Injury Troubles!

[ChrisL#12]

Like many other saints fans, I am getting fed up with the injuries. Lyon has said in the media that it was bad management during GT's tenure that has led to this years woes, but Ken Sheldon has recently said that it is simply bad luck. Even when players return from injury it seems that another goes down to counteract this. When I get buoyant about a player coming back, somebody else gets injured. It is so frustrating that our injury list never gets any smaller. Just like everyone else, I don't know what is the deal but I am sick of losing games due to the players we are forced to put out on the park. Lyon is having to pick debutants and first year players consistently because we are unable to get our stars right to play. I am all for giving the young guys a go but it is getting to the point where we barely have enough players to put on the plane to Subiaco.

We had 26 players on the plane last week: 25 fit and Clint Jones visiting relatives, with the rest at home in Melbourne due to various injuries. Lucky for us Lenny Hayes was able to play, because if he hadn't been right there would have been very few positives to take out of the game. We played very well under the circumstances but without the four points it means nothing. If not for the inaccurate kicking we might have been able to steal the game but as is the trend, a team out of form seems to kick inaccurately and even the bounce of the ball doesn't go their way. With three possible returns this week in Max Hudghton, Raphael Clarke and Jason Gram, I feel there is a genuine chance to pinch a game from the in-form Cats on Sunday night.

But then again maybe that's just wishful thinking.

 

[SIR SAINT HOTDOG]

Agree. Also, Nick Dal Santo,Riewoldt and a few others are having to play injured because of our large injury list. It must end soon

 

[Tonycam*]

So are you guys not expecting X clarke back this week, I seen a lot of him this year and he was doing a great job for you . Thats a bonus for us. Hope its a good game, usually is between the two

 

[Kildonan]

I'm sure opposition supporters are eying our injury list and secretly cheering.

The Saints are struggling, their depth is being tested.

Have a look at the Geelong board ATM - people over there are arrogant, expectant of victory and describing their team as having "amazing depth".

While they may seem to have amazing depth - it is merely the inverse of our situation. They have almost no-one injured. They are spoiled at the moment and don't realise it. Remember last year - they had a few injuries and began squealing like stuck pigs. Their team failed to produce (they finished below Richmond on the ladder !!!). Now they think their poo is pleasantly scented.

Geelong will definitely enter this match as overwhelming favourites.

Let's face it, the Saints are up against it. They have injuries, a concomitant reduced fitness, they are still not fully at ease with the game plan and their form is poor.

The opposition are at the top of their game - they have such a wealth of fit players that they are having difficulty deciding who to drop in order to fit their captain and their B&F player back into the side.

I think we can show a bit of backbone and give Geelong a fright.
If we can play a smart brand of footy we can get on top and maybe even snatch it. Even if we don't - we would put a serious truckload of doubt into the Geelong psyche - knowing that we were at our lowest ebb and they were at the top of their game and we won it - or nearly did - would be enough to seed doubt next time we meet wspecially if we have a better personnel situation then.

Players returning this week may include Raph Clarke, Max Hudghton, and Jason Gram. This puts some pressure on players to hold their spots.

Other inclusions expected soon are Xavier Clarke, Michael Gardiner, Andrew Thompson, Matt Maguire, and Leigh Montagna. When these players are available we will start to see a real contest for spots in the squad.

 

[a.f.k.a.y.o.p.]

[The Saints are struggling, their depth is being tested.

Have a look at the Geelong board ATM - people over there are arrogant, expectant of victory and describing their team as having "amazing depth".

Intersting comment - no Geelong supoprter is ever arrogant. After 4 losing Grand Finals since 89, we have had that beaten out of us. We obviously have the odd d*ckhead, but who doesnt? And you will note that most times we actually shout them down ourselves.

While they may seem to have amazing depth
-Now they think their poo is pleasantly scented.

Actually, regardles of injuries, we do have strong depth. There are at least an even dozen players running around in the VFL, hence their success as well this year, that would get a start in most sides oustide the 8 - this as been a club focus for the last 7 years, now coming to fruition.
And the last comment there - probably misplaced......

Geelong will definitely enter this match as overwhelming favourites.

The opposition are at the top of their game - they have such a wealth of fit players that they are having difficulty deciding who to drop in order to fit their captain and their B&F player back into the side.

