There's always a fine line between getting a player fit enough to withstand the demands of modern AFL football, building strength, increasing aerobic capacity and managing training rates and injuries. And sometimes stuff just happens.

The club has experienced coaches, medicos, trainers, physiotherapists, physiologists and nutritionists. However, I guess all their professionalism just pales into insignificance compared to your propensity for suspicion and pessimism.

At least we haven't heard that it's Bohdan's fault. Yet.

All of what you say is correct maurie however that is different to what they tell us out here in the outer and what is the real situation.

"lets not alarm the great un washed to much".

When do you think Mckenzie will be back? approx. date is fine.

Based on the info supplied in the last couple of days he should be playing around 7th / 8th May.

What do you think? I will stick with June.

"lets not alarm the great un washed to much".

When do you think Mckenzie will be back? approx. date is fine.

Based on the info supplied in the last couple of days he should be playing around 7th / 8th May.

What do you think? I will stick with June.

Maybe it's impossible to tell with some injuries exactly how long a player will be out for. Can you tell immediately afterwards what the depth of an injury is and how a player will recover? Whether it will respond to treatment as expected? Whether it will recur under a certain amount of training load? It's not a totally exact science and we're not talking about fixing something mechanical.

I'm disappointed but not alarmed by any injuries. They are what they are ... bones, tissues, muscles, ligaments etc.

BTW, the club got injury times for Frawley and Morton pretty accurate. They'll both be back soon.

Maybe it's impossible to tell with some injuries exactly how long a player will be out for. Can you tell immediately afterwards what the depth of an injury is and how a player will recover? Whether it will respond to treatment as expected? Whether it will recur under a certain amount of training load? It's not a totally exact science and we're not talking about fixing something mechanical.

I'm disappointed but not alarmed by any injuries. They are what they are ... bones, tissues, muscles, ligaments etc.

BTW, the club got injury times for Frawley and Morton pretty accurate. They'll both be back soon.

They have not returned yet so the jury is still out.

I would agree with you that it is not an exact science

So are you going with the clubs idea Scully on 28 th April and May 8th for Mckenzie?

It will be interesting to see what happens!

Three inevitabilities of life:

Death, taxes, and injuries to footy players.

You'd think we'd be happy that at least our captain and three vice captains are all (apparently) injury-free and set to play. I agree Frawley is a bigger loss, but I'd argue Scully's efforts against the dogs on that wet Friday night almost got us over the line. Three browlow votes speaks volumes. Hopefully Trengove gets the green light and he and Tapscott can turn it on. But it should be Davey to shine and perhaps Bennell to step up

How are your rose coloured glasses today Nasher?

Gysberts has played two games and is obviously still has injury issues and Tapscott no games and a handful of average performances for Casey!

Truely do not expect much from either of them this side of June.

?

All I said is that they need game time. Clearly we're going to be worse off in terms of competitiveness (although if the kids are good enough the difference won't be huge) - but in my mind the disappointment of that is offset by the fact that we get valuable game time in to future players who need it.

My source suggests a lot more than 4 weeks only, for Scully! Hope he is wrong!

Pessimist: Mckenzie has OP and will most likely miss the season. Scully has a cracked Patella and will be lucky to play any games this year.

Optimist: Mckenzie has a sore groin will resume training in 6 weeks and play again in 8. Scully will rest and play in round 6 for Casey and resume in Round 7 or 8 for Melbourne.

Either way you look at it the news isn't great. Important development missed, Groins and knees are often long term concerns often going beyond the one season.

Good news however for Blease, Tapscott, Gysberts and Jetta. Some important game time coming up.

I'm also disappointed Morton won't get to run around with Goodes again. It's a great learning curve for the kid.

I still think we should beat the Swans as they have some injury concerns of their own.

Still on track for 2014.

I repeat, PJ has barely been sighted on the track at Hawthron this pre-season, didn't play any of the trial matches and is coming off very limited preparation due to ongoing foot issues. So no, atm he's not fit.

It's a nil-all draw at this stage.

Thanks for repeating. Your now my hero

Interesting to hear Gary on mmm footy tonight mention that Chris Connolly got Shane Crawford to mentor Tom Scully. This is for onfield stuff because Tom just trains so hard and always pushes himself just like Crawf did when he was Toms age. Not a bad idea to get Crawf to help him.