AFL Round 16 teams: The latest selection news from around the competition
Port Adelaide and Richmond will unveil fresh faces on Sunday, while Hawthorn has made its call on whether to include Finn Maginness for the tagging job on Harley Reid. SEE THE FULL ROUND 16 TEAMS
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Hawthorn has resisted the temptation to recall tagger Finn Maginness for an assignment on West Coast stars Elliot Yeo or Harley Reid in Sunday’s clash at Perth Stadium.
Maginness was named in the Hawks’ extended squad but left in the emergencies as Harry Morrison was recalled for Luke Breust (managed).
Yeo was named in the Eagles’ final side, but coach Adam Simpson said the powerful on-baller would be given up until the day of the game to decide whether he wanted to play following the death of his father this week.
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“He’s got the flexibility, Elliot, this week. We’re really trying to respect the situation he’s going through, which is tragic,” Simpson said on Friday.
“He popped into the club yesterday in the morning, he’s here today, we’ll see how he goes through the captain’s run and we’ll give him up to the last minute before the game.
“Preparing to play but if he feels like he’s not up for it, then he won’t so it’s totally up to Elliot with how he’s feeling and what he has to deal with his family, so we’re very respectful with that situation.”
Port Adelaide unveiled its second debutant in two weeks with Will Lorenz named to face the Saints at the Adelaide Oval, as Lachie Jones returned from injury.
St Kilda will go smaller in defence for the clash with Jimmy Webster replacing the omitted Zaine Cordy, while Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Cooper Sharman were also included.
Richmond mid-season draft pick Jacob Blight will take on Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay when the Tigers meet the Blues on Saturday, with Sam Banks and luckless midfielder Jacob Hopper joining him in the side.
Tigers VFL coach Steve Morris said the 196cm defender could have an immediate impact.
“He’s just a wonderful kid to work with … (he’s) fitted into the group really well,” Morris said of the West Australian recruit.
“He’s a big body that’s going to help us moving forward.”
Surprise & DeBlight ðŸ˜@ooze21 tells Jacob Blight that he will make his AFL debut this weekend... pic.twitter.com/TqcBDdQRfC
— Richmond FC 🯠(@Richmond_FC) June 27, 2024
Noah Cumberland and Thomson Dow were dropped, while Tom Lynch will miss at least two weeks with a hamstring strain.
Adam Cerra was Carlton’s only inclusion at the expense of Corey Durdin, with Orazio Fantasia or Matt Kennedy the most likely sub options for the Blues.
WARDLAW ENTERS CONCUSSION PROTOCOLS
The AFL’s Rising Star favourite George Wardlaw has entered concussion protocols after a training mishap on Thursday and will miss the next two matches.
The Kangaroos midfield star was involved in a collision in a routine drill at Arden St and went to ground with what appeared to be a sore shoulder.
But further tests throughout the day revealed concussion symptoms which will rule the 20-year-old out of Saturday’s clash with Western Bulldogs and next week’s game against Gold Coast.
Wardlaw is a $1.50 TAB favourite to win this year’s Rising Star after suspensions ruled out West Coast wunderkind Harley Reid and Bulldog big man Sam Darcy on the same weekend.
Wardlaw will be in concussion protocols for at least 12 days under the AFL guidelines, which means he cannot be considered for the following week’s clash with the Suns.
It’s a blow for the Kangaroos who fancy their chances of a second win this season against the Bulldogs, off the back of recent near-misses against Collingwood and Melbourne.
North Melbourne general manager of football Todd Viney said Wardlaw would also miss the match against Gold Coast next weekend.
“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.
“It’s obviously disappointing for George and the team but our first priority is always our players’ health.”
LION RETURNS FROM ACL
– Callum Dick
Brisbane is set to unleash Will Ashcroft against Melbourne on Friday night with coach Chris Fagan declaring the boom midfielder will step right into a full workload in his first game back from an 11-month injury lay-off.
The Lions last week signalled Ashcroft, 20, would be fit for selection against the Demons having completed extensive rehabilitation on his ACL and on Thursday the coach confirmed his young star would be parachuted straight into the side.
“We don’t expect him to play the house down but he has to start somewhere and I think a player of his talent deserves to start in the AFL team,” Fagan said.
“No management. If you’re playing AFL footy … you have to do whatever you have to do. He’ll have his normal minutes and we’ll take it from there. If we thought he had to be managed we would have brought him back through the reserves.”
Brisbane has a history of playing its stars straight up off the back of ACL injuries. Both Cam Rayner and Eric Hipwood marked their returns from long lay-offs by returning directly to the AFL side.
