To rest a player or not to rest? That is the question for Sydney coach John Longmire.

The Swans, having all but secured the AFL minor premiership, will end their home-and-away season with a match against 15th-placed Adelaide.

But with the Crows out of finals contention and a potential home qualifying final to prepare for, Saturday’s match at the SCG could present Longmire the chance to rest any of their tired players.

Forward Will Hayward has played on with knee soreness in recent weeks while star midfielder Chad Warner was managed last round with a calf complaint.

Asked if Sydney will opt in on handing some of their players an extra week’s rest ahead of the pre-finals bye, Longmire remained pragmatic: “Only if they need to.

“Will’s had a bit of a sore knee for a number of weeks … I was concerned about him last week but he feels a bit better today.

“Obviously, if any players are at risk or sore, they don’t play, but if they’re fit and ready to go, then there’s no reason for them not to play.

“You can’t live in the space of ‘you shouldn’t play half your team because they might get injured’.

“That’s a pretty dangerous space to be in.

Chad Warner and Errol Gulden celebrate a goal. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“There’s still a lot to play for this week. We still want to play very well this week against a good team.

“Adelaide bring enormous pressure around the ball. I sat there and watched their game on Saturday night (against Port Adelaide) and that game was full-on.

“That was a high, intense finals-type game and so we better be ready this week when we jump out of the blocks because the other team will be.”

Warner is likely to return to the side after sitting out their 39-point victory over Essendon last round.

“He was declaring himself fit last week,” Longmire said.

“He actually felt a little bit tight before the Collingwood game, didn’t say anything, actually played really well and only mentioned it after the Collingwood game that he was a bit tight.

“There was nothing wrong with him in that game so we were really conservative last week, giving him last week off.

“He’s still got to get through training on Thursday, but he trained today, trained fine.”

Melbourne insists Petracca is not going anywhere as rumours continue

The Melbourne Demons have again moved to play down reports that Christian Petracca wants out of the club, with the gun midfielder addressing his fellow players over his future.

The rumour mill has been in overdrive since news broke reports that he was ‘disgruntled’ and ‘disillusioned’ at the Demons, and would request a trade tomorrow if it was possible.

But Melbourne insist Petracca will remain at the club until the end of his contract in 2029, and didn’t deny that there was some frustration.

“He’s got five years to go on a contract, and today was a pretty important step for him, to be able to talk to the way that he’s been feeling,” Melbourne General Manager of Football Alan Richardson said.

“But he’s, we love him. We know that it’s been a challenging period. He’s got five years. He’s red and blue. He’s going to make us better. Has he aired some frustrations throughout this period? Yes, he has.”

On Sunday night, Channel Nine’s Tom Morris doubled down on his report from last week saying he still wants out, but probably won’t request a trade soon given how much it will cost a potential club, and if it fails he will be stuck in an awkward situation at the club.

The reporter even revealed a mid-season trip to Noosa got a few teammates offside until the situation was clarified at the club.

Melbourne captain Max Gawn even conceded there may be “fractures” in the Melbourne playing group, but put that down to missing finals.

Christian Petracca of the Demons in action. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Petracca has since addressed teammates about his future to provide clarity and understanding.

“The fact that he told them today speaks to how challenging this has been. He hasn’t really felt comfortable enough to be able to speak to the players about that up until now,” Richardson said.

“So that’s that’s what was said. And I suppose I’ve just given you a reason why it happened today. It was because that speaks to how difficult a period this has been for him.

“I think everyone externally, we’ve got a pretty good understanding internally, but externally, have been unsure as to why Christian’s not talking, and it’s that’s because of the way that he’s feeling and the way that he’s coping with this, with this trauma that he’s been through.”

The 28-year-old has been sidelined since the Round 13 King’s Birthday clash with Collingwood where he picked up the serious internal injury.

Petracca suffered a lacerated spleen, punctured lung and four broken ribs when he was crunched by an accidental knee from Collingwood captain Darcy Moore.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin insists the club has all the time to allow disgruntled superstar Christian Petracca to feel happy again following a traumatic period in his career.

“With any trauma, it takes time,” Goodwin said on Tuesday.

“But we’ve got all the time that we need for Christian.

“It’s important for us to make sure he’s really happy and healthy and feeling really invigorated about the game and that’s what we want for him.”

As he did six days earlier when also backing in fellow star Clayton Oliver, Goodwin also reiterated Petracca’s future was at Melbourne.

“Christian’s going to be at this footy club for the next five years,” Goodwin said.

“He’s got five years to go on his contract, and he’s going to be part of the red and blue.

“Part of this process is to give a greater, deeper level of understanding of what he’s gone through, and then to move forward together as one.

“That’s the plan that we’ve all got, is to be fully connected and together as one, and Christian’s going to be at the footy club for the next five years.”

Petracca was at Casey Fields for Melbourne’s training session ahead of their final game of the season on Friday when they clash with Collingwood at the MCG.

