Pies lose Didak for Swans clash

Updated September 20, 2012 20:03:40

Collingwood has lost Alan Didak but remains confident about Chris Dawes ahead of Friday night's preliminary final against Sydney.

The Magpies made one change for the Olympic stadium encounter, leaving out Didak because of his calf muscle injury and recalling Ben Sinclair.

Didak's non-selection became apparent earlier on Thursday when he did not travel with the team to Melbourne airport after the Sorrento funeral for John McCarthy.

Didak and Dawes were injured in the Saturday night semi-final win over West Coast, leaving them only six days to recover.

Dawes strained the medial ligament in his right knee.

He was limping noticeably at a team recovery session on Tuesday, but was moving much better the next day at training.

"Any preparation between one game and the next is all about whatever that individual needs to get himself up - we're giving Dawesy every chance," Magpies coach Nathan Buckley told Melbourne radio.

"Part of what you saw on Tuesday, the limp as much as anything, was trying not to extend it to give it the best recovery.

"He possibly could have been on crutches to optimise that recovery or possibly not at the session with his leg up, but we thought some mobility was going to be his best form of recovery."

Swans defender Heath Grundy will return from a one-match suspension and come in for forward Ben McGlynn, who is desperately trying to recover from a hamstring injury should the Swans make the grand final.

Adelaide recalled defender Andy Otten for only his fifth match of the season ahead of Saturday's twilight preliminary final against Hawthorn at the MCG.

He is back in place of young defender Sam Shaw, who suffered a hamstring injury early in the semi-final win last Friday night against Fremantle.

A knee injury has sidelined Otten since round 17.

"While Andy hasn't had the season he would've hoped for because of injury and inconsistency at times, he's still a great player and he can easily come in and play a really important role for us," coach Brenton Sanderson told the Crows website.

"He can play both tall and small, which suits us against Hawthorn.

"He was really good in the game against West Coast when he hurt his knee."

Crows forward Jared Petrenko injured his shoulder in the last minute of the Dockers match, but he was named and will aim to prove his availability at a Friday training session.

Hawks midfielder Jordan Lewis and utility Clinton Young are back from injury to face the Crows.

The pair missed the bruising qualifying final win over the Magpies, where forward Brendan Whitecross snapped his anterior cruciate ligament and later needed a knee reconstruction.

Along with Whitecross' absence, the Hawks dropped Tom Murphy.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, collingwood-3066, sydney-2000

First posted September 20, 2012 18:48:02

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Swans clash a finals rehearsal: Clarkson

Updated August 24, 2012 17:52:37

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson predicts Saturday's battle with Sydney for AFL top spot will be a precursor of a more important fight to come.

With stars Lance Franklin, Josh Gibson and Sam Mitchell back from injury the Hawks are at almost full strength and won't be holding anything back for the SCG clash.

Hawthorn, already clear premiership favourites, will replace the Swans on top if they win.

A Sydney victory will all but guarantee the Swans the minor premiership and potentially cause Hawthorn to drop to fourth, paving the way for a rematch in Sydney on the opening weekend of the finals.

But Clarkson said either way, the two sides would be blocking each other's path to a premiership come finals time.

"There's probably more to draw out of this game in terms of seeing where we're at, because we're up against a formidable opponent that we know we're probably going to have to face again if we want to salute at the end of the year," Clarkson said on Friday.

"Sydney are looking at it exactly the same way.

"They're playing against us knowing full well that anything they do tomorrow they're probably going to have to repeat at some stage in the finals to be able to get the job done and win the flag.

"That's what makes it an intriguing contest."

Clarkson said the Swans were still not getting the plaudits they deserved despite sitting a game clear on top of the ladder.

"They continue to slip under the radar, even to the point where we're still favourites, which is intriguing really when they've been on top of the ladder for the last eight to 10 rounds and they're one game clear and they're playing on their home patch," he said.

He noted the Hawks were also favourites ahead of the sides' round five meeting in Launceston, when the Swans notched a runaway win.

Clarkson said the Hawks had not been particularly happy with their recent form, despite comfortable wins over Port Adelaide and Gold Coast following their round 19 loss to Geelong.

But he said the return of Franklin, Gibson and Mitchell should lift them.

"They're three really influential players for us," he said.

"We know we're a better side when those guys are playing for us, they've shown that over the course of time for our footy club.

"If they just all come in and play their roles for us then we're pleased.

"I know there's a lot of hype about Lance in particular but it's all about guys just coming in and playing their role and getting the job done for the side."

AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, melbourne-3000, vic, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted August 24, 2012 17:52:37

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Hawks rule Franklin out of Cats clash

Updated August 02, 2012 13:56:42

Hawthorn will rest Lance Franklin for a fourth successive week with a hamstring injury, ruling the star forward out of Friday night's round-19 clash with arch-rivals Geelong at the MCG.

The Hawks are second on the ladder and carry the tag of premiership favourites with the bookies.

But the continued absence of the Coleman Medal leader is a blow for coach Alastair Clarkson as he tries to end an eight-game losing streak against the Cats.

"He won't play this week. He's nearly there but we just want to make sure that he's completely over this little niggle," Clarkson told reporters on Thursday.

"He did some running this morning. It just wasn't as comfortable as perhaps what we would have liked him to be to get himself up for this week, but we're really hopeful he'll be right next week."

Hawthorn have not beaten Geelong since the 2008 grand final, although the Hawks are in excellent form with eight successive wins - the last three of which have been without Franklin.

AAP

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First posted August 02, 2012 13:56:42

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Shuey to miss Lions clash

Updated May 28, 2012 18:54:36

West Coast will be without Luke Shuey for its round 10 encounter with Brisbane after the star midfielder was charged with striking in Sunday's Western Derby.

Shuey was booked for an intentional hit on Fremantle's Paul Duffield in the final term of the Eagles' eight-goal win at Subiaco.

He has a clean record but the level three charge carries a two-match ban which can be lessened to a one-week suspension if he enters an early guilty plea.

If Shuey contests the charge and loses he will be effectively without football for three weeks with West Coast having the bye in round 11, meaning he would serve the second match of his ban when the Eagles face Carlton on June 14.

But it is likely the club will enter a guilty plea so that John Worsfold will have his midfield ace back to face his touted Blues counterparts in round 12.

Bombers forward David Zaharakis can avoid a one-week suspension of his own if he pleads guilty to striking Greater Western Sydney's Tomas Bugg on Saturday night.

The absence of prior incidents on Zaharakis' record means an early plea can cut his sentence to a reprimand and carryover points.

His Essendon team-mates Jake Carlisle and Alwyn Davey can accept fines for wrestling incidents in the Bombers' win at Showgrounds Stadium, as can their Giants opponents Jeremy Cameron and Taylor Adams.

North Melbourne's Luke Delaney, Levi Greenwood, Scott Thompson, Michael Firrito, Jamie MacMillan and Nathan Grima and Lions players Jonathan Brown, Daniel Merrett, Aaron Cornelius, Rohan Bewick and Billy Longer all face financial punishment for their roles in a melee between the Kangaroos and Brisbane on Sunday afternoon at Docklands.

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted May 28, 2012 18:54:36

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Saints moving towards NZ Anzac clash

Updated May 25, 2012 17:17:46

St Kilda coach Scott Watters has thrown his support behind his club's bold plan to play an Anzac Day match in New Zealand as soon as next year.

The Saints have confirmed they are closing in on a deal to take a home-and-away match to Wellington.

If the plan became reality, it would be the first AFL match played overseas for competition points.

The match would be played at Westpac Stadium, the 36,000-capacity home of A-League soccer club Wellington Phoenix and Super Rugby's Hurricanes.

The venue has also been successfully used for Rugby World Cup matches and rugby league Tests.

Watters said Saints players were excited about the prospect of taking AFL overseas, and officials at the club viewed the New Zealand experiment as important for the Saints' future.

"It certainly looks really positive at the moment - there are negotiations taking place and everything's moving towards a really positive outcome," Watters said.

"It would be another strong pillar on which this club can build from. There's a lot of work being put into taking this club to another level and New Zealand is a key cornerstone of that.

"What it can actually deliver this club on a number of levels could actually relaunch this club into becoming the powerful club it needs to be."

Watters said he was not fazed with the extra travel which would be involved in an already tightly-packed home-and-away schedule.

"I played most of my footy at West Coast where I travelled every second week, and we delivered some fantastic results on the back of that," Watters said of his part in the successful Eagles teams of the early 1990s.

"I'm not intimidated or scared of travelling. International teams in international competitions don't see travelling as a negative."

The AFL would have to approve the deal, and the venue for the match, before it could go ahead.

But Westpac Stadium has already successfully hosted AFL exhibition matches, the last a preseason clash between Brisbane and Adelaide in 2001.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, st-kilda-5110, new-zealand

First posted May 25, 2012 14:53:42

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Swan, Reid to miss Crows clash

Updated May 21, 2012 17:48:56

Collingwood's hopes of clipping the wings of the high-flying Adelaide Crows have been dented with news that midfielder Dane Swan and defender Ben Reid have been ruled out through injury.

