bornadog
06-03-2012, 10:24 AM
Michael Gleeson - The Age (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/surgery-to-decide-fate-of-dogs-williams-20120305-1uecu.html)
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/art-svTOMWILLIAMS-420x0-1.jpg
WESTERN Bulldogs defender Tom Williams will have exploratory surgery as soon as today after scans yesterday failed to determine the extent of damage to his dislocated shoulder.
Williams had an MRI scan but the results were inconclusive so he will have surgery today or tomorrow to get a clearer picture of the damage to his shoulder, which popped out after he landed heavily from a marking attempt on Sunday.
Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said it was uncertain if Williams needed a reconstruction - which would sideline him for three months - or if rest and strapping could manage the injury and he could yet play in round one.
''We just need to get a clear picture and we didn't get that from the MRI, so he will have the exploratory surgery so we know where he is at,'' Fantasia said.
Williams said he was accustomed to the process of recovery after having had similar injuries in the past. ''I was expecting the worst but I've done it that many times now that I know how to go about it,'' Williams said yesterday. ''I just have to put my head down and get back.''
The Williams injury came just as the Bulldogs were beginning to regain some of their bigger names in defence. Despite the long-term loss of Dale Morris who broke a leg, the Dogs all-Australian full-back Brian Lake played his first game since round 11 last year on Sunday evening and defender Ryan Hargrave also made a seamless return.
In Williams' absence, Luke Markovic, who filled in for Lake last season and played 16 games, is likely to fill a defensive role for the Dogs.
Despite it being only a pre-season game the loss of the versatile Morris and what his ongoing absence will mean for the Dogs was acutely displayed on Sunday night against Carlton when Eddie Betts kicked five goals.
The Dogs didn't have a natural match-up for small forward Betts, using Bob Murphy for most of the night. The creative Murphy is ordinarily better served being freed up to run and carry the ball out of defence rather than being anchored to an opponent with a tight check.
Patrick Veszpremi, who played for the Swans as a half-forward before moving to the Bulldogs, had brief spells on Betts and might be asked to play more in defence this year.
In previous years the Dogs might have used Jarrod Harbrow in such a role but he is now at the Gold Coast.
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/art-svTOMWILLIAMS-420x0-1.jpg
WESTERN Bulldogs defender Tom Williams will have exploratory surgery as soon as today after scans yesterday failed to determine the extent of damage to his dislocated shoulder.
Williams had an MRI scan but the results were inconclusive so he will have surgery today or tomorrow to get a clearer picture of the damage to his shoulder, which popped out after he landed heavily from a marking attempt on Sunday.
Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said it was uncertain if Williams needed a reconstruction - which would sideline him for three months - or if rest and strapping could manage the injury and he could yet play in round one.
''We just need to get a clear picture and we didn't get that from the MRI, so he will have the exploratory surgery so we know where he is at,'' Fantasia said.
Williams said he was accustomed to the process of recovery after having had similar injuries in the past. ''I was expecting the worst but I've done it that many times now that I know how to go about it,'' Williams said yesterday. ''I just have to put my head down and get back.''
The Williams injury came just as the Bulldogs were beginning to regain some of their bigger names in defence. Despite the long-term loss of Dale Morris who broke a leg, the Dogs all-Australian full-back Brian Lake played his first game since round 11 last year on Sunday evening and defender Ryan Hargrave also made a seamless return.
In Williams' absence, Luke Markovic, who filled in for Lake last season and played 16 games, is likely to fill a defensive role for the Dogs.
Despite it being only a pre-season game the loss of the versatile Morris and what his ongoing absence will mean for the Dogs was acutely displayed on Sunday night against Carlton when Eddie Betts kicked five goals.
The Dogs didn't have a natural match-up for small forward Betts, using Bob Murphy for most of the night. The creative Murphy is ordinarily better served being freed up to run and carry the ball out of defence rather than being anchored to an opponent with a tight check.
Patrick Veszpremi, who played for the Swans as a half-forward before moving to the Bulldogs, had brief spells on Betts and might be asked to play more in defence this year.
In previous years the Dogs might have used Jarrod Harbrow in such a role but he is now at the Gold Coast.