Star Cat a chance to play
Corey Enright is firming as a good chance to line up in Saturday night's blockbuster against Collingwood after scans revealed no damage to his ankle. The five-time All Australian was subbed out of the win over Lions after Jordan Lisle landed on his ankle. "He's a little bit sore," coach Chris Scott said. "We're some distance off making an assessment for this weekend right at the moment. Given he couldn't come back on the field, there's obviously some doubt there. It did look quite serious. It almost looked like that sort of incident had the potential to break his leg. But there's nothing serious like that, thank God."
Fyfe out for two weeks
Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images
Fremantle will be without Nathan Fyfe for two weeks after they accepted his rough conduct charge. Not only will he miss Friday night's blockbuster against Hawthorn, but he is also out of contention for the Brownlow Medal. Team-mate Zac Dawson will also sit out this week through suspension. Meanwhile, Geelong have lost Taylor Hunt for a week after they accepted his one-week suspension for rough conduct on Lion Daniel Rich.
Mick being a …
Carlton CEO Greg Swann has tried defending coach Mick Malthouse after a prickly press conference went live to air on Thursday night after the 12-point loss to Richmond. Malthouse has been way more cantankerous in the past but the fact the presser was played on free-to-air TV unedited gave fans a real impression of what it was like for journalists dealing with him post-match. The social media response haven't been favourable for Malthouse and Swann was forced to defend him on Monday. "He's tense," Swann told the Herald-Sun. "He hates doing it and, at the end of the day, if he couldn't do it, he wouldn't do it."
Food Farce
Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold has urged the AFL to look at the price of food at the footy as the league tries to explain a flat start to the season that's seen crowd number down about two percent on last year. Newbold said the jury was still out on 'variable pricing' but felt food was a serious issue. "The food and beverage issue at the footy is a huge one," Newbold told the Herald-Sun. "We need to get it right. It is of very low quality and very high price. People don't feel they get value for money. I have been to sporting events in America and they do food properly. They have real chicken in their chicken sandwiches."
Lucky Phil
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
GWS defender Phil Davis is hopeful he can return to the fray this season despite suffering a serious kidney injury during the Giants' first-up 32-point win over Sydney. "The doctor actually said I was going to lose it and that was pretty scary,'' Davis told the Sydney Morning Herald. ''It was pretty scary to be a 23-year-old who loves playing sport, to only have one kidney … to think about what the complications could be ... in 30 or 40 years' time if it ever failed or whatever. The first few days in ICU were pretty hard, but from where I came from to where I am now, I’m very thankful and I’m feeling great. It’s going to be a long time [til I can play again]. I really hope I’m back this year but my health is paramount."
Roos roasts Roos
Melbourne coach Paul Roos didn't spare himself from criticism following Melbourne's 93-point humiliation at the hands of West Coast on Sunday. "My performance was deplorable," Roos told AFL 360. "You lose by 93 points ... I’m the person that’s directing that group. We got them (players) to sort of analyse the game themselves so they could have a look at it rather than us feeding them. I think they really engaged each other and talked about certain bits and pieces of vision. We can’t do the same thing again (preparation) ... the players got to feel that it’s new."
Fight Club
Melbourne have denied reports by AFL commentator Dermott Brereton that Roos ripped into his players big time on Sunday evening after the game. "I've had words that Roosy after the game, gave them, in the words of these players, the biggest rollicking verbally that they have ever seen at that club. He apparently tore strips off them so strongly that a couple of … this is only alleged … a couple of the assistant coaches have gone, Roosy, 'that's probably about enough, come away from 'em now'," the Hawthorn great told SEN.
Ox unleashes on Frawley
Melbourne legend David Schwarz has taken aim at key defender James Frawley following the club's big loss to the Eagles. Speaking on his program on SEN, the man known as the Ox felt Frawley wasn't living up to his potential and him know in no uncertain terms. "I watch him and I get so frustrated 'cause the bloke can play footy. But he is not … I don't know whether it's motivation or he doesn't care, but his decision making and his finishing for a quality player, is crap. It's nowhere near where it needs to be. If James Frawley is going to go on the open market at the end of the year - and he can do that, that's his prerogative - but I tell you now, clubs pick up on certain traits and one thing and I heard Brad Scott speak about it with Boomer Harvey, one thing is you can't question someone's endeavour. Well I reckon there's someone questioning James' endeavour at times. I love James Frawley, I've been his biggest supporter but every time Melbourne plays bad, James Frawley is one player that for some reason can't hold down his position. I know he's getting bombarded. He's a full back that's probably seen more footy as a fullback than any other full back in the last five years. (But he's a) Super player … I just don't understand why that positional, that his effort or the way that he's playing is representative of that at moment. He's nowhere near representative of that."