Mark Duffield - Four Thoughts (05.10.2026)

Mark Duffield (0:00)

And let's move on to Four Thoughts on Sport to get us rolling this morning. So Thought One is on the unicorn. Luke Jackson has been crowned as the 2026 Doig Medalist, an honor completely deserved. You rarely see a ruck able to influence games in the way that Jackson does. And Foody is very lucky to have as many as three such players in the competition at the moment. Jackson, Max Gorn, and Brody Grundy. Jackson was mighty in the home and away season, and mighty in the finals for Freemantle. You feel that as long as he stays sound, Freemantle are a live chance at going four minutes better than they did in the 2026 decider against Brisbane. Thought 2 is on the needless drive-by by outgoing Brisbane coach Chris Fagan on Freemantle's All-Australian defender Jordan Clark. Fagan apologized, and he needed to. Clark is a two-time All-Australian now.

Whatever you make of his selection this year, perhaps aided by the AFL decision to make Nick Blakey ineligible after events at the Pullman Hotel, Clark was a more-than-worthy All-Australian in the 2025 season. Finals are one in September. All-Australians are one in the home-and-away season. Let's not forget that Brisbane spluttered all the way through the home-and-away season. Darcy Wilmot was included in those spluttering players. Sport 3 is on cricket. The Aussie selectors decision to resuscitate Nick Maddinson as a squad member for the Tour of South Africa.

The hierarchies say they respect Sheffield Shield Cricket as a breeding ground for test match talent, but it must be said that actions speak louder than words, and the actions here reek of a complete disregard for domestic class, first class cricket in Australia. Hopefully, if someone is needed for test duty, Sam Harper, who had his best first class season and good form for Australia A, will be the player drafted into the test team for what is going to be a very difficult test series against the South Africans. And finally, Fourth Thought, the NRL Grand Final. What a game. The fairy tale Newcastle Knights out to a 12-0 lead early and defending heroically despite being pinned in their defensive half before the Roosters came over the top of them with a powerful second half to claim a 19-18 win.

Of course, the passion for NRL is warming up in Perth with the looming rebirth of the Bears as a Perth-based team in 2027

Australia's two major footy codes certainly had epic deciders. Your thoughts and questions. 487 736 736 is the text line. 1312 55 is the Barra and Doday open line. Barra and Doday because the little things are everything. After the break, we'll be talking trades with Fox Footies Will Faulkner made in WA for WA. This is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SENWA.