Swan, the 2011 Brownlow medallist, has returned to top form in recent weeks as the Magpies recovered from a 1-2 start to post five wins on the trot.

The Crows also come into the game on the back of five straight wins so the Collingwood injuries could not have come at a worse time.

Swan's hamstring strain forced the midfielder to limp off in the fourth quarter of the Magpies' victory over Geelong at the MCG and will keep him on the sidelines for two weeks.

Defender Reid is also expected to be out of action for a fortnight after straining his quad against the Cats.

"It was a reasonably positive result for both players," football director Geoff Walsh told Collingwood's official website.

"We now will look at how we manage both Swan and Reid over the next two weeks to ensure they get back to playing senior football before the [mid-season] break."

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First posted May 21, 2012 17:48:56

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Demons' Watts scratched for Cats clash

Updated May 03, 2012 21:08:40

Former number one draft pick Jack Watts has paid for his mediocre start to the season, with Melbourne dropping him for Saturday's trip to Geelong.

Demons football manager Josh Mahoney was quoted on the club website as saying Watts would have an "opportunity with the Casey Scorpions on Saturday (in the VFL) to work hard and regain his spot in the side."

Watts, the top pick in the 2008 draft, was the only Melbourne player not to lay a tackle in last Saturday night's narrow loss to St Kilda.

The Demons are 0-5 under new coach Mark Neeld but have shown definite improvement in the last fortnight.

Watts has been under constant scrutiny since his 2009 senior debut and AFL commentators Mick Malthouse and Wayne Carey were critical of his intensity during a preseason match earlier this year.

The demotion breaks his consecutive games streak of 42 and the tall utility has played a total of 45 AFL matches.

Saturday's clash at Kardinia Park has plenty of meaning for Melbourne.

In the corresponding match at round 19 last year, Geelong slaughtered the Demons by 186 points and it cost coach Dean Bailey his job.

The Demons regained key players Mitch Clark and James Frawley from injury, while out-of-form defender Joel Macdonald was also dropped.

All Australian midfielder James Kelly is back for Geelong along with Mitch Brown, while Mathew Stokes (ankle) and Taylor Hunt (soreness) are out.

Essendon's injury woes continue, with key defender Tayte Pears ruled out with soreness for Saturday's Docklands match against Brisbane.

But the Bombers regained Courtenay Dempsey and Nathan Lovett-Murray from their soft-tissue injuries and also recalled Travis Colyer.

Michael Hibberd tore his hamstring on Anzac Day and newcomer Cory Dell'Olio was dropped.

As expected, Carlton left out captain Chris Judd for Sunday's home game against Greater Western Sydney.

The Blues said Judd has soreness, while key forward Jarrad Waite (hip) and Matthew Kreuzer (knee) were also rested.

The Giants will make at least five changes for the match, with coach Kevin Sheedy potentially including former Carlton forward Setainta O'hAilpin in his first game for the fledgling club.

"Why wouldn't we play the big Irishman Setanta O'hAilpin?" Sheedy said in a club statement.

"It's going to be an exciting match for him. He's in the 25 right now, and I must admit, he's got a pretty good chance of playing.

"From my point of view I'm looking forward to it. I haven't coached against Carlton for a long time. I know they're desperate to keep up in the top four because they've been in pretty good form.

"This will be a great test for our young players. We've thrown in a couple of experienced players to make sure it's a very competitive game and we're really looking forward to it."

Collingwood will bolster its defence with the returns of Ben Reid and Heath Shaw for Friday night's Docklands match against the Western Bulldogs, leaving out Jarryd Blair (leg soreness) and Paul Seedsman.

The Bulldogs recalled Daniel Giansiracusa and Ryan Hargrave for Ayce Cordy (hip) and Jarrad Grant (back).

St Kilda has named key forward Justin Koschitzke as an emergency for Saturday night's big clash against Hawthorn at the MCG.

Koschitzke missed last week's game because of suspension and former West Coast player Beau Wilkes impressed in his absence, kicking three goals.

Fremantle has named Lee Spurr to make his debut in Saturday's match against the Suns on the Gold Coast.

The Dockers have made two changes with Dylan Roberton also coming in, while Jack Anthony has been dropped and Nathan Fyfe is out for up to three months as he recovers from shoulder surgery.

Tom Sheridan and Alex Silvagni travelled east as emergencies.

