Games delay Hanley diagnosis
THE Commonwealth Games continues to disrupt the Suns with Pearce Hanley forced to wait on a diagnosis of his injured shoulder while the club’s doctor serves as a senior GOLDOC medico.
Hanley had scans on the Gold Coast yesterday but club doctor Barry Rigby was on Games duty and had not read the report by close of business.
The Suns have ruled Hanley out of next week’s match against West Coast Eagles and will today send two extra players to Perth for Saturday’s clash at the new Optus Oval.
They concede the Irishman requires surgery but are weighing the gamble of trying a few weeks’ rest and hoping he can get through the season without popping the shoulder again.
The Suns are beneficiaries of the Games as their new training and administration base would not have been built had the Government not needed venues for the games. But the Suns have also been put out.
They do not play a home game at Metricon Stadium until Round 11, by which time they would have played in Cairns, Melbourne, Perth twice, Ballarat and China.
Their temporary base at Bond University does not cope with weather and they have had to seek alternative training grounds twice in recent weeks.
Meanwhile the Lions are hopeful of an injection of major talent for Saturday’s clash with premiers Richmond.
Daniel Rich trained solidly at the weekend and is pushing for selection. The veteran midfielder was expected to miss four to six weeks with the sprained ankle he suffered in the Round 1 loss to St Kilda.
But his recovery has accelerated in the past week and football manager David Noble said he was a 50-50 chance to return this week.
“He ran over the weekend, the swelling has settled so he’s been able to do work on it,’’ he said. “He’s going to have to get through the week and do the main session Thursday before we will consider him.”
Captain Dayne Beams flew home on game day with an illness but he is expected to recover for the big game on the MCG.