I assume you guys have seen it by now?

Viney also now has a back injury. Poor bloke can’t catch a break.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1464157

10 hours ago, waynewussell said:

I think the doom and gloom over our injury list is way out of proportion. Barring further injuries occurring to key players, I think the only players missing from my best 26, come round 1, would be Viney, Bowey, Culley and May

Totally agree.

And Culley has done a full preseason and should be back ticking the legs over sooner than later.

Henderson, Campbell and McAdam take the seriously interrupted preseason count to 6. There’s a few others like AMW, Melk and Mihocek who’ll need to be eased in to the season but that’s normal.

We’re already overloaded with talls and light on running depth so 6 is far from ideal, but we hopefully get a few of them back as the season goes on and replace the others with mid season or even a sneaky SSP.

12 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Totally agree.

And Culley has done a full preseason and should be back ticking the legs over sooner than later.

Henderson, Campbell and McAdam take the seriously interrupted preseason count to 6. There’s a few others like AMW, Melk and Mihocek who’ll need to be eased in to the season but that’s normal.

We’re already overloaded with talls and light on running depth so 6 is far from ideal, but we hopefully get a few of them back as the season goes on and replace the others with mid season or even a sneaky SSP.

Most teams will go through this. Adelaide have recently lost Curtin and Keane for decent chunks of time.

Bowey is a really bad injury for the team. He had a fantastic 2025 and seems ideally suited to a King game style that's all about creativity and run. I'm hopeful about Culley and would love to have seen him in Round 1 - sounds like that might be less likely now. The rest, though, doesn't concern me all that much apart from the fact it reduces our depth, which is never ideal.

I've loved Viney and May's careers at Melbourne, but we're well past the obvious flag window, which means we're not carefully adjusting a proven formula - we're doing something new. I think it's important to see how a midfield functions without Viney and a backline without May. I'd be surprised and disappointed if their absences took as backwards further from the lows of 2024 and 2025.

43 minutes ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Most teams will go through this.

I think this is an important point. If we got to the end of the year and used this injury list as an excuse for a poor showing, I'd be disappointed. We're not Essendon of 2025.

For information, the SSP signing period ends 2 March. So plenty of time for them to assess both Viney and McAdam

3 hours ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

I assume you guys have seen it by now?

Viney also now has a back injury. Poor bloke can’t catch a break.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1464157

Our own fault. Stupid decision to re contract a 30 year old who still had a year & a half of his deal left to run.

Dumb, dumb & Dumber by any measure.

23 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Our own fault. Stupid decision to re contract a 30 year old who still had a year & a half of his deal left to run.

Dumb, dumb & Dumber by any measure.

Possibly a bad choice, yep. Maybe all that tough footy is finally catching up to him.

To be fair, he will do whatever he needs to get back full health, and will be a bull once again. Have no doubt in that. Bleeds red and blue.

8 minutes ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Possibly a bad choice, yep. Maybe all that tough footy is finally catching up to him.

To be fair, he will do whatever he needs to get back full health, and will be a bull once again. Have no doubt in that. Bleeds red and blue.

I think the other thing to consider is the club probably knew Trac and Oliver were likely moving on, so to try keep some mature players in the side they offered the longer deal.

I don’t think his salary in the later years will be that high, so won’t hamstring us in getting better like the Oliver contract would’ve.

1 minute ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

I think the other thing to consider is the club probably knew Trac and Oliver were likely moving on, so to try keep some mature players in the side they offered the longer deal.

I don’t think his salary in the later years will be that high, so won’t hamstring us in getting better like the Oliver contract would’ve.

Look, if he wasn’t injured, I don’t think anyone would say it’s a bad decision to extend him. I think [censored] happens.

Whilst he might have a poor kick, I’d take his heart and commitment any day.

He will be valuable in teaching the younger boys, and as you said, probably significantly cheaper than Clayton.

