“Like, there’s so much speculation these days about what the rules are going to be, so I’ll wait until anything official comes out.
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“I think, to be honest, I never saw the centre bounce as an area of an issue that I had in the game. Like, I still do feel like my jump and my power and ability to jump through the line, rather than body through the line, is going to hold me in good stead.
“Obviously, I’m not as not going to jump as high as some guys. But then it’s about timing.”
The broad-shouldered Meek is an imposing specimen, at 203 centimetres and his estimate of 111 to 112 kilograms (slightly more than Adelaide mountain Riley Thilthorpe), which makes him much harder to shift than the sheep at his family’s farm near Mininera, west of Ballarat.
Meek was recruited by the Hawks in the fruitful post-season of 2022, when Sam Mitchell and his lieutenants took the bold step of off-loading Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara, while snaring Meek, then 24 and facing an uphill climb to dislodge Sean Darcy from a team that would soon include the super-athletic Luke Jackson.
Meek is candid about his inability to cement himself as a regular with the Dockers.
“I sort of loved my time in Perth and the club were fantastic and [I] had no issues staying … if I could’ve performed better, probably. Like, at the end of the day, the reality is I just wasn’t good enough to hold that spot down.”
Having acquired Meek as a bargain – and preferred him over the taller and less physically-forceful Ned Reeves – the Hawks’ faith in Meek was reflected in the four-year contract extension that he was handed this year, tying him to Hawthorn until the end of 2029.
“It’s nice to have the club back me in to do the job. And I’d like to, yeah, I think even outside of the centre bounce that I’ve shown what I’m capable of.”
One capability that Meek has developed is marking overhead, which he said was “definitely not” a strength of his at Fremantle.
“I think especially early days, like my early days of Freo when I couldn’t get a game, two things that were holding me back were consistency of ruck craft and aerial ability. So I spent a lot of time working on it, even the mental side of it. I know how important marking, taking a mark, is for the team.”
Nick Watson, James Worpel, Sam Mitchell, Jack Ginnivan and Lloyd Meek sing the song after a Hawks win.Credit: Getty Images
Among the more articulate Hawks, Meek is well-advanced in completing the bachelor of commerce degree that he started at Curtin University in Perth.
He was unsure what path he would take once his playing days ceased – whether that involved returning to the farm or something else.
“Dunno, [I’m] still working it all out… Well, luckily, over the next four years, I don’t have to worry about it. So, yeah, I’m not sure.”
The ruckman says he’s open-minded, yet open to the possibility of remaining in footy.
For now, he’s intent on playing his part in Hawthorn’s finals campaign, starting with Saturday’s challenge against the Giants, which Meek felt would be won above the shoulders. The Hawks have never won at GWS’ home ground.
“I think so much is just on that mental edge… the mindset to be able to handle big pressure games, big moments like finals footy,” he said.
Meek predicted that it would be the team that “can handle the pressure and connect with one another, and stick to what they need to be doing, that’s going to come out on top.”
Hill ruled out, McCreery to play, says McRae
Jon Pierik
Collingwood have ruled out Bobby Hill from Thursday night’s qualifying final against the Crows in Adelaide, but fellow forward Beau McCreery has been passed fit.
Out of action: Bobby Hill will not face the Crows on Thursday.Credit: Getty Images
Hill did not take part in the Magpies’ main training session on Tuesday because of family reasons, although he could return to the club on Wednesday.
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Coach Craig McRae said Hill, the 2023 Norm Smith Medal winner, would not take part in week one of the finals.
“We support him with his family stuff that he is going through. He missed today, but he is training exceptionally well. Ideally, he is here [on Wednesday] or the next day so we can set him up for a tilt later in the campaign,” McRae said.
“He was never a chance to be available – it’s just to get some load into him. We are rapt he is back in our program, and it’s good to see him smiling again.”
Hill has had a bumpy two months because of personal issues, and has dropped in and out of training.
He has played just a half of AFL football since round 16, when he was the substitute against the Brisbane Lions in round 22, while he also had one game in the VFL on managed minutes.
Hill and McRae recently had dinner together, when Hill asked his coach to leave the door ajar for his return this season.
McCreery has been battling foot bruising but completed run-throughs under McRae’s supervision, and later joined in end-to-end drills and match simulation.
“Beau will play. He has done everything he needed to do to prove his fitness today. We will back him in. We will back our medical department in,” McRae said.
Midfielder Jordan De Goey took a knock to his ankle and left the training track but returned later.
Veteran full-back Jeremy Howe (groin) will miss Thursday’s clash, and did not train with his teammates.
McRae said Wil Parker, who joined several first-choice teammates in defence for the team wearing black in match simulation, was under serious consideration for a recall.
“He played well in Adelaide only a couple of rounds ago. We just love his fight and tenacity around the ball and the man. He is certainly a name [under consideration]. His magnet will be hard to remove from the team,” McRae said.
Despite speculation Daniel McStay could be sent to defence to replace Howe, he was used as a forward in match simulation. McRae said it was unlikely McStay would be used as a frontline defender. Fellow tall Mason Cox is also being considered for a return.
The Magpies will head to Adelaide confident they can win and advance into a preliminary final. They were beaten by only three points by the Crows in Adelaide in round 23 when they ultimately squandered 71 inside 50s (the Crows had 34). It was the Crows’ first win against the Magpies since 2016.
