Barometer: Who’s hurt, who’s hot after Round 18
Carlton is firing on the field but it isn’t all good news, with one of their brightest stars to sit out the rest of 2019. Plus Ben Reid, Jarman Impey, Scott Thompson and a heap more. Who’s hurt at your club?
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Carlton may be firing on the field but it’s not all good news for the Blues with emerging star Charlie Curnow to miss the rest of 2019.
The Blues, under caretaker coach David Teague, have won four of their past six games to move off the bottom two rungs of the ladder.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST INJURY NEWS FROM YOUR CLUB
But their hopes of continuing their phenomenal form reversal has hit a snag with Curnow suffering a setback to the knee injury he sustained in the round 15 win over Fremantle.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE SACKED PODCAST
“(With) Charlie’s knee, initially we were really pleased with how it handled straight-line running,” Blues fitness boss Andrew Russell said of Curnow’s medial ligament injury.
“Since last week ... he’s had increased pain and awareness in his knee.
“This is to do with the bone bruising in his knee.
“He’ll probably only have maybe one or two games at the end of the season that he possibly could play.
“That’s no certainty, so what we’ve decided to do is actually take Charlie out for the whole season and make sure that he’s 100 per cent fit for the start of pre-season training.”
The Blues host Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday.
BUCKLEY: REID INJURY TO ‘KNOCK HIM AROUND’
Luckless Collingwood veteran Ben Reid has suffered another injury setback that could end his AFL season.
The Magpies confirmed the 2010 premiership player, who is out of contract at the season’s end, had suffered a hamstring injury.
Reid, 30, had been closing in on a return from a calf injury when the injury occurred at the weekend.
“Reidy nicked a hamstring in his recovery process,” Magpies coach Nathan Buckley told SEN.
“He’s been actually able to do more work this year and through this pre-season that he has for a number of years.
“Reidy got some good looks and had had some good opportunities at senior level and showed that he still has the capacity, and he loves the game and loves being a part of it.
“So to have been as chronically injured as he has for a number of years and then to have this occur, it’s not tragic as there are far worse things that can happen in life, but I really feel for Reidy.
“He invests a lot in it and he cares a lot for it and we care a lot for him, so this one’s going to really knock him around.”
Buckley also said veteran Daniel Wells (knee) hadn’t given up hope of making a late-season return.
HAWK IMPEY’S HORROR KNEE NEWS
Hawthorn’s Jarman Impey will miss at least the rest of 2019 after scans revealed the defender suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Sunday’s win over Geelong.
The Hawks were hopeful the former Port Adelaide utility had dodged the dreaded ACL blow after hyper-extending his right knee early in the second term against the Cats.
But scans revealed it was bad news for Impey, with the 24-year-old to miss the remainder of the year as his side fights for a top-eight berth.
“We were hopeful yesterday that there would be no ACL damage, but unfortunately the news was confirmed this morning,” football manager Graham Wright said.
“He will undergo surgery this week. It’s obviously really disappointing for both Jarman and the club, but he is in high spirits and remaining positive.”
The Hawks hoped Impey had avoided an ACL injury, buoyed by similar-looking incidents involving Crows Paul Seedsman and Josh Jenkins earlier this season. That pair dodged ACL injuries and have since returned to the field.
MAX GAWN: INSIDE CARETAKER COACH CHAOS
KING GRUNDY: SUPERCOACH LATE MAIL
Meanwhile, Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell will not be back this season even if Hawthorn does make it to the finals.
Coach Alastair Clarkson said surgery to remove a metal plate from the leg Mitchell broke in January had set the midfielder back.
WILL FYFE BE READY?
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has declared Jesse Hogan will be fit for the start of next season, and he’s optimistic skipper Nat Fyfe will return for Sunday’s crunch AFL clash against the Bulldogs.
Hogan will have season-ending surgery in the coming days after fracturing the navicular bone in his right foot for the second time in his career. The 24-year-old also suffered the same injury while at Melbourne last year.
Lyon was blunt when asked about the sad news of Hogan’s latest setback.
“Sad? We’re not saving babies’ lives here,” Lyon said.
“It’s a navicular, we’ll put a pin in, he’ll rehab, and he’ll be there Round 1.
