By Jon Pierik, Roy Ward, Andrew Wu and Russell Bennett
In today’s AFL Briefing, your wrap of footy news:
- The AFL’s pain is Melbourne Storm and the NRL’s gain with a sellout crowd expected for the qualifying final at AAMI Park on Saturday.
- Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell says Sam Frost is irreplaceable, as the Hawks settle on a replacement for the role vacated by the injured defender for Friday night’s semi-final against Port Adelaide.
Callum Mills to miss Sydney’s preliminary final
Andrew Wu, Russell Bennett
Callum Mills’ grand final hopes hinge on his rapid recovery from a hamstring injury that has ruled him out of next Friday night’s preliminary final at the SCG.
The Swans announced on Wednesday night their skipper will miss the preliminary final next week against the winner of Port Adelaide’s semi-final clash with Hawthorn after injuring his left hamstring at training on Tuesday.
Callum Mills addresses his teammates prior to their clash with GWS.Credit: AFL Photos
Mills has played just seven games this season after sustaining a serious shoulder injury in Mad Monday celebrations last September, coming back late in the home and away campaign after also hurting his calf in April. He hasn’t missed a game since round 19.
He had 19 disposals in the Swans’ comeback win over the Giants at the SCG in their qualifying final.
Mills’ setback leaves the door open for a recall for former Collingwood veteran Taylor Adams, who appeared destined for finals heartbreak for a third season in a row when he was dropped for the qualifying final.
With less than three weeks until the grand final, Mills is now in a desperate race against the clock to be fit to lead the Swans in the decider, should they qualify.
But according to a source with knowledge of the Mills injury, there is optimism that he could be ready by grand final day.
Hamstring injuries typically require a minimum 21 days from playing, and he would be returning in 18 days.
That the strain has been described as minor gives Mills a glimmer of hope. Carlton speedster Adam Saad came back from such an injury after missing just one week late in the season.
It is the second time Mills has injured a hamstring during a finals campaign. In 2016, he broke down in the qualifying final, which was also against Greater Western Sydney, but recovered to play in that year’s grand final three weeks later.
Hawks name Frost replacement for ‘hostile’ semi-final
Jon Pierik
Hawthorn have plumped for Jai Serong to fill the role vacated by an irreplaceable Sam Frost for Friday night’s semi-final against Port Adelaide.
Serong, 21, has played four senior games this season, for a career total of nine, and won the bid to return for the knockout clash over Ethan Phillips, who would have been a like-for-like replacement.
In a season dominated by his younger social-media loving teammates, the understated Frost, 31, suffered a bone stress injury in the elimination final win over the Western Bulldogs, and will not play again this year.
Key defender Sam Frost will miss the remainder of the season for the Hawks, but Nick Watson is expected to play up forward.Credit: Getty Images
Frost has played every game this season, offering defensive stability as the Hawks rebounded spectacularly after losing their first five games.
“You are a little bit torn. You, obviously, can’t replace exactly Sam Frost. He has been so important for us and he has had a fantastic season, even the way he had handled the last few days, he has been in every meeting,” Hawks coach Sam Mitchell said before a rowdy training session on Wednesday attended by more than 200 supporters.
Serong, the younger brother of Fremantle superstar Caleb, has been in excellent touch for the Hawks in the VFL, averaging 20.8 disposals, 7.2 marks and 6.8 rebound 50s through 13 matches, and will now get the chance to help celebrate Luke Breust’s 300th game.
“While it is disappointing for Sam to miss Friday night’s game, we know Jai has been knocking on the door for a number of weeks now with his fantastic form in the VFL,” Hawks football manager Rob McCartney said.
“It’s pleasing to see him get another opportunity to showcase his weapons at the AFL level, and we know he will take it with both hands.”
Phillips had played one AFL game – against the Power in a stinging one-point loss in Adelaide in round 10 – since he was signed as a pre-season supplemental selection.
Headline-grabbing livewire Jack Ginnivan was one of the fan favourites during training, but this week has been called out by AFL greats, including Hawks legend Luke Hodge, for a cheeky social-media post. Ginnivan responded to former Collingwood teammate and Swans star Brodie Grundy’s post celebrating his side’s qualifying final win over Greater Western Sydney, writing “see u in 14 days”.
Ginnivan’s comment intimated the Hawks will beat the Power and advance to a preliminary final, where the Swans await.
