AFL injuries: Who is hurt and who is on the way back for Round 11 and 12
North Melbourne’s year has gone from bad to worse with the club deciding to put star midfielder Ben Cunnington on ice for the rest of its 2020 campaign. The premier ball-winner has been battling a back injury for months.
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North Melbourne has struck a lasting line through injured midfielder Ben Cunnington, ruling him out for the rest of the 2020 season in what is a huge blow to coach Rhyce Shaw’s side.
The 29-year-old has been battling a nerve-related back injury for months and has not featured for the Kangaroos since early July, after he was forced out of their Round 5 clash with the Western Bulldogs midway through the match.
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The contested ball-winning machine had been a late withdrawal from the side in the two games leading into the Dogs clash, sparking debate about the club’s decision to play the midfielder while under an injury cloud.
The Kangaroos defended the call at the time, arguing “given it’s a nerve issue, the likelihood of making the injury worse was really, really low”.
In a statement on North Melbourne’s website on Thursday, football manager Brady Rawlings said dual club champion Cunnington would now focus on getting his body right for next season.
The Shinboners are all but certain to miss finals in 2020.
“Ben’s been working closely with our physios and strength and conditioning staff, but the reality is, he won’t be available before the end of the season given the time we have left,” Rawlings said.
“Although his strength measures have improved and his progress is encouraging, he’d still need to complete a mini pre-season before being available for selection and we just don’t have that luxury with six games remaining.
“Ben is one of the best midfielders in the competition, and arguably the best contested ball winner there is, so not having him out there has been a challenge for us obviously.
“Ben is disappointed but is now focused on doing everything he can to be ready for next year.”
Fears for star young Crow’s future
— Simeon Thomas-Wilson
Stand-in Adelaide captain Tom Doedee could have hamstring issues for the rest of his career, according to one of Australia’s most respected sports medicos.
The 23-year-old, a rare bright spark in a horror season for the Crows, has been ruled out for the rest of the season after he sustained a high-grade injury to his left hamstring tendon in the final quarter of Adelaide’s loss to Collingwood.
The Crows will have Rory Sloane available for Sunday’s match against the Western Bulldogs after he was given the all-clear by his surgeon to return from a broken hand.
But the man Crows fans view as Sloane’s successor as Adelaide captain has had his 2020 campaign ended, after his 2019 season ended in Round 1 when he tore his ACL.
Crows head of science and medicine Steve Saunders said the hamstring Doedee had injured against Collingwood was the one that provided the graft for his knee reconstruction last year.
“These sort of injuries will take between six to eight weeks to be fully rehabilitated so unfortunately for Tom his season is over,” he said.
But Dr Peter Larkins told News Corp when a hamstring was used to make a new graft it became a “vulnerable area for players going forward”.
“Athletes that have had an ACL injury and used a hamstring to make a new graft are susceptible to injuries in that area (hamstring) at any stage,” he said.
“When you pinch the hamstring to make the graft the hope is that the body will regrow a new structure, it never grows the same tendon back so that area is a vulnerable area for players going forward given that hamstring is such a high profile injury in the AFL.
“Some players do a really good job and their body re-establishes that section at the back of the leg with a fibrous tissue that acts as a tendon and others have really terrible trouble for the rest of their career and keep breaking down because it is not a normal area any more.”
The season-ending injury comes after Doedee hurt his hamstring against Essendon in Round 8 and returned against Melbourne in Round 10.
Saunders said the injury against Collingwood was entirely unrelated to the one Doedee suffered against Essendon.
“Tom had returned to two weeks of training, he had played against Melbourne a week prior without incident and had a fantastic week on the training track,” he said.
“This injury is a separate injury to the tendon proper and unfortunately it’s a high-grade one.”
Dr Larkins said it didn’t matter if a player in Doedee’s situation came back too soon, they had an “altered area” of their hamstring.
“Its repair capacity when they get injured is slower than a native hamstring injury,” he said.
“It usually takes longer to recover which is why he will miss the rest of the season and the fact he has had an injury there before is a concern going forward because it is in an area that is not a normal part of the hamstring if that makes sense.
