Follow the latest AFL injury news throughout a massive Round 21
Richmond have taken a conservative approach to the recovery of superstar Dustin Martin, ruling him out until at least finals, if the Tigers get there.
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Richmond champion Dustin Martin won’t return until at least finals but coach Damien Hardwick has sent the strongest signal yet they expect their superstar to remain in yellow and black beyond this season.
There was some hope that Martin (hamstring) could be back in time to play in round 23 next week, but the Tigers are set to play it more conservatively.
The triple North Smith medallist has played only eight times this season and not since early July, but Hardwick said Martin would play a major role if Richmond qualified for September.
The Tigers followed a dramatic comeback win over Brisbane a fortnight ago with an impressive defeat of Port Adelaide and now look as good as certain to return to the finals.
Wins over 13th-placed Hawthorn and 14th-ranked Essendon would guarantee Richmond of finishing at least eighth and as high as sixth.
“(Martin)’s had a reasonable week this week, so our plans are if we make finals, he will be available to play,” Hardwick said.
“But there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge – that’s some three or four weeks away.
“Probably regular season he won’t play any further part. But if we make it; he’ll be putting his hand up to play.
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“(We made the decision from) speaking to Dustin; really how he feels and where our medical staff think it is, and just to give himself the best opportunity.
“He’s had two incidents, although linked but not linked in a way – I don’t know if that makes any sense at all – but we’ve just got to be a little bit cautious with it.”
Martin has endured a difficult season not only with injury but mourning the sudden death of his father Shane just before Christmas last year.
Constant speculation has followed about the 2017 Brownlow medallist’s playing future, including the potential of him retiring or continuing his career in Sydney or Queensland.
But Hardwick was defiant when asked about Martin’s future again on Thursday, and admitted to being frustrated at the suggestions of him leaving.
“He’s got two years of his contract to run, so unless you know something I don’t, he’s a Richmond man and Richmond player,” he said.
“You’ve got to realise how important this guy is to the way we play the game, so the longer we’ve got Dustin Martin in our building, the better for us.
“I think what happens is it’s the 80-20 rule. I think the 80 per cent of stories that are out there that Dustin’s a contracted player are easy, but the 20 per cent of Dustin might go creates the media speculation.
“That gets clicks. So, from us, we know exactly where he’s at, we’ve got a really strong belief of where he’s at – and (the speculation is) driven by a lot of external forces we really can‘t control.”
Nick Vlastuin (ribs) is a chance to play against the Hawks this weekend but won’t train fully on Thursday, while Hardwick declared both Shane Edwards and Shai Bolton as certain starters.
Watch: Touching moment as Roos’ fairytale return locked in
North Melbourne star Ben Cunnington will make his fairytale AFL return this weekend after twice overcoming testicular cancer.
Hours after caretaker coach Leigh Adams declared the veteran midfielder would “want to be on that flight” to Adelaide to play the Crows, the club confirmed Cunnington would play his first AFL game in 13 months having recovered from two bouts of testicular cancer and more recently a calf strain and a bout of Covid.
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— North Melbourne FC (@NMFCOfficial) August 10, 2022
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The brilliant on-baller emerged unscathed, save for some stock-standard general soreness, from his first competitive hitout for the year on the weekend in the VFL and has now been deemed ready to play senior footy this weekend.
“Until it gets taken away from you and you have no control over it you soon realise that you still love it,” Cunnington told his teammates.
“I’ve been through what I’ve been through and without the support I have I couldn’t have got through it
“I’m here now, hungry, I feel I have worked hard to be in a position you help you boys out again.
“I’m keen as ever.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Adams had said Cunnington had “done so much for this footy club for such a long period of time” he deserved to be considered for an AFL return despite just one game back in the VFL.
“I‘m pretty sure he’ll want to be on that flight.” he said.
“With Ben, we’re not making any calls until he’s ticked every box.
“Obviously, the nature of how much footy he’s missed, his recent injury history as well.
