ion to the long-running feud before seasons end appears u

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia 76ers oft-injured center Joel Embiid could potentially play in both ends of back-to-back games this season.Sixers coach Brett Brown also says Jahlil Okafor should be ready for opening night on Oct. 26 in his recovery from surgery on his right knee. Brown says Nerlens Noel may not be ready for the opener as he recovers from a groin injury.Embiid sat out the last two seasons because a broken right foot and had been on a minutes restriction in the preseason. Brown has increased Embiids minutes and says he may be ready to handle the grind of back-to-back games. The Sixers first set of consecutive games is Nov. 1 and 2.Okafor has been sidelined since he had surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his knee in March. Noel says he was hurt in the first week of training camp and has not played in the preseason. Basketball Shoes From China . 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Not so Good FridayAustralias most senior Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, has condemned the AFLs ambitions of staging a match on Good Friday, says former football operations boss Ian Collins.The AFL Commission is set to make a decision on whether to schedule a game on one of the holiest days on the religious calendar as early as next season when they meet in Brisbane on Friday.Its reported those commissioners resisting the push are now outnumbered, with a marquee match between St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs the preferred match-up.But Ian Collins, who was the AFLs director of football operations from 1993-2000, says the AFL is on a collision course with the Catholic Church, with high-profile members of the clergy calling for the day to remain football-free.Its interesting theyre talking about Good Friday now. I went and saw George Pell when he was in Melbourne and he was dead against it, Collins told ESPN this week.But I see all that stuff is starting to break down now.Collins says other forces are influencing the AFLs fixture scheduling.Sometimes other interests come into play that help distort the fixture, he said.The AFL looks at trying to maximise attendances rather than fairness on the football field.There are other forces that come into play which I think they give priorities over others.The NRL first played on the sacred day in 1993, while the A-League staged a match between Melbourne Victory and Sydney in 2014.The AFL could schedule the match as late as 4pm and would look to raise funds for the Good Friday Royal Childrens Hospital Good Friday appeal.Wounded Wallis not wallowingWounded young gun Mitch Wallis doesnt want his gruesome leg injury to define the season of the luckless Western Bulldogs.The 23-year-old suffered a?sickening double break of the tibia and fibula in the loss to St Kilda on Saturday night.A conservative approach to the car crash-like injury could see him miss the majority of the 2017 season.Hes going ok, Wallis manager, Adam Ramanauskas, told ESPN.Hes a very tough kid from a great family. He loves the footy club.He doesnt want this to define the season and want them to push on.Ramanauskas said Wallis was in good spirits recuperating at home following successful surgery on Sunday.Calder Cannons Talent Manager Ian Kyte told ESPN that Wallis was resilient and hard-working - qualities that would help him get through the injury.Mitch is a very down-to-earth, mature young man who knows what hes got ahead of him, Kyte said.Ive spoken to his dad and hes of the belief Mitch has at least to six to nine months recovery in front of him. Hell get there with his dedication.Wallis headlines a long list of patients in the Bulldogs casualty ward, which could disrupt the clubs resurgent season.Wallis is into the first year of a newly signed three-year deal, which expires at the end of the 2018 season.Menzels DIY ACL messageThe most notable victim of ruptured ACLs - Geelongs Dan Menzel, who has endured an astonishing four separate surgeries on collapsed knees - has set out to help fellow-sufferers by publishing a website.The site, MentalToughnessMentalFortitude, was launched on Wednesday and outlines a nine-month recovery plan for anyone who has fallen victim to the dreaded ACL injury.One subscriber could be the Western Bulldogs forward Jack Redpath who crumpled to the Etihad Stadium turf last weekend with what his third ruptured ACL.In an Instagram post this week, Menzel, the Cats mercurial No.10, wrote: This idea came about as I am now in a position where I can help others overcome adversity as I did. I know how difficult it can be at times and so Im looking to pass on my experiences to help as many people as possible defy the odds and never give up!Im proud to release my own ACL plan which is broken down into 4 week blocks over a 9 month rehab, touching on the physical and mental side of the rehab.I will also have a Challenges & Fixes page for those battling setbacks whether it be an ACL injury, another injury, a mental health problem or a setback