You would think we are getting some divine intervention at the moment. Look at the matches we will be playing at the start of the season:

Rd 1 (Kangas at TD): Motlop out injured (he is one of their guns and spanked the Wiggler in the first or second round last year before Skinny closed him down). Nathan Thompson may be available after a groin strain, but with little pre-season to speak of, will he even be selected?

Rd 2 (Essendon* at MCG): Lloyd out injured (broken arm).

Rd 3 (Collingwood at MCG): Buckley restricted by hamstring injury in the pre-season - time will tell if it causes him to have a slow start. Richards unlikely to return from knee injury.

Rd 4 (PA over there): Byron Pickett suspended.

Rd 6 (Hawthorn at TD): Lekkas likely to be out while recovering from stroke, or underdone because of it.

Rd 7 (Rich at MCG): Rodan and Schultz both out injured.

Maybe we will have a charmed run, touch wood. At least the problems with Kouta will be offset by injuries on the other side of the ledger, and let's pray our boys stay healthy.

By the way, I don't gloat over injuries to other teams' players. I am sad for boys like Schultz and Rodan who are trying to consolidate careers and quite possibly have suffered career-endangering injuries. And I don't like to see injuries stop class players entertaining the crowd, as with Grant last year or Motlop this year. I am quite happy to hope for a corky to slow up a star on the other side, but I don't see why anyone would wish for a longer-term injury than that. But we all have to cope with injuries to our players, no more so than the Blues in our wooden spoon year.

I was thinking the same thing Mav.

The loss of Motlop and Lloyd will hurt both the Kangaroos & Essendon* significantly. Can't see Essenscum making the finals this year.

I think the loss of Thornton now more than makes up for the players missing on other teams.

_________________
"The ability to speak doesn't make you intelligent." Qui-Gon Jinn 15-05-2005

"there’s more chance of me becoming the full forward for the [Western Bulldogs] than there is of any change in the Labor Party." Julia Gillard 18-05-2010

Angel was caught napping on Thorny.

i'd say the angel was marked absent on that one

_________________
Setanta Ó hAilpín 64 AFL Games 45 Goals

Up the Rebels All-Ireland Hurling Champions 2004/2005

Wasn't there when we were beaten by Geelong in '94 final. Let's just play whoever we come up against.

Remember how back in '02 injuries allowed T-Bird to come in off the rookie list? You never know, Bret's misfortune might be another's opportunity to show something.

That's the only positive spin I can come up with though.....

Might give Karl another chance.

I hope T-Bird has the lessor of the possible injuries and only misses a few weeks. But if it is more it could provide an opportunity for Setanta.

Whilst we appear to have much more depth than previous few years, our defence is the thinnest, with big defenders being very scarce. We have heaps of midfielders and many forwards.

If we lose T Bird for a while we could look at Digby to cover in the backline and Setanta for the third big forward and we would still be looking pretty good. Also it may provide opportunities for Karl to step up again.

But I hope that t-Bird is back ASAP to really keep the team at a premium level.

_________________
“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

For the superstitious amongst you, can I just say that I don't think this thread is to blame for Thornton's knee. But thank the Lord I haven't revealed my real name, or I'd be expecting a lynch mob out the front tomorrow morning

We have ways of tracking you down Mav.

Just see that it won't happen again and we won't have to send around the heavies.