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Patrick Cripps has been managing a back injury with injections. But a top sports medico has warned Carlton to tread warily after what’s already happened at the club.
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Leading sports medico Dr Peter Larkins has warned Carlton to tread warily in its treatment of co-captain Patrick Cripps as he called on all clubs to cut out painkilling injections designed to allow players to play through serious injuries.
As the AFL manages an injury crisis across the competition with around 23 per cent of listed players unavailable this weekend, Larkins said clubs needed to be wary of the threat of potential legal proceedings in the future.
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While he stressed he was unsure about the specifics and treatment of Cripps’s back injury, Larkins said he had been concerned to hear reports the star midfielder had taken painkilling injections in an effort to keep playing through his back issues.
He cited the case of former Blue Adrian Whitehead, who sued the club over a painkilling injection he received in a game in 1997, as a reason all clubs must be cautious.
“Carlton of all clubs needs to look up the Adrian Whitehead case,” Larkins said on SEN.
“Adrian is a famous Carlton case, so I suggest Carlton remind themselves about that … every club should remind themselves about that, when they are talking about having a player play with repeat local anaesthetic injections for a condition that hasn’t healed yet.”
Cripps has recovered from an injury similar to Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale’s back fracture.
The injury was not going to get worse, and he had to manage the pain with injections while it improved.
The club reiterated on Friday he had fully recovered from his back injury by Round 3.
When asked about the issue on Thursday, Carlton coach David Teague said: “He had a sore back at the start of the year. I’m not sure what the actual findings were. But he’s been completing full training since Round 3. It’s not an issue now, everything is healed.”
Larkins said he had been surprised by Teague’s comments.
“I am quite bemused by the coach saying he didn’t know the medical condition that was being treated by the doctors,” Larkins said.
“There is either a disconnect in communications at that club or they are not being honest about it, because he (Cripps) really does look like he is struggling.
“Whether he is having injections or not having injections, for the coach to say he doesn’t know, to me that’s quite strange.
“Is it the right treatment? Only the medical people will have to clarify that.”
Cripps hasn’t missed a game all season, but his form has been down on his usual high standards as he edges closer to signing a new deal to stay with the Blues.
Larkins said recent lawsuits, including one from Ty Zantuck, who is suing Richmond over claims he was subjected to 20 epidural injections to numb a debilitating back injury, were a warning sign for all AFL clubs.
“Local anaesthetic in selected use for someone who has got an injury that is quite minor and who needs a bit of pain relief is quite acceptable, but I really get concerned when I hear about significant injuries being injected for players to go back on the ground,” Larkins said.
“Just blocking the pain is not healing the problem.
“We have got a litigation issue across the whole range of things in footy at the moment. I am saying it is not just one club that does this.
“I personally think it has got to be reined in a bit. I think modern medicine is different (and) modern litigation is different and if it means a player has to miss a couple of extra weeks, that’s player welfare at its best and it should be in place.”
BLUES CLAIM CRIPPS OVER BACK ISSUE, WA CLUBS CIRCLE
Jon Ralph, Glenn McFarlane and Russell Gould
Patrick Cripps remains on track to re-sign with Carlton despite Western Australian interest and a form slump that has seen him a battling a long-running back injury.
Cripps has now recovered from the back issue that was similar to Lachie Neale’s back fracture at Brisbane, with a piece of the vertebrae cracking.
But like Neale, those injuries cannot get worse and are only about managing pain with injections before they improve over 4-6 weeks.
Cripps is now fit again after those issues but struggled to make an impact in the loss to the Western Bulldogs and started the third term on the bench.
On Thursday, coach David Teague said: “He’s fine. He doesn’t have a fractured back. He had a sore back at the start of the year, I’m not sure what the actual findings were.
“But he’s been completing full training since Round 3, it’s not an issue now, everything is healed.”
Teague said he “wasn’t aware” of Cripps needing injections to play and was happy with how the club managed the issue.
“I don’t know what the medical side of things were,” he said.
“He had a sore back, we managed it from a training point of view, he’s fine now.
“It was more the first two rounds that it hindered his training, then we had about a 12 day break and he trained that week and since then he’s felt comfortable.
“The story right now should be is Cripps fine to play? Yes he is.
He’s completing all training, he’s playing strong and that’s what we want.”
Cripps’ injury was thought to be similar to that of Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale, who played on with the issue before suffering an ankle injury which required surgery.
Teague came under fire this week for starting Cripps on the bench in the second-half of his team’s clash with the Western Bulldogs, which they lost despite leading by 27-points in the third quarter.
But Teague said Cripps wasn’t being managed in games because of the injury.
“He’s said “when I am right to play, if I put my hand up to play then you judge me like any other player”,” he said.
“That’s what leaders do. Crippa is in great shape right now.
“I’m getting a little bit confused why all the conversation is still happening now. It was a long time ago.”
Free agent Cripps is determined to sign a contract at his own pace and without rushing because of media pressure.
But his partner has recently started a new job in Melbourne with the couple happy in the city and content to stay.
West Coast this week mocked a report that Cripps could land at West Coast if the Eagles could trade out best-and-fairest winner Elliot Yeo.
Yeo is battling osteitis pubis, with Eagles football boss Craig Vozzo laughing off those reports about the star, who has recently switched management groups to industry giant TLA.
The Eagles players all took pay cuts over the summer after the league brokered a new pay deal.
Some player managers say it was under the specific condition the Eagles would not use that money to bring in other players.
Others say the Eagles did it on the condition if they were to bring in high profile players they would ask the Eagles list.