The Eagles could also field a debutant in Sunday's match against North Melbourne, with Murray Newman and Jacob Brennan both selected in an extended squad of 25.

Also on West Coast's extended bench are Scott Lycett, Brad Sheppard and Patrick McGinnity, with the team to be named tomorrow.

Eric Mackenzie is set to play after being named in the starting line-up.

Josh Kennedy and Mitch Brown are out injured, while Will Schofield is suspended.

Adelaide has made one change to the side which beat Port Adelaide for Saturday night's match against Sydney.

Forward Jason Porplyzia has been named in place of defender Andy Otten.

The Power have named five new faces in an extended squad which will take on Richmond on Sunday.

Brett Ebert is set to make his first appearance for the season for the Power, while Jay Schultz and Chad Wingard drop out of the side with injury.

ABC/AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted May 03, 2012 19:08:13

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Pies make five changes for Port clash

Updated April 19, 2012 22:32:22

Collingwood's early-season dramas have continued with Heath Shaw and Dale Thomas pulling out with hamstring injuries ahead of Saturday's clash with Port Adelaide.

The 13th-placed Magpies (1-2) have made five changes for what looms as a vital game at Docklands.

Shaw and Thomas (both hamstring) have joined Luke Ball (season-ending knee injury) and Ben Reid (quadricep) this week on Collingwood's growing injury list, while back-up ruckman Cameron Wood has been dropped.

Ben Johnson is one of five inclusions, making his return to the senior side following three VFL games after recovering from a hamstring injury.

Simon Buckley, Tom Young, Paul Seedsman and Jackson Paine also come into the side.

Port regain key forward John Butcher from a hamstring injury among three changes.

St Kilda has named an unchanged side for Friday night's Docklands clash with Fremantle, coached by ex-Saints mentor Ross Lyon.

The Dockers have regained niggling midfielder Hayden Ballantyne from suspension and have named Nat Fyfe despite an ongoing shoulder problem.

Carlton has thrown a lifeline to midfielder Brock McLean for Saturday's MCG clash with Essendon. McLean played only 10 games last year.

Dennis Armfield is out with a knee injury.

The Bombers regain Sam Lonergan and Cale Hooker and have included debutant Cory Dell'Olio.

Adelaide has made four changes for Saturday's home game against Greater Western Sydney, including Graham Johncock's omission because of a thigh injury.

The Giants regain former Melbourne skipper James McDonald from suspension.

Brisbane's champion onballer Simon Black has made a comeback after missing just two matches with a fractured hand. The Lions host Gold Coast in the Queensland derby at the Gabba on Saturday night, with Campbell Brown returning to the Suns' lineup.

Ladder leaders West Coast regains Darren Glass, Matthew Priddis and Matthew Rosa for Saturday night's clash with seventh-placed Hawthorn in Perth.

The Hawks have promoted debutant Bradley Hill for Luke Breust (concussion).

Meanwhile, the Cats will be without star onballer James Kelly (groin) for Sunday's game in Geelong against Richmond.

Sydney star Adam Goodes is unavailable for Sunday's game at the SCG against North Melbourne because of suspension.

Suspensions have also hit Melbourne and Western Bulldogs for Sunday's game at the MCG, with Bulldogs defender Brian Lake and Melbourne co-captain Jack Trengove to miss the match.

Melbourne regains 2011 club champion Brent Moloney from a groin injury.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, collingwood-3066, vic, australia

First posted April 19, 2012 16:41:34

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Saints duo miss Essendon clash

Updated March 02, 2012 17:16:31

Star St Kilda forward Justin Koschitzke will miss Saturday's preseason cup clash with Essendon at Wangaratta through injury.

Saints coach Scott Watters said that Koschitzke had been withdrawn from the match because of slight calf soreness and was a week away from returning.

Small forward Ahmed Saad has also been pulled, with the club anxious to manage his workload effectively.

Watters said Koschitzke was poised to play at peak form this season and his withdrawal was a minor hiccup.

"It's more soreness," Watters said.

"He trained during the week ... but he's just missed a couple of training sessions, so we erred on the side of caution."

Watters said Koschitzke would complete a full training program next week and would line up in the game against West Coast.

The forward-cum-ruckman had an interrupted 2011, playing only half the season due to an ankle injury, but Watters believes the 29-year-old is set for a standout season.

"He's lean and his running capacity is as good as it's been for two or three years.

"Like a number of our players he's had a really strong, consistent pre-season which stands him in good stead."