in general, the principles remain the same and so it touches on what I have found difficult and struggled with as well as what helped me overcome these setbacks! #MTMFPagan denies placing roadblocks on Media StreetDenis Pagan, the former North Melbourne premiership coach and man who gave Brent Harvey his first game, got caught up in the crossfire when the Herald Sun ran excerpts of Harveys autobiography this week.As well as potting Wayne Carey, Harvey took time out to deliver a drive-by to his former mentor (whom, incidentally, he describes as a father figure).In his book Boomer, Harvey crriticises Pagan for refusing to promote the Roos during their glory era of the 1990s.ddddddddddddhile [then coach] Kevin Sheedy was shouting from the rooftops about his club, Essendon, constantly pumping the club up in the media to whip fans into a frenzy, Denis Pagan had Arden Street in lockdown, Harvey wrote.Harvey said Pagan should have let Norths big name players appear in the media and take part in more promotional events but, instead of attracting new fans, they pushed existing ones away.This week, Pagan - who said he gave about 15 interviews praising Harvey ahead of his record-breaking 427th game - said he was taken aback by the criticism.I didnt agree with him, to be honest, Pagan told ESPN. I think all that stuff about me telling players not to travel Media St was overblown. Its taken on a life of its own.I dont remember ever specifically telling players not to do media. But if one of them was asked to be the subject of a big, centre-spread profile, I might say: You should be very careful here, son. It might backfire on you.Pagan said he viewed the coachs role in simple terms: it was all about on-field performance.We reached seven straight preliminary finals and three grand finals, we had a 64% success rate in home-and-away games, and 67% in our 22 finals, Pagan told ESPN. So I think thats the best way a coach can promote a club, through on-field success.For the record, Pagan rates Harvey among the best half-dozen or so Shinboners of the past 40 years, behind Carey, Malcolm Blight, Jimmy Krakouer, Barry Cable and Keith Greig.Ex-Carlton player treating the bluesA former AFL player gripped with depression during his four-year career has called on the AFL to introduce a mental health round to help quell the spiraling rise of the debilitating illness.Jake Edwards, who played five games for Carlton in 2008, says the bold initiative will give players the strength to conquer the torture of depression.He says mental illness in the industry continues to go unreported.There are still a lot of families and kids who arent finding the courage or the inspiration to seek help and the AFL can be an incredible driving force to get people on the right track, Edwards told ESPN.Edwards, a fourth generation AFL player and the cousin of former Collingwood midfielder Shane OBree, wants stories of mental hardship by ex-players and everyday people to be shared ahead of each match, as well as promoting the agencies designed to assist those affected.St Kilda and Hawthorn currently play for the Beyond Blue Cup, but Edwards says more can be done to confront mental health issues.The cup isnt spoken about at all during the game and whats really disappointing is that they actually present the cup in the rooms, outside of the eye on the public, he said.Its almost like theyre just ticking a box at the moment.Edwards says the number of AFL players doing it tough is growing, with many calling out to the 28-year-old for assistance.There are three current players who have contacted me who are definitely going through their own challenges and have been diagnosed with depression, he said.Better Out Than In is an AFLPA-led campaign dedicated to confronting mental illness. More information can be found at: betteroutthanin.com.auPay day far awayThe AFLPA has briefed the 18 AFL clubs on all the possible outcomes of the drawn-out pay negotiations with the league.A resolution to the long-running feud before seasons end appears unlikely, with both parties failing to formally discuss the pay stoush in more than 12 weeks.ESPN understands the players are growing frustrated by the impasse.The union, which represents more than 800 players, wants to boost the players share of the games revenue to about 25 per cent - three per cent more than the current agreement.It comes after the AFL signed a record $2.5 billion, six-year broadcast deal, which is set to be boosted by the impending radio rights deal.Random Stats of the week:1,733 - The number of players who have made their debut since Brent Harvey made his first senior appearance back in August, 1996. 1,033 are no longer playing.Little and Large - Brent Harvey, at 172cms, breaks the AFL games record with 427 games; Tony Lockett, at 112kgs, breaks the AFL goalkicking record with 1360 goals. Proving, again, that Aussie Rules is a game for all shapes and sizesMost games featuring 20+ contested possessions (current players): 31 - Josh Kennedy 19 - Gary Ablett 18 - Patrick Dangerfield 17 - Nat Fyfe 16 - Matt Priddis ' ' '