{"id":81559,"date":"2026-08-27T10:18:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/81559\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T10:18:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:18:17","slug":"jack-viney-returns-for-melbourne-in-afl-wildcard-vs-carlton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/81559\/","title":{"rendered":"Jack Viney returns for Melbourne in AFL wildcard vs Carlton"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jack Viney will make his long-awaited return from injury in Melbourne\u2019s wildcard clash with Carlton, having missed the entire campaign to date.<\/p>\n

Finally fit after persistent back and achilles issues throughout 2026, Viney pressed his case with a decent return through the VFL.<\/p>\n

Viney had 20 touches, seven tackles and kicked 1.2 in limited minutes against Box Hill, but was still seen as an outside chance to earn a recall.<\/p>\n

Melbourne\u2019s new-look midfield under Steven King has thrived with Jack Steele filling Viney\u2019s role as the inside grunt, but the pair of former captains will pair up in the engine room.<\/p>\n

The Demons\u2019 defence will be without Jake Lever but Daniel Turner has been named despite a knee complaint last week.<\/p>\n

Matt Jefferson\u2019s injury and Jacob van Rooyen\u2019s suspension means the forward line will be a small-ball structure \u2013 revolving around Bayley Fritsch and Jake Melksham, with the ability to swing Harrison Petty or Tom McDonald forward.<\/p>\n

Christian Salem has been omitted from the 23, with first-year Demon Xavier Taylor being recalled into the senior side.<\/p>\n

Taylor\u2019s addition as a taller defender further opens the door for Petty or McDonald to swing forward.<\/p>\n

Carlton has opted to make just one change, dropping Wade Derksen in favour of Nick Haynes.<\/p>\n

Derksen has been a constant under new coach Josh Fraser this season, earning a recall in round 13 and not missing for the rest of the home-and-away season.<\/p>\n

\u2018FELL OFF MY CHAIR\u2019: BEVO LIVID OVER PIES\u2019 TRAINING SESSION AT MARVEL <\/p>\n

– Tyler Lewis<\/p>\n

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said he \u201calmost fell off my chair\u201d when Collingwood was granted access to train at Marvel Stadium this week. <\/p>\n

Collingwood has had issues with its ground at Olympic Park, using university and school facilities at various stages thisyear after heavy rainfall. <\/p>\n

Western Bulldogs, as well as previous Marvel Stadium tenants, have frequently had their requests for a main training session at the venue denied. <\/p>\n

Beveridge found Collingwood winning approval to train at Docklands ahead of the home clubs \u201chilarious\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do I think of the Pies training at Marvel? Well, if you didn\u2019t laugh, you\u2019d cry,\u201d Beveridge said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think it\u2019s hilarious, you know, it\u2019s a crack up really.<\/p>\n

\u201cNone of the tenant clubs can get on it, I think we\u2019ve been offered a captain\u2019s run in runners at some point. We\u2019re not driving down to do that. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we heard about it, I almost fell off my chair. It was just hilarious. Anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beveridge admitted the Bulldogs did not request to train this week and conceded the end-of-season reduction in foot traffic might have persuaded the AFL. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery year we\u2019re looking for opportunities to train there and we knew, you understand it, there\u2019s a lot of traffic on that ground,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut in principle if the tenant clubs can\u2019t train on it, I just think it\u2019s hilarious.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t ask to train on it this week, so we weren\u2019t told no this week. I can\u2019t say we were knocked back.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously now the season, proper, before the finals series there\u2019s going to be less traffic on it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an easy case to make, we didn\u2019t make it but obviously the Pies did. They made a good case and got on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beveridge could not be drawn into further comment about Western Bulldogs hosting Collingwood in a home final at MCG on Frdiaynight. <\/p>\n

DOGS HANDED BIG BOOST AHEAD OF WILDCARD CLASH<\/p>\n

– Tyler Lewis<\/p>\n

Western Bulldogs stars Aaron Naughton and Tim English are set tackle Collingwood in Friday night\u2019s blockbuster final<\/a>.<\/p>\n

English has not played since round 22 after suffering a knee injury, while Naughton has overcome an ankle flare-up from last week.<\/p>\n

Coach Luke Beveridge said the Bulldogs would manage English\u2019s minutes but hoped he could spend 70 per cent of the game on the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty good, they trained yesterday and look like they\u2019re going to come up,\u201d Beveridge said<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important because we\u2019re down on the big men, so if one of them couldn\u2019t play then we need to be a bit inventive like we were last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought Ryan Gardner did a really good job in the role he played, even though it was for a reduced minute, so that was fantastic for the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on who is available and who we\u2019re coming up against, Collingwood aren\u2019t a super tall team anyway, so it\u2019s not a huge issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut definitely that ruck challenge remains every week \u2026 (Tim) has had a little bit of time off, so you\u2019d have to say he\u2019d be a fraction compromised.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll work through his game time with him, but hopefully he can play at least 70 per cent of the game if he makes it to the line, which it looks like he will.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boost to the Bulldogs\u2019 ruck stocks comes as Beveridge says he is \u201cpretty secure\u201d in English staying at the club next year despite interest from GWS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen or heard anything internally that gives it any credence,\u201d Beveridge said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he will (see out his contract), he\u2019s not intimating that he\u2019s unhappy. He\u2019s been a tremendous servant for a long period of time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pretty secure in the knowledge that Tim\u2019s going to be here for a fair bit longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

English\u2019s partner Rudi Ellis recently signed with NSW Swifts in the Super Netball, accelerating speculation he could move interstate at season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably not a time to be dealing in hypotheticals \u2026 I\u2019d rather not speculate,\u201d Beveridge said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think all the silly season stuff, we\u2019re not trying to be involved in it, (we will) play as long as we can and then we\u2019ll be under more pressure to answer some of those questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut right now I\u2019d like to focus on the game.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jack Viney will make his long-awaited return from injury in Melbourne\u2019s wildcard clash with Carlton, having missed 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