Hawks star recommits in huge coup; Roos duo struck down at training — AFL Daily

A rising Hawks star has recommitted to the club in a major coup.

Plus two emerging Kangaroos have been struck down at training.

The latest footy news and updates from around the country in AFL Daily!

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RISING HAWKS STAR RECCOMITS

Breakout Hawthorn star Josh Weddle has officially recommitted to the club on a new deal after interest from Essendon.

Weddle has penned a new four-year extension that takes him through to free agency in 2030 in a major coup for the Hawks on the eve of the season.

The 21-year old was due to come out of contract this year and had drawn interest from Essendon with a big-money offer as one of the game’s most exciting talents.

Weddle late last year was reportedly tabled a lucrative seven-year deal by Essendon, with the rival club contract worth around $10 million.

But the versatile 191 cm player, who’s played 60 AFL games to date, has now pledged his future to the Hawks in a key cog of Sam Mitchell’s side locked away.

“We are delighted that Josh has committed his future to Hawthorn, he is an important part of what we are aspiring to achieve, and we are extremely confident that his best is yet to come,” Hawks footy boss Rob McCartney said.

“In the early years of his career, Josh has shown a capacity to produce some special moments that can change a game or lift his teammates back into the contest.

“While his explosive running power has been well documented, the evolution of Josh’s game as a defender to playing on the wing, in the ruck and even up forward, highlights his versatility and selflessness to play any role required to make us better.

“Josh continues to be one of the hardest-working players at our club who pushes his peers and drives the standards required to be at Hawthorn and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Teammate Jarman Impey said he was confident Weddle and other Hawks set to be circled by rivals would recommit to the club, even if it meant taking less money to keep their exciting core together.

“They’re clearly going to get looks at other clubs, because we’re playing OK,” Impey told foxfooty.com.au.

“There’s a reason why they didn’t leave two, three, four, five years ago when we weren’t playing finals or weren’t in the mix.

“We’re very confident we’ll keep these players. If you look at previous history at the Hawks, they probably had to take pay cuts to keep good players around.

“Hopefully we can do something similar and get everyone fit and healthy and out on the track.”

Hawthorn duo Nick Watson and Jack Ginnivan on Tuesday had to contain their excitement following reports Weddle was on the verge of re-signing with the club — though it hadn’t been officially confirmed.

Speaking at the 2026 AFL Auskick launch on Tuesday, Ginnivan was asked about Weddle’s potential re-signing, before being interrupted by Watson.

Ginnivan: “Yeah, well he’s an absolute gun, so obviously a few …”
Watson: “Not sure he’s put pen to paper yet. But I think so!”

Ginnivan: “Yeah, but hopefully he re-signs, if he hasn’t already. But if he does, we saw (on Monday) how good he is. He’s an absolute weapon and he’ll be great to have.”

Weddle missed a crucial chunk of football with a back injury during the back end of the Hawks’ home-and-away season this year, but returned to have notable impact in their two finals victories.

The exciting utility has been a revelation in Hawthorn’s defence across the first few years of his AFL career, but is set to spend more time on the ball in 2026.

“We see it every day at training. He brings the energy and he brings the love within the group,” Watson said.

“All that talk went out about Essendon wanting to get him and stuff like that, but we know he’s a Hawthorn boy.

“He’s fast, powerful, can go through that mid now — can play anywhere, wing, half-back, wherever you want him, forward, he can kick goals.

“So he’s a special player and special talent. Hopefully he stays at the Hawks.”

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ROOS DUO STRUCK DOWN AT TRAINING

Two emerging Kangaroos are under injury clouds on the eve of the 2026 season.

Colby McKercher underwent a minor procedure on a cracked finger on his left hand after hurting it during Friday’s training session.

However North Melbourne expects McKercher will be ready for the club’s Round 1 clash against Port Adelaide.

It’s still an untimely blow after a promising pre-season from the third-year halfback ahead of Friday’s match simulation against Melbourne.

Meanwhile, Taylor Goad went down during Wednesday’s training with a potential knee/leg injury concern.

Goad left the session early in the arms of trainers, with the club currently assessing the young ruckman.

George Wardlaw (hamstring) is also racing the clock to be fit for Round 1 in a tough run of injuries at Arden Street over the pre-season including an ACL setback to Jackson Archer.

AFL’S EXPLORING 2026 WOMEN’S REP FOOTY

Two prominent young AFLW stars want the women’s game to be included in representative football after the successful State of Origin revival on Saturday.

It comes amid reports the AFL is keen to introduce women’s representative football in 2026.

7News Melbourne reporter Xander McGuire on Tuesday night that the league was exploring two avenues: A traditional Origin clash — which would see Victoria play either Western Australia or South Australia — and an Australia-Ireland clash, considering there were just under 40 players on AFLW lists in 2025.

McGuire said the AFL’s preferred slots for any rep games would be in June — during the AFL season byes — or late July/early August.

Collingwood’s Ash Centra and Western Bulldogs’ Jasmyn Smith on Tuesday both side there’s an appetite for marquee matches, even if they are played in the height of their off-season.

“Absolutely, I think it would be pretty cool, to see how many people were at the WA game a couple of days ago now,” said Centra, the 2024 Pick 1.

“Sixty-thousand, it would be cool to see if the women can pull that off.”

Smith, who played five games for the Suns before crossing to the Bulldogs at the end of 2023, would play for Queensland in a traditional state-against-state clash after growing up on the Gold Coast.

But the Bulldogs midfielder is happy to go one step further than a State of Origin, declaring a competition-wide interest in an Australia against Ireland clash.

“I think state v state would be really cool to see, but there’s also been a lot of talk about the Irish versus Australian team,” Smith said.

“There’s that talk at the moment as well.”

The AFLW pre-season doesn’t kick off officially until May, meaning the players have half of the year away from their clubs.

That time off leads Smith to believe there would be an influx of girls putting their hand up to play a game in February, saying it would be a major benefit to their fitness.

“Absolutely, I think we have such a long pre-season it would actually be beneficial to get a few more games under our belt in the off-season period,” Smith said.