Webber

Imagine what could be done with that money…….full time umpires, grass roots investment, Tassie team, the list of ‘best for the game’ options likely to be ignored goes on.

Yep. After the 72 hour-ish acute reaction, will settle daily.

If he can’t, he won’t play. We hope! Should’ve been subbed on Friday night. Dunno what they were thinking, other than the pain being from the contusion (corky) and he’d run it out. They didn’t know about the fibula of course, but it’s clear he wasn’t running it off. It’s a bit worrying how grimly they hold to the idea that a NQR Tracc is better than any alternative. Hasn’t worked for Richmond and Dusty, won’t work for us. His game relies on unimpeded strength and power.

They’ll do if he needs, just won’t alter the ‘bone pain’, only soft tissue. Just as a bit of pain trivia (not really related to Tracc’s fib) what’s called ‘periosteal pain’, the periosteum being the layer of tissue ensheathing the bones, is recognised as being some of the most intense pain we can get. If you’ve ever had a decent bone break and known the pain that comes after the shock reaction has subsided, you’ll get what this is.

Their intensity WAS THE CAUSE of our turnovers. Mainly because we weren’t up to the pressure challenge, either by matching their intensity or adjusting our game to minimise the risk of being turned over. Watching live it was excruciating to see how predictably and repetitively we coughed it up to them, and how well-drilled they were in capitalising. Never seen a turnover ambush like it. It was clearly their primary plan, and worked brilliantly. The depressing thing being that at no stage did it look like we could counter it.

Shin splints are an inflammatory reaction at the bone-muscle junction between the tibia and tibialis posterior muscle (helps to ‘lock the foot’ for push off), which can lead to bone ‘stress’ and thus a ‘stress fracture’ if prolonged. A hairline fracture has an acute traumatic onset, a la Tracc’s, which as you say is the fibula and not a deal-breaker for weight-bearing (assuming it’s somewhere mid-shaft, not at the ankle mortice). As previously mentioned, if he’s good to run, jump, land, take-off, pivot, etc, so be it.

Pure painkilling injections aren’t a problem for repetition, only cortico-steroid jabs (anti-inflammatory). The problem is neither will do anything for bone pain. You can’t inject into the bone. Soft tissues around it, which will help reduce the pain from them, but that’s it.

I don’t really want to be the voice of cruel reality, but there’s a lot of revisionism and rationalisation going on today. We should remember that Tmac had been dropped this year, and when he got injured, his form was ok to good. Personally I think he’s great, and better for our structure, but I reckon that impact is being conveniently overrated. Christian Salem can’t be counted as ‘injured’. He played a full game. Yes, his season has been incomplete, and his form below last year, but he’s still there. As for the assumption that bandaged and strapped players amounts to us being more banged-up and carrying more cumulative injuries than other teams, that’s just an assumption based on very unreliable evidence.In truth, we’ve had a very settled season for personnel, week to week. Not perfect, never is. In-game injuries a few times, a bit of Covid absence (we won that game), but otherwise the kind of consistency ANY club would take if given the option at season’s start.

We might want that to be the case to help explain our form issues, but it’s currently pure speculation.

We are no different to other clubs in this regard. There’s a narrative around Burgess ‘play through pain’ mantra being somehow unique. It isn’t.

Shin guard (ruck style) at best. Depends on the position of fracture, and legality of guard. We’ve actually had a very good year injury-wise. (Total games lost to injury). Huge part of why we finished 2nd. Injuries are not the cause of our current form problems.

Hairline fracture means the bone is still stable, thus can bear weight. If he can do everything he needs without being pain inhibited, he will play I’d say. One week off won’t make enough difference to the vulnerability of the bone to bother missing. It’s all about the pain. If he can’t play with the pain, then he won’t. The one risk in playing on a ‘vulnerable’ bone (it’s essentially a strut), is if he gets the wrong external contact, the bone is more likely to fracture completely. To be brutal, this would heal happily in the off-season (surgery if displaced) and be good to go in early pre-season. Tough decision, but I reckon we all know what he’d want to do.

Absolutely. It helped however that Franklin is basically useless now. It almost felt sad watching him, and the nonsense he was trying (and May fell for!) because he just can’t play proper footy anymore. Still, we would’ve lost by more if he hadn’t been playing, so there’s that.

Tonight we were horribly schooled by our betters. The Swans own us, as do Collingwood, and in fact Geelong. They are the 3 best teams in the 4. This idea that our ‘best’ is the best in the AFL is errant nonsense when it can’t be sustained to win games over 4 quarters. To their credit, the Swans exposed that brutally tonight.

And if Heeney and Reid kick goals instead of posters …….you get the idea.

Better in every facet of the game, the Swans. We are their bunnies, only way to put it.

Swans killing us at the stoppages, sweating on us when we have possession, and building their attack off the turnover. We only win this if we take ownership of the contested pressure game. Just gonna fumble and fiddle our way to a loss otherwise. Longmire is a frankly brilliant coach.

Went to a couple of music gigs this week (classical - the polite clapping type), instinctively clapped then winced in pain having forgotten about my broken finger. Rookie mistake. Whistled instead - went down well. No clapping tonight. VOICE ONLY PEOPLE!

Might be a contender for most collective clangers ever …..both teams and the umps. Error-filled, high tension, undoubtedly exciting turnover-fest.

Lions are slow and reactive. Too many just waiting for the ball. Not playing finals-worthy footy at the mo.

Highlights of the captain’s run = firstly, the 7 year old kid next to us getting a signed ball over the fence from Clarrie. He could’ve popped with joy. Secondly, the ‘hearts’ in my wife’s eyes when Lingers jogged by smiling. I reminded her she was old enough to be his mum and then some. Zero care factor. GO DEES!

Didn’t spot him.

The Gosch’s resurfacing-resizing looks superb. Even got the mowing patterns!

JVR anyone?!

Spargiepants mark easily the best on account of him running sideways to the ball’s trajectory and using the sit to stabilise himself for the grab with the body twist. Greene’s and Georgiades were both front on classic elevated presentations. Charlie’s degree of difficulty higher. Science, people.