"slower than expected recovery" … "a precautionary approach" … where have we heard that before:

"ST KILDA defender Sam Gilbert will miss at least the next 10 weeks after suffering a setback in his battle with a foot injury. Scans on Gilbert’s foot revealed a slower than expected recovery rate, with the Saints opting to take a precautionary approach."

And this after we were told he'd miss 6 weeks back in the beginning of February, or even this doozy in March:

"SAM GILBERT could emerge as a surprise inclusion for St Kilda in Saturday night's clash with Melbourne after overcoming a fractured foot sustained early last month. "

Seems Melbourne aren't the only club with incompetent medical staff who don't know how to manage injuries.

  On 29/04/2014 at 16:26, bing181 said:

Seems Melbourne aren't the only club with incompetent medical staff who don't know how to manage injuries

First let me preface this by saying that I have absolutely no knowledge of injury management (let alone physiology, etc), but... is it possible that injury management doesn't even come into the equation on this occasion? Is it possible that no one injury is ever really the same and that recovery will be dependent upon the individual concerned's physical build, genetic make-up (some people seem to naturally heal/recover more quickly than others), mental approach etc - I imagine that injury management will never be an exact science and that there will always be some that will not recover as expected.

  On 29/04/2014 at 22:43, hardtack said:

First let me preface this by saying that I have absolutely no knowledge of injury management (let alone physiology, etc), but... is it possible that injury management doesn't even come into the equation on this occasion? Is it possible that no one injury is ever really the same and that recovery will be dependent upon the individual concerned's physical build, genetic make-up (some people seem to naturally heal/recover more quickly than others), mental approach etc - I imagine that injury management will never be an exact science and that there will always be some that will not recover as expected.

nah...too much logic there for me....I'd rather go with incompetent medical staff.

Anyone think that all the foot injuries seem to be happening with the useless boots players now wear. They are so flimsy with what looks like very little support.

I never had any issues when I wore Dunlop volleys and ran miles. The new trainers look great but seem to give more injuries......

Jnrmac, I think there would be more to do with harder grounds and bigger training and playing loads.

  On 29/04/2014 at 23:32, jnrmac said:

Anyone think that all the foot injuries seem to be happening with the useless boots players now wear. They are so flimsy with what looks like very little support.

I never had any issues when I wore Dunlop volleys and ran miles. The new trainers look great but seem to give more injuries......

also probably due to lack of banned recovery "supplements" being used now

  On 29/04/2014 at 23:32, jnrmac said:

Anyone think that all the foot injuries seem to be happening with the useless boots players now wear. They are so flimsy with what looks like very little support.

I never had any issues when I wore Dunlop volleys and ran miles. The new trainers look great but seem to give more injuries......

Really? Dunlop volleys have zero support! It's almost like you're making the case for the opposite?

Personally, I've noticed current boots seem to have surprisingly more support than they look like they'd have.

Just my observation from the boots I own.

They're only Nike Total 90 or whatever they are called.

  On 29/04/2014 at 23:32, jnrmac said:

Anyone think that all the foot injuries seem to be happening with the useless boots players now wear. They are so flimsy with what looks like very little support.

I never had any issues when I wore Dunlop volleys and ran miles. The new trainers look great but seem to give more injuries......

my first football boots were a pair of moulded plastic/rubber Ron Barassi's. I have just recently been to walk again normally 45 years later after wearing those implements of torture.

Yep, there's been no real advancement in footwear, orthopedics, injury management or training techniques for the last 50 years. They should all train in Dunlop volleys and play in ankle-high leather boots.

I have had "High grade partial tears of the patella tendon" for years. Patella Tendonitis or "Jumpers knee". (thats ironical!)

I found that after 3 months of letting it recover, then using the scholl inserts ($33 at chemist warehouse) in my asics runners,and work shoes;the pain and limping, grabbing banner rails walking down stairs etc greatly diminished.

I recommend them (to amateurs like me) because they worked almost immediately where as the $900 hard inserts from podiatrist still sit in my bedside drawer.

Krill oil etc never seemed to help but after 6 months of trying it I gave up.

Sorry if off-topic but well worth the $33 investment if youre getting over the hill.

Running back and forwards on hard surfaces.

Crapihad has a concrete base!!

Such a great idea.

Could Mitch Clark come back if he recovers quickly from his depression?

I have been thinking that part of Mitch's recovery is to reduce stress. By removing the stress of having to come back, he may start to improve rapidly. If he did could he return? He is still listed on the AFL site as a Melbourne player.

Maybe just wishful thinking.

Maybe the year after next but there's a lot of water to pass under the bridge in his life before it would even be considered a possibility in his own mind.

It will be interesting to see where he decides to settle with his wife after their marriage this October. Who knows what might transpire once he gets wedded.

  On 30/04/2014 at 04:49, Lamashtu said:

Maybe the year after next but there's a lot of water to pass under the bridge in his life before it would even be considered a possibility in his own mind.

It will be interesting to see where he decides to settle with his wife after their marriage this October. Who knows what might transpire once he gets wedded.

Everyone wonders about that.

