Star No.1 pick firming for debut; brutal Demons call looms: AFL Team Whispers

The Giants will again consider unleashing their top draft pick, while a debut has already been confirmed at the Bulldogs.

Plus there’s a host of star players in doubt.

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No. 1 pick Aaron Cadman is firming for an AFL debut as the GIANTS ponder how to get the best out of their forward half following a disappointing loss to West Coast.

The 19-year-old was held to just six disposals and one goal in a heavy VFL loss to Essendon on Sunday, but registered three tackles and took four marks despite a significant lack of forward supply.

Cadman’s strong goalkicking form in the practice matches has him on the cusp of a spot in the Giants’ forward line after Jake Riccardi was kept goalless for a second consecutive game against the Eagles and only managed two marks.

Riccardi’s selection ahead of Cadman in Round 1 was partly due to his ability to play as the second ruck, but Harry Himmelberg competed well when thrown into the ruck at times in Perth and could occupy that hybrid role should Cadman play.

Giants coach Adam Kingsley said he was impressed with the top draft pick’s competitiveness despite the one-sided VFL clash.

“He had a pretty quiet game back at VFL, but they were under the pump a bit – the ball didn’t get forward a lot, but when it did he competed really strongly,” Kingsley said.

“He’s always a chance, obviously I feel like I say this a bit – he’s here for a career when he comes in, it doesn’t mean necessarily he’s in for the first month of the season, but I’m more than happy to bring him in when the time is right.”

The Giants expect to regain both Josh Kelly and Lachie Whitfield for the home game against Carlton this weekend, with the pair having almost completed the concussion protocols and set to train with the main group on Thursday.

Jacob Wehr has been ruled out though and could miss more than two months after Kingsley confirmed the wingman broke his scapula in the brutal collision that led to his substitution against the Eagles.

Finn Callaghan’s shoulder concern from the game was just a “stinger” and the classy left-footer would be fit to take on the Blues, Kingsley said.

CARLTON will be hopeful George Hewett and Jack Martin will both be fit for its clash with the Giants.

Hewett missed the win over Geelong with a hand injury, while Martin was a late withdrawal due to a calf complaint.

PORT ADELAIDE will consider a Showdown AFL debut for Jake Pasini, who’s one of several options to replace Ryan Burton for Saturday night’s match with Adelaide.

Burton earlier this week accepted a two-game ban for a sling tackle on Collingwood’s Jamie Elliott in Round 2, leaving the Power with a defensive chasm to fill,

Key forward Todd Marshall indicated to reporters that Tom Clurey, Riley Bonner and Pasini were all replacement options for Burton. Pasini, who was taken in the 2019 rookie draft, hasn’t played an AFL game yet, but has shown significant progress in recent months in his recovery from an ACL injury.

Marshall said he expected veteran Travis Boak would return to the Power’s starting 22 – he started as the sub against Collingwood – while backing out-of-form forward Mitch Georgiades to flip his fortunes.

“Mitch works really hard, I kind of know what position he is in,” Marshall said.

“He is getting shots on goal but he isn’t converting and that happens as a forward.

“But he does a lot of goal kicking work through the week and it is about just going back to that and trusting himself and if he can simplify his game I’m sure that can help as well.

“We really back Mitch to turn it around and I’m sure he can be a really important part of this team so hopefully we can do it this week.”

ADELAIDE star Darcy Fogarty is in doubt for his club’s Showdown against Port Adelaide this weekend.

Fogarty hurt his knee during a marking contest in the loss to Richmond, leading to an array of strapping and limited movement.

Adelaide high performance manager Darren Burgess said a call on Fogarty’s availability for the clash with the Power would be made later this week.

“Fog tweaked his knee in the game on Saturday and pleasingly he was able to get back on the ground and play and do really well for us,” Burgess said.

“He’s had some scans and will have some further tests today and tomorrow and we’ll give him every chance to get up this week, so we’ll see how he responds to some training later on in the week.”

However Burgess indicated Wayne Milera should be available for selection after he was withdrawn from the senior team late last weekend due to a “slight adductor strain”.

The Crows will need to replace defender Patrick Parnell (concussion). They looked undersized in defence without Jordan Butts, who was an emergency against the Tigers, but they could also turn to Will Hamill.

GEELONG superstar Jeremy Cameron is no certainty to face Gold Coast on Sunday afternoon following an injury scare during his six-goal masterclass against Carlton.

Despite almost single-handedly keeping the Cats in the game against Carlton, Cameron copped a rib injury due to a collision with Blue Blake Acres last Thursday night, which has him in doubt for Sunday’s match against the Sins.

Cameron didn’t train with Geelong’s main group on Monday. On top of his injury concern, Cameron is also awaiting the imminent birth of his first child.

