I'm sure most of us are pretty comfortable about the progress the Roos regime is making about getting the club back on track and the choices made so far in the trading period. I have no doubt we will have a much much more competitive team than last year. There is, however, a dark cloud over our list which I think may shower down upon the club earlier than any of us would like. I speak of our current position with injuries.

Lets for the sake of argument pick our best 22 for round one (assuming we draft Freeman at 9 and Garlett or Jay Kennedy-Harris at 40:

Backs: Bleese McDonald Garland

Half backs: Toumpas Frawley Grimes

Centres: Watts Freeman Tyson

Half forwards: Hogan Dawes Trengove

Forwards: Howe Clark Byrnes

Followers: Gawn Vince Viney

Interchange: McKenzie Jones Cross Sub: Fitzpatrick

Emergencies: Michie Riley Kent Evans Jamar Tapscott

Whilst this looks a pretty good side on paper, I have highlighted the players currently not in the main training group. This is 8 out of 22 - that is high by anyone's standards.

Although there are good reasons for all of them, it nevertheless may stall our good start to the season.

These are the reasons I can gather from various sources (judge for yourself how serious each of them are):

Sam Bleese - underwent an operation on his calf in the off season. Has been jogging laps (slowly) at training. Unlikely to be back to full training before February.

Tom McDonald - by far the best runner at the Club, and as far as that is concerned is streets ahead of the rest, and is in full training, but does not do contact for fear of re-injuring his shoulder on which he had an operation in September. He does not expect to be back into full contact training until late February.

Dom Tyson - came to us recovering from serious knee surgery, and got back into training in October once he knew he would be drafted to us, but overdid it and injured his hamstring, a not uncommon thing for people recovering from bad knees. He hopes to be back in full training in February but not sure. Doing half paced running (rather gingerly) at training as well as handball and marking, in which he is I must say is extremely impressive.

Jesse Hogan - his knee is still recovering, but he on Friday looked to be favouring his hamstring also. Does light running mostly at training. Some ball work but not much. Supposed to be in full training also by February.

Chris Dawes - had major surgery on his knee in October. Will be back to training by early February. Unlikely to start the season on time.

Max Gawn - reinjured his hammy, not unusual for someone with a history of knee injuries, and also someone so big. Unclear when he will return, but was not at training on Friday.

Mitch Clark - doing light training, but has recently started to kick the ball although not with the main group. Is expected to be in the main group by January.

Jack Viney - foot injury, back in main group in early January. Very impressive at training with his running, but not in the main group. As competitive as ever hates being beaten, even at training!

Are you just making this stuff up?

Chris Dawes

Will be back to light running by early February.

Source?

Not sure where you're getting your info from, I'll use Tyson as an example

“At the moment, it looks like it’ll be around Christmas time or post-Christmas, when I’m fully in the main group,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“I might do a few sessions and a few drills here and there, but I don’t think [i’ll be in] the full main session until after Christmas.”

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-11-15/tyson-on-track-after-early-setback

Not sure where you're getting your info from, I'll use Tyson as an example

“At the moment, it looks like it’ll be around Christmas time or post-Christmas, when I’m fully in the main group,” he told melbournefc.com.au.

“I might do a few sessions and a few drills here and there, but I don’t think [i’ll be in] the full main session until after Christmas.”

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-11-15/tyson-on-track-after-early-setback

We will see i guess.

No i don't make this up. I look at information from a number of different sources, ask my sister who is a medico how long she would guess this is likely to take, and take a punt from that.

You don't make it up, but take a punt...

You are guessing, maybe with some sort of idea, but unless your sister is seeing the medical scans and reports and is in hand meeting where they discuss how much workload a 25 year old with 6 preseason a under his belt and x amount of work done on this program... You are guessing and to then state will be light running by February without naming a source, did you expect a different response?

[Yaaaaawwwwwwwnnnn]....

Oh its November right?

Pardon me but how different is this scenario from any other at most other clubs at this time of year when players are recovering from post season operations?

As I recall, a number of players in this category were fine by the time we approached Xmas last year but we also had a spate of new injuries as the practice match/NAB Cup period arrived.

Injuries happen, we need to be good at control/prevention and a bit of luck (for which we're well overdue) as well. There's enough time between now and round one for us not to have to panic or watch the sky falling.

BTW the OP missed Aiden Riley's injury which won't see him in full training until early next year, not to mention the calamity that might occur if we draft Matt Scharenberg with his current injury.