Port plan to land punch on finals-bound Crows
Rozee plans to return for Saturday night's Showdown of the South Australian rivals, pending how his left hand copes with midweek training.
"It will be a pain threshold sort of injury, it's a broken bone so there is always going to be a little bit there," Rozee told reporters on Monday.
"We'll reassess after we finish training on Wednesday ... at the moment, the plan is to play."
The 11th-placed Power are out of finals contention but the Crows will return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Adelaide hold third spot but are far from settled - they're one win from top spot but also one win from seventh - with Port hoping to dent their run to the finals.
"That will be the plan pretty much every week from now on," Rozee said.
"Any scalp that we can take will be a building block for the future.
"There's always emotion in Showdowns. The Crows have been in our position ... and it has been vice versa, so we're really looking forward to this weekend.
"It's always a competitive battle and anyone can win it.
"There is no lack of motivation when it comes to these games ... the fact is, the intensity is much higher than alot of other games, which makes it very exciting to play in."
Rozee sidestepped suggestions the looming Showdown had become the Power's biggest game of the season.
"Every week is our biggest game from here on out," he said.
"As I said, there's no lack of motivation for these types of games.
"We aren't playing finals and it's extremely disappointing because that is what you come in to every year wanting to do, and what we have done pretty consistently for the last few years."
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The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Saints storm home in crazy finish against Demons
St Kilda have pulled off the greatest three-quarter-time comeback in VFL/AFL history, storming home from 46 points down to stun Melbourne in a crazy finish at Marvel Stadium. Off-contract star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was the hero, slotting two goals in a frantic climax to pinch a miracle six-point victory. The Saints slotted nine unanswered goals in the final term to win 15.6 (96) to 13.12 (90). It pips the previous the best last quarter revival, when the Brisbane Bears came from 45 points down at the final break to beat Hawthorn in 1995. Wanganeen-Milera calmly slotted his third goal after flying for a soaring mark with less than 20 seconds remaining. That levelled the scores, before a 6-6-6 penalty in the middle was paid against the Demons, to the confusion of all players. Saints ruck Rowan Marshall was able to perfectly pick out Wanganeen-Milera running inside 50 to take a mark just before the siren sounded. Any score would have given the Saints victory, but Wanganeen-Milera went back and kicked the goal, to a raucous reaction from the crowd. "Underneath the exterior, I can get emotional," St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said, who was in disbelief watching in the box. "A little bit watery when Nas took that mark. "I think it's just that emotion, just for the players, just for them. "Our young players never gave up, and our leaders never gave up, and they found a way." Lyon also revealed Wanganeen-Milera, who had a game-high 34 disposals alongside his match-winning four goals, was in doubt to play due to a stye in his eye. "I had a sleep-in this morning. Got up, make my coffee. I see four missed calls from the doctor," Lyon said. "Experience tells me this can't be good. "He said 'Nas has come in' and they upped his antibiotics, given him an injection. "I rang him (Wanganeen-Milera), he goes, 'No, I'll be right'. "I just said, 'If you're not right, no pressure, we'll tap you out'. "He just let us know so it was a good story." St Kilda are desperate to keep Wanganeen-Milera as he entertains large offers from both South Australian clubs. This performance, one of the best individual efforts of the season, will only lift his value even further. Melbourne forward Bayley Fritsch broke the game open with three first-quarter goals, giving his side a 25-point buffer. The Demons, inspired by tackling machine Jack Viney (16 tackles) extended their lead during every quarter to cruise into the last break seemingly destined for a seventh-straight win. Instead, their capitulation ended a six-game losing run for the Saints, with their last victory also against Melbourne in June when they pipped the inaccurate Demons in Alice Springs. Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin was left gobsmacked at losing from such a position of dominance. "Devastating loss, clearly," he said. "We didn't defend and pressure as well as we were early in the game. "Then basically late in the game, we didn't handle the pressure, we didn't handle the moment, and we didn't handle the tight game scenarios like we should have, and that's on all of us. "We'll own that together." St Kilda youngster Lance Collard injured his foot in the first quarter, tried to play on, but was subbed out in the second term for Hugh Boxshall and ended the match on crutches. Melbourne defender Jake Bowey could be in some trouble with the match review officer after a potential dangerous tackle on St Kilda forward Jack Higgins just before halftime. St Kilda have pulled off the greatest three-quarter-time comeback in VFL/AFL history, storming home from 46 points down to stun Melbourne in a crazy finish at Marvel Stadium. Off-contract star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was the hero, slotting two goals in a frantic climax to pinch a miracle six-point victory. The Saints slotted nine unanswered goals in the final term to win 15.6 (96) to 13.12 (90). It pips the previous the best last quarter revival, when the Brisbane Bears came from 45 points down at the final break to beat Hawthorn in 1995. Wanganeen-Milera calmly slotted his third goal after flying for a soaring mark with less than 20 seconds remaining. That levelled the scores, before a 6-6-6 penalty in the middle was paid against the Demons, to the confusion of all players. Saints ruck Rowan Marshall was able to perfectly pick out Wanganeen-Milera running inside 50 to take a mark just before the siren sounded. Any score would have given the Saints victory, but Wanganeen-Milera went back and kicked the goal, to a raucous reaction from the crowd. "Underneath the exterior, I can get emotional," St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said, who was in disbelief watching in the box. "A little bit watery when Nas took that mark. "I think it's just that emotion, just for the players, just for them. "Our young players never gave up, and our leaders never gave up, and they found a way." Lyon also revealed Wanganeen-Milera, who had a game-high 34 disposals alongside his match-winning four goals, was in doubt to play due to a stye in his eye. "I had a sleep-in this morning. Got up, make my coffee. I see four missed calls from the doctor," Lyon said. "Experience tells me this can't be good. "He said 'Nas has come in' and they upped his antibiotics, given him an injection. "I rang him (Wanganeen-Milera), he goes, 'No, I'll be right'. "I just said, 'If you're not right, no pressure, we'll tap you out'. "He just let us know so it was a good story." St Kilda are desperate to keep Wanganeen-Milera as he entertains large offers from both South Australian clubs. This performance, one of the best individual efforts of the season, will only lift his value even further. Melbourne forward Bayley Fritsch broke the game open with three first-quarter goals, giving his side a 25-point buffer. The Demons, inspired by tackling machine Jack Viney (16 tackles) extended their lead during every quarter to cruise into the last break seemingly destined for a seventh-straight win. Instead, their capitulation ended a six-game losing run for the Saints, with their last victory also against Melbourne in June when they pipped the inaccurate Demons in Alice Springs. Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin was left gobsmacked at losing from such a position of dominance. "Devastating loss, clearly," he said. "We didn't defend and pressure as well as we were early in the game. "Then basically late in the game, we didn't handle the pressure, we didn't handle the moment, and we didn't handle the tight game scenarios like we should have, and that's on all of us. "We'll own that together." St Kilda youngster Lance Collard injured his foot in the first quarter, tried to play on, but was subbed out in the second term for Hugh Boxshall and ended the match on crutches. Melbourne defender Jake Bowey could be in some trouble with the match review officer after a potential dangerous tackle on St Kilda forward Jack Higgins just before halftime. St Kilda have pulled off the greatest three-quarter-time comeback in VFL/AFL history, storming home from 46 points down to stun Melbourne in a crazy finish at Marvel Stadium. Off-contract star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera was the hero, slotting two goals in a frantic climax to pinch a miracle six-point victory. The Saints slotted nine unanswered goals in the final term to win 15.6 (96) to 13.12 (90). It pips the previous the best last quarter revival, when the Brisbane Bears came from 45 points down at the final break to beat Hawthorn in 1995. Wanganeen-Milera calmly slotted his third goal after flying for a soaring mark with less than 20 seconds remaining. That levelled the scores, before a 6-6-6 penalty in the middle was paid against the Demons, to the confusion of all players. Saints ruck Rowan Marshall was able to perfectly pick out Wanganeen-Milera running inside 50 to take a mark just before the siren