Ablett injury scare

Gary Ablett could miss Saturday night's clash against Port Adelaide. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

THE SUNS are counting the cost of their Q Clash loss with skipper Gary Ablett and Charlie Dixon waiting on scans to clear them for Saturday's match against Port Adelaide.

And the Lions will again have to construct a makeshift defence to counter the Kangaroos' three tall forwards with Matt Maguire likely to miss another three weeks with a leg injury.

X-rays cleared Ablett of any broken bones in his right hand but was last night sent for MRI scans to see what is causing the pain and swelling.

The injury was troubling Ablett today but he is not even considering the possibility of missing this week's clash with Port Adelaide, coached by his great mate and mentor Ken Hinkley.

"I'll be right,'' he said.

Dixon has an Achilles injury and is considered less likely to be cleared to play.

Maguire's ongoing absence is a major headache for Brisbane who must find opponents for Drew Petrie, Lachie Hansen and Robbie Tarrant.

It was hoped he would only miss the one game but he has now sat out two weeks and football manager Dean Warren said he may not be available until Rd 6 against Sydney.

"He is probably a couple of weeks away at least,'' Warren said.

"Because he has had a fair few issues there during his career, it is just going to take a little bit longer.''

The Lions have a swag of in form players from Sunday's 110 point NEAFL hiding of the Gold Coast's reserves jostling to take on the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

There will be one forced change with Jared Polec set to miss with an ankle injury.

Warren said the axe was not hovering over veteran Ash McGrath after a slow start to the season but admitted any underperforming players would feel the heat.

"There is pressure on for senior spots,'' he said.

"We have depth, there is a group of guys in the seconds that are playing good consistent footy and pushing for a game.''

One player who is safe as houses is debutant Sam Mayes.

The South Australian product looked right at home at the elite level collecting 21 disposals off a wing while adding two clearances and five inside 50s. He also took 10 marks - all uncontested - to showcase his lauded hard-running ability.

The No.8 draft pick's penetrating right boot also caught the eye in the wet conditions.

"My job was to spread hard and find some space. I was pleased with how I went and hopefully I can keep improving,'' he said.

"It will be a test next week against North Melbourne to back-up from this week and crack in again.''

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Higgins gone for the year

Shaun Higgins will miss the entire season. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

WESTERN Bulldog Shaun Higgins has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a nasty foot injury.

Scans last night confirmed the forward broke the navicular bone in his left foot in Sunday's loss to Richmond, forcing him to go under the knife this week.

"Shaun is a resilient character and will leave no stone unturned in his recovery from this set-back," Dogs medical services manager Andrew McKenzie said.

Easton Wood is expected to miss six weeks with a severe hamstring tear, while forward Tory Dickson (ankle) will miss eight weeks after requiring surgery to repair a ruptured ligament.

The injury crisis could open the door for the Dogs to unveil prized draft pick Jake Stringer against Adelaide on Sunday.

The powerhouse booted five goals for VFL affiliate Williamstown on Saturday and would be a suitable replacement for Dickson or Higgins.

Stringer excited Dogs fans when he snapped a memorable goal with his first kick in the NAB Cup after causing a turnover and breaking a Sam Mitchell tackle.

Jake Stringer enjoys a goal late in the 3rd qtr Picture: Klein Michael Source: Herald Sun

The Matthew Pavlich-type player was on his way to a Round 1 debut before damaging his ankle in that pre-season match.

The mature-bodied teenager jagged four consecutive goals in the third quarter against Coburg to send Dogs supporters into a frenzy on Twitter.

The Dogs other prized recruit, No. 6 pick Jackson Macrae, is also on the cusp of debuting after impressing in the midfield for the Seagulls and being named an emergency the past two weeks.

Welcome to the major league, lads: Jake Stringer and Jackson Macrae after being selected at No.5 and No.6 by the Western Bulldogs. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

The raw half-forward showed off his trademark sidestep in the VFL and dazzled in the second half of Williamstown's Round 1 match.

There was pre-draft speculation Stringer could prove a risk due to a broken leg he suffered in 2011.

