Francou's knee gone again

[Ford Fairlane]

Originally posted by understudy
Oh dear things dont look to good down at Alberton.

How are you expecting the year to unfold FF?

Despite my vent I still expect a top 4 finish. Most players in the side execute their skills well, and the one thing about Choco's game plan is it's rather Zoran Matic-like ... the team pattern is the thing and is emphasised above the importance of the individual flair as much as possible. It's not pretty but it means that Port can bring players in, and as long as they fit into the team pattern well enough, the team will continue to perform. Last year there was no Francou and they went 18-2 after he went down. The loss of Stevens and rehab of James will test that theory, but they have the numbers to do a role in midfield and cover as much as possible.

If they've learned their lessons fitness wise over the past few years, we won't have players falling over or coming up empty at the wrong end of the year. But that's our cross to bear ... enjoy the year but still wait on tenterhooks to see how the last few weeks of the year unfold ...

 

[Kid Dynamite!]

Originally posted by Ford Fairlane
That player wouldn't be Damon White would it? The guy who had to have his ankle rebroken because it wasn't set properly in the first place?

Whilst we're on the subject of shonky surgery, the last time I saw Scott Borlace his hand was still swollen and bruised. He told me that when he was still with the club, the boys had been giving him grief in the rooms, joking on about how the doctor(s) hadnt set the plate in there properly and had stuffed it up. Of course that was back on November 25 and I havent seen him since so it may have gone down by now (we hope). I'll be at the Crows/Norwood/Glenelg game on Feb 13 and will probably talk to him then so I'll have another look. If its still looking messed up I'll get back to you -- and by gee thats a hell of a long time to put up with a messed up hand -- he broke it on May 31!

Originally posted by Ford Fairlane
... (sorry KD but for his last 2 years he was a waste of space on that list, talent, intent or not) ...

Yeah fair enough, I dont want to open that can of worms again.

In closing, RW and FF are right. Our medico's and fitness programs need to be looked at quite closely.

 

[Cobber]

Bad news hey. I'm not a Port supporter myself (Adelaide, don't hold it against me!), but gees I feel for Francou. I know how devastated he'd be feeling right now. Come the start of the season it will probably be worse. He'll most probably be champing at the bit to get out there, but will have to resign himself to sitting from the sidelines. That can be hard to do.

I can't believe how people are getting satisfaction out of his injury in that other post that's going. Without an opposition team, who would they play?

The one consolation is that one player doesn't make a team. I know that Port has the depth and talent to cover the loss - look at last year. I'm sure Port will be in the finals again this year. Will be watching with interest.

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Originally posted by Kid Dynamite!

Yeah fair enough, I dont want to open that can of worms again.

Didn't mean to pick, I was on a roll! Bowen was a huge talent, and nobody wants to get that sort of debilitating injury. I just think Port carried him for too long.

Was Borlace's hand surgery organised by Port or Norwood?

 

[Kid Dynamite!]

Originally posted by Ford Fairlane
Didn't mean to pick, I was on a roll! Bowen was a huge talent, and nobody wants to get that sort of debilitating injury. I just think Port carried him for too long.

Yeah you were going pretty well there. Well done We probably did end up wasting time with him for a while, once it was over it was over.

Originally posted by Ford Fairlane
Was Borlace's hand surgery organised by Port or Norwood?

Dont know about that one, and you make a good point. I dont want to place false blame if it was organised by Norwood (then again its still a pretty bad thing to happen if it WAS organised by them and I wouldnt be impressed) but something tells me it may have been Port as he was an AFL listed player at the time. I dont know the official ruling on that, whether AFL clubs take precedence (per se) over SANFL clubs when things like that happen. I know when he told me he didnt mention anything about the Norwood guys giving him grief, it'd just been the Port boys. So maybe that points towards the Power organising it, I dont know. Its all very confusing but I'll look into it further when I get the chance.

 

[Portia]

Almost definitely would've been Port.

 

[Kid Dynamite!]

This sort of explains it a bit...I've made the more relevant points bold.

19. Hospital and Medical Benefits Insurance

19.1 Each AFL Club shall arrange top Hospital and Medical (including Extra Care Benefits) Insurance in respect of each AFL Player contracted with the AFL Club. The cost of the provision of such insurance (which shall include the Fringe Benefit Tax component) for Players who are paid more than the amounts prescribed in clause 9 shall be at the Player’s expense unless the Player and the AFL Club agree otherwise or the Player is a Rookie, Supplementary List Player or a first year draft choice Player paid in accordance with clause 10 in which case the AFL Club shall bear the cost of such insurance.

------------------------

Taken from
here. I thought so. Not only did they organise it (the insurance), they paid for it too.

 

[Sandola]

Don't know what the implications of all this are, but surely the club would be insane to cheap out in any way on the players' health and fitness.

 

[Kid Dynamite!]

Just a quick question. How long has Andrew Russell been head fitness coach for?

 

[Ford Fairlane]

Originally posted by Kid Dynamite!
Just a quick question. How long has Andrew Russell been head fitness coach for?

I think he came over in 2001. Port were tracking Neil Craig but the crowies trumped us with an assistant coaching offer. Russell was an assistant to John Quinn at Essendon in their premiership year, so he was considered a bit of a coup.

 

[Sandola]

And not Sheedy setting time bombs?

(joking, joking i hope)

 

[rubberman]

******* Sportsmed.

We definately need more in the recovery process. We spent heavily in the gym maybe we need a person better versed in post operative recovery.

 

[dreamkillers]

What I think is interesting with the re-occuring injuries to Wilson, Lade and now Francou is that the 3 players were given plenty of time to recover from their injuries. In most cases they were ruled out from playing in the season the injuries occurred even though they were back on the training track well before the end of the season.

Just a thought but perhaps we have been a little to easy in allowing these players the extra time to recover.

I'm sure Bucky and Boults would have some similar concerns to us although I doubt we would read that in the media.