injuryupdate
13-07-2005, 10:48 AM
Mike Sheahan has written about an injury analysis for the 2005 season, suggesting Collingwood has had the worst run with injury and Geelong is soldiering on the best of the top teams, while the Swans have had the best run with their star players:
Magpies a victim of the X-factor
12 July 2005 Herald Sun
WHICHEVER way you crunch the numbers, Collingwood has the most plausible explanation for a season that has delivered less than it promised.
It has been the major victim of football's random X-factor: the number of games missed by a club's better players.
Collingwood is tied with Fremantle for games lost by each team's best 22, and a clear leader for the more meaningful top 10 group. Nathan Buckley, Josh Fraser, Anthony Rocca and Guy Richards have missed 10 or more of a possible 15 games.
Add the contributions of Alan Didak, Ben Johnson, Rhyce Shaw, Chad Morrison and Cameron and Travis Cloke, all of whom have missed three or more games, and the depth of the problem is obvious.
While it doesn't excuse the pathetic first-half performance against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, the absentees against the Lions included Rocca, Fraser, Didak, Shaw and Morrison.
Buckley and Johnson, who played, also require more game time.
Fremantle has fared almost as badly as Collingwood, although it has had better luck with its top 10. The Dockers' major absentees have been Roger Haddrill (12 games), James Walker (8) and Matthew Carr (7).
On the credit side, Matthew Pavlich, Luke McPharlin, Peter Bell, Josh Carr, Heath Black, Paul Hasleby and Justin Longmuir have missed just six games between them.
Brisbane and St Kilda both have made a good fist of staying afloat, despite chronic manpower problems.
The Lions have lost a total of 72 games, with only four players appearing in all 15 rounds.
The Saints' figure is 64, but their top 10 has suffered more.
Aaron Hamill, Robert Harvey, Justin Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt have missed five or more games.
If you need any further proof of the impact of the X-factor, the six teams that have fared best ? Sydney, Kangaroos, Adelaide, West Coast, Richmond and Melbourne ? occupy six of the top seven positions.
The Swans have lost 34 games, fewer than half the Collingwood total. Their best 10 have missed 12 games between them, with Paul Williams responsible for seven of them.
It's a similar tale with the Roos. Just 36 games all up, eight for its top 10.
Geelong is the exception among the top seven teams.
The Cats sit sixth for games lost, and their big guns haven't escaped.
Steve Johnson, Steven King, Joel Corey and Brad Ottens have missed three or more games, with Johnson playing just four of 15.
While players' reputations can grow during extended absences, Johnson is a critical loss. The Cats badly need King or Ottens to make a statement in the centre, and Johnson to return to a forward line that lacks sting.
Magpies a victim of the X-factor
12 July 2005 Herald Sun
WHICHEVER way you crunch the numbers, Collingwood has the most plausible explanation for a season that has delivered less than it promised.
It has been the major victim of football's random X-factor: the number of games missed by a club's better players.
Collingwood is tied with Fremantle for games lost by each team's best 22, and a clear leader for the more meaningful top 10 group. Nathan Buckley, Josh Fraser, Anthony Rocca and Guy Richards have missed 10 or more of a possible 15 games.
Add the contributions of Alan Didak, Ben Johnson, Rhyce Shaw, Chad Morrison and Cameron and Travis Cloke, all of whom have missed three or more games, and the depth of the problem is obvious.
While it doesn't excuse the pathetic first-half performance against the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, the absentees against the Lions included Rocca, Fraser, Didak, Shaw and Morrison.
Buckley and Johnson, who played, also require more game time.
Fremantle has fared almost as badly as Collingwood, although it has had better luck with its top 10. The Dockers' major absentees have been Roger Haddrill (12 games), James Walker (8) and Matthew Carr (7).
On the credit side, Matthew Pavlich, Luke McPharlin, Peter Bell, Josh Carr, Heath Black, Paul Hasleby and Justin Longmuir have missed just six games between them.
Brisbane and St Kilda both have made a good fist of staying afloat, despite chronic manpower problems.
The Lions have lost a total of 72 games, with only four players appearing in all 15 rounds.
The Saints' figure is 64, but their top 10 has suffered more.
Aaron Hamill, Robert Harvey, Justin Koschitzke and Nick Riewoldt have missed five or more games.
If you need any further proof of the impact of the X-factor, the six teams that have fared best ? Sydney, Kangaroos, Adelaide, West Coast, Richmond and Melbourne ? occupy six of the top seven positions.
The Swans have lost 34 games, fewer than half the Collingwood total. Their best 10 have missed 12 games between them, with Paul Williams responsible for seven of them.
It's a similar tale with the Roos. Just 36 games all up, eight for its top 10.
Geelong is the exception among the top seven teams.
The Cats sit sixth for games lost, and their big guns haven't escaped.
Steve Johnson, Steven King, Joel Corey and Brad Ottens have missed three or more games, with Johnson playing just four of 15.
While players' reputations can grow during extended absences, Johnson is a critical loss. The Cats badly need King or Ottens to make a statement in the centre, and Johnson to return to a forward line that lacks sting.