The Round 11 Injury Ladder
This is something that a team doesn’t want to be winning, the injury ladder. Not counting players who are resuming in other leagues, those with fitness tests or very minor ailments, these are the players who will be missing. Some lesser-known players are not listed among the injured as they were not expected to have a big season in 2007.
The list really does show that injuries do hurt a team, that is not a surprise as injuries do hurt. The one exception is Adelaide, there have been plenty of hits along the way but the team is not in trouble unlike other teams in the top 5 here.
Looking at the injuries, there are a few teams that are going to be much better in the second half of the season while other teams don’t have a chance with several long-term injuries. The Swans and Bulldogs should make a run in the second half of the season as they could be at full strength.
1 Adelaide (5th on AFL ladder)
Brett Burton
Ian Perrie
Brent Reilly
Matthew Bode
Rhett Biglands (season)
Trent Hentschel (season)
Kurt Tippett (season)
The Crows keep finding players to replace their injured ones, Burton is out again but they have Jericho to take his spot. In recent seasons the injuries have hit at Adelaide during the second half of the season, their timing could be better this time and a lot of their players will be ready for the finals.
2 Melbourne (15th on AFL ladder)
Clint Bartram
Mark Jamar
Brent Moloney
Ryan Ferguson
Jared Rivers
They had many other injuries in the earlier rounds too, like Neitz and McLean, but the players here who are still named ontheir injured list are very important and without them the Demons won’t be able to do what Brad Green wants, make the top 8. Injuries have opened up playing time for Petterd and Frawley so that will provide benefits for future years.
3 St Kilda (13th on AFL ladder)
Michael Gardiner
Robert Harvey
Matt Maguire
Aaron Hamill
Brendon Goddard (season)
There are plenty of problems at Moorabbin, or with Moorabbin too, and injuries have ruined their season. Surprisingly, Koschitzke has not been hurt, most other players have. While the injury list at St Kilda is getting smaller it will still contain some big names and the Saints are going to have a big undertaking to play in the finals.
4 Brisbane (11th on AFL ladder)
Chris Johnson
Chris Scott
Daniel Bradshaw (season)
The Lions stayed competitive early when they were without Lappin, Drummond, Hadley and Clark but they have fallen away over the past month. One reason is the loss of Bradshaw for the season, in recent weeks teams have been surrounding Jonathan Brown, Bradshaw would have punished teams who put extra defenders around him.
5 Richmond (16th on AFL ladder)
Troy Simmonds
Patrick Bowden
Mark Coughlan (season)
Things could be looking up for the Tigers, Simmonds is close to playing and won’t be listed here much longer. One reason the Tigers don’t have a win is that Simmonds has missed most of their games. A benefit from their injuries is that Howat and King are eligible to play in the AFL.
6 Hawthorn (3rd on AFL ladder)
Richie Vandenberg
Ben Dixon
Tim Clarke
Mark Williams
Some of these injuries might have helped the club in a small way, as it forced a change for the better. Teams that use a small forward as their primary option don’t win, an example is the Eagles with Phil Matera, so when Williams went out it allowed Boyle and Franklin to take over. When Williams returns he will still be important but as a complimentary player to their big forwards. Vandenberg isn’t better than Birchall, Guerra, McGlynn, Lewis, Young and many other Hawks so his injuries have delayed the decision on whether he is in their best side. It didn’t delay the controversy though.
7 West Coast (1st on AFL ladder)
Andrew Embley
Sam Butler
Ashley Hansen
Their injuries, and miscellaneous happenings, have just opened up playing time for some of their young stars. Priddis, Staker, Armstrong, Rosa, Brown and Hurn would be running around in the WAFL instead of contributing for the Eagles if injuries hadn’t given them their chance. They are without several significant players but their depth has it covered.
8 Carlton (14th on AFL ladder)
Joe Anderson
Eddie Betts
Cameron Cloke (season)
Nick Stevens (season)
Cloke was a solid player but nothing special. The loss of Stevens is attributed to Murphy being focussed on by other teams, but Murphy is a top pick so that should have been expected anyway. Betts is a player they miss, his chasing after opposition defenders is an undervalued ability.
