Injury Health Check

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Forzaport

Forzaport

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May 27, 2004
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Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
We probably already knew that our injuries this year have been amongst the worst of all the teams in the competition. A quick read of the article below suggests we're about 2nd in games missed due to injury with only Melbourne having a worse run than us. Our poor run with injuries may help to save Primus' bacon but will also put the focus on our medical and conditioning department as opposed to the coaches' box.

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PORT ADELAIDE
Games missed: After just three wins last year, Port Adelaide needed luck on its side to really move up the ladder in 2012. Instead the club has been decimated with injuries to key personnel. Just six players - Kane Cornes, Brad Ebert, Matthew Broadbent, Troy Chaplin, Justin Westhoff and Paul Stewart - have played every game. Overall, the club's best 22 has missed 105 matches.

Players used: 35. Given the injuries at Alberton this season, it's interesting to note the club has used so few players. The Power haven't enjoyed the same depth as their cross-town rivals this year and it shows. They've given just three players an AFL debut, although Darren Pfeiffer and Brent Renouf both played their first games for the Power, having previous AFL experience.

A-graders: Many of Port's best have missed a lot of football in 2012. Robbie Gray has missed all but two games after a horror knee injury in round four, Jay Schulz has been plagued with injuries, Dom Cassisi has missed three games, Jackson Trengove, Hamish Hartlett, Travis Boak; the list goes on. Football can be a cruel game and in 2012 it hasn't offered Port any mercy.

Current injury list: John Butcher (hip), Robbie Gray (knee), Hamish Hartlett (hamstring), Cam O'Shea (foot), Jasper Pittard (ribs/lung), Brent Renouf (knee), David Rodan (hamstring), Nick Salter (foot), Jay Schluz (abdomen), Jacob Surjan (glute).

Set to return: The Power can expect to have several good players return over the next few weeks. John Butcher's troublesome hip is getting better and Hamish Hartlett is nearing the end of his rehab on another hamstring injury. David Rodan's niggling hamstring injury might allow him to return sooner rather than later and Jacob Surjan is expected back this week. Renouf's knee is still bothering him and Cam O'Shea is unlikely to return this season. The club is hopeful Pittard can get back into the side before 2012 is over.

Prognosis: While 2012 was always going to be a slog for the Power, injuries have really hurt the side. Their best players have struggled to keep fit and the loss of Robbie Gray early in the season was unfortunately a sign of things to come. Despite the injury toll, the Power have done well to already better their 2011 tally of wins. Given more luck next year, the club will be hopeful of making some real progress. -Harry Thring
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It's obvious that we have had a bad run with injury, but I didn't realise that it was that bad.

However, the weakness with the number of games missed is subjective, due to the determination of the 'best 22'.
 
BTW, our injury list ahead of round 18

Injury List
Jacob Surjan (Glute) - test
Hamish Hartlett (Hamstring) - test
David Rodan (Hamstring) - 1 week
John Butcher (Hip) - 1-2 weeks
Jay Schulz (Abdomen) - 2-3 weeks
Cam O'Shea (Foot stress fracture) - 5-6 weeks
Jasper Pittard (Rib/lung) - TBC
Brent Renouf (Knee) - TBC
Nick Salter (Foot) - TBC
Robbie Gray (Knee) - season
 

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I know people bring it up a lot in many threads but surely we'll overhaul the fitness staff soon enough..? How long will we put up with Falloon's "treading water" philosophy..?
 
Andre said:
That should be 2nd. It'd be 17th in player availability. Now you're a mod higher standards are expected. :p
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*quietly edits OP...*
 
How are we second? Melbourne's 22 has played "273 of a possible 352 games" = 79 games missed.

We have missed 105 from our best 22.

Arbitrary ranking or not this method presents us as the side hit hardest by injuries to the nominal best 22, or am I missing something here.
 
I don't think you're missing anything, the tone for the Melbourne write-up made them seem the hardest hit overall, even if their 'games missed' numbers are less than ours.
 
The reports on different teams were written by different people, hence some clubs' writers are going to think their injury list is the worst without looking at the numbers. Having said that, Melbourne have also used 2 more players than Port have which may make it seem as though we haven't needed to shuffle our team that much to balance injuries. Would be nice to see some new guys get a gig before the end of the year (Webb, Newton seem like they should get at least a crack at it).
 
Yeah I can't really see anyone apart from Mitch Clarke who would make a huge difference to Melbourne's side right now.

We have had the absolute elite of our list wiped away this year... Gray, Hartlett, Butcher, Schulz, Boak and Trengove for a month.. take the BEST midfielders and forwards out of any side and they will struggle let alone the basketcase that we were.

Their injuries are incomparable to ours.
 
Natman said:
It's obvious that we have had a bad run with injury, but I didn't realise that it was that bad.

However, the weakness with the number of games missed is subjective, due to the determination of the 'best 22'.
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It's actually much worse than that considering how many players have returned too early due to us not having enough fit players to take their spots.
Butcher for one has played way too many games when he probably shouldn't have been anywhere near a football.
 

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So, on the reported numbers we, on average, had 6.5 players missing from our best 22 each week. Coupled with the 3rd worst 'fixed' we haven't improved this season:rolleyes:. Can't help being sarcastic - it' just me.
 
Hopefully 2013 will bring us some luck, reduce our injury list, and lead us into the finals.
 
What it tells me is that the hand wringing over Logan and Thomas would have been reduced by a 'normal' injury rate.
 
simba_ said:
I know people bring it up a lot in many threads but surely we'll overhaul the fitness staff soon enough..? How long will we put up with Falloon's "treading water" philosophy..?
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Exactly. Although a lot of injuries have an element of bad luck, I strongly contend that except for Schulz and Pittard if we'd had a fitness staff that had built our players up to have strong cores, endurance and a greater range of motion our injury count would be markedly less. Since we've had our fitness staff we've been in the shitty end of the injury ladder more often then not. Until we get better fitness staff we'll continue to lament over how much 'bad luck' we are having.
 
Andre said:
Exactly. Although a lot of injuries have an element of bad luck, I strongly contend that except for Schulz and Pittard if we'd had a fitness staff that had built our players up to have strong cores, endurance and a greater range of motion our injury count would be markedly less. Since we've had our fitness staff we've been in the shitty end of the injury ladder more often then not. Until we get better fitness staff we'll continue to lament over how much 'bad luck' we are having.
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I agree 100% Andre. We aren't preparing our boys properly and it shows in many ways.
 
Andre said:
Exactly. Although a lot of injuries have an element of bad luck, I strongly contend that except for Schulz and Pittard if we'd had a fitness staff that had built our players up to have strong cores, endurance and a greater range of motion our injury count would be markedly less. Since we've had our fitness staff we've been in the shitty end of the injury ladder more often then not. Until we get better fitness staff we'll continue to lament over how much 'bad luck' we are having.
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Gray's knee is no ones fault either, but I understand you point :)
 
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