Jack Steele will not be managed despite not being at his absolute best according to Ross Lyon, while there were updates on Oisin Mullin, Callum Mills, Angus Sheldrick, Darcy Parish and Marcus Windhager.
THURSDAY TEAMS
Ins: Stanley, Petty
Outs: Bowes, Dangerfield (ill), Tomlinson, Spargo
Key holds: Bruhn, Van Rooyen, McVee
Possible subs/emergencies: Mullin, Bowes, Woewodin
Absent: Oliver
Clayton Oliver (AF $990k SC $658k MID) will miss a fourth game after being hospitalised with an infected foot, while Oisin Mullin hasn’t made Geelong’s 22.
Dees GM AFL Football Performance Alan Richardson said: “Unfortunately, Clayton will miss tomorrow’s night match as he continues to rehab his hamstring. Clayton was close to being available for selection, but we have decided to instead take a conservative approach. It’s very likely he will be fit and ready to go for our match next week.”
UPDATES
Geelong coach Chris Scott revealed Oisin Mullin (AF $244k SC $102k DEF) was still a week away from returning despite a positive injury update earlier in the week on his adductor problem.
Scott said: “Oisin’s situation is more around us thinking the type of player we want him to be over the next 12-14 years. Any short-term priority gets pushed aside to ensure we’ve prepared him as best we can for the long term. That doesn’t mean he won’t play AFL footy for us in the near future. I suspect he will. We just want to err a little bit on the side of caution. If it means a little bit of VFL exposure for him, that’s more a nod to his long-term preparation as opposed to where he sits in the pecking order of the team.”
On a potential debut for Mid-Season Draft selection Mitch Hardie (AF $200k SC $102k MID) – who is a 25-year-old product out of the SANFL – after a strong VFL game, Scott said: “We’d like to see a little bit more from him. We drafted him on the basis that he had the capacity to come in and play AFL footy this year. It won’t be this week but he’s got the opportunity to play his way into our team this year.”
Scott added that Rhys Stanley will return to lead their ruck, while Patrick Dangerfield will miss despite the captain pushing to play after suffering a cracked rib and partially collapsed lung last week, suggesting he’ll be available in Round 16.
“I fully expected him to declare himself fit, which he did, and he was just overruled on that one,” Scott said. “Not by as wide a margin as I expected. He thinks he could play. As is often the case with those guys, you’ve got to save them from themselves. (The medicos) say if the game was Sunday, Monday then he’d probably be OK to play, so that’s a good sign for the following week.”
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon revealed they have no plans to manage Jack Steele (AF $794k SC $468k MID) despite his dip in form, despite conceding he is battling some niggles, albeit reiterating that’s not a knee problem.
Lyon said: “He’s been sore. He broke his collarbone. Over pre-season he had a bit of an Achilles. He had an ankle, then a bit of an Achilles, just getting going and then he broke his collarbone, then he got going again and had a grade 2 medial. We’ve discussed, ‘do we manage him and get him feeling really well?’ But he’s so important to us. I think he just got door-stopped and went ‘my knee’, which is fine, that really surprised me.
“I don’t think he’s at his absolute best… There’s not a player in the competition who doesn’t need continuity. To expect him to be All-Australian Jack Steele off the back of that is not realistic. It’s just being the best he can be.”
On the doorstop interview which sparked reports of Steele’s knee injury and scans, Lyon added: “I didn’t know (Channel 9 reporter and son of Eddie McGuire) Xander had door-stopped Steele and Steele just blurted something out. Steele was just protecting a little bit. He’s had the knee, but he hasn’t got a knee issue. I think it was just a check. He certainly hasn’t got a knee, but he’s been managing an Achilles a little bit. He had that grade 2 medial so it was just a little check-up.”
Lyon also revealed he had no plans to tag Lachie Neale with Marcus Windhager. He said: “We won’t tag him. He’s a great player, he’s pretty special. He’s part of their band now, he came in as the lead singer. They share the load really well.”
Lyon added forward Tim Membrey will miss 6-8 weeks due to ongoing knee management, which likely helps Anthony Caminiti and Mattaes Phillipou’s job security.
Sydney coach John Longmire discussed the chances of Callum Mills (AF $739k SC $471k MID) returning this round after missing numerous weeks with a calf injury. He said: “There’s Logan McDonald and Callum Mills, another couple of players that we’re waiting on getting through training. Hopefully they all pull up well. Then it’s a matter of making sure we look into their individual programs, what they’ve done and how we fit them into the team, getting that balance right.”
Longmire offered praise for youngster Angus Sheldrick (AF $275k SC $190k M/F) too. He said: “He’s a real competitor. He loves competing. That’s his one wood. He’s still learning the different styles of playing AFL footy and what’s required. When he’s out on the ground, he goes very hard which is a good starting point. It’s very early in his career and we’ve got a young midfield group so to see him coming through has been pleasing.”
The Swans coach said he expected Isaac Heeney to be available to play after concussion pending getting through Thursday’s main session, while Tom McCartin was a chance too. He said they’d see how Lance Franklin how up from Thursday’s main session before confirming his availability after missing last week with knee soreness, which may impact Jack Buller’s job security.
Essendon coach Brad Scott confirmed Darcy Parish (AF $914k SC $567k MID) was close to returning from a calf injury. He said: “Yeah, he should be. That’s been a loose plan all along. He’s done a power of work. It’s been a pretty conservative rehab. He’s trained really well through the bye week and he’ll train again today. We expect to select him tomorrow.”
Scott was “not as positive” on Sam Draper, who has been battling a niggle and was subbed out in their last game, while he said Dylan Shiel was doing “better” but no guarantee to return if not fully fit with Ben Hobbs and Jye Caldwell impressing in his role.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir offered an update on ruckman Sean Darcy (AF $789k SC $567k RUC) returning from a hamstring injury. Longmuir told 7NewsPerth: “(Darcy’s) got to get through training. That’s the final box he needs to tick, but we’ve got our fingers crossed that he’ll do that and be ready to play.”
He also indicated James Aish and Michael Frederick were looking positive to be available, which may impact the selection of the likes of Matthew Johnson and Sam Sturt.
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