We kick off the 2025 thread with a round up from this pre-Christmas update from Melbourne’s AFL High Performance Manager Selwyn Griffith - Performance Update | Dees on track for 2025

Max Gawn - fractured larynx sustained at training. No exercise for two weeks and no contact training for an additional four weeks.

Xavier Lindsay - PCL injury sustained  late in the Coates Talent League season to be integrated into the main group and will go into the Christmas break on the draftee program (unrestricted).

Christian Salem and Bayley Fritsch - both had arthroscopes at the end of the season and entered into rehab alongside one another. They have now integrated into full training.

Jake Lever - underwent a knee arthroscope and shoulder surgery in the off-season, is tracking well and is entering into his final month of rehab. He will be in a modified environment after the Christmas break and is expected to be in full training by the end of January.

Charlie Spargo - was sidelined for most of 2024 with an Achilles injury but is now integrated into skills with the group and is building his conditioning volume. The aim is to integrate him into an individualised Christmas program, with the plan for him to return to full training post-Christmas.

Melbourne’s AFL program will return from the Christmas break on Thursday 9th January 2025, their first day of 2025 at Casey Fields.

Melbourne

The Demons have had the odd setback but nothing to threaten availability ahead of round one. Gawn is recovering well from a larynx issue and Petracca suffered a broken rib but has been running hard. Kysaiah Pickett returned to training after a leg infection sidelined him and the unlucky Tom Fullarton continues to rehab a hamstring injury. First-round draft pick Xavier Lindsay’s build-up is gradual as he was drafted while rehabilitating a posterior cruciate ligament injury, while intercept defender Jake Lever’s build-up from shoulder and knee operations has been steady.

In reference to the AGE article, so Chin just has a 'flesh wound' and Spargo is malingering?

Edited January 27Jan 27 by Fritta and Turner

It is very disappointing that Spargo has obviously not progressed as hoped - not for lack of trying, I'm sure! He is very valuable for his pressure, tackling and terrific ball use, and particularly with Kozzy unavailable (grrrr!!) it would have been great to have him ready for week one.

The latest news on Luker Kentfield is that he’s back home in WA recovering from pneumonia.

Get well soon Luker!

Kolt 3 months wow

Injury Update | Demons eye February footy

20 minutes ago, adonski said:

Kolt 3 months wow

Injury Update | Demons eye February footy

Spewing about this.

Hoping he has a speedy recovery 

Gee there are injuries happening at most clubs.

Disappointed kolt won't be available for awhile. 

1 hour ago, adonski said:

Kolt 3 months wow

Injury Update | Demons eye February footy

Disappointed for Kolt 

Felt he really came on towards the end of last year and from reports was continuing to improve this preseason

And Melky’s hamstring???? What’s going on? This is like a bad dream 

Kolt will be fine

Young kid, has plenty of time

Melk should just miss 2-3 week training

She’ll be right!

Hoping mcvee’s foot issue is only a minor concern, he’d be sorely missed if unavailable 

Still 6 weeks until round 1 so the good news for Kolt he could miss less than a month. 
 

Need Judd and Chin back in the main group sooner than later. 

Interesting that there's no info on Spargo..

All things considering, not a bad state to be in. Feel for young Kolt, but he'll get his shot.

 

Priority is getting Trac and Gawn to full fitness and getting some match sim. 

Its a very nervous time for clubs in January.  After xmas break of 3 weeks players bodies not at optimum according to former Hawks High performance  manager.  Too much time off leading into new year and training ramps up in a very short period.

3 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

And Melky’s hamstring???? What’s going on? This is like a bad dream 

I saw him talking to a ?trainer? on Wednesday, saying he was feeling a hammy whilst poking at a spot right under his buttock.  "A bit of hamstring awareness" I thought to myself but apparently it is a little bit more than that.  Didn't mention it at the time because we had other excitement going on plus there was no indication that it was anything at that point.

The injury list with six weeks to go:-

Kade Chandler (AC joint) — will start to integrate into contact over the coming fortnight.
Tom Fullarton (hamstring) — continues to work through his recovery.
Max Gawn (larynx) — returned to full training.
Luker Kentfield (pneumonia) — was hospitalised in Perth over the Christmas break and is slowly recovering there. Expected back at the club in the coming weeks. 
Jake Lever (knee) — returned to full training.
Judd McVee (foot) — will start to integrate into contact over the coming fortnight.
Jake Melksham (hamstring) — will miss the next block of pre-season training.
Christian Petracca (ribs) — nearing full fitness in his recovery.
Charlie Spargo (Achilles) — making slow progress in his recovery.
Koltyn Tholstrup (bone stress) — prognosis after scans is that he is expected to be sidelined for the next 10 to 12 weeks. 

15 hours ago, DubDee said:

Kolt will be fine

Young kid, has plenty of time

Melk should just miss 2-3 week training

She’ll be right!

Thanks, Dub. Very reassuring. Now can I come to you any and every time I’m freaking out about something? 😂

For starters, I broke a fingernail this morning. It’s a blue one (half are blue, the other half red… yes, I’m a nuffie), please tell me everything will be ok. Lie to me if you have to!

 

😃

PS I lied. Six nails are blue, four are red coz more blue than red.

PPS footy can’t start soon enough 😂

Edited January 31Jan 31 by Ghostwriter

16 hours ago, adonski said:

Kolt 3 months wow

Injury Update | Demons eye February footy

Where on his body is the "bone stress"? I couldn't see that. There can be stress fractures to many different parts of the body - back, legs, feet etc.

3 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

Thanks, Dub. Very reassuring. Now can I come to you any and every time I’m freaking out about something? 😂

For starters, I broke a fingernail this morning. It’s a blue one (half are blue, the other half red… yes, I’m a nuffie), please tell me everything will be ok. Lie to me if you have to!

 

😃

Ruptured a tear-duct in the process?

10 minutes ago, old55 said:

Where on his body is the "bone stress"? I couldn't see that. There can be stress fractures to many different parts of the body - back, legs, feet etc.

His foot apparently. 

Bone stress seems to be pretty common in younger players. I assume for a lot of them their bodies aren’t fully ready for the increased training loads etc.

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Bone stress seems to be pretty common in younger players. I assume for a lot of them their bodies aren’t fully ready for the increased training loads etc.

Also maybe because some of them are still growing (?)

2 minutes ago, Ghostwriter said:

Also maybe because some of them are still growing (?)

Yep. Calsher Dear has the same thing and I think Phillipou from the saints