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career trajectories ruined by injury?

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MagpieExcalibur

MagpieExcalibur

Premiership Player
Feb 11, 2025
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Gary Rohan broke his leg in 2011 and was never the same
Will Hoskin-Elliott hyperextends his knee against Essendon in Round 16 2018 (mind you not even getting a free kick , lol) and has knee complications in the offseason reducing his effectiveness as a forward dramatically occasionally bobbing up for 2 goal games but generally being capped at singular goals nowadays
he changes into a general utility post-injury in a way to make him effective but never recaptures his 2018 form such was his pre-injury form that he got a 4 year extension in 2018 as did Jack Crisp
 
Anthony Morabito
 
K Templeton could have gone on to kick 900+ goals had it not been for his troublesome knee. Never the same after buggering it, which was after b2b Colemans and a Chaz
 

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Ben Paton. Was in great form at the end of previous season and great pre season form. A Roughead (coach) tackle during a pre season practice session saw him break a leg. He came back after a year and was never the same. Eventually delisted and now playing for Sydney.
 
Thread is only 5 posts deep and already have noms for players that never really delivered much because of injury, as opposed to trajectories being fundamentally changed.

My obvious noms are Nathan Brown (Leg) and Adam Cooney (Knee). Were elite before their injuries and never the same again.
 
craffles said:
Thread is only 5 posts deep and already have noms for players that never really delivered much because of injury, as opposed to trajectories being fundamentally changed.

My obvious noms are Nathan Brown (Leg) and Adam Cooney (Knee). Were elite before their injuries and never the same again.
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Not sure if this is the sort of thing you’re referring to but I’d say a career that was altered, not necessarily in how much it delivered but in how it delivered, was Tom Hawkins.

Was on track to be a run and jump forward taking pack marks and using his athleticism when he had that big year in 2012 and kicked 68 goals or something, and then did his back. Had to become a strength based one on one forward who barely got off the ground after that. Didn’t really change is output I guess like the guys you’ve mentioned
 
From my club?
Matthew Primus
Premier ruckman in the league, in a top of the table team, so good with his ruck work they changed the rules.
Does a knee in 2003 arguably costing Port a flag, come back in 2004, first game he kicks 4 in a half then does his knee a second time, misses a premiership, comes back again in 2005, but clearly hampered and retires at 30.
 
PhatBoy said:
Not sure if this is the sort of thing you’re referring to but I’d say a career that was altered, not necessarily in how much it delivered but in how it delivered, was Tom Hawkins.

Was on track to be a run and jump forward taking pack marks and using his athleticism when he had that big year in 2012 and kicked 68 goals or something, and then did his back. Had to become a strength based one on one forward who barely got off the ground after that. Didn’t really change is output I guess like the guys you’ve mentioned
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That’s a great example though. People (myself included) forget how young Toma played.
 

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Nathan Brown went from being the most dangerous player in the comp at the start of 2005, to a shadow of what he was after the leg break.
 
Nathan Murphy, Tom Langdon.
 
Matthew Egan was developing into something special when he broke his foot in 2007 right after being named AA CHB and sadly right before Geelong's breakthrough Flag.
He never played again.
Great overhhead, surprisingly agile in traffic with quick hands. Tackled really well.
 

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Luke Penny
 
Schwarz, Lyon, Tingay all mid-90s

Tingay did return but wasn't the same as his AA year of 94. Schwarz was still very good but never the same after his knees. Lyon's was towards the latter part of his career but still struggled for years before retiring earlier than he would have wanted.

Same era also saw a lesser known Paul Prymke who looked like making it as a very good CHB before doing his back and retiring in his very early 20s.
 
Cursed Cat said:
Matthew Egan was developing into something special when he broke his foot in 2007 right after being named AA CHB and sadly right before Geelong's breakthrough Flag.
He never played again.
Great overhhead, surprisingly agile in traffic with quick hands. Tackled really well.
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you got 3 consistently great defenders so it all evened out i guess Harry Taylor , Tom Stewart and Tom Lonergan so it evened out Lonergan almost died from a bad kidney injury from memory so he can go in this thread too
 
Richmond really has had some shockers that I've seen over the years.

Marc Drgacevic
Rory Hilton
Nathan Brown
Mark Coughlan

Stack? (jail, not injury)
 
Demonic Ascent said:
Schwarz, Lyon, Tingay all mid-90s

Tingay did return but wasn't the same as his AA year of 94. Schwarz was still very good but never the same after his knees. Lyon's was towards the latter part of his career but still struggled for years before retiring earlier than he would have wanted.

Same era also saw a lesser known Paul Prymke who looked like making it as a very good CHB before doing his back and retiring in his very early 20s.
Click to expand...

Schwarz was a gazelle and turned into an ox.
 

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career trajectories ruined by injury?

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