All-Australian squad named; Howe return an ‘enormous risk’; Port’s Rioli calls time

Adelaide (five players): Jordan Dawson, Mark Keane, Izak Rankine, Riley Thilthorpe, Josh Worrell.

Brisbane Lions (5): Harris Andrews, Zac Bailey, Josh Dunkley, Hugh McCluggage, Dayne Zorko.

Collingwood (3): Josh Daicos, Nick Daicos, Jamie Elliott.

Fremantle (4): Andrew Brayshaw, Jordan Clark, Luke Jackson, Caleb Serong.

Geelong (3): Jeremy Cameron, Max Holmes, Bailey Smith.

Gold Coast (5): Noah Anderson, Sam Collins, Ben King, Ben Long, Matt Rowell.

GWS (4): Lachie Ash, Finn Callaghan, Tom Green, Sam Taylor.

Hawthorn (2): Josh Battle, Jack Gunston.

Melbourne (2): Max Gawn, Kysaiah Pickett.

Port Adelaide (2): Zak Butters, Mitch Georgiades.

Richmond (1): Nick Vlastuin.

St Kilda (1): Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.

Sydney (2): Brodie Grundy, Isaac Heeney.

Western Bulldogs (5): Marcus Bontempelli, Bailey Dale, Sam Darcy, Tom Liberatore, Ed Richards. That squad will be halved to a team of 22, named in position, on Thursday at the league awards. Howe comeback would be a risk, says Larkins Leading football medic Dr Peter Larkins believes Collingwood would be taking an enormous risk to rush back injured defender Jeremy Howe during the finals series. The Magpies have tentatively set a preliminary final weekend return for the 35-year-old Howe, who tore his adductor muscle early in the final-round clash against Melbourne, the same injury he suffered in round 18.

Jeremy Howe, right, was subbed out of the round 24 match with a groin injury. Credit: Getty Images Larkins said it would be a high-risk play to select a veteran who had torn his groin muscle twice within seven weeks. “We know he can contribute when he is at his best, but the deconditioning ... the risk-benefit ratio you are looking at is, ‘what happens if he breaks down in the first eight minutes, or the first five minutes, and you are down a player?’.” Larkins told SEN. Loading “And the age group works against him. We hate to discriminate against older players, but it is true with soft tissue, whether it’s a hammy, whether it’s the groin or the calf.

“So I reckon it is an enormous risk. I mean, they would know, but this second injury to Jeremy Howe to his right adductor, the groin muscles, was a higher grade and normally, you would be missing four or six [weeks]. “You are just not going to have the time frame to come back. The risk is very high. You just don’t want to be down one of your better players in the first quarter.” Howe has overcome adversity in the past, having played out the 2023 grand final with three broken ribs. Larkins said small forward Josh Rachele was an outside chance to return from a knee injury during the finals series, but doubted the Crows would risk him against Collingwood at Adelaide Oval in next week’s qualifying final. The winner of the Crows-Magpies clash will earn a week’s rest by advancing to the preliminary final, while the loser will face a sudden-death semi-final.

‘Given all I can’ Port Adelaide forward Willie Rioli has quit the AFL as the Power delisted five other players. The 30-year-old Rioli was contracted until the end of next year but opted to retire. “I have given all I can to the game at the highest level,” Rioli said in a club statement. “I made up my mind a couple of weeks ago that this would be my last season.

Willie Rioli has called time on his career. Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images “I want to see even more opportunities given to our young, talented small forwards at Port Adelaide in Joe Berry and Tom Cochrane. “They’re the future of our club. It’s time for me to step aside.” The Power on Monday delisted utility Jeremy Finlayson, injury-prone defender Ryan Burton and fringe players Dylan Williams, Hugh Jackson and Lachie Charleson. They were axed at exit meetings overseen by new head coach Josh Carr, who has taken over from Ken Hinkley.

Rioli considered retiring in the midst of controversies in late April and early May. The goalsneak expressed a hatred for Hawthorn in the wake of the rival club’s racism allegations in a social media post in late April. And in early May, he was banned for one game for a social media threat to Bailey Dale after the Western Bulldog made what Port described as a culturally insensitive remark during a game. Rioli played 109 AFL games – 57 at Port and 52 at West Coast, where he was part of the Eagles’ 2018 premiership.

In July, he told a club podcast he carried a weight of past indiscretions, including his 18-month suspension from 2019 for trying to swap his marijuana-tainted urine sample with a clean sample in a drug test when at West Coast. The talented attacker announced his retirement as the 28-year-old Burton and 29-year-old Finlayson were among players delisted. Half-back Burton arrived for the 2019 season after three seasons at Hawthorn, while Finlayson crossed from GWS at the end of 2021. Loading

Burton’s career stalled amid frequent injuries, with the half-back playing only eight AFL games this season. The 162-gamer suffered a knee injury in round 16 and didn’t feature again. Finlayson, who also played just eight AFL games this year for a career total of 128, fell from selection favour in an inconsistent season. Their departures open up further list spots at Port, who have also farewelled retiring club legend Travis Boak. Ex-Adelaide and Gold Coast utility Rory Atkins, who joined the Power this season, has also retired.

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