By Andrew Wu and Jon Pierik
In today’s AFL briefing:
- Electricity concerns in Launceston have forced a game time change for the Hawks and Kangaroos, and at the MCG for the Tigers v Suns clash.
- Back-to-back Coleman medallist Charlie Curnow and Zac Williams were ruled out on Friday.
- St Kilda coach Ross Lyon admits he has “no idea” where Josh Battle will end up next season.
- Adelaide’s young gun Josh Rachele says he’s deeply remorseful after being axed.
- Ken Hinkley is supremely confident suspended defender Dan Houston will stay at Port Adelaide.
Game time change for Hawks v Kangaroos, and Tigers v Suns
Jon Pierik
Electricity concerns at UTAS Stadium in Launceston have forced a reshuffle of Saturday’s AFL fixture, with the clash between North Melbourne and Hawthorn beginning earlier than slated, while Dustin Martin’s farewell at the MCG will be later in the afternoon.
The Hawks were due to host the Kangaroos from 4.40pm, but this match will begin at 12.30pm. Richmond was due to host the Gold Coast Suns from 2.10pm, but this will go ahead from 3.20pm.
Earlier start: Jack Ginnivan and his Hawks have had their game against the Kangaroos brought forward on Saturday.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
Launceston has been impacted by industrial action from electrical workers, but the earlier start time on Saturday means lighting won’t be an issue in the afternoon.
The decision comes in a week when there was a 36-hour power outage in the Launceston area, the lengthy delays in restoration blamed on strike action by the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union.
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said the change meant three games were not being held at once.
“Due to circumstance out of our control we have made the decision to move to an earlier start time of 12.30pm for the Hawthorn v North Melbourne match and thank everyone involved in working through this,” Dillon said.
“The later start time for the Richmond and Gold Coast Suns match means we do not have three games being played at once and fans tuning into the broadcast will also be able to celebrate Dustin Martin’s lap of honour at the MCG.
“Round 24 is set to be one of the biggest rounds of all time with top eight spots on the line all throughout the weekend, we could not ask for a better ending to the 2024 AFL premiership home-and-away season.”
CEPU members began industrial action in early August after negotiations over pay increases stalled.
The seventh-placed Hawks need to win to make sure of retaining their spot in the top eight, while this is the Kangaroos’ final game of the season.
The Tigers and Suns cannot make the top eight, the highlight of the afternoon likely to be a pre-game farewell lap for Martin. Fellow triple-premiership teammate Dylan Grimes, who announced his retirement this week, will also be given a lap of honour.
Williams out, no chances taken with Charlie
Andrew Wu
Zac Williams and Charlie Curnow are out, and Mitch McGovern missed the start of training on Friday as Carlton prepared for their potentially season-deciding game against St Kilda.
In a huge blow to the Blues’ finals hopes, back-to-back Coleman medallist Curnow was ruled out on Friday morning, leaving the club with another makeshift forward line against one of the most miserly defences in the league. Williams was later ruled out because of a hamstring complaint.
Still battling the ankle injury that sidelined him from the club’s stirring win against West Coast, Curnow pulled up sore from training this week.
The Blues are confident Curnow would be available for the first final in a fortnight’s time, should the club qualify, but are not prepared to risk him breaking down and leaving them a player short.
Charlie Curnow is out for a second game with his ankle injury.Credit: Fox Footy
With Harry McKay also unavailable, Curnow’s absence means defender Brodie Kemp will again be the main target in attack after starring with four goals in his new role. It is the second game Curnow has missed with the injury, which first flared at the start of July.
“It’s something that he’s obviously had to manage for a little while,” Blues coach Michael Voss said.
“We just need to give it that little extra time so it can settle down a little bit more but that [finals] will be three, four weeks after his last incident.
“So I feel pretty confident that, the best-case scenario, getting through and playing, that he’ll be fit and available.”
McGovern did not start training with the rest of his teammates on Friday morning, raising further doubt over his fitness after experiencing hamstring tightness against the Eagles, though Voss said he did not need to take part in the whole session to play.
“We’ll give him every opportunity to be able to get up so his schedule will run a little bit different to everyone else,” Voss said.
McGovern was named in Carlton’s team on Friday night and rebounding defender Adam Saad has been declared a certain starter, just two weeks after a hamstring issue against Hawthorn.
Though such injuries usually require a minimum of three weeks to recover from, Voss was adamant the Blues were not taking a risk with Saad, whose strain Voss said was “very low grade”.
Adam Saad will return for the Blues.Credit: AFL Photos
“If we really pushed, we probably could have done something last week, but obviously, we chose not to do that, given the flight over to Perth as well as a factor,” Voss said.
“He came pretty close last week, which he gives us a fair bit of confidence that he’s going to be right this week.”
