Grant Birchall returns after 2 years out...

[Gralin]

Clarko saying in his presser this morning that Birch's knee is coming on slower than expected, and is listed as indefinite.

Worrying.

and the club posted this yesterday http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2018-06-14/birchall-can-see-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel

Birchall said he is currently restricted to a conditioning program as he reacclimatises his body to the demands of AFL football, with his re-introduction into training with the team “a couple of weeks away”.

“The knee is feeling really good at the moment, I just have to get the work in now because I haven’t done much running.”

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Won't surprise me if he pulls the pin.

Clearly troubled by this

Told you so.

Another to retire early.

He is cooked.

 

[MrPremiership]

Struggling with the body, but surely we can't afford to lose too many players in one go. Interesting few months ahead to see if he gets a contract for 2019.

 

[MrPremiership]

and the club posted this yesterday http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2018-06-14/birchall-can-see-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel

Can never really trust the Club when it comes to injuries.

Birch reckons he's a couple of weeks away from returning to training. He's going to need a solid training block before he's ready. It's already Rd 13. Will be lucky to play a couple of games this year, if at all.

 

[Brant]

Struggling with the body, but surely we can't afford to lose too many players in one go. Interesting few months ahead to see if he gets a contract for 2019.

Isn't a huge loss in terms of on-field contribution as we've not had him for 2 years.

Would be a pretty handy 'freebie' if he came back & returned to form though - be like picking up an A/B Grader for free. At the moment it's like paying an $450k player for no output.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Struggling with the body, but surely we can't afford to lose too many players in one go. Interesting few months ahead to see if he gets a contract for 2019.

We havent had these guys for nearly 2 years.

Perfect time to move them out and use that cash to get young stars

 

[Roddy]

Birch and Cyril, both careers under a cloud, another 8 premierships worth of experience potentially out the door. Not good.

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Can never really trust the Club when it comes to injuries.

Birch reckons he's a couple of weeks away from returning to training. He's going to need a solid training block before he's ready. It's already Rd 13. Will be lucky to play a couple of games this year, if at all.

It looks like 6 weeks at an absolut minimum, doesnt it...

 

[Gralin]

Can never really trust the Club when it comes to injuries.

Birch reckons he's a couple of weeks away from returning to training. He's going to need a solid training block before he's ready. It's already Rd 13. Will be lucky to play a couple of games this year, if at all.

he said he's a couple of weeks away from training with the team which means out of rehab and back into skills, if thats the case he's probably at least a month away from footy

 

[MrPremiership]

We havent had these guys for nearly 2 years.

Perfect time to move them out and use that cash to get young stars

Or you could say that we've been in decline for 2 years without them......so we should be looking to keep them both, or at least 1, around.

 

[MrPremiership]

Isn't a huge loss in terms of on-field contribution as we've not had him for 2 years.

Would be a pretty handy 'freebie' if he came back & returned to form though - be like picking up an A/B Grader for free. At the moment it's like paying an $450k player for no output.

Or we keep him in 2019 and pay unders.

 

[Brant]

Or we keep him in 2019 and pay unders.

Wouldn't his 2019 Salary have been agreed at the time of his last extension?

Or do you mean we ask him to drop $100k to contribute to the salaries of McGovern x 2 & Sloane?

 

[TylerDurden]

We havent had these guys for nearly 2 years.

Perfect time to move them out and use that cash to get young stars

No doubt. I’ve been saying it for months. The club is clearing massive cap space and is going to load the ferk up in FA. It’s done.

 

[The Kipster]

and the club posted this yesterday http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2018-06-14/birchall-can-see-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel

or is it Birchall can see the tunnel at the end of the light?

 

[WWSD]

From 2007-2016 he was arguably the most durable player on the list. If finals are out of reach by rounds 18-19, then just put Birchall in cotton wool and get him ready for 2019. There’s no point in rushing him back.

I know he’s missed two years of footy but take a look at Henderson and Smith who are both in career best form and are also the same age as Birchall. So there’s still a good chance he can offer something to the team next year. I wouldn’t rule him out or call it the end of his career just yet.

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

To be honest, Birchall is the player we have missed most all these years.

We look 1000% better with him, but man his knee is ****ed

 

[WWSD]

To be honest, Birchall is the player we have missed most all these years.

We look 1000% better with him, but man his knee is ******

He doesn’t have a history of knee injuries though, so there’s a chance he can come back and play good footy be it this year or next.

 

[Brant]

He doesn’t have a history of knee injuries though, so there’s a chance he can come back and play good footy be it this year or next.

What did he miss with last year?

Didn't he have a knee injury & miss games in one of our premiership years?

 

[Gaston]

He doesn’t have a history of knee injuries though, so there’s a chance he can come back and play good footy be it this year or next.

This morning on SEN they were discussing PCL's (Tom Lynch) and Birchall was mentioned, they stated that he had been able to play under duress for a few years until it finally became a real issue.

With the surgery and a slow rehab he should become that durable player once more.

 

[MasterSamurai]

Wouldn't his 2019 Salary have been agreed at the time of his last extension?

Or do you mean we ask him to drop $100k to contribute to the salaries of McGovern x 2 & Sloane?

But then what are you going to explain to him when pre season starts and it’s “crickets” re- Sloane and McGovern?

 

[Brant]

But then what are you going to explain to him when pre season starts and it’s “crickets” re- Sloane and McGovern?

Means we've landed Lynch & Coniglio - same issue, different names.

Play on.

 

[TheFourPillars]

Round 18 or 19 was always the target. Hoping for better lets see how he goes. Fingers crossed

 

[PT Bar None]

Can someone please straighten me up?

This is pretty much a continuation of the same injury as last year, yeah?

ie:

• Birch played early last season
• He hurt his knee
• He missed games injured
• He always seemed to be "a few weeks away"
• Later in the season he was cotton wooled and never returned
• He came back and trained pre-season
• During the pre season it was discovered that his injured knee needed surgery for "a bit of a clean-up"
• He hasn't played at all this year
• Now, the recovery has been coming along slower than expected

Is that effectively the sequence of events? In that there's continuity from the original injury?

Gee, what a week. If I was a miserable, cynical, suspicious type, I might be thinking that some sort of decision was reached over the bye.

Hope the Hawks smash the scavengers tomoz ni'

 

[HODGEYROAD]

Isn't a huge loss in terms of on-field contribution as we've not had him for 2 years.

Would be a pretty handy 'freebie' if he came back & returned to form though - be like picking up an A/B Grader for free. At the moment it's like paying an $450k player for no output.

Add Cyril and Vickery to that and that's 1.6 mill in the last 2 seasons for no output.

 

[Great 2008]

Add Cyril and Vickery to that and that's 1.6 mill in the last 2 seasons for no output.

and Langfords four year contract.