‘Not the end of the world’: Giants confident on Hogan
Joanna Guelas |
GWS star goalkicker Jesse Hogan should be fit and firing for finals, says coach Adam Kingsley.
Hogan will sit out of AFL action for the third week in a row as he manages the latest flare-up of a troublesome foot injury.
The reigning Coleman Medallist has struggled with pain in the navicular bone of his right foot and has not played since the Giants’ dismal 88-point loss to the Western Bulldogs in round 21.
Hogan had surgery on the bone when fractured in 2019 while he was playing for Fremantle.
With the sixth-placed Giants assured of the top eight and seeking to move closer to a home elimination final with a win over St Kilda on Sunday, Kingsley is confident Hogan is finally on the mend.
Fellow key forward Jake Stringer is also on the sidelines for at least two more weeks with a hamstring strain.
“He (Hogan) is getting better day by day, actually,” Kingsley said on Friday.
“The foot is not giving anywhere near as much pain as what it was three weeks ago.
“Clearly, there’s a little way to go – he’s got to get out to training and see if he can get through training first before we can think about bringing him in for finals.”
Hogan consulted a surgeon earlier in the week, with Kingsley saying the star forward shouldn’t have any risk of aggravating the injury further.
“It was a really positive catch-up,” Kingsley said.
“We got some good news out of that … that what he’s got is not the end of the world.
“In terms of surgery and all that, I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure that it’s a matter of just rest.”
Hogan and Stringer’s absence has changed little for GWS, who have scored above 100 points in their past two wins.
The Giants boasted eight different goalkickers in their 35-point win over Gold Coast, with youngster Harry Rowston leading the way with four goals.
Fellow young gun Max Gruzewski followed next with three majors.
Kingsley is well aware the Giants will need all cylinders firing against a Saints outfit powered by newly re-signed Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.
The Giants have their own contract chase to run, looking to lock-in talented young defender Leek Aleer.
Off-contract at season’s end, Aleer has been heavily linked with a move to St Kilda.
The 24-year-old has only played 23 games so far, struggling to crack into a stacked Giants defence boasting the likes of Lachie Whitfield, Lachie Ash and Jack Buckley.
“We’re clearly keen for him to stay and moving forward, he’s going to be a really important part of our squad,” Kingsley said.
“In terms of him playing, we just want to see him play to his strengths.
“We’ve seen glimpses, but we just want a little bit more.”
AAP
