Pav back - Brock out for year?

[Jetau]

Pavlich improving but Johnson to miss a month

By Nathan Schmook 6:56 PM Tue 07 July, 2009

FREMANTLE defender Michael Johnson is expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing ankle surgery on Saturday, but captain Matthew Pavlich could make an early return from a calf injury against Adelaide.

Pavlich injured the calf against Collingwood in round 13 and was expected to miss two to three games. However, he will now be tested ahead of this week's trip to face the Crows after missing just one game.

Johnson injured his right ankle in the side's round 10 loss to Richmond but played on and was only expected to miss two weeks.

Fremantle football manager Chris Bond confirmed Johnson would miss up to six weeks, while tough defender Brock O'Brien, who has been battling a quad injury, will miss the rest of the season.

The 21-year-old has suffered hamstring, shoulder and foot injuries since coming to the club with pick No.52 at the 2006 NAB AFL Draft and has managed just three games.

Fremantle has had a steady stream of injuries to key players this year and defender Antoni Grover said it had definitely had an impact on the club’s season.

"We're missing a lot of seasoned players," Grover said from Fremantle Oval on Tuesday. "It has given some guys opportunities [though]."

Fremantle has debuted nine players this season, but coach Mark Harvey hinted after Sunday's 15-point loss to Carlton that some of them may need a rest.

As Carlton hauled in a 36-point second quarter lead, the first-year Fremantle players ran out of legs, but Grover said his young teammates had been a huge success this season.

"If you ask me how they've been this year, out of 10 I'd give them 10," he said.

"They've grown as leaders within the club and been able have an impact in games.

"(They) have probably only done half the pre-season in their first year – especially the rookies that got drafted in December.

"There's no doubt over the next couple of years they'll be able to run out the seasons a lot better."

Fremantle faded badly against Collingwood in round 13 and gave up a fourth-quarter lead against Geelong a week prior, but Grover denied the club's second half lapses were a mental issue.

"[It was] a very disappointing loss and the guys really felt it after the game – it's one that definitely slipped away from us," he said.

"Our focus going out after three quarter time was to win the game – there were no negative thoughts.

"You don't think about losing, we're thinking about winning, we're still trying to make the play. I don't think it's mental."

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That sucks about Brock and MJ. If MJ is 6 weeks away, then why play him in the last 2 rounds? It could end up being the season gone for him too.

2009 has just been ridiculous for us in terms of injuries...

 

[Geoff]

May as well add Chris Mayne to that list also.

 

[Alfonz]

I think people underestimate how serious foot/ankle injuries are. In some respects they can be worse than knee recons in terms of the effects (and side-effects) lingering and not being able to be fixed properly. I know people who've f(*&$ed their ankle, and despite surgery it is stuffed forever.

Look at Croad, Egan, I remember Hird went through a few years of pain ... this year we've had Crowley, Mayne (he initially did an ankle), Johnson ... all turning out to be serious injuries.

 

[Mundy]

Bad luck for Brock, but I doubt he would have been kept on beyond this season.

 

[Ogrebait]

Yeah unfortunately I'd say BO'B is gone.

 

[sansian]

ankle injuries suck balls!!! had a ligament repair and bone fragment removed nearly 8 weeks ago and been back playing footy for the last three weeks, still playing up and very easy to twinge it again.

 

[chinggis77]

What is with our injuries this year? 1 week injuries become 4 week injuries. 2 week injuries become 6 week injuries. 4 week injuries become season ending injuries. Palmer encounters botched surgery. Johnson only has surgery 2 weeks after he sustains the injury, further prolonging his comeback.

Mayne is on the comeback, oh wait, no he's not, yes he is, no he's not. Balla is back - oh hang on, not yet, yes he is, no not quite.

Are uni students providing our medical advice?

 

[Split Personality]

ankle injuries suck balls!!! had a ligament repair and bone fragment removed nearly 8 weeks ago and been back playing footy for the last three weeks, still playing up and very easy to twinge it again.

Agreed, i tore ankle ligaments and ruptured a tendon 4 months ago. Still not 100% which is frustrating.

Horror run of injuries this year, but it has allowed the Crabs to be tested so they can surely be delisted/contrats paid out at the end of the year

 

[sabre_ac]

Dear God,

If Pavlich is not 100% fit, may the dockers not play him. May we learn the lessons of the past (AKA Clem Micheal, Justin Longmuir, Paul Haselby etc)

Amen

 

[Chris25]

Yeah unfortunately I'd say BO'B is gone.

