AFL Injury List: Follow all the latest and breaking injury news at your club
When one of game’s greatest players, Wayne Carey, is in your corner and comparisons have been made, you must be doing something right. So can Aaron Naughton tear Richmond apart again?
AFL
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It’s almost two years to the day that Aaron Naughton announced himself to the football world and had a premiership coach declaring not even divine intervention could stop him.
In Round 7, 2019, Naughton single-handedly destroyed Richmond, taking 14 marks — nine contested — and kicked 5.3 goals in the Western Bulldogs’ 47-point victory.
Nathan Broad started on the then 19-year-old, with Noah Balta and then experienced premiership defender Dylan Grimes given a shot at trying to curb the domination.
“We could’ve had Jesus Christ playing down there tonight and I reckon he would’ve struggled on him,” Richmond coach Damien Hardwick remarked after the game.
Once again the two teams meet in a Round 7 showdown in what is being billed as one of the matches of the season, given the Dogs’ unbeaten start to the season and the reigning premiers wobbles.
Watch the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Every match of every round Live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
Naughton had already given a glimpse of his undoubted talent in his rookie season — his best game also just happened to be against Richmond with nine marks — finishing fourth in the Dogs’ best-and-fairest despite missing four games through injury.
That was as a defender but his dismantling of Richmond as a key forward ignited debate about which end of the ground he is best suited.
Naughton doesn‘t engage in that. He sees himself as a forward only and this week fondly recalled the last time he crossed paths with the Tigers.
“It was just one of those nights where everything went right,” he says.
“To produce my career best game against the team who went on to win the premiership was pretty good.”
His performance quickly drew comparisons to North Melbourne great Wayne Carey who owns the record for the most contested marks in a game this century — 10 against Collingwood in 2000.
It didn’t take long for his teammates to jump on board, with fellow forward Sam Lloyd the first to christen the Western Australian high-flyer ‘The Little Duckling’ in reference to Carey’s nickname ‘The Duck’.
Carey has since become one of Naughton’s biggest fans, suggesting he sees some of himself in the Dogs forward.
“If he sees some similarities or other people do, I take that as a great compliment,” Naughton says.
“I’d rather have people comparing me to one of the greatest of all-time than bagging me out.”
For the first time since he arrived at the Whitten Oval as the No.9 pick in the 2017 national draft, Naughton has enjoyed an injury-free pre-season.
He spent two months at home in the coastal town of Rockingham after initially being forced to wait before getting the all clear by the WA Government to return because of COVID-19 border issues.
A lover of the outdoors, he spent most of his days chilling out on a fishing boat dropping cray pots and building his fitness base, which is evident with his manic approach to chasing loose balls, something not usually associated with a 195cm key position player.
“I‘m just a very competitive person,” he says.
“If I don’t mark it I just want to get it and being a lot fitter this year helps me to do those second efforts.”
He did hold on to one spectacular mark against the GWS Giants last week, much to the chagrin of his housemate Tim English.
Naughton‘s knee caught his teammate flush on the jaw, which momentarily stunned the ruckman who had to be helped from the ground and subsequently won’t play against Richmond because of the AFL’s concussion protocols.
“I couldn‘t believe it when I looked back and he was on the ground,” he says.
“I’m pretty lucky he’s got a hard jaw.
“I obviously felt pretty bad, so I‘ve made sure I’ve done his chores around the house this week and cooked him a few meals.”
The progression of English as the Dogs third tall alongside Naughton and former Saint Josh Bruce has been a standout this season.
There is a cohesion about the trio — they‘ve kicked a combined 41 goals through six games — which has come easily with English and Naughton having come through the junior ranks together in WA.
“Brucey has been great for me,” Naughton explains.
“I do all my edits with him, we do all the warm-up together and obviously get along really well.”
Naughton, who is contracted to the end of 2024, is looking forward to potentially playing in front of the biggest crowd of his 59-game career at the MCG, with more than 60,000 expected on Friday night.