He said the club was acting cautiously with Saad, a 22-year-old drafted from the VFL side Northern Bullants who only started playing the code five years ago after switching from soccer.

"We're probably wary of Ahmed playing all four NAB Cup games," he said.

"We think he's in contention for round one if he continues to hold his form so he's going to need a rest at some point.

"More than likely he'll play the following week."

Essendon will take a much stronger side into this weekend's game after losing both their round one games and have included captain Jobe Watson, veteran Dustin Fletcher and Michael Hurley.

Hurley missed the opening round of the pre-season competition with a hamstring strain and Bombers coach James Hird said the forward would play as much of the game as possible.

"We'll wait and see, it just depends on how often the ball is down there," Hird said.

"Hopefully it's down there the whole half and he can play a half but if it's not he might play three quarters.

"But this will be his first hit-out and he's been back training for a month so we're confident that he's up for a full game but whether he plays a half, three quarters or a full game we'll wait and see till the day."

Hurley has not committed to Essendon beyond this year and is a major target for Greater Western Sydney.

AAP

Tags: australian-football-league, sport, st-kilda-3182

First posted March 02, 2012 17:07:29

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Kerr in doubt for Saints clash

Updated July 13, 2011 16:45:34

West Coast midfielder Daniel Kerr is struggling to overcome a series of sore spots, placing him in doubt for Saturday night's match with St Kilda at Docklands.

Kerr, who underwent major surgery on his hamstring last year, battled through soreness during last week's win over Geelong and is rated just a 50-50 chance to take on the Saints.

The 28-year-old has been scintillating in his 11 appearances this season, but coach John Worsfold says the 181-match veteran is still getting his body up to speed after missing so much football last year.

"He's obviously had massive surgery to the top part of his hamstring, but he has had some issues with his glute as well as some hip pain," Worsfold said.

"I don't know whether he's going to play or not.

"I would say right now he's 50-50, but he's been 50-50 this time of the week probably for the last six.

"It means he always gets better late in the week. As the game approaches, the enthusiasm and adrenaline kicks in and he's been OK."

Forward Quinten Lynch will slot straight back into the side after serving a one-match suspension but Worsfold is yet to decide whether to hand vice-captain Beau Waters a recall.

Waters, who had surgery on his elbow after dislocating it in round two, has impressed in his two recent WAFL hit-outs but will find it hard to squeeze back into a West Coast defence which has been rock-solid over the past month.

"When everything is right, he'll be in again," Worsfold said.

The fifth-placed Eagles have won five games on the trot to be one of the form teams of the competition.

But Worsfold has been concerned by his team's slow starts to second halves, with West Coast almost blowing match-winning leads in recent weeks against Carlton and Geelong.

"We're down a fair bit [early in our third quarters]," he said.

"It's not as though it's been a downward trend from [half-time] because our last quarters are still good.

"We've done a few different things (at half-time) in the last few weeks and they haven't worked.

"It's a mystery."

St Kilda has won five of its past seven matches to move back to within striking distance of the top eight, and Worsfold acknowledges his team will have its hands full containing the Saints' stars.

"They're back playing the St Kilda brand of football we know they're good at, really making it tough for the opposition teams to score," he said.

"So that bit of confidence is back."

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, perth-6000

First posted July 13, 2011 16:45:34

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Ottens to miss Lions clash

Posted July 12, 2011 12:20:00

Geelong ruckman Brad Ottens has accepted a one-match ban for striking West Coast's Mark Nicoski in last weekend's round of matches.

Ottens pleaded guilty to the level-four striking offence but due to the two-time premiership player's clean record he will only miss this weekend's trip to the Gabba to play the Lions.

Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui accepted a reprimand and points towards future charges following his level-one charge of making forceful contact from front-on against Geelong's Taylor Hunt and is free to play.

The 20 players charged for their involvement in melees from the Essendon-Richmond and St Kilda-Port Adelaide clashes have all accepted their sanctions.

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, geelong-3220

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Mumford reined in ahead of Suns clash

Posted July 7, 2011 17:04:00

Sydney ruckman Shane Mumford has been ordered to revamp his tackling technique after serving a second suspension in as many years.

Mumford received the latest two-match rough conduct ban for a heavy tackle that concussed Carlton midfielder David Ellard.

It was similar to the tackle on then-Geelong midfielder Gary Ablett last year that also saw the big Swan sidelined for two weeks.

In Mumford's absence in the last fortnight the Swans have lost against Collingwood and Adelaide to slip to seventh spot on the ladder.

