By Andrew Wu and Scott Spits
In today’s AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Blues name debutant as McKay’s absence continues.
- Richmond won’t appeal Mansell’s three-match ban.
- Goodwin puts heat on Bayley Fritsch.
Andrew Wu
Carlton forward Harry McKay was absent from training on Wednesday and was not named to play in the Blues’ blockbuster game against Collingwood.
McKay played in an intraclub scratch match on the weekend and trained with the main group on Tuesday but was not among the 26 players who took part in a light session at IKON Park.
Harry McKay did not train with Carlton’s main group on Wednesday.Credit: Getty Images
The Blues made three changes to their side for Thursday night’s match at the MCG, with Ashton Moir, Cooper Lord and debutante Will White coming in while Matthew Cottrell, Jordan Boyd and Francis Evans were left out.
The Magpies made two changes with Billy Frampton and Brody Mihocek coming in at the expense of Reef McInnes and Mason Cox.
Blues coach Michael Voss refused to give an update on McKay’s progress at his weekly press pregame press conference.
Carlton coach Michael Voss speaking to the media on Wednesday.Credit: Getty Images
“[I] probably won’t go into the ‘H’ stuff,” Voss said. “The important thing for us is we don’t go into the dialogue weekly about where he’s at. I think we’ve been pretty sound on our position as a club that when he’s named in the team he’ll be ready to go.
“When we get to the point that he’s named you’ll just know that he’s ready to go.
“As an industry we’ve been really supportive. For us, that’s where we need to stay right now. As you can appreciate, if I’m standing up here every week and I’m answering that question I don’t think we’re fulfilling what we’d like to be.”
McKay’s likely absence means the Blues will again need to play defender Lewis Young in attack, a role he thrived in last week with two goals against the Western Bulldogs.
Running machine Cottrell was also absent from training, but Voss said forward Zac Williams, subbed out against the Dogs, will play if he pulled up well from Tuesday’s session.
Speedy forward White will make his debut about five weeks after he became the final player added to the senior list as a preseason supplementary pick. His opening came after a season-ending injury to No.3 pick Jagga Smith.
“He elevated himself, to be fair,” Voss said. “It was a bit unexpected to see him come through and find himself on a list. He’s got some speed. His presence and zippiness will be something we want on the ground. He’s a great runner and will bring that speed as well. If he touches it, you’ll know.
“He’s full of life, full of energy, I imagine he’ll be pretty excited. We’ll try and make it as normal as possible for him but let’s be honest it’s going to be very different for him.”
Forward Elijah Hollands will make his return for the Blues in the VFL this weekend, Voss confirmed, after taking leave for personal reasons. His comeback to the senior side will then depend on his performance, Voss said.
With Roy Ward
No malice to Mansell’s push, Yze says
Scott Spits
Richmond coach Adem Yze is frustrated one of his players was hit with a hefty three-game ban for pushing an opponent into a marking contest, but the Tigers will not appeal the suspension after the AFL tribunal rejected each of their arguments for challenging the rough conduct charge.
The incident involving O’Connell and Rhyan Mansell.Credit: Fox Footy
The tribunal found Rhyan Mansell breached his duty of care towards Saint Liam O’Connell. “The force of the push is a significant factor,” tribunal chairman Jeff Gleeson, KC, said. “It went well beyond what a reasonable player could consider prudent in the circumstances.”
Yze maintained there was no malice to Mansell’s action, which caused O’Connell to be concussed, and said it was an ongoing challenge to coach players correct techniques, given that Australian rules is inherently “combative”.
“We’ve got to be really careful on how we coach our players. It’s a brutal game. It’s a tough game,” Yze said on Wednesday ahead of Richmond’s clash with the Brisbane Lions.
“We’re coming up against the number one contested team in the comp – last year’s premiers – and if we’re thinking about how not to put on body contact, or how not to be combative, that’s really hard to coach.”
Mansell told the tribunal he was adamant he was not aware of how close teammate Tom Lynch and St Kilda’s Anthony Caminiti were to him when he broke clear of O’Connell by pushing him away – an action that caused the Saint to collide with Lynch.
“It’s when we gain separation that I first see them [Lynch and his opponent],” Mansell said.
The incident followed an AFL memo last month that warned players against pushing opponents into marking contests after a spate of similar incidents.
Yze thought a one-game ban for Mansell would have been more suitable.
“If you think about the landscape, the most frustrating part is that it’s three weeks or zero,” Yze said.
“You look at it and go ‘an act like that – can it be one [week]?’
“And you probably go that’s OK. But when it’s as severe as three, it sounds like there’s a lot of malice in it.”
Yze wants more clarity about players should approach their forward craft.
“The hardest thing is he [Mansell] would probably do it again if we were training out here today, and he’s in that same situation where someone’s holding him and he wants to get access to wherever the ball is landing,” Yze said.
“That’s part of forward craft, so we’ve just got to make sure we can coach them through that now and get that real clear understanding of what they can and can’t do.”
Goodwin demands strong response from Dees
AAP
Coach Simon Goodwin has warned of ongoing player demotions and spoken of a “strong” team review as Melbourne try to jump-start their misfiring AFL season.
Simon Goodwin is searching for Melbourne’s first win of the season.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
After a tumultuous off-season and much talk of regeneration, the Demons are in a hole with three losses to open the season.
They were competitive against GWS, but were smacked by North Melbourne and Gold Coast. Their next assignment is on Friday against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium – one of the game’s toughest away assignments.
It looms as a crossroads moment for Goodwin and his players.
As much as Melbourne have suffered some dreadful losses in Geelong, their last win there four years ago was a watershed moment on the way to that season’s premiership.
Bayley Fritsch has struggled to recapture his best form this season.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Asked about the below-par form of Bayley Fritsch, Goodwin said the forward was among several senior players who had to lift.
In the same breath, the Demons coach said a VFL spell awaited players who do not rally.
“He didn’t take his opportunities and dropped a few marks he should have taken. There were some steps forward on the weekend,” Goodwin said of Fritsch.
“As a collective, we have too many guys who aren’t quite in the form that they need to be and Bayley certainly puts his hand up to be one of those.
“We have put some guys back to the VFL in recent times, like Daniel Turner and Harvey Langford, to get in some really strong form – with some success.
“We might have to do that with a few others in time.”
Goodwin added no punches had been pulled in their review of a poor performance on the weekend against the Suns.
“It was a strong review, it needed to be. Clearly we’re not playing to the standards or expectations that we believe we’re capable of,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge of playing down in Geelong against a really strong footy club and getting to work.”
Kozzy Pickett will return from suspension and Caleb Windsor will also be back, but Jake Lever remains in doubt as he recovers from an ankle injury.
Xavier Lindsay has pulled up well from his knee injury suffered against Gold Coast, with Goodwin expecting him to be out for one or two weeks.
Meanwhile, Goodwin is pleased that defender Joel Smith wants to attempt an AFL comeback once his four-year doping ban ends.
Smith has spoken this week about the toll of his ban and wants to try a comeback, but he will be in his 30s.
“Clearly it wouldn’t be here (for Melbourne), but at 31 you still have some footy ahead of you,” Goodwin said.
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