South Adelaide close in on SANFL finals but not without cost

SOUTH Adelaide will be sweating on scans on the knee of big-bodied midfielder Jake Veide this week as it prepares to try to secure a finals berth against Port Adelaide at Alberton on Saturday.

12.7.2015. South's Jake Veide. SANFL- South Adelaide v North Adelaide at Hickinbotham Oval, Noarlunga. Photo Sam Wundke.

SOUTH Adelaide will be sweating on scans on the knee of big-bodied midfielder Jake Veide this week as it prepares to try to secure a finals berth against Port Adelaide at Alberton on Saturday.

Veide limped from the ground late in the Panthers’ courageous 23-point win over West Adelaide at Noarlunga on Saturday but was able to put weight on the knee.

South Adelaide football manager Neill Sharpe said the club was hoping scans would clear Veide of any structural damage and said it was too early to rule him out for Saturday.

South will be without Tarak Redigolo after he underwent surgery to repair tendon damage in his elbow following a fall at home. Sharpe said the club would have a better idea of the extent of the injury after consulting specialists this week and hoped the injury wasn’t season ending.

Redigolo’s accident continued a bizarre run of injuries at Noarlunga with Frazer Dale ruled out for the season earlier this month after suffering cracked ribs and a broken leg when he was kicked by a horse. The utility works in the horse racing industry.

South is also without midfield star Nick Liddle (ankle), Peter Rolfe (knee), Roland Ah Chee (ankle), Alex Cailotto (collarbone) and Ben Darrou (groin). Pat Kerin and Matthew Rankine withdrew from Saturday’s side with hamstring injuries, while Joseph Haines injured his AC joint on Saturday and will undergo scans this week. Despite the long injury list, the Panthers continue to defy predictions they will fall over and are fifth with a two-win break with two rounds remaining.

Midfielder Andrew Moore left Port Adelaide’s match against Glenelg early with a foot injury on Friday night and will undergo scans this week.

The Port team will be subject to AFL selection with Matthew Lobbe, Aaron Young and Paul Stewart pushing their cases for Power recalls against Glenelg. Hocking described the come-from-behind one-point win as the best in his two seasons in charge of the Magpies, a comment which speaks volumes for the Bays’ recent improvement.

“It’s probably the best win I reckon during the two season I’ve been coaching,’’ he said. “I think they (Glenelg) are on the right curve. (Bay coach) Matty Lokan is doing a fantastic job.”