“We’ll support him and he’ll get going. Let’s not dramatise too much.”
Fyfe missed Saturday night’s one-point win over Sydney with an infected right elbow.
The 27-year-old, who had surgery on the elbow during the pre-season, spent two nights in hospital during the week to treat the infection with an antibiotic drip.
Lyon is hopeful he’ll get up to face the Bulldogs.
“We think Nathan will more than likely get up, but not a guarantee,” Lyon said.
“It was an inflamed bursa, and the bursa was regrowing. For whatever reason it became infected and inflamed … we’ll take no risk with Nathan. If he’s not right, he won’t play.”
ADELAIDE
Don Pyke would have gone to watch his SANFL team on Saturday hoping they’d made his job at selection easy for this week’s clash with Carlton, but no one emphatically put their hand up. Tyson Stengle, who was dropped after three goals in his Crows debut, kicked 0.4 and while Richard Douglas and Bryce Gibbs both found plenty of the footy, they weren’t outstanding. Sam Jacobs toiled away in the ruck but Reilly O’Brien was Adelaide’s best player in the loss to Essendon so isn’t giving up his spot any time soon. Taylor Walker played through the pain of a sprained elbow on Friday night and will be assessed this week, while Alex Keath copped another knock to his knee but is also expected to front against the Blues.
— Reece Homfray
INJURIES
Cameron Ellis-Yolmen (shin) 1-2 weeks
Myles Poholke (calf) 2 weeks
Tom Doedee (knee) season
Taylor Walker (elbow) test
BRISBANE LIONS
Brisbane will have an anxious couple of hours on Sunday as their players umpire junior footy around the city as part of the Lions’ community footy round. That’s the only place anyone seems in danger of hurting themselves at the moment. Coach Chris Fagan continues to be blessed by an incredibly healthy list and a NEAFL side that is sweeping all before it every week. Brisbane’s frustration at the standard of the NEAFL as an AFL breeding ground and their strong support for a national reserves or second-tier competition grows each week. On Saturday the Lyons boys were best on ground at both level with Corey pushing to join brother Jarryd in the seniors with 42 touches in the twos. But the Lions never really got out of second gear in taking care of an undermanned Suns side, so it is hard for those at the lower level to knock anyone out of the AFL side that is on a five-game winning streak.
— Andrew Hamilton
INJURIES
Tom Cutler (foot) 2-3 weeks.
Mitch Hinge (hamstring) 2-3 weeks.
Brandon Starcevich (quad) — test.
CARLTON
By the admission of caretaker coach David Teague, the Blues were not at their best against Gold Coast. But regardless, they escaped with a 24-point win and now have four wins from six games as one of the form teams of the competition. There was some concern over captain Patrick Cripps, who appeared not to be himself and had an ankle restrapped in the final quarter. However, Teague said post-match he had not been told of any problems there. The Blues face a more difficult run of games the next three weeks with clashes against Adelaide, West Coast and Richmond. But all three are in Melbourne and, with growing belief, you wouldn’t rule out the Blues of causing an upset. Mitch McGovern could return for the clash with the Crows, having been managed the past two weeks to work on his fitness.
— Chris Cavanagh
INJURIES
David Cuningham (knee) 1 week
Charlie Curnow (knee) season
Sam Docherty (knee) indefinite
Hugh Goddard (fractured cheekbone) 1-2 weeks
Caleb Marchbank (neck) season
Mitch McGovern (soreness) TBC
Liam Stocker (foot) test
Tom Williamson (back) indefinite
COLLINGWOOD
Chris Mayne spent the final minutes on the bench with ice on his knee, but the Magpies appear to have escaped unscathed from their second road trip in as many weeks. Now they have six days to prepare for a massive Friday night clash against the Tigers. The Pies have won their past two against Richmond by 44 and 39 points but will need a big form reversal to make it three in a row. On the plus side, Mason Cox seems to grow an extra 12 inches when he faces Richmond.
