GEELONG young key position prospect Mitch Brown will undergo surgery this week to remove the plate in his left leg as well as a bone spur.
Brown required the plate after he broke his leg last year while playing for the club's VFL side.
Cats' football operations manager Neil Balme said Brown would resume running in about six weeks and would be right to play within three months.
"The surgeon is pleased with the state of the ankle joint, which also suffered significant damage last year when Mitch was hurt," Balme said.
"The plate that was put in place along his fibula will be taken out and he will also have a bone spur that has developed between his tibia and fibula removed, as that has been causing him pain in the leg."
"Mitch will have a long career with us and the injury he suffered was significant, so we will not rush him back."
"He had some pain in the area recently and we sent him for more tests to ascertain what the issue was. After consulting with the surgeon it was agreed that this is the best course of action."
Brown was taken by Geelong with pick 15 at the 2008 national draft.
VETERAN tagger Cameron Ling has been named Geelong captain at a media conference at Skilled Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The 28-year-old succeeds Tom Harley who retired after the Cats' 2009 grand final win over St Kilda.
Ling heads a leadership group which consists of Brownlow Medalists Gary Ablett and James Bartel, Corey Enright, Joel Corey, Joel Selwood, James Kelly and defender Harry Taylor.
Kelly and Taylor are the new additions to the group while Harley is the only player missing from the leadership team that led Geelong to last year's flag. No formal vice-captains or deupty vice-captains have been named.
"The captaincy is a tremendous honour, but my view and really the view of all of us at the club, is that leadership should be shared rather than always residing with the captain," Ling said.
"The strength of our team and club in recent years has been the number of strong leaders that we have had.'
"The leadership group has had 6-8 guys, but then look at the leaders outside that who also contribute with strong words and actions."
"People like Matthew Scarlett, Darren Milburn, Max Rooke, Paul Chapman, Cameron Mooney and others have also been instrumental in pushing the direction and values of the group."
"We’re lucky that we have a lot of strong leaders that enjoy the challenges that come with being senior players."
Recruited from the Geelong Falcons with pick 38 in the 1999 national draft, Ling has played 204 AFL matches, is a dual premiership player and was an All-Australian in 2007.
FORMER Sydney skipper and Brownlow medallist Paul Kelly has accepted a role with Team GWS and will start work on February 1.
Kelly, who retired from the Swans in 2002 after playing 234 games, will be based in Wagga Wagga and will work with the AFL's proposed 18th side in talent identification and fan development programs.
"I'm really happy about starting this new role, it's a challenge that I'm ready for," Kelly said.
"I think the opportunity that we are presenting the kids in southern NSW is what really excites me most."
"We are providing these kids with a strong pathway with the opportunity to potentially play AFL at the highest level - it's something that hasn't been done there before."
"I've been out footy for a while, and I wanted that because, to be honest, I was 'footied out'.
"But the last year or so I realised I was ready to get back into it and the timing was obviously just right for this opportunity – it was perfect to me."
"There might be a few people out there that will call me a traitor, but it really is about the bigger picture."
Kelly is currently in Coffs Harbour with GWS head coach Kevin Sheedy and recent Team GWS appointment Tom Harley to assess the New South Wales Under-18 trials.
Team GWS has also appointed Brett Hand as a development coach. Hand is the former head of the AFL program at the Northern Territory Insitute of Sport (NTIS)
The Greater Western Sydney franchise has zoned access to players from the Top End who are eligible for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 national drafts.
"Given the list concessions that relate to priority access to NT players in the next few years, Team GWS will undoubtedly benefit from Brett's recent experience in the Northern Territory," Sheedy said.
"His extensive knowledge of the local talent in NT will put us in the best position to ensure we make the most of the list concessions we have been afforded, paired with his impressive work in development and coaching."
ADELAIDE star Jason Porplyzia will miss the club's NAB Cup opener against Port Adelaide on February 13 due to a pelvic injury.
Speaking on Adelaide radio station FIVEaa, Crows coach Neil Craig said the classy forward would be on a modified training program for the next two weeks.
"Jason's just got a problem with his pelvis, so we've had to back him off," Craig said.
"Up until then he ran a personal best in his 3km time trial, which is a big plus for him. We just have to be patient with him, but unless something goes wrong I'm really positive he'll be available for the second round of the NAB Cup."
PORT ADELAIDE youngster Hamish Hartlett is likely to miss the majority of the Power's NAB Cup campaign after suffering a hamstring injury at training.
