Carlton remains hopeful Patrick Cripps will be fit for its Friday night clash with Melbourne, while Melbourne and Essendon have provided updates on injured midfield stars.
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Adam Cerra (suspension), Ollie Hollands (AC joint), George Hewett (concussion) and Nic Newman (hamstring) will miss the clash, with Cripps rolling an ankle in the last quarter.
He returned to the field and coach Michael Voss is hopeful he will pull up well and play against the Demons.
Patrick Cripps hobbles off against Sydney on Friday.
Newman would have taken a dangerous player like Bailey Fritsch, while Hollands has provided critical run for a team that lacks line-breaking talent.
The Blues will likely recall Zac Fisher (39 possessions and a goal), while Paddy Dow should return to a team that will miss inside midfielders Cerra and Hewett.
DEES UNCERTAIN OVER OLIVER’S ROUND 12 HOPES
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin is not yet planning for star midfielder Clayton Oliver to return against the Blues despite an encouraging running session on Saturday.
The Demons say Oliver has a minor hamstring issue but has more hurdles to jump before he is ready to return to senior action.
“He is progressing well. He ran again today and ticked off some markers there. It is a minor hamstring and we have to make sure it’s right. He has a fair few stages to get through yet. (I am) unsure what his timeline is. He has some markers to work through. We haven’t even looked at (his availability for Friday.”
DONS CONFIDENT OVER SHIEL RETURN
Essendon says Dylan Shiel has not suffered a serious recurrence of a foot injury despite withdrawing from the club’s victory over West Coast.
Shiel had scans after reporting soreness in a foot that caused him significant issues early in his career, with surgery to remove a bone after stress fractures.
But coach Brad Scott said after a win that lifted the Dons to 6-5 he was only hopeful he would play against North Melbourne on Sunday.
“Sometimes you say these things and people don’t believe you,” he said.
“He had an ankle which was fine, then a corked calf which flared a bit and then tweaked his foot a bit at training. All very minor but three different things which all added up to us not playing him. He probably thought he could get through but we have a fully fit Ben Hobbs, Will Snelling. ‘Shiely’ has to be 100 per cent fit or we won’t bring him back next week. I think he is a good chance but I thought he was a good chance this week.”
Esava Ratugolea in the tracksuit after being subbed.
RATUGOLEA TO MISS CRUCIAL CATS RUN
Geelong interceptor Esava Ratugolea is set to miss crucial games against contenders Port Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs as the Cats preach patience with star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield.
Geelong coach Chris Scott said the club’s early hopes that Ratugolea had only hamstring tightness were unfounded as they brace for him to miss multiple weeks.
The Cats have a bye after the Saturday night clash against the Western Bulldogs then take on Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.
Dangerfield had suggested he would push hard to play against the Dogs but Scott made clear the Cats wouldn’t risk players not at 100 per cent.
An extra week off would give him six full weeks to recover from a minor hamstring injury, a path the Cats successfully followed with his calf injury last season.
“We may take that approach with one or two, but unless we’re sure we’re just not going to play them,” Scott said of rushing players back.
Gary Rohan could return from a hamstring strain but the Cats injury list has hit double figures.