“It’s an exciting time,” he says.
“Obviously the footy club is a good place to be at the moment, the VFL boys are also unbeaten so we’re all having a bit of fun.”
Fun might not be a word Richmond‘s defenders will be using as they prepare for their nemesis.
Grimes in desperate race to take on Doggies
Richmond defender Dylan Grimes is considered “likely” to face the Western Bulldogs on Friday night but will need to pass fitness tests later in the week as he battles a minor ankle injury.
Grimes finished Saturday night’s clash against Melbourne on the bench after coming off with the complaint late in the last quarter, one of three injuries on a dirty night for the Tigers.
The 2019 All-Australian was set to have precautionary scans on Monday night but the Tigers believe the injury is “not too serious” and are “hopeful that he will be available this week”.
Star midfielder Dustin Martin will miss the clash against the Bulldogs with concussion, the time off also set to help him recover from a foot complaint that he had been playing through.
Fellow onballer Kane Lambert will miss at least the next two weeks – but potentially as much as a month – after suffering the first calf injury of his career.
“We have had his scans done, and it is a reasonably significant injury,” Richmond physical performance manager Peter Burge said.
“On our scale, it is a medium-term issue, so he is going to be missing a couple of weeks.”
The Tigers are hopeful defender Nick Vlastuin will return from a knee injury against Geelong in Round 8, but midfielder Dion Prestia is at least two weeks away after suffering a “small” calf injury at training last week.
UNBEATEN DOGS DEALT SAVAGE INJURY BLOW
Rebecca Williams
Western Bulldogs have been dealt a savage double injury blow with Josh Dunkley and Lin Jong both requiring surgery which will rule them out for the bulk of the season.
The Bulldogs confirmed on Monday Dunkley needed a reconstruction on the shoulder which he dislocated in Friday night’s win over Greater Western Sydney in Canberra.
Dunkley is set for a significant stint on the sidelines with the Bulldogs expecting the surgery to rule him out for three to four months.
The medical report was equally shattering for Jong, who also requires surgery to repair a hamstring tendon injury.
In a further blow, ruckman Tim English has been ruled out of Friday’s night’s clash against premiers Richmond at the MCG due to concussion.
Bulldogs head of medical services Chris Bell said the club had been hopeful Dunkley could avoid surgery, but scans showed a reconstruction was the best option for his recovery.
“Although we were initially optimistic that Josh may be able to avoid surgery, subsequent scans have confirmed the best way to manage Josh in the short-to-medium term is to have a full shoulder reconstruction,” Bell said.
“This surgery will be completed tomorrow. At this stage, we expect Josh to miss the next 3-4 months.”
Dunkley has averaged more than 30 disposals and five clearances a game across the first six rounds for the Bulldogs.
Jong, who injured himself early in his first AFL game since Round 5 last year against GWS, is expected to miss up to 12 weeks of football.
“In the first quarter, Lin got caught in a position where he overstretched his hamstring. This has caused damage to the hamstring tendon,” Bell said.
“This tendon injury does require surgery which will be completed tomorrow. At this stage, we expect Lin to miss the next 10-12 weeks of footy.”
English was cleared of jaw damage following a knock to the head in the final quarter, but will have to sit out the clash against the Tigers under the league’s concussion protocols.
“His jaw is okay, but Tim did suffer a concussion as part of the same incident,” Bell said.
“Tim has come in quite well today, and he will work closely with our doctors through the return to play concussion protocols. Tim will miss this week, but we hope to see him back soon after.”
Originally published as AFL Injury List: Follow all the latest and breaking injury news at your club
AFL ruling opens door to wild three-team mega trade
Port Adelaide has the green light to strike a simple deal and get trade period moving – or a complex three-way move with two other clubs and multiple players.
Trade live: Dons take strong stance as Giants circle Stringer
Essendon has told GWS it will expect an “adequate” return for Jake Stringer, who is yet to formally ask to be traded after meeting with the Giants. FOLLOW LIVE