AFL pre-season news: All the action, whispers and highlights from the training track
Jordan De Goey and Jake Stringer are out of full training until the new year as Dustin Martin and Carlton’s stars fire up for day one of pre-season. Here’s a full wrap.
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All the big names are returning to training as the pre-season heats up around the AFL.
Follow all of Monday’s action and standouts below.
COLLINGWOOD: DE GOEY SURGERY, DAICOS RESTS
– Owen Leonard
Jordan De Goey won’t return to full training until the new year after opting for surgery on the shoulder he injured during the finals series.
De Goey hurt his right shoulder in the second quarter of the qualifying final against Geelong, but returned to the field and nearly sparked a boilover victory with two goals in the final quarter.
The explosive midfielder then played out Collingwood’s finals campaign, proving influential despite the suspected AC joint issue and later signing a bumper five-year deal to remain at the club until 2027 amid strong interest from St Kilda.
But De Goey couldn’t shake the injury over the off-season and had an arthroscopy on Monday while senior teammates joined the first-to-fourth year players for pre-season training.
The procedure involves inserting a narrow tube with a small fibre-optic camera attached to it to help doctors visualise and diagnose problems within the joint.
Football manager Graham Wright said the club opted for surgery after consulting a specialist.
“Jordan had been managing that right shoulder towards the end of our campaign and while we have given it every opportunityto settle over the off-season … it was determined a clean-up is the best course of action for him,” Wright said.
“At this stage, we expect Jordan to be back to full training by January.”
Assistant coach Hayden Skipworth said De Goey didn’t seek surgery immediately following the season because it was the type of injury that typically healed with time.
“My understanding is these injuries, you give them as much time as you can to heal without surgery,” Skipworth said on Monday.
“We gave him pretty much the whole break to let it settle down, which is normal, but he’s not quite where he wanted it to be. We didn’t want to affect the pre-season much longer.”
Meanwhile, in only a week, Nick Daicos has gone from winning Collingwood’s 2km time-trial to walking laps away from the main group.
Daicos smoked the first-to-fourth year field in last week’s first pre-season running session in what shaped as an ominous sign he was poised to elevate his game to yet another level in 2023.
But having attracted the attention of physios later in the week, the reigning AFL Rising Star on Monday appeared to be in recovery mode as senior players returned to the track.
The 19-year-old was moving relatively freely at low-intensity early in the session, mixing walks around the track with light repeat jogs.
However, he soon took his boots off and walked off the track alongside the club physio.
Beau McCreery also kept away from the main group, and has been building fitness on his own since returning for training last week.
Meanwhile, high-profile Pie Jordan De Goey was a notable absentee from Monday’s session.
Jack Ginnivan was back at training after missing last week’s first-to-fourth year return, while draftee Jakob Ryan caught the eye with both his flowing blonde mullet and strong performance in a beep test-style running drill.
Collingwood also brought in former beach volleyballer Max Guehrer, with the 204cm 26-year-old to vie for a Category B spot on the list.
ESSENDON: STRINGER SUFFERS ANOTHER SETBACK
– Daniel Cherny, CODE SPORTS
Jake Stringer will be on a modified training program until the Christmas break as Essendon manages the mercurial star’s groin issue.
Stringer, 28, dealt with groin soreness towards the end of the 2022 season, a campaign in which soft tissue concerns limited him to just 15 senior games.
The enigmatic midfielder/forward returned to training ahead of schedule, but is being held out of some training as the club seeks to build his loads.
The Bombers said on Monday that they expected Stringer to take part in full training in the new year.
Essendon’s full squad returned to training on Monday, however draftee Jayden Davey was unavailable because of the AFL’s health and safety protocols.
Gun rebounding defender Mason Redman dominated the club’s time-trial.
Stringer enjoyed his best year in red and black in 2021, kicking 41 goals from 19 games and polling eight Brownlow Medal votes to help the Dons to the finals.
However, having signed a three-year contract extension, Stringer had an indifferent 2022, missing much of the first half of the campaign before a couple of starring performances in the back half of the season.
