Freo followers haven’t had the prospect to observe Junior Rioli face their facet since his suspension – and so they’ll have to attend longer after the Eagle-turned-Power participant flew house forward of Thursday’s pre-season conflict.
Illness will preserve the 2018 West Coast premiership participant out of the conflict at Fremantle Oval, which marks the ultimate pre-season hit-out for each the Power and Dockers forward of their season openers in two-and-a-half weeks’ time.
Having impressed in opposition to the Eagles final week in his new colors, kicking two early objectives earlier than embracing his outdated teammates after the siren, Rioli flew again to South Australia on Tuesday evening.
“He’s happy and fit and he’s had a really good pre-season,” Port Adelaide assistant coach Josh Carr mentioned of Rioli on SEN.
“He’s a bit crook this week so he won’t play tomorrow.
“We feel like we’re lucky to have him.”
Thursday’s sport comes a yr to the week since then-Eagle Rioli made his return to aggressive motion in opposition to the Dockers in a scratch match off the again of his ban for tampering with a urine pattern.
No followers have been allowed into that match or the trial sport every week later, and Rioli missed each western derbies in final yr’s season correct.
It means Freo followers haven’t had an opportunity to see the small ahead face their membership since his suspension.
And in a fixture quirk for this season, the Dockers and Power received’t meet each other till the penultimate spherical in late August.
Fremantle and Port will identify their squads for the pre-season conflict on Wednesday afternoon.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
