictions were also a direct response to recommendations made in 2023 following the Victorian Coroner’s investigation into the death of former Richmond player Shane Tuck.

“The health and welfare of our players is the AFL’s highest priority,” Executive GM of the AFLW and Health & Football Operations figure Laura Kane said in a statement.

“We recognise head trauma is a risk for Australian football, as it is for all contact sports globally, which is why the AFL’s comprehensive concussion and head trauma framework is in place.

“The framework is based on world class medical advice and is constantly evolving as we deepen our learning and understanding.

“The prevention and management of head trauma, and the introduction of AFL pre-season contact training limits is a further step towards achieving our goal of being a global leader in brain health and concussion and head trauma.

“The AFL has undertaken an extensive data collection and consultation process in order to introduce contact training limits which balance player welfare with elite performance.

“While this process was being worked through, the AFL prioritised safer training design and worked directly with clubs to reduce the risk of concussion and head trauma through the adjustment of training drills and techniques on an ongoing basis. The introduction of contact training limits for the upcoming AFL pre-season is a further important step in improving player safety by the imposition of strict maximum levels of contact training.

“The AFL will continue to monitor and refine these limits based on data and practical feedback from clubs. It is critical they are tailored to the needs of our players from both a safety and competitive preparation perspective.”

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