Geelong star Bailey Smith has slammed the AFL following a report talking down the likelihood of the league introducing a men’s mental health round.
Meanwhile, there are fresh concerns over premiership Cat Tyson Stengle’s playing future at Geelong. More in AFL DAILY.
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Smith took to social media to voice his frustrations upon learning the league is unlikely to introduce a themed round raising awareness for men’s mental health.
The tragic passing of Jordan Dawson’s brother Jaryd and Elijah Hollands’ mental health episode last week prompted Smith to speak out after the Cats’ win over the Bulldogs.
He said post-game last Friday night: “I just want to shout out the Dawson family and Elijah Hollands last night … I think it’s about time the AFL gets a men’s mental health round … (I hope) we can do something.”
But Seven’s Tom Morris on Tuesday night claimed that the likelihood of such an initiative getting off the ground was low.
“The AFL hears that (plea from Smith), but I don’t think there’s going to be a mental health round anytime soon,” he said on Channel Seven.
“They’d prefer to do things like Spud’s Game. They (the AFL) had a mental health forum in Adelaide, but it’s not going to stop players like Bailey Smith pushing for it (a dedicated round).”
That didn’t sit well with the superstar midfielder, who took to his Instagram story to respond — and trash the league’s expanded finals format in the process: “We can reward mediocrity and introduce wildcard round though.”
He added two thumbs-up emojis and a clown emoji to make his feelings towards the AFL abundantly clear.
Smith, of course, is referring to the AFL’s newly-introduced seventh-versus-10th and eighth-versus-ninth wildcard finals, set to be played in the weekend previously reserved for the pre-finals bye.
It comes after Cats coach Chris Scott made his own jab at the wildcard format on AFL 360 a few weeks back, claiming it was brought in for “no good reason except cash”.
Based on the ladder after six rounds, the Bulldogs would host the Crows, and the Demons would host the Lions.
‘CUT OFF ALL TIES’: FRESH DETAILS OVER STENGLE’S CATS ABSENCE
Tyson Stengle’s future at Geelong is “not looking good at the moment”, according to veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson, who claims the premiership forward has had little with the Cats in recent times.
Stengle, an All-Australian, hasn’t played an AFL game so far in 2026 after back-to-back full seasons for the Cats. He’s currently in his fifth year at the Cattery.
SEN reported on Monday there had been inconsistencies in Stengle’s training schedule and that recent behaviour had led to a “falling out with some of his closest supporters and confidants”.
Speaking on Channel 7 on Tuesday night, Wilson said Geelong had only had “sporadic contact” with Stengle since he travelled to Adelaide at the start of Gather Round.
“There was an expectation that he might train (Tuesday) – I’m not sure why, because he’s not even in town. There are Geelong leaders who hope to get in touch with Tyson this weekend,” Wilson said.
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“He’s cut off all ties with his management group … he’s cut off all ties with Indigenous leaders and very few people at Geelong have any contact with him at all.
“The sad thing about this is that some weeks ago, Geelong were keen to play Tyson … there was hope about four weeks ago that he might come back and play VFL, which was where Geelong players and footy department bosses felt that this might be the start of his rehabilitation and recovery.
“But I gather this was thwarted under the AFL’s rules.”
Channel 7 reporter Tom Morris explained the AFL “was essentially not allowing Stengle to play football … because of the medical model they have”.
“There’s serious implications here for Geelong, there’s implications for Tyson Stengle and implications for his contract as well,” Morris said.
“He’s contracted to the end of 2029 on roughly about $750,000 a year. Now, that’s a serious contract to not be playing any football – it’s dangerously similar to Jamarra Ugle-Hagan last year, who didn’t play.
“His career’s at the crossroads because he’s not playing, there’s no real indication as to when he’s going to play again and he simply isn’t talking to people closest around him. And on that sort of money, that’s a big hole for Geelong.”
DEES HOLD MENTAL HEALTH GAME ‘PRELIMINARY TALKS
Melbourne has held “preliminary talks” with Carlton around staging a “marquee game” in support of mental health in 2027, according to CODE Sports reporter Glenn McFarlane.
In a week where the Blues confirmed Elijah Hollands had been hospitalised days after his on-ground mental health episode at the MCG, Demons chief executive Paul Guerra confirmed to McFarlane his club was keen to play a game next year that would highlight the importance of mental health.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle on Tuesday night, McFarlane said the Demons’ [preliminary talks with Carlton were held before Hollands’ episode.
“I had a chat to Melbourne today. They’re looking at a mental health marquee game next year,” McFarlane told Midweek Tackle.
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“The club they’ve been talking to – and they’re absolutely only preliminary talks at the moment – is the Carlton Football Club, if you can believe it.
“It’s Kevin Sheedy’s brainchild. He says that this is ‘the war within’, mental health, that is impacting so many different Australians. So he’s very keen that we actually have, not just more sight on this, but the Melbourne footy club are actively out there trying to get a game up.
“It’ll either be (played against) Carlton or Essendon. They’re the teams that they’re looking at.
“It’s a really important subject and I think Paul Guerra is keen for Melbourne to lead that charge.”
Read McFarlane’s full CODE Sports report here.
MERRETT ‘IN A GOOD SPOT’ TO DEAL WITH DRAMA
Essendon star Zach Merrett says he’s “in a good spot” to cope with the external melodrama and soap opera surrounding his 2026 season.
A six-time best and fairest winner, Merrett has made another impressive start to an AFL campaign, averaging 27.0 disposals and 5.3 tackles across his first six games.
It comes months after the 30-year-old’s highly-publicised attempt to join Hawthorn via trade fell over, leading to Merrett relinquishing Bombers captaincy duties after three seasons.
Merrett’s wife, Alexandra, posted a now-deleted social media post that indicated she’d left Essendon’s Round 4 loss to the Western Bulldogs early. She posted a video to TikTok showing herself sipping a glass of wine, presumably at Melbourne restaurant Gimlet, with the caption: “When your husband’s team is losing by 50 points at half-time so you go to Gimlet instead.”
Asked by AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley on Tuesday night what his “defence mechanism” is for the external noise surrounding his 2026 campaign, Merrett told Kayo Sports: “There’s probably two ways.
“I have a humorous side of it as well. So I can find some things quite funny and enjoying them.
Zach Merrett on post-trade drama | 01:35
“The other ledger is the effect on family and friends around you. That’s probably the one that gets me the most.
“For me, I sign up to play AFL footy, I love it. The other side of the ledger, there‘s Ts and Cs that some of it isn’t so much fun, but it’s more the effect on Mum and Dad and my wife and family and friends close when they see things.
“When there’s critique around your game, I think that’s all part and parcel. As players, we accept that’s what we sign up for. You can review and critique the game however it is between the lines, but I think when there’s things outside the lines – which there’s been a fair bit (of) the last couple of months, in particular – has been disappointing.
“But ultimately I can’t really control or do anything about it. So if you’ve got a coping mechanism, feel free to pass it on because I haven’t worked it out fully.
“But I think I’m in a pretty good spot around understanding that it is there, but it’s not really ‘real’ in a way.”
Asked cheekily by Garry Lyon if he paid full price for his most recent Gimlet meal, Merrett said with a laugh: “Well I was actually chasing “Scotty’ (Essendon coach Brad Scott), who said he’d give me a voucher that I’m still waiting for!
“I did actually enjoy a nice feed there Sunday afternoon, so I used my humour a bit to have a little bit of fun with that.”
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