Luke Hodge questioned over Tabcorp ties after Kane Cornes exit

Luke Hodge was asked on Tuesday night whether he would follow Kane Cornes and step down from his AFL All-Australian selector role because of his work with Tabcorp. He said he had not received any notice that he needed to leave the panel.

“I haven’t had any notice of that [a requirement to step down] from TAB or any of their employees with any official role,” Hodge said on Channel Seven. He added: “I only just heard of Kane’s [situation] before.”

Channel Seven, Tuesday night

Hodge was appointed to the All-Australian panel in February, alongside Cornes, and the question landed after Cornes stepped down on Tuesday to keep his Sportsbet role. Caroline Wilson put the issue directly to Hodge on air, pressing him on whether he would follow the same path.

Sportsbet changed its rules this week after public anger over AFL umpire Nick Foot’s work with the wagering firm, and Foot was forced to step down from his role offering horse racing analysis. That policy shift has pulled other football identities into the frame, including former AFLW player Kate McCarthy.

Kate McCarthy, AFLW panel

McCarthy is a selector for the AFLW All-Australian team, and she was one of the five judges who awarded the Norm Smith medal to Will Ashcroft last year. Under Sportsbet’s new policy, she cannot be involved in Norm Smith voting again while still working with the wagering company.

The AFL and Sportsbet do not have an issue with McCarthy remaining on the AFLW All-Australian panel because Sportsbet does not offer betting on All-Australian selections in the women’s competition. That leaves Hodge in a different position: his TAB work has now been put under the same scrutiny that pushed Cornes out, but he said he has not been told to move on.