As it did in 2025, if North Geelong is to win this year’s GDFNL premiership, it will have to do it without experienced big man Blake Miller.
A lisfranc injury suffered after standing on the foot of a teammate in the loss to Werribee Centrals at Galvin Park last Saturday has ended Miller’s season, and potentially, according to North co-coach Peter Riccardi, his career.
“He did it back in 2019 in the grand final when he was at Bannockburn, and he made it back”, Riccardi said.
“But this one, he said, felt worse than the Bannockburn one.
“It was innocuous because when I was watching the replay, I paused it, and he stood on Tommy Davis’ foot.”
Ironically, Miller had been shouldering much of the Magpies’ ruck work while Davis was sidelined to start the season, with Riccardi looking forward to Miller spending more time in the forward half of the ground.
“It was the first time we had him and Tommy back together, and we didn’t have to play Blake in ruck,” Riccaird said.
“When Tommy needed a spell, we put Cooper Pasque into the ruck, which helps and kind of straightens us up.
“But in saying that, we won it last year without Blake, and hopefully we can do it again.”
Riccardi also confirmed that North Geelong will enter Saturday’s crucial clash with Inverleigh at Fortis Foundations Oval without key defender Ben O’Brien and star Osca Riccardi.
O’Brien is battling a groin issue that will sideline him until after the interleague break, while Riccardi has a minor hamstring issue.
O’Brien would have likely got the job on Hawks spearhead Mason Dickson.
“We’ll have a good look at what the side looks like,” he said
“It could be Paddy Cleary or maybe Jack Cambridge or Sammy Reynolds; it might have to be one of them.
“We’ll probably give away a little bit of height and size. We’ll come up with a plan, and hopefully it works.”
X: @krockfootball