"If you take someone to ground in a tackle you are risking suspension," a reformed Mumford said on Thursday.

"I've been working on it for the past couple of weeks now to basically try to pin blokes' arms so they can't get rid of the ball while still standing up.

"The best idea is to try and hold them up and not take that risk."

Swans coach John Longmire said both he and Mumford understood the big man needed to change his technique.

"We want him to lay effective tackles but he knows that the game is telling him he needs to change his style," Longmire said.

But come Saturday, the Swans will be throwing everything they have at neutralising the threat of the Suns and their captain Ablett, who is in scintillating form.

Kieren Jack and Ryan O'Keefe are two options to get the job on the Brownlow medallist.

"I might have to walk out with a block of wood just before the game and I might say, 'Gary, if you get too many touches I'm going to jump out of the coaches box,'" Longmire said.

"In the end, good players get the ball, whether that's Chris Judd or Gary Ablett, good players get the footy.

"So what you've got to do is to make sure you minimise the effectiveness that they use that ball with and that's what we'll try and do, just minimise his effectiveness."

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

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Bombers confident for Richmond clash

Published:Friday, July 8, 2011 7:21 AESTExpires:Thursday, October 6, 2011 7:21 AEST

Essendon coach James Hird says he expects the opposing Tigers to be pumped up for the round 16 AFL match at the MCG.

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Hird drops five players for Roos clash

Updated June 16, 2011 18:51:00

Essendon coach James Hird has dropped five players including three of his former team-mates in a savage response to the club's three-game losing streak.

The eighth-placed Bombers have not won a game since May 14 and face North Melbourne in a crucial round-13 encounter on Saturday at Docklands.

Travis Colyer, Andrew Welsh, Henry Slattery, Alex Browne and David Hille have all been dumped following Essendon's 34-point loss to Fremantle.

Tayte Pears, Brent Stanton, Sam Lonergan, big man Tom Bellchambers and midfield tagger Heath Hocking, back from suspension, come into the side.

First-year coach Hird is yet to settle on his preferred ruck combination.

Bellchambers is back after being dropped in round 11 and replaces 2008 club champion Hille.

Welsh, Slattery and Hille all played alongside Hird at Essendon in 2007.

The 12th-placed Kangaroos have regained defender Nathan Grima and also recalled Sam Wright for Ben Speight and key forward Lachie Hansen, who has concussion.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, who is under fierce pressure to hold his job for the rest of the season, has been boosted by the return of Brownlow Medallist Adam Cooney from a knee injury.

The 13th-placed Bulldogs host Adelaide at Docklands on Friday night.

Former All-Australian Lindsay Gilbee is back after being dumped two weeks ago and Jayden Schofield makes his debut.

Adelaide has dropped James Sellar and Brent Reilly is out with a knee injury.

Unbeaten Geelong have recalled wingman David Wojcinski for star midfielder Joel Selwood who has been suspended for four weeks.

The Cats play St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday night where the Saints will regain Jason Blake and champion midfielder Leigh Montagna.

Hawthorn's Brent Guerra, who suffered a perforated ear drum after being struck by Selwood last weekend, will miss Saturday's game in Launceston against Gold Coast.

The injury-hit Hawks have lost big man Jarryd Roughead for the season with a ruptured Achilles, while Clinton Young (hamstring) and ruckman Brent Renouf (internal bruising) have also been left out.

Ruckmen David Hale and Max Bailey are among four inclusions for the Hawks.

Vice-captain Jed Adcock is out of Brisbane's team to play Richmond at the Gabba on Saturday night because of finger surgery.

The Tigers have left out injured duo David Astbury (knee) and Jake Batchelor (general soreness) and omitted Matt White.

Richmond included Luke McGuane, Jayden Post and Jeromey Webberley.

Third-placed Carlton have named utility Ryan Houlihan in a seven-man bench for Sunday's massive clash with Sydney at Docklands.

The fifth-placed Swans regain ruckman Shane Mumford from a knee injury.

Sixth-placed West Coast have omitted Chris Masten for Sunday's home game against Port Adelaide who are set to regain skipper Domenic Cassisi for his first game since round two.

Fremantle midfielder Michael Barlow will play his first AFL game of the year after recovering from a broken leg. The seventh-placed Dockers play Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, qld, brisbane-4000, sa, adelaide-5000, vic, essendon-3040, fitzroy-3065, geelong-3220, melbourne-3000, north-melbourne-3051, richmond-3121, st-kilda-3182

First posted June 16, 2011 18:39:00

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Mumford back for Blues clash

Posted June 17, 2011 19:12:00

Sydney ruckman Shane Mumford will return from a knee injury for Sunday's testing AFL clash with Carlton at Docklands.

