Panic Room: Sam Mitchell faces last-minute fitness test, Jack Watts under fitness cloud

UPDATE: HAWTHORN star Sam Mitchell is likely to miss tonight’s blockbuster against Essendon. Get all the late mail here.

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WHISPERS

UPDATE: KEY Hawthorn ball-winner Sam Mitchell could be a late withdrawal from tonight’s game against bitter rival Essendon at Etihad Stadium, reports Daryl Timms.

It’s understood Mitchell pulled up sore after last weekend’s opening round clash against the Brisbane Lions at Launceston and will not play against the Bombers.

The omission of the prolific ball-gatherer would be a major blow for the Hawks..

Hawthorn named key-position player Matt Spangher and defenders Derick Wanganeen and Angus Litherland, who is yet to make his debut for the Hawks, as emergencies.

Big doubts on Sam Mitchell. Could be late out against Bombers tonight.

— Jay Clark (@ClarkyHeraldSun) March 28, 2014

Mitchell copped a physical hammering from Lions last week & was ginger on track. Still, Hawks could roll dice if he passes late test.

— Jay Clark (@ClarkyHeraldSun) March 28, 2014

The Bombers are set to go in as named, then again Paul Chapman did run down the race late after kicking four goals in Round 1. “Just precautionary” said Chappy and given he trained OK we will take him at his word.

In a week in which Jon Ralph made concussion a hot topic in town, two players return after having their cages cleaned out in Round 1.

Gold Coast’s now de-bearded forward/ruckman Charlie Dixon has been selected to fly to Perth for the Fremantle game, which would seem an unnecessary risk unless he is absolutely 100 per cent.

TEAMS — RIOLI, GRIFFEN READY TO GO

ROUND 2 SUPERCOACH FORMGUIDE

As good as the Suns are going to be, do you seriously consider they can beat the Dockers over there?

Then there is Melbourne’s 200cm Jack Fitzpatrick, a player with a casual style but one that is vitally important for the Dees given their dire situation in terms of available talls.

Fitzpatrick, who took a while to get over a concussion last year, suffered another bout last weekend — and Paul Roos said after the Dees’ loss to St Kilda he didn’t know what caused it.

And Fitzpatrick’s 196cm teammate in Jack Watts was hardly convincing when watching on at training during the week while wearing a compression leg bandage. Tom McDonald is another tall demon at 194cm who has to be in some doubt given a serious “corky” in Rd 1 against St Kilda.

Jack Watts is restricted to walking laps at Demons training.

Geelong will have to make a choice between its tall options for its clash against Brisbane on Sunday in the knowledge that Brisbane will go in with Matthew Leuenberger and Trent West.

In Round 1 the Cats played Dawson Simpson (209cm) Hamish McIntosh (203cm) Mark Blicavs (198cm), Tom Hawkins (198cm) and Mitch Brown (196cm). They have added 196cm Josh Walker to their potential interchange.

Expect Walker to drop out while George Horlin-Smith will play if they only go with two of McIntosh, Simpson and Blicavs.

The Kangaroos might wait until the last minute to make a call on Todd Goldstein’s shoulder after including back-up ruckman Dan Currie in their 25-man squad.

Todd Goldstein declared he was “very confident” of playing against the Bulldogs after scans cleared him of structural damage to his left shoulder after playing with virtually one arm against Essendon. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

SUPERCOACH ALERT

If you’re one of the 65 per cent of SuperCoach players who don’t have Saint Luke Dunstan in your team, make the move now. The top-20 draft pick looked like a young clone of Lenny Hayes when he racked up 100 points on debut last weekend and while he might not produce those sort of numbers every week, he will be a mainstay in the St Kilda midfield. At $132,300, he’s a must-have. If you’ve been hit by omissions in the backline — Jeremy Laidler, Tom Clurey and Jimmy Webster are in plenty of teams — take a close look at Gold Coast’s Kade Kolodjashnij. He’s pricey for a first-year player at $197,300, but after racking up a lazy 45 disposals for the Suns’ reserves he could be a SuperCoach star.

St Kilda’s Luke Dunstan is the Round 1 AFL Rising Star nominee.

MONEY MATTERS

The money says the Brisbane Lions will get closer to Geelong at the Gabba than some of us think.

The line has shortened from 25.5 points to 22.5, meaning if you back the Lions and they lose by 22 points or less then you win. And punters are flush after they backed Richmond to win by more than 11.5 points against Carlton.

So what did they win by? Just the 12 points after Dustin Martin kicked a goal with a few seconds to play. Never in doubt.

Round 2 bet:

Essendon-Port Adelaide-St Kilda all to win.

Not by points, just by anything from 1 to 150.

Odds: $9 with sportsbet.com.au

Nathan Buckley deep in thought at Collingwood training this week.

ON NOTICE

He coaches the biggest club in the country (as we keep being told) so like it or not that brings a brighter spotlight to Nathan Buckley’s chiselled features.

Far from talking the Pies down over summer, despite a massive clean-out in terms of experience, we were told the sky was the limit. And it still might be despite an insipid opening game against Fremantle.

Travelling to Sydney hasn’t held any fears for the Pies so a win over the Swans, who were arguably more hapless when flogged by the Giants, would be a brilliant way to get the ship back on course.

After the Swans they cop Geelong, Richmond, North Melbourne, Essendon, Carlton, Adelaide and West Coast, all teams they should be vying with for a finals spot.