  On 29/04/2014 at 22:43, hardtack said:

First let me preface this by saying that I have absolutely no knowledge of injury management (let alone physiology, etc), but... is it possible that injury management doesn't even come into the equation on this occasion? Is it possible that no one injury is ever really the same and that recovery will be dependent upon the individual concerned's physical build, genetic make-up (some people seem to naturally heal/recover more quickly than others), mental approach etc - I imagine that injury management will never be an exact science and that there will always be some that will not recover as expected.

There's also the fact that the club knows it is not good marketing to be telling the supporters/prospective members 'hey that gun player you love is going to miss the year' so when there's some uncertainty about the severity of an injury they always lean heavily to the o0ptimistic side

  On 30/04/2014 at 06:15, Curry & Beer said:

There's also the fact that the club knows it is not good marketing to be telling the supporters/prospective members 'hey that gun player you love is going to miss the year' so when there's some uncertainty about the severity of an injury they always lean heavily to the o0ptimistic side

I get that - but shouldn't everyone understand that ?

I always think clubs quote recovery times on " if it all goes to plan" - and on many occasions injuries don't go to plan

  On 30/04/2014 at 04:44, ManDee said:

Could Mitch Clark come back if he recovers quickly from his depression?

I have been thinking that part of Mitch's recovery is to reduce stress. By removing the stress of having to come back, he may start to improve rapidly. If he did could he return? He is still listed on the AFL site as a Melbourne player.

Maybe just wishful thinking.

Wouldn't it ultimately come down to whether he has actually been delisted? What is his actual status right now? LTI or off list?

IF off list one would presume that he would have to come back via a draft - unless perhaps the AFL would, under its new esteemed, revered and all knowing and all powerful CEO, work out some "special arrangement" to get him back on our list.

Maybe some sort of compassionate mental health promotional / understanding rule that they could make up on the run - after all, they are past masters at making new rules on the run.

(Did Rama get some special consideration when he was off with his cancer treatment? Can't remember exactly, but I know it was discussed publicly, and either was or wasn't allowed).

  On 29/04/2014 at 23:32, jnrmac said:

Anyone think that all the foot injuries seem to be happening with the useless boots players now wear. They are so flimsy with what looks like very little support.

I never had any issues when I wore Dunlop volleys and ran miles. The new trainers look great but seem to give more injuries......

Jnr.

You make an interesting point in regard to the lack of foot support from current footwear. It is still referred

to as a boot but is more like a lace-up slipper that an athletics sprinter might wear.

It would be interesting to hear a professional opinion from the podiatrists and physio's on the list.

  On 30/04/2014 at 06:54, deefender said:

Jnr.

You make an interesting point in regard to the lack of foot support from current footwear. It is still referred

to as a boot but is more like a lace-up slipper that an athletics sprinter might wear.

It would be interesting to hear a professional opinion from the podiatrists and physio's on the list.

It just seems to me there are a lot more foot injuries nowadays.....I guess the players are running kms more than they ever have too....

  On 30/04/2014 at 04:44, ManDee said:

Could Mitch Clark come back if he recovers quickly from his depression?

I have been thinking that part of Mitch's recovery is to reduce stress. By removing the stress of having to come back, he may start to improve rapidly. If he did could he return? He is still listed on the AFL site as a Melbourne player.

Maybe just wishful thinking.

Mitch Clark is never coming back to play for the Demons.

So we have signed him for 3 yrs and he has played for one season in the reserves, will be injured for this season and play in his 3rd year (hopefully), doesn't want to sign a contract extension and then will probably go back to WA.

I know the injury is bad luck but this could only happen at the Dees.

If he stays I will be happy but am prepared for the worse.

It also irritates me that players from other clubs are jumping at the chance to re-sign and we continue to struggle in that area (yes I am aware of our past 7 yr history but it still grates me)

  On 30/04/2014 at 06:21, monoccular said:

Wouldn't it ultimately come down to whether he has actually been delisted? What is his actual status right now? LTI or off list

I believe Josh Mahoney said in the press conference announcing that Mitch Clark had retired that he would remain on the list for this year.

  On 30/04/2014 at 11:11, DemonOX said:

So we have signed him for 3 yrs and he has played for one season in the reserves, will be injured for this season and play in his 3rd year (hopefully), doesn't want to sign a contract extension and then will probably go back to WA.

I know the injury is bad luck but this could only happen at the Dees.

If he stays I will be happy but am prepared for the worse.

It also irritates me that players from other clubs are jumping at the chance to re-sign and we continue to struggle in that area (yes I am aware of our past 7 yr history but it still grates me)

Nat Fyfe and Mundy say hello, how about we stop this self pity and harden up

  On 30/04/2014 at 11:41, Pennant St Dee said:

Nat Fyfe and Mundy say hello, how about we stop this self pity and harden up

Nothing to do we hardening up.

How about we look at reality and stop living in fairy land.

  On 30/04/2014 at 20:44, DemonOX said:

Nothing to do we hardening up.

How about we look at reality and stop living in fairy land.

Very few here live in fairyland. But a large number live in the opposite of it and see disaster and doom in every little thing that happens, overreacting to the pain of recent years.