sounded. Any score would have given the Saints victory, but Wanganeen-Milera went back and kicked the goal, to a raucous reaction from the crowd. "Underneath the exterior, I can get emotional," St Kilda coach Ross Lyon said, who was in disbelief watching in the box. "A little bit watery when Nas took that mark. "I think it's just that emotion, just for the players, just for them. "Our young players never gave up, and our leaders never gave up, and they found a way." Lyon also revealed Wanganeen-Milera, who had a game-high 34 disposals alongside his match-winning four goals, was in doubt to play due to a stye in his eye. "I had a sleep-in this morning. Got up, make my coffee. I see four missed calls from the doctor," Lyon said. "Experience tells me this can't be good. "He said 'Nas has come in' and they upped his antibiotics, given him an injection. "I rang him (Wanganeen-Milera), he goes, 'No, I'll be right'. "I just said, 'If you're not right, no pressure, we'll tap you out'. "He just let us know so it was a good story." St Kilda are desperate to keep Wanganeen-Milera as he entertains large offers from both South Australian clubs. This performance, one of the best individual efforts of the season, will only lift his value even further. Melbourne forward Bayley Fritsch broke the game open with three first-quarter goals, giving his side a 25-point buffer. The Demons, inspired by tackling machine Jack Viney (16 tackles) extended their lead during every quarter to cruise into the last break seemingly destined for a seventh-straight win. Instead, their capitulation ended a six-game losing run for the Saints, with their last victory also against Melbourne in June when they pipped the inaccurate Demons in Alice Springs. Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin was left gobsmacked at losing from such a position of dominance. "Devastating loss, clearly," he said. "We didn't defend and pressure as well as we were early in the game. "Then basically late in the game, we didn't handle the pressure, we didn't handle the moment, and we didn't handle the tight game scenarios like we should have, and that's on all of us. "We'll own that together." St Kilda youngster Lance Collard injured his foot in the first quarter, tried to play on, but was subbed out in the second term for Hugh Boxshall and ended the match on crutches. Melbourne defender Jake Bowey could be in some trouble with the match review officer after a potential dangerous tackle on St Kilda forward Jack Higgins just before halftime.
West Australian
16 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers forward Murphy Reid compared to Collingwood's Scott Pendlebury as Rising Star calls increase
Exciting Fremantle forward Murphy Reid has been compared to 400-game superstar Scott Pendlebury as calls grow for him to win the AFL Rising Star award following a stunning western derby performance on Saturday. Reid finished third in Glendinning-Allan Medal voting behind Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw after a superb game where he had 23 disposals, one goal and 15 score involvements. He was the first player to have 15 score involvements in a derby since 2012 when Matt Rosa collected 43 possessions for West Coast. Teammate Jordan Clark said Reid's ability to read the play, create time and make his teammates better reminded him of Pendlebury. 'It sounds like a bit unrealistic comparing him to Scotty Pendlebury but he is a player like that who is not blessed with super speed but he sees the game and is very sharp in his mind,' Clark told The West Australian. 'He sees the game very well and he's very clean. I think he did watch a lot of Scotty Pendlebury growing up, so he's a very classy little player. I think he's got a lovely mix that works for him. 'I don't want to use it loosely and it's probably disrespecting Scotty Pendlebury in a way because he's one of the greatest players in the game. 'But you watch him and he's in positions where you think someone shouldn't get out of that, but he does. He's not a fast bloke, he's not massively built, he's just clever and classy. I think he thinks and sees the game ahead before people see what is going to happen.' Pendlebury is on track to break Brent Harvey's all-time games record next year after playing 419 games. A dual premiership star, Norm Smith medallist, former captain, six-time All-Australian and five-time best and fairest, Pendlebury's skill, composure and ability to get himself out of trouble have made him one of the game's greats. Reid has looked perfectly at home in the AFL since kicking four goals in one quarter on debut against Geelong. He also kicked four goals against Port Adelaide. The Victorian is third favourite with bookmakers to be named the Rising Star behind Adelaide's Daniel Curtin and Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft, but Dockers coach Justin Longmuir said he'd done everything to warrant winning the award. 