Howard Injury Might Benefit Moles

[The Coon Dog]

In today's Sunday Herald Sun (can't find a link) Craig Hutchison reports that Christian Howard is at least 8 weeks away from returning to the field & unlikely to play at senior level in the first half of the season.

Howard is making a slow recovery from hip surgery in December.

Given he's 8-10 weeks away, it might be worth putting him onto the long term injury list (must be on there for a minimum of 8 weeks, so better to get the clock ticking ASAP in my view) which would allow Brodie Moles to be elevated from the rookie list at the start of the season.

[ledge]

Good move unless Eade wants another player of the same mould as Howard up.

[Go_Dogs]

If that's the time-frame for his come back, then yes, I'd be very surprised if Moles was not upgraded.

[OLD SCRAGGer]

Heard on SEN last week that rookies can be upgraded after round 11, so if Howard is 8-10 weeks away and we upgrade Moles now, we might just be lucky to have him on senior list all year????

[Go_Dogs]

Heard on SEN last week that rookies can be upgraded after round 11, so if Howard is 8-10 weeks away and we upgrade Moles now, we might just be lucky to have him on senior list all year????

Correct. (I think! ;) )

[The Coon Dog]

Heard on SEN last week that rookies can be upgraded after round 11, so if Howard is 8-10 weeks away and we upgrade Moles now, we might just be lucky to have him on senior list all year????

Funny, you're not the only person who has considered that. ;)

[LostDoggy]

I thought you could only put a rookie to the senior list after round 11 if you had no one on your veteran list. As we have Johnson and Eagleton it means that we can't raise any rookies except for LTI.

I also wouldn't raise Moles unless he would play most of those 8 games. And is that likely? With a full team available I doubt he will make the cut. He isn't in my best 22 yet so I'm happy to see how he goes for the rest of the preseason and even the VFL season before putting him in the senior list.

[The Coon Dog]

I thought you could only put a rookie to the senior list after round 11 if you had no one on your veteran list. As we have Johnson and Eagleton it means that we can't raise any rookies except for LTI.

I also wouldn't raise Moles unless he would play most of those 8 games. And is that likely? With a full team available I doubt he will make the cut. He isn't in my best 22 yet so I'm happy to see how he goes for the rest of the preseason and even the VFL season before putting him in the senior list.

Number of veterans is irrelevant. The club checked it out with the AFL this week. He can be elevated after round 11.

He might not be in your best 22, but it's the coaches best 22 that counts & if Rocket wants to elevate him just before round 1, he'll do so (provided we have someone on the LTIL).

[azabob]

Number of veterans is irrelevant. The club checked it out with the AFL this week. He can be elevated after round 11.

He might not be in your best 22, but it's the coaches best 22 that counts & if Rocket wants to elevate him just before round 1, he'll do so (provided we have someone on the LTIL).

Well TCD, I think you have answered the question. ;)

Moles will be elevated prior to round one, as the club gave the impression Howard would struggle to play any senior footy this year.

I'd be very suprised if he wasn't elevated.

I didnt see the game against the lions were did he mostly play? Did he start in the middle for many centre bounces?

[bulldogsman]

Rose would be a better option if Johnson and Aker go down with injury.

[LongWait]

Number of veterans is irrelevant. The club checked it out with the AFL this week. He can be elevated after round 11.

He might not be in your best 22, but it's the coaches best 22 that counts & if Rocket wants to elevate him just before round 1, he'll do so (provided we have someone on the LTIL).

"Number of veterans is irrelevant. The club checked it out with the AFL this week..." gives the game away a bit TCD. It would seem that Moles has a huge incentive to impress the hell out of the coach in the next few weeks!

[The Coon Dog]

"Number of veterans is irrelevant. The club checked it out with the AFL this week..." gives the game away a bit TCD. It would seem that Moles has a huge incentive to impress the hell out of the coach in the next few weeks!

That was relevant to the second half of the season, nothing to do with now.

Quite a few people including myself were of the understanding that after round 11 you could only elevate rookies if you didn't have 2 vets on your list. When I mentioned the number of veterans is irrelevant I was stating it in this context.

[LostDoggy]

Fair enough. I was unaware of the change from the AFL. And if Rocket has him in his best 22 that is enough for me. I thought he played well last weekend and from reports he also tore it up during the intra club.

I'm probably more cautious then others and I'd like to see him show some consistency in the VFL but if the coaching staff already believe he has shown enough then I'm more than happy for him to jump straight in for Round 1. Be great to show it up to Geelong with what they just gave away.

[divvydan]

So if it's 8-10 weeks from now and I guess we'll know fairly soon if they decide to put Howard onto the LTI list or not. Assuming they do, there's 4 full weeks before the season starting round, so at this stage Moles would be eligible for the first 4-6 games, at which point he'd have to go back onto the rookie list unless Howard has a setback or someone else gets a LTI.

The other thing I'm wondering is if we will even elevate someone unless we really need to due to salary cap reasons. We're obviously very very close to the cap at the moment and any elevation would happen just before round 1 starts if at all.

[The Coon Dog]

So if it's 8-10 weeks from now and I guess we'll know fairly soon if they decide to put Howard onto the LTI list or not. Assuming they do, there's 4 full weeks before the season starting round, so at this stage Moles would be eligible for the first 4-6 games, at which point he'd have to go back onto the rookie list unless Howard has a setback or someone else gets a LTI.

The other thing I'm wondering is if we will even elevate someone unless we really need to due to salary cap reasons. We're obviously very very close to the cap at the moment and any elevation would happen just before round 1 starts if at all.

Yup, agree with all of that.

