Hawk defender closes in on elimination final comeback
Roger Vaughan |
Josh Weddle is on the verge of an important return for Hawthorn in their AFL elimination final against GWS.
While coach Sam Mitchell would not confirm it ahead of teams being announced on Thursday night, Weddle has done everything right over the past few weeks in his comeback from a back injury.
Weddle has not played since June because of bone stress. He would have been among the leaders in the club’s best-and-fairest voting at the time of his setback.
The running defender successfully returned to playing through the VFL last weekend.
“He’ll get through training today. All goes well, then he’ll be available for selection,” Mitchell said.
“That would be beneficial for us, if he comes in, but when you get to this time of year it’s very rare that you rely on individual players.
“It’s very much the collective … we’ll try and keep it as team-focused as we can.”
Mitchell praised the club’s support staff for how they managed Weddle’s injury. At the time, there were fears it would end his season.
“Obviously his injury was bad timing in one sense, but I’m really pleased with the medical staff,” the coach said.
“They gave him as much rest as they could, knowing that if it went right they could get a run at it and give him a go to get back (for the finals).
“You have a young player who has some bone stress in his back, you give him as much rest as you can while still going for an outcome.”
Earlier this week, captain James Sicily talked up Weddle returning for Saturday’s away final, pointing to his teammate’s fitness and dedication.
“He’s obviously a great athlete and looks after himself – he’s a pro,” Mitchell said.
While Weddle looks ready to go, Harry Morrison remains sidelined with a quad injury.
“He’s been a little bit slower than we’d like. He’s probably more unlikely,” Mitchell said.
AAP
