Freak gym accident sidelines young North Melbourne player Brayden George
A North Melbourne youngster is expected to miss most of the pre-season after a failed box jump resulted in elbow surgery. Get the latest on the recovery timeline.
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A freak gym accident falling backwards attempting an ambitious box jump has consigned much-hyped North Melbourne draftee Brayden George to a three-month recovery from elbow surgery.
George was recruited by the Roos with the No.26 draft pick in the 2022 national draft as the club warehoused a player who only slid from top 10 predictions after an ACL tear.
The club’s long-term view looked to be a smart move when the exciting 187cm forward turned to full training in August this year and impressed the club with his movement and potential.
But training at a local gym at home in Wangaratta, he fell while attempting a box jump, part of an exercise that builds explosive power and muscular endurance.
Instead of successfully bracing for his fall he dislocated his elbow and needed surgery on Thursday.
He will quickly be able to start running again but will have his return to full training delayed until late January.
The first-to-four year North Melbourne players officially return to the club on November 13 so he will miss a large chunk of the pre-season.
He will be able to build his fitness but miss out on key football drills.
The Roos are hopeful that George Wardlaw can have an uninterrupted pre-season after his wildly exciting debut year was interrupted by more hamstring issues.
He played eight games but only two after round 16 as the hamstring concerns that plagued his final junior season meant he played round 18, then returned in round 22 but was then shut down for the season.
He has been around Arden Street regularly over the off-season rehabbing with club staffer Daniel Cross before travelling to America with Rising Star winner Harry Sheezel for a break.
The Roos will hope to get on top of those issues so he can get a full season in under Alastair Clarkson in 2024.
Roos football boss Todd Viney said the Roos still had high hopes for George despite his latest setback.
“This is disappointing news for Brayden, especially after being sidelined for his whole first season with us,” he said.
“He returned to full, unrestricted training in August and was looking forward to getting stuck into his first pre-season in the coming weeks.
“Brayden has shown tremendous strength of character and resilience during his ACL rehab this year and we know he will attack this injury with the same attitude.
“While this will obviously impact his pre-season, we expect Brayden to be back running soon with the aim to return to full unrestricted training in approximately 12 weeks. We don’t expect the injury to impact his availability for the upcoming season.”
THE EIGHT NORTH SURVIVORS LEFT FROM ‘FOOTBALL’S WORST SIDE’
North Melbourne has turned over an astonishing 45 players in the past three years as the club attempts to shrug off its recent history as football’s worst side.
The Roos on Friday delisted Kayne Turner, Aiden Bonar and Jack Mahony as part of 13 players who were traded, delisted or retired after the club’s 17th placing this year.
From the club’s 2020 list, only eight players remain in what is effectively an entire list’s worth of turnover from over the last four off-seasons.
Still on the list from the 2020 season are Bailey Scott, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Luke McDonald, Jy Simpkin, Nick Larkey, Charlie Comben, Tristan Xerri and Cam Zurhaar.
After the 2020 season the Roos turned over 14 players as the likes of Majak Daw, Jasper Pittard, Mason Wood and Ben Brown departed, then the club turned over nine players after each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The remarkable number of list changes includes role players brought in to build depth and stability, but is a stark reminder of the club’s struggles to hold or develop elite talent.
In the past four years they have not finished out of the bottom two, but a stacked draft hand, strong leadership and a full pre-season under Alastair Clarkson should help the club’s fortunes.
The Roos have picks two, three, 15, 17 and 18 as they attempt to secure the No.1 overall draft pick, having brought in defenders Toby Pink and Bigoa Nyuon and quality ball users Zac Fisher and Dylan Stephens.
Clarkson will hope he can develop an elite core of players that includes George Wardlaw, Rising Star winner Harry Sheezel, Larkey, Zurhaar, Scott, Simpkin, Davies-Uniacke, Tarryn Thomas, and Xerri.
But while the Roos still look short on ruck and key defensive depth, they will back in players on their list to emerge in 2024.
Roos list boss Brady Rawlings said on Friday the Roos would not be an interested party for Port Adelaide free agent Scott Lycett.
The club is keen to give Tristan Xerri the starting ruck role, will back in Callum Coleman-Jones as a ruckman rather than forward-ruck and has 25-year-old 202cm ruck Hamish Free.
The Roos could draft a tall in the November 20 national draft but also believe they have enough defensive options despite the loss of Ben McKay and Bonar’s delisting.
They will also attempt to throw exciting but injury-prone forward Charlie Comben into defence next year after securing the SANFL’s best defender in Pink and ex-Richmond tall Nyuon.
“Corr is our most experienced defender, we played Kallan Dawson in the last round and he performed quite well in that game. Internally we are looking at Charlie’s potential to go down back. He is very mobile and athletic and competitive. Then we have Toby Pink and ‘Biggy’ Nyuon,” Rawlings said.
Players who left North Melbourne in 2023
Aiden Bonar, Ben Cunnington, Jacob Edwards, Todd Goldstein, Aaron Hall, Daniel Howe, Jack Mahony, Ben McKay, Flynn Perez, Phoenix Spicer, Kayne Turner, Lachie Young, Jack Ziebell
Players who left North Melbourne in 2022
Jed Anderson, Atu Bosenavulagi, Josh Walker, Tom Lynch, Kyron Hayden, Matt McGuinness, Patrick Walker, Jason Horne-Francis, Jared Polec
Players who left North Melbourne in 2021
Taylor Garner, Dom Tyson, Will Walker, Connor Menadue, Shaun Atley, Trent Dumont, Tom Campbell, Charlie Ham, Robbie Tarrant
Players who left North Melbourne in 2020
Paul Ahern, Ben Brown, Joel Crocker, Majak Daw, Sam Durdin, Shaun Higgins, Lachie Hosie, Ben Jacobs, Jamie Macmillan, Tom Murphy, Jasper Pittard, Ed Vickers-Willis, Marley Williams, Mason Wood
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