AFL 2021: Injury and selection news for Round 11

Taylor Adams missed five weeks with a medial ligament injury and then, in his return game, copped a knock to the same knee. So how long will he miss?

Nathan Buckley says vice-captain Taylor Adams’ knee problem isn’t as bad as the initial injury that sidelined him for five weeks.

Adams told the Herald Sun earlier this week he will continue to fight through some pain and restriction in his knee for the rest of the season after aggravating it on Sunday.

The hard nut onballer pulled up sore after copping another knock on the knee which kept him sidelined for five weeks because of a medial ligament injury.

As well as Adams, the Pies have also lost Tyler Brown (shoulder), Josh Thomas (ankle) and Beau McCreery (calf) for their clash with the Cats.

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Taylor Adams will miss this weekend’s clash with the Cats. Picture: Michael Klein

FULL TEAMS: ALL THE INS AND OUTS FOR ROUND 11

“Tay was declared fit to play last week and played really well, (but) he had a player fall across his knee in a very similar action to the one that injured it six weeks earlier,” Buckley said.

“He did really well to get through the game with that. Subsequently, he was unable to get up this week.

“We know it’s not anywhere near the severity of the initial incident … he was trying to get up for this week – he was 50-50 a couple of days ago – but didn’t get there in the end.”

Adams told the Herald Sun after Sunday’s game: “I jarred my knee again, which was sort of inevitable to some degree.”

“If I was to let my knee recover, I wouldn’t play for the rest of the year, “ Adams said.

“Unfortunately I got a knock on it. It was a really similar mechanism to how I did it (the first time).

“The upside was I was able to pay out the game and the work I have put in around my joint secured my knee and the damage wasn’t as bad.”

Trent Bianco will make his AFL debut in Round 11.

Trent Bianco, who grew up a diehard Collingwood fan, will make his AFL debut after a pre-season knee injury delayed his start to the football year.

Brayden Sier and Jack Madgen also return.

“We were really disappointed (Bianco) had a knee complaint at the end of pre-season and was basically unavailable for selection the first seven or eight weeks but he’s worked back,” Buckley said.

“He’s had a couple of games in the VFL and he’s probably in a little bit earlier this time around – we would’ve liked him to get another one or two games of VFL – but … Trent wasn’t passing it up.”

Premier’s injury bombshell as star Tiger set for surgery

Richmond has suffered another serious blow in its quest for a third successive premiership with star forward Tom Lynch set to miss “five or six weeks” due to a knee injury.

Lynch will have surgery to repair a torn cartilage in his right knee after scans this week revealed the damage.

The 28-year-old has been carrying knee soreness for most of the year, which had impacted on his form, kicking only 15 goals in 10 games.

Richmond star Tom Lynch is facing surgery. Picture: Michael Klein

While the Tigers cryptically suggested he would be out for “the medium term”, the club’s senior football adviser Neil Balme said Lynch wouldn’t return until at least the back end of the season.

“It is a cartilage issue that he needs to fix,” Balme said on 5AA on Wednesday.

“It’ll probably be five or six weeks out and (we’ll) have him for the end of the season when we’re hopefully pressing for finals.”

Lynch will miss a series of crucial matches for the Tigers – who are currently sitting ninth – but the club is set to welcome back some key players to launch another finals assault.

The Tigers are close to regaining several key midfielders – potentially as early as this round’s clash with Adelaide – with Dion Prestia (calf), Shai Bolton (wrist) and Trent Cotchin (hamstring) all edging closer to a return. Shane Edwards (ankle) could return the following game.

Young forward/ruckman Callum Coleman-Jones would be in the mix as a potential replacement for Lynch.

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Young tall Callum Coleman-Jones could replace Lynch. Picture: AAP

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick leapt to Lynch’s defence last month when the forward came in for some intense criticism over his 2021 form.

It followed Lynch’s goalless game against Melbourne, with Hardwick saying: “People want him to kick 60 goals, 80 goals, that’s not going to happen.”

“We’ve been down that road as the Richmond Football Club and we finished ninth.

“Tom could go to another club and be more dynamic as a player, there‘s no doubt. He comes to our club, he fulfils a role. What we determine that role is, allows us to win games of footy.

“There’s no doubt he could play in a different format, a different system, and get All-Australian honours, but the reality is he comes in and he’s happy to fulfil this role and he gets two premiership medals as a result of that.”

The Tigers have won five and lost five in 2021, and have key games across the next month against Adelaide, Essendon, West Coast and St Kilda which could determine whether another top four finish remains alive.

