The Brisbane Lions are still searching for a replacement for Chris Fagan, who left after leading the club to three straight premierships. Cameron Bruce is widely seen as a favourite, but former Collingwood great Nathan Buckley has said he wants to return to coaching. According to the Herald Sun, Buckley will formally present his case for the role next month. The writer suggests the race is mainly between Buckley and Bruce, with Buckley having previously missed out on roles at Tasmania and Melbourne and pulled out of the North Melbourne process.
St Kilda face intense scrutiny ahead of the 2027 AFL season, despite a relatively quiet offseason. Coach Ross Lyon is on the final year of his contract, and the club's future direction is closely tied to the season's outcome. Commentator Sam Edmund rated the Saints 6.5 out of 10 and described the year as massive, noting they have not won a final since 2020. He called the signing of Jake Stringer a sign of desperation.
Collingwood signed Lachie Neale and Jesse Hogan instead of adding young players during the offseason. The moves address two key issues that have hurt the club over the past couple of seasons. Having finished ninth in 2024 and 2026, fourth in 2025 and first in 2023, the club has been inconsistent. Commentators argue the veteran additions make a premiership push credible in 2027, though much depends on Nick Daicos. With an ageing list, the writer suggests the 2027 season could be a one-year premiership window for the club and coach Craig McRae.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Chef Poh Ling Yeow made a playful jab at Julie Goodwin while giving a mock Gold Logie acceptance speech on Sam Pang Tonight. Host Sam Pang set up the bit, asking Poh to pretend she had won the award he received this year. Co-host Kitty Flanagan presented her with Sam's Gold Logie. In the speech, Poh thanked voters and colleagues, then told Goodwin, who beat her in the 2009 inaugural MasterChef Australia season, to suck it. The crowd laughed throughout, and Poh has been nominated for the Gold Logie twice.
Collingwood AFLW captain Ruby Schleicher will leave the club at the end of the season to return to Western Australia. Schleicher made the decision after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in a round 9 loss to St Kilda. The West Coast Eagles have reportedly offered her a four-year contract. Collingwood chief executive Craig Kelly said the club was disappointed but respected her decision. Schleicher, a two-time All-Australian, has played 82 games for the Magpies since joining in 2017.
Former Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan could reportedly join Collingwood in a future football role. SEN's Sam Edmund said he was hearing the claim but was not reporting it as fact. Edmund said Fagan wants a full-time position rather than one or two days a week. The exact role is not known. Edmund acknowledged the claim was speculation. Fagan, who walked away after winning three straight premierships, is reported to be returning to Melbourne to be closer to family.
A new television comedy, The Sonny Disposition, premieres on Stan on October 19. Created by Carlton comedian Simon Taylor and Josh Samuels, the series satirises podcast fame through an ego-driven podcaster whose ambitions damage his relationship. Taylor said the show was made independently, after a friend left the country and gave him temporary access to a furnished office. The full series was filmed in Collingwood in February, with the creators taking on multiple roles. The series is streaming on Stan and will screen on 9Go and 9Now in November.
Collingwood has signed Lachie Neale and Jesse Hogan this offseason, with both over 30, rather than adding youth to its list. Commentators say the club is topping up with experience as it looks ahead to 2027. Neale is a Brownlow medallist and Hogan a former Coleman Medal winner, filling needs in the midfield and forward line. Whether the approach is the right one will only become clear around the middle of next season.
St Kilda may be moving to sign forward Jake Stringer, according to SEN's Sam Edmund. Three days earlier, Saints general manager of footy Lenny Hayes had said there had been no discussions about Stringer, but Edmund says things have moved quickly. Stringer kicked 48 goals for GWS this season, and the Saints are looking for more veteran forward presence and goals. The deal is not yet finalised.
North Melbourne thrashed Essendon by 52 points at Windy Hill, winning 12.13 (85) to 5.3 (33). Essendon led at quarter time, but the reigning premiers kicked eight goals to two in the second half. Ash Riddell was prolific with 32 disposals, and Tahlia Randall kicked three goals. North Melbourne's 9-1 record keeps it on track for the minor premiership. Elsewhere, Sydney beat Collingwood 12.8 (80) to 4.5 (29), and GWS beat Hawthorn 7.13 (55) to 7.12 (54).
Keidean Coleman has been traded from Brisbane to Essendon, and he plans to return a call from Bombers legend Michael Long. Coleman said Long called while he was on planes to and from Melbourne, so they did not speak. Coleman said Essendon coach Mark McVeigh told him Long had been trying to reach him. Coleman has managed just 15 senior games in three injury-hit seasons and said he wants more AFL football. West Coast also landed Jack Viney and Trent Rivers from Melbourne in a late trade.
Carlton defender Lachie Cowan has been suspended for the first two home and away matches of 2027 and fined $5,000 after an AFL investigation. The AFL found him guilty of conduct unbecoming over his use of an illicit substance during the off-season. Cowan must also complete further education on illicit substances and their effects. In a statement, he apologised to his family and the club, calling the incident a wake-up call. The AFL's new illicit drugs policy takes effect in January 2027, with all players to be hair tested on their return to training.
