‘Can’t believe it’: Bomber signs contract extension; Cats unveil bold new jumper — AFL Daily

A new deal for a Bombers feel good story, while Geelong has unveiled a bold new look.

Plus Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell has commented on his close mate’s links to a rival job. MORE IN AFL DAILY.

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BOMBER PENS MULTI-YEAR EXTENSION

Essendon ruckman Lachie Blakiston has penned a new two-year extension in a big showing of faith from the club in the 2025 mature-aged mid-season draftee.

The Bombers on Thursday confirmed Blakiston’s new deal, which ties the 203cm player to Tullamarine until at least the end of 2028.

The 27-year old is set to be Essendon’s number one ruckman in 2025, at least until Nick Bryan returns from an ACL injury, after impressing in the off-season.

Blakiston joined the Bombers with Pick 13 last year’s mid-season draft out of the WAFL. He went on to play 11 senior games for Brad Scott’s injury-depleted side primarily as a key defender.

“I’m absolutely wrapped to get the opportunity to continue to stay at the club,” Blakiston said.

“I’ve loved my time here so to get this contract extension is so exciting and it really is a dream come true.

“I still can’t believe it. This time last year I couldn’t imagine now being here at Essendon, so I’m just super grateful to have the opportunity to continue to represent the club.”

CATS UNVEIL BOLD NEW JUMPER

Geelong has unveiled an all-white jumper to be worn in a one-off game in 2026.

And the bold new look has drawn a mixed reaction from footy fans.

The Cats will don the all-white jumper in a Friday night clash with Gold Coast at GMHBA Stadium in Round 14.

It comes after Geelong last year decked out the venue with 40,000 white t-shirts in Patrick Dangerfield 350th game against Brisbane in a nod to US Sport arenas.

The result? A 41-point loss to the eventual premiers — their biggest defeat of 2025 bar the grand final.

Here’s hoping they fare better when the Cattery gets whited out again against the fellow Queensland side.

HAWKS HERO IN RACE FOR CROWS GIG

Former champion Hawthorn forward Jarryd Roughead has reportedly “emerged as a strong candidate” for the Adelaide Crows’ vacant list manager position.

That’s according to Code Sports’ Glenn McFarlane, who reports Roughead - a player acquisition manager at the Hawks - has been going through the interview process.

“‘Roughy’ and I, we work together, of course, but we’re also good mates, so there’s a part of me that’s like, ‘Rough’, you’re talking to Adelaide, c’mon man’,” Mitchell told reporters on Thursday in response to the reports.

“But there’s a part of me that … I know his career aspirations, and he wants to work his way up the ladder, and he’s done a great job for us and continues to do that.

“I think, at Hawthorn, we want our people to do the best they can … and if we do that well, and we create an environment where our people are thriving, then it’s inevitable that other clubs are going to come knocking on the door.

“As his friend, I hope he goes really well and they appoint him, and he can have fantastic growth … but as Hawthorn coach, I’m like ‘please give it to someone else’.”

Adelaide has had a vacancy since Justin Reid departed for the AFL, where he’s now the AFL head of performance and list management.

Roughead joined Hawthorn’s recruiting ranks in 2024, playing a part in the club’s acquisition of ex-St Kilda star backman Josh Battle.

Four-time premiership player Roughead was also a two-time All-Australian and the Coleman medallist in 2013.

‘IT’S LAUGHABLE’: SAINTS BOSS HITS OUT AT CRITICS

Outspoken Saints president Andrew Bassat has fiercely defended his club’s shopping spree last October that saw it acquire Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Sam Flanders and Liam Ryan.

It also forked out $4 million over two years to retain Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera — all up, one of the most lucrative list hauls in recent memory.

St Kilda has made two finals appearances in the past 14 seasons, and coming off a nine-win campaign last year, the Moorabbin-based club wasn’t shy in its desperate hunt for high-end talent.

“We want to win, and if there was a low-risk strategy to winning, of course we would have adopted it, but there’s not,” Bassat told SEN’s Whateley program on Wednesday.