West Coast is under cap pressure because of the array of stars including Jeremy McGovern, Luke Shuey, Andrew Gaff, Jack Darling and Tim Kelly.
West Australian clubs would be mad not to ask the question of a free agent of Cripps calibre.
But he has consistently said he wants to re-sign with the Blues and heading home is not a consideration.
The Blues understand his value despite his injury issues this year and will still compensate him well on a deal of up to five years.
Cripps has never attempted to extract maximum compensation from the club, aware he needs to leave some money on the table for the club’s other stars.
While the Blues have front-ended deals for players including Jack Martin so have a full salary cap this year, they have cap space to bring in other players.
So while Harry McKay will secure a considerable pay rise they have money for both of their star goalkicker and Cripps, who is already on around $800,000 a season.
‘No rush’ on Stringer deal as Dons rivals circle
Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli says he won’t be rushed into a decision on his future, as Essendon general manager of football Josh Mahoney stressed the Bombers were confident Jake Stringer would recommit to the club beyond this year.
Bontempelli has firmed into a $5 second favourite to win the Brownlow Medal after another masterclass performance to help sink the Blues on Sunday.
The star midfielder is out of contract beyond the end of this season, but says there is no firm timeline on when a new deal with the Dogs will be finalised.
“It’s an important decision … it takes as long as it needs to,” Bontempelli told RSN on Wednesday morning.
“I won’t be rushed into a decision … the most important thing for me is that the dialogue and the conversation between my manager Tom (Petroro) and the club is going well.
“That’s the key for me. We will get to a result whenever we do, but as long as people understand the dialogue is very good.”
The 25-year-old gamebreaker appears certain to stay with the Bulldogs, but the length of the contract will be fascinating with the club saying recently it was hesitant to lock into mega long-term arrangements.
Bontempelli said he understood the interest in his contract status, but said his focus was predominantly on the team’s form, saying he rated the Bulldogs of 2021 as more consistent than the side that won the 2016 flag.
“Does the contract play on my mind, well, not personally,” he said. “That’s a separate conversation to my football.
“Obviously playing the best that I can and captaining the club the best I can (is important), but being a reliable teammate is always my number one focus.”
Stringer, Bontempelli’s former teammate, is also in the last year of a four-year deal that got him to the Bombers.
Mahoney said the club understood the interest Stringer would attract from rival clubs, but was confident the 27-year-old would stay at Tullamarine,
“You expect these names to be thrown up,” Mahoney said on SEN.
“He had an interrupted 2020 and a slow start but in the three or four games he’s played, you can see the impact.
“There’s no rush … He wants to stay at the club, we want Jake, so I think that’ll get itself done.”
He said the club had presented a plan to vice-captain Zach Merrett, who said in the Herald Sun last weekend that he hadn’t made a decision on his long-term future.
“We’ve had some really good chats with Zach, as a club we’ve presented our plans,” he said.
“He’s one of our leaders, he’s one of our better players. We feel comfortable, and he’s got every right to do what he’s doing.”
Bomber’s future in doubt after taking leave
Scott Gullan
Exciting young Essendon forward Irving Mosquito has taken leave from The Hangar to return home to remote Halls Creek.
Mosquito, 20, burst onto the scene with two goals against Richmond in the Dreamtime Darwin clash last year, but blew out his knee in just his fourth game.
He was not expected to return to play this year.
Essendon football boss Josh Mahoney said the forward had the full support of the club on his return to the East Kimberly region of Western Australia.
“Long-term rehabilitation is a tough proposition for all injured players, and certainly Irving has been transparent about his struggles throughout his recovery period,” Mahoney said.
“He recently asked to return home to be with his community and we were supportive of Irving taking the time to work through that.
“His wellbeing is our immediate priority and we will continue to work with Irving on what this means for his playing future.”
Mosquito was in the middle of his fourth game for the Bombers after being taken with Pick 38 in the 2018 national draft.
Mosquito, who was taken at pick 38 in the 2018 national draft, hurt his knee during a game against Geelong last September.
He attempted to tackle Tom Stewart before the star Cat sidestepped, leading to the young Bomber planting and landing awkwardly on his left leg.
Irving moved to Briagolong in eastern Victoria at the age of 12 to study at Gippsland Grammar.
Irving rose through Gippsland Power’s ranks, played for Victoria Country and landed in Hawthorn’s Next Generation Academy in 2016 before being taken by the Bombers.
How McDonald ‘stuck it back up’ the Dees
—Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Melbourne star Christian Petracca says he loves the way previously out-of-favour key forward Tom McDonald “stuck it back up at the club” after the Demons tried to move him on in the off-season.
After starring in the Dees run to the preliminary final in 2018, kicking 53 goals, McDonald has only managed 25 in 29 games in the past two years.
This led Melbourne to be open to offers for the 28-year-old at the end of last year, but no other clubs came calling.
And with early season injuries to young key forward Sam Weideman and recruit Ben Brown, McDonald has made the most of his opportunity in the Demons’ side.
He has played all eight games in Melbourne’s stunning unbeaten run to the season, kicking 13 goals – including four in the win against Sydney on the weekend.
Petracca said it was amazing to see.
“He has changed his diet. He only eats meat which is funny,” he said on SEN.
“Different to the other key forward who only eats vegetables (Brown), so we have a good mix.”
Petracca praised McDonald’s professionalism in proving the Demons wrong.
“For him it has been unbelievable, I think the biggest thing I love about him is the fact the club wanted to get rid of him and … he has come back and I love it how he has stuck it back up at the club,” he said.
“I’d be similar in that position as well, if the club wanted to get rid of you, you would also want to come back really strongly as well.”
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