Webber

Ah, the utterly perfect put-down* *(no disrespect to the appropriate use of Velcro fastening footwear)

Definitely word of the day.

To say we’re all hanging out to hear about young Ms Binners reaction is the understatement of the weekend I reckon.

In the world of elite sport, that’s just bio-anatomically observant, @rpfc. Same for the men. I reckon the team as a group looked fitter and stronger, almost as if they’d been working to that end! Their running, strength in the aerial contest and physicality in tackling was, to me at least, who went to the first Melb v Bulldogs game at the ‘G, exponentially greater than that of course, and simply better year on year. It’s just so satisfying seeing the comp evolve from its inception, despite the AFL’s half-arsed bet-hedging lack of optimal commitment. I look at Tyla Hanks, who I saw play in her first year (at Victoria Park), when I said to Mrs. Webber (yes, I did), she’ll be a Dees skipper one day, and how she’s now one of the best ‘pure’ footballing talents running around. It’s just plain exciting. Ikon Park (excepting for that big CFC logo) is perfect for AFLW, too. Just like I used to imagine a fully aligned women’s AFL comp, I like to imagine a time when the AFL has the gumption to build an AFLW specific stadium, and have a proper season, not some 10 round tease.

Brilliant! And deserved. Am I right in thinking Georgie Campbell is ex-Dee Tony Campbell’s daughter?

Partial tears do exist, but they’re never reconstructed. The policy is play on until or if it ruptures fully. A ‘good’ ACL is uncomplicated by other concomitant injury - no meniscal (cartilage) damage, no (or minimal) medial ligament tear, no joint surface damage or bone surface fracture. A straightforward rehab at Jake’s career point would see him in full match play at 9 months post-surgery. 12 months is the recent preferred time only to avoid general joint irritability. At 9 months, the graft is fully consolidated into the bone and fully revascularised (has a blood supply).

Not just the Dees who are blessed to have Max, the AFL should be on their knees thanking him for being so different to the banal, controversy stoking rubbish the footy media generally trot out. He’s a champ, he knows it, but also that his footy and his club is paramount.

More likely I think @La Dee-vina Comedia is that he would go allograft, hope his rehab is optimal, and return to full matchplay at 9 months, which would be start of June (theoretically assuming he had surgery this week). The only reason full return to sport has more recently been pushed to 12 months is not to do with graft strength (it’s fully revascularised by 9 months), but decreased incidence of knee joint irritability. That would ultimately settle, so it’s a minimal long term risk. Optimally, he’d get 3 months footy pre-finals. Will all depend, as it should, on how Jake feels about another go round.

Yeah, haven’t seen one for years, quite simply because they break. Surgeons have therefore gone off them, because they run like spooked sheep from ‘failures’. The Swans player whose name I can’t remember was an exception, but if he followed clinical patterns it would have broken by now. Thus, anyone who gets one, ultimately needs an allograft (own tissue) replacement anyway, meaning another significant knee surgery, increased likelihood of early degeneration in the knee, and so on. The next best, and thus fastest, is a cadaver graft, harvested from donor bodies, but the graft still has to go through a ‘dead’ phase, before enlivening again with its own blood supply, meaning still 6-9 months (as against 9 - 12). The only difference between that and standard allograft (hamstring, quadriceps or patellar tendon) is the absence of issues related to harvesting your own tissue, which isn’t a problem long term anyway. Cadaver grafts are popular in countries with ‘opt out’ organ donor programmes (and meniscal transplants are WAY ahead in those places). Our organ donation policy is ‘opt-in’, which nobody wants to talk about, so cadaver grafting is niche in Australia. Too much info?

Wow!

I know! Surprised how long it took for someone to nail the irony. Well done @Monocology.

Think of it as resting the foot. An abundance of caution. I would remind everyone also that when he came back on the ground on Sunday, he was totally unhindered and kicked 3 more goals. And he left the ground that way at the siren. Relax.

Yep. Posted the following on post-game, and sadly, it’s the reason we should expect the worst- I’ve just learned that Goody said it’s looking like an ACL. This would mean Jake had a positive Lachman’s test, which is close to definitive in the rooms if the knee lets you apply the test effectively (able to relax, not too much swelling yet, or unconscious muscle ‘guarding’). MRI to seal the deal.

Can be either, in truth. There’s no way of knowing based on pain alone, and one personal experience is close to useless balanced across the spectrum of possible experiences of either injury. I’ve just learned that Goody said it’s looking like an ACL. This would mean Jake had a positive Lachman’s test, which is close to definitive if the knee lets you apply the test effectively (able to relax, not too much swelling yet, or unconscious muscle ‘guarding’). The reason for MCL guess is twofold - that the knee collapsed ‘inwards’, and his indicating his inner knee on the bench. I don’t doubt he has some MCL, and over half of ALL ACL ruptures come with MCL concomitance, a bit less so the medial meniscus.

Could be anything, but ACL seems very unlikely given his ease and no apparent swelling. If I HAD to guess, I’d say medial ligament (MCL), gde 1+, which would make him a non-starter for the QF anyway. 🤞🏻 it’s nothin’.

And a prime-cut steak in French is called an ………?

Yeah, nah, not that simple I think.

Noticed this too. Must be on account of the ‘dead rubber’ status for us. Not that we’ll deliberately try to lose, only that our incentive to win just doesn’t exist. Will be very weird to watch. Assuming Tmac gets a run, and possibly Disco, I reckon it’s all about them and their exposed form. Bailey Laurie, too, and of course Fritta. For the rest, just no injuries, please.

It’s a multi-faceted, variably hued glory bonce.

Are you though? (Asking for a friend)

Remember an interview with Burgo in 2021 (maybe 2020), where he said Kozzie was the most exceptional combination of speed and endurance he’d seen over all his elite sport gigs.

It’s par for the course, Jaded. None of us have the vaguest idea what they’ll do at any time. It’s a complete mess. Meanwhile, we’re playing very poorly.

As we’ve become used to, the umpiring is inexplicable. Hawks picking us apart with apparent ease. Will we wake up?

Part of my point is that they’re never all assumed goal kickers at the same time. ANB and Spargs are not ‘small forwards’. Nibbler’s game against North in Tassie was the perfect example of how his role gets confused. He kicked 3 goals, but he was everywhere on the day (as he is every week, an endurance freak), not predominantly up forward. Other weeks he’ll score donuts, yet play his role to a tee as prescribed. As to his landmark, what an extraordinary achievement. 150 games of sheer determination, dedicated team work and on field ethic (and all for a whipping boy!). He’s a special player. Well done Alex Neal Bullen. 👏🏻

Spargs role is not the same as Nibbler. Nibbler plays ‘on-ball’ a lot, to say he’s a regular ‘first hands’ attendee at stoppages (rarely CBA), so will obviously get more possessions. Spargs is never that, he’s next layer out, wider for the release, of which he’s just one of other options. All players spend time in defence, as defined by the back half of the ground, given the high press. Chandler is always the last line, the most attacking line, as per JVR. Spargs will be higher in that press, closer to the defending goal. Different role. There’s no doubt that Spargs possession numbers are his weakness, but I reckon he’s top 5 for ball use in the team. Top 3 probably. Bringing the two together is obviously the goal, and he’s taken his chance to offer just that again. He gets 15 possessions, the team benefits hugely.