Richmond premiership star Dylan Grimes retires

Richmond’s triple premiership hero Dylan Grimes is retiring from the AFL, saying he remains forever indebted to the Tigers.

The 33-year-old has managed just five games this season because of a back injury – the latest in a string of ailments to trouble him during his decorated career.

Grimes played only 26 games in his initial four seasons with Richmond because of persistent hamstring injuries and says the Tigers could easily have delisted him.

“The club had plenty of reasons to throw in the towel with me over many years with surgeries, form slumps or whatever (else),” he said in a statement on Tuesday.

“There is a part of me that has had a chip on my shoulder for my entire career to try and repay the debt I felt like I owed the club.

“Almost everything good in my life, I have because of here, so thank you.”

Grimes went on to play 234 career games, was renowned as among the league’s best backmen, and featured in Tiger premierships in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

The versatile defender won Richmond’s club champion award in 2021, was an All Australian in 2019, and was also the club’s co-captain for two seasons.

Grimes is also a two-time winner of the Tigers’ prestigious Francis Bourke Award, a player-voted gong given to the teammate who best upholds the club’s trademark values.

Remarkably, those achievements came after Grimes was overlooked in the 2009 national draft – the Tigers recruited him via the pre-season draft.

“I will miss the thrill of the contest and I will miss the incredible feeling of playing in front of the best fans in the world,” he said.

“But I leave with no regrets and just a sense of pride for everything we have achieved together.”

Willie Rioli subject to racist abuse, Power mascot attacked

Port Adelaide Football Club says forward Willie Rioli was subject to online racist abuse during Showdown 56 via social media.

“The club condemns all forms of racism. It causes deep harm and distress beyond the individual the words are directed at,” the Power statement read.

“Racism is abhorrent, unacceptable and never welcome – not in football, not anywhere.

“The club is supporting Willie and his family and will continue to use its platform to educate.”

The Crows echoed those thoughts; even though the person involved was not an Adelaide member, the club says it’s still unacceptable.

“It is extremely disappointing that our industry once again finds itself dealing with such unacceptable behaviour,” the club’s statement said.

Meanwhile, it’s also been confirmed the Power mascot ‘Thunda’ was punched in the face before the opening bounce of the Showdown, believed to be from a Crows teenage fan.

It left the person with a bleeding nose but they were cleared of concussion before returning to the ground.

Tigers claim ‘ongoing discussions’ with contracted Shai Bolton

Richmond star Shai Bolton’s manager has denied a bombshell report that the dual premiership player has requested a trade to a Western Australian-based club at season’s end.

According to a Herald Sun report coming after months of speculation, Bolton’s had asked for a return home motivated by family reasons, with he and his partner expecting their second child later in the year.

The 25-year-old’s future at the Tigers has long been intensely scrutinised given the club’s poor 2024 season and looming tough rebuild under Adem Yze, and has been linked to both West Coast and Fremantle, with the Dockers reportedly desperate to secure his services.

However, according to Nine’s Tom Morris, the Tigers and Bolton’s manager Anthony Van Der Wielen have denied a formal trade request has been made, saying Bolton would only leave Punt Road ‘if a suitable deal can be struck that benefits all parties involved’.

“Shai Bolton has not requested a trade,” Van Der Wielen’s statement reads.

“We have had some ongoing discussions with Richmond throughout the season where he has indicated that he would be open to the idea of returning home to Perth if a suitable deal can be struck that benefits all parties involved.

“With a young family and strong ties to Perth, the prospect of being closer to home is appealing to him. However, Shai is not making any demands of Richmond and fully understands that he has four years remaining on his current contract.”

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Any move would be among the most complicated deals of the upcoming AFL Trade Period, with the star midfielder/forward still having four years to serve on a contract with the Tigers reportedly worth over $1 million per season.

Shai Bolton has requested a trade home to Western Australia. (Photo by Mark Brake/Getty Images)

The Tigers have been adamant that Bolton will not be traded under any circumstances, but the Dockers’ current draft hand of three first-round draft picks could tempt them to fulfil the 2019 and 2020 premiership hero’s request.

Richmond are expected to demand at least two first-round picks for Bolton, with the Dockers holding, as it stands, picks 9, 10 and 17 – their own first-rounder as well as picks from Collingwood (as part of their trade for Lachie Schultz) and Port Adelaide.

Punt Road is set for an exodus at season’s end, with uncontracted premiership players Liam Baker and Jack Graham set to depart to the Eagles, the latter as an unrestricted agent, and the contracted Daniel Rioli heavily linked to Gold Coast and a reunion with Damien Hardwick.

>> AFL Trade Rumours: The latest on every player and every club

Bolton, who will play possibly his final match at the Tigers against the Suns in Round 24, has played 134 games in yellow and black since debuting in 2017, including the 2019 and 2020 grand final wins.

He won the Mark of the Year in 2021 and was named All-Australian after a career-best 2022 season, but has only shown patches of his best in 2024, having kicked just seven goals in his last five games.

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