Planning for Injuries

[Roger Dodger]

Hate to intrude on the preseason love parade but what are the contingency plans our coaching staff have devised in the horrible (and therefore likely) event that injuries ravage some of our key position players.

Is Jack being groomed for a spot down at centre half back? How far is Rance off from stepping up into the breach? Six months? 12?

What back up do we have for young Will?

Providing Simmonds can actually get on the park this year is Pattison available to play as a tall down back? Has Raines been working on his awful disposal by foot in the offseason. Is he worth playing as an attacking winger who gets forward? How is he going to work in conjunction with Jordan Roadrunner McMahon? Will they be our driving force from defence?

Are we going into 2008 with the same goalkicking plan? The lion's share divided between Richo, Brown and Pettifer again? What is the game plan apart from speed? Is Wallace going to go for the same strategy of protecting a lead given our skill level and confidence evaporate very easily under pressure?

What alternatives are being explored?

 

[sante]

Who knows...

If Richo goes down who plays FF, Schulz or Polak for mine. Losing Simmo is our biggest problem which we found out last year.

On the forward line, Deledio will be starting there and IMO Polak with Schulz to defence.

 

[nugget_12]

Who cares! we're not the one's that get paid to worry about this stuff!
Terry is the man who needs to have the answer for these questions.

 

[TigerGlory]

IF we get ravaged by injuries AGAIN. We would have to be regarded as one of the unluckiest teams in the league surely?

Simmonds and Thursfield are the only irreplacable ones in my opinion. Certainley the forward line is looking fine and glamerous, Richo, Brown, Polak, Pettifer can all play permanent positions. I'd look to see Cotchin, Morton, Deledio and Riewoldt all play there too.

Personally, i'd love to see Terry try out his Triangle again. Richo, Riewoldt and Polak.

The midfield should be okay, Deledio, Foley, Coughlan, Newman, Tucky, Johnson all can start in the guts. Then we have cameo appearances by Cotchin, Morton, Tambling, Edwards, Polo etc. The only concern is our backline, it may come down to Rance and Thursfield holding down the Key Positions for a while. I think it will be okay though, expose them now and get them primed for AFL.

 

[captain blood 17]

Polak to stay CHB for mine (unless Schultz learns to play there) to add some size to our defence. Time for Hughes or Jack Reiwoldt to try and fill the breach in the forward line. (i say these two as Schultz has failed as a forward).

 

[TigerGlory]

Polak to stay CHB for mine (unless Schultz learns to play there) to add some size to our defence. Time for Hughes or Jack Reiwoldt to try and fill the breach in the forward line. (i say these two as Schultz has failed as a forward).

I think its more important to have a strong Forward Line than a strong Backline.

It dosent matter if the opposition kicks 20 goals, as long as you kick 21 goals. With Polak in our forward line, it adds more class.

That Collingwood game was our best game for the year, the forward line was dripping of talent, with such a strong Attack, if our midfield can deliver the footy, we could possibly kick enough goals not to worry about the Backline.

All the while, Rance and Thursfield are accelerating their development, due to their responsibilities and game time.

Just my opinion.

 

[LuKe2428]

I think its more important to have a strong Forward Line than a strong Backline.

It dosent matter if the opposition kicks 20 goals, as long as you kick 21 goals. With Polak in our forward line, it adds more class.

That Collingwood game was our best game for the year, the forward line was dripping of talent, with such a strong Attack, if our midfield can deliver the footy, we could possibly kick enough goals not to worry about the Backline.

All the while, Rance and Thursfield are accelerating their development, due to their responsibilities and game time.

Just my opinion.

my opinion is play lids as a centreman with foley and tucky and have newman and cotchin on the wings and deledio can go to full forward for his break and use the explosive pace out of the square 1 on 1

 

[Roger Dodger]

I think its more important to have a strong Forward Line than a strong Backline.

It dosent matter if the opposition kicks 20 goals, as long as you kick 21 goals. With Polak in our forward line, it adds more class.

That Collingwood game was our best game for the year, the forward line was dripping of talent, with such a strong Attack, if our midfield can deliver the footy, we could possibly kick enough goals not to worry about the Backline.

All the while, Rance and Thursfield are accelerating their development, due to their responsibilities and game time.

