North Melbourne coach Brad Scott ‘optimistic’ on injured captain Andrew Swallow’s chances of playing against Hawthorn

NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott is refusing to put a line through any of his players despite a heavy injury cloud hanging over Arden Street.

Kangaroos skipper Andrew Swallow missed the majority of Saturday night’s loss to Geelong due to concussion. Picture: Getty Images

NORTH Melbourne coach Brad Scott is refusing to put a line through any of his players despite a heavy injury cloud hanging over Arden Street.

But a fruitful first half of the season does allow him to be a little more forgiving to the plight of a number of his star players.

Skipper Andrew Swallow skipped a scheduled media appearance on Tuesday after he suffered a concussion in Saturday night’s loss to Geelong and while Scott is optimistic his captain will be available for Friday night’s blockbuster clash with Hawthorn, he will allow at least another 24 hours before making any call.

“We’re waiting on the update as well,” Scott said.

“We ruled him out pretty quickly on the night. Sometimes with concussion it can be a bit confusing because what can look significant early can also bounce back really quickly.

“By halftime and post-game he was really positive ... we’re just going to have to wait. At the moment we’re optimistic but we won’t be able to make a decision until later in the week.”

Ben Cunnington (quad), Nick Dal Santo (groin), Shaun Atley (ankle) and Robin Nahas (finger) also battled through on Saturday night, with Scott saying things are brighter than was initially feared.

North Melbourne suffered a heavy injury toll in the loss to Geelong. Picture: Michael Klein

Atley was spotted out of his moon boot and was jogging at the club on Tuesday.

All will be reassessed on Thursday and will have to prove their fitness, but he said the team’s 10-2 record and depth across the board mean no one will be risked.

“We’re more positive today than we were on Saturday night with a few of them,” the coach said.

“We’ve got really solid depth on our list and we’ve got a lot of players who have been really pushing for senior selection and have just missed out and missed their opportunity due to the form of the team and the form of others in their position.

“So we’re in a position with the combination of our win-loss to this point, and also the depth on our list that we won’t have to make rash decisions to try and get guys up to play if they’re not right. If they’re not right we’ll just bring the next player in.

“They’re all too good to be ruled out right at the moment, but we just need another couple of days to rule them in.”

Ruckman Todd Goldstein has been troubled by knee issues in recent weeks, but Scott said he “will be right to play this week — no problem at all”.

The Kangaroos will enjoy a lighter week on the track given the six-day turnaround, with Scott confident the team’s shortcomings in Saturday night’s 31-point loss can be “easily” rectified.

“We’re not making any injury excuses for our performance at the weekend,” he said.

North coach Brad Scott, Mazda Australia’s Martin Benders, North Melbourne chairman James Brayshaw and Jack Ziebell announce a new sponsorship deal with Mazda. Picture: Sarah Matray

“(The review) was pretty straightforward and, while we didn’t perform anywhere near our best, the things we need to work on are pretty easily fixed.

“The important thing is that we alter our training focus and our training load and our sports science team do a great job.”

As Scott refuses to rule any players out, Kangaroos star Wayne Carey urged his old side on Tuesday to “be smart” about its player management ahead of the blockbuster clash.

Carey says if there is one iota of doubt, the injured players should be rested.

“It is a long season. I think one of the great things about having early wins on the board — and we’ve seen Geelong do it over the years, and the Hawks — is you’ve got to manage your list,” the former forward said on Channel 7.

“If there is any doubt, if any of those are not 100 per cent fit, I would not play any of them this week, knowing that next week — Hawthorn Friday night, they go to Adelaide on a Thursday night.

“I wouldn’t be going in with half-fit guys, because the chances are, you lose that one, then you carry that injury (into the Adelaide game).”

Carey insisted he isn’t encouraging the Kangaroos to “roll over”, but said they would be better off pouring their energy into recovering fully before having “a real crack” at the Crows.