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AFL News: Zorko told to be ready for backlash, Dusty a certainty, Fyfe hobbled, Liberatore out, ACL dual blow

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31st August, 2022
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Brisbane coach Chris Fagan expects his under-fire skipper to handle the inevitable backlash to his controversial sledge in the Lions’ knockout AFL final against Richmond.

Dayne Zorko’s leadership was questioned after his sledge of Harrison Petty brought the Melbourne talent to tears during the Demons’ big final-round victory.

Zorko apologised and no further action was taken by the AFL, Fagan accepting his captain had erred despite being provoked.

“No leader is perfect,” Fagan told reporters on Wednesday. 

“People make mistakes. We jump all over people now when they do. He apologised, which was what he should have done.

Dayne Zorko of the Lions looks dejected after his team's defeat against Melbourne.

(Photo by Albert Perez/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Behind Michael Voss he’s probably been the most successful leader in terms of wins as captain and he’s done a mighty job at a time when our club was at a really low ebb.”

Fagan said Zorko’s attitude this week indicated he would be able to wipe the incident from his mind, even if the Tigers are keen to remind him of it.

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“I don’t think so; I think he’s probably readying himself for that,” he said when asked if Zorko would be worried by any Richmond niggle.

“I would be if I was in his shoes. So would anybody else.

“That’s Richmond’s call. We’re just going to go out and play the footy, that’s the main thing to do in a final.”

Dusty a certainty for Tigers

Dustin Martin might only be operating on 80 per cent but Richmond coach Damien Hardwick will take that after declaring the Tigers star a certainty to face Brisbane.

The coach also insisted Shai Bolton would run onto the Gabba for Thursday’s AFL elimination final despite the small forward missing the side’s last two training sessions for personal reasons.

Bolton was still on a plane to Brisbane when Hardwick addressed media at the Gabba on Wednesday.

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“Everything’s okay … he’s a certainty to play,” Hardwick said of Bolton.

And the coach said Martin, who would likely play forward of the ball, would join him despite being “probably about 80 per cent”.

Toby Nankervis and Dustin Martin celebrate.

Toby Nankervis and Dustin Martin celebrate. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)

“He’s a certain starter; he’s turned the corner the last three weeks,” Hardwick said.

“Who is 100 per cent at this stage of the season? Eighty per cent Dustin Martin is pretty formidable, I’d still hate to play on him.

Martin, 31, hasn’t laced his boots since straining his hamstring against West Coast on July 3.

“What impact we get we’re not too sure; anything we get from him on a spiritual level will be very, very important and everything on field will be a bonus for us,” Hardwick said.

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The Tigers have found their groove with Martin sidelined and will fancy their chances against a Brisbane side missing key defensive duo Marcus Adams and Noah Answerth, as well as suspended danger man Cam Rayner.

And, after missing last year’s finals series, Hardwick admitted to some nostalgia on returning to the scene of their most recent premiership in 2020.

“It’s hard not to; it’s just a great place to play footy and we’ve played some great games of footy here against the Lions. 

“We’ve got a bit of a rivalry … we’ve both had indifferent seasons at different stages but both know our best footy is more than capable.”

Freo hobbled without Fyfe

Fremantle have suffered a huge blow with captain Nat Fyfe ruled out of the AFL elimination final against the Western Bulldogs because of a hamstring injury.

Fyfe sustained the injury to his right leg in training, with scans on Monday confirming a hamstring strain.

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It is the opposite leg to the hamstring injury that sidelined Fyfe for three games before his return for the win over GWS in round 23.

Fremantle haven’t yet put a timeline on Fyfe’s recovery, but the dual Brownlow medallist has been ruled out of Saturday night’s knockout clash with the Bulldogs at Optus Stadium.

“These hamstring strain injuries are very much a case-by-case basis for each individual,” Dockers football manager Peter Bell said in a statement.

“We won’t have a timeline just yet on Nathan’s return, but we are hopeful that we will see him feature at some point in the upcoming finals series.”

Fyfe has played just seven games this season after overcoming multiple shoulder surgeries, a knee injury and an operation on his back over the past year.

The Dockers are hopeful ruck-forward Rory Lobb (shoulder) and swingman Griffin Logue (adductor) will be passed fit to return against the Bulldogs.

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Key forward Matt Taberner (calf) is also in a race to prove his fitness.

Nat Fyfe of the Dockers

Nat Fyfe. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Liberatore ruled out for Dogs

Star midfielder Tom Liberatore has been ruled out of the Western Bulldogs’ AFL elimination final against Fremantle.

In a major blow for the Bulldogs, their clearance machine will not run out on Optus Stadium on Saturday night after suffering a hamstring injury.

Liberatore hurt himself at training last week and will only be considered if the Dogs upset the Dockers in Perth and win through to a semi-final.

“He had an over-stretch last week and got through the whole session but we did some investigations and he won’t play this week, unfortunately,” Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said on Wednesday.

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“If we get through, he’ll be touch and go beyond that.”

Liberatore has the fifth-most clearances in the league this season, only behind All-Australians Clayton Oliver, Touk Miller, Lachie Neale and Patrick Cripps.

Tom Liberatore of the Bulldogs kicks over Jordan De Goey of Collingwood.