The promising 19-year-old midfielder, who was taken with pick four in the 2008 national draft, was restricted to just 11 games during his debut season due to hamstring problems.
Port fitness coach Cameron Falloon said he expects Hartlett to be fit for the season opener against North Melbourne.
"He has done a standard hammy but it is different to the previous ones he has had," Falloon said.
"It will be a four-weeker so he won't be around for the start of the NAB Cup but could play at some stage. He has to go through the rehabilitation process and will have two months to get himself right for round one."
DARREN Glass will continue to captain West Coast in 2010.
Glass, who has led the Eagles for the past two seasons, will have Adam Selwood, Beau Waters, Matt Priddis, Josh Kennedy, Shannon Hurn and Dean Cox as his deputies.
The leadership structure is a shift away from West Coast's previous approach of having just one vice-captain to support the captain.
"The club has been developing this structure for a couple of years," Glass said.
"A lot of time and effort has been put into our leadership programs in the last few years and that is reflected in having six guys who can give me all the support I need."
"It is a demanding, but rewarding job being captain and it is great to be able to call on the experience and knowledge of all of those players."
Cox, who was vice-captain last season, welcomed the addition of new faces to the leadership group.
"The personnel in our squad has changed quite dramatically over the last few years and it has been good to see a number of those players emerge in a leadership role," Cox said.
"It is an exciting time for our club and the senior leadership group has an important role to play in assisting the development of the younger guys."
THE journalist behind AFL Central plans to have a new site in place for the 2010 season.
Tentatively titled AFL Focus, this site will aim to provide you with all the latest news, match previews, match reports and opinion pieces.
There will also be a forum where you can discuss everything going on in the world of AFL football.
We are still working behind the scenes to get everything up and running and want to know what additional features you would like to see on the site to not only make it informative but also fun.
You can either leave your suggestions in the comment box below or contact me at tonykeen25@gmail.com
WEST COAST star Dean Cox is in doubt for the Eagles' NAB Cup opener against Essendon after suffering an abdominal strain prior to Christmas.
The four-time All-Australian ruckman injured his groin in West Coast's round 12 loss to Richmond last year and was restricted to just one game after that.
Classy midfielder Daniel Kerr, who also had his 2009 season blighted by a groin injury, is on track to play against the Bombers at Subiaco Oval on February 12.
"Kerry's certainly on target for it but Coxy's going to have to do a bit of work over the next couple of weeks and show that he's coping with that work before we'd say he's going to play in that first NAB Cup game," West Coast coach John Worsfold said.
"The issue he had at the end of last year, we're pretty comfortable he's overcome, but he's had a small abs strain in the meantime, so he's on track to be back out there training next week."
"Kerry, we've been pretty lucky with, (he) hasn't had any real dramas and Coxy's had this little setback, but it's only a minor one so we're still comfortable that he's getting the work in that he's needing to."
ESSENDON coach Matthew Knights says a knock to second-year utility Michael Hurley's wrist is nothing serious.
The 19-year-old, who just had plaster removed after post-season surgery on his right hand, sent a scare through the Bombers camp when he jarred his wrist at training on Monday.
Hurley favoured the hand during training at Latrobe University on Wednesday but Knights said there wasn't anything to worry about.
"He went in, everything was clear, the docs cleared him and he came out and trained today, so that would be just a little bit of a flow-on from that," Knights said.
"There's a little bit of soreness still but it was only a jarring incident and he'll adjust."
Meanwhile, ruckman David Hille, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament against in the first quarter of Essendon's stunning win over Collingwood on Anzac Day last year, took part in Wednesday's session bar the match practice.
Knights said Hille is a chance to play in round one.
"If I get asked the question, I say he's going beautifully for round one," he said.
"If you speak to the medicals and the fitness staff, they've got to keep the reins on him a bit, but we're all pretty united on that - we'll play David when he's ready."
"It'll be 11 months in round one and ... if he's not round one let's say he won't be too long after that - it's probably a round one to four bracket."
RICHMOND draftee Troy Taylor has been accused of being involved in the assault of three men at Alice Springs on New Year's Eve.
The Tigers said in a statement that they were aware of the allegations against the 18-year-old who was taken with pick 51 in November's draft.
"The Richmond Football Club takes any allegation of player misbehaviour very seriously," the statement said.
"Richmond has been in contact with the AFL and has informed it of the club's knowledge of the matter."
"As the matter is currently being investigated by the Northern Territory Police, the club will make no further comment until this investigation is complete."
