Injury 2021 Injury Thread

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goyoucatters

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A few snippets from an article about Blitz returning to the backline..

AFTER back-to-back finals series operating as a wing/ruck, Geelong's Mark Blicavs will settle as a backman again this season.

The 29-year-old trained with the defenders during match simulation on Thursday as Patrick Dangerfield (groin) and Jeremy Cameron (hamstring) sat out.

Cameron and Dangerfield completed running sessions away from the main group on Thursday, both touch-and-go for the Cats' practice match with Collingwood (February 26) and AAMI Community Series date with Essendon (March 6).

Forward Luke Dahlhaus (groin) and ruckman Darcy Fort (knee) remain sidelined, while Sam Simpson (shoulder surgery) is still working back to full fitness.

 

goyoucatters

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Same article from above now also has an added 'update' on Duncan working to overcome a calf issue.

Duncan was unsighted after injuring his calf earlier in the pre-season but isn't expected to be in any doubt for the Cats' season-opener against Adelaide on March 20.

 
Same article from above now also has an added 'update' on Duncan working to overcome a calf issue.



Calf issues on a man turning 30 in June isn't a great sign
 

goyoucatters

Norm Smith Medallist
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Calf issues on a man turning 30 in June isn't a great sign.

Indeed. Can only hope it doesn't become a chronic issue.

Apart from 2015, though, he's played 20 games or more in every season since 2010. So the evidence of his durability to this point is actually pretty compelling.
 
A few snippets from an article about Blitz returning to the backline..





I worry about Stanley's ability to stay on the park for a full season if he's going it alone
 

goyoucatters

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I worry about Stanley's ability to stay on the park for a full season if he's going it alone

Surely we all do. But he is so far our best option in the ruck it is almost beyond belief. If he doesn't hold up, I'd be throwing Esava in there long before I looked at Fort or the new draftees as possibilities.

And all that's light years before I'd be moving Blitz out of the backline again.
 
Agreed.

So why do I have this feeling that he'll play back all season, and then immediately be moved to the wing should we make finals?
Because CS will use him where he is best value for the team when needed?
 
Surely we all do. But he is so far our best option in the ruck it is almost beyond belief. If he doesn't hold up, I'd be throwing Esava in there long before I looked at Fort or the new draftees as possibilities.

And all that's light years before I'd be moving Blitz out of the backline again.
It's more that I think if we run two rucks we can lighten the load and get a full season. I guess we'll see what happens
 
That's 3x guys largely ineffective at ground level in that forward line. I'm starting to have nightmares already
What's wrong with the bench?
There must be 4 on the bench.
We won 3 flags with a dedicated #2 ruckman spending decent time on the bench.
AND Sav and Stanley are BOTH better than average resting up forward.
 
What's wrong with the bench?
There must be 4 on the bench.
We won 3 flags with a dedicated #2 ruckman spending decent time on the bench.
AND Sav and Stanley are BOTH better than average resting up forward.
You lose a rotation that can't be used anywhere else. No thanks
 
Disagree.
They both don't have to be on the ground together, but they easily can be, and have done so.
And when doing so we carry an extra player that is ineffective at ground level. Maybe it works out better for some game styles but extra talls on a narrow Kardinia park is not my ideal work around. I think we might have to agree to disagree
 
And when doing so we carry an extra player that is ineffective at ground level. Maybe it works out better for some game styles but extra talls on a narrow Kardinia park is not my ideal work around. I think we might have to agree to disagree
Would you prefer to borrow Blic from defence to assist a fatigued Stanley? Why not run Stanley and Sav on and off the bench a lot so that they are both fresh and hungry each time they're on? It seemed to work well with Ottens and- King, Blake, West.
The speed of the game means you can't run a ruck around all day. Maybe they can rest forward, but if Hawk and Cameron are up and about, no need.
 
The main issue I see with selecting 2 dedicated rucks and where they may only end up rotating with each other off the bench is that we have a significantly reduced interchange cap this coming season - 75 per team each season

If it was simply a case that at the halfway mark of each quarter the 2 rucks would change, and essentially play roughly 50% game time each, then it may work with that only using 4 rotations.

But doubtful it would be that simply and if it's starting to get to 8+ rotations then we're using 10% of our interchange cap on just 1 position and, that doesn't really seem smart use of the bench. And while Stanley & Ratugolea can provide value up forward (seen it more so from Stanley at this stage), how would our forward line function with 3 genuine tall forwards & then say also Rohan up forward who also plays taller than his height?

Hawkins averages over 90% game time - last year it was 95.6% tog, 92.7% the year before and you've got to go back to 2015 the last time it was under 90%
Cameron averaged 90% last year and 88.&% the previous couple of seasons

So if we have 2 tall forwards already playing a high percentage of game time, throwing a 3rd tall into the mix may not necessarily work or help cohesiveness up forward

Surely an option in terms of the ruck work is Stanley at centre bounces and through the middle of the ground, Hawkins up forward and probably Blicavs down back

Playing 2 dedicated rucks when there's no interchange cap is 1 thing, but with that in place then it's not a simple equation
 
Would you prefer to borrow Blic from defence to assist a fatigued Stanley? Why not run Stanley and Sav on and off the bench a lot so that they are both fresh and hungry each time they're on? It seemed to work well with Ottens and- King, Blake, West.
The speed of the game means you can't run a ruck around all day. Maybe they can rest forward, but if Hawk and Cameron are up and about, no need.
I think the Stanley/Blitz combination was unique and gave us a huge advantage. I would be trying anything in my power to maintain that including options like putting in SDEK early, playing Kolo as a key, playing Kreuger, hell I'd even consider sending Jenkins in there to maintain Blitz' wing/ ruck role.
 
The main issue I see with selecting 2 dedicated rucks and where they may only end up rotating with each other off the bench is that we have a significantly reduced interchange cap this coming season - 75 per team each season

If it was simply a case that at the halfway mark of each quarter the 2 rucks would change, and essentially play roughly 50% game time each, then it may work with that only using 4 rotations.

But doubtful it would be that simply and if it's starting to get to 8+ rotations then we're using 10% of our interchange cap on just 1 position and, that doesn't really seem smart use of the bench. And while Stanley & Ratugolea can provide value up forward (seen it more so from Stanley at this stage), how would our forward line function with 3 genuine tall forwards & then say also Rohan up forward who also plays taller than his height?

Hawkins averages over 90% game time - last year it was 95.6% tog, 92.7% the year before and you've got to go back to 2015 the last time it was under 90%
Cameron averaged 90% last year and 88.&% the previous couple of seasons

So if we have 2 tall forwards already playing a high percentage of game time, throwing a 3rd tall into the mix may not necessarily work or help cohesiveness up forward

Surely an option in terms of the ruck work is Stanley at centre bounces and through the middle of the ground, Hawkins up forward and probably Blicavs down back

Playing 2 dedicated rucks when there's no interchange cap is 1 thing, but with that in place then it's not a simple equation
If you have a ruck on the bench too it'll shorten the amount of rest time your other players get. As you point out the interchange cap effectively kills the option
 
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