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Carlton will prepare for Geelong star Max Holmes to return for their elimination final at the MCG on Friday night.
Holmes hasn’t played since fracturing his ankle in round 19 but is pushing for a return as the Cats try to find a way to beat the Blues who have become one of the form sides of the AFL since Fraser took charge.
Fraser was typically calm at his press conference on Wednesday, admitting he would prepare for both scenarios but expected Holmes to play.
“Both. I think we have to be prepared for him to play and for him not to be available to play,” Fraser said when asked about the Cats playmaker.
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“He’s a proven player who adds a lot to their side and, at this stage, I’m erring on the side of him being available.”
While the Blues don’t want to get too caught up with opposition match-ups, Fraser did admit Holmes makes a big difference to Geelong.
“[It’s] significant when you pair him with Bailey Smith and their running capacity they bring and ball-winning ability,” Fraser said.
“That poses some real challenge for us, but what we’ve tried to do … is not tie ourselves in knots around the opposition and continue to focus on what we do well.
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“It’s always that balance in being well-prepared for the opposition strengths and making sure you are prepared to bring yours to the table.”
One concern for the Blues will be defender Nick Haynes who wasn’t sighted at training on Wednesday morning and still needs to prove his fitness after playing through an ankle issue in the wildcard win over Melbourne.
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Haynes may still be able to prove his fitness closer to game time, and his experience and poise are important to Carlton’s defence.
“It’s fair to say he was a bit sore post game, and he’s probably slowly progressed quite well throughout the week, the early parts of the week,” Fraser said, speaking before training on Wednesday.
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“So he’ll need to train again today to prove his fitness, but we’re hopeful on that one.”
Fraser was coy about the prospect of forward Will Hayward returning to the side after failing to prove his fitness last game.
Hayward joined his teammates for training on Wednesday and looked in promising shape, completing some agility drills on his injured ankle during warmups before media were asked to leave the session.
“He needs to train and get through training, and we need to then make an assessment on whether he’s fit to perform,” Fraser said.
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“So that’s the same approach we’ve taken with all our players this year. But we’re hopeful that he’s in a better place this time around than what he was last week.
“He did a power of work to get himself to a point to be considered last week.
“Ultimately, we felt like he wasn’t ready, so we’re interested to see what version we get of him today. But I do know that he’s left no stone unturned in trying to be ready to play.”
Hayward kicked three goals in the Blues’ win over the Cats round 12 and will give his side a vital dose of finals experience if he can play.
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“The way Will plays the position we want him to play is what we will look at,” Fraser said.
“And he’s a quality player. He’s added enormously to our playing group, both from what you see on field, but the character he is as well.
“So he’s an important part of what we’ve done so far this year, and yeah, if he’s fully fit, then he’ll be a great addition for us.”
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Roy Ward is a sports writer, live blogger and breaking news journalist. He’s been writing for The Age since 2010.Connect via X or email.AdvertisementAdvertisement