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The son of AFL games record holder Brent Harvey has been picked to debut for North Melbourne on Sunday when they battle Geelong.
Cooper Harvey, 18, will play for the Kangaroos after impressive form at VFL level that included five goals against Williamstown last time out.
Brent, who played a record 432 games for North before retiring in 2016 and who remains at the club as a development coach, got to break the news to his son at training on Thursday morning.
North Melbourne released vision of the announcement, an emotional Brent praising Cooper’s hard work to earn an opportunity that had been “a long time coming”.
He’ll join a Kangaroos side that was well-beaten last time out, thumped by 11 goals at the hands of Adelaide in what was their 13th straight defeat.
Cooper is one of four father-son players on North’s list, along with Jackson Archer (son of Glenn), Bailey Scott (son of Robert) and Luke McDonald (son of Donald).
He’s the second confirmed father-son debutant this week, with Melbourne set to unleash Taj Woewodin, son of 2000 Brownlow Medal winner Shane.
Brent Harvey hands the game ball to his son Cooper after playing his 300th game in 2010. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Hawthorn will lose veteran goal sneak Luke Breust for Saturday’s trip to GWS after an injury in their loss to Carlton.
“He had a pretty uncomfortable knock in the throat on the weekend and he had some scans (on Thursday) and he’s still lost his voice,” coach Sam Mitchell said.
“Apparently he won’t have his voice back for 10 to 14 days … it’s just a bit too bruised to risk playing.”
There’s some positive injury news for the Hawks though, with running defender Jarman Impey (back) and youngster Tyler Brockman (illness) fit for the Giants clash.
Struggling West Coast will look to snap their 13-game losing run without veteran duo Luke Shuey and Shannon Hurn.
Both won’t face Brisbane on Saturday after pulling up sore from last week’s loss to St Kilda and failing to train this week, coach Adam Simpson announced.
Star midfielder Tim Kelly will play after an illness while Jeremy McGovern is also set to return for his first game since round three after hamstring surgery.
Melbourne have suffered a major blow with AFL star Clayton Oliver to be sidelined for another month through injury.
The star onballer failed to finish a training session on Wednesday and was seen in a heated and lengthy discussion with a Demons staff member on the Casey Fields oval.
The Demons issued a media release on Thursday, saying he has had further hamstring discomfort.
“What we have experienced so far is that Clayton can comfortably achieve 90 per cent of his running capacity, but as we saw yesterday, he is unable to get to full speed to pass his minimum training markers,” said Melbourne football boss Alan Richardson.
“This suggests that, due to the discomfort Clayton felt during his run throughs, further recovery time is required. At this stage, we expect this will be three to four weeks.”
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Oliver has been sidelined for six weeks with hamstring issues and a nasty infected blister, and the midfielder maestro had been pushing for a return in Saturday night’s match against St Kilda.
“Clayton has a complex hamstring injury, due to the fact that the injury is located where the muscle attaches to the tendon, and to further complicate that, there is injury to two separate hamstring muscles,” Richardson said.
“There is no doubt that Clayton’s recovery has been complicated by the week he was required to spend immobile in hospital.
“The club will continue to explore all treatment options for Clayton, but as with all players we won’t be taking any risks with his return-to-play timelines.”
Melbourne are coming off an upset loss to GWS and have won only two of their last six games.
St Kilda are likely to delay making the final call on Seb Ross on Brad Hill as they nurse knee injuries ahead of the AFL clash with Melbourne.
Ross and Hill were hurt in last weekend’s narrow win over West Coast and while scans have cleared them of structural damage, coach Ross Lyon is not 100 per cent certain they will play at Marvel Stadium.
“We think they’re probably going to play – the scans are basically clear of structural damage, so it’s probably a twist and a bit of trauma, potentially,” Lyon said.
“We’re quite optimistic, but we won’t know until the back end of today, how they pull up.”
Luckless Hunter Clark is also closing on a return after his round-11 knee injury against Hawthorn.
The Saints and Demons will head into Saturday night urgently seeking form as they manage the dog days of June and July.
(Photo by Darrian Traynor/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
Melbourne are coming off an upset loss to GWS, while St Kilda had a massive scare against the last-placed Eagles before rallying in the second half.
After winning their first four games, St Kilda have not had consecutive wins since this season.
“We’ve been inconsistent, more probably within games,” Lyon said.
“Have we been blown away? Against Adelaide we were … other than that it’s 20 points, 15.
“We’ve been in most games. But within those games, from a coaching perspective, there have been fluctuations.”
Lyon cannot fault St Kilda’s effort, but is demanding better team defence and ball use.
“There has been some frustration,” he said.
“Our ball use and team defence have been inconsistent, so we’re really trying to button down over the next eight weeks – otherwise we are wasting time.
“But we’ve earned the right. I often just chuckle to myself – if we’re fifth on the ladder, we’ve had our trials and tribulations, I’d hate to think some of the other coaches and clubs, their trials and tribulations have been.”
Lyon also noted that when the whips were cracking against West Coast, his players responded.
“In a real sense, when the season was up for grabs, we delivered what we needed to against some really good opposition,” he said.
“We take a lot of solace from that, but we need to find that form.”
Keidean Coleman wants to turn the Brisbane Lions’ defence into attack.
The 23-year-old has made a home for himself in the side’s new-look back six that now includes speedy pair Conor McKenna and Darcy Wilmot.
Their slingshot method was in full flow in a win over Richmond last week which Coleman thinks “proved a point”.
Their third-straight impressive victory came after a moment of introspection that could be the turning point of the Lions’ (11-4, third) season.
“We didn’t want that game to happen, but it happened,” the Katherine product told AAP of their shock loss to Hawthorn a month ago.
“We had a pretty good, hard review on it … especially our defensive side.
“It was poor; I remember that Monday, we touched on what needs to happen from now on.
“We needed to start performing if we want to go far into September.”
Veteran backman Daniel Rich hasn’t played since then, slotted into a training block with out-of-form forward Jack Gunston after a heart-to-heart with coach Chris Fagan.
Coleman, who began his Lions career in the forwards, has been one of the club’s most exciting prospects in the backline over the last two seasons.
But he has felt the pressure since Rich’s demotion and says his halfback clique are playing with the former All-Australian in mind.
“He’s a wonderful player and it’s pretty selfless to put his hand up,” Coleman said of Rich.
“Me personally, I know I’ve got to start performing because I’m not a walk-up (start); me, Darcy, Conor, want to keep playing well.
“As soon as we turn the ball over, it’s about just being able to go.
“We want to challenge them.”
Known as ‘Kiddy’, Coleman said he never saw himself as a defender.
“In juniors I played in the midfield and realised I didn’t have the tank, and in under-17s I played a bit of defence but wasn’t really taking it seriously until a couple of years ago,” he said.
Academy product Coleman dominated in an undefeated NEAFL season with Brisbane to earn his AFL start as a pinch-hitting small-forward.
“I was pretty good on offence but wanted to work on defence and last year I had a good, hard look at myself,” he said.
“And I ended up having a pretty good year, but I’m trying to be more consistent now.
“We (he, Wilmot and McKenna) all bring great strengths to the side and if we do that everything takes care of itself.”
© AAP
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