SUPERSTAR Lance Franklin will be available to play for the Dream Team in Saturday’s Hall of Fame Tribute game at the MCG, says Hawthorn football manager Mark Evans.
Franklin, 21, kicked six goals in the Hawks’ 65-point win over Collingwood on Saturday despite receiving his second injury scare in as many games.
He appeared to be suffering from discomfort in his right shoulder after tackling Alan Didak.
Evans said the star forward is keen to be involved in Saturday’s historic clash.
“He wants to play and everyone wants to see him play…At this stage he’s available,” Evans told the Herald Sun.
Evans described Franklin’s injury as a “stinger”.
“Once or twice in games, he’s had a dead arm for a short period. It bounces back in a couple of minutes,” he said.
With Simon Black (osteitis pubis) a high-profile withdrawal from the Dream Team, Franklin’s star quality will be a big asset when the representative team takes on Victoria.
Also under an injury cloud for the game are Victorian captain Jonathan Brown and Cats’ star Gary Ablett, neither of whom were available for their sides’ round seven matches. While Victorian assistant coach Kevin Sheedy is confident Brown will play, Ablett will receive the results of scans on his injured calf today.
Blues skipper Chris Judd rolled his ankle during the third term of Carlton’s victory over his old club West Coast, but is expected to line up in the Big V.
“While he’s a bit sore, we expect he’ll play in the Hall of Fame game,” Carlton Football Manager Stephen Icke told the Herald Sun.
“We would expect that he would report for training with Victoria on Thursday and he’ll play this weekend… I think there’s a bit of a misnomer that his ankle is no good but that’s certainly not our understanding.”