I'm interested to know if I'm the only person who thinks Jared Rivers should line up at CHB for the Dees next Sunday?

In my opinion, he's our most important player. We are a totally different side with Rivers as the keystone in defence.

A win next Sunday against an undermanned and overhyped (I hope) Hawthorn will be extremely important financially for our club.

We need some positive media attention, confidence, and a win to help lift membership numbers.

He's had 2 runs with Sandy; what will be achieved by him playing for the Zebras instead of the Dees next week.

I for 1 would love to see him play.

Thoughts? Feelings?

I think DB will follow the medical plan.

But there just might be a little surprise in store???

Yes

God i hope so, but i would hate to see him reinjure himself if picked before he is 100%

Will be interesting to see what DB and co are planning, I would not be surprised if he was named

i cannot wait til wednesday nights footy show to see the lign up..its my favourite time of the weekdays seeing the line up and seeing what the coach has planned for the match...

i cannot wait til wednesday nights footy show to see the lign up..its my favourite time of the weekdays seeing the line up and seeing what the coach has planned for the match...

Especially 1st round of the season with a new coach with new ideas, and a few players coming back from injury. Sunday cant come round quick enough

Especially 1st round of the season with a new coach with new ideas, and a few players coming back from injury. Sunday cant come round quick enough

Apparently DB has gone on record as saying that players like Jared Rivers, Clint Bartram and Matthew Whelan won't start in Round 1 and I presume that's on the strongest medical advice. I would play Rivers myself if there was any chance medically that he would be fit to see out a game without damage to his prospects of playing out a full season. Hopefully, a medical opinion will be sought this week and that he will be given the all clear but if not then we'll see him in Round 2 or 3. As long as they don't list him in the injuries with the numbers 4 to 6 at the end.

i cannot wait til wednesday nights footy show to see the lign up..its my favourite time of the weekdays seeing the line up and seeing what the coach has planned for the match...

I do not enjoy Sunday and Monday games though - you have to wait until Saturday and Sunday papers to find the final team, as only squads have been named before that.

I do not enjoy Sunday and Monday games though - you have to wait until Saturday and Sunday papers to find the final team, as only squads have been named before that.

true, and we all know we certainly have our fair share of sunday games

Absolutely yes. He has played 2 games for Sandy which although a limited preparation is enough to justify him playing about 60% game time. He should be able to handle 60% game time, given his 2 previous practice matches, without over-doing it. And Rivers playing 60% game time is far far more valuable to the team than whoever would replace him if he didn't play (eg. Morton, Frawley, Buckley, etc).

Rivers probably wont play.

DB advised at breakfast on Thursday, that Rivers is looking to round 4 or 3 to be back.

I rather he miss Round 1, than miss Round 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7 and... well you get the point.

You do not take risks with your most important players. If the doctors want to take it slow, than slow we should take it. We've seen too many players return from OP only to break down again.

As Neale Daniher always used to say, the season is not a race, it's a marathon.

As Neale Daniher always used to say, the season is not a race, it's a marathon.

A marathon is a race isn't it? :D

A marathon is a race isn't it? :D

That's what he used to say, wasn't it?

And yes, a marathon is a race, but a race is usually quick, in a marathon you have to pace yourself.

Ugh, you know what I mean!

The season is not a sprint, it's a marathon maybe?

As for Rivers, he stated he was aiming for round 1 in one of those puff pieces I read on the club website a little while back.

The season is not a sprint, it's a marathon maybe?

As for Rivers, he stated he was aiming for round 1 in one of those puff pieces I read on the club website a little while back.

Can't help but feel that the pressure of expectation that ND was under last year conciously or sub-conciously led to us playing unfit players. Not only did it harm them, but it put extra strain on the bodies of the remaining fit players, leading to more injuries still....we got caught in a viscious cycle.

So whilst my heart says yes - play Rivers - my head says no - listen to the medico's

He won't play to at least round 2 or 3 based on his game yesterday.

If Rivers form has been good for Sandy which apparently he has, surely the club should go on form then he should play that goes for Bartram and Wheatley as well. I think it will be a better move than playing kids that clearly aren't up to it at this stage like Weetra and Garland.

It may well be a marathon, but as they say, you can't win a marathon in the first few kilometres but you sure can lose it in that period. A slow start to the season can be overcome, but a disastrous start just about puts you out of calculations. We aren't exactly in the luxurious position of being able to pace ourselves.

Having said that, Rivers is too important to risk. Hopefully though his return isn't too far away.

Rivers is too important to risk.

That's been said several times in this thread, but I don't think it makes sense when talking about footy players. Which player is more likely to be "risked" -- the player whose mere presence can turn the result of a game, or the fringe flanker whose influence is neither here nor there?

That's been said several times in this thread, but I don't think it makes sense when talking about footy players. Which player is more likely to be "risked" -- the player whose mere presence can turn the result of a game, or the fringe flanker whose influence is neither here nor there?

I think it's more the nature of the injury than the importance of the player.

Bruce is ready to play Round 1, because his injury was a straight-forward one. He is able to put weight on the knee, therefore he is ready to play.

Rivers' injury, as we know, is a week by week proposition. One extra week could make a huge difference, especially when he hasn't played for so long. The huge leap in pace between VFL and AFL could flare up his groin injury, and that really is the last thing we want.

I rather he has a couple more VFL games under his belt, where he pulls up 110% the next day, before we throw him into the next level. His injury, if it returns, will probably sideline him for a whole season again (ie Moloney).

Not sure whether this is true for Bartram as well.