Melbourne skipper Max Gawn has been vocal with his concerns about knee-on-knee issues.
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Neale, an athletic key forward who kicked 44 goals last year, was also used as a relief ruckman last year. But he will now alter his ruck method, keen to have his front foot lifted higher in a bid to avoid bone-and-bone knee clashes.
“I think I naturally bring my foot under my leg a bit more, whereas I have got to keep it [foot] out a bit more as a genuine protector. I drive in with my knee being the furthest point, or the closest point to contact [with an opponent’s knee],” Neale said.
“So, there is always learnings when you get injured. I will keep working on that.”
Cats assistant coach James Kelly had said Neale’s clash may prompt a rethink of who coaches sent to a centre bounce.
Under Chris Scott, the Cats have typically prided themselves on having multiple talls who could ruck – and Neale wants to remain in a forward-ruck role that retired great Tom Hawkins thrived in.
“It’s something I can add to my game … that gets me a little bit more involved,” Neale said.
The Cats expect Jeremy Cameron (quad) to face the Suns after training strongly on Saturday, and hope Bailey Smith (calf) will also be fit. Gryan Miers (thumb) will need to prove his fitness.
Hawks to challenge Newcombe ban
Jon Pierik
Hawthorn will appeal co-captain Jai Newcome’s one-match ban for a careless tackle on Western Bulldog Ed Richards, which threatens to rule him out of the opening round clash against Greater Western Sydney.
Newcombe was suspended for a potentially dangerous tackle which pinned Richards’ right arm in a 44-point loss at the Whitten Oval on Friday. Richards’ head made contact with the ground, although he was not concussed and played out the game.
Match review officer Michael Christian graded the tackle as medium impact, careless and high contact.
Under the AFL’s tribunal guidelines, a tackle can be deemed dangerous if an arm is pinned and leaves the tackled player in a “vulnerable position with little opportunity to protect himself”.
Richards had possession of the ball in his left arm, so he could not use that arm to ease his fall.
A Hawthorn spokesman confirmed on Monday they will challenge the ban.
Former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley and Melbourne great Garry Lyon both said during the match commentary they expected Newcombe to escape suspension, but Lyon said there were grounds for the Hawk to be banned.
Newcombe’s absence would hurt the Hawks’ hopes on Saturday, for they are already without the injured Will Day for most of the season, and lost fellow onballer James Worpel in a trade to Geelong.
The Giants have issues of their own. Josh Kelly (hip), Tom Green (knee), Sam Taylor (hamstring) and Toby Bedford (hamstring) are sidelined, while Finn Callaghan (hip flexor) still has to prove his fitness.
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