AFL 2022: Injury and selection news ahead of Round 2
Essendon got hammered on the field and they’ll have to bounce back without another key man after young gun Kyle Langford received some bad injury news.
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Essendon midfielder Kyle Langford faces up to 10 weeks on the sidelines recovering from his hamstring setback in the Bombers’ nightmare round 1 defeat to Geelong.
The 25-year-old was due to play his 100th game this weekend but will instead watch from the sidelines as Essendon tries to avoid a second-straight season defeat to Brisbane on Saturday.
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The hamstring strain, which occurred in the opening minutes of the Bombers’ 66-point loss to the Cats, is to the same leg that cost him a finals spot last year.
Essendon head of football Josh Mahoney said all suitable rehabilitation options were being considered for Langford, including surgery.
“Unfortunately for Kyle, the strain is on the same side as his previous injury and therefore we will take a conservative approach with his rehabilitation,” Mahoney said.
“Kyle is likely to be sidelined for approximately eight to 10 weeks but we will consult with a surgeon in the coming week to assess all options for recovery.
“We’re disappointed for Kyle who had completed a strong pre-season but we look forward to welcoming him back to the fold mid-season.”
Swans duo in line for return
Sydney is set to welcome back Jake Lloyd and Chad Warner for Friday night’s blockbuster return to the SCG, where Lance Franklin could crash through the 1000-goal barrier.
The Swans beat the Giants in their season opener at Accor Stadium on Saturday but haven’t played at the SCG since a 38-point loss to Hawthorn more than nine months ago because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Both Sydney clubs have hopped across Australia the past two seasons trying to avoid Covid outbreaks but are settled in the Harbour City again and aiming for finals.
John Longmire’s men will host fellow first-up winner Geelong in what promises to be an early litmus test for each side, with the inclusions of Lloyd and Warner from the AFL’s health and safety protocols a timely boost.
“It’ll be great to get back at the SCG. It’s a great venue and we’re playing against an absolutely gun team in Geelong, so you’ll see some players on both teams that are real generational footballers,” Longmire said.
Angus Sheldrick is vulnerable with Lloyd and Warner coming back in, even though he impressed with his defensive pressure on debut.
Lions trio should be right to face Bombers
Lions veterans Daniel Rich and Dayne Zorko were on light duties during Brisbane’s training run on Tuesday but both are set to be raring to go when they face Essendon this weekend.
Rich has recovered after jarring his hip in a marking contest on Saturday night, admitting his light duties at training were “a combination of being a little bit sore and a little bit old as well”.
Meanwhile, Zorko was cleared of any serious injury on Monday after the club captain went in for scans on his calf which kept him out of the final quarter of their round 1 win over Port Adelaide.
The skipper had suffered a “slight tear to some scar tissue” according to the club’s high performance manager Damien Austin.
The 33-year-old will be available for selection, pending how he gets through this week’s training, and Rich said it would be a welcomed boost for the club for Saturday’s clash with Essendon at Marvel Stadium.
“He’s a chance which is exciting,” Rich said.
“He’s a great player for us, the captain of the footy club, so he’s in good spirits.
“It’s one of those things you’ve got to weigh up.
“It’s a long season but you want to try and win every game.
“I’m sure the physios and coaches will consult each other on whatever is best.”
Zorko started last week’s match at halfback before being moved into the front half later in the game and Rich said it was a testament to the skipper’s versatility.
“It’s not the first time he’s played down back,” he said.
“He’s trained there and we’ve had a couple praccy matches.
“He’s had an interrupted pre-season but he’s a good player who’s played a lot of footy.
“He’s a guy who is pretty potent anywhere.
“He’s a good weapon down back but we all know what he can do in the midfield and forward with the ball.
“It’s pretty handy to have someone that can play a variety of roles.”
Lions midfielder Jarrod Berry has also been cleared to play this weekend after copping a knock to his shoulder in the season opener last weekend.
Injured Dees star faces two months on sidelines
Premier Melbourne has been dealt a savage injury blow losing star defender Christian Salem for up to eight weeks after surgery on his knee.
The premiership halfback underwent surgery to repair chipped cartilage in his knee last Friday after he was subbed out of the Grand Final rematch against the Western Bulldogs.
The Demons on Monday said the surgery has been successful but Salem would be sidelined for between six and eight weeks, which could rule him out until mid-May.
But young defender Trent Rivers (knee) looms as a likely replacement for Salem as he prepares to face a fitness test later in the week.
Rivers missed the opening round against the Bulldogs with a PCL injury but has rejoined the main group at training as he pushes for a return against the Gold Coast on Saturday.
The Demons said All-Australian backman Jake Lever (foot) and Michael Hibberd (calf) were making progress from their injuries and will also face fitness tests this week.
Kade Chandler is out of the rehab group after overcoming an abdominal muscle tear, while Harrison Petty (calf) remains three-four weeks away from a return.
Meanwhile, Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli trained with his teammates on Monday as he pushes to prove his fitness for Thursday’s clash against Carlton after hurting his ankle in the Grand Final rematch.
Bontempelli hurt his ankle in the third quarter of the Round 1 loss but played out the game with scans later confirming a low-level sprain.
Fellow midfielder Jack Macrae said he was “pretty confident” the skipper would line up against the Blues at Marvel Stadium.
“If you can get him out there, even if he’s not 100 per cent, he’s such a special player,” Macrae said.
Eagles to get Darling back
Jack Darling will complete his extraordinary comeback from football’s wilderness when he makes his return against North Melbourne in round 2.
