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<\/p>\nA luckless Western Bulldogs midfielder has suffered an ill-timed injury blow.<\/p>\n
Plus a third train-on player at Hawthorn, double Daicos delight in the Pies midfield looms and how the two new Suns stars are faring.<\/p>\n
Get the latest pre-season news and updates in AFL Track Watch!<\/p>\n
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Watch The 2026 AAMI AFL Origin match LIVE on Kayo Sports | WA vs VIC Saturday 14 FEB from 7PM AEDT | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n FRESH DOGS INJURY BLOW<\/p>\n The Western Bulldogs have suffered an ill-timed pre-season blow, with emerging midfielder Riley Garcia set to again miss a significant portion of the start of a season.<\/p>\n As first reported by <\/a>Zero Hanger<\/a>, Garcia is set to be sidelined for at least 12 weeks after injuring his hamstring last week.<\/p>\n Foxfooty.com.au understands Garcia has already undergone surgery.<\/p>\n Garcia missed the first half of the Dogs\u2019 2025 campaign after a tackle that went wrong during a VFL practice match last March saw him twist awkwardly and damage cartilage in his knee.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old returned to play the final eight matches of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n Riley Garcia in action during a Western Bulldogs training session at Whitten Oval on January 16. Picture: Michael Willson\/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n Injuries have prevented Garcia from finding long-term continuity, even before he was selected with Pick 62 in the 2019 national draft. He\u2019s played 39 matches from his six seasons on the Dogs\u2019 list so far.<\/p>\n Garcia isn\u2019t the only recent addition to the Bulldogs\u2019 injury list, with top 2025 draftee Lachlan Carmichael sidelined with a syndesmosis injury, while second-year player Josh Dolan is dealing with a foot concern. Gun small forward Cody Weightman also remains sidelined indefinitely as he works his way <\/p>\n However it\u2019s understood the club has no concerns around a hamstring injury for Arty Jones.<\/p>\n The Bulldogs are set to fly to the Sunshine Coast later this week for a training camp.<\/p>\n THIRD ROOKIE HOPEFUL TO TRIAL AT HAWKS<\/p>\n Hawthorn has invited a third player to train with the club.<\/p>\n As first reported by <\/a>CODE Sports<\/a>, Jack Riding on Tuesday begun training with the Hawks in a bid to become the latest Werribee VFL star to join an AFL list. <\/p>\n The likes of Shaun Mannagh (Geelong), Jack Henderson (Melbourne), Aidan Johnson (Melbourne), Riley Bice (Sydney Swans), Flynn Young (Carlton), Sam Clohesy (Gold Coast) and Zac Banch (North Melbourne) have all been picked up by AFL clubs in the past two years after impressing for Werribee.<\/p>\n Newcombe & Sicily to be co-captains | 00:32<\/p>\n Riding joins Flynn Perez (ex-North Melbourne) and Ethan Stanley (ex-Fremantle) as Hawthorn train-ons, with the latter two players also catching the eye on the track in recent weeks.<\/p>\n The Hawks have two spots open on the rookie list ahead of the SSP deadline, which is February 20. \ufeff<\/p>\n Riding thrived in a midfield role for Werribee last season, averaging 24 disposals, five tackles and five clearances per game.<\/p>\n \u2018X-FACTOR\u2019: DOUBLE DAICOS MIDFIELD TROUBLE LOOMS<\/p>\n Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos believes more midfield time for brother Josh Daicos will give the team \u201cX-factor\u201d and a more \u201cdynamic\u201d look in 2026.<\/p>\n Josh Daicos, an All-Australian and best and fairest winner in the Pies\u2019 2023 premiership year, averaged a career-high 26.8 disposals last season playing predominantly off the half-back.<\/p>\n But he showed glimpses of his on-ball potential when thrown into the midfield by coach Craig McRae, particularly against the Gold Coast Suns when he kicked two goals from 16 disposals, 10 contested possessions, five tackles, four clearances and 311m gained in the fourth quarter alone.<\/p>\n And in a potential sign of things to come, Daicos was spotted playing more in the midfield during the Magpies\u2019 latest match sim in a strong display by both Daicos brothers.