Some clubs were put off by his hampered running gait at last year's draft camp, but the Dogs pounced on the 191cm, 93kg country lad at pick five and fixed his problem with a pair of orthotics and biomechanical running  changes over the pre-season.

Bendigo Pioneers talent manager Ray Byrne said Stringer was a special talent with the "potential to be anything".

"Jake could match what Dustin Martin did in his first year, he's a good player," he said before the draft.

"Everything was in front of him before he broke his leg and then to get to where he is now, he's done a pretty good job.

"He's got a lot of strings to his bow, similar to James Hird."

Captain Matthew Boyd is also a strong chance to return after missing the first three rounds with a calf tear.

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Tigers dominate Team of the Week

Essendon coach James Hird gets the nod ahead of Power coach Ken Hinkley. Picture: Wayne Ludbey. Source: Herald Sun

WITH apologies to Ken Hinkley it was just a little bit hard to overlook James Hird as coach for our Round 3 Team of the Week.

If some of Hird's harshest critics had their was he would be incarcerated rather than organising a meritorious victory over Fremantle in Perth.

So to deal with the pressure aside of an on-going investigation elevates Hird to coach, despite Hinkley revitalising Port Adelaide.

SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE CHAT WITH JON ANDERSON FROM 12NOON

On the field there are a couple of new names in defenders Jake Carlisle and Jacob Brennan although you can expect to see plenty of them in the future.

The Richmond on-ball duo of Brett Deledio and Dustin Martin could easily have been joined by teammate Trent Cotchin in the best 18, while Carlton's Andrew Walker was unlucky to miss a defensive role.

On a mobile device? Click here for a better viewing experience.

BATTLE ON: Essendon's Jake Carlisle and Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich compete for the ball. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow

Round 3 Team of the Week

B: Josh Gibson (Hawthorn): So cool when it matters.

Jake Carlisle (Essendon): The 2009 pick 24 looks one out of the box.

Jacob Brennan (West Coast): The son of Michael is going to be a player.

HB: Grant Bitchall (Hawthorn): Has become someone you can almost pen in to this team.

Harry Taylor (Geelong): Is there a better contested mark in the AFL?

Luke Hodge (Hawthorn, captain): His supposed demise was clearly right off the money.

Brad Ebert, Hamish Hartlett and Travis Boak celebrate Port Adelaide's Showdown win. Picture: Simon Cross Source: The Advertiser

C: David Armitage (St Kilda): So important for the Saints that he and Steven regain top form.

Travis Boak (Port Adelaide): We are starting to see what all the fuss was about.

Matthew Stokes (Geelong): From a substitute in Rd 2 to BOG a week later.

HF: Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle): A shining light in a side that lacks X factor.

Jonathan Brown (Brisbane): Back to his best after a slow start to 2013.

Dustin Martin (Richmond): Still trying to work out how he went at Pick 3 in 2009.

Collingwood v Hawthorn, MCG, 3rd term lance franklin goal, Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

F: Travis Cloke (Collingwood): Looks a different player without the contract hassles.

Buddy Franklin (Hawthorn): After an indifferent Rd 1 the Buddy show is back in town.

Daniel Hannebery (Sydney): Sure he didn't play in a forward pocket but he has to be in somewhere

R: Dean Cox (West Coast): Cemented his position as the best ruckman in the game.

Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney): Just a near perfect start to the season.

Chris Judd (Carlton): Did everything to get the Blues up.

Trent Cotchin gets a quick kick. AFL Round 3: Richmond v Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium, Docklands. Tim Carrafa Source: Herald Sun

INT:  Trent Cotchin (Richmond): Just another sublime exhibition from the young master.

Callan Ward (GWS): A really honest hard-nut who has been a perfect pick-up.

Brett Deledio (Richmond): A remarkably consistent player who is kicking stunning goals.

Substitute: Farren Ray (St Kilda): Shouldn't be wearing a vest next week.

Coach: James Hird (Essendon): Had a few things on his mind before helping to conquer the west.