I think we can show a bit of backbone and give Geelong a fright.
If we can play a smart brand of footy we can get on top and maybe even snatch it. Even if we don't - we would put a serious truckload of doubt into the Geelong psyche - knowing that we were at our lowest ebb and they were at the top of their game and we won it - or nearly did - would be enough to seed doubt next time we meet wspecially if we have a better personnel situation then.

I hope and expect St Kilda will come out firing and it will be a ripper game - it usually is. Looking forward to it, and going with my brother who is a mad Saints fan........

 

[TGTOA]

While they may seem to have amazing depth - it is merely the inverse of our situation. They have almost no-one injured. They are spoiled at the moment and don't realise it. Remember last year - they had a few injuries and began squealing like stuck pigs. Their team failed to produce (they finished below Richmond on the ladder !!!). Now they think their poo is pleasantly scented.

Fair point. I think there's an impression of depth created by good form and the resultant difficulty in finding a place for experienced players to return to the team. I think we are deep in high quality (although not elite) midfielders, but that's about it. Injuries to talls would test us severely. Up forward, behind Mooney and Ablett, there's Hawkins who's really only up to playing a supporting role and Playfair and Gardiner (tried and failed). Down back, after Scarlett, Harley and Egan, there's Spencer (likely to be gone at season's end) and Sam Hunt (unproven). In the ruck, after Ottens and Blake, there's King (injury prone and well past his best) and West (promising but still very raw).

"Depth" in AFL terms really just means you have a lot of players who can play a support role very well. In the past few years, people have raved about West Coast's midfield depth. But take out the cream (Cousins, Kerr, Judd), and you see where the "depth" players are really at. Same is true for Geelong. While we're up and flying and "good" players can't get a game, everything looks rosy. But lose a game or two and one or two elite players, and those "good" players you raved about just don't quite cut it.

 

[Emmo]

I'm sure opposition supporters are eying our injury list and secretly cheering.



Have a look at the Geelong board ATM - people over there are arrogant, expectant of victory and describing their team as having "amazing depth".

Yeah but so would we if we were top coming up against a side sitting at 12th or 13th (can't remember) which can't at the moment kick a football.

i'm sure their board is saying look at the St.Kilda board at the moment all the do is whine about injuries.

we have to stop going on about it injuries didn't loose us the game against freo poor decision making and execution. sure you have higher quality players there obviously going to be better.But i'm sorry if you have the status of being an AFL footballer you should be able to kick the ball 35 meters and hit someone on the ***...they all do it in the pre match warm up so why not when they are under a little pressure.


to be perfectly honest i shits me to tears to hear even our own coach complaining to the media about our injuries...sure if your going to do it do it behind closed doors.

 

[Punter!]

Our season's turning point 'could' be in the split round 12. Thank god we play on the last sunday of the 2nd week of the split round, with a much needed extra week of recovery for our injured players. Round 11 we've got kangaroos at TD which will be no easy task given their form, but with a 14 day turnaround we'd surely rather not risk players who are 50/50 and give them the extra 14 days to be 100% right.

Compared to the side that tackled fremantle, we could realistically have: Gram, X Clarke, Thompson, Harvey, Hudgeton, Montagna, C Jones and R Clarke available for selection. Maguire, Hamill and Gardiner have more unorthodox injuries so their time on the sidelines is harder to assess. I think hamill might still be a game or two away, but gardiner and maguire would be close.

Playing west coast at subiaco - we'll need all the help we can get. I hope it is where we turn it all around.

 

[ChrisFooty]

On the saints offcial site under the injuries section, it states montagna and X.Clarke are facing tests. Surley Montagna won't come back after just missing one game. It would be highly unlikely X.Clarke would come back this week.

We need to win one of the next two games. If we can, we are in an alright position for round 12 onwards, as we should see some key persona returning. We can at least scrape into the eight anyways.

 

[bluejay]

On the saints offcial site under the injuries section, it states montagna and X.Clarke are facing tests. Surley Montagna won't come back after just missing one game.

2 seasons ago there was a FC Barcelona football (soccer) player who came back after just 1 week with the same injury than Leigh, although wearing a mask. But Carles Puyol (that's his name) is something special, a fitness freak, they call him The Animal. I don't think Leigh is like him, but he might be able to come back with a mask, if he hasn't lost fitness during his time out.

