Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan said he was caught off guard by reports suggesting first-choice ruckman Oscar McInerney is being monitored on a week-to-week basis due to ongoing soreness.
The claims, which surfaced earlier this week via SEN, pointed to a pre-season epidural injection and the club relying on McInerney’s self-assessment to manage his workload.
But according to Fagan, there has been no internal discussion suggesting the 30-year-old is under any unusual fitness cloud.
MORE: West Coast premiership player dies, aged 41
“Where’d that story come from? I hadn’t heard that story,” Fagan told reporters on Saturday morning. “He plays every game this year bar one, where he might’ve been ill. We’ve selected him this week, and he trained on Thursday.”
Ruck shuffle not linked to injury, says coach
McInerney missed just one match this season, Round 3 against Geelong, due to illness, and has otherwise been a regular presence in the Lions' line-up following shoulder surgery that ruled him out of last year’s grand final.
Fagan did concede that with both McInerney and fellow tall Darcy Fort in their 30s, the club may rotate the two as the season wears on to manage their physical load, but not because of any specific injury concern.
“Ruckmen get sore from time to time; they carry a heavy load,” he said. “With Darcy Fort available to us… we might need to alternate them a little bit and rest them occasionally to keep them fresh.”
MORE: Michael Voss seething as umpire controversy dogs Sydney-Carlton match
McInerney has again been tasked with the “lion’s share” of ruck duties in Sunday’s match-up against Max Gawn and the Melbourne Demons at the Gabba, with Fort omitted and tall forward Eric Hipwood expected to offer occasional support.
“Oscar will do the lion’s share of the work, as he always does,” Fagan said. “Eric will play a little bit more like Joey Daniher did last year, pinch-hit in the ruck occasionally.”