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Hird confronts drugs investigators

Essendon coach James Hird could be banned by the AFL if found guilty using a banned substance. Picture: Daniel Wilkins Source: PerthNow

ESSENDON coach James Hird will not be under oath when he faces drugs investigators for the first time today.

But he nevertheless would face tough penalties if found not to have told the truth.

Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority officers are probing claims that players received banned intravenous injections -- one of several concerns raised about the club's sports science regimen last year.

Sports scientist Stephen Dank has said that during his time at Essendon he injected Hird with the performance-enhancing drug Hexarelin, which is banned for players.

The AFL Anti-Doping Code demands players and coaches must:

FULLY co-operate with any investigation.

FULLY and truthfully answer all questions.

PROVIDE documents if requested.

Players and coaches who fail to do this face a minimum $10,000 fine. If a breach of this section is referred to the AFL Tribunal by the league, there is no limit on the sanction that can be applied.

The code prohibits coaches from supplying and administering performance-enhancing drugs, but not from taking them.

The AFL can sanction anyone it believes has brought the game into disrepute.

Evidence gathered by ASADA would ultimately come before the AFL Tribunal if the agency found players or officials had a case to answer.

Former ASADA chief Richard Ings said: "In the infraction notice (from the AFL), it will say ASADA has told the AFL that you have a case to answer for breaching these provisions of the anti-doping rules; the penalty for this breach is a ban, or whatever -- two years, say; you have an opportunity now to either accept the ban, or to request a hearing before the AFL anti-doping panel.

"The hearing, the tribunal, is held by the AFL.

"ASADA would be the counsel prosecuting the case, because they've got the evidence, and the player and his attorney would be the defence."

Hird is expected to be accompanied by a lawyer, or lawyers, today.

Under common ASADA practices:

THE interview would be conducted by two ASADA officials.

AN investigator from the AFL's integrity office could attend and ask questions.

THE interview would be recorded.

Hird is not bound by privacy laws and can share anything from the interview.

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What Hird must answer today

There are questions Bombers coach James Hird must answer today. Source: Herald Sun

Cartoon by David 'Macca' McArthur. Source: Herald Sun

ESSENDON coach James Hird will be interviewed by ASADA officials today. Here are the questions he must answer.

1) WHY did you put so much trust in Stephen Dank, and why didn't you, or the club, do due diligence on him? High performance manager Dean Robinson said, when he was appointed, that he'd bring his sports science offsider. It was Dank. The Bombers trusted Robinson. The concerns are: Why didn't the Bombers know about Dank's colourful past, or, if they did, why did the club employ him?

2) WHY did you sack Dank months before the club instigated the ASADA investigation? The Bombers initially said it was because he was a rogue element, poor with time management and had lost trust of his colleagues. Since, we have found out the sports science department was $100,000 over budget, potentially ordered banned substances on the Essendon account, and that he injected players off-site, used separate doctors and a nurse.

3) WHY didn't you take action after club medico Bruce Reid first raised concerns about ``irregular practices'' in January last year? This is difficult. Hird would've had to have known about the letter, given his relationship with Reid, and the letter went through several hands before, we understand, it landed on the desk of chief executive Ian Robson. It's not known whether the board received the letter.

4) WHAT information did Essendon receive for the club to call in ASADA? Sketchy here. The AFL is vehement it did not speak to Essendon, ASADA wouldn't have, so the suspicion is it was the either the Australian Crime Commission or the Victoria Police. What did they tell the Bombers? The same week, on the ``blackest day in Australian sport'' in Canberra, it was revealed criminal elements had infiltrated the AFL and NRL, and that trafficking of drugs had skyrocketed. Dank maintains he's no criminal.

5) WAS there anyone at the club checking what Dank was injecting into players? The Bombers cannot tell the players for sure what they were injected with. Consent forms outlined what the Bombers intended to use, but the club's concern is: Did Dank use anything else? This was Robinson's domain.