Taylor Adams is struggling with a knee injury. Picture: Getty Images

SORE PIE BATTLING THROUGH KNEE KNOCK

Collingwood vice-captain Taylor Adams says he will continue to fight through some pain and restriction in his knee after aggravating it on Sunday.

The hard nut onballer pulled up sore after copping another knock on the knee which kept him sidelined for five weeks because of a medial ligament injury.

It was a-quicker-than-expected return from a man who is desperate to help lift the flagging Magpies up the ladder throughout the second half of the season.

Despite a lighter week on the track, Adams will miss again after being ruled out of the clash against the Cats at the MCG on Saturday.

Adams had ice on his knee after the one-point loss to Port Adelaide and said he would try to continue to play out the remainder of the season despite being hampered.

“I jarred my knee again, which was sort of inevitable to some degree,” Adams told the Herald Sun.

“If I was to let my knee recover, I wouldn’t play for the rest of the year.

“Unfortunately I got a knock on it. It was a really similar mechanism to how I did it (the first time).

“The upside was I was able to pay out the game and the work I have put in around my joint secured my knee and the damage wasn’t as bad.”

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says Adams “was exceptional to come back in the way he did” ahead of another massive test against the Cats on Saturday.

“He probably beat expectations by one or two weeks and showed what we have been missing for the past six weeks,” Buckley said.

“He is a very strong leader for us and he gives us real grunt around the ball.”

Spearhead Mason Cox is unavailable with a larynx issue. He is struggling to talk after copping a knock from teammate Brodie Grundy at training.

Small forward Beau McReery will be missing for up to two matches with a calf injury after straining in the loss to the Power.

Josh Thomas is also facing a fitness test after hurting his ankle.

Injured Bulldog Adam Treloar will miss up to two months of footy.

TRELOAR TO MISS LARGE CHUNK OF SEASON

Western Bulldogs will lose star midfielder Adam Treloar for up to two months with a serious ankle injury.

The Dogs confirmed Treloar, 28, has undergone surgery to help fix a syndesmosis injury he suffered in the win over St Kilda on Saturday night.

It is a blow for the Dogs as Treloar has flourished since his arrival at the kennel late last year and has played a key role in the club’s excellent start to the season.

The Dogs are confident they have the engine room depth to cover the hard-running onballer until he returns roughly one month out from finals.

Lachie Hunter is one player who could have increased onball minutes to help fill Treloar’s void.

Treloar hurt his ankle when his leg got caught in a tackle in the second term.

The Dogs’ head of sports medicine Chris Bell said surgery was the best option for the former Magpie who was set to miss between six to eight weeks.

“We have decided the best way to manage this injury is to operate to stabilise the ligament,” Bell said.

“This will get him back playing sooner and avoid ongoing complications.

“We will confirm his time frame to return to play following the surgery but expect him to miss 6-8 weeks of footy.”

Treloar has averaged 25 disposals this year since joining the Bulldogs after a controversial trade from the Magpies at the end of last season.

His injury is a major blow for the Bulldogs ahead of Friday night’s top-of-the-table clash against Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

Cameron Guthrie hurt his shoulder against Gold Coast.

CATS FACE MIDFIELD INJURY ISSUES

— Lachie Young

Geelong is optimistic Cam Guthrie will be right to take on Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday but will assess the extent of his shoulder injury this week before making a final call.

Guthrie left the field minutes into the second half following an incident with former Cats ruckman Zac Smith, but returned for a brief period in the final quarter.

Fellow onballer Mitch Duncan is set to miss the clash with the Magpies after being subbed out of the game due to concussion. With Patrick Dangerfield already out of the team, it would create a hole in the Geelong midfield if Guthrie does not play.

The reigning Carji Greeves medallist told Fox Footy after the 34-point win over the Suns that his shoulder was “all right” but admitted he would need to see how he felt after a couple of days.

“I will see how I am during the week. We have one game until the bye so hopefully get through that and then give it a little rest,” he said.

Joel Selwood and Quinton Narkle stood up for Geelong in the second half with 46 disposals between them, but Duncan’s misfortune creates an opportunity for another young midfielder to press for a spot in the senior side against Collingwood.

Cats coach Chris Scott praised Narkle for making the most of his opportunity for further time in the middle of the ground and said there were players performing strongly in the VFL who were on the fringe of AFL selection who would be considered for promotion in light of injuries from Saturday’s match.

“It is probably not dissimilar to the Narkle situation,” Scott said.

“A spot could open up for one of those guys to come in and we are confident that they have been doing the work and our system is good enough to mean that they can come in and know what they are doing even if they haven’t played much AFL footy.”

Originally published as AFL 2021: Injury and selection news for Round 11