AFL pre-season 2022: Stay up to date with all the latest news from your club, Paddy Ryder trains with SA club Wayne Milera edges closer to return from injury
After missing the entire 2021 season with injury, Wayne Milera is the forgotten Crow. But he took a big step in his recovery this week. Here’s the latest.
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Wayne Milera has taken another step forward in his return from his season-ending knee injury, doing minor contact work for the first time.
Milera missed all of the Crows’ 2021 campaign after rupturing the patella tendon in his left knee in a trial game against Port Adelaide at Alberton in February.
The 24-year-old has been taking part in Adelaide’s pre-season training and running sessions, but he progressed at Grange Oval on Wednesday when he participated in contact work.
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Milera was also restricted to just two games last year after battling a foot problem.
Forward Darcy Fogarty was on light duties on Wednesday, two days on from rolling his ankle.
Mid-season recruit Patrick Parnell copped a whack to his head and was taken off the track as a precaution.
Two weeks ago, Parnell collided with teammate Andrew McPherson and had to go through the AFL’s 12-day concussion protocols.
Adelaide’s final training session before its Christmas break is on Friday
Rooster Ryder: Saint Paddy finds new offseason home
St Kilda ruckman Paddy Ryder is training with SANFL club North Adelaide until the new year.
The Saints have given the 33-year-old permission to stay in SA over Christmas for family reasons before returning to Melbourne when pre-season resumes next month.
Ryder reached out to Roosters coach Jacob Surjan – a friend from their time at Port Adelaide – about training while he was in SA and he had been with the club the past two weeks.
Surjan said Ryder, who was recovering from a season-ending achilles injury, “was in great nick”.
“I’ve got a good relationship with Paddy … and he wanted to stay here over the break and train,” Surjan, an ex-Power assistant and player, told News Corp.
“He’s quality so we’re happy to have him.”
St Kilda granted him time away from the club before last season to reconnect with his family and culture, then he went on to play 12 matches for the year.
Ryder’s achilles injury cut his 2021 campaign short after Round 19.
The 269-gamer is set to enter his third season at the Saints following five at Port Adelaide and nine at Essendon.
Surjan said Roosters players were enjoying hitting the track with Ryder, who won the Power’s best-and-fairest in 2017, an All-Australian season.
“They love it, having someone of his calibre,” Surjan said.
“A few of our young guys say he’s one of their favourite players.
“He’s someone who’s spent 15 years in the AFL and he can teach some of our young guys what it takes to get to that level.
“He’s also told them he’s got a lot of respect for the guys at this level that flog themselves all day at work then go to training.”
St Kilda chief operating officer Simon Lethlean said Ryder was given the club’s blessing to spend time with his family, whom he had not seen in six months due to border closures.
Lethlean said Ryder rehabilitated his achilles at the club during the off-season break and joined Saints training a few weeks early with first-to-four-year players before going to SA.
“Whilst he’s in South Australia, he’s continuing to follow his pre-season program, as well as regular screenings with club contacts in Adelaide,” Lethlean said.
North Adelaide’s squad includes Ryder’s ex-Power teammates Andrew Moore and Aaron Young.
Ryder is contracted to St Kilda until the end of next season.
Regret and repaying the faith: Young Roo opens up
—Harry Gell
North Melbourne livewire Jaidyn Stephenson has vowed to repay the club for its ongoing support after fracturing his hip in an off-season bike accident.
In August, Stephenson was admitted to hospital after a stunt on his mountain bike went wrong. Stephenson, who was having drinks with his housemates at the time, said that he had “learnt my lesson.”
“I was at home with my roommates. The season had just ended about a week ago so we were having a little bit of fun, letting our hair down and having a few drinks,” Stephenson told North Melbourne media.
“I had the poor judgement of getting on my bike which as we know didn’t really turn out too well.
“It’s something I definitely regret, not only the embarrassment of it, but the sheer pain I was in for the next week or two was just excruciating and was the worst pain I’ve ever been in.”
Stephenson, who crossed from Collingwood at the end of the 2020 season, said that coach David Noble was quickly supportive after his initial disappointment.
“I spoke to ‘Nobes’ about two days after and I suppose he was more disappointed than angry.
“We had a good honest chat. As much as he wasn’t happy with me, he also put his support behind me.
“I’ve just got to repay the faith I suppose this pre-season and hopefully I can have a big year in 2022.”
Despite the mishap, Stephenson said that his pre-season preparations had not been “disrupted all that much.”
“I was able to spend 11 weeks off rehabbing it, getting back up to speed and I got back to training on the same day as the first-to fourth-year players.
“I think they thought I was going to be in rehab for quite a while but I only did one session in the rehab group and then integrated back into the main group so everything is tracking quite nicely.”
Stephenson said that he was thankful for the work of Reconditioning Coach Daniel Cross and Head of Performance Kevin White in fast-tracking his recovery.
“I think Daniel Cross and Kevin White were probably the two biggest to getting me back up to speed to come back for that day one.”
“Crossy always gives his time and was in here every day. I would do my Alter-G sessions with him and then weights afterwards. Having known Kev from my time at the Pies, it was really good that I was coming in and knew the new guy who was running my rehab program.’
Following a breakout season in 2021, Stephenson said that he is eager to pay back the club for its unwavering support.
‘It’s on him’: Grundy’s warning to De Goey
Collingwood superstar Brodie Grundy says the Magpies playing group has been in constant contact with Jordan De Goey as the star midfielder continues to train away from the group.
The Pies hit the track on Monday in searing heat while De Goey has been keeping fit training with local Geelong Football League club Leopold and at his local cross-fit gym.
Grundy said the club still supported De Goey despite his assault charges for an alleged nightclub incident in the US.
“Obviously the alleged behaviour is something that we cannot stand for at this football club,” Grundy said.
“Having said that, Jordan is still a Collingwood player and we support him. We have reached out and have been in constant communication with him.
“We have gone through a lot as a footy club in the past 18 months to two years and we are working really hard to try and make this club something that we are proud of.”
The 25-year-old De Goey remains stood down by the Pies until further notice with last week’s court case adjourned until next year ahead of a final decision on January 18.
While new coach Craig McRae is implementing a new game plan without his X-factor midfielder, Grundy said that De Goey’s greatest challenge would be maintaining fitness.
“There is no reason why Jordan can’t be upskilled in any game plan,” he said.
“It is going to be on him. It is going to be a challenge for Jordan to be able to keep up his conditioning and come in.
“If and when that happens, he will be really desperate to put his best foot forward.”
Collingwood said in a statement last week it continued to assess the course of the case against De Goey and was now “awaiting meaningful developments that will allow for a more complete review of the facts”.
Grundy, who travelled home to South Australia during the off season, has returned to Collingwood three kilograms lighter.
“I was back in Adelaide for 11 weeks. I pretty much just saw family, studied and trained everyday so I’m getting back to vintage 2014 Brodie,” he said.
Having now trained in Melbourne for several weeks, Grundy praised new Collingwood coach Craig McRae.
“He is just a real teacher. He has real empathy and is really personable and can connect with you as a person and as a player.”
Grundy was also joined by South Australian draftees Arlo Draper, Cooper Murley and Harvey Harrison.
He believes that their exposure to the SANFL has aided their integration into Collingwood.
“They are exposed to bigger bodies and the pace of the game and that’s why they are fitting in so seamlessly.”
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