Prized Fremantle recruit Luke Jackson will miss Thursday’s pre-season match in opposition to Port Adelaide as a result of a head knock, whereas veteran Michael Walters faces a race in opposition to time to be match for spherical one.
Jackson suffered a success to the top in final week’s observe match loss to Adelaide.
The 21-year-old impressed up ahead and within the ruck throughout that hit-out, and coach Justin Longmuir is assured Jackson can be match to return for the spherical one conflict with St Kilda on March 19.
“Luke Jackson got a knock in a contest and had a bit of delayed headaches from that, so we’ll rule him out this week,” Longmuir stated on Monday.
“It’s a no-risk policy around head knocks so we’ll not play him this week but he should be right come round one.”
Both Michael Frederick (quad) and Walters (Achilles) will even miss this week’s match in opposition to Port.
Walters is not any certainty to face the Saints in spherical one.
“He’s tracking really well, and we’re still fingers crossed he’ll be right for round one. But we’re not going to rush him,” Longmuir stated.
“We need to make sure that once he comes back, he’s ready to play out the whole season.”
Defender Luke Ryan (again) is one other participant who will sit out this week’s motion, however the Dockers will welcome again Nathan O’Driscoll (foot sizzling spot) and Heath Chapman (tight hamstring).
Port are set to be boosted by the return of Charlie Dixon, Zak Butters and Darcy Byrne-Jones, however veteran Travis Boak is unlikely to play after being injured in a collision with Jeremy McGovern final week.
Scans cleared Boak of a fracture however confirmed in depth bruising across the ribs and lungs.
Although Fremantle misplaced the scratch match to Adelaide by 11 factors, there have been loads of positives to come back out of it – most notably the three-goal haul by former midfielder Nat Fyfe.
The two-time Brownlow medallist was hampered by accidents in 2022, however might be set for an enormous 12 months up ahead, with a full pre-season below his belt.
Relinquishing the captaincy to Alex Pearce additionally seems to have taken a weight off Fyfe’s shoulders.
“I thought he got better as the game went on,” Longmuir stated of Fyfe.
“Not only did he get on the end of a few opportunities, he created a few opportunities.
“He received increasingly more assured in his sport as the sport went on. He received a little bit of his previous mojo again. It was good.”
Longmuir praised the pre-season campaign of Ethan Hughes, who looks to have locked in a round-one berth for himself either at half-back or on the wing.
With Jackson absent this week, younger forwards Jye Amiss and Josh Treacy are anticipated to get one other likelihood to push their case for a round-one spot.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
