AFL Round 4 injuries: Jack Silvagni to miss Carlton’s clash with St Kilda, Harry McKay in the mix to play
Jack Silvagni will miss Carlton’s now prime-time clash against St Kilda due to the a bruised lung and fractured rib he suffered against Essendon. But another star Blue is considered a ‘genuine chance’ to make his return.
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Jack Silvagni will join suspended Bomber Zac Merrett on the sidelines this week after he suffered a bruised lung and fractured rib in his clash with the Essendon midfielder.
But Harry McKay is a “genuine chance” to take on the Saints on Thursday night.
The change in fixture - the Blues were to play Saturday but Queensland border restrictions forced a change to Thursday night - has meant McKay will be tested earlier than expected, at Tuesday’s training session.
Carlton footy boss Brad Lloyd said McKay was rated a chance to return from injury to join Mitch McGovern and Levi Casboult in attack.
But Jack Silvagni would have missed regardless of the fixture change after suffering a bruised lung and fractured rib in the clash that saw Essendon midfielder Zach Merrett suspended for a week.
“He would have missed anyway with that type of injury,” Lloyd told RSN radio. “We’d be told by our medical group that he wouldn’t play.”
BIRTHDAY BOY PIE BOOKED IN WITH SURGEON
Jeremy Howe will go under the knife this week to repair his wrecked knee.
The Collingwood star suffered a gruesome injury in Friday night’s loss to GWS, leaving him with injuries to the posterior cruciate and medial ligaments in his knee.
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Howe marked his 30th birthday by meeting with a specialist today to confirm the grim outcome, Collingwood football boss Geoff Walsh lamented.
“It is a bitter pill for him and us to swallow but in terms of certainty of outcome and the nature of the injury surgery is the recommended option,” Walsh said.
“It isn’t possible to be precise about how long Jeremy’s recovery might take but we know it is going to be a matter of months rather than weeks.
“As a highly popular figure and a leader we look forward to seeing him back. I know he is keen to remain involved with the team as he recovers, contributing all that he can.”
Howe said he would not give up hope of making a late-season return.
A PCL blow generally sidelines a player for anywhere from four weeks to three months, with Richmond’s Tom Lynch, Hawk Grant Birchall and Bomber Devon Smith suffering the injury in recent years.
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“There’s plenty of time left in the season so I’m not ruling it out,” Howe said.
“I’m backing the boys. I’ll still play a role throughout the season no doubt and hopefully (I’ll) be back at the business end.
“It’s not ideal but these things happen. I’ve been fortunate over 10 years to have minimal injuries. You get them at times and unfortunately it’s my time now but the boys will continue to play the way they play and I’ll be there supporting them.”
Howe was emerging as a Brownlow Medal contender – especially impressive for a player in his position – and plays a key role in the Pies’ leadership group.
SURGERY FOR BIG CAT STEWART
A little argy-bargy between Geelong and Melbourne gorillas Tom Stewart and Tom McDonald left the All-Australian Cats defender with a fractured collarbone.
The two Toms were involved in what appeared to be low impact bumping midway through the second term of their MCG clash, but Stewart’s right shoulder came off second best.
Geelong football boss Simon Lloyd said the 27-year-old went under the surgeon’s knife Monday afternoon.
“(I) spoke to Tommy today and last night — he’s in good spirits and hopefully he’ll be back at the club in no time,” Lloyd said.
Of the incident, Collingwood legend Brian Taylor initially worried the MRO might look at the incident.
“Tom McDonald initiates a bump and the bang it pops out,” Taylor said on the Seven broadcast.
“Match review, I mean, they’ll look at it.
“For me, that’s just a football incident and no malice intended there at all.
“It will be interesting to see the way the match review look at these things.”
Former Bomber Jobe Watson said Stewart, who played no further part in the match, was “unlucky”.
“Both players (were) bumping each other … it was just part of the game, unfortunately.”
Lachie Henderson is a frontrunner to replace Stewart Australian as the Cats prepare to celebrate Joel Selwood’s 300th and Gary Ablett’s 350th milestone games against Gold Coast.
KEEPING UP WITH JONES
St Kilda recruit Zak Jones looks set to avoid a stint on the sidelines after scans revealed no major damage to his hamstring.
Jones came from the field with hamstring tightness during the Saints’ 26-point win over reigning premiers Richmond at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
The Saints said Jones would likely face a fitness test ahead of Saturday’s clash against Carlton at the MCG.
Saints coach Brett Ratten had been optimistic after the game it was not a serious injury after the team took a cautious approach with his hamstring tightness.
“It’s one of those ones where we thought, ‘if we take the risk and he does do it, he’ll be out for two or three weeks’,” Ratten said.
