AFL Daily: Western Bulldogs veteran Dale Morris on verge of remarkable return from torn ACL
Veteran Western Bulldogs defender Dale Morris is closing in on a return from a torn ACL, which he suffered on the eve of the 2019 season, and his determination has left captain Easton Wood in awe, while providing great lessons to his young teammates.
Morris, 36, tore his anterior cruciate ligament on the eve of the season for the second time in two years and after deciding against surgery, is closing in on a return.
The veteran is expected to return through the VFL in the coming weeks as he continues to build up his training with agility and football drills.
“Hopefully not too far away. He’s been training with us,” Wood told the Herald Sun.
“It’s definitely sooner rather than later. I’m not sure how many weeks but he’s been able to do some parts of full training, so I think he’s not too far away at all. He just needs to tick a few more boxes and be comfortable.
“The fact we’re even talking about him coming back at all just blows my mind. What that man is capable of never ceases to amaze me.
“It’s going to be amazing. I can’t wait to play with him again.”
The young Bulldogs can learn a lot from Morris’ dedication to the game, Wood says, after he famously played in the 2016 premiership with a broken back and returned from a partial ACL tear in Round 11 last season.
Dale Morris is on the verge of returning from a torn ACL. Picture: Michael Klein
“The easy thing to do is look and say ‘that’s just ‘Moz’' but it’s just what he does, no matter what he’s dealing with he’s the exact same consistent, happy, committed person whether he’s done his ACL or when we won the premiership. He’s the same,” Wood said.
“It’s incredible and such a wonderful example to the young boys that no matter what’s going on, if you apply yourself to your craft and your task, and if you do that as well as you can, then you are happy and that’s all you can do.
“It’s been amazing to see, at his age, he could easily say ‘that’s it, I’m done’ but his passion and drive and desire to play and continue to play and continue to get the best out of himself at what 36 (years old)? It’s astonishing.
“I wish we had 22 more of him.”
The Bulldogs have been plagued by inconsistency this season, having recorded upset wins over Richmond and Brisbane and pushed premiership contenders Collingwood and Geelong for three quarters, but have been beaten by strugglers Carlton and Gold Coast.
At 4-7 and two games and percentage outside the top eight, the season isn’t over yet but finding a solution has been a priority.
Easton Wood wears the ‘FightBack’ jumper the Bulldogs will wear in Round 17 to commemorate 30 years since ‘The Fightback’, when the club raised over $1.6 million to avoid a merger with Fitzroy. Picture: Getty
“We’ve been speaking about the inconsistency a lot,” Wood said. “It’s always difficulty to pinpoint.
“Our challenge is to be able to be consistent over those four quarters and what we’re seeing in every game that we’ve played, whether we’ve had the four-quarter consistent effort or in games where we’ve had it for just half a game, the positive thing on our side is that we’ve had it at some point of every game, so we know it’s there, it’s just being able to execute that for the long part of the game.
“We’ve gone to work on some of the detail of what that is, we’re just hoping to execute that better and bring that out on the weekend.
“The reality is we do have a young group.
“For me, particularly when I was a young player coming through you’re thinking about your own game and you’re just like ‘Ijust want to survive, I’m trying to play well so I can play the next week’ and you’re thinking in that small space.
“Our challenge, as leaders and as older players, is to support the guys to try and come outside of themselves and think about what’s best for the team in that specific moment and not be so caught up in their own games, so they can come out and play that team and even brand of performance.
“When we get that even contribution from our 22, we feel like we can beat anyone.”
Western Bulldogs on Wednesday launched a special ‘Fightback’ guernsey, which will be worn in Round 17 to commemorate 30 years since the club’s ‘Fightback’ movement, raising over $1.6 million in 1989 to avoid a merger with Fitzroy.
Updates
GLENN McFARLANE reports…
Geelong superstar Tim Kelly could become a modern-day Graham Moss, winning a Brownlow Medal for his club before returning home to Western Australia next year.
While the top-of-the-table Cats are doing everything in their power to convince Kelly to stay beyond the end of this year, it seems certain the 24-year-old will again request a trade back to Perth – as he did at the end of last season.
He might depart as the reigning Brownlow medallist – as Moss did when he left Essendon for Claremont after the 1976 season – if Champion Data’s 2019 Brownlow predictor is on the money after 12 rounds.
Geelong superstar Tim Kelly could become a modern-day Graham Moss, winning a Brownlow Medal for his club before returning home to Western Australia next year.
While the top-of-the-table Cats are doing everything in their power to convince Kelly to stay beyond the end of this year, it seems certain the 24-year-old will again request a trade back to Perth – as he did at the end of last season.
He might depart as the reigning Brownlow medallist – as Moss did when he left Essendon for Claremont after the 1976 season – if Champion Data’s 2019 Brownlow predictor is on the money after 12 rounds.
The Carlton fan ejected from Marvel Stadium for calling an umpire a “bald headed flog” has escaped sanction from the AFL.
The league insists that there had been no crackdown on fan behaviour despite a spate of recent incidents involving supporters being singled out for comments in the crowd.
