AFL Round 15 injury news: Get the latest on who is hurt at your club
Brisbane’s premiership tilt has taken a huge hit after All Australian defender Harris Andrews’ hamstring tear was revealed to be worse than first thought. Get all the latest injury news from around the AFL.
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Brisbane All Australian Harris Andrews will miss six weeks with a severe hamstring injury that puts the Lions’ premiership credentials in doubt.
The Lions confirmed this morning Andrews’ hamstring injury was worse than the medicos had first believed.
It means Brisbane will likely throw one-gamer Jack Payne into the defensive role and while the club is excited about his potential, he is only a baby in football terms.
A six-week recovery would put Andrews back around the semi-finals or preliminary final after he was pushing hard for another All Australian slot.
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Brisbane football boss David Noble told News Corp the Lions believed he had escaped tendon damage, but had a medium-level muscle tear.
“We were able to get him into a scan this morning and it’s medium term. He doesn’t need an operation but he isn’t ruled out for finals,” he said.
“The plan will be to rehabilitate him until we get to the start of finals and then reassess where he’s at.
“We will have a good indication then of where his rehabilitation has got to and our guys have done a good job with guys with hamstrings. Cam Rayner was able to get back early.”
He had won 32 intercept marks and 93 intercept possessions as the Lions’ dominant presence in defence.
Andews had missed only two weeks with a Round 5 hamstring in Round 19 but likely has some tendon damage that will delay his return.
The Lions’ injury list had been thankfully short, with Marcus Adams out long-term with a foot injury but most of the club’s stars on the park.
Brisbane believes Stef Martin (stress fracture) will be a chance to get back through a scratch match as early as Round 18.
“He will be close. He got to good speed in rehab yesterday before our practice match against the combined Collingwood-North Melbourne side,” Noble said.
Payne will likely play ahead of ‘The Recruit’ reality TV show participant Matt Eagles, who continues to play well in the club’s scratch matches.
Eagles played in Round 11 and 12 as a backup in the ruck who also pushed forward but recorded only a single possession in both of those games.
Payne, 20, made his debut in Round 10 against Richmond and recorded nine disposals.
CROWS CONFIRM STAR’S SEASON A WRITE-OFF
Adelaide has ruled out Wayne Milera for the remainder of the season.
Milera, who signed a five-year deal at West Lakes before the COVID-19 shutdown, suffered a stress fracture in his foot in late June and was ruled out for two months.
But the Crows medical department has ruled the 22-year-old out for Adelaide’s last three games of 2020. Crows head of science and medicine Steve Saunders said it was a call with Milera’s long-term future in mind.
“Prior to making the decision to progress him into contact training, Wayne had a CT scan that showed the healing wasn’t quite at the level we’d have liked,” Saunders said.
“While the foot is feeling good, we’re not happy with it structurally, so we’re going to hold him back until next season.
“He’s progressed well clinically, in terms of what he’s able to do … but the scan has shown the bone healing is not at the level. Wayne understands we don’t want to take a risk with him (and) won’t attempt to play again this year.”
Milera will have a standard bone graft to aid his healing.
Stand-in captain Tom Doedee has also been ruled out for the rest of the season after he injured his hamstring last month.
It is touch and go whether young forward Ben Davis will play for the Crows again this season as he recovers from a stress reaction in his foot.
“Ben’s foot is progressing well, he’s started some light running on the anti-gravity boost treadmill today (Thursday),” Saunders said “Ben is touch and go on if he returns to play… it’s most likely he won’t. But we’ll continue the conservative management program we have in place at the moment to assess him on a week-to-week basis.”
Young speedy defender Will Hamill has been cleared to return from a heavy concussion sustained against Melbourne.
Hamill, who has had concussion history as a youngster, will take part in a scratch match with Port Adelaide on Friday and is likely to be available for selection again in Round 17.
Forward Tom Lynch has a similar return timeline to Hamill, and will play against Carlton.
Andrew McPherson could be back in the Crows side for their clash against GWS on Tuesday if he can get through the next few days of training.
Lachlan Murphy hurt his shoulder against Hawthorn but is a good chance of facing the Giants.
HAS BROWN PLAYED HIS LAST GAME FOR ROOS?
North Melbourne forward Ben Brown won’t play again this season after knee surgery.
