AFL 2021: Wayne Milera to miss second season in a row after suffering brutal knee injury
Wayne Milera says he was feeling good before hurting his knee in Adelaide’s practice match, but even then he thought nothing was wrong.
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Injured Crow Wayne Milera has revealed he initially thought he would be fine and be able to run off his knee problem, before soon realising it was something serious.
Milera is set to spend six to nine months on the sidelines after rupturing the patella tendon in his left knee during the second quarter of Saturday’s trial game against Port Adelaide at Alberton.
He had surgery the same day and was released from hospital on Sunday.
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“I got a handball receive and went around one player and another tackle came from behind me and I felt the tackle,” Milera told Adelaide’s website.
“My leg maybe got stuck but I thought initially I’d either knocked it on the grass or his knee had hit my knee.
“I thought I could run it off and it would be fine but as soon as I went to run it was locking up, and it was like my leg was giving way.
“Then I looked at it and it swelled up pretty quick.
“The kneecap was a little bit high and I couldn’t run.
“It was a little bit painful but more the shock of when I went to run (and could not).
“Once he (doctor) said what it was, I was across that it was a pretty serious injury because my brother had done it a year and a half ago.
“To get through the pre-season and play a practice match, for it to happen then was pretty flattening.”
Milera, who only played two games last year due to a foot issue, said his body had felt really good before getting hurt.
“I was ready to go but these things just happen out of nowhere, so I’ll just control what I can control and get it right, and be back next year,” he said.
“All the surgery went well so all good on that front … it’s a bit sore but not too bad.
“I’ve just been resting up and icing it, trying to stay off it and I see the surgeon 10 days post op and see where we go from there.”
Milera said he had been buoyed by the well-wishes he had received in the wake of his injury.
“I’ve had a heap of messages from the boys, coaches, even (Crows chairman) John Olsen rang me up the other day and supporters obviously through my social media,” he said.
Milera and his partner Nina are expecting their first child at the end of this month.
Meanwhile, Adelaide defender Jake Kelly left the training track early on Tuesday with a hamstring issue.
He was set to undergo scans on Wednesday to determine if he would be available for Sunday’s second trial against Port Adelaide on Sunday.
Massive Crows blow as speedster lost for season
Adelaide speedster Wayne Milera will spend a second consecutive season on the sidelines after the Crows ruled him out for six to nine months after he ruptured his patella tendon in the trial match against Port Adelaide.
Milera only managed two games in 2020 because of a foot issue and is extremely unlikely to play again this season after the Crows revealed the time they expected him to sit out following the latest injury.
The 23-year-old suffered the injury in his left knee in a tackle during the second quarter of the trial game at Alberton on Saturday and had surgery that afternoon.
Renowned sports medico Dr Peter Larkins told News Corp on Saturday the best result for a ruptured patella for run-and-jump athletes was six to nine months on the sidelines.
Adelaide head of performance Matt Hass said on Monday that would be the time Milera - who was released from hospital on Sunday- would spend on the sidelines.
“A ruptured patella tendon is quite an uncommon injury in AFL,” Hass said.
“It’s obviously disappointing for Wayne to face another long-term rehabilitation process after what he went through in 2020.
“Wayne is an absolute professional and there is no doubt he will attack his rehabilitation the same way and we will throw our arms around him and support him as much as we can.”
Hass said Milera would spend the next 14 days recovering at home before starting his rehabilitation.
The Crows had another injury to come from Saturday with Ben Davis suffering a left syndesmosis injury in the SANFL game.
Davis, who was in a moon boot on Saturday, will have further scans this week to determine the extent of the injury and the most appropriate course of treatment.
Davis, usually a forward, had been playing as half-back for the Crows this pre-season.
Matt Crouch and Tom Doedee will train this week in a bid to be available to play for either the SANFL or AFL team this weekend after missing last weekend’s matches.
The Crows take on Port Adelaide in Noarlunga on Sunday while their SANFL team plays Norwood on Saturday.
Crouch had groin soreness last week, associated with his off-season hip surgery while Doedee has had a groin injury.
David Mackay has been ruled out of this weekend’s games because of lingering concussion symptoms from Adelaide’s internal trial game and won’t be available to play until he passes the AFL’s concussion protocol.
Daniel Talia is set to rejoin main training as soon as this week as he increases his training loads following post-season knee surgery.
Draftee Brayden Cook is still on track to be able to play from Round 5 as he rehabilitates from a shoulder reconstruction last year.
Crows draft star declares Round 1 ambitions
Top Adelaide draftee Riley Thilthorpe is hopeful of a Round 1 debut but Crows senior assistant Scott Burns is trying to keep a lid on expectations.
Thilthorpe ran out for Adelaide’s SANFL side against Port Adelaide at Alberton on Saturday and showed why the Crows took him with the second pick in the draft.
