Rivers rolls ankle in intraclub game

Melbourne key defender Jared Rivers continues to suffer wretched luck with injury,
rolling his ankle in the AFL team's intraclub game.
Rivers left the field in the first quarter of Saturday morning's hitout at Casey
Fields, south-east of Melbourne.
The 2004 Rising Star Award winner has not played senior football since round 11 last
year.
Coach Dean Bailey said this latest injury was not serious, but admitted it had
frustrated Rivers.
"In Jared's words it was `bleep, bleep, bleep ankle' - he was really looking forward
to playing today," Bailey said.
"He just twisted his ankle, so he'll be okay - he'll be fine with some ice in the
next 24 hours.
"He's worked incredibly hard over the last six months - today, if he was able to get
through the game, he would've got some confidence from it.
"It was really disappointing, he was able to only play five or seven minutes, but
it's five or seven minutes that he didn't have last year, so we're progressing with
him."
A noticeably-leaner Austin Wonaeamirri impressed during the internal triall game,
along with Clint Bartram and James Frawley.
Colin Garland and Brad Miller were other players to show promising signs and
second-year rookie Jake Spencer was strong in the ruck.
The 203cm giant from Queensland is set to play in next Saturday's round-one NAB Cup
game against Hawthorn in Launceston.
"If he can get through training, Jake will be playing, absolutely," Bailey said.
"He was always going to play and he's deserved his chance and today we saw a little
bit of what he can do."
No.1 draft pick Jack Watts and fellow top recruit Sam Blease did not play, but
worked as runners during the game.
Russell Robertson (Achilles), Paul Wheatley (calf) and Mark Jamar (foot) and Addam
Maric (hip) missed the game because of injury.
Aaron Davey also sat out the game after playing in last week's All-Stars match
against Adelaide.
Davey might be available for the Launceston match.