 

[cellis84]

as a geelong supporter, and a realistic 1 at that, im verry worried about sunday! i have no doubt that we SHOULD win and win by a lot, but u boys always fire up against us so as long as both bomber and lyon dont flood, it should b a good game, not going as i have 2 work, but i hope its a good game 4 every1 involved.

i should hope that no geelong supporter is ever cocky again, after last yrs disgraceful effort, i dont think i ever will be again! the injuries u guys have are terrible at the moment and as much as i hate 2 say it, i think u r doing very well at the moment with the limited cattle u have. once u have max, maguire and gram back u will b back 2 a very good side. good luck all

 

[ChrisFooty]

Andrew Thompson is also in contention for a call up. Honestly, only 2-3 probably would get a call up. You can't have too many people returning from injury all coming in at once. Really depends how fitness is going.

 

[sainter]

Hamill back training with St Kilda
May 30, 2007 - 8:14PM

Aaron Hamill's first full AFL training session since his February knee surgery has headlined some encouraging news for injury-plagued St Kilda.

Hamill is not yet ready to play, but provided he pulls up well from Wednesday's session it will be a major morale boost for the Saints as they start reducing their long injury list.

Rated by the Saints as arguably the league's best defensive forward, Hamill was forced out indefinitely after the February knee surgery and his ongoing absence has been a major blow.

The former captain managed only nine senior games last year and has not played since September.

Key defender Max Hudghton, brothers Xavier and Raphael Clarke, Andrew Thompson, Leigh Montagna and Jason Gram will all push for selection ahead of Sunday's match against second-placed Geelong.

The Saints will not risk bringing back all of them at once, but it is a pleasing sign that their luck is changing.

"There's a balance - obviously Xavier has only missed two weeks, Gram has only missed two," Lyon said.

"You wouldn't want to bring too many back, but you love to get that sort of quality, particularly in the run, back into your time.

"And a full-back (Hudghton) would be nice."

Montagna could play only a fortnight after suffering a broken jaw - at the time, it was feared he would miss at least a month.

"The oral surgeon investigated and did what he did to it, it wasn't as bad as first thought," said coach Ross Lyon.

"Apparently there's no risk at all, he could run into a Mack truck, but it's about how he feels."

Lyon added the players pushing for a recall still faced fitness tests towards the end of the week.

He is particularly keen to recall Hudghton, like Hamill a key-position player the Saints desperately need back in the side.

"I'm ready to play him, he's a 200-game full-back and he's done a lot of training," Lyon said.

"He is champing at the bit to play ... if he's right, I will play him, no doubt."

© 2007 AAP

Link

Some positive news at last.

 

[Partridge]

Have a look at the Geelong board ATM - people over there are arrogant, expectant of victory and describing their team as having "amazing depth".

While they may seem to have amazing depth - it is merely the inverse of our situation. They have almost no-one injured. They are spoiled at the moment and don't realise it. Remember last year - they had a few injuries and began squealing like stuck pigs. Their team failed to produce (they finished below Richmond on the ladder !!!). Now they think their poo is pleasantly scented.

Don't want to harp on it, but aside from the odd nufnuf there aren't too many cocky Geelong supporters around. Besides, we've still only won 4 in a row. It's hardly what premierships are made of.

Personally I think the only time we had a bad injury run was 2005, last year I never thought injuries were a factor. We finished below Richmond because we weren't good enough, there were no excuses and injuries certainly weren't one of them.

I think Sunday will be close. You've still got gun players, forwards who can kick goals so the game is far from a foregone conclusion. I'll take any win gleefully.

Forgive me if I don't say good luck!

 

[peter_ford]

you saints f@G$ better not flood this weekend like you did vs. hawthorn! either play aussie rules or find another code of football, or a simpler solution - get a new coach.

 

[SIR SAINT HOTDOG]

you saints f@G$ better not flood this weekend like you did vs. hawthorn! either play aussie rules or find another code of football, or a simpler solution - get a new coach.

Oy ******** before you start talking shit about our football club on our board realise that if you ahd half of your best team not playing you wouldn't want to lose by 20 goals. So just go back to your club with your perfect injury list and stop complaining

 

[cats2rise]

I heard from someone that Nick R did not train and was not sure if he would be playing...

Any truth about that?
Thanks in advance,
c2r

 

[Kildonan]

Two of St Kilda's marquis players did not train. I have been told that they were sore and given the time off. It sounds feasible to me.

 

[macca69]

Agree. Also, Nick Dal Santo,Riewoldt and a few others are having to play injured because of our large injury list. It must end soon

It's not uncommon (in fact it's very common) for players to play injured throughout a season.