— Al Paton
INJURIES
Chris Mayne (knee) TBC
Dayne Beams (hip/mental health) indefinite
Lynden Dunn (knee) season
Jeremy Howe (calf) test
Will Kelly (leg) 1-2 weeks
Tom Langdon (knee) indefinite
Max Lynch (shoulder) test
Jack Madgen (ankle) test
Darcy Moore (hamstring) TBC
Nathan Murphy (back) indefinite
Sam Murray (provisional suspension) TBC
Scott Pendlebury (finger) test
Ben Reid (hamstring) TBC
Jaidyn Stephenson (suspended) 5 weeks
Anton Tohill (hip) test
Daniel Wells (knee) 6 weeks
ESSENDON
Bombers coach John Worsfold admits skipper Dyson Heppell will be a week-to-week, and even day-to-day proposition, for the rest of the season as he battles foot soreness. The Bombers continue to defy the odds of a lengthy injury list and charge towards the finals by winning six of their past seven games and are expecting to regain Orazio Fantasia, Zac Clarke and Jayden Laverde for this week’s game against Gold Coast. “We don’t know how he’ll (Heppell) pull up until probably Monday, I’ve got no doubt his foot will be sore tonight but he might be feeling pretty good by Monday, he might not be, so we will use the measures that we can to assess him day to day and week to week,” Worsfold said. “He may be right for the rest of the year, he may need a spell, it’s similar to Fantasia’s issue in that he could be right or he may need a rest at some point. “Fantasia, Zac Clarke, Laverde we’re hopeful all of those guys will be available for next week.”
— Reece Homfray
INJURIES
Zac Clarke (illness) test
Michael Hurley (shoulder) TBC
Orazio Fantasia (hip) TBC
Tom Bellchambers (calf) 2-3 weeks
Joe Daniher (groin) season
Sam Draper (knee) season
Irving Mosquito (hamstring) 2 weeks
Kobe Mutch (knee) season
Devon Smith (knee) season
James Stewart (groin) TBC
FREMANTLE
All eyes will be on Nat Fyfe’s elbow and whether he gets up to face the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. Ross Lyon was had a bob each way on Saturday night — “We think Nathan will more than likely get up … But rest assured … we’ll take no risk with Nathan. If he’s not right, he won’t play” but given the match is a mini elimination final the skipper would have to be odds-on to play. Ruckman Rory Lobb is no guarantee to face the Dogs after suffering a partial dislocation of his shoulder during the win over Sydney.
INJURIES
Nat Fyfe (elbow) test
Rory Lobb (shoulder) TBC
Brennan Cox (hip) 2 weeks
Stefan Giro (knee) season
Jesse Hogan (foot) season
Scott Jones (calf) 2 weeks
Shane Kersten (foot) TBC
Lloyd Meek (foot) season
Alex Pearce (ankle) season
Matt Taberner (foot) season
GEELONG
Geelong’s poor form is hardly a crisis given their scintillating start to the year but how do they solve their forward line and ruck issues in the next five weeks?
Chris Scott strongly defended Rhys Stanley after he was beaten by Ben McEvoy but is it worth trying Darcy Fort or Ryan Abbott with him in tandem against Sydney given the Swans have their own ruck issues?
Sam Menegola had 26 possessions and 11 tackles in his first game back from injury so will push for selection soon, while big man Nathan Kreuger hyperextended his knee at Casey Fields but has been cleared of ACL damage. Scott Selwood is an AFL option as a defensive midfielder but the Cats issues against Hawthorn were about ball movement, not defensive intent.
Esava Ratugolea’s highlights are amazing — two great tackles that led to goals against the Hawks — but with slow ball movement James Frawley totally shut him out.
— Jon Ralph
INJURIES
Nakia Cockatoo (knee) test
Jordan Cunico (ankle) 2-3 weeks
Zach Guthrie (ankle) TBC
Nathan Kreuger (knee) TBC
GOLD COAST
The Suns were looking for a response after consecutive 90-plus point losses and got one against Carlton, fighting the game out to go down by only 24 points. The challenge now is for the Suns to take that improved effort and intent into the final five weeks and finish the season on a high. Young midfielder Will Brodie will have scans on a suspected hamstring injury suffered in the final minutes of Saturday’s match against the Blues. The 20-year-old had been the standout player on the ground for the Suns, collecting 26 disposals, six clearances and 10 tackles. Gold Coast hosts a red-hot Essendon at Metricon Stadium next Sunday.
