Collingwood's Jeremy Howe has opened up on the delicate surgery he required to seal an artery which was “hosing out blood” into his right leg, while he says the Pies now have the structure down back they lacked in 2018.
Collingwood high-flyer Jeremy Howe has opened up on the delicate surgery he required to seal an artery which was “hosing out blood” into his right leg.
After missing four games with a heavily-corked thigh last year, Howe copped another knock in the same spot last month when he collided with teammate Darcy Moore.
Howe, 28, had driven back to Yarrawonga after training when his leg began to swell up, prompting a call to the doctors anda quick trip back to Melbourne.
EXPERT: GARY BUCKENARA REVEALS HIS SUPERCOACH TEAM
SUPERCOACH: EVERY MID-PRICER RANKED
NOT HAPPY: FRUSTRATED COACHES WANT RUNNER RULE ANSWERS
The former Demon said doctors discovered his artery was dangerously leaking blood into the remainder of his leg and needed to be clamped.
“They put this dye in your blood and track where it is all going and what they found was that I had an artery which was basically without an end,” Howe said.
“It was an open end which had just temporarily sealed over.
“So after I copped the hit from Darcy, the blood was just hosing out into the rest of my leg. They had to put a coil on itto close it off.
“Then I had another bout of surgery a week later to drain all the blood out.
“This sort of surgery is extremely rare, but I think it has turned out to be a positive, because it meant they could seal it off, which they didn’t do last year.
“If I had copped another hit there this season I would have missed more games.”
ROUND 1: TOM LYNCH TOUCH AND GO TO FACE BLUES
SUPERCOACH: SIX STARTING RUCK STRATEGIES
SURVEY: HUNT ON FOR SUPERCOACH FORWARD SAVIOUR
Howe copped the initial knock from Richmond ruckman Toby Nankervis and said he struggled with his kicking in his return match in the qualifying final loss to West Coast.
But the Collingwood star said the issue had been rectified and that it would not discourage him from flying for his signature screamers, as the Pies attempt to go all the way this season.
“If I do cop a hit in the same spot I should be fine,” he said.
Howe said the addition of ex-Western Bulldogs’ tall Jordan Roughead, along with Darcy Moore’s return from hamstring problems, had rectified Collingwood’s defensive issues.
He said they played under-sized last year and were beaten in the air by West Coast in all three encounters in 2018.
“Roughy and Darcy give us that structure we probably lacked,” he said.
“West Coast, for instance, got the better of us up forward each game.
“But having Roughy he’s a big presence and a good leader, he always talks but just having a big body down there helps.
“So we needed him and we got him.
“And Darcy is as physically as big as we’ve seen him and he’s moving as well as we have seen him.
“And we are going to be backing him in, so he’s going to be an intercept player, so he’ll be trying to mark rather than trying to spoil.”
That's all we've got time for today everyone, thanks so much for joining us for what was a big day of footy news as we count down to the season opener on Thursday night.
Join us again from 7am tomorrow as we bring you all the latest news and analysis from the footy world.
That's all we've got time for today everyone, thanks so much for joining us for what was a big day of footy news as we count down to the season opener on Thursday night.
Join us again from 7am tomorrow as we bring you all the latest news and analysis from the footy world.
We have a new most popular player in Supercoach!
Carlton's rising star favourite Sam Walsh (68.7 per cent) has moved ahead of Geelong gun Patrick Dangerfield (68.5 per cent) in the past few hours.
How many mid-price options do you have in your Supercoach side? Here's our guide to the best picks who won't break the bank – https://bit.ly/2UCdjYI
Georgie Prespakis has announced herself as a potential AFL Women’s player, following in the footsteps of big sister Madison.
The 16-year-old kicked seven goals in a half as NAB League front-runners Calder Cannons demolished Greater Western Victoria Rebels by 58 points at Mars Stadium on Saturday.
Madison Prepakis was taken No.3 in last year’s AFLW Draft by Carlton and has impressed in her debut season.
Footy talent clearly runs in the family with Georgie’s headline-grabbing performance as she equalled the record for the most goals in a NAB League Girls’ fixture.
“It’s pretty impressive from a young kid,” interim Cannons talent manger Russell Humphrey told localfooty.com.au
“We put her forward in the second half because she is only 16 and we don’t want to burn her out being around the footy all day. She could have had five goals in the third quarter.
“In saying that, it was a real team performance and Georgie finished off the good work done by the midfield and defence up field.”
Sunbury’s Prespakis was also named best-afield in the Round 1 win over Western Jets, kicking one goal.
– Ben Higgins
Georgie Prespakis has announced herself as a potential AFL Women’s player, following in the footsteps of big sister Madison.
The 16-year-old kicked seven goals in a half as NAB League front-runners Calder Cannons demolished Greater Western Victoria Rebels by 58 points at Mars Stadium on Saturday.
Madison Prepakis was taken No.3 in last year’s AFLW Draft by Carlton and has impressed in her debut season.
Footy talent clearly runs in the family with Georgie’s headline-grabbing performance as she equalled the record for the most goals in a NAB League Girls’ fixture.
“It’s pretty impressive from a young kid,” interim Cannons talent manger Russell Humphrey told localfooty.com.au
“We put her forward in the second half because she is only 16 and we don’t want to burn her out being around the footy all day. She could have had five goals in the third quarter.
“In saying that, it was a real team performance and Georgie finished off the good work done by the midfield and defence up field.”