The Magpies replicated the dimensions of their training field to those of the Adelaide Oval, allowing players to adjust to the narrow wings. The factor they couldn’t replicate but need to prepare for is the largely hostile crowd waiting for them in Adelaide, even though there will be a fleet of buses from Melbourne helping Magpie members make the interstate trip.
The Crows will be under a searing spotlight in their first finals campaign since 2017. They will also hope to celebrate Taylor Walker’s 300th game in style.
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“We are not naive to think we are playing a team that has won nine games in a row. They finished on top of the ladder,” McRae said.
“There is a huge build-up in Adelaide for what’s coming, a real excitement around [Crows coach] Matty Nicks’ first finals campaign, [many] of their players playing their first final.
“That is a huge build-up – we need to embrace and accept that. It’s a hostile crowd, there was a record 54,000 crowd before … we are going over with a real energy, but we are understanding of what we are getting into.”
Giants facing ‘tough’ but enviable selection call
Vince Rugari
The Giants are facing an enviable selection crunch – one that Toby Greene is happy to leave to coach Adam Kingsley to figure out – as five of their first-choice players near full fitness ahead of Saturday’s AFL elimination final.
Toby Greene leads the Giants off Engie Stadium in round 24 after they secured a home final.Credit: Getty Images
Reigning Coleman medallist Jesse Hogan, veteran winger Josh Kelly, small forward Brent Daniels, defender Jack Buckley and livewire Jake Stringer are all in contention to face Hawthorn in front of a near-capacity crowd at Engie Stadium.
Buckley (calf) is considered the longest shot, but the rest of them are set to give Kingsley an almighty headache at this week’s match committee meeting, including Daniels (adductor), who looked frustrated when he came off the track early on Tuesday but remains a “big chance” to play, according to Greene, since he logged some important training minutes on Sunday.
Daniels is historically one of the club’s strongest finals performers but has only played a handful of games this year.
The challenge for Kingsley will be to balance continuity – the Giants have won nine of their past 10 games to come into the AFL finals as one of the competition’s form teams – with the impact those top-liners could bring and the risk of those inclusions backfiring if they aren’t properly match-fit.
“You want guys who can play 120 minutes and play well,” Greene said.
“You want guys who know what they’re doing, and we’ve got 30 guys who are available at the moment who can do that.
Adam Kingsley is facing some tough decisions in selection this week.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“It’s Kingers who has a bit of a tough job Thursday, I’m sure, trying to pick the team, but it’s great to have that sort of problem and those boys have done a mountain of work to get themselves right as well.
“That’s what he’s paid to do, pick the team and coach, so I’ll leave it to him. But whoever he picks I’ll be backing in, and I know we’ll have guys ready.”
Greene declared Hogan (foot) was “good to go”, which is an enormous boon for a Giants’ attack which has kicked more than 100 points in all of those nine recent victories – a level of production and harmony that, for a lesser player, Kingsley would be reluctant to disrupt.
“[Hogan] turned it around pretty quickly because we weren’t sure if we were going to get him to the first final,,” he said. “It’s great to have him, and we know what he can bring, and I’m sure he’s going to be hard to play [against] on the weekend.”
This is the eighth season in the past 10 in which the Giants have qualified for the finals, and the fifth time they will do so from the bottom half of the top eight.
For Greene, 31, and his generation of Giants players, opportunities to win a flag before retirement are quickly running out.
When the club entered the competition in 2012 with a list packed with top-end talent, there were widespread predictions that they and fellow expansion side Gold Coast would eventually dominate the AFL and claim multiple premierships.
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But the Giants have only made one grand final (2019) and had a shattering straight-sets exit last season with disappointing losses to the Swans and eventual premiers Brisbane, while the Suns are playing finals football for the first time this year.
“I’m under no illusion how hard it is and how you’ve got to deliver when it matters,” Greene said.
“So that’s all we’re worried about; trying to do that. Start with Hawthorn and then go from there, whoever it is. It would be amazing to do, but it’s the end goal. You’ve got to do all the work to get there.
“That’s been 24 weeks of the season … you work to put yourself in a spot to play this final series and then sort of reset and go again. It’s not something you think about every day, but it would be nice to have at the end of the career.”
Jasmine Garner on crutches.Credit: AFL Photos
North Superstar Garner sidelined after ankle injury
Hannah Kennelly
Reigning premiers North Melbourne will be without their captain Jasmine Garner for at least two games while the star player recovers from an ankle injury.
North Melbourne have won their past three-consecutive games, but the reigning premiers will be without their captain Jasmine Garner for at least two games while the star player recovers from an ankle injury.
Garner had eight disposals and a goal before sustaining the injury when she landed awkwardly in a second-quarter marking contest during her side’s record-breaking 100-point thumping of Fremantle on Sunday.
North’s four-time best-and-fairest winner limped off the field clutching her left ankle and did not play for the rest of the game.
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On Tuesday afternoon, North Melbourne confirmed Garner “avoided a serious ankle injury” but would miss at least the next two games.
“Jas rolled her ankle quite badly during the second quarter on Sunday,” the club said in a statement.
“She had that scanned yesterday and pleasingly she has avoided any worrying structural injury.
“However, as expected with that type of mechanism, there is a high-grade ligament injury to the outside of her ankle. We will monitor her improvement, but we don’t expect it to be a long-term absence from footy.”
Garner was instrumental in North’s first flag last year and last week produced one of the best individual AFLW performances, kicking a career-best six goals from 30 disposals.
The ladder-leading North, who boast a 3-0 win-loss record, will face Collingwood this Sunday at Arden Street Oval.
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