The Crows Truth
25 May 2006, 19:20
From The Australian today (they seem to be going long on Crows articles currently)
Welsh waiting in the wings for Crows' mercy mission
Andrew McGarry
May 25, 2006
THE Adelaide Crows' injury problems seem to grow week by week, but while forward Scott Welsh could be part of the answer, events are conspiring against Adelaide to delay his return.
Drafted by the Kangaroos in 1995, Welsh played in their 1999 premiership, before being traded to the Crows.
Since then he has become one of the club's leading goalkickers, culminating in 2005 when he kicked 58 to top Adelaide's list.
He played in last year's finals, but picked up a leg stress fracture which kept him out of the NAB Cup.
His extended rehabilitation forced the Crows to eventually put his expected return back to this month.
In the end, Welsh completed his first competitive match in nearly eight months last Saturday in the SANFL.
Playing for West Adelaide in a losing side, Welsh kicked three goals.
Welsh would be a handy replacement, but now the SANFL schedule looks set to frustrate any chance of his return.
This weekend all SANFL sides have a bye for tomorrow's state league
representative match between South Australia and Western Australia.
This means Welsh will lose the chance to get more vital match practice, which will delay his return to the line-up unless coach Neil Craig is desperate to get extra experience back in the forwards for Saturday's Carlton game.
West Adelaide coach and former Crow Wayne Weideman said Welsh had been nervous before the match, largely because he knew hardly any of the players and had little knowledge of West Adelaide's structure.
"I thought he was pretty good, he certainly provided us with some forward options," Weideman said.
"There were times he was left out of position, but he's shown he can still go well on the lead, he's strong with his hands, and he's capable of kicking goals.
"We'd like to see him for three to four weeks, of course that's going to depend on how he goes (with fitness) and how he plays for us."
The West Adelaide coach praised Welsh's endeavour in attack, especially considering his size (187cm, 89kg) is not that of a typical forward.
"He's only about the same size as I am, but he offers us a strong focal point in the forward line," Weideman said, adding Welsh also had the ability to use his body effectively in contests.
Weideman doubts that Adelaide would rush him back, no matter how desperate the situation was.
"Craigy isn't the kind of coach who would be in any hurry to rush him back," he said.
"Especially for someone with a foot or leg injury, they're not going to take a chance on him, they'll give him some time to get his fitness back.
"At this point we would expect to have him for about a month of footy."
Adelaide has been forced to play a patched-up forward line this season thanks to injuries.
Captain Mark Ricciuto has been shifted to full-forward with some success, although he was well out of the play against Richmond in round eight.
Adelaide also lost Ian Perrie, who injured his posterior cruciate ligament against Fremantle and is not expected to return until the second half of the year.
At the other end of the ground the absence of key defender Nathan Bock with a back injury has now been compounded by a broken arm to veteran Ben Hart (eight weeks), leaving the Crows with some tough choices to make.
Defender Jason Torney has been out for almost as long as Welsh, and he is one possible addition to the Crows side to play the Blues at AAMI Stadium.
Another option is to move Ken McGregor back to defence to cover, but this would further expose the forward line.
Welsh waiting in the wings for Crows' mercy mission
Andrew McGarry
May 25, 2006
THE Adelaide Crows' injury problems seem to grow week by week, but while forward Scott Welsh could be part of the answer, events are conspiring against Adelaide to delay his return.
Drafted by the Kangaroos in 1995, Welsh played in their 1999 premiership, before being traded to the Crows.
Since then he has become one of the club's leading goalkickers, culminating in 2005 when he kicked 58 to top Adelaide's list.
He played in last year's finals, but picked up a leg stress fracture which kept him out of the NAB Cup.
His extended rehabilitation forced the Crows to eventually put his expected return back to this month.
In the end, Welsh completed his first competitive match in nearly eight months last Saturday in the SANFL.
Playing for West Adelaide in a losing side, Welsh kicked three goals.
Welsh would be a handy replacement, but now the SANFL schedule looks set to frustrate any chance of his return.
This weekend all SANFL sides have a bye for tomorrow's state league
representative match between South Australia and Western Australia.
This means Welsh will lose the chance to get more vital match practice, which will delay his return to the line-up unless coach Neil Craig is desperate to get extra experience back in the forwards for Saturday's Carlton game.
West Adelaide coach and former Crow Wayne Weideman said Welsh had been nervous before the match, largely because he knew hardly any of the players and had little knowledge of West Adelaide's structure.
"I thought he was pretty good, he certainly provided us with some forward options," Weideman said.
"There were times he was left out of position, but he's shown he can still go well on the lead, he's strong with his hands, and he's capable of kicking goals.
"We'd like to see him for three to four weeks, of course that's going to depend on how he goes (with fitness) and how he plays for us."
The West Adelaide coach praised Welsh's endeavour in attack, especially considering his size (187cm, 89kg) is not that of a typical forward.
"He's only about the same size as I am, but he offers us a strong focal point in the forward line," Weideman said, adding Welsh also had the ability to use his body effectively in contests.
Weideman doubts that Adelaide would rush him back, no matter how desperate the situation was.
"Craigy isn't the kind of coach who would be in any hurry to rush him back," he said.
"Especially for someone with a foot or leg injury, they're not going to take a chance on him, they'll give him some time to get his fitness back.
"At this point we would expect to have him for about a month of footy."
Adelaide has been forced to play a patched-up forward line this season thanks to injuries.
Captain Mark Ricciuto has been shifted to full-forward with some success, although he was well out of the play against Richmond in round eight.
Adelaide also lost Ian Perrie, who injured his posterior cruciate ligament against Fremantle and is not expected to return until the second half of the year.
At the other end of the ground the absence of key defender Nathan Bock with a back injury has now been compounded by a broken arm to veteran Ben Hart (eight weeks), leaving the Crows with some tough choices to make.
Defender Jason Torney has been out for almost as long as Welsh, and he is one possible addition to the Crows side to play the Blues at AAMI Stadium.
Another option is to move Ken McGregor back to defence to cover, but this would further expose the forward line.