Brown injured his knee against Geelong in Round 10.
“The swelling’s probably the thing that told us there is maybe something, whether it’s a little flap of cartilage that keeps annoying my knee whenever I try to run, which doesn’t take much to clean up in a surgery room, but it’s something that’s kept me pretty low [volume] in terms of my running,” Brown said.
“Overall I’m disappointed that I’m not going to be able to get back and play this year and help the guys hopefully get a couple of wins but I think we’ve made the right call.
“We just wanted to give it a really good run at trying to come back this year because I’ve been really excited about getting back and hopefully playing a couple of games.
“We sort of had a couple of goes early on in that rehab block of some running and it probably didn’t go that well so we gave it a couple more weeks off.
“I understand now in my chats with the physios and coaches and doctors in particular, that the risk is too high and the potential that I come back and even have a soft tissue injury or something unrelated is just too high at the moment because I haven’t had that load over the last month or so.
“While it’s pretty disappointing I think we’ve made the right call.
“I feel good about where we’re at now and we can just have the surgery and get into our rehab.”
Brown is out of contract at the end of the season and has been at the centre of trade buzz throughout the year.
HEAD KNOCK HISTORY A FACTOR IN EBERT’S FUTURE
– Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Brad Ebert’s history with head knocks will play a part in determining his future at Port Adelaide following this year, Power general manager of football Chris Davies says.
Ebert struggled with concussion symptoms for a sustained period in 2019 and while back to his best for the Power in 2020 the veteran has still suffered some head knocks.
The most recent was against Sydney on Saturday when he clashed heads with Jackson Thurlow.
Ebert is out of contract at the end of this season and in the wake of CTE being identified in St Kilda star Danny Frawley’s brain after his death last year Davies said the Power would be cautious with the Port royalty.
“It’s an interesting one because on one hand you are driven by the medical staff who have a duty to ensure that a player is healthy before they come back onto the field or come back to play,” he said.
“And discussions will have to be had with someone like brad who unfortunately puts his head into spots that not too many other players are able to do and it is a testament to his courage that he continues to find himself in those situations.
“But I know Brad is mindful about that as well, what we do have is the remainder of this season to work through these things.”
Before the COVID-19 shutdown talks between Port and Ebert’s manager were parked so the Power veteran could focus on getting some games under his belt in 2020 after his concussion and knee injury-cruelled 2019.
MAYNE A ‘SORE BOY’, BUT ALREADY PLOTTING RETURN
Nathan Buckley has revealed Chris Mayne has already told the Magpies coach “he’ll be right to go pretty soon” despite surgery rendering him unable to sleep on his right side.
Buckley said Mayne remained a “sore boy” after surgery to repair a fractured cheekbone following his brutal collision with Carlton star Patrick Cripps in the Magpies’ win over the Blues on Sunday.
In an act Buckley said had inspired his teammates for putting his body on the line, Mayne was felled in a bone-jarring clash with Cripps in the final quarter as both pursued the ball.
The collision is expected to sideline the courageous Pie until the finals, but Buckley said the midfielder was already plotting a swift return.
“Mayney is a sore boy,” Buckley said on Wednesday.
“He can be a finicky type at the best of times and he needs to be looked after at the moment. “He can’t be sleeping on the right side of his face at the moment, it’s tender to touch and looks pretty sore.
“The point of the shoulder got him right on the cheekbone. It is going to take a little bit of time for that swelling to settle.
“His teammates loved the fact that he is on the spot all the time and it’s just one of those things that happens in football and we’ll give him time to rest and recuperate. He did say to me a couple of hours ago that he’ll be right to go pretty soon, but we’ll give him that time.”
Mayne’s facial hit added to an injury list which already includes stars Jordan De Goey, Adam Treloar and Jeremy Howe as they prepare to face the third-placed Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Friday night.
Despite the absences, Buckley felt the Magpies were in the strongest position they had been in all season after grinding through “significant” challenges after leaving Victoria for hub life.
“We’ve ground out a period where we were struggling on the field and it was probably reflective of some challenges we had off the field,” Buckley said.
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“Sometimes it’s form, sometimes it’s not knowing what 2021 looks like. We have dealt with a lot of what might seem like small issues, but when you add them all up they are significant.