Teammate Rhys Stanley was on light duties this week as he dealt with his own rib issue that forced him to be subbed out against the Blues. Veteran ruck Jon Ceglar, who performer well in the Cats’ Round 1 VFL win, would come in for Stanley should the latter be unavailable for selection

In better news, premiership backman Jake Kolodjashnij is set to boost his side’s defensive stocks.

Kolodjashnij missed the opening two rounds due after sustaining a concussion during a pre-season clash against Brisbane. But Cats football boss Simon Lloyd said the reliable defender could line up against the Suns if given approval by the club’s medical staff.

“Jake’s been introduced to contact work, he’s heavily involved in running and football drills and he’s tracking as expected,” Lloyd said.

“Obviously when we get the final tick off from our medical team he’ll be introduced, but we expect him to play this week.”

GOLD COAST will ponder picking two experienced defenders for Sunday’s clash against Geelong.

Sean Lemmens will be available for selection after overcoming a calf injury, while Wil Powell will also be in the mix after playing half a VFL match last weekend in his first hit-out since a pre-season hamstring issue.

Jed Anderson had 22 disposals, seven tackles and six clearances in a strong VFL outing, while Alex Davies and Mabior Chol also responded well to their recent demotions.

HAWTHORN is hopeful of re-calling star forward Chad Wingard for Saturday’s clash against North Melbourne in Launceston.

Wingard missed last week’s big loss against Sydney due to a calf strain suffered against Essendon seven days earlier.

The 29-year-old will face a fitness test later this week in a bid to prove himself available for selection.

Several AFL-listed Hawks stood out on Box Hill’s VFL win over Sydney, including Tyler Brockman (3.2 from 12 disposals), Seamus Mitchell (30 disposals, 9 marks), Ned Long (29 disposals), Cooper Stephens (23 disposals) and Denver Grainger-Barras (20 disposals, 11 marks).

NORTH MELBOURNE will be without Jy Simpkin against Hawthorn after the co-captain accepted a one-match ban.

Will Phillips and Daniel Howe have been the Roos’ subs in their first two wins, but veteran Aaron Hall starred in the VFL with 38 disposals.

MELBOURNE defender Steven May is all but certain to face Sydney in Round 3 after a calf injury kept him out of the opening two games.

May missed the Demons’ season opener against the Western Bulldogs and was then a late withdrawal after being named to face Brisbane last weekend, with Melbourne eager to regain the two-time All-Australian.

Dees forward Bayley Fritsch, who returned from injury in Brisbane after his foot was stomped on in pre-season training, said May’s leadership would be important to the Demons, who will be missing captain Max Gawn (knee) for at least the next month.

“I think we confirmed after the game that (May) would be back, so obviously a back-to-back All-Australian, he helps with a lot of things down there with his leadership and communication,” Fritsch told RSN Breakfast.

“We can’t wait to have him back.”

Versatile Demons player Adam Tomlinson, who was the late inclusion for May, could be the unlucky one to miss out again.

Fritsch said Gawn’s injury, which led to his substitution after the first quarter of Melbourne’s 11-point loss to the Lions, had been a “little bit flattening” for the Demons as they tried to combat a slick home side. But he added Gawn would still have an important leadership role among the group while sidelined.

SYDNEY will regain superstar Lance Franklin from suspension for its clash with Melbourne on Sunday.

But after Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald kicked 9.3 between them against Hawthorn, Hayden McLean might be the unlucky one to make way for Franklin.

The WESTERN BULLDOGS will unveil a new exciting talent against Brisbane on Thursday night, with speedy forward Arthur Jones to make his debut.

Jones was in line to make his debut in Round 1, only to injure an adductor a week out from the match against Melbourne.

“It’s a bit hard to put into words,” Jones said on Tuesday.

“It’s a great moment – when you work at something for so long.

“I had a massive pre-season and just before Round 1 tweaked my groin, so to have a speedy recovery and have all the boys see the work I’ve put in – to finally get this one thing that I’ve wanted so bad, is kind of an emotional moment.

“It’s a lifelong dream. I’m just so grateful to the Western Bulldogs for giving me the chance to debut.

“Hopefully I can make the red, white and blue as proud as they can be.”

Elsewhere, the Bulldogs hopeful star duo Adam Treloar and Rory Lobb will be ready for Thursday night’s clash against Brisbane.

Lobb (ankle) and Treloar (hamstring) trained well on Saturday, but a five-day turnaround will give them, as well as key defender Ryan Gardiner (elbow), limited time to prove they’re fully fit to play.

Bulldogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell said Gardiner would play if he got through training this week, while Treloar and Lobb have been listed as ‘tests’.

“They washed out the small loose bodies that were causing issues in Rory’s ankle joint,” Bell said. “We are now fighting the clock to turn him around in time for the game this Thursday.

“We want to make sure that if Rory does play, that he is at 100 per cent.

“Adam had some minor hamstring tightness off the back of the Round 1 game and has progressed well over the last 72 hours and completed a solid training session on Saturday.

