Panic Room: Late selection whispers, SuperCoach and betting mail for Round 12, 2016

RICHMOND is sweating on the recovery powers of skipper Trent Cotchin, while Jeremy Howe has two injury concerns. SELECTION WHISPERS

Richmond training at Punt Rd, Trent Cotchin at training. 12th May 2016. Picture: Colleen Petch.

RICHMOND is sweating on the recovery powers of skipper Trent Cotchin who failed to train on Thursday due to illness.

Coach Damien Hardwick expects the midfielder to play on Sunday with a couple of extra days to recover.

NORTH Melbourne will be taking no risks with Todd Goldstein after the ruckman missed Friday night’s win over Richmond with a knee injury.

Goldstein has been named to return but coach Brad Scott admitted this week Goldstein won’t play unless ”he’s 100 per cent or extremely close to it.”

Todd Goldstein tests out his knee at training this week. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

GARY Ablett’s troublesome shoulder is sore again but the Suns captain has battled through worse and should face the Tigers at the MCG.

The Suns surely wouldn’t have dropped Aaron Hall if the little master wasn’t right to go.

Curiously, however, the club did take the unusual measure of training away from prying eyes today and during coach Rodney Eade’s weekly media conference.

Three emergencies will travel with the team to Melbourne with Kade Kolodjashnij and Jesse Lonergan in some doubt after finishing last Saturday’s loss to Sydney on the bench with a nasty corkie.

COLLINGWOOD is hopeful recruit Jeremy Howe will overcome a knee and groin problem in time to face Melbourne on Queen’s Birthday.

Howe didn’t train on Thursday but was named by the Pies to take on his former club but is no certainty to play.

Coach Nathan Buckley said he will give the forward-turned-defender, who has been one of Collingwood’s best players in the last month, until the last minute to prove his fitness.

Jeremy Howe did not train yesterday after injuring his knee and groin against Port Adelaide.

MELBOURNE midfielder Jack Viney is hoping to complete an early return from a fractured knucklebone against Howe’s Magpies by proving his fitness at training on Saturday.

Viney had surgery less than two weeks ago to repair the injury and was originally expected to miss up to a month.

The emerging midfield has been named in the Demons’ 25-man squad, however, which won’t be finalised until Saturday afternoon.

Paul Roos said on Thursday Viney is more likely to play than unlikely in a huge boost for Melbourne ahead of the important clash.

CARLTON will be conservative with ruckman Matthew Kreuzer after the ruckman suffered concussion against the Lions last Saturday but coach Brendon Bolton says he’s right to play.

Kreuzer has been named and trained with his teammates at Ikon Park today.

SUPERCOACH WATCH

Sam Collins ($117,300 DEF)

If you haven’t heard the named Sam Collins and you play SuperCoach, where have you been? The Fremantle defender is all the rage this week as the perfect downgrade target for one of your cash cows (looking at you Mitch Brown and Michael Hartley) after scoring 100 against the Bombers last weekend. He is on the bubble this week after scoring a serviceable 59 in his debut and is set to rocket in price with a breakeven of -89.

MONEY MATTERS

BEST BET

Sydney (win) $1.88

The Swans are great value against the Giants, a team they’ve beaten in eight out of nine instalments of the Battle of the Bridge.

VALUE BET

North Melbourne (win) $2.20

The Kangaroos continue to be underrated despite sitting a game clear on top of the ladder. Tom Hawkins’ suspension is a massive loss for the Cats.

MULTI BET

Sydney (win) + North Melbourne (win) + West Coast (win) + Carlton (win) = $9.81

Keeping it simply this weekend. The Eagles are tough to beat at home and the Blues should account for an injury-ravaged Saints.

ON NOTICE

BRISBANE

The Lions are the outsiders despite playing at home against a Fremantle team that won its first game last weekend. Last week’s 38-point loss against Carlton was as bad as the Lions have performed this season when they kicked just one goal in the first half. How can this team get within three points of Sydney and push Hawthorn for three quarters but be comprehensively thrashed by 78 points by Collingwood? It’s performances like those against the Blues and Magpies that have put coach Justin Leppitsch’s position in jeopardy, despite assurances from Leigh Matthews he’s safe. Leppitsch, however, remains defiant, saying there’s an exciting future ahead but there’ll be some pain along the way. But there comes a time when effort must be a non-negotiable week in, week out and that must start this weekend against the Dockers.

Originally published as Panic Room: Late selection whispers, SuperCoach and betting mail for Round 12, 2016