ntnews.com.au lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll SPORT Franklin to rest Heat on young Lions bad knee AFL By GREG DAVIS By REBECCA WILLIAMS BRISBANE coach Michael HAWTHORN has been Voss has applied the blow- warned it must closely man- torch to his young midfield age ’s work- ahead of tonight’s clash with load for the rest of the year Melbourne in Darwin declar- to ensure his knee problems ing it is time for the Lions’ do not derail his season. ‘‘generation next’’ to become After Hawks coach Alas- ‘‘generation now’’ tair Clarkson admitted the The ‘‘Three Rs’’ of Tom club was unsure how long Rockliff, Jack Redden and the star forward would be Daniel Rich starred alongside sidelined, sports medico Pearce Hanley and Sam Rohan White said there was Mayes in the 12-point win a risk Franklin would con- over North Melbourne last tinue to suffer fluid build-up Saturday with both Simon if he did not rest his knee. Black (groin) and Brent Clarkson explained yes- Moloney (calf) missing terday Frankin had swell- through injury. ing and bleeding behind the The veteran on-ballers are knee, which had leached sidelined again, and with into his calf after a bursa — Jonathan Brown also not or fluid-filled sac in the joint playing, it leaves the core of — had burst. the club’s future to carry the ‘‘There is a concern be- hopes of the Lions. cause there has got to be a Voss said backing up the reason he is developing the heroics from the comeback fluid which means there is victory over the Kangaroos something going on behind will be a challenge for his the knee,’’ Dr White said. young troops in the middle of ‘‘You just don’t develop the ground. fluid in there for no good ‘‘We need them to deliver reason. It’s one of those for us again,’’ Voss said. sort of injuries that you ‘‘They showed last week have to watch closely and they can do it and that they monitor his training and don’t need to be reliant on rehab program to keep him players like Blacky and under control. Brent. We were impressed ‘‘You have got to wait for with the way they went about the bleeding to settle down it but it’s all about consist- and the tissues to repair be- ency. It’s about duplicating cause there is the risk that that effort, week-in, week-out. the fluid will continue to Brisbane have won three of build up unless you rest it their last four matches to be appropriately and give it two wins out of the top eight time to settle down.’’ and are heavy favourites to Clarkson said yesterday beat the Demons. Franklin had suffered rup- But Voss said all bets were tured bursas twice and had off in the Top End: ‘‘People recovered quickly, and he say it is a danger game for us. hoped Franklin would be fit They are right, it is a big to train fully next week. Coach shares a laugh with Lions fan Gae Kennedy at Darwin airport Picture: JUSTIN SANSON game for our footy club.’’ Sheedy hopes for Giant upset

DON’T expect a show of who played his entire career win so it won’t be emotional, emotion from Kevin Sheedy under Sheedy and who has I can assure you,’’ Sheedy this weekend when he coa- piloted the Bombers into the said. ‘‘But Essendon know v ches against his old club Ess- top four. that. They are up in the top endon for the final time. With the Giants still win- four with a bit of a chance. Sheedy, who won four less this year, Sheedy is more ‘‘They have made some premierships in a 27-season- focused on getting the right changes and we’ve made stint with the Bombers, will result at Skoda Stadium and changes, so we’ll end up finish up with Greater West- rebounding from last week’s wanting to play pretty well ern Sydney Giants at the end 129-point drubbing by Syd- and I don’t think it will be of this campaign. ney than getting caught up in any emotion. I left there In the opposing coaches’ sentiment and emotion. about six years ago. It will be box today will be James Hird, ‘‘We need to play well and full on, Hirdy knows that.’’

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