Opening round team, injury news: Carlton’s Sam Walsh set to miss opening two games

The Blues have been dealt two blows ahead of their Opening Round clash in Brisbane, with superstar Sam Walsh not making the trip, but when will he return?

Matt Cottrell checks on SAM WALSH after a collision at Carlton Football training at Ikon Park. Saturday, December 16, 2023. Picture: David Crosling

Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh is set to miss Carlton’s first two games of 2024 in a huge blow to the Blues’ start to their campaign.

Livewire forward Jesse Motlop has also been ruled out of Carlton’s trip to Brisbane.

Dealing with a back issue, Walsh did not train with his teammates Sunday morning, instead doing a personal running session before his teammates started a two-hour session.

Jack Martin (knee) has been ruled out, with the Blues placing a 2-3 week timeline on his availability.

Half-back Zac Williams pressed his case after playing a full VFL game on Thursday.

Sam Walsh won’t play in Carlton’s opening two games of 2023. Picture: David Crosling

Williams hasn’t played since the last round of 2022 after he injured his ACL last summer and teammate Nic Newman said he was unsure whether the rebounder would return this week.

“He is an important player for us, we love playing with him down back and clearly he gives us some great run and drive and partners well with (Adam Saad),” he said.

“Whether that is this week or the next couple of weeks, it would be great to have Zac back at some stage.”

DALE’S RACE AGAINST TIME MAY NOT SAVE DANIEL

– Jon Ralph

Bailey Dale’s race against time to recover from a tight hamstring for round 1 still might not save Caleb Daniel from demotion to the VFL against Melbourne.

The Dogs took care of business with a rousing second half in their win against Hawthorn in Launceston but once again Luke Beveridge’s team selection is the subject of intrigue.

Dale missed the clash with a tight hamstring and is doubtful to return against Melbourne in round 1.

All Australian Daniel played the second half as a half forward against Hawthorn and had little impact in eight possessions.

He is a genuine 50-50 call to miss selection in part because of Ryley Sanders’ midfield emergence but also because of the club’s fit list.

Bailey Smith is out for the year with an ACL tear, but Dale (hamstring) and James O’Donnell (ankle) are the only other injuries of note.

Midfield star Jack Macrae played managed minutes in the VFL upon his return from hamstring tightness and will push at training this week to be included for round 1 on March 17.

Bailey Dale could miss the Dogs’ first game of the year. Photo by Michael Klein

Caleb Daniel’s spot is no certainty. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The club has a decision ahead on whether three time All Australian Macrae has done enough to play against the Demons, who will be coming off an opening round clash against Sydney.

It would be a massive decision for Beveridge not to include both Macrae and Dale given their credentials at the club.

But Beveridge has backed in ex-Hawk Lachie Bramble in defence along with Liam Jones, Buku Khamis and Nick Coffield.

So even if Dale does miss there is not necessarily space for Daniel, but he could still find a spot against the Demons as the club’s sub.

O’Donnell was picked ahead of the club’s established defenders in Ryan Gardner and Alex Keath at times last year so it would surprise if he was not recalled.

Ruck-forward Sam Darcy got through the VFL clash well but seems unlikely to displace Rory Lobb given the Dogs forward line still flourished despite Lobb’s quiet day.

Beveridge seemed to tip his hand for Lobb when he told the Herald Sun this weekend Lobb was capable of running out matches but Darcy was only capable of 80 minutes of game time.

GOOD AND BAD NEWS FOR SWANS AFTER PARKER, ADAMS INJURIES

– By Lachlan McKirdy

The Swans have received some positive news with Luke Parker only expected to miss a month of footy with his broken arm.

Parker met with a specialist on Friday after having surgery to have a plate and screws inserted into a fracture in his radius bone in his left arm. A month on the sidelines will see him return near the Swans’ game against West Coast at Gather Round. However, with a bye the week after, Sydney may give him an extra fortnight to recover.

The news could be better for new recruit Taylor Adams who is also set to spend at least three weeks on the sidelines.

Taylor Adams will be racing the clock to face Melbourne next week. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Scans on Friday night confirmed that Adams had a lateral ligament strain after being caught awkwardly in a tackle against the Lions.

There was some hope that Adams could play against Melbourne in the opening round fixture, however, the 30-year-old will certainly miss that clash and a first return to the MCG to take on his former side, Collingwood, a week later.

Adams will likely target a return in round three when the Swans play their second game of the year at the MCG against Richmond.

