AFL pre-season 2024: Riley Thilthorpe to miss start of season
Riley Thilthorpe will be on the sidelines for the start of the AFL season after scans revealed damage to his left knee.
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Adelaide forward Riley Thilthorpe will miss the start of the season after scans revealed damage to his left meniscus as the Crows sweat on just how long the young gun will miss.
Thilthorpe hurt his knee in a marking contest during the last term of the Crows’ 67-point pre-season win over West Coast on Saturday.
The 21-year-old couldn’t put any weight on his left leg as he hobbled off and Crows senior coach Matthew Nicks said while he was hoping it was not bad “in that moment your gut drops”.
Thilthorpe had scans on Sunday and they revealed that he had suffered damage to his left meniscus and would miss the start of the season against Gold Coast in two weeks time.
The Crows said consultation with specialists in coming days would determine just when Thilthorpe returns.
The meeting with specialists on Monday will determine the extent of the damage Thilthorpe’s meniscus has sustained and how it will be treated.
While a meniscus injury can heal on its own and can be as little as two to three weeks on the sidelines, surgery can be required.
This typically takes up to six weeks for recovery.
An extended time on the sidelines would be a big blow for Thilthorpe after an outstanding pre-season.
He was imposing against Port Adelaide in the trial match, and looked ready to emerge after an off-season in which he focused on his strength.
It opens the door for former Sun Chris Burgess to make his Crows debut against his old side in Round 1.
Key Crows-Eagles intel
Izak Rankine sparked Adelaide to victory in the Crows’ 67-point win over West Coast at Richmond Oval., kicking four goals at his former home ground.
He was rested for the last term when Adelaide was 49 points clear.
Selection decisions
After playing just four matches last year, Sam Berry continued his promising summer with an eye-catching display that should earn him a round-one berth.
The hard nut started at half-forward, bouncing off a Tim Kelly bump to nail an early goal, before rotating through the middle and finishing with 22 disposals, two majors, four clearances and seven tackles.
Berry will be hard to leave out against the Suns.
Key defender James Borlase was not as assured as he had been in recent weeks.
Coming off promising performances in the internal trial and against Port Adelaide, Borlase was a little fumbly versus the Eagles and his decision-making was not the best in the first half.
The return of Mark Keane from concussion could push Borlase out of the team to face Gold Coast.
Third-year on-baller Jake Soligo showed he should be ready to go for round 1, looking lively in his return from an ankle issue when he came on after half-time.
Half-back Will Hamill only came on for the last term, suggesting he was unlikely to feature against the Suns.
Ruck struggles re-emerge
The Eagles are going to have ruck issues without Matt Flynn.
Ex-GWS big man Flynn injured his hamstring jumping on a tackle bag last week, leaving Bailey Williams to shoulder most of the load in both trial matches.
Williams was smashed by Reilly O’Brien and had minimal influence, registering just one disposal.
With Flynn expected to be sidelined for another 10 weeks, West Coast and Williams will be tested.
The new rules allowing rucks to put their arm out do not suit a leaper like Williams.
Next Generation Academy product Coen Livingstone got 28 per cent game time, while South Australian Harry Barnett came on for the second half.
At one stage, after a mix-up, 189cm Luke Edwards was forced to ruck against Riley Thilthorpe.
Crows player notes
Riley Thilthorpe: It was not quite happening for the fourth-year key forward in the first half but he started to come into the match before he was injured. Experienced backmen Tom Barrass and Jeremy McGovern outmanoeuvred him early, when his marking and reading of the ball in the air was a bit off. He found more space in the third term.
Izak Rankine: Looks on track for a big season as a genuine forward/midfielder. The West Adelaide product attended a stack of centre bounces, booted four goals, handed off a couple and looked very much at home at his former stomping ground. Could be a handy SuperCoach point of difference at $461,600.
Lachlan Sholl: If he had not already, Sholl locked in a wing spot with a strong showing. His kicking and workrate was exceptional. He finished with 23 disposals at 83 per cent efficiency.
Reilly O’Brien: No one on the ground had more clearances than O’Brien’s eight. He dominated against the combination of Williams, Barnett and Livingstone, outworking them and taking some strong marks behind the ball.
Matt Crouch: One of Adelaide’s best, Crouch had a game-high 17 touches to half-time and ended with 23, getting rested for the last quarter. The veteran has firmly entrenched himself back in the Crows’ engine room.
Eagles match notes
– Mark Duffield
West Coast coach Adam Simpson told us pre-season that the long, hard road back from the Eagles started at the contest.
Plan A: Win the contest, win clearances, play footy in your forward half.
So it is fair to say that losing the first 13 clearances against on Saturday wasn’t part of the plan.
The Eagles started the match with Bailey Williams, Elliot Yeo, Tim Kelly and Harley Reid inside the square. It was close to as strong a stoppage crew as Simpson could put together.
But Williams got worked over by Reilly O’Brien in the ruck and as sure as night follows day, the ruck dominance translated into clearance dominance.
The Eagles did far better after quarter time around the contest, but as was the case in their first pre-season hit out against Fremantle, the further the game went, the more West Coast’s lack of depth and experience was exposed.
WELCOME BACK, JEZ
It didn’t take long for a reminder of just how much the Eagles have missed intercept defender Jeremy McGovern. The 31-year old four-time All Australian has played just 46 of the club’s last 85 games, the legacy of serious back, hip and hamstring issues. He missed the club’s match against Fremantle after pulling up with sore groins from two quarters of an intraclub the previous week. But he hasn’t lost the knack of interrupting opposition attacks – something he managed several times in the first half to limit the damage from an otherwise dominant Crows outfit.
REID RESPONDS
The Eagles have urged realism with top draft pick Harley Reid but they would have been pleased and relieved to see an assured and classy performance from him after a quiet first up effort against Fremantle last weekend. He finished with 20 disposals and five clearances. Reid gathered and used the ball with poise, delivered a couple of don’t-argues to would-be tacklers to give himself room and didn’t take a backwards step when Adelaide veteran Rory Laird tried to rough him up inside the centre square in the second term. Was used in a mix of midfield and half back roles as Adam Simpson has declared and this was a much better effort second up.
BREAKOUT?
Jack Petruccelle has become a quiet achiever this pre-season and this was another encouraging effort from the speedster playing a mix of midfield and forward roles. Petruccelle kicked two goals, won his share of contested possession and took a couple of nice contested marks as well. The Eagles have been waiting for the 24-year-old’s break out season since he kicked five goals against Port Adelaide in 2019. A mix of poor form and soft tissue injuries has prevented it so far but he is 72 games into his career now and managed 18 games last year. You get the feeling he thinks it is time.
HOW LONG WILL VETERAN LAST?
Andrew Gaff has been in Adam Simpson’s best 22 in either intra club or interclub match practice for the last month so you would expect him to be in the team for round one. It is probably going to continue to be the subject of some public debate. Gaff works hard up and down his wing but he has never been quick, is a trundler these days and not a hell of a lot came from his possessions on Saturday. Does Simpson have better options? It will depend on how he views players like Campbell Chesser and Luke Edwards.
Scoreboard
ADELAIDE 4.0 7.5 14.7 17.15 (117)
WEST COAST 1.0 3.2 6.6 7.8 (50)
GOALS – Adelaide: Rankine 4, Rachele 3, Murphy, Walker, Berry 2; Sholl, Keays, Dawson, Pedlar.
West Coast: Petruccelle, Darling 2; Waterman, Kelly, Edwards
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