9 Kangaroos (8th on AFL ladder)
Leigh Harding
Daniel Wells
Daniel McConnell
Josh Gibson
Nathan Thompson (season)
Wells isn’t far away, so the Kangaroos will again have his speed soon. While many thought Thompson being hurt was the end of the season, it may have actually ushered in a fresh era. They weren’t winning with him and now that a change has been forced on them the forward line is much better. Brown, Petrie, Edwards, Jones and a small, like Grant or Harvey rotating through a forward spot, is a very solid forward structure.
10 Fremantle (12th on AFL ladder)
Ryley Dunn
Andrew Browne
Justin Longmuir
Schammer and Peake are no longer listed here so that is good news for the Dockers. The bad news is Longmuir, if he was able to play it would give them three big forward targets. The Dockers would be on top of the Suspensions Ladder.
11 Collingwood (4th on AFL ladder)
Ryan Lonie
Nathan Buckley
Chris Egan
Sean Rusling
While they would like to have Buckley playing, his absence is showing Collingwood fans that the future is something to look forward to. Pendlebury is starring and will be a player to take Buckley’s midfield spot. Coach Malthouse has said that Buckley is a forward when he plays now.
12 Essendon (6th on AFL ladder)
Nathan Lovett-Murray
Scott Gumbleton
Andrew Lovett
Jay Neagle
The reverse would have happened last season, high up the injury ladder and down the bottom of the real one. Lovett-Murray might have been a big loss but Ryder has filled his spot. If the Bombers stay healthy for the second half of the year, they should play in the finals.
13 Port Adelaide (7th on AFL ladder)
Tom Logan
Troy Chaplin
Daniel Motlop
Brogan is close to playing so he wasn’t on the list here. The Power have hit a small slump but with most of their players available they should turn it around.
14 Geelong (2nd on AFL ladder)
David Johnson
Steven King
The Cats have benefited from having most players available every week, and some things might also have been easier there due to an injury. Blake is an improvement over King, but it was going to be difficult for the Cats to just drop him. As long as King is out with an injury the Cats don’t officially have to announce that he isn’t part of their best side.
15 Western Bulldogs (10th on AFL ladder)
All important players could be available.
Murphy is ready and Grant will be in the VFL too. They should have a big second half of the season with all their players to select from.
16 Sydney (9th on AFL ladder)
All important players could be available
When someone like Ablett, Kennelly or Dempster gets hurt they seem to return a lot earlier than expected. The Swans have been a healthy team the past couple of years and that has to be a reason why they have been so successful.
The list really does show that injuries do hurt a team, that is not a surprise as injuries do hurt. The one exception is Adelaide, there have been plenty of hits along the way but the team is not in trouble unlike other teams in the top 5 here.
1 Adelaide (5th on AFL ladder)
Brett Burton
Ian Perrie
Brent Reilly
Matthew Bode
Rhett Biglands (season)
Trent Hentschel (season)
Kurt Tippett (season)
The Crows keep finding players to replace their injured ones, Burton is out again but they have Jericho to take his spot. In recent seasons the injuries have hit at Adelaide during the second half of the season, their timing could be better this time and a lot of their players will be ready for the finals.
2 Melbourne (15th on AFL ladder)
Clint Bartram
Mark Jamar
Brent Moloney
Ryan Ferguson
Jared Rivers
They had many other injuries in the earlier rounds too, like Neitz and McLean, but the players here who are still named ontheir injured list are very important and without them the Demons won’t be able to do what Brad Green wants, make the top 8. Injuries have opened up playing time for Petterd and Frawley so that will provide benefits for future years.
3 St Kilda (13th on AFL ladder)
Michael Gardiner
Robert Harvey
Matt Maguire
Aaron Hamill
Brendon Goddard (season)
There are plenty of problems at Moorabbin, or with Moorabbin too, and injuries have ruined their season. Surprisingly, Koschitzke has not been hurt, most other players have. While the injury list at St Kilda is getting smaller it will still contain some big names and the Saints are going to have a big undertaking to play in the finals.
4 Brisbane (11th on AFL ladder)
Chris Johnson
Chris Scott
Daniel Bradshaw (season)
The Lions stayed competitive early when they were without Lappin, Drummond, Hadley and Clark but they have fallen away over the past month. One reason is the loss of Bradshaw for the season, in recent weeks teams have been surrounding Jonathan Brown, Bradshaw would have punished teams who put extra defenders around him.