— Chris Cavanagh
INJURIES
Will Brodie (hamstring) TBC
Callum Ah Chee (ankle) 5 weeks
Ben Ainsworth (foot) 1 week
Jack Bowes (quad) 1 week
Sam Collins (hip) season
Brayden Crossley (personal leave) TBC
Nick Holman (back) indefinite
Jack Martin (finger) TBC
Jordan Murdoch (quad) 1 week
Will Powell (knee) TBC
Izak Rankine (hip) TBC
Josh Schoenfeld (knee) test
Rory Thompson (knee) season
Harrison Wigg (knee) season
Aaron Young (knee) TBC
GWS GIANTS
Apart from a minor knock to Jacob Hopper, there were no additions to the Giants’ lengthy injury list on a momentous day for the club. And in even better news co-captain Phil Davis should return against Port Adelaide after pulling up sore following Friday’s training session.
GWS will monitor veteran defender Adam Kennedy over the next couple of days after he was released from hospital on Saturday having shown an irregular heartbeat during a NEAFL game.
INJURIES
Stephen Coniglio (knee) 8 weeks
Aidan Corr (calf) 2-3 weeks
Isaac Cumming (hamstring) 4 weeks
Matt de Boer (shoulder) 5-7 weeks
Josh Kelly (calf) 2 weeks
Zac Langdon (ankle) 8 weeks
Xavier O’Halloran (knee) 4 weeks
Jonathon Patton (knee) TBC
Tommy Sheridan (calf) TBC
Callan Ward (knee) season
HAWTHORN
The Hawks will have to find a replacement for Jarman Impey, who suffered a injured an ACL injury early in Sunday’s win over the Cats.
It’s not great timing for a club about to take on Brisbane and their trio of Cam Rayner, Charlie Cameron and Lincoln McCarthy.
Apart from his injury the Hawks have put together three excellent wins.
Both Jon Ceglar and Mark Pittonet were handy in the VFL but with Ben McEvoy in the votes and Mitch Lewis excellent as a key forward, Clarkson won’t make too many changes to his front six.
Clarkson said Grant Birchall had only muscle soreness after his AFL return and was actually keen to play on game day after making the decision on Saturday he would miss.
So he should be ready to return against the Lions, especially given the Tasmanian will be playing on home soil.
— Jon Ralph
INJURIES
Grant Birchall (soreness) TBC
Jarman Impey (knee) season
Harry Jones (knee) season
Tom Mitchell (broken leg) indefinite
Tim Mohr (dislocated knee/ACL) season
Dylan Moore (groin) 2 weeks
Ryan Schoenmakers (calf) 2 weeks
Jack Scrimshaw (knee) 2 weeks
MELBOURNE
Captain Jack Viney will be monitored in the lead-up to Melbourne’s Round 19 clash with St Kilda after he was concussed in a collision with West Coast defender Tom Barass. Viney braced for contact and was bumped by Barrass, who appeared to make contact with his jaw. Jay Kennedy-Harris could be the player to replace Viney after he is ruled out after he had 20 disposals and 11 tackles in the VFL, while Oskar Baker was also named in the best for Casey Demons. There were some concerns for Steven May after he left the field in the third quarter with a tight hamstring but he returned in a positive sign.
— Tim Michell
INJURIES
Sam Weideman (calf) test
Jeff Garlett (shoulder) season
Marty Hore (collarbone) 2-3 weeks
Kade Kolodjashnij (head) TBC
Tom McDonald (knee) season
Jake Melksham (foot) 3-4 weeks
Aaron Nietschke (knee) season
Joel Smith (groin) season
Tim Smith (calf) test
Tom Sparrow (knee) 3-4 weeks
Billy Stretch (foot) 3-4 weeks
Aaron vandenBerg (ankle) TBC
Guy Walker (shoulder) indefinite
NORTH MELBOURNE
The Kangas thought they’d escaped the Gabba with no fresh injuries but news of Scott Thompson’s ruptured testicle is cause for concern.
Amazingly, the tough deefender hopes to play this week but he must be considered a big chance to miss.