“For him to be a chance to play – he will need to prove his full fitness and ability to hit top speed.

“Adam has a significant history of soft tissue injury – so we won’t be taking any risk if he hasn’t fully recovered.”

BRISBANE defender Keidean Coleman is expected to be fit for Thursday night’s clash against the Bulldogs.

Whether he replaces one of the talls that came in for Round 2 — Darragh Joyce or Darcy Fort — remains unclear.

RICHMOND superstar Dustin Martin remains a chance to play for Richmond, but another premiership player has been ruled out and a star recruit is in doubt.

Martin was subbed out of his side’s win over Adelaide and underwent scans, which showed he hadn’t torn his hamstring. Although he’s still in doubt with ‘hamstring awareness’.

“We made the decision during the game to take Dustin off the ground, given his injury history and the six-day break. We’re just going to monitor how he recovers off the game and make a decision on Wednesday, and see if he gets through training, with regards to playing this week,” Tigers fitness coach Luke Meehan said of Martin, who was sidelined for seven games last year with hamstring issues.

If Martin missed, Noah Cumberland would be a near certainty to replace him as he plays a similar forward 50 role.

Teammate Jayden Short has already been ruled out with a calf injury, while Jacob Hopper could also miss with a knee issue.

“It was pretty ugly, he’s actually pretty lucky,” Meehan said.

“Jacob’s experienced a little bit of joint soreness in his knee and we’re going to monitor him on Wednesday and see how he recovers and make a decision. He’s probably doubtful at this stage, but we’ll see how he is on Wednesday.”

The Tigers will be without Nathan Broad for the next four games due to suspension.

Hard to see COLLINGWOOD making any unforced changes for Friday night’s clash following its dismantling of Port Adelaide in Round 2.

But there were some standout players in the VFL team’s win over Coburg, led by Fin Macrae’s haul of 34 disposals, nine clearances, six tackles and 1.1.

Tom Wilson booted five goals and Ash Johnson added four majors from 10 marks, while all three Magpies 3022 national draftees – Ed Allan, Jakob Ryan and Joe Richards – had at least 22 disposals.

ST KILDA defender Callum Wilkie will step in as captain this week trying to fill the “remarkable” shoes of Jack Steele, who set a new example for his teammates by playing out last Saturday‘s win with a broken collarbone.

Steele underwent surgery and is set to spend at least a month on the sidelines having played through the pain in the final quarter as the Saints defeated the Western Bulldogs to maintain their undefeated start to the season.

As for who could replace Steele in the side to face Essendon, Jack Bytel and Jimmy Webster are both considered good chances to return from their respective injuries.

ESSENDON could be boosted by the return of two forwards, with Jake Stringer and Sam Weideman in the mix to face St Kilda.

Stringer kicked one goal from 22 disposals in the VFL, while Weideman was a late withdrawal from the Bombers’ AFL team that beat Gold Coast due to a toe issue.

Veteran Dyson Heppell, who was subbed out of the match on Sunday in the third quarter, could find himself unlucky.

Expect a few changes at FREMANTLE for Sunday’s derby against West Coast.

Superstar Nat Fyfe is expected to play after being a later withdrawal from the side that lost to North Melbourne.

“I’m not sure he was ever out of the derby, I might have got that wrong in the press conference, but he’s tracking really well,” Dockers coach Justin Longmuir told 7 News Perth.

“He’s got to get through training on Thursday, but everything is going as planned.”

Matt Taberner was subbed out of the game on Saturday for the second consecutive week, this time because of cramp. He was replaced by Michael Walters, who overcame an Achilles injury and kicked two goals to keep his side in the game.

Walters is likely to come into the starting 22 this week.

Whether the Dockers persist with Jye Amiss – who was the late inclusion for Fyfe – or give fellow key forward Josh Treacy another crack remains unclear.

Winger Nathan O’Driscoll and rebounding defender Brandon Walker are both in the mix to return as are second-year midfielders Matthew Johnson and Neil Erasmus and medium forward Sam Sturt.

As desperate as WEST COAST would be to beat cross-town rival Fremantle on Sunday, Adam Simpson is unlikely to rush back a couple of injured stars for the clash.

The Eagles are likely to resist the temptation of bringing back Elliot Yeo and Nic Naitanui for their first games of the 2023.

Yeo has missed the first two rounds with a calf injury and ruckman Naitanui with an Achilles complaint. If Naitanui does not play, the Eagles will likely look for an alternative ruck option to assist Bailey Williams.

Against the Giants, that help was Jake Waterman, who had eight hit-outs, but looked much more comfortable in attack than in the centre square. He kicked four vital goals, three in a blistering second term.

That help could be Oscar Allen, who pinch hit in the ruck in 2021 before missing all of 2022 through injury.

“I think we’ve got to explore that,” Simpson said. “North play a tall mid and some clubs play two rucks.

“It worked for us today to a certain degree, but it might not work next week. So, each week will be different.”