In today’s AFL briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Magpies coach Craig McRae said the club was taking no risks, with Jordan De Goey in particular, who would have potentially played this weekend if it was a grand final.
- Paul Seedsman is the latest AFL player to retire because of head trauma, having battled concussion-related symptoms for almost two years.
De Goey, Hill out of Lions clash
Damien Ractliffe
Collingwood’s injury list continues to grow, with Jordan De Goey and Bobby Hill ruled out of Friday night’s top-of-the-table clash with the Brisbane Lions.
But Magpies coach Craig McRae said the club was taking no risks, with De Goey in particular, who would have potentially played this weekend if it was a grand final.
De Goey suffered a deep glute strain in Friday night’s win over Geelong, while Hill left the track early on Wednesday with “hamstring awareness”.
“We are anticipating that [De Goey] will be right [for round 24], but it is a risk versus reward situation,” McRae said.
Jordan De Goey will miss Friday night’s clash with the Lions due to a glute strain.Credit: AFL Photos
“How much do you want to take a risk? If it was a grand final, we’d be pushing hard for all of them to play, to be honest. We’re not in that situation right now. We’ll look after those guys.”
Young defender Jakob Ryan will make his debut on Friday night, with veteran Steele Sidebottom a certainty to return after missing the win over Geelong with a foot complaint.
But with Nick Daicos, Darcy Moore and now De Goey on the sidelines, Collingwood are missing arguably their best three players in a match that the Brisbane Lions must win to maintain their spot in the top two.
John Noble passed a fitness test on Wednesday after injuring his ankle late in last Friday night’s win over the Cats and will play against the Lions.
Ryan was drafted with pick 28 in last year’s national draft, and impressed during his first pre-season to the point where he featured prominently in Collingwood’s practice matches.
But the Pies have had a fairly healthy run in the medium defender department, with Jack Crisp, John Noble and Isaac Quaynor playing every game this season, and Oleg Markov proving the go-to replacement for running backs.
The 18-year-old Ryan has played 14 matches in the VFL this season and averaged 19.6 disposals and five marks, and played his best game in round 14 against the Swans, amassing 29 touches and seven marks to go with nine coaches votes.
“He has been in great form for a number of weeks now. We’ve had him as emergency a few times,” McRae said.
Pies debutant Jakob Ryan, pictured during last year’s under-18s national championships playing for SA.Credit: Getty
“He is a young South Australian lad who will be a crowd favourite with his haircut.
“It is exciting to give someone an opportunity at this time of year. He gets it through reward, playing above the level at VFL.”
With Moore, De Goey and Hill sidelined, and Ryan and Sidebottom to come into the Pies side, McRae’s selection panel still has one more decision to make. Jack Ginnivan played well as Collingwood’s sub against Geelong and looks likely to fill the void left by Hill, leaving the likes of Mason Cox, Ash Johnson, Fin Macrae, Reef McInnes and Josh Carmichael as potential substitutes for Friday night.
Concussion ends Crow’s career
Jon Pierik
Paul Seedsman is the latest AFL player to retire because of head trauma, having battled concussion-related symptoms for almost two years.
Seedsman, the Adelaide Crow and former Magpie, has called time on his career after an independent medical concussion panel advised he no longer play contact sport.
After a superb 2020 season when he played a career-high 22 games and was third in the Crows’ best and fairest, Seedsman suffered a head knock during the 2021 pre-season, one so serious he was unable to add to his 132 games across 13 seasons. His 83 games with the Crows included the losing 2017 grand final to Richmond.
Paul Seedsman has retired because of concussion.Credit: Getty Images
He has spent the past two years on the Crows’ inactive list, and the 31-year-old still cannot exercise properly or concentrate on regular daily tasks.
“It’s always hard letting go of something you still want to do, and every part of me still wants to play,” Seedsman said.
“Understandably it’s been a very difficult and at times frustrating period for Paul and his family following his injury. But the way he has conducted himself speaks to the class of the person and footballer he is,” Nicks said.
“Paul came to us after nearly 50 games with Collingwood and took his game to a new level in the Crows’ guernsey, and in 2021 not only was he one of our best players, but he was recognised as one of the best in the competition on the wing.
“While we are disappointed for him that he did not get to add to his games tally after that, we are all immensely proud of what he was able to achieve and grateful for the role he has played in helping guide our young group forward.”
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