“If it’s just a bit of tightness and we get it scanned, he could be available for next week.”
St Kilda said there was no concern over fellow recruit Bradley Hill after a second-quarter scare when he rolled an ankle.
LANGDON COULD REPLACE INJURED HOWE
Forgotten defender Tom Langdon looms as a potential replacement for injured Collingwood high-flyer Jeremy Howe as he prepares to take a significant step towards an AFL return next weekend.
Langdon has not played an AFL game since Round 9 last season due to ongoing knee issues and returned to match simulation at training for the first time in 2020 on June 18.
However, the Magpies have been pleased with Langdon’s progress and plan to play him in a scratch-match against Essendon next week along with other players who miss out on AFL selection.
“Tommy’s done a few of our full-ground sessions and is pulling up okay,” Collingwood football boss Geoff Walsh told Fox Footy.
“He hasn’t yet tested it in the match simulations (against other teams).
“But he’s joining in the full training and he’s pulling up okay. So he’s certainly a fair way down the track of getting back to AFL fitness.”
Howe had been the AFL’s top-ranked defender entering Round 4 and has averaged 6.5 marks a game, including 2.5 intercept marks.
During his last full season in 2018, Langdon averaged similar numbers with 5.7 marks a game, including 2.2 intercept marks.
Leading football analyst David King said Langdon, who turned 26 earlier this month, was the ideal replacement for Howe.
“I think Langdon is the man,” King said on Fox Footy.
“Langdon’s the intercept marker, if he can get back. And that’s a big ‘if’.
“How else do you replace a guy who was the top-rated defender in the competition at the moment because of intercept marking?”
Howe had been in All-Australian form in the first four rounds, averaging 21.5 disposals and 120 KFC SuperCoach ranking points.
DAVIS RULED OUT OF HAWKS CLASH
GWS Giants are holding out hope that star defender Zac Williams might be fit to take on Hawthorn next week, but former captain Phil Davis is facing a stint on the sidelines.
Both backline stars suffered hamstring problems in Friday night’s stirring win over Collingwood at Giants Stadium however coach Leon Cameron declared neither was serious.
Williams’ issue has been described as “tightness” while Cameron is also hopeful Davis wouldn’t miss more than a couple of weeks.
“Phil clearly has an incident. Not a big one. But with most hammy’s, it’s a wait and see until tomorrow,” said Cameron.
“Hopefully only a couple of weeks. I thought he was terrific up until he hurt his hammy. He really led the backline. Zac is just more tight and fingers crossed hopefully he’ll be OK, but we didn’t want to take a risk even though we would have liked another man to rotate.
“It’s bigger picture with him. Hopefully we can get him up and ready for next week but we’ll find out in the coming 48 hours.”
DOGS SUFFER DOUBLE BLOW
Aaron Naughton might not return for the Western Bulldogs until late in the home-and-away year after surgery that will likely sideline him two months or more.
The Dogs said Naughton’s ankle injury suffered in a marking contest with Sydney’s Tom Papley had caused a syndesmosis injury to his left ankle.
That high-ankle sprain will see him miss at least six weeks, but Josh Dunkley’s syndesmosis surgery last week has the Dogs estimating he will be out for 6-8 weeks.
It means the Dogs will have to win a stretch of games without their most exciting forward.
Sam Lloyd will have surgery on a broken collarbone after being pushed into the turf by Alir Alir.
The Dogs didn’t give an estimate for his return date but Lachie Whitfield missed six weeks with a broken collarbone last year.
Luke Beveridge’s Dogs have found a way to get back into the season with wins over GWS and Sydney but it has come at a cost.
The Dogs could consider Josh Schache or Tory Dickson but Lewis Young was preferred to them in Round 1 and has been recast as a 197cm marking forward.
The Dogs paid up for St Kilda forward Josh Bruce but he is yet to hit his straps this season, with Beveridge’s side kicking 34, 49, 33 and 67 points in their four games so far.
Dunkley is still sidelined for 5-7 weeks, Easton Wood is out with a quad issue and Lachie Hunter has one more week of internal suspension to serve.
But the Dogs were led brilliantly in a captain’s game by Marcus Bontempelli in the win over Sydney, with Beveridge also thrilled by young ruckman Tim English.
He was soundly beaten in his first two rounds but has bounced back well against Sam Jacobs and Sydney’s ruckmen on Thursday.
“He was out there pretty much the whole game, Tim, tonight,” Beveridge said post-game.
“I thought his ruck work was as impactful as it has been and then his game in the turnover side of things was influential.
“He’s growing all the time.”
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Originally published as AFL Round 4 injuries: Jack Silvagni to miss Carlton’s clash with St Kilda, Harry McKay in the mix to play