Caleb Serong: Fremantle Docker to cop match review scrutiny for bump, but Luke Hodge backs him to be cleared

Chris Robinson
The West Australian
Caleb Serong is set to face match review scrutiny for this bump against the Bulldogs, but Luke Hodge is confident he has nothing to worry about.

Caleb Serong has got “nothing to worry about” ahead of this afternoon’s match review findings following his bump on Western Bulldogs forward Jordan Croft, according to AFL great Luke Hodge.

Serong’s shoulder made contact with the young Dog’s head during a battle for the ball in Fremantle’s epic win at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

While Croft played out the game, the clash is likely to be closely examined before match review officer Michael Christian gives his findings on Monday afternoon.

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But Hodge was emphatic that Serong would not have to sweat on the prospect of potentially being suspended for Fremantle’s finals opener.

“He’s playing next week... there’s no surer thing in my life than he is playing next week,” Hodge said on Seven.

“He was attacking the ball, and they hit heads.

“He’s got nothing to worry about.

“I’ve given him the OK. He is 100 per cent playing in a fortnight’s time.”

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Fellow analyst Kane Cornes agreed, saying: “If a player misses a final for that, we are in all sorts of trouble”.

It comes after Justin Longmuir revealed Serong had asked the Dockers coach if he thought he had anything to worry about with the bump in the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s game.

“He said, ‘Do you think there’s anything in it?’ I said ‘what?’ He said that bump on Croft. I said I haven’t seen it,” Longmuir said.

Justin Longmuir and Caleb Serong embrace after Sunday’s win.
Justin Longmuir and Caleb Serong embrace after Sunday’s win. Credit: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Serong is one of nine Dockers players to have featured in every match this season, and sits as an outside Brownlow chance after a dominant campaign for the sixth-placed finisher.

The star midfielder overcame a slow start on Sunday to finish with team-high numbers of 24 disposals, seven clearances and eight inside-50s.

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