Jai Serong (left), Ethan Phillips (top right) and Changkuoth Jiath (bottom right) train on Wednesday as they stake their respective claims to replace injured Hawks defender Sam Frost.Credit: Getty Images
While Hodge argued Ginnivan had given the Power greater ammunition to rebound from their horrid qualifying final loss to Geelong, Mitchell played a straight bat.
“I am not sure about motivation for Port Adelaide. I think Port Adelaide have got their season on the line, the same way we do. I think both teams are going to be as highly motivated as you could possibly hope for,” Mitchell said.
Reigning Peter Crimmins medallist Will Day (shoulder) participated in several drills and is pushing for a recall, but officially remains ruled out as he has yet to resume major contact work. Young midfielder Cam Mackenzie (hamstring) will miss. Neither played against the Bulldogs.
The Power also have injury issues, with star midfielder Zak Butters nursing sore ribs. Butters was substituted off in their qualifying final against the Cats, but is expected to play through pain on Friday night.
The Power expect the Hawks to target Butters, but Mitchell said that would not be the case.
“We won’t mention that. I think there are actually rules around specific injuries and trying to go after them. We like to think that we try and play a pretty physical brand of game,” Mitchell said.
“He has been the most courageous player in the competition the last two years, as voted by his peers, so I don’t think he is the type of person you are going to be able to intimidate. If he says he is right to go, I am sure he is going to be right.”
AFL players can be fined for immediately targeting opponents hurt during a game, but the Butters case is different as he will carry a potential injury into this clash, having been declared fit to play.
The Hawks hope to leave Adelaide in better spirits than their last encounter against the Power when a dominant final term by Butters and a soccered goal by Darcy Byrne-Jones with just two seconds remaining delivered them a heart-breaking loss.
Mitchell said his men would be ready “for probably the most hostile environment in the competition”, and had ignored the doomsayers death-writing the Power and their under-siege coach Ken Hinkley.
“To me, they had finished second, they had won six games in a row, including beating Sydney by over 100 points in the stretch before. They had one bad performance and everyone is writing them off. We need to not fall into the … trap,” Mitchell said.
NRL cashing in on AFL-free weekend in Melbourne
Roy Ward
The AFL’s pain is Melbourne Storm and the NRL’s gain with a sellout crowd expected for the qualifying final at AAMI Park on Saturday.
The late-season fadeouts of Collingwood, Essendon and Carlton and Geelong’s qualifying final win over Port Adelaide mean neither of the AFL’s semi-finals will be played in Melbourne this weekend – leaving the Storm game as the only footy final played in town.
Storm star Cameron Munster runs the ball against the Dolphins at AAMI Park.Credit: Getty Images
A club source told this masthead that ticket sales had passed 22,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, and corporate spaces were at capacity for Saturday’s game against the Cronulla Sharks. A full AAMI Park holds around 30,000 fans for rugby league games.
Storm requested the 4pm timeslot so they could maximise both their crowd and their TV audience, which should top more than a million viewers for broadcaster Nine, which also owns this masthead.
The AFL semi-final between GWS and Brisbane Lions doesn’t start until 7.30pm (AEST) leaving the NRL with only AFLW and the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington to compete against in Melbourne.
“Beauty,” Storm star Cam Munster said when told there were no AFL finals games in Melbourne this weekend.
“It’s going to be massive here regardless, and I think there might be more AFL fans here who haven’t experienced a rugby league game before, but we will still have a lot of purple here as well.
“I’m really excited for our fans to cheer and scream our name. It’s nice to have two games [guaranteed] here and we are hoping it will be this one and a preliminary final, so fingers crossed we can deliver on Saturday.”
Munster and his young family have endured a hectic start to the week – wife Bianca had their third child, daughter Blake Maria Munster, seven weeks early.
The Storm star reported that both his wife and daughter were doing well, though Blake would need several weeks in hospital.
“She’s good, it’s been a crazy couple of days,” Munster said.
“As long as the bub and Bianca are doing well, that’s what matters. They’re in good shape but she will stay in there for the next six weeks. I can’t do much about it now, just worry about playing good footy on Saturday against the Sharks, then we’ll see where we go from there.”
Munster’s one wish for the finals is that his two young sons keep sleeping well while their little sister is in hospital.
“The boys go from 7am to 7pm so, touch wood, they keep doing that, but it’s always a joy,” Munster said.
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