Errol Gulden reveals ‘weird’ reality of cruel injury; call for change after Pies drama — AFL Daily

Sydney superstar Errol Gulden has spoken exclusively to Fox Footy after he was told a cruel injury blow requires surgery.

Plus, Nathan Buckley has shed light on Chris Scott’s spray… and could a player kick 100 goals in 2026? MORE IN AFL DAILY.

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GULDEN OPENS UP ON ‘FRUSTRATING’ 48 HOURS AFTER CRUEL BLOW

Sydney superstar Errol Gulden has revealed the shoulder injury that will sideline him for roughly four months “doesn’t feel too bad”, despite the reality of surgery on Wednesday.

Speaking exclusively to AFL 360, the 23-year-old winger spoke to the rehab that awaits him after he goes under the knife, in a cruel blow given injury limited him to just 10 games in 2025.

“I’m actually not in too much pain; it’s a bit of a weird one to be missing so much footy (but) be able to sit here and my shoulder not actually feel too bad,” Gulden said.

“I’ll go for surgery tomorrow up here in Sydney, and probably have a few weeks where I won’t be doing a whole lot, and then we’ll get stuck into the rehab and work towards a return later in the year.

“It’s obviously been a bit of a frustrating 48 hours, but the support’s been great from everyone at the club. It is what it is.”

Gulden’s dislocated shoulder came after a Lincoln McCarthy tackle during the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s win over Brisbane. Opting against surgery would risk the chance of his shoulder constantly popping out, which would naturally affect the muscle long-term.

“I’m not too good with the medical side of things, but he (the surgeon) basically equated it to a golf ball and a tee, and I’ve done a little bit of damage to the tee,” Gulden continued.

“It was good to get a little bit of clarity. I obviously had my fingers crossed on the weekend … (but) I woke up pretty sore on Sunday, and we decided as a club that surgery was just the best thing to do.”

BRING BACK 25M PENALTIES? GREATS DISCUSS COSTLY PIES MOMENT

An AFL great has questioned whether the 25m penalty should be brought back after Collingwood’s costly double 50m penalty in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s loss to Adelaide.

The Magpies gave up two 50m penalties for players not standing on the mark in the final 10 minutes of the game, which led to Crows goals.

The first infringement was through the crackdown of the rule, with multiple Collingwood players retrieving off the mark, instead of at least one of them standing.

Geelong champion Tom Hawkins sympathised with players in such high pressure scenarios in what he called a “big punishment.”

And so Hawkins posed whether the 50m penalty, which replaced 25m penalties in 1988, was too harsh a punishment in today’s game.

“The bit I grapple with the most is at times you’re watching football, whether live or on the couch, there’s so much pressure in the game for players to be thinking about what they’re doing, where they need to run and how they need to defend. Let alone to listen and hear the umpire,” Hawkins said on Fox Footy’s On the Couch.

“It’s a big penalty, 50 metres, at certain points of the game.

“I think it’s a big loophole in our game, whether we need to bring it back to 25 or not. It’s just such a big punishment, so much ground to be conceded for something that is not necessarily within your control sometimes.

“When there’s three in the area, if you’re all defenders and working back, that communication level is really hard.”

Hawks legend Jordan Lewis thought the crackdown of the stand on the mark rule would have the “opposite” effect to start the season and result in multiple players “overemphasising” needing to stand.

Meanwhile Brownlow medallist Nathan Buckley noted the fact it was three Collingwood defenders meant they were more likely to try and retrieve back in an unfortunate coincidence.

“They all happened to be defenders. What you’d love to see is maybe one’s a ruckman, one’s a forward and one’s a winger or mid — he’s the one who stands so the defenders can get back,” he said on the program.

“But all three of the defenders thought I’ve got to get back!”

Buckley was overall a fan of the new rules and how it’s opened the game up and tested defences, calling for the AFL to “double down” on it.

“Make sure you are as strong as you are now throughout the season. It’s a new layer in the game that challenges the defence, I like the fact it opens the game up. It’s bloody hard to defend at times when you need to have that player stand, especially in your backhalf,” he said.

“It’s something the players will come along with. There will be an error here and there, but hopefully it’s largely on the players side — not the umpires side.”

BUCKS OPENS UP ON SCOTT SPRAY

Nathan Buckley has shed light on Chris Scott’s tense quarter-time spray that sparked Geelong’s comeback win over Fremantle.

An animated Scott fired up at his fellow coaches — including new Cats assistant Buckley — then players after his team had conceded a whopping 52 points to trail Fremantle by 33 points at quarter-time of Saturday’s game.

It triggered the desired response as Geelong banged on five goals in the second term to cut into its deficit, before storming home in the second half.

Shannon Neale revealed to Fox Footy post-match “the word disgraceful was used” in Scott’s address.

But Buckley suggested it was one of the more measured sprays he’s seen over his footy journey.

“He was really keen to change up the structure and how he wanted to set the ground up. We’d had a chat about it the last couple of minutes of the first quarter, but then came together at quarter time before he went to the players,” Buckley said on On the Couch.

“I was front and centre for the conversation with the players. If that’s Scotty at his peak, I’d put him at about a four or five out of 10 with the peak of what I’ve seen other coaches go at.

“I think that speaks to the respect and assuming good intent with the players. And giving them the license to be the masters of their domain.

“Also treating them like adults in terms of the challenge he put to them at that break. They clearly responded.

“I’ve only been there for five minutes, so to see that in action without really needing to get too emotive was a really strong positive.”

‘GENUINE’ CHANCE FORWARD KICKS 100 GOALS

Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon believes there’s a “genuine” chance a forward eclipses 100 goals this season in a “shift” to the way the game’s being played.

And he thinks a Hawthorn stalwart could be likeliest to do so.

“The balance of power; I think it’s shifted,” Lyon said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Monday night.

“We bemoaned the fact that the forwards were just giving up all the advantage (in years past), and just became reactive to defenders … I know it’s only a game and a half, but winds of changes have come through.

“And it’s favouring these blokes that will come up and hit at the footy. Jack Gunston kicked five goals (against Essendon), 23 marks inside forward 50 for Hawthorn … this suits him.

“The defenders don’t get it their own way anymore, they haven’t got the drop-off player to give them a hand anymore – they’ve got to defend one-on-one, and frankly, I think they’ve forgotten how to do it.”

Along with Gunston, the Bulldogs’ Aaron Naughton (six goals), Geelong’s Shannon Neale (five), Melbourne’s Jacob van Rooyen (six) and Gold Coast’s Ben King (five) all cashed in at the weekend.

Ball movement – the rate at which teams transition the footy from defensive 50 to forward 50 – is thus far up on last season, as are marks on the lead, while intercept marks have decreased.

“The forwards are flexing their muscles … (Jacob) van Rooyen hasn’t seen ball movement like this for five years and all of a sudden he’s kicked six goals,” Lyon said.

“Ben King has kicked five and the list goes on … there is change happening and defenders have had it their own way.

“For a long time defenders have dictated to forwards … but the way the game is played 100 goals in a season is on and my man Jack Gunston is the one I’m looking at.

“He kicked 73 last year and his ability to come to the footy and time his lead with his movement and a man standing on the man and his precise kicking is a chance to kick 100 this year.”