AFL finals injuries 2021: How is your team’s injury list looking heading into the prelim finals
Defender Joel Smith is set to miss but the Demons can get flexible if they advance into a grand final.
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Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin says he has to weigh up his “risk appetite” when it comes to preliminary final selection as Jayden Hunt presses for a recall against Geelong on Friday night.
Confirming defender Joel Smith had suffered a “minor” hamstring injury at training, Goodwin outlined his selection options for the showdown with the Cats, with progression to the Grand Final up for grabs.
Hunt, who played every game in 2021 before suffering an ankle injury against West Coast in round 21, has recovered from the subsequent surgery.
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Veteran Michael Hibberd has been suggested as the likely replacement for Smith, who could be fit should the Demons progress to the decider, but Goodwin said Hunt was “in the mindset” of being available for selection.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE INJURY LISTS FOR THE FOUR REMAINING FINALS CLUBS
Match simulation at training is the only form guide to pick players who haven’t seen action for some time, including Hibberd and the likes of former captain Nathan Jones.
Goodwin will name his team at 6pm on Thursday night, but conceded it was not straightforward because there was “no coming back” from Friday’s game which will end one team’s season.
“The decision will come down to what our risk appetite is like,” Goodwin said on Thursday morning from Perth.
“We’ve got a lot of guys pressing for selection and Jayden is one of them. He’s in the mindset of being available for selection and being able to press his case. We’ve got some decisions to make.
“We have got training form and some match simulation and form of guys before we left (for Perth).
“Jake Melksham, Michael Hibberd, Nathan Jones, James Jordon are all putting their case forward. We’ve got a lot of guys and a lot of those guys are experienced and understand the demands of AFL footy so that puts us in a pretty good position.”
Goodwin said the selection decision would be “calculated” and only geared around beating Geelong
“We’re at the pointy end of the year. You need to make calculated decisions, but there’s not coming back,” he said.
“We need to perform strongly to win games of footy, we are at that sudden death stage of footy. We’ll be really calculated and do what’s best for the team.”
The Demons won the minor premiership and are seeking Grand Final glory for the first time since 1964.
But Goodwin said his players had “embraced” their opportunity rather than feel the pressure of expectation.
“There’s pressure on everyone,” he said.
“If you look at history and circumstances of all teams still in the running there is pressure on every side for a variety of reasons.
“Our pressure comes because we haven’t won it for such a long period of time. We think we have worked to create an opportunity to put our best on show, that’s the way we are looking at it.
“We want to embrace that past, we want to make sure we respect the opportunity in front of us and go after it.
“That’s what the players have been brilliant at all year. They have been able to reset themselves and been able to understand the importance of staying in the moment and it’s no different now.
“Just because it’s closer, that doesn’t change our thought process.”
Dee injury pain could be vet’s fairytale
Veteran Melbourne defender Michael Hibberd could have a fairytale finish to his career as he prepares for a likely preliminary final return on Friday night.
A major “question mark” has emerged over the fitness of fellow backman Joel Smith, who hurt his hamstring during the Demons’ main training session of the week on Tuesday.
The injury-prone Smith has featured in Melbourne’s past three matches, including in the side’s 33-point qualifying final win over Brisbane where he spent time on Lions small forward Charlie Cameron.
The Demons are yet to rule Smith out of their preliminary final clash with Geelong, but have admitted he is under a major cloud.
“I do know that they’ll be looking at Smithy’s leg,” Melbourne chief executive Gary Pert said on SEN radio on Wednesday.
“At this stage, it’s still pretty early in the week. They’ll just have to look at him and see if it settles down and we’ll see how it plays out but we don’t have a view either way.
“The good thing is he’s the only one with a question mark at the moment. Everyone else is fighting fit and ready to go.”
Hibberd has impressed on the track in recent weeks and shapes as an ideal replacement for Smith, after missing the cut for the qualifying final where he was listed as an emergency.
Hibberd played 14 consecutive games in the middle part of the season, averaging 14.1 disposals, 3.2 rebound 50s and 247 metres gained.
However, he was dropped after Round 19 and has played just one senior game since — against Adelaide in Round 22 — before being axed again.
