Bulldog Veterans Fall By Wayside
The Age
Friday May 7, 1999
The Western Bulldogs' efforts to dig them themselves out of an early-season rut received a setback yesterday when Leon Cameron was ruled out of tomorrow's match against Port Adelaide, Danny Southern could not be considered and Jose Romero left the training track early after appearing to aggravate his knee injury.
Cameron appeared at training with strapping on his left calf muscle and did not join in ballwork. Coach Terry Wallace said later he had received a kick on the muscle during the team's defeat by West Coast and the injury had flared this week.
He will be joined on the sidelines by Craig Ellis, who is suspended, Josh Mahoney and Southern, whose thigh injury prevented him from doing any training last night short of jogging laps. Wallace said Romero, who limped from the track, would not be back until after state-of-origin weekend, which means sometime in June.
The good news for the Bulldogs is the return of tough defender Steve Kretiuk, who has played the last two games in the reserves, for his first senior match this year. He was named along with Simon Cox and ex-Geelong backman Matthew Robbins, who will be playing his first game with the Bulldogs.
Wallace said the match at Football Park provided a great challenge for the club, which has stuttered its way to a 2-4 start to the season, and last week received a 72-point thrashing at the hands of West Coast.
``Two wins is not what we expected to be and we're disappointed. But we've just got to keep working on the things we know we can do better," he said.
``Coming off a bad loss like that, it'll be interesting to see the reaction of the players. Good teams react well and strongly to defeats like that. If we're going to be a quality side, we've got to show our mettle in those situations.
``But we won at Football Park in round one and that will give us some confidence."
Wallace said the club had been given no favors by having to travel interstate two weeks in a row. ``It's pretty unusual for Melbourne-based clubs to have the Doomsday Double, but it's just something you've got to deal with," he said.
ST KILDA again dropped enigmatic wingman Aussie Jones for its big game against ladder leader West Coast at Waverley Park tomorrow.
After a sluggish pre-season, which resulted in him spending some time in the reserves, Jones has failed to convince new coach Tim Watson in the past month that he has recaptured anything like the form that made him an All-Australian in 1997.
Ruckman Peter Everitt returns after a self-imposed four-week ban, the result of his racial vilification of Scott Chisholm, while Darryl Wakelin replaces his twin brother Shane, who has a broken jaw.
West Coast had the luxury of bringing in Glen Jakovich for Brendon Fewster.
RICHMOND coach Jeff Gieschen reacted savagely to the club's downward spiral by making five changes to his side to play Carlton tonight.
Boasting just two wins from six games this season, Gieschen summoned an evergreen brigade of players in a bid to rejuvenate the ailing club against the Blues at the MCG. The Tigers called up veterans Scott Turner and Paul Broderick, while experienced trio David Bourke, Justin Plapp and Jason Torney were also promoted to the senior side.
``We have copped a fair bit but that's the nature of footy," Gieschen said last night. ``If your team is not kicking goals and you're not winning games, someone has got to cop it. But players out of form, you can't carry them too long."
Carlton promoted Scott Camporeale and Adrian Hickmott to replace Brett Backwell and Brad Pearce.
SYDNEY'S height crisis prompted the call-up from the injury list of 190-centimetre Gerrard Bennett, whose shoulder surgery has been controversially postponed. Second-gamer Simon Feast tore a medial ligament last Sunday while filling in for injured No.1 Greg Stafford, leaving Sunday's big job on Hawk Paul Salmon to Adam Goodes and Stefan Carey.
The Swans also named three potential debutants on their bench: 19-year-old All-Australian under-18 Jude Bolton, eighth pick overall in last year's draft, third-year ruckman Will Sangster and Darwin-bred Fred Campbell.
Hawthorn lost Kris Barlow, so impressive last week with three first-quarter goals against Geelong, with a wrist injury.
MELBOURNE captain Todd Viney last night declared himself available for tomorrow's vital game against Essendon at the MCG.
Viney, who received a knock on the left knee in a collision with teammate Jeff White in last Saturday night's loss to Brisbane at the Gabba, moved freely enough during the Demons' hour-long session at the Junction Oval to dispel any doubts as to his fitness. ``I'm a definite starter - unless I get struck by lightning," Viney said after training.
It was feared Viney had damaged the medial ligaments as his knee twisted under the impact of the collision, but he said it turned out that the only damage had been caused by the direct contact.
Jeff Farmer (corked thigh) and Matthew Febey (ankle) also trained freely during a sharp session.
© 1999 The Age