1 hour ago, The Taciturn Demon said:

Bowey is a really bad injury for the team. He had a fantastic 2025 and seems ideally suited to a King game style that's all about creativity and run. I'm hopeful about Culley and would love to have seen him in Round 1 - sounds like that might be less likely now. The rest, though, doesn't concern me all that much apart from the fact it reduces our depth, which is never ideal.

I've loved Viney and May's careers at Melbourne, but we're well past the obvious flag window, which means we're not carefully adjusting a proven formula - we're doing something new. I think it's important to see how a midfield functions without Viney and a backline without May. I'd be surprised and disappointed if their absences took as backwards further from the lows of 2024 and 2025.

I think this is an important point. If we got to the end of the year and used this injury list as an excuse for a poor showing, I'd be disappointed. We're not Essendon of 2025.

Bowey is a fantastic creator and link up player and had a huge year. I see he and Salem playing a similar role, but we still lack the lock down defender to play on dangerous smalls. For me Bowey struggles to play this role and is best on a less dangerous small. Hoping AMW can be this player this year.

53 minutes ago, SPC said:

but we still lack the lock down defender to play on dangerous smalls

Definitely. AMW looks like an obvious choice because of his agility and speed. Interesting to see if he has the defensive skills for it. I wonder if they also try Xavier Taylor in the role at some point. Much taller than AMW, and very good over his head, by the sounds, but Michael Hibberd did some superb lock down jobs as a 185 cm hybrid defender.

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

3 hours ago, Cranky Franky said:

Our own fault. Stupid decision to re contract a 30 year old who still had a year & a half of his deal left to run.

Dumb, dumb & Dumber by any measure.

Correct. We should’ve called Jack and Todd’s North bluff.

2 more after this year, horrendous list management, leadership etc.

3 hours ago, GawnOfTheDead said:

Look, if he wasn’t injured, I don’t think anyone would say it’s a bad decision to extend him. I think [censored] happens.

It was a bad contract the day it was signed. I said it at the time. It was effectively a 4 year deal which was crazy.

He’s 32 in April and combative inside midfielders so rarely play beyond that age and nearly 250 games.

54 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

It was a bad contract the day it was signed. I said it at the time. It was effectively a 4 year deal which was crazy.

He’s 32 in April and combative inside midfielders so rarely play beyond that age and nearly 250 games.

I prefer it over McAdam any day.

1 hour ago, DeeSpencer said:

Correct. We should’ve called Jack and Todd’s North bluff.

2 more after this year, horrendous list management, leadership etc.

Completely agree with this and I had an argument with another Dees fan over it. Viney has been a fantastic servant of the club and I've loved his career from the start, but the way he and his manager took advantage of us in a weakened position to get an extra couple of years on his contract (when he has already had injury issues) really rubbed me the wrong way. I get it, he's human and ultimately has a life and family outside of the Dees, but when you look at other clubs and see players sacrificing salary/years on their contract to me it reflected poorly not only on Jack but the culture that we have failed to build.

We are able to put one of Viney or McAdam or one of the other ten injured blokes on the long term injury list and grab another player?

3 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I’m tipping a broken nose Dazzle, surely not a facial fracture.🥲

5 hours ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

I think the other thing to consider is the club probably knew Trac and Oliver were likely moving on, so to try keep some mature players in the side they offered the longer deal.

Plus Brayshaw and ANB.

Well, with so many players under a cloud and a few looking like LTI candidates, it’s time to start thinking of the supplemental draft and getting potential replacements on board. What is the cut off date?

Cal Twomey confirming Viney is having surgery on his achilles tomorrow

5 minutes ago, demoncat said:

Cal Twomey confirming Viney is having surgery on his achilles tomorrow

For the best. No point wasting time trying to get him back if he’s going to be so underdone.

Also gives us the chance to get a preseason replacement if there’s a player we like, maybe Toby Sinnema?

No Viney, Oliver, Petracca for season 2026

Almost a bit poetic the Viney stuff