Cats Favourites to Sign Dangerfield Whilst STEVE LARKIN “We Will Now Consider Our Year Contract Worth About Match the Offer, Compensation Disappointing, Options
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40 SPORT THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24 2015 CAIRNSPOST.COM.AU Cats favourites to sign Dangerfield Whilst STEVE LARKIN “We will now consider our year contract worth about match the offer, compensation disappointing, options. However, our mem- $800,000 a season. for Dangerfield would be de- we understand PATRICK Dangerfield has bers and supporters should rest Dangerfield has fallen off cided by the AFL and likely be that Patrick’s confirmed he’s leaving Adel- assured that in doing so we will contract with Adelaide, but a first-round draft selection aide and wants to play for a make decisions and take action having been on the Crows’ list which Adelaide deem unsuit- decision has been Victorian-based AFL club. that is in the best interests of for eight seasons, is categorised able compensation. made for Geelong is favoured to win our football club.” as a restricted free agent. The other option, consid- personal reasons. Dangerfield’s services and The announcement ends That means the Crows are ered unlikely, is that Danger- have reportedly offered the season-long speculation that entitled to match Geelong’s field nominates for the pre- ADELAIDE BOSS brilliant midfielder a long-term the brilliant midfielder was offer – but no other club in season draft, stating he wants ANDREW FAGAN contract. seeking to play for Geelong, lo- AFL history has opted to to play for Geelong and no one “Whilst disappointing, we cated near his family home of match a free agency offer. else, and nominates his salary. understand that Patrick’s deci- Moggs Creek. Dangerfield told Adelaide is believed to But that scenario is high- sion has been made for per- Adelaide’s players of his deci- favour matching Geelong’s risk as other clubs with pre- sonal reasons,” Adelaide’s sion yesterday. offer, which would then force season draft selections before chief executive Andrew Fagan Geelong has reportedly of- the Cats to strike a trade deal. Geelong could call his bluff said in a statement. fered Dangerfield, 25, a five- If the Crows opt not to and match the salary offer. MOVING ON: Patrick Dangerfield. Picture: SARAH REED Gunston grounding blow Injury rules Victory out Hawks in mind marksman for Roos ROGER VAUGHAN ROGER VAUGHAN HAWTHORN have ruled out NORTH Melbourne are Jack Gunston for their AFL underdogs with a low growl, preliminary final against Fre- confident that their bite is mantle, conceding three days sharp enough to put them out that he will not be ready. into the AFL grand final. While the forward has Kangaroos coach Brad made progress in his recovery Scott is talking up his team’s from an ankle injury, the prospects ahead of the Hawks have given up on trying daunting challenge of Sat- to bring him back against the urday’s preliminary final Dockers. against West Coast in Perth. Gunston, Hawthorn’s lead- He said North are moti- ing goalkicker this season with vated by a quiet resolve to 53, suffered the injury in the improve on last year, when last quarter of their qualifying they lost badly to Sydney at final loss to West Coast and the same stage, and they are this will be his second week out in the best physical shape of action. Hawks football man- they have been all season. ager Chris Fagan said Gunston Hawthorn midfielder had pulled up well from train- Jordan Lewis admitted his ing, but still had not done side was intimidated by the enough to justify the risk. Domain Stadium crowd in “We decided this morning their qualifying final loss to he hasn’t quite made enough the Eagles. Scott predicted progress to warrant his selec- his players would feed off tion,” Fagan told the club web- that atmosphere. site. “We’re happy with how Scott added Drew Petrie he’s improved, but we don’t and Robbie Tarrant should think he’s quite at the level yet also be fit to play. where he could play in a big He has admitted that 12 final.” The Hawks remain months ago, North subcon- hopeful that, should they beat sciously were maybe con- the Dockers, Gunston could tent just to make a return for the grand final. preliminary final. While Gunston’s continued “This year we have a absence is a blow, otherwise quiet confidence about the Hawks are in good shape what we’re doing,” he said. for the preliminary final. “We really have an ex- They rebounded strongly pectation, rather than hope. from a poor loss to West Coast, “While we’ve been happy belting Adelaide last Friday with our wins the last cou- night in their semi-final. ple of weeks, it certainly Star Hawks midfielder Jor- hasn’t been over the top. dan Lewis added they would be “It’s certainly been with better prepared this time for an eye to next week and an the Domain Stadium cauldron. eye that we still have a cou- He admitted on Wednesday ple of steps to take.” that the Hawks had not han- The Kangaroos contro- dled the hostile Perth crowd SORE POINT: Hawks sharpshooter Jack Gunston will miss the preliminary final against Freo due to an ankle injury. Picture: GETTY IMAGES versially rested a large well in the loss to the Eagles. group of players in round 23 “It’s pretty vivid in our matches before the West Coast shock, but we probably weren’t preliminary final. Captain ance. But Lewis said Fyfe re- and Scott said they are now memories that we were prob- game were low-key wins over ready for it and we probably Luke Hodge, Shaun Burgoyne, mained a big threat. seeing the benefits of that. ably intimidated, a little bit, to Brisbane and Carlton. got overawed by it a little bit. Jarryd Roughead and Isaac “Nat Fyfe at 80 per cent is “We’ve already managed be honest, by the crowd,” Lewis “We’ve played in big games That was a really good lesson Smith also went ahead of their still obviously a really danger- it,” he said of finals fatigue. said. “But we’ve learnt a lot of a lot in recent years,” he said. for us to learn – we didn’t play teammates, along with emer- ous player,” Lewis said. When told of Lewis’ lessons from that game and “But it was probably the two our best football and the crowd gency Jonathon Ceglar. “You can’t go into the mind- comments, Scott expressed hopefully we prepare ourselves games leading into the finals, was probably a key factor.” Fremantle have their own set of just targeting players, be- surprise that anything a little bit differently for the the crowd wasn’t as big and it Lewis was among six injury concerns, with star on- cause you get a bit overawed would intimidate the crowd this time.” wasn’t as vocal. Hawks who flew to Perth on baller Nat Fyfe admitting an by that and a bit consumed by Hawks. Lewis noted their last two “It shouldn’t have come as a Wednesday a day early for the ongoing leg injury is a nuis- that.” CCPE01Z01MA - V1.