Nat Fyfe – Michmutters
Categories
Sports

Casualty Ward, injury, injuries, team news, update, fitness, round 22, latest news, medical sub

Fremantle expect Rory Lobb to back up against GWS, despite being subbed out of the win over West Coast.

While the Roos are counting the injury toll from a bruising encounter with the Crows.

Get the latest AFL injury news in our Round 22 Casualty Ward!

Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

FREMANTLE coach Justin Longmuir has defended the club’s decision to sub Rory Lob out of the win over West Coast late, despite then admitting he expects the star to play next weekend.

Lobb has been carrying a shoulder injury for the past few weeks and appeared to aggravate it in a marking contest in the third term.

But the big forward waved away medical staff and played on, despite clearly carrying his right shoulder.

“He’s sore,” Longmuir admitted post-match. “We don’t think it’s too significant. We’re proud of his efforts after he got injured and halved some contests and remained in the game and kept working his way through it.

“(We) expect him to play (against GWS).

“Players have played plenty of times after they’ve been subbed out.

“He was carrying his arm around so he’s got an injury. He’s been carrying it for three weeks so he got a stinger on it and couldn’t go on tonight but we think he’ll be alright.”

Longmuir said he would enjoy the win over West Coast before contemplating having both Lobb and fellow big forward Matt Taberner unavailable for the away clash with GWS.

“I’ll worry about that when I get home,” he laughed.

“It’s not ideal and I’d love Lobby to play next week. We haven’t really crossed that bridge yet.

“When you see a player out there carrying their arm, you want to protect them so that’s why we subbed him out.

“He’s a fast healer. He played the week after he hurt it the first time from memory. So fingers crossed he gets up. He doesn’t let on when he brings injuries into games and he pushes through it really well.

“He’s 205cm and we needed to contest forward of the ball.

“I’m really proud of his efforts to keep competing, sometimes with one arm.”

Saint in hot water over bump? | 00:41

The call to sub Lobb out of the contest came with just four minutes remaining when the match was all but won.

“The docs went out and checked him and probably decided that he couldn’t go on anymore,” Longmuir said.

“He battled as well as he could for as long as he could. We needed to get him off for his own welfare from him.”

Lobb’s potential absence could hurt Fremantle’s top four push with Taberner already sidelined. skipper Nat Fyfe is no guarantee to return from his hamstring injury in Round 23 with Longmuir adamant the club would take a cautious approach.

“We don’t need to (bring him straight back), but if he’s fit to play, he’ll put his hand up for selection,” Longmuir said.

“If he’s not declared fit, we’re not going to put him out there and risk him. You injure yourself at this time of year and have a repeat injury to that hammy, then your season’s almost done.”

Longmuir said Fyfe may even go back to the WAFL for a second time this year to build fitness heading into finals.

“If it’s not this week, then we’ve got the bye and a WAFL game in the bye so we’ll look at that,” he said.

ST KILDA‘s Jimmy Webster‘s season is all but over after he injured his hamstring in the loss to Brisbane.

With the Saints now only a mathematical chance of finals, Webster is set for scans in the coming days.

He was subbed out of the loss to Brisbane early and was iced up for the remainder of the clash.

Cunnington emotional after huge return! | 02:47

ADELAIDE forward Shane McAdam is in doubt for this weekend’s Showdown with Port Adelaide.

McAdam was subbed out of the win over North Melbourne with a hamstring complaint.

“Forward Shane McAdam injured his hamstring while leading for the ball in the final quarter and was subbed out of the game,” Crows high performance manager Darren Burgess said.

“He will be assessed in coming days ahead of next week’s Showdown.”

NORTH MELBOURNE are counting the cost of a bruising loss to the Crows, with three players injured and young Paul Curtis now racing to be fit for the final match of the season.

jed anderson suffered concussion and won’t play again this season under the AFL’s protocols.

skipper jack ziebell is also likely done for 2022 after suffering a “significant” shoulder injury.

“It didn’t look great for Ziebs in particular,” coach Leigh Adams said.

“It’s some sort of shoulder injury. I think we all know Jack Ziebell is going to put his body on the line every time.

“I’m not sure if its collarbone or a dislocation but for him to come straight off and get subbed off, it must have been pretty bad. He doesn’t come off unless something is wrong.

