McIntosh not trade bait, say Kangaroos
North Melbourne ruckman Hamish McIntosh is no injury-riddled AFL lemon, and he's not for sale anyway.
So says Kangaroos coach Brad Scott after his predecessor Dean Laidley explosively claimed McIntosh was being dangled as trade bait, and it was "buyer beware" because of his recent injury history.
Scott had a simple answer to Laidley's claims about McIntosh's fitness.
"Have a look for yourself out there," Scott said on Thursday, pointing to McIntosh training strongly at the club's Arden St headquarters.
"It's beyond me how anyone outside this football club would know about how Hamish's body is."
McIntosh was a late withdrawal from a reserves game last weekend, further fuelling concerns about his injuries.
Laidley told Fox Sports on Wednesday night that McIntosh would be traded at season's end.
The 26-year-old has missed most of the season after Achilles operations, and could well be surplus to requirements with the emergence of his replacement Todd Goldstein as a top-quality ruckman.
Richmond, desperate for a quality ruckman, has been mentioned as a possible new home for McIntosh.
"They will sell him and Brad Scott is doing a very good job of telling everyone he is a required player," Laidley said.
"You would have to have a look at his body ... buyer beware."
While Scott may have been doing his best impression of a second-hand car salesman in his appraisal of McIntosh, he remained adamant he had nothing to sell and the player would be staying at North.
"The question's been asked about Hamish, and answered," Scott said.
"He's a contracted player until 2013. We're not only talking about keeping him, we've put our money where our mouth is.
"He's a North Melbourne player ... unless Hamish and his management come to us and tell us otherwise."
Coincidentally, Goldstein did not train on Thursday.
Scott said there was nothing sinister in his absence and that the ruckman was certain to play against Hawthorn in Launceston on Sunday.
"He's had the highest workload of any player on our list this year, and with the nine-day break, we thought it was a good opportunity to give him a lighter day," Scott said.
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