Swans:Doyle latest

[Troy G]

Following arthroscopic surgery this morning the following prognosis is released regarding Stephen Doyle.

"As earlier diagnosed there was a joint surface fracture and part of the cartilage had come away from the bone. The edges needed to be smoothed and the bone surface was in very good condition. Stephen is expected to be on crutches for a month and return to playing in approximately 12 weeks," Football Director Andrew Ireland.

[desredandwhite]

Well I guess that's neither better or worse than expected. Hopefully he'll be able to get into the ressies around week 10 and go from there (unless the article implies playing AT ALL in 12 weeks.)

If we hold it together until he gets back to relieve Goodes, we might do alright..

[Charlie]

This is a disastrous situation.

On the one hand, Adam Goodes becomes by far our most important player. He would be anyway, of course, if he was playing through the midfield in a Kouta-like role. But as a ruckman, he needs to play basically a Herculean performance EVERY WEEK for us to be competitive at centre clearances.

While he is very good around the ground, where his excellent aerobic capacity gives him that little edge after the opposition ruckman has huffed and puffed his way to the bounce, at the centre bounces he will struggle, as he did last Saturday night. He does not have the height to compete with the tall timber, like what happened against Freo with Sandilands and Simmonds.

So, Goodes is much more valuable as a ruck-rover, providing the ideal link-man through the midfield and also being a dominant force at throw-ins/ball-ups. But he only plays that role - a role where I see him being a Brownlow Medallist within the next 5 years and one day earning Hall of Fame membership - when someone else is playing #1 ruckman. But who? Doyle is gone, it's not him. He will not hit be back, let alone in form, until ound 14. It's certainly not Ricky Mott. It has to be Jason Ball.

But Jason Ball is not match-fit. That has been obvious in the last 2 weeks. In my mind, he has been dead weight this past fortnight, because he hasn't gotten back into the groove yet, which is understandable after 18 months out of the game. What I think he could really do with is perhaps three weeks or more playing with the Redbacks, getting match-fit. He is ONLY useful to the team as a number #1 ruckman, lacking the agility and durability to be anything else. But he isn't fit enough to mix it with the AFL's best yet, and probably won't be for some time.

So, the question is, what will the coaching staff do? Adam Goodes benefits from being a ruck-rover. The Swans benefit from Adam Goodes being a ruck-rover. Jason Ball benefits from going back to the Redbacks to find some match fitness, so he can come back at somewhere near his best. The Swans need him now. The Swans need a ruckman capable of at least making the centre clearances a competition. Adam Goodes is too short. Jason Ball is too rusty. What do we do?

This injury to Doyle is the biggest setback to our season so far, bar none.

[barry]

You'd only send a player back to the reserves for fitness, if you have a replacement which is better than that player in his unfit state.

We dont.

Ball will get his fitness in the seniors. All he has to do for the time being is nullify (ala Mott last year). Just run into the opposing ruckman and try to negate his influence, rather than specifically setting up play.

[NMWBloods]

On the one hand, Adam Goodes becomes by far our most important player. He would be anyway, of course, if he was playing through the midfield in a Kouta-like role. But as a ruckman, he needs to play basically a Herculean performance EVERY WEEK for us to be competitive at centre clearances.

My big worry with this is the potential for Goodes to suffer a chronic injury from playing as first ruck against significantly bigger guys.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by barry
You'd only send a player back to the reserves for fitness, if you have a replacement which is better than that player in his unfit state.

We dont.

Ball will get his fitness in the seniors. All he has to do for the time being is nullify (ala Mott last year). Just run into the opposing ruckman and try to negate his influence, rather than specifically setting up play.

I think running into a sack of feathers is a potential injury-causing incident for Jason Ball.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ball would benefit from having a stint in the Redbacks. The intensity of ACTAFL is not 50% of AFL level. It would do him well to build back up to the level required, actually rucking against lesser ruckmen. I have barely seen him in the ruck for 15 minutes all up in the last 2 matches. Alternating between floating around and the interchange won't build him back up. Rucking will. But he isn't fit enough to ruck in the AFL yet... so the answer is obvious.

Whether or not the coaches can bring themselves to do it is another thing entirely.

Charlie

[Bear]

Ball needs to be in the senior team. What are you suggesting, have Goodes ruck for the whole match?

Doyle is being used as more of a pinch-hitting forward anyway so that is where we are down - in our goal-kicking options.

[Charlie]

I'm not suggesting anything. I'm simply pointing out that nobody benefits from the forced conditions now that Doyle is out, but that there seems no other choice. This injury will have huge consequences over the next few weeks.

[Steve]

With games against Adelaide and Hawthorn in the next 2 weeks, Ball will get more time in the ruck.

Rd 1 he was very underdone and Goodes was blitzing them.

Rd 2 Simmonds was playing well and was always going to be too mobile for Ball.

I'm still holding out hope that Goodes has been used predominantly in the ruck so far due to Ball's (and Doyle's in Rd 1) lack of match fitness.

Last time Ball played against Adelaide he had 25 touches, kicked 5 goals, and received 3 Brownlow votes playing mostly in the ruck.

He has his weaknesses, but he's still fairly handy if fit.

[Bron]

Stephen Doyle and Andrew Ireland are speaking at the redbacks brunch before the game on sunday. Will do a report.

[jude_boltons_babe]

poor stephen doyle out for 12 weeks

i was told last night hes out for 12 weeks poor guy

[Cheer Cheer]

Well its good to see that doyle will be back for the home run if we are in that position to have a crack at the finals.
Thankgod Ball's relatively fit, or we would really be buggered.

[robbieando]

I'm gald we have a rough idea of when he will be back so we can plan the next 12 weeks without him.

[SWANSBEST]

I agree with the thrust of the comments put by Charlie . We were thrashed by Freo in the ruck duels last week and I would hate to see what would happen if Goodes (really a ruck rover) or Ball was injured. IMO the club should put Meiklejohn on the senior list. At least he will give a good contest in the ruck duels and will improve rapidly with more experience . What other options have we got? LRT maybe, but he is shorter than Meiklejohn and seems to destined for a role as a KPP in the backline . I think that the club has miscalculated badly in the ruck division and will regret it big time this season .

Another area we fell down badly last week was im the mid field and I would like to see Craig Bolton play there even though he is doing a great job in the backline. With Fixter and Seymour to come back it would be a great opportunity to bolster our mid field and ensure better delivery to BBBB and co. What do we have to lose?

[Ajn]

Is it too late to get Mott back to fill in??????

We are in trouble if Ball hurts himself.