AFL 2022 finals: All the latest injury news and updates ahead of semi-finals
Melbourne star Christian Petracca rarely misses training. So how will he handle this week with a fractured leg? Teammate Jake Lever was happy with what he saw on Monday.
AFL News
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Melbourne star Christian Petracca is set for “a bit of a lighter week” but has the backing of his teammates to play in Friday night’s semi-final against Brisbane.
The midfield gun and reigning Norm Smith medallist, albeit moving quite gingerly, trained with the main group on Monday as the Demons remain confident he will be fit to play on Friday night.
Earlier, Petracca, who sustained a fractured fibula against Sydney and was spotted walking – albeit with a slight limp – at the club on Monday morning.
Teammate Jake Lever said Petracca could actually benefit for some time off from heavy training.
Watch every match prior to the AFL grand final Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
“He was moving pretty well for a guy who’s got a broken leg, but he’s pretty tough, so he’ll play,” Lever said.
“Probably not too much (training for him this week). I think he’ll have a bit of a lighter week. He’ll have to tick off a fair few things, I think – he’s done nearly every session all year.
“At this time of year, maybe a little freshen up might be good for him.”
Lever also revealed that Demon Charlie Spargo had spent the night in hospital after Melbourne’s qualifying final to Sydney after a hit to the throat but he would be fine to play this week.
Lever said he had never played alongside a teammate with a fractured leg before – that he knew of.
But he said if anyone could do it, it was his premiership teammate.
“He’s probably been in here since about 6 o’clock (AM),” he said.
“He’s pretty committed. I saw him this morning and he’s looking all right. I’m looking forward to playing with him.”
Lever missed the short 20-minute session, completing a modified session indoors. Melbourne are not worried about the defender’s fitness.
Bayley Fritsch and Spargo were restricted to walking laps, but the Demons are hopeful they will both be right to go for their clash with the Lions. Fritsch suffered an injury scare prior to the Demons’ Qualifying Final loss to the Swans, where he completed a late fitness test in the rooms to be declared fit to play. His left knee was strapped at today’s training.
Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Ben Brown and Tom McDonald did some light work away from the main group’s session, which was largely just a 10-minute soccer match as well as some run-throughs around the ground.
McDonald – who has played one game of VFL after foot surgery – is also in line to feature this week.
Magpies desperate for midfielder’s injury to be downgraded
– Jay Clark
Collingwood is hopeful Jordan De Goey has avoided any serious shoulder damage after hurting his AC joint early against Geelong.
De Goey had scans on his shoulder on Sunday and could face a light week on the track pending further assessment with club medicos on Monday.
The Magpies suspected the injury was minor and sought scans to confirm he had not suffered a significant setback in a first-term contest.
The superstar ballwinner was outstanding in the thrilling loss which sets up the Magpies for a do-or-die semi-final against Fremantle on Saturday night.
Star onballer Taylor Adams will be absent after suffering a suspected serious groin injury in the qualifying final loss in a massive blow to the engine room.
Adams also checked in for scans on Sunday to assess whether he had ripped his groin off the bone.
Exciting forward Ash Johnson was also hobbling in the rooms after the match after copping a corked thigh but he is also expected to recover in time for the eliminator against the Dockers at the MCG.
Top doc’s Petracca warning after fracture revealed
Christian Petracca’s hairline fibula fracture could turn into a complete break if he soldiers through Melbourne’s semi-final, according to respected sports medico Dr Peter Larkins.
Demons football boss Alan Richardson declared on Saturday that the fracture posed “no risk to Christian and will not impact his ability to play” against Brisbane Lions.
“The advice from our medical team is that a fracture of this nature will not rule Christian out of selection for our semi-final,” Richardson said.
“What will pose more of a challenge for Christian is the corky he sustained to his calf ... that hampered his movement for the majority of the match against Sydney.
“Obviously Christian will need to tick some boxes throughout training this week but we are confident that he will be ready to go come Friday.”
Larkins agreed the Norm Smith Medallist could still take his place at the MCG, but said there was “never no risk” in playing with a hairline fracture.
“They’re going to say that, but another knock and a hairline becomes a complete break,” Larkins told the News Corp on Saturday.
“You get a kick in it or someone falls on your leg and a hairline becomes a full fracture.
“There’s a small risk that the fracture becomes complete, but I know players that have played with it and never told anybody.”
A full break would require surgery for a plate and screws to be inserted in Petracca’s leg.
The 26-year-old averaged 34 disposals and slotted five goals in three finals last year.
It’s understood his injury would usually sideline a player for about a month in the regular season, such as Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury who missed the end of last season.
In what already shaped as a spiteful final after the verbal sledging between the clubs two weeks ago, Lions players could now target Petracca by tackling and twisting him in the knockout clash.
The Demons were the walking wounded on Saturday morning with Charlie Spargo spending the night in hospital with a suspected larynx injury and Bayley Fritsch and Jake Melksham booked for knee scans.
They are all expected to be fit to take on the Lions.
Larkins said the Demons could deploy a hampered Petracca as a deep forward, but they couldn't hide him from collisions and the threat of a broken leg.
“You do lose the power and the chase, being the aggressive midfielder that Petracca is, so you could certainly protect him,” Larkins said.
“But you can’t protect him from a marking contest where someone falls on you or knees you.
“So even if he’s playing in the forward pocket he could still get kneed in the side of the leg again and be out for the game.
“The dice changes shape and size in September and they start rolling them in crunch games.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they played him but I certainly wouldn’t expect him to do a massive amount of contact training this week.”
The Demons rolled the dice on Steven May in last year’s grand final, who played with a significant hamstring tear sustained 15 days earlier in the preliminary final.
May only learned his true diagnosis after he had his premiership medallion.
Petracca is one of Melbourne’s most valuable assets, signed on a $6 million contract until 2029.
While Richardson was more alarmed about the cork, Larkins said the crack was “more relevant in the sense it can be aggravated with the wrong contact”.
“But a corked calf is still pretty sore and calf injuries can slow people down dramatically as you’ve probably seen with Patrick Dangerfield, for example, over the time Geelong tried to play him and he wasn’t right with bleeding in a calf,” he said.
“The bleeding in the crack is enough to be called a corkie and they say that‘s the biggest problem – but you can’t tell.”
An accidental kick from Lance Franklin in the first quarter left Petracca hobbled and Larkins said 80 per cent of lingering corkies such as those proved to be hairline fractures.
He said physiotherapy, ice, compressing and a possible moonboot would be required to help him heal this week.
MRO hands down verdict for Harmes hit
Melbourne midfielder James Harmes breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday when he escaped with a $3000 fine – and not a one-match suspension – for his rough conduct report on Friday night.
Match review officer Michael Christian deemed Harmes made contact with Sydney defender Jake Lloyd’s body and not his head, clearing the way for Hames to take on Brisbane Lions in next week’s semi-final.
The charge was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and body contact.
While it was always likely to be assessed as careless and medium, Christian’s ruling that contact was not to Lloyd’s head ultimately saved Harmes.
The Melbourne utility’s left elbow clearly cannoned into Lloyd’s chest however it was debatable whether Harmes’ forearm struck Lloyd in the jaw in the marking contest.
Lloyd bounced straight to his feet and kicked the critical first goal of the final quarter courtesy of the free kick and 50m penalty.
Neale again the leading Lion
It was a closely fought battle for the Merrett-Murray Medal, the prize awarded to the Brisbane Lions’ player of the season.
Bombers president’s stern warning to Dons’ stars after latest fade out
It was another disappointing season that started so brightly at Essendon this year. And president David Barham has delivered a pointed message to his players. Get on board, or else.