Kildonan
Premium Platinum
Judd out of Saints clash
24 June 2007
Sunday Herald Sun
Kim Hagdorn
WEST Coast superstar Chris Judd looks certain to miss today's clash with St Kilda because of his nagging groin injury.
Judd has been unable to run at full pace since straining his groin against Essendon a fortnight ago.
If the sensational playmaker misses the re-start to his season after last weekend's bye, he will be replaced by veteran utility Rowan Jones.
Judd was confident last weekend he would take on the Saints. But concerns mounted this week that he could damage the slight injury by playing.
If he is rested, Judd will have had a 23-day recovery before he plays against the Crows in Adelaide next Sunday.
The Eagles want Judd in peak fitness to face a testing month of clashes against emerging premiership threat Adelaide (away), Brisbane Lions (home), Port Adelaide (away) and Sydney (home).
Eagles coach John Worsfold sent a clear message last week that West Coast was about to unleash its best football.
Shoddy goalkicking and overuse of the ball have at times hampered their play this season.
In a rare change from an elite coach claiming "underdog" status to lift pressure from his charges, Worsfold openly said he wanted to be premiership favourite.
New glamour side Geelong toppled the reigning premier from top spot last round.
"We would like to be in a position where people think we are the premiership favourites," Worsfold said.
"I can't question what the players have achieved in the first half of the season.
"But there is one team (Geelong) going better than us, according to the markets and the ladder."
Worsfold is understood to have addressed problem areas in his side's game during the past fortnight in a full half-season review.
Scoring efficiency has been high on Worsfold's repair list.
The coach is convinced his side will be much stronger in coming weeks with the imminent return of prime movers Judd, Andrew Embley, Ben Cousins, Chad Fletcher and Ashley Hansen as the Eagles fine-tune for September.
"We know where we want to be playing our best footy," Worsfold said.
Saints coach Ross Lyon revealed he discarded any emotion in his decision to play champion follower Robert Harvey for his 350th game in Perth.
Harvey returns after missing a month with a hamstring injury.
Lyon resisted the temptation to have one of St Kilda's finest servants make his milestone appearance in front of the Saints faithful in Melbourne next week.
"There wasn't much emotion in my decision. When gun players are available you play them," the first-year Saints coach said.
Lyon and his injury-ravaged Saints face a daunting task trying to upset the reigning champions at Subiaco.
West Coast has lost only two games to visiting Victorian sides in six years under Worsfold.
24 June 2007
Sunday Herald Sun
Kim Hagdorn
WEST Coast superstar Chris Judd looks certain to miss today's clash with St Kilda because of his nagging groin injury.
Judd has been unable to run at full pace since straining his groin against Essendon a fortnight ago.
If the sensational playmaker misses the re-start to his season after last weekend's bye, he will be replaced by veteran utility Rowan Jones.
Judd was confident last weekend he would take on the Saints. But concerns mounted this week that he could damage the slight injury by playing.
If he is rested, Judd will have had a 23-day recovery before he plays against the Crows in Adelaide next Sunday.
The Eagles want Judd in peak fitness to face a testing month of clashes against emerging premiership threat Adelaide (away), Brisbane Lions (home), Port Adelaide (away) and Sydney (home).
Eagles coach John Worsfold sent a clear message last week that West Coast was about to unleash its best football.
Shoddy goalkicking and overuse of the ball have at times hampered their play this season.
In a rare change from an elite coach claiming "underdog" status to lift pressure from his charges, Worsfold openly said he wanted to be premiership favourite.
New glamour side Geelong toppled the reigning premier from top spot last round.
"We would like to be in a position where people think we are the premiership favourites," Worsfold said.
"I can't question what the players have achieved in the first half of the season.
"But there is one team (Geelong) going better than us, according to the markets and the ladder."
Worsfold is understood to have addressed problem areas in his side's game during the past fortnight in a full half-season review.
Scoring efficiency has been high on Worsfold's repair list.
The coach is convinced his side will be much stronger in coming weeks with the imminent return of prime movers Judd, Andrew Embley, Ben Cousins, Chad Fletcher and Ashley Hansen as the Eagles fine-tune for September.
"We know where we want to be playing our best footy," Worsfold said.
Saints coach Ross Lyon revealed he discarded any emotion in his decision to play champion follower Robert Harvey for his 350th game in Perth.
Harvey returns after missing a month with a hamstring injury.
Lyon resisted the temptation to have one of St Kilda's finest servants make his milestone appearance in front of the Saints faithful in Melbourne next week.
"There wasn't much emotion in my decision. When gun players are available you play them," the first-year Saints coach said.
Lyon and his injury-ravaged Saints face a daunting task trying to upset the reigning champions at Subiaco.
West Coast has lost only two games to visiting Victorian sides in six years under Worsfold.
so I won't be checking in here for the next little while. But personally, I think we're in with a strong chance. I think it's about flipping time the Weagles got a taste of injury-town and stopped being so damned cocky... ah, no, I can't say that, I wouldn't wish our horrid run of injuries on any other team, and no person should have to face the emotional and physical pain of a bad injury. Still, no Judd is a good thing for our chances.
