Key Port player out for up to 15 weeks; Timekeeping error behind missing 29 seconds; Bobby Hill back after long absence

Power out: Rozee out for up to 15 weeks

Port Adelaide captain Connor Rozee faces a major disruption to his AFL season – out for up to 15 weeks – with scans confirming he sustained a high-grade hamstring tendon rupture.

Rozee was hurt in Sunday’s win over Essendon in a week of injury carnage across the competition.

“It sort of went numb, my leg, and I couldn’t walk on it,” he said before having scans on Monday morning.

“I was hoping it was some sort of nerve thing, but once that wore off, it became a lot sorer and a bit more isolated.

“I’m not exactly sure of what it is, but I don’t think it is going to be minor.”

Port Adelaide confirmed later on Monday that Rozee would likely require surgery, with a timeline on his return to become clearer after consultation.

New Port coach Josh Carr said the injury was serious and the key player wouldn’t return until much later in the season.

“It’s obviously flattening for everyone and in particular Connor and the footy club,” Carr said on Kayo Sports’ AFL360.

“He’s done a pretty good job of that hamstring, he’s torn the ligament off the bone so he’ll go in for surgery this week, get it repaired and probably looking at a timeline of I guess 12 to 15 weeks.”

Rozee was among a spate of big names to suffer hamstring injuries including Gold Coast’s gun recruit Christian Petracca, Richmond stalwarts Tom Lynch and skipper Toby Nankervis, Adelaide signing Callum Ah Chee and St Kilda’s Anthony Caminiti.

The Tigers have confirmed Lynch and Nankervis will be unavailable for at least the next month, with the latter facing some six to eight weeks out.

AAP and Scott Spits

Technical error robs Saints game of nearly 30 seconds

Peter Ryan

Timekeepers failed to notice a technical error before half-time in Greater Western Sydney’s four-point loss to St Kilda which reduced the match time by nearly 30 seconds.

The AFL admitted the mistake after reviewing the incident in detail having told the Giants on the day of the game that no time had been lost despite the clock on display moving from 29 seconds remaining to zero seconds remaining without explanation.

The incident occurred the day after the countdown clock stopped working during the final quarter of the thriller between Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs.

The AFL released a statement detailing what the review found had occurred after St Kilda’s Max Hall kicked a goal with 29 seconds remaining. A technical error showed the clock had gone to zero seconds remaining and the siren sounded as soon as the ball was thrown up in the middle.

“Upon a full review, it has been determined that 29 seconds should have been added back onto the time clock,” an AFL statement read.

“In the moment, the timekeepers were unaware of the technical error.

“There is a manual backup process for the timekeepers to resort to, however in this instance, that process did not happen.

“Ahead of the next round of matches, the AFL will undertake re-testing of the relevant timekeeping technology and reinforce the manual back up process with all timekeepers.”

The Giants and the Saints have been informed. Hall’s goal put the Saints 32 points up at half-time. They eventually hung on to record their first win of the season by four points.

A report on SEN earlier on Monday said an internal league email had indicated a software upgrade was taking place at venues, which may have caused an issue.

Bobby’s back: Hugs all round as star Magpie returns after long absence

Jon Pierik

Premiership forward Bobby Hill has told Collingwood he is back for good after he returned to official training on Monday and began preparations to earn a senior call-up later in the year. Hill, 26, had been away from the Magpies for several months because of personal issues before making an unexpected return last Friday.

There were fears the 2023 Norm Smith medallist would miss the entire season, and the Magpies have missed his brilliance inside their attacking 50m.

As he took to the field on Monday, Hill – with a bleached blond hairdo – was greeted warmly by teammates and team staff. He had a good chat with Jamie Elliott before the entire squad began preparing for Friday night’s clash against Greater Western Sydney at Marvel Stadium.

Hill also embraced former Carlton and Adelaide champion Eddie Betts, who was watching training and worked with Hill late last season in a bid to help get fit for finals.

Magpies’ football department boss Charlie Gardiner said Hill was keen to do the work required to return to the senior team.

“Yeah, he has expressed a desire to get back in and put his head down and work hard,” Gardiner said.

“But, as I said, it [his progression] may not be linear. We will continue to support him and, hopefully, he can continue to keep taking steps forward.”

Hill, who last year signed a four-year contract extension, has been training at suburban grounds recently with a trainer, his fitness improving considerably through this period.

The manner in which he trained and worked with teammates suggested he is in a better space mentally than when he took leave from the club.

He joined in the opening 75 minutes of skills work on Monday, but did not partake in match simulation. What was clear is that he has not lost any of his electric speed.

“He has done a bit of training, but he’s really just at the start line. He’ll have a big block of training ahead of him, but we’ll be guided by our medical team and our high-performance team,” Gardiner said.

“As to timelines [for a senior recall], we don’t have any timelines right now. We are all just thrilled he’s happy. He’s got a smile on his face. He’s enjoying and has energy for training, which is excellent.”

Hill also took time out for personal reasons last season, and returned in time for the finals. But the Magpies said he had not done enough training to justify September selection.

While there was a large focus on Hill, the Magpies also kept a close eye on skipper Darcy Moore and fellow veteran defender Jeremy Howe. Both missed the opening two games, Howe because of a lingering calf issue, while Moore was recovering from a calf issue when he strained a hamstring on the eve of the Crows’ clash, which the Magpies lost.

Moore and Howe joined in all drills and match simulation, with Gardiner confirming they are firmly in line to face the Giants.

“Yeah, we’d expect them to be available for Friday night,” he said.

The pair benefited from the Magpies having a bye at the weekend, while their teammates the Daicos brothers, Nick and Josh, used the free time to do guest speaking with their father Peter in Tasmania.

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