There Are Worse Times to Get Injuries Than Before Round 1

[mjp]

With all the angst over Liam...and Cody...and Adam...and JJ....and now (maybe) Ed (with apologies to Anthony Scott, Nick Coffield and co)...there are worse times to be injured than 'right now'.

I mean, Injuries before Round 1 are always frustrating...because the results in Round 1 are blown out of all proportion...and particularly I guess 'right now' after a full preseason of hard work - players missing out on the start of the season feels like a huge setback (plus there are no match day results to lose our minds over). But when you step back and think about it, is before Round 1 really the worst time for an injury?

Of course, nobody wants to start the season on the sidelines - but at least there's the potential for a full recovery without the added pressure of being in the middle of a finals push or deep into a tight ladder race. An early-season injury might mean:

• You’re back by mid-season with plenty of games left to make an impact.
• There's more time to manage the rehab properly without rushing back too soon.
• Younger players or fringe members of the squad get an opportunity to step up early. Buss, Hynes, Davidson et al...surely they are coming into the frame and well, who knows??

Compare that to getting injured in the back half of the season when there’s no time to recover or during finals when your absence could be the difference between a win or an early exit. Guys playing hurt, playing sore...once the games start there is no-where to run and no-where to hide. Every injury is a blow, but timing matters. For me, if it means Cody missing a few games early but being primed for September, well...isn't that good??

Would you rather see players miss the start of the season or risk losing them during crunch time?

[Mantis]

I'd rather not have injuries at all!

I totally get the point you're making and yes, if you're going to get injuries it's best to get them out of the way now but the tough start to the year in the way of a demanding fixture, and the uncertainty around our team (coach out of contract/under the pump) means it would be nice if we were given the best opportunity to hit the ground running.

We really need to bank wins and not be under pressure at the mid-way point to play catch up which we often have over the past number of years and having several key players missing makes that more difficult than we hope it would.

[Mofra]

Finals are obviously more important than round 1 - I do wonder if it's better to be injured just before round 1 than it is early in pre-season where you miss out on building that aerobic 'base' for the year.

[Jackodog]

Who was the other potential injury today I’m hearing about?

[mjp]

Who was the other potential injury today I’m hearing about?

Id say Richards??

[Bornadog]

Id say Richards??

Had scans and has been cleared of a calf injury

[whythelongface]

Of course injuries early on in the season is a preference but it it not an either or situation. it doesn’t mean those players won’t get injured again. I suspect those returning from injury are at a higher chance to reinjure themselves.What you do get is underdone players returning at crucial points in the season.

On the flip side the benefit is giving others an opportunity to showcase their ability. We saw that last year with Freijah debuting ahead of schedule. This has no doubt fast tracked his development. Let’s hope someone else takes advantage of someone’s misfortune - it would be great if there is suddenly a gun young small forward that jumps out of the box.

[Bigdog]

Not sure I can agree. I think you need guys to have a full pre season as that’s where they build their fitness & strength. In season is more about conditioning.

Also early in season you want to settle on a structure, therefor if you lose guys during the season you can plug and play ie Bulldogs 2016. Sometimes when you plug and play you find better contributors. I still believe our injuries enabled the coaching staff to find a better formula in 2016.

Certain older players may be okay missing chunks of the preseason given their experience. Which is what I’m hoping occurs this year.

[NAUGHTY100]

Not sure I can agree. I think you need guys to have a full pre season as that’s where they build their fitness & strength. In season is more about conditioning.

Also early in season you want to settle on a structure, therefor if you lose guys during the season you can plug and play ie Bulldogs 2016. Sometimes when you plug and play you find better contributors. I still believe our injuries enabled the coaching staff to find a better formula in 2016.

Certain older players may be okay missing chunks of the preseason given their experience. Which is what I’m hoping occurs this year.

Totally agree with your sentence , Certain older players may be okay missing chunks of the preseason given their experience. I also would prefere injuries occur during preseason , My only concern would be when during their preseason , if the player has done the bulk of his preseason then they have the kilometres in their legs , these guys then can afford to miss a few weeks , ( its not ideal of course) but once they are up and running again it shouldnt take to much time to get back to full fitness , the injuries during the season are the ones that hurt the most , it unsettles team structure , and halts momentum , so defiantly want a healthy list during crunch time .

[54Bulldog16]

I’m not stressing too much yet.
Look at Brisbane last year, by round 8 they had 3 wins, by round 12 they had 4 wins and a draw. Hawks similar, 2 wins by round 8, 5 by round 12.
Here’s hoping we build into the season, settle, and take the finals by storm.

[FrediKanoute]

Bang on. If we are going to get injuries it hurts less (or provides time for a recovery) to have them now.

[mjp]

Not sure I can agree. I think you need guys to have a full pre season as that’s where they build their fitness & strength. In season is more about conditioning.

LOL. In season is ALL about recovery.