Hibberd turns 32 next January and remains without a contract for next season, meaning he could now finish his career with a premiership if he is recalled and the Demons can win two more games.
The former Essendon defender featured in all three finals during Melbourne’s 2018 campaign and also played in one elimination final with the Bombers in 2014, across what has been a 171-game AFL career.
Fellow Melbourne defender Jayden Hunt is also set to come into consideration for Friday night’s clash after completing training on Tuesday.
The speedster had played all 21 games this season before suffering an ankle injury that has sidelined him for the past three matches.
“I think he’s a serious chance,” Melbourne vice-captain Jack Viney said on Tuesday when asked if Hunt would return.
“I guess it’s now up to the match committee to determine whether they think he’s ready to roll.
STAR CAT STEWART MAKES CASE FOR SHOCK RETURN
Geelong defender Mark O’Connor is eyeing a return for the grand final while Tom Stewart “pulled up well” as he steps towards a miracle return.
A hamstring strain he picked up in Geelong’s bitter 43-point qualifying final defeat threatened to end O’Connor’s season.
But while midfielder Brandan Parfitt (hamstring) was ruled out of the rest of the finals this week, O’Connor’s chances of playing in the season decider if the Cats make it picked up speed.
He completed a long running session in Perth over the weekend and Geelong footy boss Simon Lloyd said the Cats will make a call on his chances next week, if they defeat Melbourne on Friday night.
With a bye weekend set between the preliminary finals and the grand final, O’Connor would play 29 days after the injury occurred if he returned.
“(O’Connor) is really making good progress with his volume and speed,” Lloyd said.
While respected sports physician Dr Peter Larkins has warned against Stewart pushing himself for a return from a Lisfranc foot injury, the All-Australian continues to stay ahead of schedule.
He had been reduced to walking up and down stairs but picked up speed over the weekend and completed straight line running and some kicking.
Lloyd said the defender “pulled up well”.
A return for the September 25 grand final would be a remarkable comeback for Stewart.
Larkins told the Geelong Addy of his concerns last month and Geelong coach Chris Scott said the club was making sure there would be no long-term issues with Stewart’s foot before he ramped up his running.
“We needed to be really clear as a club that we weren’t going to put his long-term future at risk by rushing him back for a final,” Scott said after Friday night’s semi-final win over GWS.
“If he makes really good progress and the medical staff are clear that the risk is very low then we are open to the possibility (of him playing).”
Both Geelong and Melbourne held main training sessions on Perth Stadium on Tuesday and the Cats will return to the venue for a captain’s run on Thursday.
It comes as Melbourne’s Jayden Hunt threw his hand up for selection by completing a full training session with the Demons in Perth on Tuesday.
“I think he’s a serious chance,” teammate Jack Viney said of Hunt returning to the side for Friday night’s clash against Geelong.
“He fully trained today. So I guess it’s now up to the match committee to determine whether they think he’s ready to roll.”
If coach Simon Goodwin took a chance on Hunt it would likely be at the expense of Joel Smith or Jake Bowey, pushing club great Nathan Jones further down the pecking order.
Dogs legend: We don’t need Bont to beat Power
Bulldogs legend Doug Hawkins wants coach Luke Beveridge to pick Marcus Bontempelli as a stay-at-home forward if he’s not at full fitness for Saturday night’s preliminary final.
The Dogs on Monday ruled out lively forward Cody Weightman (concussion) but left the door ajar for Bontempelli to face Port Adelaide despite him dealing with a knee issue.
“The bloke’s a superstar – he’s arguably the best player in the competition and obviously the captain as well,” Hawkins told the Herald Sun.
“If he’s on one leg, I’d play him in the goalsquare next to (Aaron) Naughton, or next to (Tim) English and play Naughton up the ground.”
In an effort to highlight Bontempelli’s importance, Hawkins even quipped: “If his leg’s amputated, he can start on the bench and come on once the pace is out of the game.”
But the 350-gamer more seriously was adamant the Western Bulldogs could upset the Power even without Bontempelli.
“One hundred per cent, they can,” Hawkins said.
