GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 19: Sam Flanders during a Gold Coast Suns Training Session at Heritage Bank Stadium on February 19, 2024 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images via AFL Photos)
Wednesday’s early mail has dropped with updates on Joe Richards, Jarrod Witts, Sam Flanders, Luke Jackson and many many more.
UPDATES
Joe Richards is likely to step into Collingwood’s 22 according to coach Craig McRae, following an injury to Beau McCreery that will sideline him for 6 weeks, having been sub last round.
McRae said: “That’s probably the most obvious. We brought him back through sub because he’d been out for a while. His intensity in the game was obvious for everyone to see. I think he’d be the obvious inclusion.”
The Pies coach also noted Josh Daicos was facing a race to prove his fitness following a corked calf. He said: “Unknown at the moment. He’s still a race against the clock.
“He still looks a little proppy for my eyes but I’m getting told that we’ll give him every opportunity. So we’ll give him every chance to get to the line. Time will tell. It’s just a bit more movement, potentially a bit more treatment (that would allow Daicos to play).”
Brayden Maynard looks set to line up despite a corked quad having done “more than enough” at training.
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick indicated Jarrod Witts’ fractured vertebrae may see him miss more than one week, calling it “short term”.
He said: “It’s short term. We’re going to miss him in the short term, what that looks like for the next couple of weeks, we’ll make our way through it.
“While it’s a significant loss losing your captain, it’s also great to give an opportunity to a young, emerging player (Ned Moyle) that we think is willing and able to take that role.”
Hardwick also said Sam Flanders would likely play midfield again. When asked if he’d play in the middle, he replied: “He’ll be thereabouts. He had an incredible game last week. We know what we’ve got with this player. He’s so valuable, he’s one of those you can push on every line. He’s only scratching the surface on what he can possibly be.”
The Suns coach added that the emergence of Joel Jeffrey and availability of Wil Powell had enabled Flanders’ switch. He also noted Lachie Weller was targeting an AFL return in Round 19 following a long-term injury.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said Nat Fyfe won’t get a midfield tagging role each week, having played on Isaac Heeney with good effect last round.
The Dockers coach said: “Horses for courses. We’ve had Youngy do those roles as well. We’ll find out best match-ups. It’s not always going to be a tagging role for Fyfey.”
Longmuir also said Brennan Cox was a “fair chance” to return from injury, while he said Michael Walters was in the mix after his own lay-off.
He also defended the form of Luke Jackson, playing up forward. He said: “Luke brings a lot more forward than goals and marks. What he does for JT and Jye and our structure up there, they kick goals as a group. We defend together, we score together. Luke plays a big part in that. Probably didn’t finish his work the way we’d have liked.”
Port coach Ken Hinkley said Todd Marshall “should be OK” after being subbed with hamstring tightness while he was non-committal on Willie Rioli returning from injury via the AFL or SANFL.
Essendon coach Brad Scott said midfielder Dylan Shiel was “right in calculations this week” after his “best performance of the year” in the VFL.
St Kilda announced key forward Max King will miss the rest of the season with a PCL injury, opening the door for someone else.
