Fyfe set for lengthy stint out, Jayden out for medium-term & two Tigers debutants confirmed
There was bad news with Nat Fyfe set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines, while Richmond confirmed two debutants with the extent of Jayden Short’s hamstring injury revealed too.
DEBUTANTS ALERT
Richmond announced that Jacob Bauer (AF $200k SC $123k FWD) and Sam Banks (AF $200k SC $123k D/M) will both debut in Thursday’s game against Sydney.
Bauer went pick 10 in the 2022 Mid-Season Draft and is 192cm key forward. He kicked three goals in the VFL last weekend including an after-the-siren game-winner, plus he had 24 disposals and 12 marks.
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Banks went pick 29 in the 2021 AFL Draft and is a 187cm half-back/wing who seems to have got his chance with Jayden Short out. He had 18 disposals in the VFL and is averaging 19.1 disposals per game in the VFL this year.
McQualter said on AFL360: “these guys have been in really good form in VFL level for quite a long period of time. We’re just rewarding the form they’re in at VFL level.”
On Bauer, he added: “He played a lot of the (VFL) game as a key back and was swung forward for the last quarter of the game and was able to clunk a few and hit the scoreboard… we’re still undecided on it (his AFL role). He’s got the flexibility in his game to be able to play key forward or key back.”
UPDATES
Fremantle revealed bad news for Nat Fyfe (AF $483k SC $313k M/F) after being subbed out of the weekend’s game with a foot injury with the former Brownlow medal winner to miss several weeks.
Dockers High Performance Manager Phil Merriman said: “We have since had some scans done on that foot. Unfortunately, Nat has sustained a stress fracture. It’s the same foot he has been dealing with all year.
“We have now put him in a boot, so he is going into a period of de-load. We are going to see how his foot is after this period of de-load and we are hopeful that we will see him again this season.”
Richmond confirmed that Jayden Short (AF $791k SC $515 MID) will have a spell on the sidelines. The club said: “Short will be unavailable for the medium-term with a hamstring strain.”
Tigers interim coach Andrew McQualter revealed on AFL360 that Dustin Martin is “good to go” after missing last week with illness.
Port revealed ruckman Scott Lycett will miss 1-2 weeks with a small cartilage tear in his knee, while the Western Bulldogs said Ed Richards faces a fitness test to play this week after a hamstring injury which may impact their set-up.