“They love doing it hard and they’ve done it hard again; obviously flying from Brisbane to quarantine (this week) in Joondalup in Western Australia, then going to play down in Adelaide.
“The Bulldogs love that stuff. They have (Tom) Liberatore, Bailey Smith, the boy (Jack) Macrae is an absolute champion, then blokes like (Lachie) Hunter and that floating around doing their job.
“The backline’s really steady. (Alex) Keath’s last couple of weeks were great. He beat (Peter) Wright hands down, then did the same job on (Joe) Daniher, and he’ll play on Charlie Dixon.”
Jason Johannisen replaced Weightman in the one-point semi-final triumph over Brisbane, and Hawkins backed him to retain his spot over unrestricted free agent Mitch Wallis.
Ed Richards (shoulder) and Hayden Crozier (concussion) could also enter the selection frame after recovering from respective injuries.
“Johannisen came on at the weekend and was OK — he kicked a goal and set one up,” he said.
“He looked dangerous when he was fresh and the game was starting to get a bit slower.”
Hawkins is backing the two preliminary final underdogs, the Cats and Bulldogs, to advance to the grand final, which will be played at Perth Stadium on September 26.
“There’s no doubt the Bulldogs can go all the way. I have this gut feeling it’s going to rain Cats and Dogs,” he said.
“The Cats are going nicely and Melbourne’s had that break and there’s a lot of pressure on them, with the memories of being smashed on that ground a few years ago.
“But the Dogs need to start well against Port in Adelaide, because if you give them a sniff that crowd gets going and it becomes a very uncomfortable environment.”
Even if Bontempelli loses his race against the clock, Bulldogs defender Taylor Duryea said the side was confident it could get the job done at Adelaide Oval.
“We feel like we’ve got enough depth to cover anyone,” Duryea said.
“You never want to lose or be without your star players and your captain, that’s for sure.
“(But) I don’t think if we were without ‘Bont’ this weekend that we would feel that we aren’t up to the challenge or that our midfield can’t get the job done.
Duryea said Bontempelli was “still sore” on Monday, but the club would wait until later in the week to make a call on his fitness.
“He was limping around, he’s trying to get some sympathy from everyone,” Duryea said with a smile.
“Naturally, he’s sore, it’s only two days post-game.”
Dogs confirm Cody out
Elimination final hero Cody Weightman won’t be part of the Western Bulldogs’ bid to make their first grand final since the 2016 premiership.
But the Bulldogs are holding out hope that superstar captain Marcus Bontempelli (knee) will be fit to face Port Adelaide in the clubs’ preliminary final clash.
Bontempelli last missed a match through injury in Round 18, 2018, so he’s proven remarkably durable for Luke Beveridge’s team.
Weightman was subbed out at halftime of Saturday night’s semi-final defeat of Brisbane after a collision with Lions defender Marcus Adams, but it was only termed a head knock at that stage.
Subsequent testing confirmed the 20-year-old forward was suffering from “low-level concussion symptoms”, the Dogs’ head of sports medicine Chris Bell said.
Weightman will have to negotiate the AFL’s 12-day concussion protocols to be any chance of playing in next week’s grand final, assuming the Bulldogs progress.
“He won’t play this week, but we’ll monitor Cody in the next couple of days to determine his availability,” Bell said.
The news is better for Brownlow Medal favourite Bontempelli, who will be tested throughout the week after landing awkwardly in the dying minutes of the Brisbane victory.
Scans cleared him of any serious structural damage, but Bell said he was dealing with “some symptoms related to the injury”.
Bontempelli himself said post-match he should be fit to play against the Power after positive initial tests, but Beveridge was more guarded with his expectations.
“He just copped a knock to the back of his knee,” Beveridge said.
“It’s difficult to know the extent of any injury. He’s obviously a little bit sore, but we’ll have a little bit of time before we can assess it.”
Melbourne: Hunt joins traffic jam for prelim selection
Melbourne speedster Jayden Hunt will need to prove his fitness at training on Tuesday as he pushes to be considered for a preliminary final recall against Geelong.
Hunt has missed the Demons’ past three games with an ankle injury but has been working his way back to fitness.