“So therefore its repair capacity is slower and not as good as someone who has had a normal hamstring injury which can still take a while if a tendon is involved.”
Dees hit by ruck injury chaos
— Jon Ralph
Melbourne Luke Jackson could miss most of the rest of the home-and-away season with a hamstring tendon injury that has set back an impressive debut season.
The Demons take on Collingwood on Saturday with Max Gawn still in significant doubt with a PCL strain that saw him miss the clash with North Melbourne last weekend.
The Demons have a captain’s run on Friday ahead of the Pies clash and could rely on swingman Tom McDonald to play ruck again after a solid display against the Roos.
But it is understood Jackson, who pulled up sore out of the North Melbourne victory, has damage to his hamstring tendon.
Players can return within 21 days after a regulation injury to the hamstring muscle but tendons-related injuries are more serious.
At this stage he does not need surgery after a solid debut year for the No.3 pick from last November’s draft.
He has not been a high possession winner, but at times has been picked ahead of McDonald and impressed with his athleticism as a 198cm forward and ruckman.
The Demons could also consider Braydon Preuss, after he completed his first scratch match in recent months on the weekend.
Meanwhile, Collingwood could be boosted by the return of captain Scott Pendlebury, who has made excellent progress from a quad strain in recent days.
The brilliant onballer has trained fully this week and will press for selection against Melbourne if he pulls up well from Wednesday’s session.
Pendlebury’s inclusion would be significant for a club already missing Adam Treloar and Jordan De Goey.
Hard-nut Demons midfielder Jack Viney will return from a head knock in a move that could bump Angus Brayshaw out to a wing for the clash against Collingwood.
Brayshaw excelled in Viney’s absence in an onball role on Sunday night, but coach Simon Goodwin faces a juggling act with Viney back.
Saturday’s clash with Collingwood is a test for Melbourne as the club is yet to beat a top-eight side.
Collingwood has been ravaged by injury and is also set to lose key defender Jordan Roughead to concussion.
The veteran copped a knock in the win over the Crows on Tuesday night and is likely to miss due to the four-day turnaround.
Will Hoskin-Elliott (knee) is racing against time to be fit, but Jamie Elliott will slot back into a midfield-forward role after being rested.
Grundy has showcased an extraordinary durability, playing through the compressed rounds without a break.
There were suggestions he would be rested for the Crows game, but the Magpies continued to play him. However, they rested Darcy Moore and Elliott.
“We could have played a better 22 tonight, and I dare say every side in the competition is going through this in some shape or form, but we’ve still got our eyes on the prize,” coach Nathan Buckley said after winning in Adelaide.
“It’s not just about getting the win now, it’s about what is your team going to look like in three, four, five weeks, and are you going to find the best of what you have in your squad to be able to present as well as you possibly can beyond (the regular season)?”
Meanwhile, St Kilda has lost Jade Gresham to a possible season-ending stress fracture in his back.
The injury will be reassessed in six weeks.
Saints chief operating officer Simon Lethlean confirmed Gresham would be missing for “an extended period”.
GUN BULLDOG GOES DOWN AT TRAINING
The Western Bulldogs are sweating on the availability of star Jason Johannisen for their must win clash against Adelaide after he suffered an ankle injury at training.
The lightning quick running defender is in doubt for the crucial match for Luke Beveridge’s sides diminishing finals hopes after he hurt his right ankle during the Bulldogs’ small group training at Metricon Stadium on Wednesday.
He was in significant pain and immediately limped off the training track where he was attended to by a group of Bulldogs staff members.
He then was driven from training by a Bulldogs staff member but did not undergo scans on the injured ankle.
The 2016 Norm Smith Medallist will be assessed by the Bulldogs over the next 24 to 48 hours as to whether he will miss any matches.
The Bulldogs are expecting to know more about his immediate availability on either Friday or Saturday.
The Bulldogs play the Crows on Sunday on the Gold Coast with a win required over the struggling Crows to breathe some new life into their season after three straight losses.
They will be without key defender Zaine Cordy, who picked up a chest muscle injury at training earlier this week.
