AFL 2024 round nine LIVE updates: Hawthorn Hawks, St Kilda Saints face off in Tasmania

Neither side has made a late change for our first game today with Luke Breust (Hawks) and Ben Paton (Saints) the subs.

Hawthorn and St Kilda will play for the Blue Ribbon Cup today and it’s the 25th anniversary of the match which honours Victorian police officers who die in the line of duty.

More information from Hawthorn below:

25th Anniversary of Blue Ribbon Cup

One of the AFL’s longest standing traditions, the Blue Ribbon Cup honours the courage and sacrifice of all Victorian police officers and those who have fallen in the line of duty. The match was first established in 1999 as a tribute to Victoria police members, Sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller who were killed in the line of duty in Moorabbin on 16 August 1998. All players, coaches and on-field staff from both the Hawks and the Saints will wear blue and white checked armbands as a show of respect. A cup presentation will be awarded to the winning team post-game, with the best player from each team, as voted by the opposing club’s president, to also be awarded Silk-Miller Memorial Medals. The Blue Ribbon Foundation was incorporated in 1998 to preserve the memory of Victoria Police members killed in the line of duty through the support of worthwhile community projects and programs. To donate and for more information, visit remember.org.au.

Connor Macdonald’s 50th milestone game

Hawthorn young gun Connor Macdonald will play his 50th career game this weekend. It comes after Macdonald extended his time with the club for a further year, locking him in until 2026, earlier this week. After making his debut in the first round of the 2022 season, Macdonald has since become a key member of a young and developing Hawthorn side, playing an impressive 49 out of a possible 53 games.

G’day everyone and welcome to our AFL live blog for the Saturday games in round nine.

It’s Roy Ward here and I’ll be running through all today’s matches with you from now until after tonight’s games.

Hawthorn and St Kilda are our first game at 1.45pm.

Please enjoy the hours to come.