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Richmond’s Sydney Stack signs new deal after tough 2020 battle with COVID restrictions

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Catherine HealeyThe West Australian
Sydney Stack will stay at the Tigers on a new one-year deal.
Camera IconSydney Stack will stay at the Tigers on a new one-year deal. Credit: Matt Roberts/AFL Photos

West Aussie Sydney Stack has put a tumultuous 12 months behind him to sign a new deal to stay at the Tigers until the end of 2022.

Stack endured a tough 2020, spending Christmas behind bars in WA for breaching the State’s tough COVID laws.

He had returned to WA after getting booted out of Richmond’s Queensland hub when he and teammate Callum Coleman-Jones breached strict protocols and caught an Uber to a strip club, before getting into a fight outside a kebab shop.

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But Stack remained committed to returning to the Tigers and AFL, and after six months on the sidelines, made his return to senior football in July.

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Sydney Stack has turned his career around.
Camera IconSydney Stack has turned his career around. Credit: Russell Freeman/AFL Photos

He played in Richmond’s last seven games of the season, averaging almost 17 disposals a game.

Stack wasn’t the only Tiger to sign a new deal this week, with 22-year-old Ben Miller also putting pen to paper to the end of 2022.

“Both Sydney and Ben were able to work their way into the AFL line-up late this season, which should hold them in good stead for 2022,” Tigers general manager Blair Hartley said.

“We are excited about what they can achieve next year with another pre-season under their belts and look forward to working with them this summer.”

The Northam-raised Stack has played 33 games for Richmond since securing a deal in the pre-season supplemental signing period in 2019.

ROOS CUT FOUR IN LATEST CULL

Durable North Melbourne defender Shaun Atley is one of four players delisted by the club today.

Shaun Atley has been delisted.
Camera IconShaun Atley has been delisted. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

Atley, Trent Dumont, Tom Campbell and Charlie Ham were all informed they would not get a new deal for next season.

Atley has played 234 games for the club — missing just 11 matches in the past 11 seasons.

“You couldn’t get a more committed and popular club man than Shaun,” Kangaroos general manager Brady Rawlings said.

“He would always put team success above his own ambitions, even though he’s been a great player for us in his own right.

“Although he played his best footy as a defender, we’ve used Shaun all over the park across his career.”

Dumont played 113 games for the club while Campbell featured in 54 matches.

Ham, a mid-season recruit, did not feature at senior level for the club.

The quartet join Taylor Garner, Dom Tyson, Will Walker and Connor Menadue in departing the club, as well as Robbie Tarrant (traded).

DEE’S NEW DEAL, DUO DELISTED

All 23 members of Melbourne’s premiership-winning side is now locked in for 2022.

Michael Hibberd was the last of the team to ink a new deal, signing a one-year contract extension.

“We are rapt that Michael will be going around again next year,” Demons list manager Tim Lamb said.

“After missing a large portion of the last pre-season with injury, Michael fought his way back into the AFL side and played a critical role in our premiership success.

Michael Hibberd’s new deal means all 23 of the premiership-winning team is contracted for 2022.
Camera IconMichael Hibberd’s new deal means all 23 of the premiership-winning team is contracted for 2022. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos

“We are confident that with a full pre-season under his belt, he will have a really strong 2022 season.”

But the news wasn’t as great for duo Marty Hore and Kye Declase, who were advised they weren’t going to be offered new deals.

Hoare missed all of the 2021 campaign after rupturing his ACL in January.

Declase didn’t play a senior match after arriving at the club in the 2021 Mid-Season draft.

“We thank both Marty and Kye for their dedication and commitment to the club,” Lamb said.

“This is always a difficult time for everyone involved and we would like to wish both players all the best for their future endeavours.”

CROW’S SURGERY DONE AND DUSTED

Adelaide’s Matt Crouch has opted for his second surgery in the space of just five months in a bid to end the groin issue that kept him sidelined for the entire 2021 season.

Crouch first went under the knife in May to try and fix his groin soreness, and managed to return to the SANFL in July.

But a flare-up of the issue meant he was put back on a modified training program; unable to play a senior game for the Crows this season.

A decision was made to head interstate in a bid to solve Crouch’s groin woes.

“After seeking further medical advice the decision was made for the onballer to have more surgery interstate on Monday,” the club said in a statement.

Crouch signed a two-year contract extension last month, keeping him in Adelaide until the end of 2023.

LIONS DELIST FOUR, BUT CAM GETS SECOND CHANCE

The Brisbane Lions have today made four list changes, with Tom Joyce, Brock Smith, rookie Connor Ballenden and Cam Ellis-Yolmen all delisted.

But the club has promised to add Ellis-Yolmen back to its rookie list ahead of the 2022 season.

He has managed just nine games in his two seasons at Brisbane after arriving from Adelaide at the end of 2019.

Cam Ellis-Yolmen will get a rookie lifeline from the Lions.
Camera IconCam Ellis-Yolmen will get a rookie lifeline from the Lions. Credit: Bradley Kanaris/AFL Photos

“It is the toughest part of the job telling young men who have contributed to the Club that there won’t be a spot for them next year,” Lions footy boss Danny Daly said.

“All of these guys are talented players and popular teammates, and we are very sad to see them go.

“It is also unfortunate that with two years of disrupted seasons in the second-tier competitions, they didn’t get the same opportunities they would have enjoyed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.’’

Joyce and Smith failed to play a game for the Lions while Ballenden made just three appearances.

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