Andrew McQualter won’t ask Toby Nankervis to adjust his aggressive approach despite it landing Richmond’s physical ruckman a date with the AFL Tribunal over a high bump on Sydney’s Jake Lloyd.
Nankervis is facing a ban of three weeks or more for the bump that concussed Lloyd during the second quarter of the Tigers’ 13-point win at the MCG on Thursday night.
Lloyd was flattened and play was eventually paused while he was assessed by medical staff before he jogged off the ground under their watch.
The Swans defender was substituted out before half-time and will miss next week’s clash with the Western Bulldogs under concussion protocols.
The incident was graded as severe impact, high contact and careless conduct, carrying with it a Tribunal hearing and a minimum ban of three games.
It is an identical grading to that handed to Jordan De Goey for the Magpies star’s bump on West Coast’s Elijah Hewett, which earned him a three-match suspension.
Nankervis went on to be one of Richmond’s most influential players as they overwhelmed Sydney after half-time, posting a victory that puts them on the verge of the top eight.
But the Tigers’ co-captain appears likely to be suspended for multiple matches, with the league’s match review officer to determine a grading of the incident on Friday.
Richmond face West Coast, Hawthorn and Melbourne in a crucial stretch of matches over the next three weeks.
“Toby’s greatest strength for a long period of time (has been) his ability to get after the ball and the opposition,” Tigers interim coach Andrew McQualter said.
“Whatever comes of it comes, but we wouldn’t change Toby for the world.
“I thought Toby had a great game … as a captain he led the way with what he did, particularly in the first 15 minutes of that third quarter.
“He was really significant.”
The fallout from Nankervis’ bump, which robbed Sydney of one of their chief playmakers, sparked calls for a send-off rule like those used in other football codes.
“I reckon we are at a point where we should accept Nankervis being sent off for that,” Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney tweeted.
Sydney coach John Longmire was seething about losing Lloyd to concussion but wouldn’t buy in to the send-off rule discussion.
“You can’t do anything about it. Suck it up,” Longmire said.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley and Orazia Fantasia have rubbished speculation the injury-plagued goalsneak wants to leave the South Australian club.
Fantasia has had a wretched run of soft-tissue injuries and has played just four AFL games in the past two seasons.
That stretch follows similar issues at Essendon, the club he left at the end of 2020 to join Port.
Fantasia falls off-contract at season’s end with Hinkley certain he will be at Port – if he can prove his fitness.
“We’re incredibly optimistic that he will be playing at Port Adelaide,” Hinkley told reporters on Friday.
“His biggest challenge and only challenge has always been a physical challenge for him.
“We’re hopeful that he’ll play tomorrow at SANFL level and if that happens, that gets him a pretty good little run of conditioning and fitness.”
Hinkley said the talent of Fantasia, who is stuck on 99 AFL games, was undeniable.
“There’s no challenge with Orazio and talent, there’s absolutely no challenges,” he said.
“He has had a horrible run with being able to stay on the park.
“If he is capable of staying on the park, 100 per cent he would be on our list.”
Fantasia, 27, said he wanted to remain at Port.
“But I’m also realistic to know I haven’t played enough football at Port Adelaide for them to be dishing out a four-year contract,” he told Adelaide radio station 5AA.
“Hopefully, I can help in the back end of the year and the contract will take care of (itself).”
Michael Voss says out-of-contract utility Jack Silvagni will form a key part of Carlton’s plans to topple Fremantle in a crunch clash between two sides desperate to keep their AFL finals hopes alive.
On the selection fringes in recent weeks, Silvagni was recalled to fill the ruck breach against Hawthorn last time out with Tom De Koning and Marc Pittonet sidelined with knee injuries.
De Koning is a chance to return against the Dockers at Optus Stadium on Sunday but Pittonet is still unavailable.
Voss was guarded on Silvagni’s future at the club when quizzed by reporters on Friday but confirmed the son-of-a-gun will hold his place in the side this week.
“His performance (against Hawthorn) was really good,” Voss said.
“He not only competed in the ruck but when he went forward he provided another option for us there and his work on the floor was really impressive.
“To see him in that sort of form was really pleasing.”
Key defender Lewis Young combined with Silvagni to carry the ruck burden against Hawthorn duo Lloyd Meek and Ned Reeves.
The Hawks comprehensively won the hit-outs (61-27) but Carlton still managed to get on top in clearances (39-34), and were comprehensive 60-point victors.
A second straight win kept Carlton (6-8-1) in the finals conversation ahead of the trip west to take on Fremantle (7-8).
The Blues face another huge battle against a Dockers ruck brigade led by imposing big man Sean Darcy, key forward Josh Treacy and versatile tall Luke Jackson.
“They’re pretty important to them and they can push forward and kick goals as well,” Voss said.
“It’s something that we’re going to have to be across but I felt last week with SOS (Silvagni) and Youngy and the way they were able to compete in there gave our mids an opportunity on the floor.
“That’s all we ask our rucks ever to do, no matter who’s taking that post, is contain it as best we possibly can and let our mids go to work.”
The door’s been opened for Jack Gunston but Daniel Rich will have to break through one to join his Brisbane Lions teammate back in the AFL.
The out-of-sorts veterans have spent a month in a training block after a heart-to-heart with coach Chris Fagan but will both play again this weekend.
The unavailability of forwards Callum Ah Chee (concussion) and Lincoln McCarthy (suspended) has allowed Hawthorn recruit Gunston to slot back into the top side.
But Rich, an All-Australian defender in 2021, will play VFL after Fagan admitted he was now stuck in the queue.
“The backline boys are doing well and we don’t have any injuries there, so he’ll have to come back through reserves,” the coach said ahead of hosting West Coast on Saturday.
Fagan wants Gunston, who managed just one goal in the four games before he was dropped, to mirror Ah Chee’s frenzied effort against Richmond that was ended when he knocked his head attempting a tackle.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
Former captain Dayne Zorko will also face the Eagles, he and Gunston fit and fresh for the two-month push towards finals.
“We hope it’s helping them be able to play their best footy into the future and towards finals,” Fagan said.
“It would have been a very difficult task to change the team (if not for injury and suspension), but it’s opened the door.
“He’s (Gunston) trained well, looks fresh … that’s all we’ve got to go by.
“I don’t think older guys need as much match practice as younger guys to come straight back into the team. I hope he takes his opportunity.”
Jarrod Berry (hamstring) should only miss one game but midfielder Josh Dunkley (calf), replaced this week by Jarryd Lyons, could also sit out next week’s MCG clash with Melbourne.
That juicy contest remains in the back of Fagan’s mind though, the coach not complacent after the 1-14 Eagles pushed fifth-placed St Kilda last week.
The visitors will welcome back Jeremy McGovern and Tim Kelly but miss injured pair Shannon Hurn and Luke Shuey.
“Everyone talks about that, but I don’t,” Fagan said of the Lions’ prospects of a healthy percentage boost at the Gabba.
“When you start thinking about different types of percentage you take your eye off the process. It’s disrespectful, not on our radar at all.
“I fully empathise with Simmo (coach Adam Simpson); any coach in the AFL would be challenged by that.”
© AAP
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