The AFLW's second Pride Round weekend features Round 10 matches, with clubs wearing Pride guernseys for home games. GWS non-binary player Tilly Lucas-Rodd will celebrate their 100th game. Lucas-Rodd says the round is a time to use joy and celebration as resistance against rising discrimination. The Friday night opener sees Melbourne play Richmond at IKON Park, with a full Saturday and Sunday program following.
Hawthorn have been named among the premiership contenders after a strong offseason. The club added midfielder Zach Merrett and Gold Coast Suns key forward Ben King, and lost no player of substance. Commentator Jono Baruch says the Hawks should be favourites for 2027 and that anything short of a Grand Final appearance would be a disappointment. Coach Sam Mitchell has yet to lead the club to a Grand Final, so the coming season is seen as a defining one for the team.
Transport Victoria has confirmed the final design for intersection upgrades along Sunshine Avenue in Taylors Lakes. Construction is expected to begin in 2027. Two roundabouts at Melton Highway and Old Calder Highway will be replaced with signalised intersections, with additional lanes and new signalised pedestrian crossings. New walking and cycling paths and street lighting will also be built. A bus stop on the northern side of Melton Highway will move to the eastern side of Sunshine Avenue.
AU Now app
Your suburb’s news, alerts and Shorts — in one app
Alerts, Shorts and your saved stories — free on Google Play.
Victoria will add 11 AI-powered cameras to its bushfire detection network across the state's east and west. The $3.8 million project is jointly funded by the Victorian Government, Hancock Victorian Plantations and the Green Triangle Fire Alliance. The cameras use artificial intelligence to scan for smoke and fire around the clock, and the expanded network is expected to monitor more than 1.4 million hectares. The new cameras are scheduled to be in place by November 2027. Minister for Emergency Services Paul Edbrooke said early information would help emergency services respond more quickly.
Ken Bodinnar, a 73-year-old former State Emergency Service worker from Paynesville, is fighting to have his workers' compensation claim recognised. His doctors believe his small-cell lung cancer resulted from years of service, including the Black Saturday fires. The insurer rejected the claim, and a medical report later found his exposure to firefighting smoke and diesel fumes was a significant contributing factor. The dispute will go to trial in November. Mr Bodinnar is in intensive care in Geelong and hopes the claim will support his family.
A 62-year-old man from Caroline Springs has been charged after an alleged incident in a change room at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre on Sunday 25 October. Police allege he used a recording device to film several people in a change room cubicle around 11.10am. He faces charges of producing child abuse material and producing intimate images. Brimbank council says it has terminated his membership and banned him from all council leisure centres. He is bailed to appear before Sunshine Magistrates' Court on 23 March 2027.
Authorities have shut 100 shops under newly granted powers aimed at stamping out the trade in illegal tobacco. Since those powers took effect on 9 September, the VIPER Taskforce and Tobacco Licensing Victoria officers have confiscated over four million unlawful cigarettes, roughly 70,000 vaping devices, three tonnes of leaf tobacco and close to $1 million in cash. The drive is directed at criminal networks that profit from the illicit product, including groups run from overseas. Retailers across a string of Melbourne suburbs have been inspected, and the operation is still underway.
A Geelong-region state MP has claimed more than $60,000 in taxpayer-funded allowances for a second Melbourne home since early 2024, despite appearing to miss 70 per cent of parliamentary sitting days. South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman was expelled from the Labor Party in April 2024 after allegations of persistent, inappropriate behaviour towards staff, and has sat as an independent since. The allowance helps regional MPs living more than 80 kilometres from Melbourne. Mr Cheeseman declined to respond to questions from the ABC. Victoria has no public record of MP attendance, and the Greens and former premiers support introducing one.
A medical centre in Melbourne's north-west was extensively damaged by fire in a suspected arson attack early today. Police say offenders smashed a front window of the Shuter Street clinic in Moonee Ponds before using an accelerant and setting it alight just after 2am. About an hour earlier, two cars were set alight outside a Brighton home on Manor Street in what police describe as a suspected targeted attack. Police will investigate whether the two incidents are linked. An arson chemist will attend both scenes today, and anyone with information or dashcam footage is asked to contact CrimeStoppers.
A large former Toyota site at 200-214 Blackshaws Rd, Altona North, has been listed for sale, with a possible $40 million price. The 5.3-hectare property was sold by Toyota in 2020. A Victorian government masterplan has earmarked the site for a future town centre with a supermarket, shops and up to 395 homes. No development plans are yet in place. Expressions of interest close at 3pm on November 11.
Aireys Inlet Primary School will host its annual Aireys Fair on 31 October, running from 9am to 3pm. The fair, which has run for more than a decade, is organised by a committee of parents with help from grandparents, relatives and the wider community. It will be held alongside the Aireys Inlet Market, with rides and activities on the oval overlooking the ocean. A community-run bookstore will also operate, with all profits going back to the school.
A fresh look is planned for the playground at Brookville Gardens in Toorak, with a draft design now open for public comment. The design includes a tunnel slide, a double slide, a rock scaling wall, a tree climber, a spider web climber, netted cube monkey bars and a shop counter for imaginative play. The council also proposes updating the existing play towers, which the community has said it values. Feedback can be shared online until 11.59 pm on Monday 16 November.
