Injury Birchall 4 - 6 weeks with a PCL

[SSSSSS]

If Cheney can bring that flair in his game that he shows at Box Hill and that confident attack on the ball then he could probably cover that spot. It frustrates me that Cheney looks to hold back a bit at AFL level and doesn't trust his instincts.

 

[Pessimistic]

We'll be a bit more upredictable me thinks

 

[Yuley95]

Well br a bit more upredictable me thinks

Yep. Big loss but would live to see us rotate smart, creative players throught there like Gunston, Whitecross and Bruest as well as the old hands of Burger, hodge and Mitch.

 

[parsons nose]

But Rough said he would be OK this week.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...rt-stars-will-front-lions-20130624-2osxh.html

Was that esteemed Dr Rough OBE, MBE, head of arthroscopic surgery London School of Surgeons, or Jared Roughead,GSOH, DTE, key forward Hawthorn Football Club ?

 

[tazhawk]

*.

 

[Baz_hawk]

Terrible news. Who do we bring in to cover him? Litherland seems to play a similar role?

 

[jive]

Whitecross, Burgoyne or Savage to replace.

 

[bradleyferrier]

Ouch. s**t news...
Time out with injury is hardly a 'rest'. Hopefully it's at the lesser end he gets back into ship shape for September.

 

[Hawkas1988]

This is a huge loss, we have effectively lost our best possible HBF line

Birchall Schoenmakers Suckling

Lucky we will get Birch back before finals, but it could take 6 even 8 weeks to get it right

Some big decisions for Clarko to make to help us still have some speed and creative play off HB.

Who to play there?? There isn't a better half back flanker in the league than Birchall but we could find some options and look to our depth

We could try out Cyril there and see what happens, put burgoyne back there full time, we could keep Mitchell and/or hodge there for long periods, bring whitecross back into the team off a half-back flank, bring in cheney and see if he can add an offensive side to his game or give young litherland a crack and see if he can turn into a speedy damaging half-back or not.

I'm sure I've missed other options but either way there are plenty of different options to try out and it will be interesting to see what Clarko comes up with. This is still a big big loss which can't be underestimated.

 

[Buddy Guy]

The PCL doesn't really heal well. It is more about rehabing the knee to work without it. You can operate - in fact, Hodge had his operated on during the off season. However, I don't think that will have him ready for finals.

Are you serious Brishawk?
What happens to the bloody thing, does it just vanish?

 

[bradleyferrier]

Are you serious Brishawk?
What happens to the bloody thing, does it just vanish?

No, they don't vanish, they just don't heal if they're serious. It's a ligament, not a muscle and don't regenerate as such. ACL's can't heal at all.

 

[macdaddio]

We lose Birchall for 6 weeks but get back Cyril..
Gain a forward and lose a back man.
We have plenty of depth over in boxhill otherwise they wouldn't be on top of the ladder ...

 

[cryptor]

Why hasn't anyone brought up the possibility yet that he isn't actually injured at all and that this is all just another elaborate AFL cover-up of Birchall having received his 3rd drugs strike??

 

[crazywildhorse]

There is this guy down at Box Hill called Will Langford....

 

[Hodge is God]

Is there any chance he'll come back after only 4 weeks, or is that way to optimistic?

Say he does come back after just the 4, he'll return v Essendon. Meaning he'll miss the Lions, Cats, Port and Dogs games.

Even with the loss of Birchall, the only game I can see troubling us is the Cats game.

After the Bombers game (which is at Etihad) we have the Tigers, St Kilda, Collingwood, North and Sydney.

Would love him back for the Tigers game but I think I'm being to optimistic.

 

[Hawkas1988]

Is there any chance he'll come back after only 4 weeks, or is that way to optimistic?

Say he does come back after just the 4, he'll return v Essendon. Meaning he'll miss the Lions, Cats, Port and Dogs games.

Even with the loss of Birchall, the only game I can see troubling us is the Cats game.

After the Bombers game (which is at Etihad) we have the Tigers, St Kilda, Collingwood, North and Sydney.

Would love him back for the Tigers game but I think I'm being to optimistic.

If he is back in 4 weeks I'll be extremely surprised. PCL's are really hard to recover from and individual rehabilitation differs a lot. IMO 6-8 weeks is more likely than 4 weeks.

 

[Paddywhackers]

If he is back in 4 weeks I'll be extremely surprised. PCL's are really hard to recover from and individual rehabilitation differs a lot. IMO 6-8 weeks is more likely than 4 weeks.

.

Yep agree with this... Can also just keep lingering on and be a lot more than that. Could be out for more than 12 weeks. Any by than it's season over, certainly for supercoach. I've got a big decision to make.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Good luck in the recovery to Birch. Where to from here for a replacement as a running half back for the next 2 months?

Ellis maybe?

 

[HR Roughnstuf]

Hopefully back round 18-19 to get 3 or 4 weeks of match fitness before finals.

He will be missed but we have versatility and also allows some game time for others pre finals

 

[TeamPlayer23]

Now is the time for Matt Spangher to stand up.

I Agree

Spangher also for me, has been our best and most consistent backman by far in the last few weeks for Box Hill, has shown class above the rest, adaptability using his body well in the packs, taking plenty of strong marks and has been really taking the game on with real confidence both offensively and defensively.
With Birchall going down and in need for some height in our defence, surely he should be the most logical option for a return to the seniors if needed to play a role on a third tall...IMO.

 

[Harry Yorkie]

Why hasn't anyone brought up the possibility yet that he isn't actually injured at all and that this is all just another elaborate AFL cover-up of Birchall having received his 3rd drugs strike??

Dane Beams has been out for 3 months+ with a quad, he must be on his 6th strike.

 

[Noneedforaname]

Terrible news Birch. All the best for a smooth recovery.

Time for some to take their chance though. All the best for them as well.

 

[Jedstar]

Absolutely terrible news, and he's one of my favourites, but something tells me we're gonna be okay. Our depth is as strong as ever and with names like Whitecross and Rioli coming back in, I don't feel sick to my stomach as I have when I've heard about injuries in the past.

Like I said, it really ******* sucks, and I wish Birch all the best in his recovery, but I think we'll be right. Game on.

 

[Dinner Plate]

This is a huge loss, we have effectively lost our best possible HBF line

Birchall Schoenmakers Suckling

This.

Gah.

FFS. The indignity of having to play a home game at Sh!tehad Stadium is compounded by this turn of events. As someone else pointed out earlier, it's lucky Gibbo didn't do worse damage.

This is not right. Adam 'Kick-a-man' Goodes should be the one with the 6-8 week PCL, if karma were not a lovechild of the Great Fat Hairy Dictator.

 

[macdaddio]

He is going to play again this year so it's not a long term loss unlike Suckling and Shoenmakers..
This will be best time now for Birchall to freshen up and come into the finals playing like he had for the first month of the year and that might win us the flag with him at his best again.
If Lake or Ruff went down then that is a HUGE loss to our year...