RICHMOND: TARANTO THE NEW KING, STARS RETURN
– Jon Ralph
Tim Taranto put his massive engine to good use at Punt Road on Monday as he reeled in Kamdyn McIntosh in the club’s 2km time trial.
Taranto gave McIntosh a 50m lead in the first of five laps but the former GWS onballer slowly pulled on the chain until he caught, and then passed, McIntosh.
As the Richmond senior players all assembled for the first time, he stopped the clock at 6:13 minutes in the time trial to best wingman McIntosh by 15m.
Dustin Martin had been back at the club for the past week and, after settling in the bottom third in that time trial, the superstar gradually surged to finish mid-pack.
Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale said Martin was fit and motivated after a tough season that included the loss of father Shane and his own injury issues.
The Tigers are licking their lips at the prospect of Taranto’s two-way run on the wide open spaces of the MCG as he helps balance the club’s midfield.
Shai Bolton showed the value of football smarts and timing your run – he was no better than mid-pack in the 2km time trial.
But once the footballs were out, his explosive pace and acceleration away from his opponent was a feature as usual.
Rutten takes his place
Damien Hardwick is overseas for several weeks on a study tour and holiday, as Ben Rutten returns to the club after his sacking from Essendon.
Rutten was part of the Richmond coaching group for the 2017 premiership and while the club’s line coaching responsibilities are not yet announced, he is expected to marshal the defence again.
Adam Kingsley is now the GWS coach, so Adam McQualter, in demand across the league over the summer, will take up most of the midfield responsibilities.
Popular Richmond midfielder Kane Lambert is now a development coach at Punt Road after his retirement, and was also in demand but chose to stay at the Tigers.
Holding up Banks
Last year’s pick 29 Sam Banks has huge wraps, but he’s one of the few players being eased into training after hip surgery.
Richmond’s brains trust has huge hopes for Banks to play on a wing in future years but he will be on a graduated program for some time.
Josh Gibcus is again running well after his impressive first season and, while he’s three years from fully maturing, he will hope to build on the platform of his 18-game debut season.
The club said it had few other injury issues as Tom Lynch, Toby Nankervis and Maurice Rioli Jr missed the time trial with minor niggles or management programs that will not hold them back.
Rioli is thrilled to have inherited the club’s number 10 jumper from Shane Edwards and is in good shape after an excellent second season.
Richmond is excited by the running power of category b rookie Mate Colina, a 213m beanpole, after he arrived at the club mid-year from playing basketball in Hawaii.
With high performance boss Peter Burge joining the Hawks, Richmond has elevated Luke Meehan internally as its new physical performance manager.
We’re on 😠pic.twitter.com/4I5x3CXicJ
— Richmond FC 🯠(@Richmond_FC) December 4, 2022
Liam Baker 2.0?
Richmond used pick 55 in this year’s draft to secure South Fremantle’s Steely Green after he averaged eight disposals and four tackles at WAFL senior level.
They believe he plays like West Australian Liam Baker and he was chuffed when Baker was there to pick him up from the airport.
While Richmond had only two picks in the national draft, it is excited at the prospects of rookies Tylar Young and Seth Campbell as well as pick 49 Kaleb Smith, a quick and tidy utility from East Fremantle.
CARLTON: ‘SCARY’ YOUNG BLUES TURN HEADS ON THE TRACK
- Chris Cavanagh
Carlton was looking for some outside run in last week’s national draft and the players they selected are already showing they possess plenty of that.
The club’s first three picks in the draft – Oliver Hollands (pick 11), Lachlan Cowan (pick 30) and Jaxon Binns (pick 32) – were all highly-rated by recruiters for their running ability and led the way in their first training session at Princes Park last Friday.
“They’re all really good runners,” Carlton forward Harry McKay said.
“On Friday we did a bit of running and all of them were up the front. The new age of kids that can come in and run is pretty scary.”
The trio – along with fellow draftee Harry Lemmey (pick 47) – were all back on the track on Monday doing some skills work and did not look out of place.