The Herald Sun understands West Coast will play Darling, who was away from the club for weeks after refusing to be vaccinated under AFL and WA health protocols.
He was dominant in a short match simulation session over the weekend and has proved he is over minor foot soreness.
Darling will join Tim Kelly and Liam Ryan, who will be out of Covid protocols, as well as captain Luke Shuey (hamstring) and Alex Witherden (suspension).
Kelly caught Covid last week while Ryan had a week in quarantine as a close contact then days later caught omicron himself so will only be out later this week.
Liam Duggan (knee) may be another week away but the Eagles’ unavailability issues are easing after they had 16 players out in round 1’s fighting loss to Gold Coast.
Darling was unable to train with his teammates for most of the pre-season as he failed to meet the AFL’s expected COVID-19 protocols.
He joined training just before the season started, but suffered a foot injury in the lead up to Round 1 and missed the game against the Suns.
Coach Adam Simpson said he is fit, but they won’t risk him if there is a risk.
“We’ll work through … he’s super fit,” Simpson said.
“He only missed a few sessions with it.
“It’s how he feels. We had a bit of a match-sim with the WAFL Eagles on the weekend and he kicked about 10 goals, so he looked OK. But it was three 12-minute sort of quarters.
“So, we’ll see how he goes, see how he pulls up.
“We won’t rush him. If he’s right, he’s right. If he’s not, he won’t play.”
In Darling’s absence, the Eagles found nine goal kickers against the Suns, with Josh Kennedy, Jamaine Jones and Jack Petruccelle each kicking two.
But they took only nine marks from 42 inside 50 entries and kicked 12.8 for the game.
The inclusions of Shuey and Kelly would be a massive help to a midfield that lost the clearance battle against the Suns.
Touk Miller, Matt Rowell, Jarrod Witts and Brayden Fiorini helped saw the Gold Coast finish with an advantage in clearances, winning the centre clearance battle 16-12.
Jack Redden was the only regular centre-bounce player available for West Coast and had assistance from Willie Rioli, Andrew Gaff and Jones.
As the Eagles try to get their best team on the ground, Simpson said that staying away from Covid-19 remains an issue.
Stringer’s final hurdle for desperate Bombers
Essendon could be bolstered by the return of two key players including star matchwinner Jake Stringer for Saturday’s clash against the Brisbane Lions.
Stringer has recovered from a groin issue but will have to prove his fitness at training this week to get the nod against the Lions after the Bombers’ poor first-up loss to Geelong on Saturday.
Swingman Aaron Francis (knee) is also a chance to boost a forward line which managed just three goals to halftime in the 66-point loss to the Cats.
But gun ruckman Sam Draper is in hot water for his gut punch on Esava Ratugolea.
The AFL ruled Draper’s action in hitting Ratugolea was only careless instead of intentional, which saw him handed a $2000 fine.
With the ball in the air after coming off Patrick Dangerfield’s boot only metres away, Draper was within his rights to attempt to dislodge the ball or tackle Draper.
The clumsy manner in which he did so made it a reportable offence but the MRO judged it as careless, rather than intentional.
Brisbane livewire Mitch Robinson will miss the clash against the Bombers after copping a one-match ban.
While Robinson braced for the contact rather than aggressively ploughed into Xavier Duursma, the MRO ruled he continued his momentum.
Under new AFL tribunal guidelines a rough conduct strike that has the capacity to cause serious injury is usually assessed as at least medium force.
The Bombers, who were labelled a genuine premiership threat by premiership coach Mick Malthouse, were belted in the midfield by the Cats and scolded for some poor defensive efforts.
It would have delivered a reality check of sorts to an Essendon team which surged up the ladder last season to make the finals despite modest expectations.
Coach Ben Rutten said it was “strange” some of the Bombers’ more experienced players in particular were “fumbly” and “slow to move” as the Cats led the centre clearances 12-2 at halftime.
But Stringer looms as a huge addition to a midfield which missed his size and strength around the ball, while Francis would provide another crucial marking target in the forward half.
Stringer’s groin pain has eased but he has missed several weeks of training and will have to prove this week he has the fitness conditioning to perform at the required level in the midfield and forward lines.
Stringer suffered a groin problem on the eve of the season and Francis copped a knock to the knee and will be recalled if he can pass tests at training this week.
Essendon will need to respond quickly but faces a tough fortnight against premiership heavyweights Brisbane (Marvel Stadium) and Melbourne (MCG) in it next two matches.
Former Fremantle and St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said the Bombers faced a big week trying to address any issues which may have contributed to its ordinary performance in the season-opener.
“You would be looking at your prep. You can be over-psyched and too pumped up and it just flattens you out,” Lyon said on Triple M.
“All that positive press (over pre-season), like what Mick (Malthouse) said I was like, ‘Oh, that is a big call’.
“But they (players) are human. They do not deliberately back off. You don’t read it (positive press) and say, ‘I’m drinking my own bathwater, it is all going to happen’.
“But it seeps in, it gets into your subconscious.
“And you just take little liberties here and there and as a coach if you are not alert to it and not driving it (high standards) all of a sudden you blink and you are mediocre.
“That is how fine a line it is in this game.”
Goal kicker Kyle Langford faces at least three weeks on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury, which is a repeat of the blow which sidelined him for the elimination final last season.
Jayden Laverde also faces a light week on the track to recover from a bruising collision with Jeremy Cameron which forced the defender to the bench for regular breaks on Saturday.
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Originally published as AFL 2022: Injury and selection news ahead of Round 2
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