6) WHO do you think is to blame for the lack of governance? Heads will roll. That is the one thing for certain to come out of this mess. Football manager Paul Hamilton left, Robinson has been stood down, chief executive Ian Robson is at the head of the chain of command and is the likely big scalp. Danny Corcoran was not at the club from November-January after losing his wife, and was not a major player in the governance of the department. Hird clearly set out strict guidelines, but they were not always followed. And Dank? Essendon blames him for the lot.

7) WHY were you comfortable having young men injected with supplements, and were some players injected up to 40 times in 2012? ASADA deals with the content of the injections, the AFL will deal with the perception. The AFL isn't happy and it seems likely that words such as ``bringing the game into disrepute'' and ``prejudicial to the interest of the AFL'' will be used to whack Essendon.

8) WERE the consent forms to protect the player or protect the club? The club says this was about professionalism and about making sure the players knew what what they were taking, and for what reason. But there's also a feeling that Essendon was protecting itself against rogue elements outside the club. That the club did not tell the AFL Players Association added to the mystery.

9) WHAT about the text messages between you and Dank talking about the supplements program? Well, he is the coach. He helped set it up, he set guidelines, with every supplement to be ticked off and overseen by Reid. Hird will say there is nothing in the texts that discredit him.

10) WERE you injected with a banned substance for 16 weeks last season? This is the bomb. He claimed to have injected Hird with Hexarelin which is on the WADA banned list. Hird denies this, saying on two occasions he was injected with a harmless amino acid and a vitamin.

11) WHY did you got to Dank for injections and not your family doctor and long-time friend, Bruce Reid? Only Hird can answer this.

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We were wrong on Harry O: AFL

Harry O'Brien collides with Luke Hodge.

COLLINGWOOD defender Harry O'Brien was the victim of two wrong decisions as a front-on bump charge against him was thrown out.

The AFL admitted yesterday O'Brien should have received the free kick rather than a booking at the MCG on Sunday.

It said Hawthorn captain Luke Hodge had been the offender for sliding in for the ball and making contact with the upright O'Brien.

"When he went to ground he had a bit of momentum and he made contact to Harry O'Brien below the knees, causing him to topple over. That's one of those ones, mistake by the umpire. It should have been a free kick to Harry O'Brien,'' umpires boss Jeff Gieschen said.

And unbeaten Essendon must go to the AFL tribunal to avoid disrupting the team with No.1 ruckman Patrick Ryder and new midfielder Nick Kommer hit with three and two games suspensions for rough conduct.

Ryder copped four matches for the shoulder bump that forced Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin to be subbed off in the opening quarter in Perth last Friday night.

While he can shave off one game by pleading guilty, his demerit points tally was swelled by 66 carried over for escaping with a reprimand from a tripping charge last season.

Kommer copped three games, reduced to two with an early plea, for his bump that sent Docker Kepler Bradley to the bench with a badly cut head.

Even Hodge's teammates were confused by the umpire's ruling in their favour, one of several puzzling free kicks at the weekend concerning the sliding crackdown this season.

"The way it's been explained to us is, if you slide in and contact someone front on in the legs, it is a free kick to the guy who is standing over the ball," vice-captain Jordan Lewis said yesterday.

Lewis said players were trying to adjust for the new rule, but that was compounded by wet conditions at the MCG

GWS Giants are weakened for Sunday's game against similarly winless Melbourne with Rising Star nomination Devon Smith outed for one match for rough conduct against St Kilda's Jarryn Geary.

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New doubt over Dank

Stephen Dank. Picture: ABC Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE director of Australia's peak body for sports scientists, David Bishop, has called into question the qualifications of the man at the centre of the Essendon drugs scandal.

Bishop said Stephen Dank "would not even be eligible for accreditation'' with Exercise & Sports Science Australia, the regulatory body that represents 3500 members, and suggested it was "beyond highly unusual'' for a person in Dank's role to oversee a program of supplement injections.

"From what I can tell he's got a physiology or pharmacology degree,'' Bishop, a research leader at Victoria University, said.

