CARLTON is fighting its worst injury crisis in a decade as the club attempts to turn last week's win against the Western Bulldogs into a last-gasp run for the finals in the last six rounds.

A review of the club's injury toll this season has revealed the last time Carlton had as many players missing games due to injury was back in 2002 - when it finished with the wooden spoon under Wayne Brittain - and 65 per cent of their injuries this year had been ''collision'', rather than the soft-tissue problems plaguing other clubs such as Essendon*.
Carlton has used the second-highest number of players this year (36) of any of the teams still in the hunt for finals - with only three players having played every game.

Carlton hit by worst injury crisis in a decade

..can't speak for others [or rather, can but shouldn't], for me it's not so much the constant high injury rate this season,, but rather the way we've played.. ..even with a more experienced side with few injuries to starting players we were showing a lack of system.. ..this was exacerbated by the fact we had to start filtering in kids/rookies which further highlighted the lack of systems in our play.. ..also, the constant moving around of players.. ..the concept of player versatility has gone too far over the last season as well.. ..how uncompetitive and lacklustre we have been over many games this season is what's inexcusable.. ..losses are m ore understandable if you're competitive, given our injury list.. ..but the crappy play [even when our list was fitter] is the problem..

Can't we just finally take some small amount of pleasure in the fact our torrid injury list is finally being acknowledged rather than turning this into yet another thread ranting about our overall on and off-field performance?

Our season fell apart in Round 4 and we really never recovered from then on.
For a very long time we have had question marks over our ability to deal with teams who decide to make us play inside football.
We are as a good as anyone when we play footy on our own terms, we fail to cope with teams who force us to play a different way.
Nothing has really changed, the injuries have just mean't that we will finish outside the 8 rather than making up numbers in the 8.

There's probably a good chance that many players have been playing with injuries right from day 1.

Jammo, Judd, Waite, Hendo, Kreuzer, Robbo etc etc. So although they haven't missed the games initially, they've probably played while being under a cloud then broken down due to the injury.

I am not sure why we should be happy or proud that the media is acknowledging the injury toll.
The injuries we have copped this year have been crippling and have been responsible for our slide from expected top 4 to "mathematical" finals chance.
But injuries are not responsible for what we have witnessed on field with effort, strategy, execution and resistance.
I could cop the win-loss record but I won't cop being smashed by the Roos, Power, Saints and Crows the way we were.
I won't cop the midfield domination by every team that we encounter.
Especially I won't cop that a weakness exposed in Rd 4 is just as prevalent today.

Really?

Don't know that pleasure is what she really meant... perhaps some solace?

It has been a shocking season for injuries to those we could least afford to lose. Yes there are other problems, but I don't think its unreasonable to acknowledge that injury has played a part in the overall failure of the year