AFL 2024: All the latest injury and selection news from the Crows and Power

Port Adelaide have made a call on whether Connor Rozee will face Hawthorn on Sunday. Plus there’s only one winner in the battle for selection between Jordon Sweet and Dante Visentini.

Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee will not face Hawthorn on Sunday despite successfully getting through training on Friday, as the Power opt “for a conservative approach to his recovery” from a hamstring injury.

Rozee was named in the Power’s starting side to take on Hawthorn on Sunday, after he missed out on the big win over Geelong with a hamstring injury.

That came after he tried to play in the Showdown loss to fierce rivals Adelaide, despite a six-day turnaround from when he originally injured his hamstring against St Kilda the previous week.

A clearly hampered Rozee was subbed out at three-quarter-time against the Crows, with the Power coming in for criticism for risking its star skipper.

Connor Rozee has been named. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Rozee trained at Alberton on Friday and got through the session.

But on Friday afternoon the Power announced that he would be withdrawn from the team to take on the Hawks on Sunday.

“(Rozee) successfully got through training on Friday, however the club has opted for a conservative approach to his recovery,” the club said.

Before training Hinkley said if there was any doubt then Rozee would not play.

“If there is any doubt at all, he won’t play if there is no doubt he will play,” he said.

Hinkley said the Power had been “as thorough and as detailed” as it could be with Rozee’s recovery.

“The right thing to do is if Connor is right to play, and we have a really strong history of being to manage people in these situations - yes we made a mistake last time but that is not going to scare us away from what we should be doing,” he said.

We have been as thorough and as detailed as you would imagine we could possibly be in making sure that we don’t run the risk of Connor re-hurting himself.

“The reality of that is whenever you bring someone back from a soft-tissue injury there is always a risk.”

Before the decision to withdraw Rozee from the clash against the Hawks, Hinkley conceded that the Power would again cop criticism if its star captain returned and immediately was injured again.

“There is heat in this game every week, it is just a different heat and yes that would be something that you consider but it is something that won’t influence the decision making,” he said.

“If he doesn’t play this week and then plays next week and does something is that then too soon? Everyone has a question after the event... we have great faith that we will do the right thing that will get Connor through his next game of football and many more to come.”

It means there is just the one change to the Power’s side from the one that beat Geelong with wingman Jase Burgoyne overcoming his minor groin strain to replace Francis Evans.

While he recovered from his illness, ruckman Jordon Sweet will not return to the side with youngster Dante Visentini keeping his spot after his performance against the Cats.

Jordon Sweet is out again. Picture: Getty Images

Young star Jason Horne-Francis was wearing a pink non-contact hat and at times on Friday was doing running away from the main group after he copped a corkie against the Cats.

But he is still in the team to take on the Hawks.

The win over the Cats was the Power’s first win in Geelong since 2007.

Hinkley said Port had quickly turned its attention to Hawthorn.

“We certainly acknowledge that it was a big moment for us because we haven’t been able to do it for a long time,” he said.

“But the reality is once you are back in on Monday you know the dangers again, it is such a tough competition you can’t spend any time in the past or in the future you just have to stay here.”

CROWS GO SMALL AGAINST PIES

Adelaide has dropped top draftee Dan Curtin and decided to go small to replace Josh Worrell.

Crows senior coach Matthew Nicks had hinted that Curtin would not take on Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday, after he was subbed out at half-time against Brisbane on Sunday, and the No. 8 draft pick has been dropped from Adelaide side to take on the Magpies.

Adelaide, who will go by the name Kuwarna for Sir Doug Nicholls Round, will bring in Will Hamill and Lachie Murphy to the side that drew with the Lions.

Curtin and Worrell, who is out for up to three months after he had surgery on his broken wrist he suffered against the Lions, come out of the side.

Luke Nankervis, who was the sub last week, comes into the starting side.

Crows head of footy Adam Kelly said Hamill and Murphy had played well at SANFL level.

“Will has been rock solid across the opening Rounds of the season, which has included three games at AFL level,” Kelly said

“His diligence and commitment to his role and to doing what is in the best interests of the team continue to be a strength.

“Following on from a knee injury in Round Three of the AFL, Murph now has three SANFL games under his belt and has built his form nicely.

“He was really clean and impactful last week (in the SANFL) and will come in to play the type of role that has led to the universal appreciation he has earned from his teammates and coaches.”

CROW’S ‘BIG MILESTONE’ IN RECOVERY

Adelaide key forward Riley Thilthorpe will start running this week as he takes a step forward in his return from knee surgery.

The young gun had surgery on his knee after suffering a torn lateral meniscus in the Crows final pre-season hitout against West Coast.

He is still listed as being up to two months away from returning to action, but will cross off a big milestone in his recovery this week.

“Riley will jump on the Alter-G treadmill this week which is a treadmill which takes a bit of weight off his body,” Crows high performance manager Darren Burgess said.

“So that’s pleasing that he’s starting to run and then he will work through the progressions from there.

“He’s making great progress, he’s done everything that we’ve asked and he’s certainly put on some lean mass so people will be excited to see the shape that he comes back in.”

It comes as young defender Josh Worrell spends the next week at home as he recovers from surgery on a fractured arm.

Thilthorpe has not played a game this season. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

Worrell broke both bones of his left forearm after he was injured in a tackle in Sunday’s draw with Brisbane.

He had surgery on Monday and is now facing up to three months on the sidelines.

Burgess said despite this Worrell was in good spirits.

“I’ve spoken with Josh this week and he’s feeling surprisingly good considering it was a pretty serious fracture,” Burgess said.

“It’s very much a football injury, everyone saw the tackle, it’s a high-risk sport and unfortunately Josh was the victim of an unfortunate incident.

“He’s had successful surgery and they’ve used some screws and plates to repair the fracture he had in both bones of his forearm and he will be off legs for a week.

“But by this time next week he will be on a bike and raring to go, hopefully within 8-12 weeks.

“He’s been really good this season, played a dominant position back there and is certainly going to be missed for the period that he’s out.”

Forward Luke Pedlar is listed as one to two weeks away with his shoulder injury, while key defender Nick Murray could be back playing within a fortnight from his ACL injury suffered last year.

Originally published as AFL 2024: All the latest injury and selection news from the Crows and Power