AFL 2024: George Wardlaw to miss two matches after concussion at training
North Melbourne’s Rising Star fancy faces a stint on the sidelines after a training mishap on Thursday.
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North Melbourne has been dealt a heavy blow ahead of their clash with the Western Bulldogs after George Wardlaw was concussed at training on Thursday.
Wardlaw came from the field at Arden Street during match simulation and was initially assessed for a shoulder injury but began to experience concussion symptoms.
The timing of the injury means he will miss not only the Bulldogs game but the round 17 home clash against Gold Coast.
Kangaroos football boss Todd Viney said it was a “disappointing” setback for Wardlaw, who was on track to claim the Rising Star award in his second season after suspensions ruled out Harley Reid and Sam Darcy.
“Under the league’s protocols, George will miss at least the next two matches,” Viney said.
“He initially reported to our medical team some soreness around the shoulder and then said he felt a knock to his head in the same incident.
“Upon receiving that advice, our doctor ran him through the concussion testing and from there he was ruled out.”
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson said Cam Zurhaar was still enjoying training and his involvement in the Kangaroos’ form spike as a big decision looms on his future.
The restricted free agent burst out of a middling run of form with seven goals in his last two games as the Kangaroos almost pinched victories over Collingwood and Melbourne.
The dynamic performances could lure more clubs back into the hunt for the mid-sized forward with few other targets available to throw money at, but Clarkson said he thought the 26-year-old was happy at Arden Street.
Clarkson said there was nothing to suggest Zurhaar would bring a decision on his future forward after previously telling the club he would wait until the season’s end.
“He’ll work that out with his manager and the club, I’m sure. He’s gone on record that he’s going to leave that until the end of the season, but every indication I’ve had from him is he’s enjoying coming to training, he’s enjoying especially the last two or three weeks where he’s made impact on games,” Clarkson said on Thursday.
“We’ll just let that play out as it sits. It’s a regular question for media and it’s a regular question for us, but he’s been pretty strong on it from the get-go that he’s not making a decision until the end of the season.
“Unless something changes in the next week or two I’d expect we’ll hear something in late August or September.”
Clarkson was mulling whether to bring back Griffin Logue or Colby McKercher to face the Western Bulldogs on Saturday after the pair made impressive returns from injury through the VFL last week.
Logue, who hasn’t played at senior level since his ACL injury in round 17 last year, would provide important extra height in defence against a Western Bulldogs forward line likely to be boosted by the returns of both Aaron Naughton and Sam Darcy.
“Obviously, it’s a significant strength of theirs in terms of their height. We’ve got most of our side worked out, but we’ll give that some consideration because we’re not absolutely certain what’s happening – we think Darcy is coming back … Naughton’s coming back from injury, we suspect he probably will (play),” Clarkson said.
“(McKercher) trained really well over the last two weeks and he came back into the VFL side last week like a duck to water. He’s right in the mix.
“Griff Logue was terrific in his first game back as well, so we’ve got some decisions to make.”
Key defender Kallan Dawson is also available to play after serving his one-match ban for striking Jack Crisp in the loss to Collingwood.
Originally published as AFL 2024: George Wardlaw to miss two matches after concussion at training
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