Tom Liberatore of the Bulldogs kicks over Jordan De Goey of Collingwood. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

The 30-year-old was one of the Bulldogs’ best when they lost to Fremantle by 17 points at Marvel Stadium a month ago.

Liberatore’s absence will increase the load on captain Marcus Bontempelli, who has been dealing with an adductor issue, but is no doubt to face Fremantle.

“Whether it upsets it (the midfield rotation) or not, I’m not sure,” Beveridge said. “I tend to think the six of the boys who play through there sometimes, it’s one too many.

“There’s an opportunity for someone else to come in and play a forward, wing type role.”

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Young star Bailey Smith has been struggling with soreness but Beveridge expects him to be available after a lighter training schedule. It comes after the Dockers were dealt a blow on Tuesday when superstar captain Nat Fyfe was ruled out with his own hamstring issue.

It is the opposite leg to the hamstring injury that sidelined Fyfe for three games before his return for the win over GWS in round 23.

The Bulldogs stumbled into eighth spot to play Fremantle after Carlton lost their last four games of the season to fall out of the top eight.

ACL tears for AFLW duo

West Coast have suffered a huge blow after AFLW premiership winner Kellie Gibson was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Gibson tore the ACL in her left knee shortly after kicking the opening goal of West Coast’s upset 12-point win over Port Adelaide last Saturday.

The 26-year-old, who won a flag with Adelaide in 2017, was the first of two players to suffer an ACL tear in the opening round.

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Brisbane defender Lily Postlethwaite ruptured her right ACL in innocuous fashion during the Lions’ 49-point win over Fremantle on Sunday.

It was Postlethwaite’s first AFLW match in 553 days following an ACL reconstruction to her left knee.

But there was better news for Sydney’s No.1 draft pick Montana Ham, who is expected to return in four weeks after being cleared of an ACL tear.

The Swans feared the worst after Ham’s knee twisted awkwardly, but scans have since shown she suffered a ligament strain rather than a tear.

Gibson was set to play a key role at West Coast this season, and her absence will be keenly felt by last year’s wooden spooners.

Eagles forward Shanae Davison suffered an ACL tear during the pre-season, while key defender Evie Gooch was ruled out for the season with a wrist injury.

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West Coast will be without last season’s leading goalkicker Aimee Schmidt for Sunday’s clash with Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium due to concussion.

“Unfortunately, scans have confirmed the worst and It’s disappointing news for Kellie and the entire squad,” West Coast’s head of women’s football Michelle Cowan said of GIbson’s injury.

“We will wrap our arms around Kellie and support her through her rehabilitation.

“She is a proud and passionate Eagle, and we know that she will be doing everything she can to support the team for the rest of the season.

“While Kellie will not be playing this season, she will be still around the playing group and the club working alongside rehab physiotherapist Alex Chin.

“Kellie will also play a key part with the playing group and continue to evolve her leadership skills off the field.”

Lions defenders bare teeth for Tigers tussle

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What Charlie Cameron does when Richmond have the ball might be just as crucial as what the Brisbane small forward does with it in their AFL elimination final.

The Lions remain one of the competition’s best attacking sides but will meet their offensive match on Thursday at the Gabba.

So, missing key defensive personnel and battling to restrict opponents after limping into the finals in sixth, they are determined to avoid a shoot-out with the multi-pronged Tigers.

Tall defender Marcus Adams (concussion), hard-edged teammate Noah Answerth and game-breaking midfielder Cam Rayner (suspended) won’t play.

It leaves the hosts vulnerable to a Tigers attack led by Tom Lynch and Jack Riewoldt and supported by Shai Bolton, Noah Cumberland, Maurice Rioli Jnr and the returning Dustin Martin.

While ranked second in points scored, Brisbane are 10th in points conceded, have gone 7-6 on the run into the finals and 1-5 in the last three post-seasons.

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Coach Chris Fagan could call on 18-year-old Darcy Wilmot to debut in Answerth’s place, with the inexperienced Jack Payne and Harris Andrews left to contend with the Tigers’ talls.

“You see it in the media, can’t help that but you just control what you can,” Cameron said of the critics lining up to write his side off.

“For us this week has been about actions; there is always pressure there, it’s just about how you handle it and I’m looking forward to it.

“These are the moments you play footy for, finals and big moments.”

Cameron will be called on to do the damage up front but he said the forward line’s efforts once Richmond earn possession could shape the contest.

“It starts in our forward 50, blocking it in,” he said. “We want to set the tone there with our pressure. That’ll be huge and if we can bring that for four quarters it takes some pressure off our defence.

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“It could be a shoot-out but we don’t want it to be; we need to apply the pressure, win the contested ball, lock it in and set the tone.”

Some solace for Brisbane is that their only finals win under coach Chris Fagan came against Richmond in 2020.

The flip side is that the Tigers recovered to win the flag that year while Brisbane were rolled in the preliminary final.

Joe Daniher was recruited from Essendon two seasons ago to add an edge to a team already in contention.

“I’m like every other football that thrives to play in the big games and works hard to get the opportunity to contribute,” he said.

“I don’t have the time right now to be looking back and reflecting too much (on Brisbane’s previous finals performances), otherwise this chance will slip away.”

Daniher admitted off-season shoulder surgery was an option but that the injury that ruled him out for five weeks earlier this season had not been inhibiting.

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