Injury cloud hovers over premiership Pies;score reviews plummet as umpires back their judgment

Collingwood premiership stars Jordan De Goey and Tom Mitchell are in doubt for the Magpies’ round-eight blockbuster against arch-rival Carlton at the MCG.

Collingwood’s head of high performance,Jarrod Wade,told the club’s website on Monday that,following the Magpies’ short turnaround into last Thursday’sAnzac Day clash with Essendon,De Goey has experienced “some groin pain”.

“He hasn’t pulled up all that well from the Anzac Day game,” Wade said.

Jordan De Goey stretches to tackle Essendon star Jake Stringer on Anzac Day.

Jordan De Goey stretches to tackle Essendon star Jake Stringer on Anzac Day.AFL Photos

“(He’s) unable to train early on in the week,so he’s been really limited for the four to five days post that game.

Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell.

Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell.AFL Photos

“We’ll give him every opportunity (to face the Blues on Friday night) so we’re going to wait and see how he progresses.”

Wade said the Pies would be in a better position to provide an update on De Goey after the side’s main training session midweek,adding that Mitchell,like De Goey,had the “assess” label next to his name ahead of the blockbuster with the 5-2 Carlton.

Mitchell is nursing a foot complaint.

“He’s had some underlying foot issues – more plantar fasciitis-type stuff – that he’s been managing really well over the past eight to 10 weeks,” Wade said.

“Again,with the shorter turnaround of Anzac Day,he’s pulled up a little bit sorer in that foot than we’d expect,and that he has been for the previous few weeks.”

Wade said he hopes Brownlow medallist Mitchell shows signs of improvement over the next couple of days and can also train midweek.

The reigning premiers are currently 10th on the ladder with three wins through their opening seven games of the season,and have clashes against West Coast (15th),Adelaide (12th),and Fremantle (8th) following round eight.

Score reviews plummet in round seven

The number of score reviews called for in round seven plummeted to just nine – half the average number of reviews requested in each of the previous six rounds – after the AFL finally directed goal umpires to be more willing to signal a goal if they were confident it was the correct decision.

Tyson Stengle lines up his shot for goal after the ball was brought back when the video review awarded him a mark on the goal line.

Tyson Stengle lines up his shot for goal after the ball was brought back when the video review awarded him a mark on the goal line.AFL Photos

No reviews occurred in three of the round’s matches after both crowds and goal umpires expressed frustration at the leap in the number of reviews being called for the first seven rounds (including opening round).

There had previously been an average of two reviews being made per game with goal umpires meeting AFL football operations manager Josh Mahoney after round five to express their concerns at the impact being coached to call for a review whenever a decision was close had on their ability to perform their role.

Data,provided by the AFL to this masthead,showed that there were 82 reviews between opening round and round five – an average of two per game.

The AFL’s general manager for football operations Laura Kane said the league wanted goal umpires to back their judgment with goals as each would be silently reviewed before play restarted with a centre bounce.

“If an umpire sees a goal,they should call that,they should pay that,” Kane told AFL Media.

“After every score on the weekend,after every goal,the silent review confirmed that the umpire had made the right decision ... we want the umpire to use the technology available to them to get the right score.”

Kane said the AFL wanted a review called if the goal umpire had any doubt in what the decision should be,with the league desperate to avoid another goal scoring error,such as the one that occurred in the round 23 clash between Adelaide and Sydney last season,which saw the Crows denied a goal that would have given them the lead with 72 seconds of the game remaining.

“Our priority is getting the right score,” Kane said.

Champion Crows midfielder Rory Sloane has retired after 255 matches.

Champion Crows midfielder Rory Sloane has retired after 255 matches.AFL Photos

Adelaide’s Rory Sloane retires;Hawks and Bulldogs feel the injury pinch

Adelaide champion and former skipper Rory Sloane decided to retire rather than risk further damage to his eye after he had surgery to fix a detached retina in February. It was the second time in his career he had the surgery.

He said the possibility he could lose sight in his eye made the risk of adding to his 255-game career too great.

“I’ve had all the medical advice you could possibly receive and to continue playing would probably have meant ignoring that advice,” Sloane told reporters on Monday.

“Goggles weren’t going to protect me from detached retinas – detached retinas don’t form from a poke in the eye. It’s normally when you cop whacks to the head.”

Meanwhile,Hawthorn confirmed Sam Butler would miss the rest of the season after he suffered a broken leg in the VFL,and the club could also be without Mabior Chol after the forward was offered a one-match suspension for striking Sydney’s Errol Gulden off the ball in the first quarter of Sunday’s match. The incident led to a free kick being reversed costing the Hawks a goal.

St Kilda are heading to the tribunal to appeal Jack Higgins’ three-match suspension for a dangerous tackle that left Port Adelaide defender Aliir Aliir concussed.

Western Bulldogs forward Cody Weightman will miss at least six weeks after the club decided he needed surgery to fix a dislocated elbow that has troubled him since 2022.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country.Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.

Peter Ryan is a sports reporter with The Age.

Russell Bennett is a sports desk editor at The Age.

Most Viewed in Sport