'If I was picking it, I'd pick him. If you looked at consistency across the course of the year, he would have been the most consistent first-year player,' Longmuir said. Curtin rocketed into favouritism after a huge month for the Crows. He was best on ground against Richmond with 26 possessions and two goals to kick start a wonderful run of form. The West Aussie also had 26 touches and one goal against the Western Bulldogs, then collected 20 possessions and kicked a goal against Gold Coast. He received AFL Coaches' Association votes in all three of those games. Curtin performed well against Port Adelaide on Saturday night too, finishing with 22 possessions and four clearances. Drafted at pick eight in 2023, Curtin had to be patient as the Crows looked for his best position. He was either subbed on or off in four of his seven games last season and played as tall defender or half-back before finding his niche on the wing this season. Ashcroft spent the majority of the season as the favourite after stepping straight into Brisbane's team during their premiership defence. He had 25 possessions on debut and was influential in the first QClash of the season with 29 disposals. Ashcroft is averaging 19.5 touches and 1.8 clearances per game while also kicking 10 goals for the season. But after making a splash on debut, it's been Reid's consistency that has been the hallmark of his game. The young Docker has had more disposals than Curtin, kicked more goals, had more score involvements and only slightly trails the Crow for tackles and clearances. Reid is on the verge of becoming the first Docker to kick 20 goals, have 20 goal assists and 100 score involvements since Matthew Pavlich in 2015. He currently has 19 goals, 17 goal assists and 106 score involvements with four home-and-away games remaining and the possibility of finals. Only Andrew Brayshaw, Shai Bolton and Caleb Serong have had more score involvements than Reid at Fremantle this season and the Dockers were thrilled when he signed a new contract until the end of 2029. The Dockers selected Reid at pick 17 in last year's national draft after watching him excelling for Sandringham Dragons. He spent time in the midfield during the pre-season but quickly showed his talent as a forward which has allowed him to become an important part of the team. While his class has shone out, Glendinning-Allan medallist Hayden Young said it was only a matter of time before Reid becomes a midfielder and plays alongside himself, Brayshaw and Serong in the centre-square rotation. 'He's got beautiful touch, he's super elusive and he's a very crafty player,' Young said. 'I thought he was outstanding for a bloke who's not that big. He's very hard to tackle. 'He's going to be a great player for us and I'm really happy with the brand of footy he's playing at the moment. Hopefully he can keep developing. I'd love to see him get through the midfield in the years to come.'
West Australian
18 hours ago
- West Australian
WA Player Watch: Western Bulldog Aaron Naughton bags seven as young stars put hands up in VFL
As the AFL season reaches its pointy end, The West Australian takes a look around the country to see which WA products are having the biggest say at their club. The Bulldogs' spearhead had managed only 19 goals through the first half of 2025 as the rise and rise of giant father-son product Sam Darcy took the league by storm. But the Rockingham product stood firm and has sent a potent reminder of his depth of talent, matching his 19 goals from the first half in the past four weeks alone with three bags of five or more. Naughton again filled his boots against injury-riddled Essendon on Friday night, kicking a career-high seven goals in his side's monster 93-point victory to remain in the top eight. The former top-10 draft pick has established himself as a regular for the high-flying Crows this season, so much so that he got a run in the middle against Port Adelaide. In a 98-point Showdown massacre, Curtin collected 22 disposals and four clearances, with the 20-year-old showing off his strong frame. The most exciting thing? He has a brother in this year's draft who is also tipped to be a talented AFL footballer. Speedy midfielder/forward Jones is doing his best to put his hand up for selection at the Bulldogs as they fight for finals. Playing in the VFL against Essendon, the boy from Mt Barker was a dangerous presence, kicking two goals from 14 disposals and four marks. After kicking a career-best two goals against West Coast in Perth earlier this year, Tholstrup appeared keen to get back among the Demons' senior ranks for the rematch while playing for Casey. The wingman looked sharp around the contest, using his hands to feed the ball out from his seven clearances before getting back into the action with 20 touches and a goal.
