Fraser cleared of broken ribs - afl.com.au

[Dale61]

Alan Shiell

X-rays have cleared Collingwood ruckman/forward Josh Fraser of cracked or broken ribs and he is given some chance of playing against Sydney at Colonial Stadium next Saturday night.

“We reckon he should be all right (to play against the Swans),” Collingwood football manager Neil Balme said on Saturday morning. “There’s some doubt, but he’s a reasonable chance at this stage.”

Fraser was helped off Football Park in obvious pain halfway through the second quarter of Friday night’s thriller against Port Adelaide after being accidentally knee in the ribs by Port ruckman Barnaby French at a centre-square ruck contest.

Fraser took no further part in the match, which Port won by five points after Collingwood’s Anthony Rocca had a chance to force a draw by kicking a goal from a set shot 40-45 metres out almost straight in front only 20 seconds before the final siren, but the ball went just to the left of the left goalpost for a behind.

The Magpies’ two other second-quarter casualties, Nick Davis (ankle) and Shane Wakelin (thigh), are expected to be fit to play against Sydney, although, like Fraser, they will have to be assessed during the week.

The main concern for Collingwood and Port is what the AFL’s video reviewers will make of the melees, wrestling and other physical clashes in what was a fiercely contested, sometimes spiteful – but always entertaining – scrap between two of the best teams in the competition.

The reviewers may be interested in an incident involving Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley early in the second quarter when he contacted Port defender Matthew Bishop to the head/neck area with his left arm – but with an open hand – in a round-arm swinging action that appeared to be fractionally, if inadvertently, late.



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