Murphy's hamstring injury only minor

[bornadog]

The Age

Andrea Petrie | May 18, 2009



WESTERN Bulldogs forward Bob Murphy has not damaged his hamstring as seriously as first thought, Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said yesterday.

Eade said while Murphy would still have scans to determine the severity of the strain, he only expected him to be out about a fortnight.

"It's at the minor end of the scale," Eade said told Triple M. "We need a scan to confirm that but he's walking pain-free today which is a good sign and clinical judgement today was probably two weeks so that's good news."

Murphy was showing signs of returning to top form after sitting out the opening four rounds of the season with a knee problem and he had already notched six disposals, four marks and a goal when the injury forced him off the ground late in the first quarter.

While Murphy will miss the Dogs' clash with the undefeated Cats on Friday night, veteran Geelong defender Darren Milburn is also in doubt due to a minor ankle problem he sustained early in Saturday's win over North Melbourne.

But star midfielder Gary Ablett (adductor) and half-forward Paul Chapman (back) are both expected to return for the Cats.

Kangaroos coach Dean Laidley yesterday questioned whether the tough Arden Street turf might be contributing to his team's injury woes with many players suffering soft tissue damage.

Laidley said that the club had tested the ground's surface to see whether it was contributing.

"We've had it tested over the last month and it is very hard so we're addressing that at the moment and we're probably going to train somewhere else for the next period of time and get the ground softened up," he said on the The Sunday Footy Show.

Collingwood also suffered a further injury setback at the weekend with forward Sean Rusling fracturing his cheekbone while making his comeback from shoulder problems in the Magpies' VFL side.

The injury will see the unlucky 22-year-old — who last played a senior game in round one last year and has managed only 17 senior games in his five years at the club — out for at least a month.

Rusling's teammate Anthony Rocca has hopes of returning soon from a groin injury.

"Hopefully a week but I'm not too sure at the moment," Rocca told Triple M. "The old saying (is) if you don't have a pre-season it makes it tough for the rest of the year, and that's the way it's turning out at the moment. Hopefully I can get a bit of continuity with my training and my games."

Brisbane Lions key defender Joel Patfull will also miss Sunday's match against the undefeated St Kilda after he broke his jaw in Saturday night's comeback win over Adelaide.

Full-back Daniel Merrett, who rolled his left ankle when he landed awkwardly during a marking contest in the same game, might also be in doubt although coach Michael Voss was confident he would be right to play.

Sydney defender Lewis Roberts-Thomson is in doubt for Sunday's clash with Port Adelaide at the SCG after straining his buttock in the Swans' nail-biting, five-point win against West Coast on Saturday night at ANZ Stadium.

[BulldogBelle]

I hope we only play Murph when he is 100% right again, and not rush him back in

Same as Cooney, coming off knee surgery we wouldnt want to thrash him and for a similar soft tissue injury to occur

We dont need to be as desperate as Richmond

[LostDoggy]

Not a bad thing to not have him this week, when you consider how unprepared we were for Luke Hodge in the final against Hawthorn, he hadn't played in the earlier loss to us.

[LostDoggy]

Bob is way too important to rush back, we need to make sure he is 110% right. It is a massive loss tho who is going to step up and present as a forward target because it didn't look like we had to many other options up there.

[LostDoggy]

Geez Quigley is important for our structure. Forget the big pack-marking forward, a fit and firing Bob Murphy is worth ten Quentin Lynches in the way he hits up the ball coming out from the backline and links play into the forward 50. We look a rabble without his footy smarts.

What were his stats in half a quarter of football? 6 disposals, 5 marks, 1 goal, 1 assist? That's better than a host of players who play a full four quarters. He is the definition of economy of movement. Efficient, efficient, efficient. Classy, too.

[bornadog]

I heard Eade say before the game on Saturday, Murphy is one of the most important players in the team.

[azabob]

I heard Eade say before the game on Saturday, Murphy is one of the most important players in the team.

IMO opinion our 3 most important players are in no particular order; Lake, Cooney & Murphy

[Stefcep]

Murph's a talent, no doubt. But he has a James Hird body.

[LostDoggy]

Murph's a talent, no doubt. But he has a James Hird body.

He also has the James Hird ability -- they come together, the talent and the fragility. It's how they're rolled off the 'skinny-as-a-rake fragile genius' assembly line. If they sat in a shop window, there would be a sign that would say -- 'careful, breakable object'.

Hope Cordy bulks right up.