“Fingers crossed it’s not too bad but it looks like his season is over.”

Kangaroos miss chance against Crows | 01:34

Jaidyn Stephenson will have to prove his fitness to play again this season after coming off with a back injury.

“Stevo’s had a bit of back issues that can come good pretty quick.”

Adams defended the club’s decision to send Anderson back out into the contest, as he was later ruled out with concussion.

“I haven’t seen the vision yet – I’m comfortable our doctors will have made the right decision,” he said.

“I know he came off with the blood rule and I was told at three quarter time he’d gone into the concussion protocols.”

Adams said the club wouldn’t take any risk with young Curtis after he copped a knock to his shoulder.

“This time of year obviously with one game to go, we won’t take any risk with a young kid like that,” he said.

GWS could be without Lachlan Keeffe after he complained of groin soreness in the loss to the Western Bulldogs.

Caretaker coach Mark McVeigh said the club would take precautions with the veteran.

“We’ll assess Keeffey who complained of a bit of groin soreness. We’ll take precautions there,” he said.

Tanner Bruhn won’t play again this season after entering the AFL’s concussion protocols.

“Tanner Bruhn with the HIA so he’ll enter those protocols which is not ideal for him,” McVeigh said.

the WESTERN BULLDOGS admit skipper Marcus Bontempelli is not fully fit but continues to press on.

“I finished the game off alright didn’t he?” coach Luke Beveridge said.

“He’s struggling a little bit with a niggle or two. I had Marcus and Chrissy Bell in my office yesterday talking through, he’s got a bit of an adductor issue going on.

“Both Marcus and Chris were sure he’d get through the game.

“He’s not 100 per cent. I have pushed through a bit of discomfort today.”

Bulldogs keep finals in sight | 02:53

GEELONG Coach Chris Scott has hinted at resting more players for the final round clash against West Coast.

With top spot assured, the Cats do have one injury concern with Rhys Stanley subbed out of the win over the Gold Coast.

“They tell me he’s got a low grade adductor strain,” Scott said.

“Generally when they say low grade it’s a week or two. It will be unlikely he’ll play next week is the feedback I’ve got but they are not too worried beyond that.”

GOLD COAST coach Stuart Dew says he feels for Sam Day after the forward re-injured his knee.

“Suspected that he’s hurt his meniscus that he’s had repaired last year and it was the same mechanism the way he slid and jammed that joint so we’ve got fingers crossed but unfortunately I think Sam might have hurt his knee which is really unfortunate,” Dew said.

Izak Rankin also remains in doubt for Round 23 after injuring his shoulder.

“He hurt that shoulder a few weeks back… clearly awkward landing/hit and he’s stirred that up,” Dew said.

“We’ll just see how that settles.”

WEST COAST could be without both Nic Naitanui and jamine jones for the trip to Geelong.

Jones was subbed out of the loss to the Dockers with a back issue.

“His back just seized up. We weighed up before the game whether to pull him out … He’s had a big year and carried some injuries. He just couldn’t last,” coach Adam Simpson said.

Simpson also admitted Naitanui was playing through the pain.

“He’s playing because the club needs him,” Simpson said.

“He needs a good break.”

.

Categories
Sports

Matt To’omua spills on divorce from Ellyse Perry, engaged to Naomi Cameron

Former Wallabies fly-half Matt To’omua has opened up about his “brutal” divorce from Australian cricketer Ellyse Perry, admitting the taxing order was “not fun at all”.

The sporting power couple, who tied the knot in 2015, announced their divorce in July 2020, confirming the news in a joint statement.

Watch The Hundred. Every Match Live & Exclusive to Fox Sports on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

“It’s with the greatest of respect for one another that we decided to separate earlier this year,” the pair said at the time.

“We felt this was the right course of action and is in the best interests of each other and our current lives. This is something that has evolved and is a mutual decision.

Throughout our relationship we have remained private and we ask that our space and privacy continue to be respected during this difficult time for both of us.”

The couple went public in 2013 when they appeared at the John Eales Medal awards night together before getting engaged the following year.

Ellyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To'omua.
Ellyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To’omua.Source: Instagram
Ellyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To’omua. AAP Image/Scott BarbourSource: AAP

speaking to the Sydney Morning HeraldTo’omua revealed he had not spoken to Perry in more than a year,

“It was tough,” he confessed. “Not fun. Not fun at all. It sucks.

“You can see why it breaks people. I’m very lucky that I’ve found someone now who’s amazing, but at the time, it was brutal.

“I’m very fortunate that we had no children and, of the divorces, it was a good one in the sense of the separation of those things. The one unique thing being it was public. Getting sprayed while I’m goalkicking or getting abused on some social media platform isn’t great, but they’re minor things.”

Matt To’omua of Australia. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images

To’omua has since started dating forensic psychologist Naomi Cameron, who he met in 2020. They recently got engaged.
Earlier this year, the 32-year-old announced he would head overseas and join Japan’s League One, signing with an unnamed club.

To’omua represented the Wallabies in 59 Tests after making his international debut in 2013, also playing 130 Super Rugby games for the ACT Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels.

Meanwhile, rumors emerged last year that Perry was dating Fremantle Dockers captain Nat Fyfe.

The 31-year-old was part of the Australian squad for this year’s triumphant Cricket World Cup campaign in New Zealand.

.

Categories
Sports

West Australian footy club home to dual Brownlow medallist celebrates a rare milestone

It is a region known for producing dual Brownlow Medalist Nat Fyfe, but the small community of Lake Grace-Pingrup has produced six AFL players from a combined population of fewer than 1,000 people.

Lake-Grace Pingrup Football Club is known as the Bombers in the Ongerup Football Association – one of WA’s smallest leagues with just four senior sides.

The club marks 100 years on Saturday, a feat not many country football clubs have managed as an exodus of players and people leave many in decline.

But in Western Australia’s Great Southern grain belt, the club remains the heart of the community.

Nat Fyfe entering the field surrounded by teammates
Nat Fyfe credits Lake Grace-Pingrup Football Club for molding him to succeed in the AFL.(AAP Image: Richard Wainwright)

Fremantle Dockers captain Fyfe, one of this century’s most decorated AFL players, still visits the club he says was integral to his development as a player and person, when he returns home.

“You never forget where you come from,” he told ABC Great Southern.

“It’s unbelievable for the town, there’s some real history there… to get to 100 years and hopefully 100 ahead of us, is a great milestone for the community.”

The club was where Fyfe learned the football nous that has led to more than 200 AFL games and winning the league’s most prestigious medal twice.

Among the AFL players to come from Lake Grace-Pingrup are Richmond premiership player Liam Baker, Geelong legend Mark Bairstow and the three Moreton brothers, Cale, Jarryd and Mitch.

An AFL player pumps his fist in celebration while running ahead of a teammate
Richmond’s Liam Baker, left, hails from Lake Grace-Pingrup.(AAP: Sam Wundke)

Fyfe said he started playing for the club around year 4, when the club’s D-grade side won four premierships in a row.

“That was my grounding roots in footy… we went out, played and won,” he said.

“We had families like the Bairstows, Moretons and Slarkes; they were teaching us how to train, play and win games of footy and get together and enjoy afterwards as a team and community.

“That was my introduction to men’s footy and that taught me a lot of the craft to then go on and play AFL.”

Just 11 years after Lake Grace was settled by European pioneers a football club was established.

by hand
Lake Grace-Pingrup football club historian Bill Trevenen.(ABC Great Southern: Olivia Di Iorio)

Self-proclaimed football historian Bill Trevenen specializes in Lake Grace-Pingrup football and spent half his life in the library going through newspaper records of the club dating back to 1922.

“I profiled all the players [over the years] and it’s about 800 of them,” he said.

Mr Trevenen said regional football is extremely important to small communities across Australia.

“I think it’s the reason people get together on the weekend,” he said.

“In towns where football clubs have disbanded, those communities do struggle because there isn’t something that everyone comes to.”

A man on an oval
Shane Carruthers says volunteers are the lifeblood of the club.(ABC Great Southern: Olivia Di Iorio)

Club president Shane Carruthers said the club continues to flourish.

“Sporting clubs are the very social fabric of country towns — it gives people an outlet on sport days to catch up with people they haven’t seen for a little while or a long while and it’s extremely important,” he said.

.