Fellow big man Mark Seaby kept his spot, after a strong performance in last round's win over Richmond, with forward Trent Dennis-Lane the player dropped.

Swans coach John Longmire was confident the return of Mumford, alongside Seaby and Lewis Roberts-Thomson, who has helped out in the ruck in Mumford's absence, would not create an imbalance.

"What we are confident in is that the players we have got are really versatile," Longmire said.

The Blues included half-forward Ryan Houlihan for his first game this season, replacing defender Paul Bower.

Fremantle midfielder Michael Barlow will make his long-awaited AFL return, 11 months after badly breaking his leg in round 14 last year to abruptly halt his stunning debut season.

The Dockers will also give elevated rookie-lister Ben Bucovaz an AFL debut against Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday.

Midfielder David Mundy (leg) and forward Hayden Ballantyne (hamstring) are out injured.

The Demons regained key defender Colin Garland and recalled forward Ricky Petterd, while losing Neville Jetta (hand) and dropping Michael Evans.

Port Adelaide regained captain Domenic Cassisi for Sunday's Subiaco Oval meeting with West Coast.

It will be the skipper's first game since fracturing his leg in round two.

Daniel Stewart also returns for the Power, with Jacob Stewart and Andrew Moore both dropped.

The Eagles made one change, Tom Swift replacing Chris Masten.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, sydney-2000

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Franklin loads up for Cats clash

Posted June 10, 2011 17:15:00

The Hawks get back their best gun-slinger but they do not want a shoot-out against Geelong in their much-anticipated AFL clash on Saturday night.

Just in time for third-placed Hawthorn's latest test of its premiership credentials, superstar forward Lance Franklin will return from a calf injury for the match at the MCG.

Franklin will need a medical green light on match day but Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson is confident he will be sending his goalkicking gun to the goalsquare.

But what Clarkson does not want is for the match to develop into a fast-flowing, high-scoring shoot-out, believing that would leave the Hawks riddled with holes.

"If it's a shoot-out tomorrow night, I reckon we'll be on the back end of another loss to the Cats," said Clarkson, whose side has lost all five meetings with Geelong since beating them in the 2008 grand final.

"I don't think you ever defeat Geelong when it's a 15 or 17-goal each sort of game. I don't reckon you get the Cats that way.

"We know full well if it's a shoot-out type of game, that suits Geelong right down to the ground.

"If it's a bit more of a grind, it's back in our favour."

With a rivalry stretching back to the epic 1989 grand final the Hawks won by a goal, Clarkson not surprisingly expects the Cats to provide just as stiff a test as premier Collingwood.

Unbeaten in 10 matches - including a win over the Magpies this season - Geelong tops the ladder and the Hawks coach believes the Cats are worthy flag contenders.

"By definition of the games won, they are the benchmark," he said.

"The Cats and Collingwood, they're the two best sides in the competition and we get to see if we've bridged the gap a little bit."

The Hawks will be buoyed by Franklin's return, which will be rubber-stamped if he pulls up well from Friday's training session at Waverley Park.

"We expect he'll play... he trained pretty solidly yesterday and pulled up fine today, so I'd imagine he'll be okay to go tomorrow night," Clarkson said.

"We'd like to think Buddy gives us more flexibility in our forward line."

Midfielder Shane Savage also returns from injury, with youngster Jordan Lisle and defender Kyle Cheney left out.

Geelong regains important duo Paul Chapman and Darren Milburn for the match.

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, geelong-3220, hawthorn-3122, melbourne-3000

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No Power changes for Blues clash

Expires:Wednesday, August 31, 2011 10:49

Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus has rewarded the side that broke a five-match losing steak against Richmond in Darwin by naming an unchanged line-up for Sunday's game against Carlton.

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Tags: australian-football-league, sa, adelaide-5000, port-adelaide-5015

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Bailey, Malceski return for big clash

Posted May 20, 2011 19:51:00

Serious knee injury victims Max Bailey and Nick Malceski have the chance to re-establish themselves as senior players on Sunday when Hawthorn and Sydney collide in a significant AFL fixture at the SCG.

The Hawks' 206-centimetre ruckman Bailey has played just six senior games in five and a half seasons and Sunday's game will be his first since 2009 following a third knee reconstruction.

Swans half-back Malceski is making a comeback from a second LARS operation after injuring his knee in the preseason.