Playing as a key forward, Thilthorpe finished with four goals and set up two more — one with a fine handball to Elliott Himmelberg through traffic — as well as taking some good contested marks.
The young gun said his body was feeling fresh and he was hopeful of a Round 1 gig.
“Yeah, really good, which I’m really happy with,” he said in a club video.
“It is definitely a possibility (Round 1) but we will take it game-by-game and see how I go.
“Make sure the body is all right and go from there.”
Burns said making sure Thilthorpe’s body was right would be the main priority, even after his exciting performance against Port’s SANFL side.
“He’d be around the mark, but the thing with Riley and we were talking earlier about a guy called Alan Didak, who was pick three in the draft but only played three games in his first season and was an All-Australian and a best-and-fairest winner (by the end of his career),” Burns said.
“But Riley looked pretty impressive... I’m not sure how we will set up against Port Adelaide down at Noarlunga (next week).
“He has had a bit of a limited pre-season, he’s been a bit in and out and carried a few injuries last year.”
Burns said the Crows would take a “whatever presents” approach with Thilthorpe in his first season at West Lakes.
As well as Thilthorpe, No.11 pick Luke Pedlar and 28th pick Sam Berry played in the SANFL team, but may have an opportunity to slot into the senior side following the injury to Wayne Milera on Saturday.
Milera has had surgery on a ruptured patella tendon, and is set to be out for at least six months.
Milera, who only played two games in 2020, posted on his Instagram that the surgery had gone well.
Adelaide is expected to reveal just how long Milera is expected to spend on the sidelines on Monday.
CROWS FEAR WORST FOR UNLUCKY MILERA
— Matt Turner
Adelaide is rallying around Wayne Milera, who looks set to spend a second consecutive season on the sidelines after rupturing his patella tendon.
Milera limped off with the assistance of two trainers early in the second quarter of the trial match against Port Adelaide at Alberton on Saturday and did not return.
Renowned sports medico Dr Peter Larkins told The Advertiser the best result for a ruptured patella for run-and-jump athletes was six to nine months on the sidelines.
The 23-year-old is set to have surgery in the next 24 hours and an updated timeline is expected on Monday.
Adelaide senior assistant Scott Burns said the club was extremely disappointed for Milera, who played just two matches in 2020 due to a foot injury.
“We’re a little bit more pessimistic than optimistic but we’ll know more once the surgeons go in and have a look at it,” Burns said.
“He’s a terrific player when he’s up and going and a terrific person.
“When it’s back-to-back (seasons of major injuries), it’s going to be painful for him … but the boys will rally around him.
“There’ll be things he can do over the next three to four months with this young group to really help us.”
Milera has looked good switching between on-ball and half-forward over summer.
His absence will present more opportunities for the likes of GWS recruit Jackson Hately and draftees Sam Berry and Luke Pedlar.
“Unfortunately it’s a pretty ruthless industry, there’s another man up, another opportunity for someone,” Burns said.
“While we all feel for Wayne, someone’s going to have to step up now and take his role.”
Milera’s injury overshadowed an up-and-down match for the Crows. They started strongly, kicking the game’s first two majors in just over three minutes and trailed last season’s minor premier by just 11 points at quarter-time.
But Port Adelaide got on top during the third quarter, kicking six goals to three and dominating the centre clearances, as the Crows struggled to go with it.
“It was a really good test for us,” Burns said.
“We were pretty pleased with our start but it was probably just that third quarter where they really jumped us and we couldn’t quite control it.
“We’re still finding our feet with our mix through our midfield but they (Port Adelaide) probably came through a little bit too easy … and made it hard for the defenders.”
Billy Frampton (three goals), Ned McHenry (two) and Ben Keays (two) were the Crows’ multiple goalkickers and the trio were among the club’s best.
GAME STYLE
Coach Matthew Nicks has spoken about trying to be a more attacking side in 2021 and there are signs of that already, including kicking 11.7 and four goals in the first term with some freewheeling play.
Like much of Adelaide’s game style, it will be a work in progress.
As for its contested work, the Crows matched Port Adelaide at stoppages around the ground for much of the game but were smashed in centre clearances in the second and third quarters.
WHO WILL DEBUT IN ROUND 1?
Mature-age goalsneak James Rowe appears best placed after playing in the main game on Saturday and kicking one major.
He is coming off winning the Ken Farmer Medal for most goals in the SANFL last season and playing in a premiership for Woodville-West Torrens so has plenty of experience against men.
Riley Thilthorpe’s four-goal haul in Saturday’s reserves game pushes his case in a big way, while Luke Pedlar and Sam Berry will also be in the mix.
But the fact the teenage trio was overlooked for the main 26-man squad suggested they still had work to do to get a call-up, particularly after being managed at times this pre-season.
ONES TO WATCH
Ned McHenry
The 2018 first-round pick seems to have turned a corner.
