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FOOTROT FLATSHeskey in doubt for openerSOCCER

NEWCASTLE Jets’ marqueeplayer Emile Heskey is indoubt for the club’s A-Leagueopener against Sydney FC onOctober 11 after suffering aknee injury yesterday.

The former England inter-national striker was assistedfrom the field at AAMI Parkafter a tackle from Mel-bourne Victory’s Nick Ansellduring the first half of their

trial game, which the Jetswon 1-0.

‘‘It looks like a sprainedmedial ligament to his leftknee,’’ a Jets’ spokesmansaid. ‘‘He’s going to havescans tomorrow. The earlydiagnosis is three to fourweeks. He would be verymuch touch-and-go (for New-castle’s first A-League game).

Former Liverpool starHeskey, 35, scored nine goalsin his first season with Jets.

Just what doctor orderedAFL

THE AFL has dropped allcharges against Essendondoctor Bruce Reid over theclub’s controversial supple-ments program.

Reid had been due back inthe Victorian Supreme Courttoday to continue his chal-lenge against the AFL whohad charged him, Essendoncoach James Hird, senior as-sistant coach Mark Thomp-son and football manager

Danny Corcoran with bring-ing the sport into disrepute.

Hird, Thompson andCorcoran all accepted theirsanctions, but Reid chose totake his case to court.

In a statement issued yes-terday, Reid said he sharedthe AFL’s concerns over thecircumstances of the supple-ments saga.

Reid said the failures ofEssendon’s high performanceunit had led to him beingmarginalised by those in con-

trol of the supplements pro-gram. ‘‘I support the stancetaken by the AFL and theAFL Medical Officers Associ-ation in requiring appropri-ate governance at club level(particularly in terms of‘‘sports science’’), including ahierarchy of control whichensures a club doctor is thekey person with the respons-ibility within AFL clubs forthe health, welfare and safetyof the playing group,’’ he said.

Reid plans to return to his

position as Essendon’s seniormedical officer in Januaryafter taking a period of leave.

The AFL said it acceptedReid’s position, prompting itto withdraw all chargesagainst him without penalty.

Hird was suspended for 12months for his role in the sup-plements scandal, Corcoransuspended for four monthsand Thompson fined $30,000.

The AFL also banned Ess-endon from participating inthe 2013 finals series, fined it

$2 million and imposed draftsanctions on the club for thenext two years.

Essendon chairman PaulLittle welcomed the news thatReid’s name had been form-ally cleared.

Former Bombers great TimWatson — the father of cur-rent captain Jobe Watson —said the events of 2013 hadbeen distasteful for the club.

‘‘But as distasteful as thewhole season has been intime the memory will fade,’’

Watson said at the launch of astatue of Essendon legendJohn Coleman at the MCG.

‘‘These things help peoplemove on because they’re areminder, probably the Reidything is like an exclamationmark on what’s taken placeat Essendon. Whereas this(Coleman statue) is pointingto the proud history of thefootball club.’’

ASADA is continuing its in-vestigation of Essendon’s sup-plements program.

Corey Enright getting some attention at Geelong training Picture: MIKE DUGDALE

Enright out asplans go wrong

He’s come in pretty

well thisweek, but

wewon’t be playing

him thisweek

THE odds keep leaning Haw-thorn’s way, with Geelongstar Corey Enright ruled outof tomorrow night’s block-buster preliminary final.

Enright was always in seri-ous doubt for the MCG clash,having missed last weekend’swin over Port Adelaide afterstraining the medial liga-ment in his right knee in thepreceding qualifying finalloss to Fremantle.

After failing to train yester-day, the Cats officially ac-knowledged Enright, 32, hadrun out of time to make a mir-acle recovery.

‘‘He’s come in pretty wellthis week, but we won’t beplaying him this week,’’ Catsfootball manager Neil Balmesaid yesterday.

It remains unclear whetherEnright will recover in timeshould Geelong make thegrand final.

‘‘That’s another questionfor another day, but we’repretty happy with the wayhe’s going,’’ Balme said.

Geelong have already lostanother triple premiershipstar in veteran forward PaulChapman to suspension.

Enright’s ongoing absenceleaves the Cats without one oftheir most capable defenders.

By contrast, Hawthornhave had the week off andwill definitely welcomeLance Franklin back fromsuspension, with fellow for-ward Territorian Cyril Riolialso likely to resume from anankle injury.

It puts plenty of pressureon Geelong’s solid group ofyoung players who have beenimpressive this season.

They will have to step up ina pressure-packed encounteras Hawthorn strive to endtheir remarkable 11-game los-ing streak against the Cats.

That also means the leader-ship of teammates such asAndrew Mackie will be vital.

The 29-year-old was re-warded for another consist-ent season on Monday whenhe made his first All-Australian team.

Geelong are renowned fortheir team culture and Mack-ie is proud to have joined theleadership group.

‘‘I’ve really enjoyed it — Iguess I haven’t had the roleofficially in the past, but I’vehad a bit to say out on theground as far as setting upstructurally, that sort ofthing,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s a broad role.‘‘You talk about the games

and how they’re going andthen you have a bit more in-terest in what the overall wel-fare is of other players inyour team.’’

The honour is a far cryfrom three years ago, whenMackie was dropped duringthe finals.

‘‘When that time came, I satdown and thought ‘you knowwhat, I’m going to work ashard on my game as I haveever done’,’’ he said.

‘‘To be able to get recog-nised a year or two after thatis great.

‘‘People have shown inter-est in me, genuinely, to tryand help me out and improveme. I will never forget that.’’

The key issue for Mackiehas been balancing his at-tacking instincts with theneed to defend.

‘‘I finish a game and I al-ways think about what I’vestuffed up,’’ Mackie said.

Eightgone insweepingchangesat BluesCARLTON defender JeremyLaidler wants a new AFLhome after managing justone game this season undercoach Mick Malthouse.

Laidler is one of eightBlues who are leaving as theclub prepares for a busytrade and draft period.

Carlton also announcedyesterday they delistedsenior players AaronJoseph, Luke Mitchell,Patrick McCarthy and Mar-cus Davies.

Joseph played 73 games infive seasons for Carlton andwas their best first-yearplayer in 2009.

Rookie-listed playersRhys O’Keefe, Fraser Daleand Andrew Collins are theother players to go.

Collins came to Carlton inthe trade that sent ShaunGrigg to Richmond.

After two seasons atGeelong, Laidler joinedCarlton and flourished with19 games in 2011.

But injury restricted himto four matches last yearand he did not play seniorfootball this season underMalthouse after Round 2.

‘‘He expressed that hewould like to look for an op-portunity at another cluband we respect and supporthis decision to do so,’’ Carl-ton football manager And-rew McKay said in aclub statement.

The Blues are known to beinterested in Collingwoodstar Dale Thomas, whileBlues small forward EddieBetts is also about to becomea free agent and there isplenty of speculation abouthis future.