“When we did the review at the end of 2022, we said we needed four years of drafting, and then we needed to go relatively hard on free agency and trade to fill any gaps and start using our salary cap — and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”

Asked if St Kilda had “skewed” the market with its aggressive list strategy, Bassat said: “I mean, what’s skewed the market is the crazy draft concessions, the fact that that no longer exists.

“Free agency has skewed the market. The fact that you can get players without paying for them, etcetera. A bunch of things have skewed the market; we’ve just responded to it in the only way we could.”

Whateley also probed Bassat on those that have criticised the Saints’ big-money approach.

“It’s laughable,” he said.

“So, I think no (we’re not sensitive to it), not so much. So, I do respond. I can’t help myself. Somebody has a slap at you, you’ve got to slap back, maybe twice.

“But the truth is, we’re getting under their skin because we’re getting somewhere as a football club.

“I think everyone liked us, no one criticised us when we were down the bottom of the ladder and we weren’t saying anything and just taking our hits quietly.”

On his stance, Bassat added that he was “completely unrepentant”.

“Laughing, mostly,” he said. “Because most of the criticism, to be frank, is simply nonsense.”

The Saints start their season on Sunday night against Collingwood in front of what’s expected to be a record Saints-Pies home-and-away crowd.

COACHES’ TAKES ON CURNOW BIFF

Charlie Curnow takes centre stage at the SCG on Thursday night as Sydney and Carlton open the season, and whether or not the Blues physically target Curnow is set to be a big watch.

The spearhead forward opted out of Carlton’s cause last year while under contract, desperately seeking - and granted - a last-minute trade to the Swans.

And despite Blues coach Michael Voss’ commentary around the need to not let the narrative distract his playing group in the season opener, spotfires are almost certain to erupt, with Will Hayward and Ollie Florent also coming up against their old side.

Former West Coast coach Adam Simpson, who’s working at Carlton this season in a part-time mentorship role, offered his thoughts on if the Blues players should target Curnow.

“It’s probably a bit old-school to say ‘we’re going to put the bullseye’,” he said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Wednesday night.

“We’ve all had games, back in the day, when there’s a bullseye on someone, and they’re the target player … I’d let it go.

“Obviously, there are some things that have happened that I’ve got no idea about, but from a playing point of view, this is a locker room thing.

“I don’t really think it’s from a club point of view, and from a planning point of view, it’s ‘How do we stop him kicking five?’

“But from an on-field relationship point of view, it’s over to the players, but you just wouldn’t want to cross any lines to the point where you’re taking the focus off the game.”

Retired Sydney premiership coach John Longmire agreed with Simpson’s sentiment.

“I think you’ve got to know the sort of person that Charlie is,” Longmire said.

“I tend to agree with ‘Simmo’, I wouldn’t be going near it too much, and just letting things unfold naturally without necessarily building it up.

“The build-up is big enough as it is; you probably don’t need any extra.”

It comes after former Carlton captain Marc Murphy tipped “bad blood” to boil over on Thursday night.

“I think it’s a big grudge match with a couple of Sydney players coming to play for Carlton and Charlie Curnow, who just wanted to opt out,” Murphy told ABC Melbourne’s ‘AFL Monday’.

“That is fair enough, that’s his right, he played 10 years for the footy club. But there will be a bit of bad blood in the first five or six minutes.

“I reckon there will be a few little spotfires here or there.”

DEVILS GUERNSEYS UNVEILED

The Tasmania Devils have unveiled their inaugural home and clash guernseys as they prepare to enter the VFL and VFLW this year.

On Wednesday, the Apple Isle club released green and white strips, with both emboldened by the Devils head.

“The launch of our first playing jumper is another big moment for our club,” Devils CEO Brendon Gale said.

“We are looking forward to our men and women running out in this new kit that is a great blend of our past and our future.

“We are thankful for the fan feedback in designing the strip, there is a lot of thought in the elements which we know are meaningful for our athletes and hopefully our fans to.

“Over the course of our journey we will have many jumpers that will take the field, alongside our Foundation Jumper it is great to launch this one today and we look forward to it debuting next month.”

The green strip will make its first official appearance when the Devils host Coburg in the clubs’ VFL season opener on March 21 at North Hobart Oval.

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