[Before I Die]

We're obviously very very close to the cap at the moment and any elevation would happen just before round 1 starts if at all.

I would assume any elevation wouldn't happen until the 'to be elevated' rookie is actually selected in the team by the match committee. Prior to that point there is no reason to elevate. So if Moles is pencilled in to play round 1, he would be elevated just prior to that. If his selection in the seniors is dependent upon injury to more senior mid-field players, then he would not be elevated untill such injury occurred.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I would assume any elevation wouldn't happen until the 'to be elevated' rookie is actually selected in the team by the match committee. Prior to that point there is no reason to elevate. So if Moles is pencilled in to play round 1, he would be elevated just prior to that. If his selection in the seniors is dependent upon injury to more senior mid-field players, then he would not be elevated untill such injury occurred.

Agree with this.

He might find himself in a similar position to Liam Picken. If I recall correctly, Paul O'Shea was put on the LTI list and Picken was able to play from round 2 onwards without having to miss out on a couple of games.

[LostDoggy]

Why would we put Howard on the LTI list now and elevate Moles now when Moles can play in the NAB cup anyway? Am i missing something?

[The Coon Dog]

Why would we put Howard on the LTI list now and elevate Moles now when Moles can play in the NAB cup anyway? Am i missing something?

Yup. We could place Howard on the LTIL now, purely to start the clock ticking; he has to be on there for a minimum of 8 weeks.

It doesn't mean you have to elevate a rookie right away, we can do that in 4 weeks time.

Say if Howard is placed on the LTIL at the start of the home & away season, then he remains there for 8 weeks from the time he's placed there.

[LostDoggy]

Would love to see Brodie get an opportunity at senior level. Obviously wearing my Tassie cap too but sounds like he's pretty sharp on the track at the moment. Interesting to read that he wanted to come to us in 2007 when Geelong picked him up first.

[mjp]

I dont want to miss putting games of footy into Howard...if he is right to play before round 8, I hope he plays at Willi rather than rots on the spinning bike because of the LTIL rules.

[Ovatheboarder]

Does being put on the long term injury list allow Howard to play for Williamstown? Or is it 8 weeks of no games at all?
And is it player for player, as in Player A put on LTIL Player B upgraded, Player A ready to come back after 8 weeks, Player B having played 8 weeks straight and just say has 8 Best on's is sent back to the Rookie List??????

[The Coon Dog]

Does being put on the long term injury list allow Howard to play for Williamstown? Or is it 8 weeks of no games at all?
And is it player for player, as in Player A put on LTIL Player B upgraded, Player A ready to come back after 8 weeks, Player B having played 8 weeks straight and just say has 8 Best on's is sent back to the Rookie List??????

If you are put on the LTIL then you can't play for a minimum of 8 weeks.

If player A is fit to play after 8 weeks, then player B reverts back to the rookie list (unless another player is injured & placed on the LTIL).

You might recall this happened to Damien Peverill when he was a rookie at Essendon in 2001 & after some stellar performances in the seniors after being upgraded, had to go back on the rookie list when Joe Misiti returned to full fitness.

[Dry Rot]

Looks like Moles will get a gig


Top Dog draftee placed on long-term injury list

Christian Howard will be unavailable until round four at the earliest


By Jennifer Witham
3:14 PM Sun 28 February, 2010

WESTERN Bulldog draftee Christian Howard has been added to the long-term injury list and won't be available to play until at least round four of the home and away season....

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/90009/default.aspx

[GVGjr]

Looks like Moles will get a gig



http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/90009/default.aspx


Whilst that great for Moles and for the shorter term it will add depth to the list and provide more options for Eade at the selection table I wonder how far back this will set Howard?

Generally it's fairly important for draftees to get into the swing of things in their first season.
For a guy that hasn't mixed it with the bigger boys much I would have thought some games with Williamstown would have been very good for him.

[Mantis]

Whilst that great for Moles and for the shorter term it will add depth to the list and provide more options for Eade at the selection table I wonder how far back this will set Howard?

Generally it's fairly important for draftees to get into the swing of things in their first season.
For a guy that hasn't mixed it with the bigger boys much I would have thought some games with Williamstown would have been very good for him.

It sounds like Howard will be available to play in early May. Say he starts on May 15 which sounds about right it still means Christian will be available to play approx. 12 VFL games ( + finals??) which will still give him some much needed experience.

Personally I think it's a good thing that he won't be playing a full season and that his injury problems have been rectified.

[GVGjr]

Personally I think it's a good thing that he won't be playing a full season and that his injury problems have been rectified.

Even if he is available mid season my guess is that he will need half of the balance of the year playing in the reserves. Normally that wouldn't be a problem but Howard never played senior footy in his home state like Trengove and Morabito did in SA and WA plus he hasn't played representative football like so many of the 1st and 2nd round draft picks.

I think there is vastly more benefits in having him play and to be able to have him backing off his training etc to manage his first season rather than just missing so much of it.

We are very fortunate to have someone like Moles on the list though.

[Happy Days]

We are very fortunate to have someone like Moles on the list though.

GVG (or anyone else, for that matter), what are Moles' chances of playing round one?

[chef]

GVG (or anyone else, for that matter), what are Moles' chances of playing round one?

Very good if he keeps preforming like he has so far.

[GVGjr]

GVG (or anyone else, for that matter), what are Moles' chances of playing round one?


He's hasn't put a foot wrong but we are a hard side to break into I would have thought.

[LostDoggy]

It seams to be a logical move to elevate Moles. Rose is more of a designated forward and we have enough competition in that department. I agree with the comment of getting the clock ticking quickly.