Ken Hinkley on the inclusion of Ryan Burton against North Melbourne:
“Burton was in very, very good form before he went out,”
“He’s very important to our team. We are getting close to the end of the season, and we need to get some AFL football into him as quickly as we can.
“We weighed up all of the options. We went through all of the challenges with that, and we think Ryan adds too much to our team not to bring him back in.
“We’ve done that a couple of times already this year - with Jonas, with Gray. We value him very highly.”
Hinkley on the difference between Ollie Wines and Ryan Burton selection decisions:
“I think it’s very clear,”
“If we break down their timelines and what they look like. Ollie’s season has been far more disruptive - he’s had very little continuity.
“We saw last week, he came in and played really well, but he got a bit of luck - that was a good thing.
“Ryan and Ollie’s scenarios are quite different. We are 100 per cent clear on that, we don’t think there is any grey area in our minds as coaches.
“Ryan has been in ripping nick all the way through, in fact, he was probably in our best five of six in our club B&F before he went out.”
Hinkley on the potential risk of Ryan Burton reinjuring his hamstring:
“There is always a risk with a hamstring, whether he played SANFL or AFL,”
“Every hamstring has a risk to it. Each week you get past it, the risk gets less. It will be a risk again next week, as it would be for anyone coming off a soft tissue injury.
“We back our medical team, and our medical team say he is 100 per cent ready to go, so we go with that.
“That doesn’t mean he can’t have a malfunction on the day. That’s just what happens.”
Hinkley of the goal of becoming a really flexible team:
“It was certainly a goal at the start of pre-season for us to become more flexible as a football team,”
“We want players to have more than just one position in the team. We have a couple, like Jonas and Clurey who are locks down back. We have Dixon who probably plays as a lock forward.
“Outside of that, there aren’t many more in our team where we aren’t comfortable enough to throw them around. It’s great flexibility for us as a coaching group.”
Hinkley on Xavier Duursma’s injury:
“All things being equal, he should be available next week,”
“It’s a bit too sore, and because we are playing at Marvel - a faster, harder track - if we put him out there this week and we inflame it, perhaps it could get to the point where it might end his season.
“We don’t want that to be the case.”
Hinkley on the ruck battle this weekend:
“It will be a great test for Pete and Paddy,”
“Goldstein is a great ruckman. He’s been a great ruckman for a long period of time. It will certainly be a significant test for the boys.
“Pete - in his fourth game - each week will be a test for him. For Paddy it is a little bit different - he’s more experienced obviously.
“Pete is going to learn lots hopefully, and we have great confidence he can get the job done.”
Hinkley on North Melbourne’s form since Rhyce Shaw took over:
“I think what we can take from North Melbourne since Rhyce (Shaw’s) time, is that they’ve been a really, really good side.
“They are a really damaging side. I saw them live the week before against Hawthorn, and that’s what I will remember more than the Geelong one.
“The major thing you are seeing is they are really competitive in most parts of the game. The contested side of the game, they are really good.
“They look strong in their shape. They look strong behind the ball. They are moving the ball with some consistency.”
