Port Adelaide’s Tom Rockliff and Adelaide Crows Mitch McGovern and Andy Otten booked in for surgery as assistant coaching merry-go-round continues
PORT Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff will undergo a shoulder reconstruction on Tuesday while Adelaide Crows’ Mitch McGovern and Andy Otten also go under the knife.
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PORT Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff will undergo a shoulder reconstruction on Tuesday.
As two former Power assistant coaches have officially found new AFL homes, former Brisbane Lions captain Rockliff is to have his left shoulder rebuilt — the same one that was operated on at the end of last season.
And at West Lakes, key position pair Mitch McGovern and Andy Otten will also undergo post-season surgery this week.
McGovern, who appears unhappy at the Crows and is likely to be traded, will have a minor arthroscopic procedure on both ankles.
Veteran defender Otten, who is out of contract but wants to stay at Adelaide, will have surgery to alleviate an Achilles issue which has troubled him in the second half of the year.
Captain Taylor Walker and defender Daniel Talia have already had foot and thumb operations respectively while AFL Rising Star contender Tom Doedee had surgery to repair a fractured collarbone.
Major Power free agent acquisition Rockliff, 28, missed Port’s final match against Essendon on Friday night with the injury that coach Ken Hinkley said had “caused him some problems for a little while’’.
“It needs repairing,’’ Hinkley said.
“He’s had some issues from the start to the finish.’’
Rockliff endured a tough first year at Port, averaging 20.6 disposals in his 18 games and being sent back to the SANFL early in the year to find some form.
His year was not helped by a pre-season knee injury that cost him some valuable training time and match practice.
“He had a little patch where he got some good footy going, but he shows enough that we know what he’s going to bring,’’ Hinkley said.
“I’m sure his second season will be even more positive for us.”
Meanwhile, former Port assistant coaches Matthew Nicks and Brendon Lade have inked deals with new clubs after leaving Alberton.
Nicks — a senior assistant at the Power — has accepted the same role with Greater Western Sydney, the club he was always linked with after it was announced he was leaving Port.
He spent eight years at Alberton.
“Matthew is a welcome addition to our football department and we’re delighted he’ll join us in the newly created role of senior assistant coach,” said Giants football manager Wayne Campbell.
Nicks, who is no stranger to Sydney having played 175 games for the Swans before retiring in 2005, will take up his new role on November 1.
Lade has joined St Kilda as an assistant coach with his new role being announced just two days after he left Port.
The 234-game Power ruckman and 2004 premiership player left Port after just two years as assistant and forwards coach.
Prior to that he spent seven years as an assistant at Richmond.
Lade will join the Saints in October.
In other assistant coaching moves, Lade’s Power premiership teammate Adam Kingsley has quit St Kilda to join Richmond and former Crows defender and Tigers assistant coach Ben Rutten has announced he will be joining Essendon next year.