Stay up to date throughout Round 13 with our rolling injury report from the coaches post-game. With the eight-game round extending from Thursday night through until Monday, these snippets of info will be key.
Western Bulldogs vs Hawthorn
The Hawks subbed out James Worpel in the fourth term due to a corkie sustained early in the contest but coach Sam Mitchell was bullish he wasn’t in any doubt for next week.
Mitchell said: “It was one of those things you wouldn’t have seen unless you knew what happened. In the first four or five minutes of the game he got a corkie. He tried so hard… but after half-time he couldn’t get warmed up, he couldn’t get going. He battled away all night and did a great job for us. It got the better of him halfway through the fourth.”
The Hawks coach praised Sam Butler who returned as a midfielder after more than a year out following a horrific broken leg. He said: “I thought he was really good tonight. That was at the top range of what we thought he might be capable of; he has a great engine; great work rate; great tackler; he has played three games as a midfielder in five years, so to get that performance out of him was better than we thought. I was absolutely rapt for him and it’s a story that we should celebrate.”
Adam Treloar copped a cork early on in his return from injury but played on. Dogs coach Luke Beveridge was asked about Sam Darcy who could return next game and said: “At the moment it seems like Sam might be available but I don’t want to commit to that. Theres still some water to go under the bridge.”
Adelaide vs Brisbane Lions
Adelaide midfielder James Peatling was offered a one-game ban by the AFL MRO for a dangerous tackle on Lachie Neale. Neale wasn’t concussed and played on without issue.
Brisbane subbed out debutant Ty Gallop, who had undergone a head injury assessment.
Richmond vs Sydney
Richmond subbed out Rhyan Mansell after he copped a corkie in the second quarter. Tigers rookie Campbell Gray suffered an injury playing in the VFL along with Judson Clarke, with updates to come this week.
Sydney coach Dean Cox spoke about Errol Gulden and Tom Papley’s chances of returning after the bye. He said: “They’ve got a little bit to do. But they’re ticking along to progress and hopefully within the first week or two they can present post-bye. They’ll train through the bye so everything will be decided around the metrics they need to hit. They’ve ticked off everything so far which is good.”
Cox also praised youngster Angus Sheldrick. He said: “I think he’s been really good for a young kid with limited opportunity. To be able to come in, he knows area he wants to work on. It’s now about giving him an opportunity to do that. He’s been able to win the ball, change his ball and structure. We love his ability to win his own footy. He’ll only improve with that the more he plays.”
Geelong vs Gold Coast
Bailey Smith was a late withdrawal for Geelong with a hamstring injury. Cats coach Chris Scott said: “We’re very, very confident that he’ll be fine next week. He had some lingering tightness post-game (against West Coast last Sunday).
“He got a cork late and had some hamstring tightness, awareness. We thought it was going to be OK. He had a fitness test a few hours before the game and didn’t feel confident. In that situation, our tolerance for that situation with any player … is generally low.”
Jeremy Cameron copped an elbow to his throat early but played on. Shannon Neale was subbed out with an ankle injury. Scott said: “They were worried about his ankle but it’s one of there’s where he may get a scan and be pretty good. There was enough doubt so they didn’t want him to play through. I don’t have the detail yet.”
Tom Stewart may attract MRO scrutiny for a bump on Gold Coast’s Noah Anderson. Stewart has since been cleared. Both coaches defended Stewart’s bump, with Suns coach Damien Hardwick clarifying Anderson wasn’t concussed.
Hardwick said: “He’s gone for scans on his chest, just precautionary. We think he’s OK. Our doctor cleared him, that wasn’t an issue. I think the ARC sent him off to have a test, but the doctor cleared him of that. It’s just his chest.”
He added: “I want to make very clear it was his chest, it wasn’t head or anything like that, no concussion.”
GWS Giants vs Port Adelaide
GWS lost skipper Toby Greene after a knee to the backside in a marking contest. GWS coach Adam Kingsley explained: “He got a cork on the side of his hip. He just couldn’t run. He gutsed it out for another 20 minutes. We pushed him deep. The reality was we needed to get Brent Daniels into the game and take Toby out.”
On whether he’ll be available next week, Kingsley said: “I’ve no idea. He’ll get it treated and see how he trains throughout the week.”
Lachie Whitfield appeared to cop a corked thigh but played on. Port’s Kane Farrell might attract MRO scrutiny for a bump on Leek Aleer.
North Melbourne vs West Coast
Eagles midfielder Elijah Hewett battled a foot concern but coach Andrew McQualter downplayed that. He said: “He’s all good. He did cop a knock early on. He was a tad restricted but never at a point where he wasn’t able to continue. He like a few other players looked a bit tired in the last quarter.”
North lost key defender Charlie Comben due to a shoulder injury, which coach Alastair Clarkson indicated will likely sideline him once scans revealed the extent of the injury.
Carlton vs Essendon
Essendon midfielder Sam Durham was offered a two-game ban from the AFL’s MRO for a dangerous bump on Adam Cerra, who was cleared of concussion.
On Cerra, Carlton coach Michael Voss said: “He seems fine in the rooms. Like all these, this is one part of ongoing checks for the player. We took a very, very cautious approach. We’ve still got to follow the protocols and we’ll go through those when we need to.”
Essendon coach Brad Scott was thrilled with Darcy Parish’s return from injury with 31 disposals. He said: “Darcy has worked really hard. He’s been really unlucky with injury. He’s such a dynamic player. He showed tonight after a long layoff just what a quality player he is. Very happy to have him back in the side.”
Zach Merrett was tagged by Alex Cincotta in his half-back role. Scott said: “We’ve been trying to spread the load even more and get Zach to play different roles for what the team needs. Like all great captains, he’s accepted the challenge, whether that be forward, midfield or back.”
Carlton’s Harry McKay was withdrawn on Saturday due to knee soreness. Essendon’s Mason Redman was also a late out due to a minor calf issue.
Melbourne vs Collingwood
Neither side picked up any new injuries.
