Updated ,first published
In todayโs AFL Briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:
- Bobby Hill has told Collingwood he is back for good after he returned to official training on Monday and began preparations to earn a senior call-up
- A timekeeping error reduced the GWS-St Kilda match by nearly 30 seconds
- Serious hamstring injury confirmed for Port Adelaideโs Connor Rozee
Power out: Rozee out for up to 15 weeks
Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee faces a major disruption to his AFL season โ out for up to 15 weeks โ with scans confirming he sustained a high-grade hamstring tendon rupture.
Rozee was hurt in Sundayโs win over Essendon in a week of injury carnage across the competition.
โIt sort of went numb, my leg, and I couldnโt walk on it,โ he said before having scans on Monday morning.
โI was hoping it was some sort of nerve thing, but once that wore off, it became a lot sorer and a bit more isolated.
โIโm not exactly sure of what it is, but I donโt think it is going to be minor.โ
Port Adelaide confirmed later on Monday that Rozee would likely require surgery, with a timeline on his return to become clearer after consultation.
New Port coach Josh Carr said the injury was serious and the key player wouldnโt return until much later in the season.
โItโs obviously flattening for everyone and in particular Connor and the footy club,โ Carr said on Kayo Sportsโ AFL360.
โHeโs done a pretty good job of that hamstring, heโs torn the ligament off the bone so heโll go in for surgery this week, get it repaired and probably looking at a timeline of I guess 12 to 15 weeks.โ
Rozee was among a spate of big names to suffer hamstring injuries including Gold Coastโs gun recruit Christian Petracca, Richmond stalwarts Tom Lynch and skipper Toby Nankervis, Adelaide signing Callum Ah Chee and St Kildaโs Anthony Caminiti.
The Tigers have confirmed Lynch and Nankervis will be unavailable for at least the next month, with the latter facing some six to eight weeks out.
AAP and Scott Spits
Technical error robs Saints game of nearly 30 seconds
Peter Ryan
Timekeepers failed to notice a technical error before half-time in Greater Western Sydneyโs four-point loss to St Kilda which reduced the match time by nearly 30 seconds.
The AFL admitted the mistake after reviewing the incident in detail having told the Giants on the day of the game that no time had been lost despite the clock on display moving from 29 seconds remaining to zero seconds remaining without explanation.
The incident occurred the day after the countdown clock stopped working during the final quarter of the thriller between Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.
The AFL released a statement detailing what the review found had occurred after St Kildaโs Max Hall kicked a goal with 29 seconds remaining. A technical error showed the clock had gone to zero seconds remaining and the siren sounded as soon as the ball was thrown up in the middle.
โUpon a full review, it has been determined that 29 seconds should have been added back onto the time clock,โ an AFL statement read.
โIn the moment, the timekeepers were unaware of the technical error.
โThere is a manual backup process for the timekeepers to resort to, however in this instance, that process did not happen.
โAhead of the next round of matches, the AFL will undertake re-testing of the relevant timekeeping technology and reinforce the manual back up process with all timekeepers.โ
The Giants and the Saints have been informed. Hallโs goal put the Saints 32 points up at half-time. They eventually hung on to record their first win of the season by four points.
A report on SEN earlier on Monday said an internal league email had indicated a software upgrade was taking place at venues, which may have caused an issue.
Bobbyโs back: Hugs all round as star Magpie returns after long absence
Jon Pierik
Premiership forward Bobby Hill has told Collingwood he is back for good after he returned to official training on Monday and began preparations to earn a senior call-up later in the year. Hill, 26, had been away from the Magpies for several months because of personal issues before making an unexpected return last Friday.
There were fears the 2023 Norm Smith medallist would miss the entire season, and the Magpies have missed his brilliance inside their attacking 50m.
As he took to the field on Monday, Hill โ with a bleached blond hairdo โ was greeted warmly by teammates and team staff. He had a good chat with Jamie Elliott before the entire squad began preparing for Friday nightโs clash against Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium.
Hill also embraced former Carlton and Adelaide champion Eddie Betts, who was watching training and worked with Hill late last season in a bid to help get fit for finals.
Magpiesโ football department boss Charlie Gardiner said Hill was keen to do the work required to return to the senior team.
โYeah, he has expressed a desire to get back in and put his head down and work hard,โ Gardiner said.
โBut, as I said, it [his progression] may not be linear. We will continue to support him and, hopefully, he can continue to keep taking steps forward.โ
Hill, who last year signed a four-year contract extension, has been training at suburban grounds recently with a trainer, his fitness improving considerably through this period.
The manner in which he trained and worked with teammates suggested he is in a better space mentally than when he took leave from the club.
He joined in the opening 75 minutes of skills work on Monday, but did not partake in match simulation. What was clear is that he has not lost any of his electric speed.
โHe has done a bit of training, but heโs really just at the start line. Heโll have a big block of training ahead of him, but weโll be guided by our medical team and our high-performance team,โ Gardiner said.
โAs to timelines [for a senior recall], we donโt have any timelines right now. We are all just thrilled heโs happy. Heโs got a smile on his face. Heโs enjoying and has energy for training, which is excellent.โ
Hill also took time out for personal reasons last season, and returned in time for the finals. But the Magpies said he had not done enough training to justify September selection.
While there was a large focus on Hill, the Magpies also kept a close eye on skipper Darcy Moore and fellow veteran defender Jeremy Howe. Both missed the opening two games, Howe because of a lingering calf issue, while Moore was recovering from a calf issue when he strained a hamstring on the eve of the Crowsโ clash, which the Magpies lost.
Moore and Howe joined in all drills and match simulation, with Gardiner confirming they are firmly in line to face the Giants.
โYeah, weโd expect them to be available for Friday night,โ he said.
The pair benefited from the Magpies having a bye at the weekend, while their teammates the Daicos brothers, Nick and Josh, used the free time to do guest speaking with their father Peter in Tasmania.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.