Cordy is set to be sidelined for two to four weeks with the injury.
Lewis Young and Jackson Trengove are in the mix to replace Cordy in the Bulldogs’ side.
They could also welcome back Lachie Hunter, who has been absent for personal reasons.
MARTIN OUT FOR BLUES
Jack Martin will miss Carlton’s clash with Fremantle on Saturday after copping a low-grade calf injury against the Eagles.
Martin missed the second half of the loss to West Coast, and could miss up to a fortnight.
“He had some tightness in his calf: it was pretty smart by him to come off at that time,” Blues fitness boss Andrew Russell said.
“We expect him to miss one or two weeks: we’ll see how he settles in the next few weeks and whether he’s ready for Darwin.
“I know he’s really excited about playing that game so hopefully he gets up for that. If not, it’ll certainly be the week after.”
Forward Harry McKay will return after battling a knee complaint, but Mitch McGovern and David Cuningham – who suffered hamstring and calf issues respectively – won’t return with a period of conditioning to come.
“Harry has settled really well. He fell on that knee right on the area of inflammation,” Russell said.
“He has done two really good running sessions, he’ll train (on Tuesday) and Thursday: we expect him to be up and firing come Saturday.”
KEY BOMBER CLOSE TO RETURN
Essendon swingman Cale Hooker is considered an “outside chance” to return for the Bombers clash with St Kilda on Sunday as he progresses well in his recovery from a calf strain.
Hooker has missed the past three games and won’t line up against Gold Coast on Wednesday night but is edging ever closer to a return.
Fellow calf strain victim Orazio Fantasia is also making progress but, unlike Hooker, has not yet returned to the main training group.
“Cale is progressing very well and starting to integrate back in with the main training group,” Essendon head of medical services David Rundle said.
“He won’t be available to play on Wednesday and the decision about whether he plays on Sunday will be left until later in the week.
“Orazio has been a little bit slower to progress. He did sustain his injury a week after Cale and he’s not at the point yet where he’s available to train with the group.”
Forward Jake Stringer, who has not played since Round 5, is still at least a fortnight away from a return following ankle syndesmosis stabilisation surgery.
SETBACK FOR CROUCH AFTER HOME ACCIDENT
Adelaide midfielder Brad Crouch has suffered an injury setback after slipping on a wet veranda in an unfortunate accident at home.
Crouch, who had been recovering from a hamstring injury, reported the incident to the club late last week.
Scans have since cleared him of further damage and the 26-year-old is back running, but the slip up has pushed back his time frame for a return.
“(He) had a bit of a scare and has irritated his hamstring tendon,” Crows head of science and medicine Steve Saunders said.
“While we were initially aiming at having him back for the Bulldogs game (August 16), this return could now be pushed back a week or two.
“These return to play predictions are always based on profiling and the player’s response to training load progressions.
“Obviously, we won’t be taking any chances with Brad’s return to play.”
Adelaide’s reigning best-and-fairest winner, Crouch averaged 26 disposals and five clearances across the first eight rounds of the season this year.
In better news, captain Rory Sloane – who has missed the past four games – is expected to return from a hand injury against the Bulldogs on Saturday, after being cleared to return by his surgeon on Monday.
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CAMERON PULLS UP WELL
Brisbane forward Charlie Cameron has been cleared of any serious damage to his knee and remains a chance to tackle North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium on Saturday.
Cameron hurt his knee and rolled his ankle during the Lions’ 24-point Round 11 win over the Western Bulldogs on Saturday but later returned to the field to finish the game.
“He’s pulled up well, he obviously did a fitness test and went back on the ground,’’ Brisbane high performance manager Damien Austin said.
“There doesn’t seem to be any structural damage from the scans, there’s a bit of swelling there and he also rolled his ankle in that incident.
“We expect we will get him trotting tomorrow and then see how he is later in the week to train.’’
Fellow forward Cam Rayner is expected to resume Brisbane’s main training group this week as his recovery progresses well after suffering a hamstring injury in Round 9.
Originally published as AFL injuries: Who is hurt and who is on the way back for Round 11 and 12