Mark Duffield - Four Thoughts (21.09.2026)

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:26)

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Mark Duffield (0:40)

Unbelievable.

SPEAKER_2 (0:41)

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Mark Duffield (0:56)

And let's get on to Four Thoughts on sport and the preliminary and grand finals to get us rolling this morning. So first thought, congratulations to Peel on the Waffle Premiership. I don't think the one-sided nature of the game was good for WA Footy. And I'm sure the poor crowd, around about 11,000, was not good for WA Footy.

And I'm not sure why Peel Thunder gets to bring in a player of the calibre of Lockie Tardrew into a team on top of their AFL-aligned players. If we are dinkum about creating a balanced waffle competition with AFL players in it, then Peel has to be a team of AFL-aligned players topped up only by products from its own zone. Second thought, what an incredible preliminary final at the MCG on Saturday, one of the best games I've ever seen. And what a graceless performance by Hawthorne and its leaders post-match.

All over an umpiring decision that was so clearly right, the umpire involved would have eliminated himself from grand final reckoning had he not paid the free kick. Now this is the club whose captain and coach arched up over Ken Hinckley jokingly impersonating an airplane to Jack Ginnivan a couple of years ago. And then James Sicily marks himself as one of the great hypocrites of the game by abusing Patrick Vos post-Siren after the qualifying final in Perth. Then Sicily and Tom Barris cop fines for umpire abuse over Saturday's preliminary final. And then in contrast to classy Dean Cox, Hawks coach Sam Mitchell gives a petulant and grumpy press conference and a half-arsed description of the disgraceful and disgusting actions of the club's fans who pelted the field with drink containers after the siren, some of which were directed straight at the umpires as they neared the exit to the ground. Now, if Ken Hinckley got 20 grand for impersonating an aeroplane in 2024, what do you think? What should the AFL be prepared to give Hawthorne as a club for the shocking example they set for their equally shocking fans on Saturday? Third thought, the AFL came out and condemned the Hawthorne fans eventually. It took half a day for us to hear anything official from head office, and frankly, that was way too long. This was the targeting of their umpires over a holding the ball decision against Jarman Impey, as I said earlier, that was not only right, it was obviously right.

The umpire had to pay that decision. We'll talk to the West Australian's Craig O'Donoghue later in the show. He's a former WAFL umpire. We'll get his views about that decision and three other decisions during the game that Hawthorne Four Thought had gone against them.

My view of all those decisions that was correct. The one they didn't get right was when Jack Gunston blatantly pushed Harris-Andres into a marking contest that enabled Mitchell Lewis to take that screamer and kick that goal earlier in the final term. And finally, Fourth Thought on the one match ban hounded to Brisbane midfielder and dual Brownlow medalist Lockie Neal for the gut punch to Jack Ginnivan. The Lions have two chances to get Neal onto the field for the grand final. They either have to get the impact of the blow downgraded from medium to low. If you've seen the footage, you will know that's going to be difficult. Or perhaps they could use the compelling and exceptional circumstances clause in the AFL rules.

Now, I have to say, when you run up behind a player and hit that player who's not looking, in the stomach, without him knowing you're coming, it's going to be very hard to use the compelling and exceptional circumstances clause, whether you've had 320 suspension-free games or not. Give us your thoughts and questions. 487 736 736 is the text line. 1312 55 is the Barra and O'Day open line. Barra and O'Day, because the little things are everything. We went down to the Coburn Act yesterday to be part of Freemantle's Media Day and the lead up to Grand Final. We'll be playing you an interview we did with Caleb Sarong straight after the break. Made in WA for WA, this is Mornings with Mark Duffield on SEMWA.