Cats Breathe Easy After Shannon Avoids Big Injury

‘Incredibly unlucky’: AFL concedes wrong call made in Pittonet ruck penalty

The AFL’s new ruck rule has come under extra scrutiny on the eve of the 2026 season after two separate centre-square incidents on Wednesday night.

Cats breathe easy after Shannon avoids big injury

Carlton have beaten Geelong by 15 points in their final pre-season match, but all the talk was about a knock to Cats forward Shannon Neale.

Neale cleared of serious injury

Geelong is breathing a sigh of relief after big man Shannon Neale avoided a serious right knee injury in a ruck contest in the Cats’ 15-point pre-season loss to Carlton on Wednesday night. The Cats are confident both Neale and spearhead Jeremy Cameron (quad) will be fit for next Friday’s opening-round clash with Gold Coast. Neale was in pain after clashing knees with Carlton ruckman Marc Pittonet at a centre circle ruck contest in the third quar…