All Australian defender Rory Laird wants to keep playing despite hand fracture

WHY Rory Laird could still play against Fremantle on Sunday despite suffering a broken hand in the Crows’ loss to GWS.

Rory Laird fends off a tackle against GWS. Picture: David Mariuz/AAP

ALL Australian defender Rory Laird is hopeful of defying expectations and playing against Fremantle in Perth this weekend despite having a broken hand.

Coach Don Pyke is confident veteran Richard Douglas will recover from having his eye poked but is also hoping to include Laird, the likely leader of the club’s best and fairest count, at Perth Stadium on Sunday.

The reason Laird could play so soon after his fracture is that he has not required any pins or screws to put the bones of his hand back in the right places.

“As I understand it, it’s not displaced,” Pyke said. “So it’s not like he’s got a crack that requires setting. Sometimes you need to pin them.

“It’s just a crack. With some people you can play with those in a week.

“It just depends on how sore they are and how it affects either your ball handling or your ability to do what the game requires; what you do in a tackle space or in a spoil space.

“He’s had a fantastic year. He’s probably been our most consistent performer.

“Fingers crossed that he gets up.”

Douglas, who is another Crow who has played consistently well this season, is another one under an injury cloud.

But Pyke said all the early indications was that he would be fit for selection.

“‘Dougie’ with his eye is in reasonable shape,” Pyke said.

“The report that came back from the specialist indicated that he looks more likely than unlikely and Rory with his hand — that’s really just a matter of how comfortable he can get.”

The wait on Laird comes as Pyke is ready to hand the matchday captaincy to Matt Crouch with stand-in skipper Tom Lynch expected to miss the match against Fremantle with a side strain.

As the injury curse continues at West Lakes he will take the role with captain Taylor Walker a slight chance of returning next week and vice-captain Rory Sloane not expected back until after the bye.

Pyke said the extra responsibility would give Crouch a chance to take his leadership to another level.

“If Tom’s out it leaves the last remaining man of our leadership group, Matty Crouch,” Pyke said.

“And it’s an opportunity for Matt.

“He’s come into the leadership group this year as a young man who we know has got leadership capabilities and has already shown that at our footy club.

“So if that was the case (Lynch missing) it will be Matt and he will be ably supported by who have previously been in our leadership group.

“I think Matt’s in there for a reason and we’ve put him in there on the basis that he wants to develop his leadership.

“Here’s an opportunity for him to actually do that.”

Originally published as All Australian defender Rory Laird wants to keep playing despite hand fracture