I was having a chat with Nathan Brown last week, he made a couple of points on interrupted pre-seasons.

1. Under the Reverend, where we made finals every second year, this was somewhat due to late surgeries + recoveries as a result of making finals. In the odd years when we didn't make finals, we had much fuller pre-seasons and rebounded.

2. The end to end professionalism around this is a lot better now than back then

3 hours ago, Mike said:

It feels like this preseason we've had way more guys starting slow and recovering from surgery, not to mention a few injuries thrown in. Anyone else concerned heading into the season? I've got a slightly uneasy feeling about it all. Hopefully I'm just being paranoid!

I can already predict this quote from the coach or senior player after the season's finished:

"In retrospect, the late start to the pre-season, combined with the larger than normal rehab group throughout the summer contributed to our late season fade-out/sluggish start to the season".

 

I seem to recall another one of our players in the past having adductor issues. Can't recall who but.

I'm going to get a call up at this rate

I look at the long list of post 2018 season surgeries, add in the niggles to May and Kolodjashnij plus Lever’s recovery and can’t help thinking that the law of averages dictates that one or more will have a recurrence. Add in the typical run-of-the-mill AFL season sprains and strains and I am thankful that we now have a deep list from which to draw replacement players. 

1 hour ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

"In retrospect, the late start to the pre-season, combined with the larger than normal rehab group throughout the summer contributed to our late season fade-out/sluggish start to the season"

Or alternately ......................"the late start to the pre-season, combined with our rehab program .............contributed to having a strong list to choose from and our great finish late season.""

Is the glass half empty or half full?

Given the long and intense season, I see our late start being beneficial to the back half of the season.  Hopefully our days of promising starts, injuries and fade-out mid season are over. 

Our aim is to peak come finals time not early to mid season.

22 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Or alternately ......................"the late start to the pre-season, combined with our rehab program .............contributed to having a strong list to choose from and our great finish late season.""

Is the glass half empty or half full?

Given the long and intense season, I see our late start being beneficial to the back half of the season.  Hopefully our days of promising starts, injuries and fade-out mid season are over. 

Our aim is to peak come finals time not early to mid season.

All well and good.

Except for the fact that accepted wisdom of experts is that individual players who have interrupted pre season rarely ever get to optimal fitness and teams that have a high number of players in rehab during the off season invariably feel that impact though the season, including the back half.

Sam McClure interviews 'sports science guru' David Buttifant about this vert topic. Interesting stuff:

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=331320

Late starts to training don't seem to have been a problem for perennial finalists such as Hawthorn, Geelong and Sydney. Anyone from the club who might want to use that as an excuse (and I'm not saying there will be any) should be asked whether they've looked at how these other clubs manage that same "disadvantage".

5 minutes ago, binman said:

All well and good.

Except for the fact that accepted wisdom of experts is that individual players who have interrupted pre season rarely ever get to optimal fitness and teams that have a high number of players in rehab during the off season invariably feel that impact though the season, including the back half.

Sam McClure interviews 'sports science guru' David Buttifant about this vert topic. Interesting stuff:

https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=331320

Fair enough. 

Buttifant is probably the best in the business so I respect his expert comments. 

We will be able to measure or assess the impact as the season progresses.  

Many of our injured players have been doing a lot of running and participating in drills. It may not be ideal but they will have some level of preparation, even guys like Lever. 

I am more encouraged by the fact that we seem to be taking a cautious approach with our players and giving them the best opportunity to get their bodies right for the arduous season ahead. 

Edited February 14, 20196 yr by hemingway

3 minutes ago, hemingway said:

Fair enough. 

Buttifant is probably the best in the business so I respect his comments.

We will be able to measure or assess the impact as the season progresses. 

Many of our injured players have been doing a lot of running and participating in drills. 

True nuff.

But as Buttifant notes the impact of interrupted preseasons is not just related to recovery and fitness, but also to understanding game plan and implementing new strategies (eg because players can't participate in drills and simulations).

On measuring or assessing the impact during the season it is very  hard to do - certainly from where we sit.

Every year we find out post season that players who appeared to be out of form were in fact carrying niggles they had all season(Jones wit his neck being a good example) or never got to 'full fitness'.