FORMER Geelong defender David Johnson has rejoined the Cats as a player development and conditioning assistant.
The 28-year-old, who called it quits at the end of last season after an 79 AFL games, will work with the club's younger players on skill development, mental preparation, rehabiliatation and conditioning.
He will also be a match-day runner.
Johnson said he was thrilled to be back at the club he represented as a player for eight games.
"I am very appreciative of the club for giving me this opportunity to start the next chapter of my life at the Geelong Football Club, and I am really looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead in the role," Johnson told gfc.com.au
"It's an area that really interested me when I was playing and as I got toward the end of my career I started looking in to it more closely."
"Luckily the club was looking to expand in that area and so an opportunity came up straight away."
Geelong's player development manager Ron Watt said Johnson was the ideal man for the role.
"David has been around the league for a long time and had to work very hard to achieve what he did in the game," Watt said.
"He can relate well to people and understands the game very well."
"David also overcame a number of injuries and he knows the frustration and rehab required to bounce back."
"He will have to deal with players at emotional times and his personality and demeanour will stand him in good stead."
WEST COAST wingman Tim Houlihan's preparation for the 2010 season has been hampered by a lacerated foot.
The 20-year-old was injured in a domestic accident while visiting family at home in Victoria's Wimmera region during the Christmas-New Year holiday break.
Houlihan has been unable to train with his teammates since returning this week.
He will undergo tests on Thursday to the severity of the injury.
Taken with pick 43 in the 2006 national draft, Houlihan has played 15 AFL matches.
HAWTHORN ruckman Brent Renouf has required skin grafts for burns sustained in an accident at a Queensland beach.
The 21-year-old was accidently knocked into a bonfire burning at Broadbeach by a group of young men who began wrestling close to where Renouf was standing.
Renouf immediately cooled the burns in the ocean before being transported to Broadbeach hospital.
The Hawks said in a statement that there was no police involvement at the scene and the hospital admissions report stated that alcohol was not a factor in the incident.
Hawthorn football operations manager Mark Evans said Renouf was receiving the best care possible.
"Brent is in a good condition and is receiving quality medical attention", Evans said.
"The burns are localised to three areas and the burns are approximately the size of a hand in each area."
"The burn on Brent's forearm has required a skin graft with two small parts, each the size of a 20 cent coin."
"The burns to his lower back and leg appear to be minor."
"Brent is progressing well, is in good spirits and will return to pre-season training next week."
HAWTHORN premiership defender Trent Croad has announced his retirement from AFL football.
The 29-year-old, who didn't play a game last season due to a left foot injury sustained in the Hawks' grand final win over Geelong in 2008, said surgeons had advised him that he risked serious damage to his foot if he played on.
"I've basically been rehabilitated to a point where I've got no pain and just to basic level things," Croad said.
"But you want to prepare yourself for AFL level and it's that next step that's the dangerous bit."
"If I was to re-break or re-fracture the foot again, that's where serious things could happen in the sense that I would have no function in the foot again."
Taken with pick three in the 1997 national draft, Croad played 222 games - a tally which includes 38 for Fremantle between 2002-2003.
CARLTON has suspended Andrew Walker, Eddie Betts and Ryan Houlihan from the club for the next month for their drunken and inappropriate behaviour after a boat cruise in December.
Walker and Houlihan were fined $5000 by the Blues before Christmas for getting involved in an altercation with security staff at Crown Casino in the wake of the now infamous cruise while Betts was also fined the same amount after being arrested for being drunk in a public place in the hours after the boat trip.
All three will train with Carlton's VFL affiliate the Northern Bullants for the next four weeks and will take no part in the Blues' NAB Cup campaign.
"We know this will impact on their preparation for the home-and-way season," Carlton president Stephen Kernahan said.
"The players are aware of the embarrassment and negative impact this has placed on the club and everyone connected with the Carlton Football Club.
"Clearly, it was completely unacceptable."
Blues skipper Chris Judd said the playing group took 'full responsibility' for what happened on the cruise.
"We apologise to the various people and organisations associated with the Carlton Football Club and those impacted by the regrettable behaviour," Judd sad.
"We understand the privilege and opportunity that comes with playing AFL football."
"Whilst I can only offer words today, I pledge that our actions in the future will do justice to the commitment we have made to the Club."
Carlton has bolstered its drug and alcohol education program as a result of the misdemeanours.
TonyK
Cibbuano
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