Remove this Banner Ad

List Mgmt. 2020 Draft Thread

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Log in to remove this Banner Ad


Article about Baldwin
Ranked 7th best SA prospect.


Kaine Baldwin concedes some AFL clubs might be “scared off’’ by his consecutive serious knee injuries which have seen him become one of the biggest mysteries of this year’s draft.
Once tipped as a certain top-10 selection, the Glenelg key forward has hardly played a game in two years after twice shredding his right knee.

While the rest of SA’s top draft talent were showing off their physical qualities to recruiters at the SA AFL Draft Combine two weeks ago, Baldwin was undergoing medical testing and hoping clubs would look favourably on his scans.

“It’s a bit concerning for me,’’ the 18-year-old said.

“In terms of my durability, some clubs could be scared off.

“But I’m hoping the scans will look all right and that I’ll be given a chance to play somewhere.’’

Baldwin, a 194cm key forward who has been likened to Richmond premiership forward Tom Lynch, was named in the Australian under-17 team last year before breaking down.

Then, when he was on the comeback trail in a league internal trial match in March, he injured the same knee.

Baldwin initially thought his latest injury, which occurred when he planted his right foot to shepherd for a teammate as he braced for impact, was innocuous.

He continued playing for five minutes and kicked a goal, on his damaged leg, from 15 metres out, before realising something wasn’t right and leaving the field.

Scans revealed an 80 per cent tear of his rebuilt ACL and he underwent a second reconstruction.

Baldwin said his surgeon, former Adelaide Crows rover Matthew Liptak, was confident his knee would now hold together, although a second major surgery means he has a “five-to-10 per cent’’ greater chance of re-injuring the knee.
Baldwin, who missed the entire 2020 season when he was expected to play league football, is back running and lifting the same weights as he was prior to his latest injury.

He described his latest setback as “devastating’’ but after recovering from surgery he attacked his rehabilitation with the same work ethic and discipline as the first.

Highly regarded for his professionalism and leadership as much as his football, Baldwin expects to play again in April or May.

“I’m not giving my injury too much thought at the moment and am just trying to get through my Year 12 exams (at Westminster School) but I’ve still had some interest from clubs,’’ he said.

“I’m confident I’ll be okay moving forward, so I’m just continuing with my rehab and studies and we’ll see how things pan out.

“Clubs haven’t been able to see much of me in the past two years but hopefully they look at what I was able to do in my under-16s year and see the potential I have.’’
 
Ranked 7th best SA prospect.

So we've gone from this:


(surgeon stated that the new injury was not related to the previous one and it was hinted at that the surgery wasn't a full reconstruction)

To this:


(now confirmed that the injury was an 80% tear of the graft used in the first reco after a "relatively innocuous" incident planting his foot in a shepherd which required another full reco)

Looks like his draft stocks have just taken a massive plunge.
 
Last edited:
So we've gone from this:


(surgron stated that the new injury was not related to the previous one and it was hinted at that the surgery wasn't a full reconstruction)

To this:


(now confirmed that the injury was an 80% tear of the graft used in the first reco after a "relatively innocuous" incident planting his foot in a shepherd which required another full reco)

Looks like his draft stocks have just taken a massive plunge.
Its not ideal for the kid, that's for sure. But I've no doubt he'll be drafted
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Its not ideal for the kid, that's for sure. But I've no doubt he'll be drafted
He’ll be drafted for sure, but nobody will risk their first rounder on him.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Remove this Banner Ad

List Mgmt. 2020 Draft Thread

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top