SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens’ injury stats as finals loom

SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens is fighting a horror injury crisis that has left it searching for answers and its finals hopes hanging by a thread, writes Andrew Capel.

Woodville-West Torrens chief executive David Couzner says he hasn’t seen anything like it in his 11 years at the powerful SANFL club.

The Eagles – back-to-back premiers in 2020-21 and a finalist last year – were so cruelled by injuries in their last game against Norwood two weeks ago that they had an extraordinary 25 players unavailable from their 60-man senior squad.

This resulted in nine juniors being promoted from their under-age teams just to fill the 44 players they needed for their league and reserves sides.

Twelve of Woodville-West Torrens’ best 22 were unavailable – star off-season recruits Jack and Nick Hayes, former Crow Riley Knight, last year’s club champion Sam Rowland, Kade Herbert, Patrick Weckert, Adam D’Aloia, Sam Nicholls, Daniel Sladojevic, Will Pearce, Noah Angove and Bailey Hann.

Woodville-West Torrens' Bailey Hann is helped from the ground by trainers. Picture: SANFL

The lack of manpower has ripped the heart out of the proud western suburbs club and resulted in a series of heavy losses and some supporter discontent, which has put unfair pressure on second-year coach Sam Jacobs.

After starting the season strongly, posting a 6-3 win-loss record after nine rounds, the Eagles have lost their past five matches, including three by 100 points or more.

Their horror losses have been to unbeaten Sturt by 124 points in Round 11, Adelaide by 100 in Round 12 and the Redlegs by 131 in Round 14.

That’s an average losing margin of 118 points in the three matches, which hasn’t sat well with the club or its supporters and seen the Eagles’ percentage smashed.

While they are still hanging on to a top five spot, sitting fifth, their percentage has crashed from 54.6 after Round 9 to 44 – the fourth-lowest in the league.

Sixth-placed Norwood (5-9), which is coming hard after losing its first five games, now sits just one win behind the Eagles in the race for fifth position and a finals berth and has a far superior percentage (53.4).

In a nightmare scenario, Woodville-West Torrens has had 36 senior players miss at least one game through injury this season and only eight play all 14 league games for the club – captain Joseph Sinor, James Rowe, Kobe Mutch, Jordan Lukac, Max Beattie, Zane Williams, Max Litster and first-year player Jett Hasting.

Star Eagles midfielder Riley Knight has been ruled out for the season with a bad hamstring injury. Picture: David Mariuz/SANFL

Rising Eagle Kade Herbert hasn’t played since suffering a neck injury against Central District in Round 9. Picture: Tim Joy

It has used 40 players at league level, including two under-18s – state squad members Jack Cook and Jevan Phillipou – and still had an eye-popping 23 players listed on this week’s injury report.

The Eagles have played 48 players in their reserves, including nine under-18s, while 18 players have featured in both league and reserves games.

The injury crisis, which has seen one of the club’s favourite sons, 2021 Jack Oatey Medallist and former St Kilda tall Jack Hayes, miss seven games with leg injuries, has prompted the club to undertake an internal review.

But the injuries are due more to bad luck than bad management.

A whopping 72 per cent of the Eagles’ injuries (which have cost a player at least a game) have been classified as impact-related, with six knee issues, six ankles, four shoulders, three broken hands, two broken legs, two ribs, one neck and one foot.

Seven of the injuries are season-ending, including star midfielder Knight (hamstring), Angove, Pearce and Jack Wheare (knees).

Exciting teenager Kade Herbert, 19, hasn’t played since hurting his neck in a dangerous tackle against Central District in Round 9, which saw 2023 Bulldogs Magarey Medallist Harry Grant slapped with a five-match suspension.

Woodville-West Torrens coach Sam Jacobs addresses his troops. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“This has been one of the most challenging seasons I have seen in SANFL football in terms of injuries,’’ Couzner said, joking that someone at the Woodville-based club must have walked under a ladder.

“But through it all, the resilience and character shown by our players, coaches, staff and members has been exceptional and we are still sitting fifth and pushing to finish the year strongly.

“Under Sam’s leadership, the group has stayed connected and committed. We have had to call on a number of young players earlier than expected and while that is not ideal, they will be stronger for the experience in the years to come.

“We take full ownership of where things sit. While many of the injuries have been unavoidable and impact-related, we are not taking anything for granted.

“A full review of our football program has been underway for the past five weeks, looking carefully at recruitment, retention, medical and high performance, coaching structures, administration and financial resourcing.

“We are serious about learning, improving and making sure we meet the standards our club expects of itself and believe we will come out of this period more prepared and better placed for the future.”

EAGLES’ TALE OF WOE

Current injury list: 23

Season-high injury list: 25

Players to miss at least one game: 36

Players used (league): 40

Players used (reserves): 48

Players to have played every game: 8

Originally published as SANFL club Woodville-West Torrens’ injury stats as finals loom