Adams said that making sure Cunnington was fit to play in North’s final home game against Gold Coast next week in front of the Kangaroos faithful, by avoiding the potential for him breaking down against Adelaide, hasn’t been a consideration.
“He‘s such a proud person and he’ll still expect to go out there and get 30 touches because that’s just the champion he is,” Adams said.
“We’ve got to give him the best opportunity from a recovery point of view to go, ‘You know what, are you ready to go and can you contribute to a level that’s going to help us win games of footy’?”
Key defender Ben McKay is expected to return after being a late withdrawal against Sydney due to a shoulder complaint.
Jaidyn Stephenson raised eyebrows on more than one occasion against the Swans when he had his back towards Sydney players running into goal, and Adams said he’d spoken to the former Magpie about it.
“I‘m not disappointed one bit about the missed kick, we expect him to take risks with his ball use because he’s such a good user of the ball,” Adams said.
“What the expectation is once he makes that mistake is he moves on really quickly and gets back onto it.”
Adams said the lack of certainty about North’s coach next year, with reports the club is all in on Alastair Clarkson, would be an influence on out-of-contract forward Cam Zurhaar’s decision on his next contract, with Essendon reportedly having approached him.
“He‘d probably want to know who’s going to be the coach next year and it’s fair enough, Adams said.
“Everyone would like to know who their boss is when they’re going to work.”
Have we seen Grundy at Pies for the last time?
Collingwood’s surge towards September has been dealt a blow with confirmation that ruckman Brodie Grundy will not play again this year.
Grundy reported lingering soreness in his left ankle following training last Tuesday, just three days after his VFL return from a knee injury.
Scans have since confirmed that Grundy has a stress fracture in the ankle, which requires season-ending surgery.
“The nature of the ankle injury is not long-term so Brodie will make a full recovery but after consulting with multiple specialists to assess all options available, it was determined arthroscopic surgery would be the best course of action,” Collingwood football boss Graham Wright said.
“The pleasing thing for Brodie is that his knee has held up well — this is a separate injury.
“Unfortunately with only a couple of weeks left of the home-and-away season, he will be unable to take further part in matches in 2022.
“Brodie will be up and running at the start of pre-season training but for the time being his health remains the priority.”
Grundy has not featured at AFL level since injuring his PCL against Essendon on Anzac Day, which sidelined him for 12 games.
He had averaged 16.8 disposals and 30.3 hitouts in the opening six rounds of the season, after finishing sixth in the club’s best-and-fairest last year.
Since Round 10, Collingwood has settled on a two-pronged ruck attack of Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox, which it will now have to continue into finals.
The Magpies have won 11 straight games entering a clash with fellow top-four side Sydney at the SCG this Sunday.
Grundy’s future is very much in play despite the ruckman being contracted to 2027 on a deal worth about $1 million a season.
A return to his home state of South Australia or to GWS have been mooted.
Cunnington’s emotional return from ‘brutal’ cancer battle
North Melbourne midfielder Ben Cunnington has opened up on battling the “brutal” side effects of his testicular cancer treatment as he made an inspirational return to the field.
After an emotional comeback at Arden St on Sunday, 31-year-old Cunnington described the “overwhelming” moment he was diagnosed with a testicular tumour last year.
In his first match since undergoing chemotherapy, the two-time Kangaroos’ best-and-fairest made a successful return in the VFL, picking up 18 touches in three quarters of football.
The midfield workhouse shared the moment with his family who had supported him through his treatment, describing the feeling of being back out on the playing field as “unreal”.
“I usually try to be a pretty level (headed) fella, but I was a little bit excited today to get back and just play footy,” Cunnington said.
“It has been a bit of a journey, even with rehab, but to get back out there and just play the game I love, which you do at times take for granted, but when it gets taken away from you, you find that love again.
“A couple of minutes in, I was feeling it, I was pretty tired.
“That’s why you love it. I had a couple of good hits, I enjoyed getting hit. Just everything about it was nice to be back out there.”
