Brocky has just got to be cursed. If he could remain fully fit for an extended period of time (preferably 25 weeks of an AFL season), he would be dominating the competition, without a doubt. It frustrates the hell out of me when we all think that he is over his soft tissue worries and then bang he twists a knee, an arm, an ankle...whatever.

Also, on the topic of fitness...who has really put in this off season? I haven't been able to make it down to training at all but can some informed person please share who is really staking their claim for a spot in the team? From all reports Jones and Buckley are ripping up the training track...any other dark horses?

Brocky has just got to be cursed. If he could remain fully fit for an extended period of time (preferably 25 weeks of an AFL season), he would be dominating the competition, without a doubt. It frustrates the hell out of me when we all think that he is over his soft tissue worries and then bang he twists a knee, an arm, an ankle...whatever.

Also, on the topic of fitness...who has really put in this off season? I haven't been able to make it down to training at all but can some informed person please share who is really staking their claim for a spot in the team? From all reports Jones and Buckley are ripping up the training track...any other dark horses?

its quite depressing. The fact that Sylvia, Bell, Bartram and McLean are so injury prone is in itself gutrenching. These are fantastic players all of which are in my option critical to the team dynamics. I seriously doubt we will ever see Sylvia at his best and Bartram at his 2006 season. McLean has the potentual to be a brownlow medilest.

its quite depressing. The fact that Sylvia, Bell, Bartram and McLean are so injury prone is in itself gutrenching. These are fantastic players all of which are in my option critical to the team dynamics. I seriously doubt we will ever see Sylvia at his best and Bartram at his 2006 season. McLean has the potential to be a brownlow medilest.

You forgot Moloney... Whelan and Rivers are obviously stuffed also...and of course Bruce is out before a ball is bounced

Lucky bunch aren't we

Ah well another rubbish season coming up

You forgot Moloney... Whelan and Rivers are obviously stuffed also...and of course Bruce is out before a ball is bounced

Lucky bunch aren't we

Ah well another rubbish season coming up

yeha i just remembered moloney minutes after posting it. Whelan has had a bad run but he has strung some good form toghether. Rivers is also an issue. To be honest it will be a mirricle if the fitness staff can bring these boys to good fitness. It will take a heck of a lot of luck also

You forgot Moloney... Whelan and Rivers are obviously stuffed also...and of course Bruce is out before a ball is bounced

Lucky bunch aren't we

Ah well another rubbish season coming up

The common theme among the injuries are those players (McLean, Whelan, Moloney, Rivers, Bartram and Neitz) who enjoy the physical aspect of the game are regularly injured. The only exception is Junior who had his fair share of problems early in his career.

Is it conditioning that allows the likes of Brett Kirk, Simon Black and Daniel Kerr to stay fit, or just luck?

The common theme among the injuries are those players (McLean, Whelan, Moloney, Rivers, Bartram and Neitz) who enjoy the physical aspect of the game are regularly injured. The only exception is Junior who had his fair share of problems early in his career.

Is it conditioning that allows the likes of Brett Kirk, Simon Black and Daniel Kerr to stay fit, or just luck?

The injuries suffered by those players are not the same injuries and most were not the direct result of physical contact.

You forgot Moloney... Whelan and Rivers are obviously stuffed also...and of course Bruce is out before a ball is bounced

Lucky bunch aren't we

Ah well another rubbish season coming up

Sometimes I wonder.... I've liked our recruiting over the last few years, but I wonder how much thought CAC and others put into whether or not players are injury prone. Or to put it more clearly, how seriously they consider it... I'm sure they do all their homework so as not to get a turkey, but if a player does have a history, do they just say "bargain" and take them with a smile, safe in the knowledge they've gotten them at a reduced price?

Sometimes I wonder.... I've liked our recruiting over the last few years, but I wonder how much thought CAC and others put into whether or not players are injury prone. Or to put it more clearly, how seriously they consider it... I'm sure they do all their homework so as not to get a turkey, but if a player does have a history, do they just say "bargain" and take them with a smile, safe in the knowledge they've gotten them at a reduced price?

How many of the players recruited by MFC who are currently blighted by injury had a history of injury when recruited? How else would you have determined they were injury prone?

can someone please fill me in why Rivers is still injured? I thought he was in great shape and raring to go?

Each year, a typical AFL club has around six players who play all games, and even many of those play through some kind of soreness. Another six players per club play more than 19 games, missing three or less because of tweaks, strains, bumps, concussions etc..

We're talking half a best 22, every year, every club, copping substantial injuries.

There's no denying that 2007 sucked like a tornado for Melbourne on the injury front, but there's also no reason to think that 2008 will be anything other than a normal season.

