Players who's career was ruined by injuries?

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PowerfulPies2023

PowerfulPies2023

Club Legend
Oct 5, 2023
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AFL Club
Collingwood
Which notable players or players that could have achieved great things at AFL level were cut short by injuries?

Menzel certainly had a lot of trouble in his career. That's a pretty big understatement actually. Buddy was robbed of some quality game time. He suffered his fair share. Jason McCartney with his horrific bad luck. Brett Heady from the West Coast and a fellow named Brad Smith was a goal kicking machine at Subiaco kicking 100+ 2 seasons in a row. I think he suffered two knee reco's in a row after getting drafted by the Eagles.

Care to name a few?
 
Alex Johnson - 7 ACL injuries
Lee Walker
 

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Oh god North have so many of these. Jesse W Smith, one of the most promising young mids in the league, career ruined by soft tissue injuries, he left the club in frustration but had the same problems at St. Kilda. Kieran Harper, looked set to be the next Steve Johnson when chronic ankle and knee injuries ****ed his agility and he was never the same again. Cameron Richardson, prized big bodied midfielder from North Ballarat, lost the ability to move due to injuries (I believe it was a knee but it's pretty hard to find reporting about it.) Ben Jacobs, announced himself after nullifying Trent Cotchin in the 2015 elimination final, hit his head in 2016 and got what seemed like permanent concussion symptoms, never played again.
 
I still think Cyril would have been spoken amongst the Lethal's and Bartlett's if his body could handle playing as a rover for 20+ games a season, let alone 20 minutes.

Will have to settle with being an all timer small forward.
 
Because he recently got picked up by Richmond and I was reminded of him but Sam Naismith. By all rights he has the talent to be a 200 game ruckman. His injuries have been cruel.
 
SSSSSS said:
I still think Cyril would have been spoken amongst the Lethal's and Bartlett's if his body could handle playing as a rover for 20+ games a season, let alone 20 minutes.

Will have to settle with being an all timer small forward.
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Hows that related to injury? Or is it a case of body not built for it or to lazy to put in the effort to perform at his best. If it's the later there's a few you could put in that boat
 

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caveman72 said:
Hows that related to injury? Or is it a case of body not built for it or to lazy to put in the effort to perform at his best. If it's the later there's a few you could put in that boat
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His hamstrings just couldn't handle the load. He had a horror run.

He had to re-train his biomechanics and learn to run 'properly' just to get on the park. That alone is more work than most.
 
SSSSSS said:
His hamstrings just couldn't handle the load. He had a horror run.

He had to re-train his biomechanics and learn to run 'properly' just to get on the park. That alone is more work than most.
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Ok body not really built to play midfield? and probably a little bit of liking Turtle to much making it hard to keep some weight off
 
Barlow is another one. Incredible debut season (probably would have measured top 5 in the Brownlow if he kept his trajectory). Breaks his leg. Never the same player again.

Still forged a good career but what could have been?

Schwartz was a hell of a player before his knees started exploding.
 
SSSSSS said:
Barlow is another one. Incredible debut season (probably would have measured top 5 in the Brownlow if he kept his trajectory). Breaks his leg. Never the same player again.

Still forged a good career but what could have been?

Schwartz was a hell of a player before his knees started exploding.
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Been some bloody unlucky players crippled by injury. Modra would have had 2 premierships. now with the concussions ending careers. You have to wonder how many from the past would have had shorter careers under the same rules. Then on the other hand how many may have played on with the improvement in medicine now
 
john longmire had kicked 494 from 155 games (3.18 a game) and won a coleman. 464 in 128 from 90 to 95 (3.6 a game/ 80 a year ave for 22 games)

does knee before 96 season. north change forward set up around Carey and McKernan takes off.

comes back and basically plays as a 2nd ruck/full back and agility/speed non existent

kicks 17 goals in last 45 games
 
Shaun Rehn, he could've been the best ruckman of all time if it wasn't for a couple knee recos
Matthew Egan
Ryan Fitzgerald
 
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Ben Reid
 
Couple of Tiger all-timers I can think of.

Royce Hart's problems commenced before he reached what should have been the half way mark of his career and had an almost certain 300+ game career truncated at 187 games due to his knee problems. He was seen as either the best or next best player in the game for 4-5 years up to the early 70's.

Rance never played again once he did his knee, cost him the last 3rd of his career at least.

From other clubs:

Neal Daniher was mentioned earlier and he was a tremendous player totally cut down by knee injuries. His career was genuinely wrecked by injury, possibly the worst case I have seen.

Naitanui missed so much footy, possibly the best ruck I have seen. Like the Tiger pair above injury didn't so much ruin his career, just robbed him of a very significant portion of his career.

Collingwood's John Greening's career was destroyed by what was believed to be a deliberately inflicted injury when felled behind play. Nobody witnessed it but the closest player was St Kilda thug Jim O'Dea. Many thought Greening would have been Collingwood's best post-war player based on his first few seasons. He barely played again and was nowhere near the same player.

Geoff Southby was similarly felled by Neil Balme in the 1973 GF in a shocking incident. Southby had won 2 B & F's before turning 22 as a Full Back in a great Carlton team, he never won another. He played plenty of good footy after this incident but I think it affected him a bit, he was tracking to be clearly the best Full Back of the TV era before it occurred.

Career-affecting injury is a very sad aspect of the sport. There must be so many players who would have had really good careers but for being cut down or slowed down by injuries.
 
From a Carlton perspective.

Knees stopped Kouta from having an extended period as the best player in the comp.
Was establishing himself as an unstoppable force in ‘00, ‘01 when respectively picked up an MCL then an ACL.
Robbed him of his key attribute, which was pretty much unrivalled athleticism for the time.
Was pretty much doing everything for those two seasons, playing mid, back, forward, getting it close to 30 times and averaging two goals a game (When focussed forward of centre)

Judd probably another, was the best outside mid I’ve ever seen in his WC days, an absolute jet. Numerous injuries robbed him of his explosive capabilities, but like most true greats that loose a one wood, pivoted and turned himself into a contested ball beast. I think his ability to do so has been underrated by many as his shoulders were shot from the get go. Built up an incredible core strength to compensate for the loss of his explosiveness.
 
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