I think alarm bells would be going off quite loud now, with Clarkson coming out the other day saying everytime they try to ramp up his training load to 100% he has a setback or isn't able to train at heavier load.
I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that out of all the professional athletes to have this injury only one has ever made a successful comeback?
Worth doing. No offence intended
Read the same/similar article at the time of O'Meara's injury (ruptured patella tendon with floating bone fragments) which spoke of:
- How rare the injury is, somewhat more common in the NFL where it is considered career threatening.
- Only two AFL players have done it ever, being Chris Knights and Gary Buckenara.
Knights (who has helped Jaeger and backed him to get back) had patella tendinitis like Jaeger
prior to the injury. He also had complications around the joint as well as soft tissue injuries which is common, ending his career.
Buckenara is quoted in
this article saying that whilst he got back to football, he was never the same player post injury. He was also a lauded, long-time Hawks recruiter who said...
“There has to be a question mark (on O’Meara)... You just can’t say he’s worth two first-round draft picks — that’s unrealistic.”
... and we know what they gave up for him.
This article talking about the injury to an NFL star, says...
... the injury he suffered in 2014—a torn patellar tendon—typically gives athletes crapshoot-level odds at returning to form.
and
Not only are those who had patellar tendon surgery much less likely to return, but they also return for less time and perform at a lower level than those who have suffered other common musculoskeletal injuries such as torn ACLs or ruptured Achilles tendons.
The article also explains how the surgery isn't a common one and requires a great deal of finesse from a surgery stand point; with the idea being to restore proper tension in the tendon, but there's a risk of making it too tight or too loose. This could be a concern given Clarkson's comments recently about Jaeger's recovery from high loads and the mystery surrounding it.
It is generally considered after reading a handful of articles, that injuries involving a rupture of the tendon tended to have severe consequences.
One can only hope Jaeger can get back to playing some good footy but as I've said, looks a utterly terrible trade for Hawthorn with all things considered.