The rebounding defender completed only limited training on Friday when Melbourne hit the track at West Coast’s training base in Perth.
However, he remains in the mix to be considered for selection if he trains strongly this week.
Hunt had played the first 20 games of the season for the Demons, averaging 13.7 disposals, 3.2 marks and 2.3 rebound 50s.
The Demons will be faced with a selection squeeze ahead of Friday night’s clash, with only three other players on their injury list.
Adam Tomlinson (knee), Aaron Nietschke (knee) and Marty Hore (knee) have all been ruled out for the season.
James Jordon was the non-playing medical substitute in a 33-point qualifying final win over Brisbane, while veterans Nathan Jones, Michael Hibberd and Jake Melksham were all emergencies for that clash.
Jones’ wife, Jerri, is due to give birth to twins in Melbourne in coming weeks, but the former Demons captain remains in Perth given he is on the cusp of selection.
Geelong will need to make at least one change to its team which toppled Greater Western Sydney by 35 points on Friday night after midfielder Brandan Parfitt went down with a hamstring injury in that match.
Zach Guthrie replaced Parfitt as the medical substitute and could come into the starting 22.
But the injury could also open the door for a return for veteran midfielder Shaun Higgins, who was one of three other emergencies alongside Sam Simpson and Darcy Fort.
Higgins has been carefully managed over the past month and played as a medical substitute in both Round 23 and the Cats’ first final against Port Adelaide.
CLUB BY CLUB INJURY LIST
GEELONG
Parfitt is a big loss after being subbed out early in the Cats semi-final victory over the GWS Giants with a hamstring injury. His likely replacement will come from either Quinton Narkle, Sam Simpson, Shaun Higgins or veteran Luke Dahlhaus who was dropped for the first time this year against the Giants. O’Connor might be a chance should the Cats progress while Stewart is still holding out a very slim hope of returning for the Grand Final if his team is still alive.
INJURY LIST
Brandan Parfitt (hamstring) season
Mark O’Connor (hamstring) 1-2 weeks
Tom Stewart (foot) Indefinite
Cooper Stephens (ankle) TBC
Cameron Taheny (hamstring) TBC
MELBOURNE
The Demons had no injury issues out of their qualifying final and are in a very good spot when it comes to availability heading into their preliminary final clash with the Cats. Jayden Hunt has missed the past three games but is working his way back into training and will be considered if he gets through the club’s main training session of the week on Tuesday. Hunt had played the first 20 games of the season before being sidelined with the injury. A return for the speedy rebounding defender could squeeze impressive teenager Jake Bowey out of the side. A Rising Star nominee, Bowey has played the past five games in his debut season.
INJURY LIST
Jayden Hunt (ankle) test
Marty Hore (knee) season
Aaron Nietschke (knee) season
Adam Tomlinson (knee) season
PORT ADELAIDE
The Power have a wealth of options after a number of AFL-listed players got through the SANFL on the weekend. This includes Mitch Georgiades, who missed the qualifying final win over Geelong, and Hamish Hartlett, who played his first game since having minor knee surgery. Sam Powell-Pepper started strongly in the SANFL and suffered a corked quad but the club is confident he will be fine. Orazio Fantasia joined teammates for a light run on Monday. So could the Power’s main decision come down to whether it is Georgiades or Todd Marshall?
INJURY LIST
Trent Burgoyne (hamstring) season
Kane Farrell (knee) season
Taj Schofield (hamstring) season
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Cody Weightman is out of Saturday night’s preliminary final against Port Adelaide, and captain Marcus Bontempelli is no certainty to play either. Jason Johannisen replaced Weightman at the weekend as the medi-sub, but there are several options in contention. Mitch Wallis and Anthony Scott were emergencies, while Ed Richards (shoulder) and Hayden Crozier (concussion) are fit again. Zaine Cordy, a late withdrawal a fortnight ago with illness, could be recalled to help counter the Power’s tall forward line.
INJURY LIST
Marcus Bontempelli (knee) test
Josh Bruce (knee) season
Toby McLean (knee) season
Cody Weightman (concussion) TBC
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Originally published as AFL finals injuries 2021: How is your team’s injury list looking heading into the prelim finals
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