27 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Late starts to training don't seem to have been a problem for perennial finalists such as Hawthorn, Geelong and Sydney. Anyone from the club who might want to use that as an excuse (and I'm not saying there will be any) should be asked whether they've looked at how these other clubs manage that same "disadvantage".

i reckon this is due to having a lot of senior players with >7-8 preseasons under their belt.  players over 25 should be OK but I wouldn't be surprised if players under 23 on our list with interrupted preseasons struggle this year

 

43 minutes ago, Demonland said:

 

Awful for the young fellow; speedie recoverie to you!

Im so, so sick of holding my breath...

Ive gotta say it, we have almost made it through pre-season without a bad new injury. This is as good as 2 wins in the bag.

 

On 2/14/2019 at 4:00 PM, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Late starts to training don't seem to have been a problem for perennial finalists such as Hawthorn, Geelong and Sydney. Anyone from the club who might want to use that as an excuse (and I'm not saying there will be any) should be asked whether they've looked at how these other clubs manage that same "disadvantage".

You make a very good point: way back in the Rev era when we couldn't play finals 2 years in a row Brisbane had a tired, sore and broken side going into the 2003 Grand Final, which they went on to win easily... 

I guess this is classified as an injury.

 

Have we had a worse run than other teams with injuries to recruits?

I think of Petracca doing his knee, Scully, Hogan, Lever,Watts,Hunt,Blease, Molan.....help me... there would be at least half a dozen more, ( ?Gawn)....... whom  we recruited with high hopes , then their early careers were severely handicapped by injury.Now Neitchke, though he’s a low draft pick, so we don’t know what we’re missing there, but it will hold him back.

When it happens to your own side you notice it, but perhaps not when it happens to the opposition,

Have we been worse off than the others?

I bet Hawthorn gets a good run with Scully, like they have had with O’Meara, who has always had injury concerns till he came to them.

I think Collingwood  has had a bad run, too, but they deserve it! Also GWS but there reserves are unlimited.

I've moved the discussion to it's own topic.

I do wish we had an updated Injury List as @dazzledavey36 suggested.

On my reckoning, 20 MFC listed players did not take part in yesterday’s game:-

1. Stephen May — hamstring 
2. Nathan Jones — hamstring/back tightness 
7. Jack Viney — ankle surgery 
8. Jake Lever — knee surgery 
12. Toby Bedford — not selected 
13. Clayton Oliver — double shoulder surgery 
16. Kade Kolodjashnij — adductor 
18. Jake Melksham — hamstring 
19. Mitch Hannan — dual knee surger 
20. Corey Maynard — hip surgery 
23. James Jordon — not selected 
25. Tom McDonald — knee 
27. Aaron Nietschke — knee surgery 
31. Bayley Fritsch — selected for AFLX 
33. Harrison Petty — not selected 
35. Oskar Baker — hamstring 
37. Kade Chandler — not selected 
43. Guy Walker — shoulder surgery 
45. Declan Keilty — not selected
46. Austin Bradtke — not selected

Hopeful that most of the big guns are out on the track in the next week or two and are ready for Round 1.

Mahoney in yesterday’s telecast suggested that Oliver and T Mac will likely play JLT 1 v Richmond.

Is Josh Wagner injured or was he simply left out yesterday?

3 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

Is Josh Wagner injured or was he simply left out yesterday?

Josh was on the field during all the breaks doing kick to kick with his brother Corey and Tom Sparrow until they were given a run later in the game. Whilst doing the kick to kick Corey and Tom were in full Demons gear and Josh was in game shorts, socks and I think footy boots but was wearing the grey/blue Demons warm up t-shirt. Perhaps he was the "emergency". 

9 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Josh was on the field during all the breaks doing kick to kick with his brother Corey and Tom Sparrow until they were given a run later in the game. Whilst doing the kick to kick Corey and Tom were in full Demons gear and Josh was in game shorts, socks and I think footy boots but was wearing the grey/blue Demons warm up t-shirt. Perhaps he was the "emergency". 

Thanks, i didn’t notice him at all, probably because i kept ducking out behind the buildings for shade during the breaks. Early days i know, but it doesn’t look good for him in his final year of contract if he can’t gain a spot in a scratch match and the team will only get stronger from here.

Has Jack Viney done much with the main group? Hopefully he can play a JLT. 

I think I heard Melksham joined the main group which is positive. 

23 days to go!