The INDIGENOUS ALL-STARS have been dealt a blow ahead of their clash against FREMANTLE on Saturday, with key defender Alex Pearce ruled out due to injury.
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There’d been hope Pearce, 29, would be available to represent the All-Stars in the pre-season exhibition clash, despite tweaking his left ankle in a Dockers intra-club match last week.
But Fremantle on Monday confirmed Pearce wouldn’t represent the All-Stars due to a minor ankle injury.
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The club said it would assess Pearce’s availability for its next intraclub game (February 23) and its AAMI Community Series clash against Melbourne (March 2).
Fellow Docker Shai Bolton remains in the mix to represent the All-Stars, but his availability will be determined by a fitness test on his calf Tuesday.
Houston to remain Pies’ half-back | 01:27
The Fremantle team that’ll take on the All-Stars will be without ruck Sean Darcy, who isn’t due to play until the early rounds of the season after recently undergoing minor surgery to clear infection in a historical ankle injury.
Dockers veteran Michael Walters has been named captain of the Indigenous All-Stars team to face his own Dockers teammates, with Charlie Cameron (Brisbane), Bradley Hill (St Kilda) and Jarman Impey (Hawthorn) in the leadership group.
The All-Stars squad features 31 First Nations players from 16 of the 18 AFL clubs. It’ll be the first All-Stars game since 2015.
PORT ADELAIDE was also dealt an untimely injury setback on Monday, with key-position player Esava Ratugolea leaving the track early due to a knee issue.
Scans showed Ratugolea had pinched his medial meniscus – and a return to play timeline would be confirmed after receiving a specialist’s opinion in the coming days.
The Power are already set to be without key defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher for the start of the home and away season due to a back injury.
At WEST COAST, five-time All-Australian Jeremy McGovern’s brilliant career will extend into at least a 16th season after signing a new deal.
McGovern, who was part of West Coast’s 2018 premiership side, was due to come out of contract at season’s end. But the Eagles on Monday confirmed McGovern had signed a one-year extension.
Houston to remain Pies’ half-back | 01:27
The 32-year-old is coming off a stellar 2024 campaign, which saw him make the All-Australian team, win a maiden best and fairest award and average a career-high 20.6 disposals.
“I’m obviously stoked to recommit with the club and grateful they have given me another opportunity to do what I love for another year,” McGovern said.
“The club is in an exciting period with a talented young list, and I feel like it’s part of my responsibility to help this young group on and off the field, just like I had when I first started many years ago.
“I will always be grateful to have had some amazing senior players who helped to shape my career, and hopefully I can do the same with this young group.”
Eagles football boss Gavin Bell dubbed McGovern “a legacy player” at the club.
It comes as the Eagles assess their list ahead of the pre-season supplemental selection period deadline (February 21).
Werribee VFL star Jack Henderson trained with the club on Monday after gaining approval from the AFL.
Max King cleared of major injury | 00:26
Henderson, who won the Norm Goss Medal as best afield in the VFL grand final against the Southport Sharks last year, trained alongside the midfield group at Mineral Resources Park
The Eagles’ invitation to Henderson to train comes a week after veteran on-baller Dom Sheed ruptured his ACL at training, ruling him out of the 2025 season.
For Henderson to earn a spot on West Coast’s list, the Eagles would have to put Sheed on the inactive list.
Ex-Saint James Van Es and ex-Sun Sandy Brock are also being considered by West Coast as late options to be added to its list.
It’s also a wide open SSP race at CARLTON for, at this stage, one list spot.
The Blues last month handed Matt Carroll a lifeline, re-signing him as a rookie just months after delisting him without playing an AFL game.
Carlton still has one vacant list spot, with train-on players Liam McMahon and Denver Grainger-Barras right in the mix to fill it. But there are several Blues VFL-listed players also being considered like Francis Evans, Will White and Ethan Phillips. Evans — the former Geelong and Port Adelaide forward — was dubbed by The Age as a “wildcard consideration”.
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