may be good for the progress of Dawes and Pedersen to know that they have an opportunity to display their talent as key forward before Mitch comes back.

His presence at training is apparently enthusiastic but I would not want to see him, introduced too early

Hopefully we can hold him back with Howe Pedersen and Dawes still creating a winning forward line and allow Mitch to come back match fit bursting with the game he displayed last year as an even more potent forward line.

Don't forget Byrnes when you are speaking of a winning forward line! Add Clark to the mix and it only gets better (especially when Watts and Sellar can move up from the backline to give us some additional depth should there be injuries to any of the above).

P.s. There is also Fitzpatrick to help out whilst Clrk is managed back into the team.

Neeldy said in his intraclub game presser that both Mitch and Trenners were looking at around the round 1 mark. I too had thought around May/June would be more likely. Really hope I'm wrong. I guess the club is all over it and doesn't want to take any risks.

I'm drooling at the thought of Dawes at CHF, Mitch at FF and the guys further up field pumping it their way

I guess when he is physically strong enough to prevent further injury he would be as well to return to AFL as VFL. It is not as if he is a midfield runner: I know it is unconventional these days with 'run-off type defenders', but he could be practically parked in the goal square and still cause havoc provided the new midfield keep clearing it out and firing it in his direction.

I guess when he is physically strong enough to prevent further injury he would be as well to return to AFL as VFL. It is not as if he is a midfield runner: I know it is unconventional these days with 'run-off type defenders', but he could be practically parked in the goal square and still cause havoc provided the new midfield keep clearing it out and firing it in his direction.

That is a good option. But not sure there is a place for that type of player, regardless of how good they are. Coaches regularly talk about the fwds needing to be accountable in their defensive ability.

This injury... is it running that could further damage it, or jumping, or both? If he's parked in the goal square, I'm sure he'd be doing a fair bit of leaping. I thought that's what caused it in the first place, when he flew for that mark last year and landed awkwardly on his foot. Anyone know?

I think he landed awkwardly on an opponents boot.

That is a good option. But not sure there is a place for that type of player, regardless of how good they are. Coaches regularly talk about the fwds needing to be accountable in their defensive ability.

This injury... is it running that could further damage it, or jumping, or both? If he's parked in the goal square, I'm sure he'd be doing a fair bit of leaping. I thought that's what caused it in the first place, when he flew for that mark last year and landed awkwardly on his foot. Anyone know?

It wasn't even an 'awkward landing'... It was just a complete and utter misfortune and freak injury.

I can't help but feel anxious now, imagine what it will be like the first time he flies for a grab in a game!

Best of luck to Mitch. We need him badly.

That is a good option. But not sure there is a place for that type of player, regardless of how good they are. Coaches regularly talk about the fwds needing to be accountable in their defensive ability.

This injury... is it running that could further damage it, or jumping, or both? If he's parked in the goal square, I'm sure he'd be doing a fair bit of leaping. I thought that's what caused it in the first place, when he flew for that mark last year and landed awkwardly on his foot. Anyone know?

MC has had the Lisfranc dislocation reduced with surgery, which then requires a period of non weight bearing to allow healing of the ruptured ligaments which support the joint. The critical thing with Lisfranc is that it occurs at the cornerstone of the arch of the foot, where the loading buck stops!, and must have ABSOLUTE structural integrity to allow full force weightbearing. Weight bearing forces through the arch are maximal when sprinting and jumping (including landing). When he has graduated to these activities, and patient graduation is the thing, then there is NO reason to protect the joint. It's up to the job. The great positive for MC is that he didn't fracture with the dislocation, which makes for a much better prognosis.

As a bit of trivia, the name of the injury comes from the Napoleon's surgeon general, who observed a spate of these injuries in the cavalry. When soldiers were thrown from their nags, sometimes their feet would remain stirrup bound.........crunch!