Club president Peter Gordon is adamant Luke Beveridge remains the man to take the Western Bulldogs forward, even if they miss the AFL finals for a third straight season.
The Bulldogs sit 15th on the ladder after 12 rounds, having not tasted September action since Beveridge led them to the premiership in 2016.
Beveridge’s contract expires at the end of next season but Gordon expects to arrange an extension for the 48-year-old before that point.
“I think that Bevo is a terrific coach, has done a terrific job and I expect him to be coach of the Bulldogs for a long, longtime,” Gordon said.
“I have total confidence in him. I believe that he has total confidence in me and we’ll work those things out like any friends and colleagues would.”
The Bulldogs on Wednesday marked the 30-year anniversary of the ‘Fightback’ campaign which saved Footscray from a merger with Fitzroy.
Fans raised more than $1.6 million to help ensure the club’s survival, while Fitzroy went on to merge with the Brisbane Bears in 1996.
The Bulldogs will wear commemorative guernseys featuring their old Footscray logo when they host Melbourne in round 17.
Convincing wins over Richmond, Brisbane and Hawthorn this season have shown what the Dogs are capable of at their best.
But the Dogs limped into their mid-season bye with three straight losses, capped by a 61-point drubbing from premiers West Coast.
“At our best we can beat anyone but unfortunately we’ve had inconsistencies throughout the year,” captain Easton Wood said.
“Our challenge going into the second half of the year is being able to put together those consistent four-quarter performances.”
The Bulldogs have consistently been among the youngest and least experienced sides this season, a problem exacerbated by the AFL’s clampdown on runners.
“That’s obviously a real challenge,” Wood said.
“We can still get messages out at different times but as captain and as leaders on the ground, we have to be really mindful of where the young boys and where the entire group is at.
“Whether they feel like we’ve taken a step back or making sure we’re really positive and still in that mind frame of being willing to win the game, not going into that safe brand of footy where things can just spiral out of control.
“That’s our challenge. We’ve got to be vocal and make sure that when things aren’t going well – because it happens almost every game – that the young boys look to you as a beacon of support and strength.”
– AAP
Footy flashback: On this day in 2009 ...
Ben Broad
JUNE 12, 2009:
The Saints had announced themselves as an AFL force and were equal ladder leaders after 11 rounds.
In Round 12 they met fourth-placed Carlton at Etihad Stadium on a Friday night.
In front of more than 50,000 fans, the Saints kicked away early before the Blues hit back, with things getting tight.
Unlike 2019, the Saints' goalkicking was on target, with Nick Riewoldt's five goals the difference in the 16.8 (104) to 14.11 (95) win.
Pyke understands injury pain
Liam Twomey
Adelaide coach Don Pyke knows how Richmond feel as they plunge further into a deep injury hole ahead of the Thursday night clash between the clubs. The Tigers have lost captain Trent Cotchin and his likely leadership replacement Shane Edwards. Despite being in seventh spot on the ladder with seven wins – the same amount as fifth-placed Adelaide – Richmond’s season is lurching toward breaking point with 16 players on the injured list. Last season, Pyke’s Crows were hounded by a spate of injuries to key players – and they ultimately missed the finals. But Pyke’s playing squad is now remarkably healthy, with just two players unavailable for Thursday night – Tom Lynch (calf) and Tom Doedee (knee). He says even a five-day break between their win against GWS last Saturday night and taking on the Tigers hasn’t put a dent in Adelaide’s fitness. “The focus this week has been about recovery … pleasingly, the guys who played last week all pulled up really well so I don’t anticipate too many changes,” Pyke said.
Despite Richmond’s depleted line-up, Pyke described the Tigers – who thumped the Crows in the 2017 grand final – as “another fantastic test”. “We sit seven (wins) and five (losses), they’re at seven and five … we understand the quality of the opposition,” he said.
Pyke’s co-captain Taylor Walker looms large in the Adelaide Oval fixture, with a host of tall Tigers backmen out injured.
Richmond’s six-game novice Ryan Garthwaite could land the job of stopping Walker, who was pivotal in Adelaide’s last-term blitz which led to victory against the Giants last start.
“That last quarter was the sort of thing we know he’s capable of doing … it’s just about doing that for longer,” Pyke said of Walker.
“I have got great confidence and faith in him, the way he’s moving now and the way he’s presenting at the ball.
“He’s not far away from breaking a big game open, I think.
“When he’s up and presenting and jumping at the ball as he was in that last quarter … that is what makes him a great player and a fantastic leader for the footy club.”
KATE SALEMME
Western Bulldogs captain Easton Wood can’t wait to play alongside veteran Dale Morris again as the defender closes in on a return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Morris is expected to return through the VFL in the coming weeks after suffering the injury on the eve of the season. The 36-year-old has been completing agility and football drills at training in preparation for another remarkable comeback. “Hopefully not too far away. He’s been training with us,” Wood said. “I don’t think there’s an exact timeframe yet on when he can come back. “The fact we’re even talking about him coming back at all just blows my mind. What that man is capable of never ceases to amaze me. “It’s definitely sooner rather than later. I’m not sure how many weeks but he’s been able to do some parts of full training, so I think he’s not too far away at all. He just needs to tick a few more boxes and be comfortable. “It’s going to be amazing. I can't wait to play with him again.”