He has added some muscle and no longer looks like a junior footballer out on the field. Enthusiastic as ever, McHenry kept working hard, even after the tide turned against the Crows.
Playing as a small forward, at half-forward and on a wing throughout the game, he finished with two goals and helped push his case to play in Round 1.
“He’s a really hard trainer and it showed out on the field today,” teammate Ben Keays said.
Taylor Walker
One of Adelaide’s better players again for the second consecutive weekend.
The former captain continues to show he is not a spent force at the level, kicking a goal, tackling hard and presenting well all day.
Some critics thought he might struggle to get a game this year but he would be a lock for Round 1.
Billy Frampton
Frampton moved a step closer to earning a berth in the season-opener after another bright performance.
The former Port Adelaide forward/ruckman booted three majors in last weekend’s internal trial and on Saturday he backed that up with another three, including two in the first quarter.
His contested marking efforts around the ground would have pleased his coaches just as much.
“We’ve been really impressed this pre-season and, as you saw early, he was certainly a focal point for us,” Burns said.
Frampton played five games for the Crows last year, including Round 1, but Elliott Himmelberg finished the season as Adelaide’s pinch-hitting ruckman.
Himmelberg played reserves on Saturday and did not stand out.
Fischer McAsey
The 19-year-old defender is off the pace.
He misread the ball several times, dropped easy marks and seemed to play without confidence.
With Tom Doedee and Daniel Talia missing, it was an opportunity for him to step up, but he struggled to combat the Power talls.
And Jordon Butts may have gone ahead of him after competing well against Charlie Dixon.
It looms as an interesting year for McAsey, who is out of contract at seasons’s end.
INJURY WATCH
Talia (knee) appears unlikely for Round 1 because he is yet to resume full training since having arthroscopic surgery on his knee in September.
Doedee (groin) will get some game time in the reserves against Norwood next weekend.
Ben Davis rolled his ankle in Saturday’s second-tier game, but Pedlar was fine after coming off early and just being managed.
Dominant Thilthorpe makes big statement in SANFL trial
- Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Any thoughts Matthew Nicks and his coaching staff have about managing Riley Thilthorpe for Round 1 might have to be shelved after Adelaide’s highest ever draft selection shone in the SANFL Showdown trial.
The No. 2 draft pick was surprisingly selected to play in the SANFL trial game at Alberton rather than in the AFL match.
But Thilthorpe showed it won’t be long before he is in the Crows senior side as he dominated the warm-up game.
Playing as a deep-forward, after spending some time on the wing in the Crows intraclub match, Thilthorpe finished with 4.2 in an impressive showing.
Two of these game in the third quarter, when Thilthorpe’s talent truly came to the fore.
In the space of three minutes, he set up Tariek Newchurch and Elliott Himmelberg, the latter with a fine handball while in traffic, and followed these efforts up with some big forward-50 marks of his own.
The 18-year-old then kicked a smart goal with a snap around the body and three minutes later out-marked veteran Tyson Goldsack and converted a set-shot.
Thilthorpe’s four goals helped the Crows to a 9.12 (66) to 6.16 (52) win.
Been a huge 5 minutes for Crows' No.2 pick Riley Thilthorpe.
— Matt Turner (@mattturner1986) February 26, 2021
- Provided outlet then assisted a Newchurch goal w/ neat over top kick
- In traffic handball to Himmelberg, who goals
- 3 marks inside 50
- Checkside goal from tight angle
- Another goal from 20m
* 4 goals for game
Watching Riley Thilthorpe dominate in this practice match against @PAFC, @Adelaide_FC will be forced to play him very soon - wow. https://t.co/PXaja2zDgM
— Kane Cornes (@kanecornes) February 26, 2021
Thilthorpe update: Two goals, two assists and three big marks in the forward 50... and that's just in the third quarter 👀ðŸ˜#weflyasonepic.twitter.com/UzSpbdMcmO
— Adelaide Crows (@Adelaide_FC) February 26, 2021
Here are the other takeouts from the SANFL match between Port and the Crows:
■ Pencil in Newchurch for an AFL game at some point this season. After a solid showing in the intraclub, Newchurch tore up the game at times with his blistering speed.
■ Boyd Woodcock played on-ball for a significant period and impressed for Port’s side.
■ Deployed off a half-back role again, Ben Davis’ day ended prematurely when he suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter and was later in a moon boot.
■ Crows draftee Luke Pedlar came off midway through the third and did not come back on but it looked to be part of the club’s management for the hard-hitting midfielder.
■ Ollie Lord took some good marks behind the ball and up forward for Port, while Lachlan Gollant had a good second-half in a forward role for the Crows.
■ At the ground where his dad Darryl tasted so much success as a Port Adelaide player, James Borlase kicked a goal at Alberton... for the Crows.
■ In happier news for Port fans, Taj Schofield impressed off a wing for the home side while Owen Montgomery (son of defensive coach Brett) kicked a nice goal.
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