O’Meara to miss match
Winged star fails to win over surgeon
HAWTHORN star Jaeger O’Meara will not play against Geelong tonight after failing to be cleared by his surgeon to resume contact training.
O’Meara suffered a fracture above his eye in a training incident last month and could only complete running and boxing at training on Wednesday as his teammates went through a physical match simulation.
“We haven’t been able to ramp him up to full contact as yet. The doctor won’t allow us to do that until early next week,” Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson.
“He’s an unfortunate miss for us this week but hopefully he’ll be right for next week.”
Clarkson said he expected a “dour” contest between two “rusty” teams contest at Geelong, with both teams playing their first match in 85 days after the unprecedented season shutdown after the opening round.
“We need to play some of our best footy but that’s going to be difficult because we haven’t played for such a long period of time both teams are going to be rusty,” the coach said.
“I wouldn’t imagine it’s going to be a high-quality game, outside of the fact it will be a contest and two clubs will be going at each other pretty strongly.
“I can’t recall games at Geelong on a Friday night in the middle of winter being highscoring affairs.
“Given the fact the skill level will be a little bit rusty . . . the pressure and even the perceived pressure will be quite strong.
“Combine that with slippery and dewy conditions the game won’t be a great spectacle. It’s likely to be a pretty dour and low scoring affair.
“I think the fans won’t care, they’ll just like seeing their teams playing.”
PORT ADELAIDE’S preparation for tomorrow night’s Showdown against cross-town rival Adelaide took a hit when vice-captain Ollie Wines was suspended for breaching coronavirus protocols.
Port added Charlie Dixon and Riley Bonner, while Bryce Gibbs found himself out of favour at the Crows again, the veteran dropped with Ben Davis and Billy Frampton.
Tom Doedee makes his return from a long-term knee injury, former Geelong Falcon Ned McHenry will make his AFL debut and Ben Crocker and Ben Keays will play their first games for the club. MELBOURNE coach Simon
Goodwin has been stewing on his side’s opening-round loss in March to West Coast, with seven unforced changes made to that line-up for tomorrow’s clash with Carlton at the MCG.
Alex Neal-Bullen, Oscar McDonald, Michael Hibberd, Toby Bedford, Jay Lockhart and Mitch Brown were all axed.
Good news story Harley Bennell will join AFL debutants Luke Jackson and Trent Rivers in playing their first games for the Demons, with Nathan Jones, Christian Salem, Jayden Hunt and Joel Smith also in.