Announcement: Skillful trio rejoins
There are three major additions confirmed for Sunday’s highly anticipated matchup versus Richmond.
Rebounding half-back Liam Duggan, versatile big man Oscar Allen, and vice captain Josh Kennedy, who will guide the squad in Luke Shuey’s ongoing absence, have all been confirmed as starts for this demanding test against the competition standard.
Even though the club selected that gifted three for the starting 18, more senior players may be added when it continues to hone its squad on Friday afternoon.
Currently, eight players have been named on an extended interchange, four of whom will play and four of whom will be emergencies. Wingman Jarrod Brander and ruckman-forward Nathan Vardy are among those players.
The medical substitute will arise from the four crises. The players trying to make the cut are Luke Edwards, who is making his debut, forwards Jake Waterman and Zac Langdon, midfielder Xavier O’Neill, defender Luke Foley, and jamaine Jones, who played in that role against Carlton last week.
All-Australian defender Brad Sheppard was ineligible due to a hamstring strain, while emerging ruckman-forward Bailey Williams was also absent due to the AFL’s concussion procedures.
Richmond, who spent the week prepping in Sydney, participated in the hugely successful Dreamtime in Perth match against Essendon on Saturday night. Richmond will now head back west.
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Superstar Jack Darling of the West Coast Eagles is prohibited from training.
Jack Darling, the premiership-winning player for the West Coast Eagles, has been barred from team training in advance of the 2022 campaign.
The star player for the West Coast Eagles, Jack Darling, may not be able to play for the rest of his career after he was prohibited from practicing with his teammates due to his refusal to vaccinate against COVID-19.
The AFL declared in October of last year that football personnel and players from WA, SA, and QLD teams needed to get their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccination by Friday, January 21, and their second dose by Friday, February 18.
Double vaccination is already mandatory for players at clubs in Victoria and New South Wales.
The Eagles confirmed in a statement on Friday morning that Darling had not followed the AFL’s Covid-19 training and playing requirements.
The team expressed optimism that Darling would soon resume preseason workouts, but they also made it clear that the premiership-winning forward would have to exercise apart from his teammates until he received his vaccinations.
The Eagles stated that “Jack will train independently of the remainder of the squad while he takes some time to assess his future.”
“The club is hopeful that Jack will return to build on his incredible career to date, and they will continue to support him while he considers his options.”
“The club supports the protocols put in place by the AFL and Governments – both Federal and State – as they navigate their way through this persistent and challenging pandemic, while also respecting the right to personal choice.”
Since making his senior debut in 2011, Darling has participated in 236 games for West Coast, and he was a part of the team that won the title in 2018.
In addition to leading the Eagles in goalkicker in 2012, 2018 and 2019, he was also selected for the 2019 All-Australian Team.