Voss was extremely confident small forward Corey Durdin would line up despite dislocating his shoulder against the Eagles, but would need to break through the pain barrier.
“We have to probably accept there is an element of risk,” Voss said. “But he seems pretty confident.”
Voss tempered expectations over a possible finals return for Sam Docherty, who underwent a knee reconstruction after the opening round.
“There’s just so many factors that go into that decision and we’ll make sure that everyone knows that all those variables will be considered very, very seriously,” Voss said. “It won’t be just sort of something that we roll out.
“He’s been part of the lengthy rehab program, and we need to respect that. But all those sort of risks, if you want to call it, will be managed both for him and the team, and we’ll go from there.
“As you can imagine, probably the next what 48 hours, 72 hours, probably more what I’m concentrating on, more so than what happens next week.”
The battle for Battle heats up
AAP
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon admits he has “no idea” where Josh Battle will end up next season as the in-demand defender weighs up his future.
A beefed-up offer from the club could mean St Kilda retain the 25-year-old free agent’s services or force Hawthorn to increase their bid, ensuring the Saints secure a first-round draft pick as compensation.
“Josh has invested a lot in us, we’ve invested a lot in him, but I just let it play out,” Lyon said on Friday.
Key Saint Josh Battle is a wanted player.Credit: Getty Images
“He’s playing great footy, we have a strong relationship, but at the end of the day, it’s a professional environment and there’s mechanisms that people either avail themselves of or they don’t.
“That’ll all wash out but I’m really focused on the game [against Carlton], as is Josh.”
Pressed on which way he thinks Battle is leaning, Lyon said: “I’ve got not idea. I know he’s focused on training – that’s the idea I have.”
Lyon said Battle received votes in the Saints’ best-and-fairest award last week for his role on Jeremy Cameron, and would have another big job against Carlton at Marvel Stadium.
The Blues will be without injured star forwards Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay as they chase a result that would guarantee them a finals spot.
St Kilda’s comeback win over finals-bound Geelong was their fifth victory in their past seven games. But the clash with Carlton will bring their campaign to an end, with the Saints (10-12) failing to repeat last year’s promising finals appearance.
“There’s disappointment, obviously, but I don’t think it changes what we were doing,” Lyon said.
“There’s been a lot of wins, a lot of youth, a lot of debutants again this year. Close losses we learnt from and I think the good thing is where we were stuttering, we’ve taken some great lessons on different aspects of our game and improved it.”
Rachele’s remorse after Crows drop him
AAP
Adelaide young gun Josh Rachele says he’s deeply remorseful after being axed for repeatedly failing to adhere to the club’s team-first values.
Crows coach Matthew Nicks said Rachele’s dumping wasn’t solely related to the past two weeks, when the 21-year-old had been involved in on- and off-field controversy.
“It’s not isolated, it’s not a moment, it has got nothing to do with this week,” Nicks told reporters on Friday.
“There’s a lot more to this than a period of time. It’s about values, about the standards that we are looking to uphold consistently. Central to that is being team first.
“Josh and I have had a number of conversations, that’s not isolated to recent events. This is something we’ve been working on for a long period of time, not just Josh and I, but the team and what is it we stand for.”
Rachele angered his club and Port Adelaide with inflammatory comments leading in to last Saturday night’s Showdown between the South Australian rivals during a paid radio spot by saying “Port supporters don’t have many teeth”.
During the game, which developed into one of the most fiery clashes between the arch foes, Rachele celebrated kicking a goal by sprinting to the boundary and pointing at his teeth.
Rachele, before training with state league teammates on Friday morning, said he accepted Nicks’ reasoning while pledging to remain at the Crows.
“I’m disappointed with how last week turned out, I’m very remorseful for what happened,” he told reporters. “One of our main values as a club is prioritising others and it was something I didn’t do last week and over a couple of other things too.”
Rachele dismissed any notion the furore would impact his future at the Crows, where he’s contracted until the end of 2029. “No, not at all. I absolutely love the club,” he said.
Nicks said Rachele’s overt goal celebration against the Power wasn’t the tipping point in dropping the third-year forward rated among one of the league’s brightest talents. “There are a lot of things that Josh is doing that we just love,” Nicks said. “We love his energy, we love his enthusiasm, he brings an incredible passion to our group. I’ll make it clear: this has nothing to do with the way Josh celebrates.”
Hinkley’s hopes on Houston
AAP
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is supremely confident suspended defender Dan Houston will continue his career at the club.
Houston copped a season-ending five-game suspension for a bump that knocked out Adelaide’s Izak Rankine in last Saturday night’s clash of the SA rivals. Houston’s ban rules him out of Port’s looming finals campaign and comes amid interest from rival clubs in Melbourne in luring the All-Australian half-back.
“He has got a three-year contract with our footy club, loves our footy club,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday. “I’m really comfortable that Dan will play more games for Port.”
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