The Magpies dealt a bitter injury blow; son of a gun no guarantees to return this week for Blues

Adams will be assessed further in the coming weeks, but the influential clearance bulls will be watching from the sidelines for the remainder of the home and away campaign.

Howe spent the last half of the final season against Port Adelaide on the bench after suffering a knee to the back but coach Craig McRae said after the game that the 32-year-old had not sustained a significant injury.

Elsewhere, Richmond’s thrilling comeback win over Brisbane on Sunday was marred by a suspected hamstring injury by captain Dylan Grimes, which the player himself was not optimistic about.

“He [Grimes] seem to think it’s bad, so we’ll wait and see what it looks like,” said coach Damien Hardwick after the game.

“That’s the challenging thing about AFL football, isn’t it? It was a tough match and the fighters lost – especially the brave ones like Dylan.”

Richmond has expressed concern over Dylan Grimes’ hamstring injury.Credit:Getty Images

Hardwick said he was concerned about the falling form, but the club maintain no official decision has been made regarding Grimes’ availability against Port Adelaide on Saturday, noting the 31-year-old will be further assessed earlier in the week.

“I don’t want to speculate, but it’s not great at the moment,” Hardwick admits.

“It’s a bit challenging at the moment, and emotional for all of us because he is a very important player for the structure of our foot club.

“We hope it’s not too bad. We’ve crossed our fingers at this stage. ”

Melbourne narrowly avoided a major injury blow of their own when cowardly star Luke Jackson passed all concussion tests after sustaining a blow to the head, freeing him from the requirements of a further concussion protocol and setting him up for selection against Collingwood on Friday.

Son of a gun no guarantee to return to from 22 this week

Jon Pierik

Jack Silvagni is unsure of returning to Carlton’s starting 22 but Jack Martin is pushing his own case to take on Brisbane, as the Blues seek to regain their physical advantage and “desire” at Gabba on Sunday.

The Blues have a mandated day off on Monday, although they confirmed tough midfielder Matt Kennedy is in concussion protocol and will be out for at least 12 days after he was injured in Saturday night’s painful loss to the Crows in Adelaide.

Jack Silvagni is hoping to return to the Blues’ 22 starters against Brisbane on Sunday.Credit:Getty Images

Minor striker Corey Durdin was pulled off with a shoulder injury but the Blues hope he avoids a major injury. Defender Nic Newman sustained a serious injury to his kneecap and was limping at the airport, but a clearer picture will not be known until he returns to the club.

Load

If Durdin failed, it would open a place up ahead. Creative but inconsistent Martin, now with a calf problem, could provide more potential if he returns to seniors for the first time since round 14. He has 16 touches, one goal and five tackles in the VFL on Saturday, but he and Silvagni can fighting for the same place. Josh Honey (managed) is also an option to come back ahead of Silvagni.

The decision to demote Silvagni, squeezed by the return of Marc Pittonet, and relegated to a medi-sub role has been mooted by the Blues, and is the subject of major public talk.

The versatile Silvagni, mostly used as a striker and undersized back-up, has had his best season, but the Blues are looking to play forwards Tom De Koning and Pittonet, along with key forwards Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow, while keeping their three small forwards. .

The pair of De Koning and Pittonet, who last returned for their first game since round six, did not deliver the blow the Blues needed but coach Michael Voss said it was difficult to judge their partnership on a “very small sample space”.

Pittonet scored 30 hits but only let go of eight and a point, while De Koning, who also spent time up front, had 13 hits, eight touches and three points but was goalless on the night, the Blues again scoring 55 points – as expected. they did in the Geelong defeat two weeks earlier.

Silvagni was one of the Blues’ best players (13 touches, including a key goal midway through the third quarter) when he was introduced into the game after Durdin was substituted.

Garry Lyon, an old friend of the Silvagni family, questioned whether the Blues had taken the wrong lever by bringing down a man considered one of the team’s emotional heartbeats.

“People can say what they want, [that] this is bullshit, I’m not saying that’s the only reason they lost, but when you have a team that’s still trying to build their credibility and are bona fide coming off a few disastrous years, or longer than that, then there’s something to be said for defending the man whose best and worst distance is as narrow as possible with anyone on the team. [Sam] Walsh was there too,” Lyon told SEN Monday.

Tom De Koning, Patrick Cripps, and Marc Pittonet against Crows in round 20.Credit:Getty Images

“So you know what you’re getting – he’s out, he’s heart and soul, he’s a worker, he’s a competitor, where you can’t, or haven’t been able to, you win. [at] and you just took him out of the team.

“Michael Voss is absolutely right to say: ‘We wanted to try this’, but I was just wondering behind it, whether it had a greater impact on their team spirit and emotional connection, and emotional investment as opposed to structural and want to see things differently.”

The Blues want tough midfielder George Hewett to return as soon as possible, but his back problem has prevented him from fully training. Hewett has missed the last two weeks and will be re-assessed throughout the week. He has played a key role since crossing from Sydney, averaging nearly 29 touches per game, and is just behind Patrick Cripps for most of the tackles.

Kennedy’s absence could help Paddy Dow return after 17 touches in the VFL, but the Blues will debate whether Will Setterfield and Zac Fisher take more minutes in midfield.

Defender Caleb Marchbank, with 16 touches in the VFL, is another subject for selection debate, having succumbed to injury against Essendon in round 13 – his first senior game since round 16, 2019.

Voss regretted that his team had been “worked out” by Crows. This, in part, was shown in the 23 tackles the Blues failed to make – the most by any team this season.

However, the seventh-placed Blues, after slipping from an 8-2 win-loss record to 12-7, are determined to hit back against the Lions. They need one win from their last three games – they also face Melbourne and Collingwood – to secure a place in September for the first time since 2013.

Phillips to lead Power

Nell Geraets

Port Adelaide has appointed AFLW star Erin Phillips as captain of the expansion team’s inaugural season.

Although initially on the basketball court, Phillips has become a hot commodity on the court due to his ability to score goals. The 37-year-old joins Power for their first season in 2020 having led the Crows with Chelsea Randall since 2017.

Port Adelaide captain Erin Phillips and her father, former Port Adelaide player and AFL Hall of Famer Greg Phillips.Credit:Port Adelaide Football Club

“It is a great honor to be appointed captain of Port Adelaide,” said Phillips.

“I feel very honored to be trusted to lead this incredible group of women, both on and off the pitch this season.

Captain Phillips allowed the strong midfielder to carry on the legacy of his father Greg, who played 343 games for Power between 1976 and 1993, including stints as captain.

“My father always told me that the only thing better than playing for this club was to be captain of this club, and he was right,” Phillips said.

“Telling him the news that I have been appointed captain was a very special and emotional moment for both of us.

“I’m really excited to follow in his footsteps and can’t wait to lead the team onto the pitch for the first time. This will be another special moment for this group and for Port Adelaide.”

The two-time WNBA champion and Olympic basketball player made the transition to AFLW in 2016, quickly becoming a prolific ball winner and consistent contender for the best on the field.

Immediately following in Port Adelaide’s footsteps are fellow expansion teams Hawthorn, Essendon and Sydney as they decide who will lead their team ahead of their highly anticipated inaugural season.

Meanwhile, former Fremantle AFLW captain Kara Antonio is a doubt after undergoing hamstring surgery, the club revealed on Monday.

The 30-year-old injured his leg in training last week and is awaiting consultation with surgeons.

She posted an emotional response to Instagram, stating: “Sport can be cruel at times… but it’s a curved ball thrown at you like this, which teaches you important life lessons about resilience, gratitude, strength and mindset.”

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