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Originally posted by SimonH
A tough issue, and a very interesting article. It takes a certain kind of almost blinkered determination to be a top-flight Aussie rules player, and this article reflects the down-side of that phenomenon.
It's easy for us to say, "It's stupid and counterproductive to play with those types of injuries", but that's because we now know the full facts about Crouch. We don't know them about dozens of other footballers, including many who will be running around this weekend.
So far as fans are concerned, if it doesn't prevent the player from playing well, we want to see him out there. If Leo had played a poor GF for whatever reason, and it had later got out that he played it with a fractured cheekbone, then fans would have been saying, "It was irresponsible, selfish and potentially career-shortening for Leo to play the most important match of the last decade carrying such a serious injury. A fit Schauble would have been better." It turned out he was the hero, so it's nothing but, "Leo Barry-- you star! And he played the game with a broken bone-- just proves even more what a legend he is."
The only reason why Crouchy's injuries got to the 'tut tutting' stage is because he played poorly against Collingwood and maybe for one or two before that. Goodness knows how many times in the last 8 years he's been carrying injuries nearly as serious but has continued to play well. No-one was screaming for him to put his long-term health before short-term individual/team glory on those occasions.
I agree that the ultimate responsibility lies with the club through its medical staff, and the club carries both a moral and legal responsibility to not push players into situations where they do themselves long-term damage to their health. Through the course of the footy year, it's always gunna be a tough call when one of your top players says, "I'm fit to play, I wanna play, I got through training" to say back to him, "For your long-term health, no." But in the case of the almost obsessively committed athlete, it's a call the club has to make.
A tough issue, and a very interesting article. It takes a certain kind of almost blinkered determination to be a top-flight Aussie rules player, and this article reflects the down-side of that phenomenon.
It's easy for us to say, "It's stupid and counterproductive to play with those types of injuries", but that's because we now know the full facts about Crouch. We don't know them about dozens of other footballers, including many who will be running around this weekend.
So far as fans are concerned, if it doesn't prevent the player from playing well, we want to see him out there. If Leo had played a poor GF for whatever reason, and it had later got out that he played it with a fractured cheekbone, then fans would have been saying, "It was irresponsible, selfish and potentially career-shortening for Leo to play the most important match of the last decade carrying such a serious injury. A fit Schauble would have been better." It turned out he was the hero, so it's nothing but, "Leo Barry-- you star! And he played the game with a broken bone-- just proves even more what a legend he is."
The only reason why Crouchy's injuries got to the 'tut tutting' stage is because he played poorly against Collingwood and maybe for one or two before that. Goodness knows how many times in the last 8 years he's been carrying injuries nearly as serious but has continued to play well. No-one was screaming for him to put his long-term health before short-term individual/team glory on those occasions.
I agree that the ultimate responsibility lies with the club through its medical staff, and the club carries both a moral and legal responsibility to not push players into situations where they do themselves long-term damage to their health. Through the course of the footy year, it's always gunna be a tough call when one of your top players says, "I'm fit to play, I wanna play, I got through training" to say back to him, "For your long-term health, no." But in the case of the almost obsessively committed athlete, it's a call the club has to make.
bang on SimonH. the complexity of the decisions made in regard to injuries seems to elude many posters here.
go the bloods!!
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