Todd Goldstein battling soreness, in doubt for Richmond game

ALL-AUSTRALIAN ruckman Todd Goldstein faces a battle to prove his fitness for North Melbourne’s clash with Richmond after failing to train with the Kangaroos on Tuesday.

Todd Goldstein runs into Lance Franklin at the SCG.

ALL-AUSTRALIAN ruckman Todd Goldstein faces a battle to prove his fitness for North Melbourne’s clash with Richmond after failing to train with the Kangaroos on Tuesday.

Goldstein received a knock to the right knee in last Friday’s loss to the Swans at the SCG and is in doubt for Friday night’s clash with Richmond in Hobart.

On Tuesday, coach Brad Scott was unsure whether his star ruckman would be fit.

“I don’t know whether he’ll come up or not. You would think he would,” North’s coach Brad Scott said on Tuesday.

“Generally, if he cops a little knock he recovers pretty strongly.

“We’ll pick him in our side and probably plan on him playing but have contingency just in case.”

Teammate Scott Thompson was much more confident, however, declaring the All-Australian big man a certain starter against the Tigers.

“Yeah he didn’t really get onto the (training) track but I was talking to him after training and he was in the gym doing all his weights so he’s coming over all looks like he’ll be playing,” Thompson told AFL360.

“He doesn’t miss too many games — I don’t actually know the last time he missed a game. He’s had a few injuries over the years and played through them.

“He’ll play.”

Todd Goldstein battled on against Sydney despite a knee injury. Picture: Getty

Majak Daw is a potential replacement if Goldstein is ruled out.

Scott said a light week on the track would not be a great handicap for Goldstein, 27.

“He’s able to do a fair bit of cross-training work and we’ve put a power of work into him over the journey,” Scott said.

“Fitness is not a concern. It’d just a matter of getting him physically in the best shape we can get him for Friday night.”

Scott said some good could come from last week’s loss to Sydney, North’s first defeat this year.

“When you’re undefeated there’s only probably one way you can go, because you keep winning, it just keeps rolling on,” Scott said.

“Sometimes it does take a loss to narrow the focus a little bit.”

The Tigers in contrast are in 14th spot but have won their past three games. They’ll be keen to make a point on Friday after suffering an upset loss to the Kangaroos in last year’s elimination final.

North’s key forwards Jarrad Waite, Drew Petrie and Ben Brown contributed one goal between them against the Swans.

Scott strongly defended 303-game veteran Petrie’s place in the side, saying the 33-year-old offers “unrivalled” defensive effort.

Petrie has not kicked a goal in his past two matches.

“With forwards, it’s often just a matter of time until the ball falls their way,” Scott said.

Scott also revealed the Kangaroos had worked on strategies to win free kicks for high contact, and how to defend against players trying to induce high tackles.

Lindsay Thomas drops his knees and uses the “raised arm” tactic to win a high free kick against the Swans.

North’s Lindsay Thomas has been hit with a barrage of criticism after the small forward and Sydney’s George Hewett were awarded controversial free kicks last Friday.

Scott said a loss to West Coast in Perth in 2012 had opened his eyes to the tactic.

“We decided then and there if you can’t beat them, join them,” Scott told Fox Footy’s “On The Couch”.

“It’s a technique we work on to make sure we don’t give away free kicks and we train both sides of it, both in the tackle and laying the tackle.

“It coaches our players to make sure they go low in the tackle so the players that are really good at drawing head high contact, we use them as crash-test dummies to make sure the others are going low, to work on their technique.

“It’s a tactic, it’s a technique that players put into place and umpires have clearly said if you get taken high, we’re going to pay a high free kick.

“This is not a Lindsay Thomas issue, this is an AFL issue.”

North’s 134-game veteran Lachie Hansen will resume in the VFL after missing three weeks with concussion.

“It was a really concerning injury. He didn’t recover well at all,” Scott said of an off-the-ball bump which led to a two-game ban for Williamstown’s Cameron Lockwood.

“We were really, really disappointed about it.”