no1bankteller
13 Nov 2003, 10:14
Operation Travis: Eagles play safe
By Mark Duffield
WEST Coast has put promising key position player Travis Gaspar in pre-season cotton wool in a bid to protect him from injuries which have threatened his career.
Gaspar, 22, will have a specially modified training program this summer aimed at getting him fit for AFL football without aggravating the injuries which have restricted him to 21 matches in three seasons.
The rangy younger brother of Richmond star Darren, Gaspar is rated as the Eagles' best key position prospect and the player most likely to hold down centre half-back or centre half-forward. But he played only five games in 2003 because of stress fractures in his feet and hamstring problems.
He walked laps and did stationary skills rather than join teammates for a light session on the firm McGillivray Oval playing fields yesterday when West Coast officially started training.
Coach John Worsfold confirmed that Gaspar, known to overtrain at times in the past, would be kept tightly in check.
"We have to rely on medical advice for what the best program is for Travis to be able to play football," Worsfold said.
"We have got no doubt that with his work rate he is always going to be fit enough. It is just monitoring what he actually does."
Asked if next year was make or break for Gaspar given his injury problems, Worsfold said: "To a degree it is. I have got no doubt that if he gets himself right he will play good AFL football. If he is injured then that has to be assessed at the end of the year.
"But he has got the qualities to be a very good AFL footballer in the future. We are hoping that begins next year for us.
"He is on a restricted training program from now with a few other players as well."
Despite his injury problems, Gaspar still sits at the front of a queue of young West Coast players likely to get the chance to play any of the four key positions next season.
The departure of David Haynes, Ashley McIntosh and Troy Wilson, and the likelihood that Glen Jakovich will be used in different roles next season puts the Eagles in the unusual - for a top eight team - position of having all four key berths up for grabs.
Gaspar, Andrew McDougall, Ashley Hansen, Paul Johnson, Quinten Lynch and Darren Glass are the leading contenders.
Worsfold is confident that Lynch, Hansen, Gaspar and McDougall in particular will stand up to AFL football next season and indicated that Jakovich remained an option for a role down the spine.
"We haven't pushed guys into those positions in the last two years because we have been happy to give everyone the opportunity to show what they can do," he said.
"We have done that a fair bit. We are aware how Jako can play and how Travis Gaspar can play and McDougall has shown that he can play at AFL level, as has Lynch."
He said Hansen was "tracking extremely well" after two pre-seasons and two full seasons of WAFL.
Ben Cousins, Phil Matera, David Wirrpunda, Drew Banfield and Chad Fletcher missed yesterday's session but are expected to join in training during the next two weeks.
November 13, 2003
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Reading through the above article I did not get an impression that Gasper is assured of CHF spot next year. From what the article seems to be saying is that he is bineg looked at for both CHB and CHF spot. Is there something I am missing?
By Mark Duffield
WEST Coast has put promising key position player Travis Gaspar in pre-season cotton wool in a bid to protect him from injuries which have threatened his career.
Gaspar, 22, will have a specially modified training program this summer aimed at getting him fit for AFL football without aggravating the injuries which have restricted him to 21 matches in three seasons.
The rangy younger brother of Richmond star Darren, Gaspar is rated as the Eagles' best key position prospect and the player most likely to hold down centre half-back or centre half-forward. But he played only five games in 2003 because of stress fractures in his feet and hamstring problems.
He walked laps and did stationary skills rather than join teammates for a light session on the firm McGillivray Oval playing fields yesterday when West Coast officially started training.
Coach John Worsfold confirmed that Gaspar, known to overtrain at times in the past, would be kept tightly in check.
"We have to rely on medical advice for what the best program is for Travis to be able to play football," Worsfold said.
"We have got no doubt that with his work rate he is always going to be fit enough. It is just monitoring what he actually does."
Asked if next year was make or break for Gaspar given his injury problems, Worsfold said: "To a degree it is. I have got no doubt that if he gets himself right he will play good AFL football. If he is injured then that has to be assessed at the end of the year.
"But he has got the qualities to be a very good AFL footballer in the future. We are hoping that begins next year for us.
"He is on a restricted training program from now with a few other players as well."
Despite his injury problems, Gaspar still sits at the front of a queue of young West Coast players likely to get the chance to play any of the four key positions next season.
The departure of David Haynes, Ashley McIntosh and Troy Wilson, and the likelihood that Glen Jakovich will be used in different roles next season puts the Eagles in the unusual - for a top eight team - position of having all four key berths up for grabs.
Gaspar, Andrew McDougall, Ashley Hansen, Paul Johnson, Quinten Lynch and Darren Glass are the leading contenders.
Worsfold is confident that Lynch, Hansen, Gaspar and McDougall in particular will stand up to AFL football next season and indicated that Jakovich remained an option for a role down the spine.
"We haven't pushed guys into those positions in the last two years because we have been happy to give everyone the opportunity to show what they can do," he said.
"We have done that a fair bit. We are aware how Jako can play and how Travis Gaspar can play and McDougall has shown that he can play at AFL level, as has Lynch."
He said Hansen was "tracking extremely well" after two pre-seasons and two full seasons of WAFL.
Ben Cousins, Phil Matera, David Wirrpunda, Drew Banfield and Chad Fletcher missed yesterday's session but are expected to join in training during the next two weeks.
November 13, 2003
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reading through the above article I did not get an impression that Gasper is assured of CHF spot next year. From what the article seems to be saying is that he is bineg looked at for both CHB and CHF spot. Is there something I am missing?