Just my opinion.

Defense is more important than attack. Carlton proved this last year by kicking over 25 goals on a couple of occasions and still losing to the likes of the Kangaroos and Brisbane.

Every premiership side, nay contender, has a strong defense. Look at history. We haven't had an organised, intimidating defense for a quarter of a century. Just count back to our most recent grand final appearances to confirm this fact.

Point is Wallace should be working over time on this.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

It would only really take the long term injuries of richo and simmonds (touch wood) to all but guarantee us another spoon. The scary thing is how plausible that scenario is.

 

[Roger Dodger]

Scary thing is that there's a lot of supporters out there who still classify injuries as an unlucky component of the game when in fact they are a constant reality which wrecks most teams most years.

Some clubs overcome them with either depth or innovation. We don't have the former and last year showed a horrifying lack of the latter.

Guys have to step up this year - no excuses. Anyone under injury clouds and there's a bunch of them should be made to regain their spots rather than slipping straight back into the fold.

 

[polakthetiger]

Scary thing is that there's a lot of supporters out there who still classify injuries as an unlucky component of the game when in fact they are a constant reality which wrecks most teams most years.
.

I will be right out here in open saying I am one of them!

You only have to look at the 'luck' the Lions and Sydney had through their successful premiership years. Sure there is injury prevention measures that some teams may be better at. But they are generally soft tissue.

You can't tell me that a sliding hit that hits the thigh and causes a decent corkie and a week at most doesn't have a luck component if it hits a bit lower and destoys the knee. And more importantly, whose knee was taken out and was last weeks ankle a key position player too.

If you have time, check out the injury lists of the teams of the Lions and Swans and compare it to a few of the teams who were in the 8 those years.

Pure luck (or bad luck) depending on how it plays out. List depth can keep you up and around the mark, but it won't get you over the line. Just ask the recent history of WC. How I would have loved to have seen a WC Vs Cats final, both at full strength.

 

[duckboy]

You can never cover everything but I think we're better prepared this year to cover key injuries than we have been for a couple of years. As a few have said Richo and Simmonds would be the main concerns, with no obvious standouts ready to walk up. That said at least we should have the right "type" of player to fill a role even if they're not necessarily ready for the rigours of AFL footy. e.g. Putt might be able to fill a role as a forward or Graham can play in the ruck.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Defense is more important than attack.

Midfield is far more important than either. Good midfields create chances for lesser forwards and give defenders an easier time by pressuring the ball carrier more often than not.

You only have to look at the 'luck' the Lions and Sydney had through their successful premiership years.

You can add Geelong to that list too PtT.

 

[sante]

Midfield is far more important than either. Good midfields create chances for lesser forwards and give defenders an easier time by pressuring the ball carrier more often than not.

Exactly. Defenders find it much easier to defend when the opposition have pressure or perceived pressure when delivering into the F50.

my opinion is play lids as a centreman with foley and tucky and have newman and cotchin on the wings and deledio can go to full forward for his break and use the explosive pace out of the square 1 on 1

Deledio will be a forward...Schulz has been told that there is a position for him down back, which leads me to thinking Polak will be a forward too.

 

[Roger Dodger]

Midfield is far more important than either. Good midfields create chances for lesser forwards and give defenders an easier time by pressuring the ball carrier more often than not.





You can add Geelong to that list too PtT.

Geelong had their All Australian CHB get injured before the finals. It wasn't good luck they had but good management and depth to cover last minute losses.

Our midfield is so off the mark in terms of shepherding, tackling, knowing what space to create, tagging, we'll be a long time in the wilderness if everyone expects that to change overnight.

 

[sante]

Silvester is there in case of Thursfield and Cartledge for Simmo, we have the insurance

 

[Rayzorwire]

Geelong had their All Australian CHB get injured before the finals. It wasn't good luck they had but good management and depth to cover last minute losses.

Do you really think Geelong could have won a flag with their first three ruck options injured for most or all of the season - as we did? It's good luck to have the injuries you do have (and Geelong had very few) spread over areas which you can cover.

Our midfield is so off the mark in terms of shepherding, tackling, knowing what space to create, tagging, we'll be a long time in the wilderness if everyone expects that to change overnight.

The situation is improving, but yes, there's a long way to go yet.