Sunbury’s Prespakis was also named best-afield in the Round 1 win over Western Jets, kicking one goal.
– Ben Higgins
Geelong ruckman Ryan Abbott says he will be “ready to go” at the MCG on Friday night if he earns a spot in Chris Scott’s Round 1 side to take on Collingwood.
Abbott has shot into contention for the season-opener after two strong outings in the VFL and has seemingly leapfrogged Darcy Fort as the preferred back-up to Rhys Stanley.
The former Grovedale big man was clearly Geelong’s best-performed player in the practice match against Werribee last Friday.
He even spent time in attack in a deliberate move to showcase his forward wares in the event key tall Esava Ratugolea is forced to miss with a finger injury.
Abbott said he was confident his two games had given him the best preparation ahead of the AFL season.
“I feel like I have played two practice games that I have pulled up really well from, so I feel like I am in a pretty good place at the moment,” Abbott told the Geelong Advertiser.
“I would like to think I am ready to go right now. It was part of our thinking about why I wanted to play (against Werribee), because only playing one game of VFL before an AFL game, I didn’t think was enough.
“So it was good to get another one under the belt and I feel like I am ready to go if the match committee goes that way and thinks they need another tall.”
– Lachie Young, Geelong Advertiser
Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn expects co-captains Jack Viney and Nathan Jones to prove their fitness and help celebrate his 100th AFL game.
Gawn believes the skippers will overcome restricted pre-seasons and play against Port Adelaide in Saturday’s season opener at the MCG.
“I think they will play. It will be a gutsy coach to leave out Jones and Viney,” the 27-year-old Gawn told reporters on Monday.
Viney had ankle surgery at the end of last season, while Jones has battled a hamstring complaint since returning to training after Christmas. Both had limited game time in pre-season matches.
But Gawn was confident the rugged midfielders would front against Port as he eyes a personal milestone 10 seasons in the making.
Gawn admitted doubting he would ever play 100 AFL games after frequent knee problems stalled his early career.
“Every single one of the nine operations I had on my right knee, I had my doubts,” Gawn said.
“And they all seemed to be in pretty bad times for me, around contract talks and stuff like that, so they were stressful moments.
“I wouldn’t wish that on anyone under the age of 21, to go through the amount of knee ops that I did and the amount of adversity.
“But it turned me into an adult quicker than what I could have imagined.” Gawn has since risen to be rated the premier ruckman in the competition, winning All-Australian selection in 2016 and last year.
“It’s an average of 9.9 games a year which I am not that proud of, but I wouldn’t really change the way I have done it,” the 27-year-old said. “It has been a relatively interesting journey – no footy really in the first five years and lots of footy in the second five years.
“I probably won’t be that kind of player that gets to 200 (games) or 250 and definitely not 300.
“I know 100 is still a little milestone compared to a lot of other people. But from where I have been, it’s a pretty big milestone for me.”
– AAP
Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn expects co-captains Jack Viney and Nathan Jones to prove their fitness and help celebrate his 100th AFL game.
Gawn believes the skippers will overcome restricted pre-seasons and play against Port Adelaide in Saturday’s season opener at the MCG.
“I think they will play. It will be a gutsy coach to leave out Jones and Viney,” the 27-year-old Gawn told reporters on Monday.
Viney had ankle surgery at the end of last season, while Jones has battled a hamstring complaint since returning to training after Christmas. Both had limited game time in pre-season matches.
But Gawn was confident the rugged midfielders would front against Port as he eyes a personal milestone 10 seasons in the making.
Gawn admitted doubting he would ever play 100 AFL games after frequent knee problems stalled his early career.
“Every single one of the nine operations I had on my right knee, I had my doubts,” Gawn said.
“And they all seemed to be in pretty bad times for me, around contract talks and stuff like that, so they were stressful moments.
“I wouldn’t wish that on anyone under the age of 21, to go through the amount of knee ops that I did and the amount of adversity.
“But it turned me into an adult quicker than what I could have imagined.” Gawn has since risen to be rated the premier ruckman in the competition, winning All-Australian selection in 2016 and last year.
“It’s an average of 9.9 games a year which I am not that proud of, but I wouldn’t really change the way I have done it,” the 27-year-old said. “It has been a relatively interesting journey – no footy really in the first five years and lots of footy in the second five years.
“I probably won’t be that kind of player that gets to 200 (games) or 250 and definitely not 300.
“I know 100 is still a little milestone compared to a lot of other people. But from where I have been, it’s a pretty big milestone for me.”
– AAP
Steele Sidebottom says Geelong’s talent-packed midfield is the perfect Round 1 AFL test for Collingwood.
The Magpies have boosted their onball depth with the return of Dayne Beams and will go up against Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood and Tim Kelly on Friday night at the MCG.
Beams is back after four seasons at Brisbane, and Sidebottom said it felt like he never left.
– AAP
Steele Sidebottom says Geelong’s talent-packed midfield is the perfect Round 1 AFL test for Collingwood.
The Magpies have boosted their onball depth with the return of Dayne Beams and will go up against Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood and Tim Kelly on Friday night at the MCG.
Beams is back after four seasons at Brisbane, and Sidebottom said it felt like he never left.
– AAP
Matthew Nicks and the Crows will be desperate for a fast start in 2025 – and the new fixture will help. But Port Adelaide’s draw isn’t as kind. Here’s what it means for both clubs.
The full AFL fixture has been revealed for 2025 — with a host of big changes from previous years. Check out where your club will be playing and when here.