Bailey effectively replaces David Hale who hurt his knee against St Kilda last week, as did defender Stephen Gilham.

Hale, Gilham and Isaac Smith (soreness) have been replaced in the Hawks line-up by Bailey, Ryan Schoenmakers and dangerous forward Cyril Rioli who has recovered from a hamstring problem.

Forward Jarryd Roughead has been named as the Hawks' starting ruckman, though Bailey is bound to share the load.

The Swans decided against recalling Mark Seaby and again opted for Lewis Roberts-Thomson as Shane Mumford's back-up.

Malceski's inclusion for youngster Nathan Gordon was the only change to the Swans side which thrashed Port Adelaide.

A couple of newspaper headlines on Friday referred to him as a miracle man, but Malceski was having none of that.

"No, not at all mate. I've just been doing what I needed to do. I've been fortunate enough to get back a little bit sooner," Malceski told reporters at the SCG on Friday before training.

"I was positive throughout the rehab and did really well and I got back a bit sooner rather than later."

Malceski said he was as confident as ever and had no trepidation about returning to the seniors with relatively little football under his belt.

The experienced half-back rejected any suggestions he might be mentally scarred, having endured multiple knee injuries and operations.

"I haven't really even thought about it to be honest. I brushed it to the back of my mind and just got on with the job I needed to get on with," Malceski said.

He certainly wasted no time in updating Swans coach John Longmire on his progress and badgering him for a game.

"I thought he was setting up a bed in my office and I had to evict him out of my office a couple of times during last week, let alone this week," Longmire joked on Friday.

Roughead is likely to spend time in his more customary role up forward where Rioli and Lance Franklin will also provide problems for the Sydney defence.

"What we do with Buddy (Franklin) is hopefully stop the ball getting anywhere near him. That's number one plan," Longmire said.

"Number two plan is hope his defender stops him and then number three plan will be hopefully get about four or five blokes to try and stop him."

- AAP

Tags: sport, australian-football-league, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, vic, hawthorn-3122

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Hall to miss AFL clash against Eagles

Expires:Thursday, August 18, 2011 7:23

Barry Hall has been named as an emergency for the Western Bulldogs while Daniel Kerr and Andrew Embley will suit up for West Coast when the sides next meet.

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Tags: australian-football-league, wa

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One Power change for Freo clash

The Power have made just one change to it's squad for the match with the Dockers at Footy Park, with Jasper Pittard in for Daniel Stewart.

Forward Jay Schultz has overcome injury concerns to take his place in the lineup, but Chad Cornes has been listed as an emergency and is unlikely to play for Glenelg in case Schultz doesn't come up.

Danyle Pearce, Andrew Moore, Simon Phillips and Ben Jacobs will take their place on the interchange bench, with O'Shea and Stewart listed as emergencies.

The Dockers have made 4 changes following their second straight loss, with the classy Rhys Palmer and Hayden Ballantyne back for the visitors.

Zimbabwean born Tendai Mzungu will make his debut for the club despite not having played in the WAFL due to a knee injury, while Dylan Roberton will also return after being dropped last week.

Port Adelaide

B: Tom Logan, Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove

HB: Michael Pettigrew, Troy Chaplin, Jasper Pittard
C: Steven Salopek, Travis Boak, Kane Cornes
HF: Matthew Broadbent, Jay Schulz, Robert Gray
F: Brett Ebert, Justin Westhoff, Daniel Motlop
Foll: Dean Brogan, Hamish Hartlett, Matt Thomas
I/C: Danyle Pearce, Andrew Moore, Simon Phillips, Ben Jacobs

Emg: Chad Cornes, Daniel Stewart, Cameron O'Shea

In: Jasper Pittard

Out: Daniel Stewart

Fremantle

B: Greg Broughton, Antoni Grover, Paul Duffield

HB: Garrick Ibbotson, Luke McPharlin, Dylan Roberton
C: Matthew de Boer, Matthew Pavlich, Nathan Fyfe
HF: Stephen Hill, Kepler Bradley, Ryan Crowley
F: Hayden Ballantyne, Christopher Mayne, Michael Johnson
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy, Nick Lower
I/C: Rhys Palmer, Clancee Pearce, Jesse Crichton, Tendai Mzungu

Emg: Jay Van Berlo, Jonathon Griffin, Jack Anthony

In: Rhys Palmer, Hayden Ballantyne, Dylan Roberton, Tendai Mzungu

Out: Jay Van Berlo, Adam McPhee (Knee), Jayden Pitt, Jack Anthony

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