Luke Parker looks on after having surgery for a broken arm ahead of the AFL pre season match between the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions. Picture: Phil Hillyard (Image Supplied for Editorial Use only – Phil Hillyard

It means John Longmire will be without his three most experienced midfielders for the opening month of the season with captain Callum Mills not set to return until halfway through the year.

Without Mills, Parker and Adams, it’s set to be Isaac Heeney and James Rowbottom who start at the centre bounces, with 2023 club champion Errol Gulden to rotate between the midfield and the wing. Chad Warner will also return after being rested against the Lions.

New recruit James Jordon (Melbourne) continues to impress on the wing, finishing with a team-high 31 disposals and four clearances against Brisbane as he closes in on a debut for the club.

Scans loom as Bombers sweat on Ridley’s quad, Langford cleared

– Dan Batten

Essendon is sweating on an injury blow to Jordan Ridley, with the star interceptor set to undergo scans as a host of key Bombers push for round one.

Ridley came off in the third quarter with what Essendon assistant coach Daniel Giansiracusa described as a “tight quad” and was put on ice.

The 25-year-old suffered a quad strain to the same leg in round 19 last year which prematurely ended his season.

His latest setback comes just days after the 195cm defender penned a three-year extension with the club to extend his stay at Essendon until the end of 2029.

“He’s got a tight quad, obviously that will get scans during the week and see how that goes. He’s an important player for us so hopefully it isn’t that bad,” Giansiracusa said post-match.

“I think it was a little bit sore so … we’ll get it scanned and see how we go.”

Ruckman Sam Draper played a half in Essendon’s VFL scratch match against Geelong on Friday as he works his way back from off-season groin surgery.

Jordan Ridley with his quad heavily iced after he re-injured it in Geelong on Friday. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

First-round draft pick Nate Caddy, who the Bombers nabbed after a live trade on draft night with the Cats, returned to training on Friday, completing a session with Dylan Shiel (foot) and Ben Hobbs (shoulder)

Caddy suffered the blow after landing awkwardly in a marking contest at training last week, with the Bombers likely to take a cautious approach with the talented forward.

Spearhead Peter Wright, who had been managed along with Ridley for Essendon’s first practice match, only played the first half which Giansiracusa confirmed was planned pre-match.

Kyle Langford was iced up on the bench but the club said this was precautionary and there was no injury concern for the important goalkicker.

“I think he was blowing the cobwebs out a bit in that first half ‘Drapes’. We’ll assess that over the next couple of weeks and it’s a good problem to have if we’ve got fit and healthy guys. But we won’t take any risks, we won’t rush anything and we’ll see how that pans out over the next few weeks,” Giansiracusa said.

“We had a few guys train in the morning. Shiel, Hobbs, Caddy did some stuff so we are starting to get some guys back on the track which only makes it hard for coaches … Everyone is getting closer to being right to go so we are looking forward to that in the next couple of weeks.

Essendon says there are no concerns over Kyle Langford’s hamstring despite the forward having it iced on the bench towards the end of the Bombers’ pre-season game against Geelong. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“I thought Pete was really good in the ruck as well so that was something else we wanted to look at and that was always going to happen that he was always going to play a half. Two weeks to get him cherry ripe and away we go against the Hawks.”

Geelong was unscathed from the pre-season encounter after losing Cameron Guthrie to a long-term quad injury against Carlton last week.

But Cats assistant coach said forward Gary Rohan may return through the VFL in round one after missing both practice matches with a back complaint.

He said Ollie Henry was poised to play round one after the high-leaping forward left out of Friday evening’s match after rolling his ankle at training.

“I think he (Rohan) will probably play at some form (round one), he is just starting to get back into it now. He has just been a bit delayed to everyone else but he is following his plan so we are really happy with him,” King said.

“He will probably struggle to play AFL round one, will probably get his first hitout that week leading in with a bit of VFL footy.”

“Ollie would have played but we don’t want that grumbling for a month after so we just gave him the week off.”

King said that even picking the 26-man squad proved difficult for Geelong’s coaches, with ruckman Toby Conway and Connor O’Sullivan playing in the VFL scratch match.

It leaves the Cats with plenty of selection headaches ahead of their first round encounter with St Kilda – one of those being VFL recruit Shaun Mannagh, who kicked a goal in limited gametime.

“As a coaching group we probably had a few boys play VFL today that our goal for them was to play four quarters of solid footy, which they got out as well,” King said.

“I think we will go away from this game and have a really good debate around what the best team looks like but we’re in a really fortunate position where we have got 32, probably 35 players we can legitimately play round one – we are really fit and healthy.”

“Loved what we saw (from Mannagh). Crafty, knows what he’s doing in the front half and you could see every time he went around the footy, good things happen.”