Collingwood have been hit by the gastro bug ahead of their match against Gold Coast, with Jordan De Goey and Will Hoskin-Elliott absent from training on Friday morning.
The Magpies are looking to ensure no further players come down with the virus, with coach Crag McRae confirming a group of backroom staff have also been impacted.
“We’ve had a little bit of gastro go through the place this week,” McRae said on Friday.
“A couple of coaches have gone down. Now Will and also Jordy have been out today.
“Hopefully in the next 24 hours they will feel better.
“He [De Goey] hasn’t trained the last 24 hours. He has done a little bit himself away here.”
McRae admitted De Goey and Hoskin-Elliott, the former of whom is touted as an All Australian candidate after an excellent start to the year, are no certainties to take to the MCG on Sunday.
“Everything at the moment is sensitive around illness; when they show signs of anything we keep them out of the place,” he said.
“We’ll have to wait and see how he [De Goey] is feeling. Not only him, but Will is the same.”
The pair’s absence would be another heavy blow for the Magpies, with star ruckman Brodie Grundy and young forward Nathan Kreuger already out for the must-win game.
McRae already has several other selection dilemmas to consider, with veteran Mason Cox and raw rookie Aiden Begg in contention to replace Grundy, after both were named on the Pies’ extended interchange on Thursday night.
Darcy Cameron is expected to shift to the number one position, but McRae said one of Cox or Begg could be required for support against Gold Coast ruckman – and former Magpie – Jarrod Witts.
“He trained really well,” McRae said of Cox, who was dropped after a quiet performance against Brisbane in Round 5.
However, higher praise was reserved for 19-year old rookie Begg, who was taken in the 2021 mid-season rookie draft and is seen as a long-term key position prospect.
His form at VFL level has been really strong – he’s improved considerably,” McRae said of Begg.
“When I arrived, I thought: who is this big kid? Just to watch him grow in front of our eyes. I never thought he’d be in a position where we would be considering his name for round seven.
“It shows his growth and the work Josh Fraser has done.”
Second-year forwards Oliver Henry and Trent Bianco are the leading contenders to replace De Goey and Hoskin-Elliott should they be ruled out. Bianco kicked five goals for the Magpies’ VFL team on the weekend.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Carlton have ruled out star recruit George Hewett for their clash with North Melbourne on Saturday night, with the midfielder unable to overcome a corked calf in time for the match.
Hewett has been a revelation since being traded from Sydney to Ikon Park, averaging 30 disposals a game across the first six rounds to become one of the Blues’ premier midfielders.
Youngster Jack Carroll, who was taken with pick 41 in the 2020 national draft, has been named for his AFL debut in Hewett’s stead.
“He’s tough, he’s hard and I know he’ll do really well,” coach Michael Voss said of Carroll.
“He works extremely hard and that always puts you in a really good starting point.
“He’s worked really close with our mids right throughout pre-season and he’s certainly mixed it with some of the bigger boys in there.
“He won’t shirk a contest this young man. I think the Carlton faithful will be pretty happy watching his career unfold.”
Hewett joins ruckman Marc Pittonet on the sidelines, who suffered a PCL injury in the Blues’ loss to Fremantle.
In better news, key forward Harry McKay has overcome a knee knock suffered against the Dockers, and has been given the all clear to face the Kangaroos.
Adam Simpson has blasted polarising AFL media commentator Kane Cornes, following harsh criticism on star Eagle Elliot Yeo.
Cornes took aim at the injury-prone midfielder’s fitness on Nine’s Footy Classified during the week, suggesting Yeo’s poor preparation could be causing his dire run.
“[He’s] clearly out of shape, and his standards have slipped at West Coast,” Cornes said.
“He shouldn’t be playing if he presents like that – that could be one of the reasons why West Coast are in the position that they’re in.
“He has to get fitter.”
Speaking on Thursday afternoon, Simpson dismissed the criticism of both player and club – but not before issuing a stinging return serve at the former Port Adelaide 300-gamer.
“To be honest I haven‘t read anything that Kane Cornes has written or heard anything he’s said, so irrelevant is what comes to my mind about what his opinion is,” Simpson said.
When pressed on the matter, the 2018 premiership coach defended Yeo, saying criticism of his lack of fitness is ‘unfair’ given his horror recent run with injuries.
“Elliot Yeo has not played football for the last two-and-a-half years, really. He‘s had osteitis [pubis], he had a calf injury, he got knocked out at the start of the second quarter, he’s played two games this year.
“I think that‘s a little bit unfair if that’s the criticism on him. He’s played 12-13 games in the last 40. He’s working really hard. I’ll back him and it’s still irrelevant.”
Cornes, however, wasn’t done, responding to Simpson’s defence on SEN Breakfast on Friday morning.
“My response to that would be: perhaps he’s missed so much football because he hasn’t prepared himself,” he said.
“Maybe you are less likely to get osteitis pubis if you’re carrying less weight and you’re putting less pressure on your body. Perhaps as you get older, you need to trim down a little bit and lose that weight.
“I think there would be a case to make with that.
“The second point is, just because you’ve missed footy, it doesn’t excuse you from what you eat. I’m sure he can ride a bike and have non-weight-bearing aerobic activity that can keep him in shape.
“If you’re a full time professional athlete, I think we have the responsibility, and fans do as well, to call it out. And I don’t think Elliot Yeo is in shape, that was my point.”
Yeo will miss the Eagles’ Friday night clash with Richmond due to a concussion.
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