Rhyce Shaw didn’t lose any fans in his quest for the full-time coaching job. He faces one of the biggest challenges in footy next week — West Coast in Perth.
Luke McDonald (ankle) season
Taylor Garner (club suspension) Round 19
Aaron Hall (personal leave) indefinite
Kyron Hayden (achilles) season
Ben Jacobs (head/neck) season
Tom McKenzie (back) TBC
Tom Murphy (ankle) 1 week
Bailey Scott (foot) indefinite
Scott Thompson (ruptured testicle) test
Dom Tyson (calf) TBC
Ed Vickers-Willis (knee) season
Will Walker (knee) TBC
PORT ADELAIDE
Port Adelaide is not expecting any of its key injured trio — Ollie Wines (broken thumb), Brad Ebert (knee) and Ryan Burton (hamstring) — to return for Saturday night’s finals-shaping home clash against GWS. Coach Ken Hinkley drew a line through all three of them in his post-match press conference after the 38-point loss to Richmond, despite Wines trying to prove his fitness at training last week just days after damaging his left thumb against Brisbane. Hinkley said the nature of Wines’ fracture was worse than first feared.
“It’s a small fracture in his thumb, so it’s not a season-ender or anything like that, but Ollie will probably miss two-to-three weeks,’’ Hinkley said. “Ollie wanted to try to push for selection but I saw his (swollen) thumb and while it’s pretty brave to try and push there’s realistic and there’s unrealistic. He’ll certainly be at least another week or two but it’s one we’ll have to wait and see a little bit when he starts to handle the ball again.’’
Playmaking defender Dan Houston finished the game on the interchange bench against the Tigers after being driven into the ground in a tackle and undergoing concussion testing.
Hinkley said he expected Houston to be “OK’’ to face the Giants in a game the Power must win to stay in finals contention.
— Andrew Capel
INJURIES
Ryan Burton (hamstring) assess
Tobin Cox (kidney) assess
Brad Ebert (knee) assess
Riley Grundy (finger) assess
Dan Houston (head knock) assess
Jake Patmore (knee) season
Jack Watts (broken leg) TBC
Ollie Wines (broken thumb) assess
RICHMOND
Richmond is timing its run to perfection with no fresh injury concerns, only positives emanating from the 38-point win over Port Adelaide at the MCG on Saturday with some strong options banging on the selection door.
With the Tigers lurking ominously in fifth after a fourth straight win, Damien Hardwick hinted that ruckman Toby Nankervis and versatile forward/midfielder Josh Caddy could come in for Friday’s blockbuster against Collingwood, in a battle for a top four spot.
Nankervis played a half in Richmond’s VFL clash with Box Hill in his long-awaited return from injury, while Caddy — who hasn’t played since Round 15 — impressed in a new role in the twos after Hardwick revealed that they would experiment having “pigeonholed” him up forward.
That has something to do with Richmond’s twin towers Jack Riewoldt and Tom Lynch, who kicked six between them — their best collective return.
The only other returning star is Alex Rance, with Hardwick and Tigers CEO Brendon Gale offering slightly mixed messages on Saturday.
Both agree that he is way ahead of schedule, and it appears that Rance will give them a big call to make by September.
— David Davutovic
INJURIES
Noah Balta (quad) test
Jack Higgins (brain bleed) TBC
Callum Moore (ankle) 3-4 weeks
Marlion Pickett (finger) 1-2 weeks
Alex Rance (knee) Season
Jack Ross (ankle) 3-4 weeks
Fraser Turner (leg) 3-4 weeks
ST KILDA
Could Brett Ratten make it two from two? There’s a fair chance as the Saints prepare to tackle Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night. St Kilda showed more offensive flair on Sunday in the win over the Bulldogs, scoring more than 100 points for the first time this season. Midfielder Daniel Hannebery is in line to take on the Demons, if he can prove his fitness at training after another hamstring setback. Hannebery is desperate to return amid a disappointing first season at the Saints. Jack Steven made a successful return from a mental health spell in the VFL on Sunday. He finished with 21 disposals, three marks and three tackles.
