Latest AFL News

LATE MAIL: Star Eagle ruled out, gun Crow in doubt

Injury concerns for Gibbs, Davis, Curnow and Redden.

Published by
Mitch Keating

Adelaide midfielder Bryce Gibbs has succumbed to a bout of gastro, not allowing the Crows star to travel with the team to Melbourne on Friday afternoon. 

St Kilda host the Crows at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, with the 30-year-old's selection for Don Pyke's side looking unlikely after falling ill midweek.

Gibbs will remain in Adelaide if he is unable to overcome the illness and will board a flight to Melbourne at a later time if found healthy, in a race to beat the 4:35pm AEST bounce.

Crows emergencies Jordan Gallucci and Chayce Jones are travelling with the side, with one of the two youngsters set to replace Gibbs if deemed unfit to play.

Former Crow and Giants Captain Phil Davis is another star battling fitness to reach the starting bounce for his side in round 6. 

Davis was named in Leon Cameron's starting 22 to take on rivals Sydney at the SCG on Saturday night.

Davis failed to train with his teammates on Friday after sustaining an ankle injury last weekend.

While there are question marks over Davis' fitness, Cameron is confident his skipper will play a part in the Sydney Derby.

“He’s not 100 per cent over the line yet,” Cameron said.

“But right now it’s heading in the right direction. He’s been up for long periods of the day and night, icing and doing some stuff with the medical team, just to get right for this game."

“You (also) don’t want him to be carrying it for another four or five weeks … all those factors we’ll take into consideration.”

Davis will have a key role in the clash, with a match up against Swans spearhead Buddy Franklin on the cards if cleared to play.

Franklin managed nine scoring shots in last years round 22 clash against the Giants, with Davis' absence for a majority of the match due to a corked hip, proving the defenders value to his side.

The Giants are set to make a final call on Davis' fitness on Saturday night.

Premiership midfielder Jack Redden is set to miss his side's highly anticipated clash against top of the table outfit Geelong. 

West Coast coach Adam Simpson revealed that Redden will miss at least one match with lower leg soreness, with Daniel Venables replacing Redden.

Redden will join Eagles defender Tom Barass on the sidelines, with the key tall set to miss close to 10 weeks with a stress-related foot injury.

Carlton key forward Charlie Curnow is no certainty to return to Brendon Bolton's side that will travel to Launceston to face Hawthorn on Sunday. 

Curnow missed Carlton's drought breaking win over the Western Bulldogs in round 5 with bone bruising to his knee, an injury that has kept the youngster absent from Carlton's Friday morning training session.

Bolton revealed that a final decision on Curnow's selection will be touch-and-go come Sunday.

“He’s had some interruptions so we’ll give him right to the death knock to see if he comes up,” coach Brendon Bolton told reporters. "I’m not going to give Charlie an out on form. He wouldn’t give himself an out … but players that don’t have good pre-seasons or interruptions, it just takes a while to settle.

“The one thing whether it be teams or individuals, continuity is critical at AFL level.”

Published by
Mitch Keating