Bartram and Whelan have issues, but should be introduced back into regular play within the first half of the season.

Barring new problems, by round 1 all of Bruce, Mclean, Moloney, Sylvia, Rivers, Neitz, Robertson, Wheatley and CJ will be 100% available, and I'd expect almost of them to get in at least one [censored]/practice match before then as well. Several will play on saturday against Geelong.

They'll definately be around in time to smash the stuffing out the dirty stinking Hawks, who quite rightly have half their core midfield players suspended for round 1.

Ins - Mclean, Sylvia, Moloney.

Outs - Crawford, Hodge, Lewis.

Does anyone here still feel sorry for themselves?

Does anyone here still feel sorry for themselves?

Im not Sorry (for myself)

But without having facts on hand, I believe most of the past 10 years can be characterised by our fitness at this time of the year.

When we have a fair few out, we get off on a bad start and go downhill.

If all are fit, even if we dont go well in the NAB cup, internal competition to get into the ones sees plenty of good performances.

This year our outs are very significant and to add insult to injury, it seems that some of the outs are being carefully managed.i.e Rivers, Sylvia and Brock.

The club seems to be telling the fans most of our injured are just niggles.

This rings large bells in my empty head. The club has a history of playing down bad pre-seasons.

To be as generous as I can be, Im tipping a rebuilding year.

I will be pleasantly surprised if I got it wrong...

The club seems to be telling the fans most of our injured are just niggles.

This rings large bells in my empty head. The club has a history of playing down bad pre-seasons.

This is the part that frustrates me Franky.

It's not necessarily about winning or losing pre-season games, it's about who's on the park and how we're playing.

This is the part that frustrates me Franky.

It's not necessarily about winning or losing pre-season games, it's about who's on the park and how we're playing.

No its about winning. We need the confidence...the cash...and more members jumping onboard with the sight of a light at the end of the tunnel

No its about winning. We need the confidence...the cash...and more members jumping onboard with the sight of a light at the end of the tunnel

By golly Golly your right!

Momentum and confidence are two powerful forces that deserted us last year.

We need faith & hope...because we can't rely on the AFL's charity!

How many of the players recruited by MFC who are currently blighted by injury had a history of injury when recruited? How else would you have determined they were injury prone?

I can't think of their names now, but we had a couple that had suspect injury histories. I think Grimes sat out much of last year didn't he? Sylvia had injury issues beforehand from memory... but I could be wrong. Moloney is an obvious one... What I was referring to was the fact that if a player is prone to injuries... chronic ones like Rivers', Sylvia's, and Moloney's surely there's some evidence ofg it in the screening that comes in the year before drafting...

My point is, I wonder if recruiters look at a player and see resilience as a big plus. I've always said Carroll is one of our best at taking the biggest hits, and coming up every week playing a fairly consistent brand of footy (if not dazzling) Every second week last season I thought he was out for a month after copping big hits in the ribs, head, back etc etc... And besides JMac, and maybe Jones he's probably our only player that is that resilient WHILE ALSO being tough as old boots (White, Yze stand the test of time but are regarded as more outside players)...

I'd love to know what the recruiters look for, and more importantly what order it goes in when putting togther their most-wanted list... And how much being injury prone plays a part... Maybe they look at Judd and don't want to fal for the same trap the Hawks and Saints fell for looking at his shoulders...

It depends on the injury.

When did Sylvia first come down with OP? I thought it was pre season. He had a big year in the U17 the year before. Rivers had only a wrist injury during his time at MFC pre OP. Moloney was fit when he came to MFC and had a great first year then got OP.

I dont think any of these issues were predictable. Its very hard to fully determine injury susceptibility of players whether they be big or small.

It depends on the injury.

When did Sylvia first come down with OP? I thought it was pre season. He had a big year in the U17 the year before. Rivers had only a wrist injury during his time at MFC pre OP. Moloney was fit when he came to MFC and had a great first year then got OP.

I dont think any of these issues were predictable. Its very hard to fully determine injury susceptibility of players whether they be big or small.

Sylvia definitely had OP during his time in U18's. I can recall the time that he was recruited, it was well known that he was dealing with it in the year leading up to the draft, and was switched between full-forward and on ball as a way of dealing with it.

So much so, I think he had a limited pre-season for his under 18 club Bendigo, that being at least a year before we drafted him - He struggled with Preseason even as a junior.

Having said that, I reckon they made the right choice, because when he gets himself right (looking good - touch wood) He will be a superstar and this should outweigh the pain endured to get him right

Thanks for clarification on Sylvia.

I hope he fulfills our hopes.