LATEST NEWS: A clean-shaven Mathew Stokes has emerged from his home, after he was visited by a number of teammates this morning. Shannon Byrnes and Ryan Gamble both took newspapers and food to the forward early this morning, in a show of support after the 25 year-old was charged with possessing and trafficking cocaine. James Kelly was next to visit the star, with the pair eventually emerging and leaving just after 11am. Stokes could receive a lifetime ban if he is found guilty of the charges, and was yesterday stood down by the club following his brief appearance at Geelong Magistrates Court.

BREAKING NEWS: Melbourne Victory striker Archie Thompson has been ruled out for up to a month, after scans revealed he has a hairline fracture in his foot. The striker sustained the injury during the club's match against Wellington last Tuesday, and soreness forced him out of the weekend's match against Gold Coast United. Coach Ernie Merrick says it is a real blow to the side, after skipper Kevin Muscat's two match suspension was upheld at last night's Disciplinary Hearing.

LATEST NEWS: Melbourne Victory has decided not to challenge Kevin Muscat's two week suspension, after the FFA Disciplinary Hearing upheld the original decision last night. Muscat was given the suspension after he was found guilty of striking Gold Coast skipper Jason Culina last Friday night. The ban means Muscat will miss the last two rounds of the season, including the final round clash against rivals Sydney FC. But Victory football manager Gary Cole has told SEN a secondary challenge would be time consuming, and is confident the squad is strong enough to cope without the skipper.

SEN | INJURY NEWS: Young Geelong forward Mitch Brown has encountered another setback, and will undergo surgery on his left leg later this week. The injury will leave him sidelined for six weeks, before he can begin running once more. The club expects him to return to football in around twelve weeks. “Mitch will be back running in about six weeks and we expect him back playing in around 12 weeks,” Geelong’s general manager of football Neil Balme said. “The surgeon is pleased with the state of the ankle joint, which also suffered significant damage last year when Mitch was hurt.

SEN | LATEST NEWS: Victoria Bushrangers batsman David Hussey says the Twenty20 competition has evolved, with the bowlers  finding a way to have an impact in what was considered a batsman's arena. The Bushrangers have struggled with the bat in the past two games, while the bowlers have notched good enough figures to keep the team in the hunt. Hussey says while it is great to see the bowlers perform strongly, he hopes the batsmen can regain their form. "The game evolves and the bowlers have found a way to execute their skills and fight back and change the tempo of the game," Hussey said.