In February Dank told an interview with the ABC's 7.30 that he had a degree in biochemistry from the Queensland University of Technology, and was a PhD candidate (suspended last year) at the University of Sydney for a thesis on antioxidants.

It is believed Dank undertook a Masters degree in sports science at the University of NSW in the mid 1990s, but it is unclear whether he graduated.

"We have searched our system and have not been able to find a record of a Stephen Dank graduating from UNSW,'' a university spokeswoman said yesterday.

One of Dank's lecturers at the University of NSW, Kevin Norton, described him as a likable and intelligent student, but added "I can't say for sure that he qualified for his Masters."

"I'm not sure whether he graduated or not,'' Norton said.

"I know that he passed my courses (advanced exercise physiology), he was a very good student.''

Norton and Dank even published a paper together on anthropometry (body size and shape).

"As a student he was very bright and a likable lad to be around. He told good stories. I actually liked his intellect, he was a pretty smart guy. I didn't suspect any bad element,'' Norton said.

But Norton said there were worrying signs about the career path his student followed in the decade after they parted ways at university.

Norton, now a Professor of Exercise Science at UniSA, has worked extensively as a consultant with the Adelaide Crows and had a game-day role at the club when his good friend Neil Craig was the coach.

It was in that capacity that Norton caught up in 2006 with Dank, who was by then heading up a Sydney-based syndicate offering the Crows genetic testing technology and gimmicky products.

Dank had been conducting $750 DNA tests with rugby league club Manly, searching for particular genetic traits: the "power gene'' and the ``endurance gene''.

"The fact that he got involved in gene technology suggests that he had a salesman edge to him,'' Norton said.

"At that stage it was not very sophisticated ... it obviously didn't progress very far and he got involved in other areas.''

Norton said he recommended that the Crows steered clear of the testing, which involved swabbing a cotton bud on the inside of a footballer's cheek.

"The idea was to use it for talent identification, future selection policy. Ethically that was something I was uncomfortable with and opposed to,'' Norton said.

Norton said he was shocked by a general lack of ``checks and balances'' at AFL clubs.

Bishop agreed, saying a systematic series of injection should have rung alarm bells, regardless of what was injected into the players.

"It's beyond highly unusual, it's extraordinary. It's something that sports scientists at other clubs wouldn't do,'' he said.

"Injecting substances of any type is not a skill that comes with being a sports scientist. To be honest with you, I think the athletes, the coaches, everyone involved in this, the alarm bells really should have been going off once there were injections happening.''

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What you missed on TV last night

Mark Thompson was full of praise for coach James Hird. Source: Herald Sun

DID you miss last night's AFL television shows? Rewind and catch up here on all of hot topics and big issues discussed.

AFL 360

* Essendon coach James Hird will today face ASADA officials. Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson said he did not yet know what we will come out of it. He said it was a complex situation, but expected the interview to last every part of two days. He also expected Hird to speak publicly at the end of it.

* Still on Essendson, senior assistant Mark Thompson was quick to heap praise on the players following the gutsy win over Fremantle, describing it as "pretty special."

* Thompson also gave an insight into Hird, saying his mind was very much on the job."He's (Hird's) strong - he needs support and care, and he goes up and down. But he's still coaching well and he's a strong man. He's very, very determined and doing his job," Thompson said.

* Collingwood opposition analyst Rodney Eade was also full of praise - but for Hawthorn after they demolished the Magpies on Sunday. "They were super impressive," Eade said. He also said Collingwood's performance was not like them.

Bombers coach James Hird after his side's win over Fremantle. Source: Getty Images

ON THE COUCH

* Robert Walls was back as a panelist in the absence of Paul Roos.

* Collingwood was high on the agenda. Walls said he was staggered by the way they fell away against Hawthorn. "Bucks would be disappointed in the way they were beaten," he said.

* North Melbourne coach Brad Scott was the guest. The Kangaroos have made a winless start to the season and Scott said lapses have hurt them and quality opposition have made them pay.

* Scott revealed Majak Daw was close to making his AFL debut. "He's a chance (this weekend)," he said. Scott said the challenge was fitting all the club's talls in.