The Lions were cautious with their approach to Ashcroft’s recovery, particularly given off-season recruit Tom Doedee reinjured his ACL on the eve of his return earlier this season.
Fagan said the club had to temper the young ball winner’s enthusiasm early on but his dedication to recovery had been “an inspiration for most of us”.
“Early days he wanted to break the world record for coming back from an ACL, but once he realised nature was going to take its course with that and he had to listen to his body he calmed down and went with the flow,” Fagan said.
“He’s one of the most driven individuals I’ve met in my life. That’s what makes him who he is. His desire to get back and be better than he was when he left has been pretty incredible to watch.”
With Fagan’s declaration that Ashcroft would be handed a full workload from the jump, exactly how the Lions organise their midfield mix with yet another mouth to feed will be of great interest.
The 2022 father-son selection burst out of the blocks in his debut season, almost immediately forcing a timeshare with Hugh McCluggage for midfield minutes alongside Lachie Neale and Josh Dunkley.
Brisbane just re-signed McCluggage on a lucrative seven-year deal and the vice-captain has been in stellar form in recent weeks. But Ashcroft’s return is a nice headache to have for Fagan and his coaching group as the Lions look to continue their resurgent form.
THREE KEY GIANTS SET TO RETURN
— Lachlan McKirdy
The Giants are set to welcome back three of their most experienced players for Saturday’s clash against Adelaide.
Vice-captain Stephen Coniglio and out-of-contract duo Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming have all been given the green light to come back into the AFL side this week.
While Coniglio and Perryman have been in and out of the team this year already through injury, the clash against the Crows will be Cumming’s first senior match of the year.
“All three of those guys got through training so they’ll be back in,” Adam Kingsley said. “So, we’ve got a bit of work to do at selection.
“We’re happy with Isaac. He’s played two games in the VFL and he’s done a fair bulk of training in the lead-up, so he’s ready to go. Cogs got through no problems, and so did Pez.”
Darcy Jones is likely to spend at least one more week in the VFL before he returns from a hamstring injury. He impressed against the Swans in the reserves last week but was on limited minutes which are set to be ramped up when they play Southport on Saturday.
Max Gruzewski will also get another crack at AFL level following his two-goal haul on debut. The young forward toiled hard against the Swans and is set to take on the Crows with former No. 1 draft pick Aaron Cadman to spend another week in the VFL as he looks to build on his confidence.
In a positive update for the Giants, Sam Taylor is potentially only two or three weeks away from an AFL return. The key defender met with the surgeon on Wednesday following his ruptured testicle suffered against Port Adelaide and was back around the club on Thursday.
“He’ll start running next week, and then I’d be purely guessing, but I would expect a couple of weeks after that he should be okay,” Kingsley said.
“He’s in good spirits. No longer in any pain which is nice. Now, it’s just a bit of a slow progress getting back into it.”
Four Bulldogs to return, but will Bont play?
– Sam Landsberger
Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli remains on track to tackle North Melbourne on Saturday while four teammates are certain to return this weekend.
Bontempelli left Whitten Oval after suffering a back complaint when tackled by a teammate at training on Wednesday.
While Bontempelli must get through Friday’s captain’s run, the strong expectation is that he will be fit to take on the Roos at Marvel Stadium.
Bontempelli has been the chief destroyer against the Kangaroos over the past decade. He has polled more Brownlow Medal votes against North than any other club.
The game’s No. 1 player also rarely misses matches through injury. Bontempelli has missed just one match out of the past 132 games the Dogs have played.
The Dogs are certain to regain goalkickers Aaron Naughton (knee) and Sam Darcy (suspension) against the Roos with their list as healthy as it has been in several months.
That could leave Rory Lobb on the outer despite the 31-year-old playing arguably his best game for the club before the bye.
Lobb polled one coaches’ vote against Fremantle although could possibly be a substitute candidate, a role recently given to fellow tall Buku Khamis.
Naughton got through Wednesday’s main training session, meaning the knee injury he sustained against Sydney is set to only cost him two games on the sidelines.
Recruits James Harmes (hamstring) and Nick Coffield (shoulder) are also available.
Coffield will line up for Footscray at Arden St on Saturday. Harmes is a chance to come straight back into the AFL side although a VFL appearance first will also be considered.
The Dogs are suddenly as healthy as they have been in months and re-signed father-son Rhylee West until 2026 on Wednesday.
Free agent Tim English remains out of contract and is not expected to recommit in the immediate future as he weighs up rival offers.
The Dogs have won four out of their past six matches with Bontempelli’s hot form leading their resurgence.
Their only losses have come against ladder-leader Sydney and the in-form Brisbane Lions.
The Dogs have won their past five matches against North Melbourne by an average of 59 points.
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