A key forward, Lemmey was working with last year’s Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow during some of the drills.
Early injury woes
Gun young midfielder Sam Walsh was unsighted on the training track on Monday as he continues to manage back soreness which will keep him away from main training until after Christmas.
Ruckman Marc Pittonet (knee) has returned running but will similarly not be integrated back into main training until January.
Onballer George Hewett (back) completed some light skills work, as did defender Mitch McGovern (managed).
Forward Lachie Fogarty (back) was running some laps.
But in good news, midfielder Matthew Kennedy (foot) and forward Corey Durdin (shoulder) were back in the thick of the action after recovering from end-of-season surgeries.
Sun smart ‘rookie’
Blues veteran Ed Curnow was taking no risk under the summer sun at training on Monday.
While it was an overcast morning, the UV index in Melbourne was still a very high level of 10.
Curnow was prepared, slapping plenty of white zinc on his face to the extent that he looked like he was doing a face mask.
Curnow, 33, was re-drafted by the Blues as a rookie last week despite not playing a senior game this year in an injury-interrupted campaign.
Skippaaa https://t.co/tecW6VzpMFpic.twitter.com/fuIbuHacIh
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) December 5, 2022
Moooo 🮠https://t.co/XhZMleaCqFpic.twitter.com/vyPWcITvEo
— Carlton FC (@CarltonFC) December 5, 2022
No messing around
It might be December, but the Blues aren’t messing around.
Coach Michael Voss has vowed to further lift the club’s standards and training is reflecting that.
There has been a very serious and focused vibe about pre-season at Princes Park since it resumed two weeks ago, with all senior players returning to the track early.
“We were pretty keen to get back as soon as we can and get amongst training,” McKay said.
“We took some good strides last year but the way it finished definitely brings on some motivation for this season and this preseason. The guys have come back in really good shape and motivation levels are really high.”
CARLTON: WALSH, ‘IMPRESSIVE’ BLUES ON RIGHT PATH
Carlton is confident that “professional” young midfielder Sam Walsh will be fit for a Round 1 showdown with Richmond despite being placed on a limited pre-season training schedule as he continues to deal with a back injury.
Walsh missed Round 23 this year with back soreness and is still being carefully managed, having been ruled out of skills training until after the Christmas break.
The 22-year-old will have just two months post-Christmas to prepare for next season, which will start a week earlier than usual.
The Blues tackle the Tigers in the season-opener at the MCG on March 16.
“He’s going pretty well,” Carlton teammate Harry McKay said of Walsh on Monday.
“He’s just managed at the moment and doing a bit of an individual program. But post-Christmas, we’re fully expecting him to be up and going again. He’s ticking off everything he needs to at the moment.
“It doesn’t really matter what his preparation will be like. He will get the best out of himself and I’m sure come Round 1 he’ll be in a position to play his best footy. Professional guys like Sam always find a way to get the best out of themselves so I’m sure he will.”
Carlton’s senior players were officially required back at training on Monday, but the entire playing list had already returned to the club two weeks earlier when first-to-fourth-year players were due back.
Blues coach Michael Voss said last month that his side needed to “raise the standard” after narrowly missing finals this year.
McKay said those standards were continually being improved, a year into Voss’ reign as coach.
“Compared to 12 months ago, the standards and the intensity of training and the quality of training are definitely on another level,” McKay said.
“After 12 months of a new system and new coaches and everything you expect that. But I’ve been really impressed by the standard of training so far over the last two weeks and some of the guys have come back in really good nick. It shows we are on the right path for sure.”
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— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) December 5, 2022
New season. New look. 💇â€â™‚ï¸ #DemonSpiritpic.twitter.com/y93ycqCLia
— Melbourne Demons (@melbournefc) December 5, 2022
Tsatas, Davey, Shiel, Munkara, Hayes pic.twitter.com/LEEUQtxV3a
— Rick Edwards (@BomberRicko) December 5, 2022
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— Brisbane Lions (@brisbanelions) December 5, 2022
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