5 Richmond (16th on AFL ladder)
Troy Simmonds
Patrick Bowden
Mark Coughlan (season)
Things could be looking up for the Tigers, Simmonds is close to playing and won’t be listed here much longer. One reason the Tigers don’t have a win is that Simmonds has missed most of their games. A benefit from their injuries is that Howat and King are eligible to play in the AFL.
6 Hawthorn (3rd on AFL ladder)
Richie Vandenberg
Ben Dixon
Tim Clarke
Mark Williams
Some of these injuries might have helped the club in a small way, as it forced a change for the better. Teams that use a small forward as their primary option don’t win, an example is the Eagles with Phil Matera, so when Williams went out it allowed Boyle and Franklin to take over. When Williams returns he will still be important but as a complimentary player to their big forwards. Vandenberg isn’t better than Birchall, Guerra, McGlynn, Lewis, Young and many other Hawks so his injuries have delayed the decision on whether he is in their best side. It didn’t delay the controversy though.
7 West Coast (1st on AFL ladder)
Andrew Embley
Sam Butler
Ashley Hansen
Their injuries, and miscellaneous happenings, have just opened up playing time for some of their young stars. Priddis, Staker, Armstrong, Rosa, Brown and Hurn would be running around in the WAFL instead of contributing for the Eagles if injuries hadn’t given them their chance. They are without several significant players but their depth has it covered.
8 Carlton (14th on AFL ladder)
Joe Anderson
Eddie Betts
Cameron Cloke (season)
Nick Stevens (season)
Cloke was a solid player but nothing special. The loss of Stevens is attributed to Murphy being focussed on by other teams, but Murphy is a top pick so that should have been expected anyway. Betts is a player they miss, his chasing after opposition defenders is an undervalued ability.
9 Kangaroos (8th on AFL ladder)
Leigh Harding
Daniel Wells
Daniel McConnell
Josh Gibson
Nathan Thompson (season)
Wells isn’t far away, so the Kangaroos will again have his speed soon. While many thought Thompson being hurt was the end of the season, it may have actually ushered in a fresh era. They weren’t winning with him and now that a change has been forced on them the forward line is much better. Brown, Petrie, Edwards, Jones and a small, like Grant or Harvey rotating through a forward spot, is a very solid forward structure.
10 Fremantle (12th on AFL ladder)
Ryley Dunn
Andrew Browne
Justin Longmuir
Schammer and Peake are no longer listed here so that is good news for the Dockers. The bad news is Longmuir, if he was able to play it would give them three big forward targets. The Dockers would be on top of the Suspensions Ladder.
11 Collingwood (4th on AFL ladder)
Ryan Lonie
Nathan Buckley
Chris Egan
Sean Rusling
While they would like to have Buckley playing, his absence is showing Collingwood fans that the future is something to look forward to. Pendlebury is starring and will be a player to take Buckley’s midfield spot. Coach Malthouse has said that Buckley is a forward when he plays now.
12 Essendon (6th on AFL ladder)
Nathan Lovett-Murray
Scott Gumbleton
Andrew Lovett
Jay Neagle
The reverse would have happened last season, high up the injury ladder and down the bottom of the real one. Lovett-Murray might have been a big loss but Ryder has filled his spot. If the Bombers stay healthy for the second half of the year, they should play in the finals.
13 Port Adelaide (7th on AFL ladder)
Tom Logan
Troy Chaplin
Daniel Motlop
Brogan is close to playing so he wasn’t on the list here. The Power have hit a small slump but with most of their players available they should turn it around.
14 Geelong (2nd on AFL ladder)
David Johnson
Steven King
The Cats have benefited from having most players available every week, and some things might also have been easier there due to an injury. Blake is an improvement over King, but it was going to be difficult for the Cats to just drop him. As long as King is out with an injury the Cats don’t officially have to announce that he isn’t part of their best side.
15 Western Bulldogs (10th on AFL ladder)
All important players could be available.
Murphy is ready and Grant will be in the VFL too. They should have a big second half of the season with all their players to select from.
16 Sydney (9th on AFL ladder)
All important players could be available
When someone like Ablett, Kennelly or Dempster gets hurt they seem to return a lot earlier than expected. The Swans have been a healthy team the past couple of years and that has to be a reason why they have been so successful.