“I think we are as good a nick as we’ve been this year to be honest.
“We have got quite a healthy squad at the moment, some boys that have been out and haven’t been able to contribute as much on field but are starting to get to the tailend of their rehabs and I am talking about (Brayden) Sier, (Ben) Reid, De Goey, Treloar, those guys are potentially be able to impact over the next month at different stages.”
Buckley said the Magpies had not yet settled on a replacement for Mayne to face the Lions, who he expected to provide a strong test of the team’s progress.
“We know we will be challenged and tested by a really good side,” Buckley said.
“We think that we are heading in the right directions and we are really happy with how our game is coming together.”
HANNERS HOPING FOR MIRACLE RETURN
St Kilda midfielder Dan Hannebery remains hopeful of playing finals football after hamstring surgery in July.
Hannebery – complete with black face mask – flew to the gold Coast yesterday alongside teammate Jade Gresham.
Saints assistant coach Jarryd Roughead is also on the flight with wife Sarah, daughter Pippa and new born son Will.
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“I’m not too far away – I’ve been fully running now for about two or three weeks,” Hannebery said.
“I did a massive session yesterday and I start skills with Rough for a couple of weeks in the hub, which will be good.
“There’ll be a few handy players up there to help through training as well, so there’ll be three or four of us … before we get back to our respective clubs.
“Hopefully by then, I’m ready to join in main training for a couple of weeks and then if the boys can hopefully keep winning, then you never know.
“There’s no certainties, but I’m going to give it every chance and it’s my best shot to get back, and I’m feeling really good at the moment, so that’s a positive.”
STAR MAGPIE EDGING CLOSER
Collingwood says star Jordan De Goey is “not too far away” from making his return from a finger injury in a big pre-finals boost for the Magpies.
The explosive midfielder-forward has not played since booting five matchwinning goals in his side’s Round 7 win over Geelong.
Magpies football manager Geoff Walsh said on Tuesday that De Goey – who underwent surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his finger – is getting closer towards rejoining the side.
“Jordan is starting to join in, albeit one-handed, in some of the footy drills,” Walsh told the club’s website.
“We’re getting some protective equipment made for him and approved by the AFL, so that signals he’s not too far away.
“I would hope around Round 16 around the bye week that he’d be ready to resume some significant contact work, so that’s great for Jordy.”
Wingman Chris Mayne has undergone cheekbone surgery following his brutal collision with Blues star Patrick Cripps on Sunday.
Although, Mayne was confident Mayne would return this season.
“Albeit it’s a fairly significant injury no doubt, (but) with the number of weeks to go and if we can push strongly for a finals campaign, we’ll see Mayney has time to get back before the season closes,” Walsh said.
Veteran Ben Reid (hamstring) is likely to be declared available for selection this week, while midfielder Levi Greenwood is a “better than even money chance” of also being passed fit after pulling up sore from his return game against North Melbourne.
Flynn Appleby is expected to miss three weeks with a hamstring injury.
DOUBLE BLOW FOR DOGS
The Western Bulldogs’ uphill battle to make the finals has become even tougher after losing Laitham Vandermeer and Easton Wood to hamstring injuries for extended periods.
Both players suffered the setbacks in the Bulldogs’ 11-point loss to Geelong at Metricon Stadium on Friday night and did not play in the second half.
While second-year speedster Vandermeer’s injury is expected to sideline him for six weeks, Wood’s is low grade and he will miss up to three, leaving him in line for a possible return for the last minor round game against Fremantle.
The Bulldogs, who are 10th with a 7-7 record, have the bye this round before facing West Coast in a must-win clash at Metricon on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps and key defender Jacob Weitering will need to pass fitness tests to play in the club’s crunch match against GWS on Thursday night.
Cripps (knee) and Weitering (calf) both played out Sunday’s loss to Collingwood but Blues high-performance director Andrew Russell said they needed to be cleared due to the short turnaround.
“(Cripps) has got no structural damage, which is great,” Russell said.
“We’ll see how he comes up later in the week.
“Weiters’ had a calf knock. I think he’s a pretty strong chance of playing.”
Russell said Mitch McGovern, who last played in Round 8 due to a hamstring injury, would be available.
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Originally published as AFL Round 15 injury news: Get the latest on who is hurt at your club