Cunnington had surgery to remove a testicular tumour last July before a routine check-up detected a secondary cancer which required a nine-week course of chemotherapy over the off-season.
He returned to Arden St in February, but has had set-backs this year, including a calf strain in June and a bout of Covid-19 at the end of last month.
Cunnington said his journey back to playing has been a “rollercoaster” and said he had fought back from some “pretty tough times”.
“The first time that you get diagnosed, we played Carlton the day before, we had a good game, we actually won that game, you feel invincible,” Cunnington said.
“And then when that word gets thrown around, you never think it is going to be you, so that was a bit overwhelming.
“Then the operation was alright but then when it comes back a second time and chemo is involved it is a different game.
“It was nothing you could ever expect, you think you are prepared going into it, but it was pretty tough times, I’m not going to lie, for a few months there.
“The club was great, they didn’t put any pressure on me, they said take the year off if you need to right there and then.
“I was just trying to get through each day just to, I suppose, survive the side effects that come with it were brutal, as a lot of people know out there, but I suppose I made it.
“I feel stronger for it.”
Cunnington ran out onto the ground to cheers of “Go Cunners” from the Kangaroos’ supporters at Arden St and he was right into the action in the first seconds of the game, getting a handball away after pouncing on a loose ball at the opening centre bounce.
He was applauded every time he went near the ball early on, but it was the support of his family watching on that he cherished the most.
“It means a lot,” Cunnington said.
“You have no idea the rollercoaster we have been on, but with the support crew on my side, we were here today so we got there.
“With the support I had from my wife and kids and family, to the club, we got through it and we are here today so that makes it even more special.”
Cunnington said he had not given any thought to his future beyond this year, having poured all his energy into making his comeback.
“ I have put so much focus and effort into returning today, that’s why the little set-backs were tough,” Cunnington said.
“We were pretty desperate just to get back today and I suppose just tick it off. All the hard work and what we have been through, I haven’t even given it a thought to be honest.”
Cunnington said he still underwent check-ups every three months, but his recovery from the treatment was “going well”.
The 227-game Roo revealed the support he had received from players around the league, notably Carlton’s Sam Docherty, who has also returned from testicular cancer.
“I was actually surprised a lot of guys have (reached out),” Cunnington said.
“Sam reached out the next day after my first diagnosis. He has been great, we were chatting there weekly during my treatment, so he has been unreal.
“Then to see him come back the way that he has come back, it’s inspirational, really.”
Cunnington shared a moment after the match with his father, Alan, who shared his pride at his son’s comeback.
“I thought it was terrific,” Alan said.
“I just loved the way it was because he wanted to play football again and for what he had been through, I think it was terrific to see him run out there whether he got a kick or not, it didn’t bother me. I thought it was great.
“When he first rang up and said what he had, I thought ‘Shit’, you know. Usually the older ones go first, not the other way around.
“But to his credit, they operated and the chemo was successful and he fought back and it’s great to be back and it means a lot now.”
Major blow as Kennedy suffers fresh injury setback
Sydney great Josh Kennedy has suffered another injury setback after limping from the field in the Swans VFL game against North Melbourne at Arden Street.
In worrying scenes for the midfield warrior, Kennedy left the field with what appeared to be another hamstring injury in the second quarter.
He headed straight to the rooms before emerging a short time later with ice on his left hamstring.
The 34-year old has missed a large chunk of this season after tearing his right hamstring against Carlton in round 10.
There were some fears after the Blues game that it was career ending but the veteran made good progress in his rehabilitation.
He has been back playing in the reserves for the past three weeks as he looked to solidify his spot in the Swans AFL side as they embark on a finals campaign.
Kennedy’s injury came as North Melbourne midfielder Ben Cunnington made his inspirational return to playing after recovering from testicular cancer.
Cunnington was straight into the action early, getting his hands on the football in the opening seconds of the game which drew applause from the small but hearty Roos faithful.
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