INJURIES
Logan Austin (shoulder) indefinite
Josh Battle (knee) 1-2 weeks
Jack Bytel (back) season
Jarryn Geary (leg) 4-6 weeks
Dan Hannebery (hamstring) indefinite
Dean Kent (quad) season
Max King (ankle) season
Billy Longer (concussion) indefinite
Paddy McCartin (concussion) season
Lewis Pierce (concussion) indefinite
Dylan Roberton (heart) season
Jimmy Webster (back) 1-2 weeks
SYDNEY
Isaac Heeney limped off with a sore hip in the third quarter, but returned to play out the game. Will we see Buddy again this season?
INJURIES
Darcy Cameron (quad) 3-4 weeks
Harry Cunningham (groin) 2-3 weeks
Lance Franklin (hamstring) 2-3 weeks
Matthew Ling (achilles) 3-4 weeks
Jack Maibaum (knee) season
Jarrad McVeigh (calf) 4 weeks
Sam Naismith (knee) 3-4 weeks
Callum Sinclair (shoulder) 3-4 weeks
Nick Smith (hamstring) season
Durak Tucker (knee) TBC
WEST COAST
Skipper Shannon Hurn’s calf will be the biggest concern for West Coast this week after he was ruled out of Sunday’s win over Melbourne. Debutant Francis Watson performed well in Hurn’s role and it is unlikely the reigning premier will take any risks as they prepare for another flag tilt. Key pillars Jeremy McGovern and Josh Kennedy were banged up against the Demons but played on, although coach Adam Simpson said the key defender would have to be assessed this week due to an ankle concern. “Hopefully at the moment it’s OK. We have had a lot of syndesmosis and lower leg injuries in the last 12 months. We’re hoping we avoid another one,” Simpson said. Asked about Hurn’s injury, Simpson said: “Can he get up in six days? That’s the next question.”
— Tim Michell
INJURIES
Brendon Ah Chee (calf) 1 week
Patrick Bines (hernia) 2 weeks
Jamie Cripps (adductor) 3-4 weeks
Liam Duggan (ankle) 3-4 weeks
Harry Edwards (foot) 2 weeks
Luke Foley (calf) 1 week
Mark Hutchings (hamstring) 2 weeks
Nic Naitanui (ankle) indefinite
Josh Smith (hamstring) TBC
Nathan Vardy (ankle/knee) 1-2 weeks
Daniel Venables (concussion) season
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Back to the drawing board for Luke Beveridge’s Western Bulldogs after being soundly beaten by St Kilda. Forward Josh Schache (concussion) was the only casualty, going down just before three quarter-time following a heavy collision.
Play continued as the dazed 199cm former Brisbane Lions No. 2 draft pick walked off groggily under his own steam before being helped inside the rooms. Beveridge confirmed Schache would need to pass all relevant concussion testing this week to be selected next week.
Concussion aside, Schache’s form itself will also be looked at this week after he struggled to have an impact against the Saints, save for a short burst, in which he kicked a goal and setup another, in thethird quarter just before coming off. “We ruled him out for the last quarter, we’ll assess him during the week,” Beveridge said.
Aaron Naughton (finger) and Jackson Trengove (corkie) both received attention during the match but returned to play out the game. Banged up Bulldogs vice-captain Marcus Bontempelli looked to get through unscathed while premiership stars Tom Liberatore and Caleb Daniel will be better for the run after interrupted seasons.
— Gilbert Gardiner
INJURIES
Ed Richards (hamstring) TBC
Ryan Gardner (knee) 6-7 weeks
Fergus Greene (shoulder) season
Toby McLean (hamstring) 2-3 weeks
Mitch Wallis (ankle) indefinite
Lukas Webb (ankle) 2-3 weeks
Josh Schache (concussion) TBA
Gather Round: Crows open again, Ken, Hawks set for blockbuster
One of the biggest moments of the AFL season came after the Power-Hawks final when Ken Hinkley told Jack Ginnivan he wouldn’t be flying to Sydney. Now we know when the rematch is coming.
Ralph: The key Dees developments that could save Goodwin’s job
Melbourne’s public review said it was capable of playing finals, but their game plan had to be refined, now the work begins for Simon Goodwin after a tumultuous 31 months, writes Jon Ralph.