Corka Cool Stuff

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has confirmed that star midfielder Ben Cousins will take to the field for Saturday’s clash against the Sydney Swans at the SCG.

Cousins was left out of the side last week after experiencing some soreness in his knee but trained well this week, earning himself a place in the Tiger’s 22.

“He’s a definite starter,” Hardwick said at Punt Road on Friday morning.

“He’s trained really well this week which has been pleasing, so he’ll play and hopefully he plays well for us. He’s an important...

AN AFL investigation has found there is insufficient evidence that Brisbane Lions forward Brendan Fevola distributed a controversial nude photograph of model Lara Bingle taken in 2006.

While Fevola admitted taking the photograph of Bingle in a shower, the investigation concluded that the circumstances surrounding that were in dispute.

The AFL probe was launched after claims that Fevola had sent the photo to other league players.

The furore that followed involved Australian cricket vice-captain Michael Clarke, who temporarily abandoned Australia's tour of New Zealand...

GEELONG youngster Steven Motlop will miss the next three months with a right shoulder injury but has avoided a second reconstruction of the joint.

The 19-year-old, who had both shoulders rebuilt after being drafted in 2008, had a "bone moving" procedure this week following an injury sustained during Monday's win over Hawthorn at the MCG.

He lasted just over a quarter of his debut match before Tom Hawkins accidentally kneed him in the back, which caused the new injury.

Another reconstruction would have been a huge blow for the Northern Territory youngster...

FREMANTLE has secured boom recruit Michael Barlow through to the end of 2012, rewarding the mature-age rookie for his stunning introduction to AFL football.

The 22-year-old, who was recruited from VFL club Werribee, has averaged 33 possessions in his first two AFL games after a consistent pre-season campaign.

List manager Brad Lloyd said Barlow had impressed everyone at Fremantle since arriving via December's NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

"Although Michael is only a few games into his career, we are very positive about his future prospects and his capacity to play...

HAWTHORN defender Brent Guerra says he is in favour of phasing the bump out of the game.

Guerra made his name at Port Adelaide and St Kilda as one of the hardest bumpers in the AFL but says he made a conscious effort to take the bump out of his game when he moved to Hawthorn at the start of 2006.

"I had to change that because otherwise I was going to keep missing weeks," said Guerra, who admitted that bumping the hip and shoulder from his playing routine was the biggest change he had to make to his style.

Guerra's former St Kilda teammate Justin Koschitzke...

MARK McVeigh will spend a fifth night in hospital as he recovers from an infection caused by a cut in his arm.

Essendon confirmed in a statement on Thursday night that the 29-year-old was expected to be released on Friday.

However, McVeigh is unlikely to attend the Bombers' clash with Carlton at the MCG on Saturday night.

"Mark is feeling much better which is great and he has had plenty of visitors from the club which has kept his spirits up," general manager of football operations Paul Hamilton said.

"Naturally he is very disappointed...

BRISBANE Lions defender Jed Adcock will miss up to five weeks of football after tearing a quad muscle against Carlton in round two.

Adcock underwent scans following the Lions' 19-point win over the Blues at the Gabba with the results confirming a grade one tear which will take between three and five weeks to heal.

The injury compounds a wretched start to the season for the 24-year-old, who injured an ankle in the Lions' first-round win over West Coast.

Adcock becomes the ninth player on the Lions' injury list with Jamie Charman (ankle), Amon Buchanan (thumb) and...

TWO of the AFL’s biggest rivals of the past decade will square off unbeaten on Saturday when the Brisbane Lions travel south to take on Port Adelaide.

The teams were regular finals combatants in the noughties, including the 2004 decider, and have produced a number of classic contests.

Few were more memorable than the last time they met at the Gabba in round 21 of last season, when the Lions turned around a 47-point first quarter deficit to win by 20 points.

Saturday’s contest looms as a beauty with both teams winning their first two matches.

COLLINGWOOD defender Simon Prestigiacomo, along with Heath Shaw and Josh Fraser will be available to face St Kilda on Friday night, despite the latter pair's absence from the Pies' final training session on Thursday.

Shaw and Fraser did not join the 24-man squad at Gosch's Paddock, but midfielder Scott Pendlebury assured Magpies' fans that both would be right to face the Saints as part of a full-strength team.

"They just have a light program inside today and I'd expect both players to play tomorrow night," Pendlebury said after training.

"A lot of...