FOOTY BRIEFS
The Age
Thursday March 31, 2011
SWANS CAN FLY: GOODESSYDNEY: Swans co-captain Adam Goodes is confident his side's inside toughness can negate Essendon's outside run in Sunday's clash at ANZ Stadium. Goodes was adamant Sydney had the leg speed to compete with James Hird's supremely fit Bombers. "Definitely, I think we've got a lot of players who can play outside and inside and our midfield runs pretty deep, so we really just have to watch their run on the outside," Goodes said. "But if we're winning those balls in the contest in tight, then we won't have to worry too much about the guys on the outside."LIONS TO SHARE CAPTAINCYBRISBANE: The Brisbane Lions are set to bank on young deputies Jed Adcock and Daniel Merrett sharing the Lions' captaincy until Jonathan Brown returns from horrific facial injuries. On a day the Lions received a boost, with Brent Staker set for a return in the second half of the season after undergoing LARS surgery, the club held off from rushing former captain Simon Black into an inexperienced leadership group. Black this week put up his hand to return to an official leadership role in the wake of Brown's facial surgery, which will require two months of recovery time. Brisbane football operations manager Dean Warren said Adcock and Merrett were likely to share the honour, and Black would continue to contribute as an experienced on-field leader.SANDILANDS PLEAFREMANTLE: Dockers coach Mark Harvey has again called on AFL umpires to better protect ruckman Aaron Sandilands, claiming the 211-centimetre giant is often illegally impeded at ruck contests. Several times last year Harvey questioned the legality of tactics used by rival clubs to curb Sandilands, with the 28-year-old often held down by the opposing ruckmen to allow a third player to come over the top and win the tap. Harvey urged the umpires to closely monitor the ruck situation. "Look, the interesting part about the ruckmen now . . . is that the umpires have got to recognise whether the ruckman is being held down," Harvey said yesterday. "We'll be watching that closely."."EBERT KEEN TO PLAYPORT ADELAIDE: Forward Brett Ebert says he's primed to return from an injury-cursed period. Ebert underwent a LARS knee reconstruction last August and also battled tonsillitis and a shoulder injury. But the 27-year-old says he's fit for Port's first home game of the season, against West Coast on Saturday.DOUBT ON KERR RETURNWEST COAST: Injuries to key West Coast duo Mark LeCras and Chris Masten have slightly dented Daniel Kerr's chances of an AFL return against Port Adelaide this weekend, according to Eagles coach John Worsfold. Kerr hasn't featured for West Coast since tearing his hamstring off the bone in round four last year but has impressed during two WAFL hit-outs. But although it initially seemed injuries to LeCras (groin) and Masten (knee) would boost Kerr's chances, Worsfold said it might actually play against him. "If those two were playing maybe it was a certainty Daniel might have come in, he could have played a lesser role," Worsfold said.
© 2011 The Age