Wood, who played alongside Morris when he had a broken back in the 2016 premiership, continues to be inspired by his teammate’s dedication. “The easy thing to do is look and say ‘that’s just ‘Moz’ but it’s just what he does, no matter what he’s dealing with he’s the exact same consistent, happy, committed person whether he’s done his ACL or when we won the premiership. He’s the same. It’s incredible and such a wonderful example to the young boys that no matter what’s going on, if you apply yourself to your craft and your task, and if you do that as well as you can, then you are happy and that’s all you can do,” Wood said. “It’s been amazing to see, at his age, he could say ‘that’s it, I’m done’ but his passion and drive and desire to play and continue to play and continue to get the best out of himself at what 36 (years old)? It’s astonishing.” The Western Bulldogs today launched a special ‘Fightback’ guernsey, which will be worn in Round 17 to honour the club’s Fightback movement, raising over $1.6 million in 1989 to avoid a merger with Fitzroy.
Morris closing in on another stunning return
KATE SALEMME
Western Bulldogs captain Easton Wood can’t wait to play alongside veteran Dale Morris again as the defender closes in on a return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Morris is expected to return through the VFL in the coming weeks after suffering the injury on the eve of the season. The 36-year-old has been completing agility and football drills at training in preparation for another remarkable comeback. “Hopefully not too far away. He’s been training with us,” Wood said. “I don’t think there’s an exact timeframe yet on when he can come back. “The fact we’re even talking about him coming back at all just blows my mind. What that man is capable of never ceases to amaze me. “It’s definitely sooner rather than later. I’m not sure how many weeks but he’s been able to do some parts of full training, so I think he’s not too far away at all. He just needs to tick a few more boxes and be comfortable. “It’s going to be amazing. I can't wait to play with him again.”
Wood, who played alongside Morris when he had a broken back in the 2016 premiership, continues to be inspired by his teammate’s dedication. “The easy thing to do is look and say ‘that’s just ‘Moz’ but it’s just what he does, no matter what he’s dealing with he’s the exact same consistent, happy, committed person whether he’s done his ACL or when we won the premiership. He’s the same. It’s incredible and such a wonderful example to the young boys that no matter what’s going on, if you apply yourself to your craft and your task, and if you do that as well as you can, then you are happy and that’s all you can do,” Wood said. “It’s been amazing to see, at his age, he could say ‘that’s it, I’m done’ but his passion and drive and desire to play and continue to play and continue to get the best out of himself at what 36 (years old)? It’s astonishing.” The Western Bulldogs today launched a special ‘Fightback’ guernsey, which will be worn in Round 17 to honour the club’s Fightback movement, raising over $1.6 million in 1989 to avoid a merger with Fitzroy.
Richmond’s injury crisis has worsened with captain Trent Cotchin ruled out of Thursday night’s game against Adelaide.
Cotchin only returned to action two weeks ago after spending two months on the sidelines because of a hamstring tear.
But the inspirational skipper is again suffering hamstring soreness and has been ruled out of the Adelaide Oval clash with the Crows.
Meanwhile, All-Australian Shane Edwards will also miss tomorrow night’s clash. He is battling hamstring tendinitis but is expected to return after the bye.
Richmond’s head of football Neil Balme says Cotchin isn’t troubled by the same hamstring problem which caused him to miss a seven-game stretch earlier in the season.
“He is just a bit sore in the hamstring, but it’s not the same (injury),” Balme told reporters at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday.
“I reckon if he hadn’t have had the problem before he would have played. “The fact we’re playing on the Thursday makes it more difficult. “If we had played on Saturday or Sunday (he may have played) but we won’t take the risk.” The Tigers now have 16 players on their injured list although Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin is expected to play in Adelaide despite suffering a heavy knock last weekend.
Richmond could regain Brandon Ellis from injury for the Round 13 game but David Astbury will miss another week because of a hamstring strain. Only five Richmond players are yet to miss a game this season.
AFL fan survey: Have your say on biggest issues
Liam Twomey
It’s that time of the season when we want to hear from you — the fans.
Whether your side’s sitting pretty at the top of the ladder, struggling cellar dwellers or loitering somewhere in between, this is your chance to voice your opinion.
Do you still have faith in the AFL’s administration?
Have the rule changes hampered your enjoyment of the game this year?
Who is the best coach in the league?
That and plenty more plus your chance to win two tickets to the 2019 AFL Grand Final.
With former coach John Longmire watching on, a number young Swans took it up to their more experience teammates in another high-intensity four-quarter hitout. Here’s how it all played out.
Gold Coast have a new captain who is full of belief that Matt Rowell will spurn the advances of rival clubs and re-sign with the Suns beyond 2025. Plus, details on Touk Miller’s knee concern.