<\/p>\n \u201cI think so. I think there\u2019ll be opportunity for him to float in and out of the midfield,\u201d Nick Daicos told reporters of the potential for more Josh midfield minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cI love having him in there, he\u2019s so dynamic and gives us so much with his quick feet in there. If there\u2019s opportunity, which I\u2019m sure there will be, hopefully we\u2019ll see that happen.<\/p>\n Josh Daicos at Magpies training. Picture: Collingwood FCSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n \u201cI think it gives us a different look. I know \u2018Fly\u2019 (McRae) is big on players being able to play many positions, so that\u2019s something Josh will have to learn that midfield craft.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he proved last year he can definitely hold his own in there and be sort of an X-factor player for us, if anything. It\u2019s super exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Several key Magpies sat out the match sim, such as Darcy Moore, Jeremy Howe, Isaac Quaynor, Beau McCreery and Dan McStay.<\/p>\n Norm Smith Medallist Bobby Hill remains away from the club due to personal reasons.<\/p>\n Nick Daicos said several teammates had reached out to check on Hill in recent times.<\/p>\n \u201cI think with Bob, it\u2019s just ensuring that his health and wellbeing is the main priority constantly. We\u2019ve been checking in with him and I think he\u2019s going well,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhenever the time is (right) for him and ready to join back in training and play for us is obviously a win. We all love seeing him out there doing what he does and he gives us all so much energy. Hopefully that\u2019s soon, but I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any pressure on him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve all been respectful and want Bob to be feeling like he can come to us and talk to us. A lot of us have checked in, making sure he\u2019s going well and it seems to be that he is feeling really good. It\u2019s just a patience thing. When he\u2019s feeling right, he\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n JAMARRA \u2018HASN\u2019T PUT A FOOT WRONG\u2019<\/p>\n Gold Coast assistant Shaun Grigg says Jamarra Ugle-Hagan \u201chasn\u2019t put a foot wrong\u201d since landing at the club but remains unsure whether the new recruit will be part of the Suns\u2019 Opening Round side.<\/p>\n Ugle-Hagan has impressed track-watchers at the Suns with his fitness since sitting out the entire 2025 Western Bulldogs campaign due to personal reasons, leading to his trade to Gold Coast.<\/p>\n Speaking on SEN Breakfast on Tuesday morning, Grigg said Ugle-Hagan had \u201cearned the respect of everyone so far\u201d at the Suns with his work ethic.<\/p>\n \u201cJamarra\u2019s football ability \u2026 he\u2019s shown us at times what he can do,\u201d Grigg told SEN. \u201cSo for him, he\u2019s got to keep building on his fitness, keep building on our game style and how we like to play and put his best foot forward in the coming weeks to see how close he can get.\u201d<\/p>\n Jamarra Ugle-Hagan during a Gold Coast Suns AFL training session. Picture: Chris Hyde\/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n Asked if he\u2019d be in the Suns\u2019 best 23, Grigg said: \u201cHard to say at this stage for us. As we get more match practice and practice games in, it\u2019ll be up to the players to put their hands up.<\/p>\n \u201cWe feel we\u2019ve got a really deep squad that makes it a really difficult operation for us coaches to pick the best 23. Also, with how the new five on the bench is going to work for us, we\u2019ve got some things to figure out before we play the Cats (in Opening Round).\u201d<\/p>\n Grigg said the Suns\u2019 other big-name recruit, premiership Demon Christian Petracca, had been \u201cawesome since coming up\u201d to the club.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing I\u2019ve been most impressed by is his willingness to get better and learn some new roles and a totally new system that he\u2019s not used to. He\u2019s excited by that,\u201d Grigg said of Petracca.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019s going to definitely be a damaging asset for us going through the midfield and spending some time forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A luckless Western Bulldogs midfielder has suffered an ill-timed injury blow. 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