Majak Daw's shock split with partner after rollercoaster year
Former North Melbourne star Majak Daw has reportedly separated from long-term partner Emily McKay.
Daw, who made a stunning return to AFL football in 2020 after sustaining serious injuries in a 2018 fall from Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge, was one of 11 players the Kangaroos opted to delist in a heavy-handed end of season rebuilding project.
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The Herald Sun’s Jackie Epstein reported the pair, who welcomed their first child Hendrix in August last year, had split, each unfollowing the other on social media.
Epstein reported the pair will continue to prioritise their one-year-old son.
The split comes after a tumultuous 2020 campaign for North Melbourne, during which the club won only three games, and just one after the season restarted following the coronavirus-enforced hiatus.
One of the rare bright spots of the season was Daw’s return to the top level.
"I've made some really good mates at this place. I'll miss the locker room banter ... it just didn't work out the way I wanted it to this year, there's been challenges I've gone through," Daw said after he was de-listed in September.
"The last few years obviously haven't been easy for me, and I can't thank this footy club enough for what they've done for me."
Daw became the first Sudanese-born player to debut in the AFL after bursting onto the scene in 2013, almost four years after he was first drafted.
AFL quarters back to normal in 2021 season
The AFL commission announced games will revert to normal quarter lengths next season, but the fixture will still have a 'floating' element to it in 2021.
The COVID-19 pandemic that forced a fixture squeeze this year resulted in the league reducing quarter lengths to 16 minutes plus time.
But quarters will revert to the normal 20 minutes plus time on in 2021.
The move won't appease everyone, with Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield among a host of players who earlier this year expressed their concerns about returning to full quarter lengths next season.
Dangerfield said with the uncertainty of COVID-19 still being felt, 17 minutes plus time on would have been the "sweet spot" for quarter lengths.
Other players voiced their support for 18 minutes plus time on.
Teams will receive six-minute breaks for quarter-time and three-quarter time, while halftime will be 20 minutes.
There will be a break of 50 seconds after each goal.
The AFL will release fixtures for round one through to round six by December 23, with the schedule to comprise of match-ups, timeslots, venues, and broadcasters.
But there will be a floating element to the fixture from that point on.
The AFL aims to release the match-ups and venues for most games between rounds seven to 23, but the date, timeslots, and broadcasting will remain floating.
The AFL will work with clubs, venues, and broadcasters to work out the best schedule.
With AAP
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