Just wondering what injuries NDS and Roo have been playing with. There was a whisper about Roo's hammy, but he moved pretty freely on Friday night I thought.

 

[Kildonan]

you saints f@G$ better not flood this weekend like you did vs. hawthorn! either play aussie rules or find another code of football, or a simpler solution - get a new coach.

As you had no vested interest in the game, you probably were not aware that the flood tactics were instigated by Hawthorn. They placed two extra defenders back and tried to open up their own forward line.

We either played for a checkmate or we let them have their way cluttering our forwards whilst giving their own forwards space.

I would have preferred a third option, but none was forthcoming - and maybe it is because we lacked the type of player required to break it open.

We are getting a few players back, so maybe we won't be caught out so badly again.

The positive side to this match was that we were forced to think and adapt.
Lyon in particular will have a few ideas on how to better deal with the same problem and maybe a few other problems we have recently encountered.

Re: your coach comment - ha ha ha ha

Thompson is only a losing sequence away from being an ex-coach - especially now that the team has shown that it is actually capable of playing winning football.

 

[Punter!]

you saints f@G$ better not flood this weekend like you did vs. hawthorn! either play aussie rules or find another code of football, or a simpler solution - get a new coach.

Do we need to remind this muppet how Geelong usually line up against stkilda?? You cats are too 'pussy' to go man on man with your full strength backline, so you send extra numbers back to clog up our forward line - a la round 7 2006. Don't remember Grant Thomas contributing to the flood that game.

As for getting a new coach, you boys are one year behind! How close was Thompson to getting the chop?! Don't worry, after a promising start the cats will soon break and another season will turn to sh1t. Sounds a bit like last year.. and the year before that... And..

 

[Partridge]

Two of St Kilda's marquis players did not train. I have been told that they were sore and given the time off. It sounds feasible to me.

Good call, I wouldn't read too much into that. The game isn't until late Sunday afternoon. Plenty of time for them to come up.

It's mystifying to me how some fans (from both sides) are going on about the style of play and whether there will be flooding. All sides at some point employ flooding as a tactic. Few of us like it but we're stuck with it. And the coach's job is to win games, whether it's Thompson or Lyon. If it helps you win it's worth it. They don't award premiership points for style.

Obviously I'd love to see Geelong win easily but I'm not so arrogant to tick the box already. This will be a tough match and St.Kilda are still one hell of a team. Some very good inclusions also. Just wait and see I think.

 

[The Punter]

you saints f@G$ better not flood this weekend like you did vs. hawthorn! either play aussie rules or find another code of football.

Like Geelong did against us last year in Round 7? Go away.

 

[TGTOA]

If roles were reversed, I'd hope, nay expect that Geelong would flood, frustrate and counter attack. The fact is St Kilda are heavily depleted and coming up against a Geelong team that's playing a free-flowing, high scoring game very effectively. If the Saints don't look it down, there's every chance they could get blown away early. On the flipside, it's well known that Geelong has been prone to collapse when faced with a defensive game plan. Skills are not fantastic, and likely to turn the ball over trying to chip around. So why the hell wouldn't you play defensively, at least in the early stages to keep the game close and frustrate the opposition until you can get on top and put the score on the board yourself.

If the Saints go ultra defensive, its up to us to find a way through. If we're not good enough to do that, we don't deserve to win. Simple really.

 

[peter_ford]

Good call, I wouldn't read too much into that. The game isn't until late Sunday afternoon. Plenty of time for them to come up.

It's mystifying to me how some fans (from both sides) are going on about the style of play and whether there will be flooding. All sides at some point employ flooding as a tactic. Few of us like it but we're stuck with it. And the coach's job is to win games, whether it's Thompson or Lyon. If it helps you win it's worth it. They don't award premiership points for style.

Obviously I'd love to see Geelong win easily but I'm not so arrogant to tick the box already. This will be a tough match and St.Kilda are still one hell of a team. Some very good inclusions also. Just wait and see I think.

i disagree, geelong will win either way. it will be by 20 if the saints flood or > 40 if they dont, simple as that! but there is nothing worst than paying money and wasting your time watching a flooding style of football.

i watched that hawthorn/st. kilda on television and turned it off half way through. st. kilda were clearly playing an extra defender back and refused to push up no matter what. that's why i dont even know if i wanna go watch this game at the dome on sunday avo.