Melbourne premiership utility Alex Neal-Bullen wants out of the club despite being under contract until the end of 2026.
According to a report in The Age, the 28-year-old is keen to return home to Adelaide and is worried that the Demons are not going to be competing for another flag in the near future.
He had inked a three-year extension last year but the new father is reportedly keen to be closer to family.
The Crows appear to be the frontrunners for his signature with Port Adelaide not likely to be up for a trade.
Adelaide already have Gold Coast’s Jack Lukosius in their sights as they look to bolster their roster for 2025.
Neal-Bullen’s role has increased during Christian Petracca’s absence and the Demons on Tuesday were forced to respond to a report about the superstar being “disgruntled” at the club.
Chief executive Gary Pert moved to write a letter to the club’s members. Pert called Petracca, 28, an “integral” player and leader who the Demons value “immensely”.
“He has been an important member of our football program since he walked through the doors in 2014 and is contracted until the end of the 2029 season,” Pert wrote on Tuesday.
“He will remain in the red and blue until at least the end of his contract and hopefully beyond.”
Sheezel under injury cloud
North Melbourne young gun Harry Sheezel is in doubt for their clash against the Western Bulldogs because of an ankle injury.
Sheezel was put in a moonboot ahead of Sunday’s match after picking up the injury during their loss to West Coast last round.
The 19-year-old did see out the game, finishing with 31 disposals and two goals.
“Harry suffered an ankle injury while attempting to smother a ball with his foot,” North Melbourne’s head of performance Kevin White said.
“He has been put in a moonboot to offload that foot for conservative management and to enable greater recovery.”
Bulldogs ruck Tim English is definitely out though after also suffering an ankle injury in their 39-point loss to Adelaide.
The club has yet to determine a timeline on his return with scans confirming ‘a moderate grade ligament injury’, according to the Bulldogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell.
“Tim won’t play this week, and we will work through a process across the next seven days to determine his return-to-play plan.”
Harry Sheezel. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Two-time Richmond premiership player Tom Lynch won’t feature again this season.
The 31-year-old has only played four matches this year after suffering multiple injuries.
Requiring surgery for a significant left hamstring injury sustained in round four, Lynch returned in round 14 against Hawthorn before straining the opposite hamstring.
Lynch also missed most of the 2023 campaign, again only playing four matches, with a foot injury.
Young St Kilda midfielder Marcus Windhager has also been ruled out for the season following a setback in his hamstring rehabilitation. The 21-year-old will undergo surgery.
Elsewhere, GWS duo midfielder Stephen Coniglio (shoulder) and ruck Kieren Briggs (shoulder) are set to return for the match against Fremantle, while the Dockers could recall Josh Treacy (knee), Sean Darcy (knee) and Michael Walters (hamstring).
Brisbane’s Eric Hipwood (groin), Hawthorn midfielder Changkuoth Jiath (calf), Port Adelaide forward Mitch Georgiades (quad), St Kilda’s Mattaes Phillipou (illness), Richmond forward Marlion Pickett (hamstring) and Sydney defender Lewis Melican (hamstring) all face tests ahead of round 23.
Sydney wingman Justin McInerney, who has returned to running after suffering a posterior cruciate ligament injury against North Melbourne in round 18, is expected to miss another two to three weeks.
Adelaide forward Taylor Walker will miss out on the upcoming Showdown against Port after undergoing laser eye surgery.
Walker suffered pupil damage after he was struck in the right eye during the third quarter of their win over the Bulldogs.
A specialist also discovered minor retina damage, with the club yet to determine whether Walker will play in their final game of the season against Sydney.
Blues battered and bruised
Carlton will be forced to fight for their season without Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay, with the star forwards headlining six forced changes following a day of Blues carnage at the MCG.
Curnow (ankle) and McKay (quad) will be sidelined for Sunday’s must-win match against West Coast at Optus Stadium.
The pair have been listed as missing one-to-two weeks, meaning they are every chance to be out for the rest of the home-and-away season.
Defenders Adam Saad (hamstring) and Jordan Boyd (adductor), and forwards Jack Martin (hamstring) and Lachie Fogarty (collarbone) were also injured during Sunday’s disastrous 74-point smashing by Hawthorn.
Boyd and Fogarty have been ruled out for the rest of the season, while Saad and Martin will be out for up to two weeks, like McKay and Curnow.
Tom De Koning (foot/lung), Adam Cerra (hamstring), Orazio Fantasia (calf) and Matt Cottrell (shoulder) were already missing from the Blues’ first-choice team.
Blues coach Michael Voss will have to get creative to fill the holes of Curnow and McKay, who have shared the last three Coleman medals between them.
Curnow’s injury means he will be denied the chance to become the first forward since Gary Ablett Snr (1993-95) to win three-straight Coleman medals.
The 27-year-old entered the clash with the Hawks under an injury cloud, failing to finish the match.
Star defender Jacob Weitering believes the Blues let their fans down in capitulating to Hawthorn. The Blues vice-captain admitted it was a tough review of their fifth loss in six games.
“Disappointing is probably the way to look at it,” Weitering said on Tuesday before Carlton’s injury report was released. “Certainly lost some connection. There wasn’t a whole lot of communication (on the ground).
“There was some honest conversations about what we can do better as individuals, as line groups, and as a team.
“It’s certainly not the way we play our football.
“And I guess, in a sense, we certainly let ourselves down, the fans, and we’ve got a massive opportunity to make it right this week.”
If Carlton win their last two games against West Coast (away) and St Kilda (Marvel Stadium), they can still play finals for the second straight season. Three weeks ago the Blues were sitting second and seemed destined to secure a top-four finish for the first time since 2000.
During the middle of last season Carlton slumped to 4-1-8 and they memorably surged home to make a preliminary final. “Last year everyone was saying blow the place up again,” he said.
“They were calling for Vossy’s (Blues coach Michael Voss) head halfway through and saw what happened. Our best is certainly good enough if we play the right way.”
with AAP
The Roarhttps://https://ift.tt/CQLuBoD News: More drama at Dees with star demanding trade, Sheezel under injury cloud, Blues battered and bruised
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