Sports medicos back St Kilda’s decision to use painkilling injection on Jake Carlisle’s ribs

EXPERIENCED sports medicos have backed St Kilda’s decision to inject painkillers into Jake Carlisle’s injured ribs for a training session, declaring clubs have been doing this for years and doctors know what they’re doing.

ST KILDA’S decision to inject Jake Carlisle’s ribs with a painkilling injection for a midweek training session has been backed by experienced medicos.

Alan Richardson on Friday supported St Kilda’s medical staff despite the injection puncturing Carlisle’s lung, putting him out of the clash against Port Adelaide.

The Saints coach said the punctured lung was at the minor end of the scale, confident he would take on Carlton the following week.

INJURED: CARLISLE SUFFERS PUNCTURED LUNG AFTER JAB

JOSH BATTLE: YOUNG SAINT SUFFERS FRACTURED EYE SOCKET

Carlisle’s lung is expected to reinflate over coming days but the Blues will now be aware he also has rib damage, clouding his chances of playing.

Richardson defended club doctors Tim Barbour and Ian Stone amid conjecture about the safety of the procedure.

Sports medico Peter Larkins told the Herald Sun on Friday the side effect was one of the risks of putting a nerve block into a sensitive spot.

Jake Carlisle runs off the field last week in pain after suffering damage to his ribs.

It is understood the club doctor involved was shattered by the situation, with Carlisle one of the Saints’ best performers against Melbourne.

“You only have to go back to Nigel Lappin playing in a Grand Final with three broken ribs and a punctured lung,” Larkins said.

“Players often play with cracked or broken ribs and often they will have a pain block through an injection.

TEAMS: ALL THE INS AND OUTS FOR ROUND 16

SPECIAL REPORT: WHAT WILL FOOTY LOOK LIKE IN 2019?

“Sometimes the injection will go wrong and it can cause damage. The lung isn’t far away from the ribs.

“St Kilda’s doctors are two of the most experienced guys in the league and they have done it before and know what they are doing.

“But there is always a well-established risk that if it goes wrong there can be a problem with the lungs.”

He had a painkilling injection for training, which resulted in a punctured lung.

Lappin punctured his lung in a robust fitness test before a Grand Final but played on regardless the next day.

Carlisle is one of many players who would be jabbed up to train so he could test his ability to play on the weekend.

St Kilda is already missing Josh Bruce (broken leg), Nathan Brown (hamstring) and Josh Battle (eye socket), but Richardson believes Carlisle will play next week.

“We’d expect that he’d be really close to being right for the Blues next week,” Richardson said.

“It’s quite a common procedure. It happens a bit. I’ve been in a lot of footy clubs and that is the way that injury is dealt with and treated.

“We’ve got an outstanding group of medicos that do a really good job. There’s always a slight risk and obviously that is what has happened.”

Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >

Originally published as Sports medicos back St Kilda’s decision to use painkilling injection on Jake Carlisle’s ribs