Kangaroos coach Brad Scott and Majak Daw. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun

OPEN MIKE

* Rex Hunt, who was this week's guest, paid an emotional tribute to his wife, Lynne, after she stood by him despite his confession about 15 years of liaisons with other women. "Without Lynn, I would either be in jail or in Boot Hill (a cemetery)," he said.

* Hunt said some well publicised incidents made him re-evaluate his life."I hope when I take my last breath I haven't got any regrets because I am making up for lost time with my family," he said.

* Hunt also spoke about the tragic loss of his great friend and co-worker Clinton Grybas. "I loved that boy like one of my own," Hunt said.

Rex Hunt in Melbourne. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: Herald Sun

FOOTY CLASSIFIED

* Not surprisingly, Essendon topped the agenda here.

* Caroline Wilson said the Bombers were not out of the woods, nor was Hird.

* Matthew Lloyd said it was clear the players were "playing for their coach" and slammed some sections of the media for "hanging him out to dry."

* Lloyd slammed Melbourne's decision not to play Jack Watts against West Coast.

Everyone has high expectations on Jack Watts. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

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Carlisle one hard match-up

Bomber Jake Carlisle of the Bombers pushes Danyle Pearce. Source: Getty Images

FOR a while he was best known as the stepladder for Andrew Walker's towering hanger.

But three games into the season, you'd do well just to beat Jake Carlisle in a contest, let alone sit on his head.

There is no better way to measure a player's value than the one-on-one battle. No flooding, no third-man up and no support. Just beat your direct opponent.

Statistics provided by Champion Data show Carlisle is doing that as well as anyone.

Against Fremantle on Friday night he was involved in seven isolated contests, six of them against six-time All-Australian and six-time Docker best-and-fairest winner Matthew Pavlich.

Carlisle didn't lose one, winning four and neutralising three.

After Round 3 the 21-year-old has lost only two of 14 one-on-one contests.

This year Carlisle ranks No.3 in the competition for marks (28), fifth for intercept marks (eight) and No.20 for spoils (20). That is All-Australian form.

But it was the way he stood firm in the face of huge Dockers pressure that caught the eye.

Up in the stands at Patersons Stadium, West Coast's defensive great Glen Jakovich was full of praise.

"I don't think he lost a one-on-one all night and that's like playing the perfect golf game isn't it?" Jakovich said.

"As a spectator and commentator I walked away thinking, 'Gee, that guy has really developed.' He looked really comfortable and showed great maturity.

"What really impressed me was the initiative he showed getting the ball and that he didn't just want to defend. He wasn't overawed playing on one of the best players in the competition over the last 10 years."

Carlisle kept Taylor Walker to three goals in Round 1 and Mitch Clark to one goal in Round 2, losing only one contest in each match.

St Kilda and Nick Riewoldt await on Saturday.

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Watts in contention for recall

Demon Jack Watts may be back against the Giants. Picture: Wayne Ludbey Source: Herald Sun

JACK Watts missed out on a game of footy last weekend, but the much maligned Demon is in contention to play against Greater Western Sydney on Sunday at the MCG.

Along with David Rodan and Jake Spencer, Watts was an emergency for the game against West Coast.
The trio was named in the Casey Scorpions VFL side that played in Ballarat at the same time as the Demons.

Melbourne coach Mark Neeld decided they should be at the MCG as cover for any late withdrawals.

Watts would have been the logical replacement for Mitch Clarke, who was understood to have been in doubt before the game.

Demons football manager Josh Mahoney said the club considered it was important to cover itself in case any player in the selected 22 was forced to withdraw because of injury or illness.

"All of our three emergencies didn't play for Casey and that won't affect their ability to be selected this week," Mahoney said yesterday.

A weekend free of football may have freshened up Watts, who has been under enormous mental pressure.

He and Rodan were dropped after the Round 2 mauling by Essendon at the MCG.

Mahoney said Jordie McKenzie, who has been out with a calf injury, could return this week, along with Tom Gillies (groin).
 

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