Melbourne veteran Lachie Hunter will attempt to overcome a calf complaint in time to resume pre-season training this week.

The gun wingman suffered a minor calf injury over the summer break and will attempt to gain clearance to train before Wednesday’s session.

"Dees' pre-season from hell!"   (Player has overcome minor calf complaint)

We're the H-Sun.  The "H" stands for hyperbole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A calf complaint in January... Oh no!

He will be right!😇🥰

What garbage sensationalist stuff from the Herald Sun…preseason from hell. Give us a break. 
 

Wouldn’t be bad news if he was out for 38 weeks, yet alone back by Wednesday 

Could be good news for Winsor

Well it is a calf injury and such things do tend to dog players late in their careers but a reading of Jay Clark’s article suggests that the Herald-Sun is up to its usual tricks. 

Clark himself calls the injury "minor" with the issue being whether he'll be ready to resume training tomorrow. That is, 6-7 weeks before the team’s opening match.

Panic stations?

No, not even close - just rubbish journalism.

Liam ryan is having surgery 

Some poor kid from the bombers has done his knee

 

But lachy hunter has a mild calf strain and its the preseason from hell

While this is a minor worry, we all know what the headline is really referring to. I don't mind a preseason from  hell if we win a flag in September.

10 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

No, not even close - just rubbish journalism.

Wouldn't expect nothing less.

Ok but seriously what injury issues do we actually have?

Hunter apparently 

Petty on the slow return

Melksham knee but back running

Smith and clarry missing.... any others? 

8 hours ago, Dee-monic said:

I don't mind a preseason from  hell if we win a flag in September.

That's what the media is scared of. Us winning this year instead of their faves.

11 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Wouldn’t be bad news if he was out for 38 weeks, yet alone back by Wednesday 

Not agreeing or disagreeing with you but who would be your starting winger if Hunter is out of the Sydney game, Brayshaw is a near certainty to be in the opening centre bounce (if Clarry's out) and JJ is wearing the oppo's colours?

Calf injuries seem to linger for weeks...

5 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Not agreeing or disagreeing with you but who would be your starting winger if Hunter is out of the Sydney game, Brayshaw is a near certainty to be in the opening centre bounce (if Clarry's out) and JJ is wearing the oppo's colours?

Calf injuries seem to linger for weeks...

Tingay, his original number would be vacant

Half expecting the next HS headline to be Harry Petty asks for a trade home due to a calf issue...on the family farm. 

I personally think it is fair to label it ‘the pre-season from hell’

16 minutes ago, The Jackson FIX said:

I personally think it is fair to label it ‘the pre-season from hell’

I can't recall a worse pre season (with all respect to Troy Broadbridge in 2004) in terms of negative media and distractions.

39 minutes ago, The Jackson FIX said:

I personally think it is fair to label it ‘the pre-season from hell’

Possibly true, however to put a headline about what appears to be a very minor calf strain to Lachie Hunter... just is a beat up.
I wonder if the media got confused with Jaiden Hunter from the Bombers doing his ACL, that type of injury would justify the headline.  Not a calf, and one at that which still has him training this morning without that much discomfort according to the track watchers.

To be fair to the Herald-Sun, the headline writers have to come up with something and whenever Demons are involved, using "hell" is always going to be a natural fit. It's like bad news at Carlton will result in a headline using "blues" and for the Bombers an injured player will be "grounded". 

2 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Not agreeing or disagreeing with you but who would be your starting winger if Hunter is out of the Sydney game, Brayshaw is a near certainty to be in the opening centre bounce (if Clarry's out) and JJ is wearing the oppo's colours?

Calf injuries seem to linger for weeks...

Billings, Blake Howes, Taj Woewodin, Bailey Laurie... we could even look to push Salem higher if needed.
We have ample coverage.

3 hours ago, The Jackson FIX said:

I personally think it is fair to label it ‘the pre-season from hell’

I think the one we had in 2019 where we only had about 16 or 17 players actually training at one point would qualify as that though. 

6 hours ago, biggestred said:

I think the one we had in 2019 where we only had about 16 or 17 players actually training at one point would qualify as that though. 

And we’re not the only ones to have had a mare of an off-season in recent times - thinking back to that one and then Wet Toast and even Collingwood 2020, history isn’t on our side in terms of shifting the tide come season proper

Well, the Herald Sun hasn’t disappointed this morning. The headline says TALL FALL AS DEES TAKE ON BIG WET and it’s about our uncapped defender Jed Adams who slipped in the soaking rain and faceplanted while in the middle of a kicking drill. Trainers were called, he might end up with a shiner and finally the club confirmed there was no fear of concussion after the slip.

Meanwhile, Lachie Hunter’s sore calf kept him away from the main group but he “moved strongly and ran at good speed” and could “return to training with the main group as soon as Friday’s session”. 

Hallelujah! The club’s season is back on track. 

Thanks Herald Sun.

12 hours ago, The Jackson FIX said:

And we’re not the only ones to have had a mare of an off-season in recent times - thinking back to that one and then Wet Toast and even Collingwood 2020, history isn’t on our side in terms of shifting the tide come season proper

Yes but my point is that its injuries that make it a horrible pre season. And we have very few, touch wood.

Edited January 17, 20241 yr by biggestred