As soon as I read the article, my initial thought was that Brock is now safe for next year. There's no real logic behind it, but I really doubt he will delisted after suffering from a serious injury.

At the very least, I'd expect him to be rookie listed.

 

[purplepassion82]

I agree with you Chris....he hasnt had his chance yet and they club will know best when it comes to Brock and whether or not he has a place on our list. At the very worst, he should be rookie listed.

 

[IbbosBFF]

I would be happy for BoB to be delisted and re-rookied.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Could do worse than having Pav sit in the goal square for the match.

 

[Milky]

Personally, I would be upset if O'Brien was delisted, he hasnt had a chance to show what he brings to our team.. I still think he would be in our Best 22 when fully fit.

 

[Ogrebait]

He's shown a bit when he has played but those times have been few and far between. He could be the next Andrew Browne.

He was given a 1 yr contract extension at the end of last season to prove his worth. Unfortunately because of injuries he hasn't been able to do that. I doubt he'd be given another extension in our current situation. The rookie list may be his only salvation.

 

[Ogrebait]

LSFS - we could do a lot worse playing an unfit Pavlich.

What have we got to gain? Injury recurrence? Possible long term problems lessening the length of his career? Young players watching their Captain unable to compete or even chase? [Yes I know.] All in the hope of an unlikely win when we have no hope of playing in the finals. No thanks.

 

[E Shed]

LSFS - we could do a lot worse playing an unfit Pavlich.

What have we got to gain? Injury recurrence? Possible long term problems lessening the length of his career? Young players watching their Captain unable to compete or even chase? [Yes I know.] All in the hope of an unlikely win when we have no hope of playing in the finals. No thanks.

What he said.

 

[heypenny]

Although it is hardly fair i think it may be time up for Brock..

We have an abundence of half back flankers..

An injury prone one is not what we need

Rather give the elevation to Pearce at the end of the year, allowing us another spot on the rookie list to develop someone else

 

[Mundy]

Although it is hardly fair i think it may be time up for Brock..

We have an abundence of half back flankers..

An injury prone one is not what we need

Rather give the elevation to Pearce at the end of the year, allowing us another spot on the rookie list to develop someone else

Yeah, and the fact that he's just not very good.

His form with Peel has never been outstanding. We allow him to continue on the list because there is no one else starts of the same chain reaction we have seen with Brown, Murphy and Campbell.

Out with the deadwood, with age irrelevant.

 

[samseenee]

I wonder if there will be some type of review regarding our injuries at seasons end.
We have these new wiz bang fitness gurus for the first time this year, and half the team is or has been out injured.....

 

[Jetau]

The only thing that might save Brock is the number of hacks on our list in need of delisting. Brock isn't in the dumb ass brigade, just the perpetually injured brigade (captained by Andrew Browne, of course )

I would have thought a crack on the rookie list would be okay for Brock. From memory, Crowley was on the rookie list for a fair while before he finally broke into the team. And Brock is only about 21, yes?

 

[Shaymuhz]

I wonder if there will be some type of review regarding our injuries at seasons end.
We have these new wiz bang fitness gurus for the first time this year, and half the team is or has been out injured.....

most of them have been collision injuries tho so you can hardly blame them for that...

back on topic i think brock has shown enough in freo games to be at least rookied at the end of the year

 

[Nodgey]

Dear God,

If Pavlich is not 100% fit, may the dockers not play him. May we learn the lessons of the past (AKA Clem Micheal, Justin Longmuir, Paul Haselby etc)

Amen

Hallelujah brother, I've been preaching from this book for ages but it seems footy teams always look short term.

I would much prefer a key player to occasionally miss an extra week on the injury comeback because it could very well extend their career by a whole season or 2.

Playing injured players shortens careers. How many blokes these days are retiring at 30 or 31 or even 29 or so because of injury, or because injuries have robbed them of their pace and recuperative ability?

I would prefer to see a player retire after, say, 280 games in 16/17 seasons instead of 260 in 13.


Pav should only play when he is 100%.

 

[Rob]

I'd give Brock another year. Given we're going to be getting rid of probably 8 players this year, if we delist Brock then we'd jus tbe replacing him with pick 93. I'd probably take Brock at this stage.

 

[Kickett Punches Read]

id be happy if we rookie listed brock, gives him a chance to persue his career while he gets his body right, while allowing us to put another kid on our list

id give pav the rest of the year off if he needs it, i mean who cares, what have we got to gain by playing him 80% fit