Blue McGovern racing clock to face Port; Decision on McCartin’s future looms

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In today’s AFL briefing, your daily wrap of footy news:

• Blues coach Michael Voss was confident Mitch McGovern would take his place in the selected 22 but he still had to prove his fitness.
• Sydney defender Paddy McCartin is set to meet with doctors to “make a decision on what the future looks like” as he battles ongoing concussion symptoms.

McGovern racing to be fit for Port clash

Andrew Wu

Carlton defender Mitch McGovern is no certainty to take his place in the Blues side for their vital game against Port Adelaide on Saturday.

Under the watch of high-performance boss Andrew Russell, McGovern took part in run-throughs and agility tests in a light training session at IKON Park on Friday morning.

He was wearing strapping with what appeared to be padding embedded within on his left thigh to protect the corky he suffered in friendly fire from Jacob Weitering in a marking contest last Sunday during the Blues’ win over Fremantle.

Given McGovern’s lengthy injury history, the six-day break after a game in Perth and a ready-made replacement in Caleb Marchbank waiting in the wings, there will be temptation from the Blues to avoid taking a risk with the backman.

Mitch McGovern suffered a corked thigh in Carlton’s win over Fremantle last week.Credit: Getty

Voss was confident McGovern would take his place in the selected 22 but he still had to prove his fitness.

“He got through a little bit yesterday but he’ll need final tick off today,” Blues coach Michael Voss said. “He got through that as expected but we’ll still have to make that call. As long as he gets through today which is quite minimal to be fair he’ll be right to go.”

Carlton’s season appeared shot after six losses in a row but convincing wins over Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Fremantle have set the Blues up for a charge at an unlikely finals berth.

A victory over Port could take them within two points of the eight with a home game against West Coast next week.

After the drama earlier this year over comments made by Blues chief Brian Cook that missing finals this year would not be the end of the world for the success-starved club, Voss is not engaging in talk about September.

“It’s obviously a question that you should ask but for us, we’ve navigated a pretty tricky time,” Voss said. “I think we’ve respected that and taken some really important lessons out of that.

“And one of those really important lessons is make sure that we stay completely present to what we’re doing and to look ahead of what the challenge is ahead of us right now, tomorrow.

“We wouldn’t be respecting our opponent whatsoever and respecting where we’re at. And we haven’t earned that right to even have that thought. So look at our next challenge, and we’ll get after it as hard as we possibly can.”

Voss said the Blues’ form reversal had come after a lift in their contest work and pressure around the ground, areas that had been patchy earlier in the year.

“We’ve maintained that as a message for quite a period of time now but it certainly has gained a lot of traction in the last little while,” Voss said.

“There was some simplicity in it. I think when you go through the last little period of time you got to look at what’s really important to your game.”

Voss rates Port, second on the ladder and on a 13-game winning streak, as the best team in the competition.

The Power have lost spearhead Charlie Dixon, defender Trent McKenzie and young gun Jason Horne-Francis to injury and goalsneak Junior Rioli for personal reasons among seven outs from last week’s team.

Ruckman Scott Lycett and wingman Xavier Duursma return, but it’s a less potent Power outfit facing the Blues than any period during their unbeaten run.

Decision looms on Paddy McCartin’s future

AAP

Sydney defender Paddy McCartin is set to meet with doctors to “make a decision on what the future looks like” as he battles ongoing concussion symptoms.

McCartin has not played for the Swans since suffering a concussion in the round-four clash with Port Adelaide on April 8 and has a long history of issues with head knocks.

The 27-year-old’s younger brother Tom McCartin revealed after the Swans’ thrilling two-point victory over the Western Bulldogs that a decision now looms on Paddy’s future.

“He’s catching up with pretty much a panel of doctors and stuff in a few weeks,” Tom McCartin told Seven.

“They’re just going to talk about everything, and everything he’s been through, and make a decision on what the future looks like.

Paddy McCartin and Lance Franklin at Swans training earlier this year.Credit: Phil Hillyard

“But he’s going well, he’s back training and doing a bit of running and stuff, and he’ll be fine.”

Paddy first played for St Kilda after being drafted as a key forward with the no.1 pick in 2014 but only played 35 games in five seasons marred by eight concussions.

He returned to playing with the Swans’ VFL team in 2021 and was added to their AFL line-up last year, playing a crucial role in defence in their surge to a grand final that ended in defeat to Geelong.

Paddy sustained the latest concussion when he was on his knees and launched forward to reach the ball but while doing so bumped his head on the SCG turf.

“He’s just in the doctor’s hands and he’s been very lucky with the amount of support that he’s had over the last few weeks,” Tom, who has had his own concussion issues, said. “He’s a pretty tough bloke mentally and he’ll be fine.

“He’s got great support around him and whatever happens, we’ll be there to support him.”

Paddy has already been ruled out for the rest of the season as last year’s runners-up look to make a late charge for a top-eight finish.

The Swans snatched the four points against the Bulldogs to keep their finals hopes alive but coach John Longmire refused to be drawn on Paddy’s next steps or involvement around the club during the run home.

“He’s always speaking to specialists and there’s not that a big deal in it,” Longmire said after the game.

“It’s just an ongoing conversation that he will continue to have. We’ll see how it goes.

“It’s just a part of the assessments. He’s had plenty of assessments, so this will be another one where he sits down and talks to specialists as you’d expect.”

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