Dream Team Couch – 2008 AFL Dream Team Blog

DT finals are getting very close now, making the right choices with your injured players is more crucial than ever now with most of us having a very limited amount of trades. Check out some of the big guns and their injury worries.

It also looks to be a bust week for bombers medical staff, with 9 players listed as having tests on their injuries this week! The players include fletcher, monfries, neagle, welsh and pears…..

Jason Porplyzia- Alot of people are sweating on this one, the crows havent released any new info on how he is going, the last we heard was that he is not having surgery and should return in 2-4 weeks (that was last week). He is listed as indefinate, which isnt too great. According to the crows last statement about porpy is that he should be back in 2-3 weeks, stayed tuned for more.

Dennis Armfield- I know a few of us are keen on this boy playing as they need him to come in and cover donuts. He is listed as a test with his finger, even if he passes the test he is no shoe-in for a spot in the side.

Rhys Palmer- Probably one of the biggest injuries going around right now, in the way that it affects so many coaches. Mark Harvey has spoken to the media about palmer having a minor knee injury. Harvey has said the issue is to do with cartilage and when asked if palmer wont play again this year, harvey said “It could be a possibilty, we will just see how he trains this week”. I dont like the sounds of this all that much, when you put the whole scenario together, young talented footballer with a niggling injury in a side which has no chance of playing finals, clubs wouldnt mind resting him, the last thing they want is this minor injury to become major. The positive of this situation is that palmer is vying for individual awards himself such as the rising star, awards which im sure the club and himself are keen on achieving. Stayed tuned for more on this big one.

Gary Ablett- Phew! The whole Ablett out for the rest of the year/life/anklehasfallenoff rumor looks to be untrue, although he is expected to miss this weeks game against the hawks. He is listed as being 1 week away, and the club have already said just recently that if he didnt play this week, he will play the week after. So looks like a round 18 return for gazza.

Cameron Ling- He wants to play this week, but the club is keen on him sitting on the sidelines for 1 or 2 more weeks, which will probably eventuate, he is listed as 1-2 away.

Peter Burgoyne- Listed as a test, and the power website says he is a chance to play. He is already 1 week overdue is original return date, so i suspect him to return (unless port are tanking). We might hear more on this tomorow.

Matthew Richardson- Listed as a test with that hammy, already missed to week, im sure the tigers would be keen to get him back. They play at home this week aswell the tigers, which is always good, teams seem to rather bring players back on a home game than interstate. I reckon the big man should return.

Ryan O’Keefe- BOG on the weekend, also copped an ankle injury. He had treatment on it before coming out in the final quarter and earning himself the inagural “Play of The Week” award. Recently we have seen players with ankle injuries play on in the game, and then miss the following week, this is a possibility for O’keefe. Listed as a test, just recently Paul Roos has said “O’Keefe looks pretty good today”, make what you will of that statement.

Brad Johnson- An ankle sprain against the cats, but soon returned to the field. He looks likely to play this week, the injury list agrees, johno listed as ‘likely’. Should play.

The rest the teams injuries

ADELAIDE
Trent Hentschel (hamstring) test
Brent Reilly (knee) 2 weeks
Myke Cook (hamstring) indefinite
Jason Porplyzia (shoulder) indefinite
Rhett Biglands (knee) season
Brett Burton (knee) season
  
BRISBANE LIONS
Jed Adcock (quad) test
Matt Austin (achilles) test
Lachlan Henderson (quad) test
Joel Macdonald (ankle) test
Nigel Lappin (achilles) TBC
Matthew Leuenberger (knee) season
  
CARLTON
Dennis Armfield (finger) test
Jordan Bannister (hamstring) test
Andrew Walker (shoulder) test
Paul Bower (shoulder) 1 week
Richard Hadley (groin) 1 week
Ryan Houlihan (hip) 1 week
Aaron Joseph (appendicitis) 2 weeks
Setanta O’hAilpin (calf) 2-3 weeks
  
COLLINGWOOD
Leon Davis (ankle) test
Brodie Holland (achilles) 1-2 weeks
Ben Reid (foot) 4-6 weeks
Anthony Rocca (ankle) 4-6 weeks
Kevin Dyas (hamstring) 4-6 weeks
Brad Dick (knee) season
Sean Rusling (shoulder) season
  
ESSENDON
Darcy Daniher (back) test
Courtenay Dempsey (leg) test
Dustin Fletcher (ankle) test
Tom Hislop (hip) test
Heath Hocking (calf) test
Angus Monfries (ankle) test
Jay Neagle (ankle) test
Tayte Pears (hip) test
Andrew Welsh (concussion) test
Jason Johnson (calf) 2 weeks
Andrew Lee (shoulder) 2 weeks
David Myers (foot) 2 weeks
Scott Gumbleton (collarbone) 2-3 weeks
Mark McVeigh (knee) 3-4 weeks
Bachar Houli (groin) indefinite
Alwyn Davey (knee) season
Courtney Johns (knee) season
Jason Winderlich (back) season
  
FREMANTLE
Heath Black (shoulder) test
Kepler Bradley (ankle) test
Daniel Gilmore (migraines) test
Brock O’Brien (hamstring) test
Rhys Palmer (knee) test
Roger Hayden (hamstring) 1 week
Des Headland (knee) 1 week
Andrew Foster (back) season
Paul Hasleby (knee) season
 
GEELONG
Kane Tenace (knee) test
David Wojcinski (achilles) test
Gary Ablett (ankle) 1 week
Liam Bedford (hamstring) 1 week
Cameron Ling (cheekbone) 1-2 weeks
Tom Hawkins (foot) 3 weeks
Matthew Egan (foot) season
  
HAWTHORN
Stuart Dew (hamstring) available
Ben McGlynn (quad) available
Shane Crawford (knee tendonitis) test
Clinton Young (back tightness) test
Tom Boyle (groin) indefinite
Max Bailey (knee) season
Beau Muston (knee) season
  
MELBOURNE
James McDonald (groin) test
Kyle Cheney (hand) 1 week
Brad Green (hamstring) 1 week
Brock McLean (ankle) season
Brent Moloney (shoulder) season
Jared Rivers (abdominals/groin) season
Russell Robertson (achilles) season
  
NORTH MELBOURNE
Ben Ross (ankle) 2 weeks
Aaron Edwards (broken leg) 3 weeks
Hamish McIntosh (knee) 3 weeks
Jesse Smith (hamstring) 4 weeks
Leigh Adams (knee) season
Nathan Grima (knee) season
  
PORT ADELAIDE
Travis Boak (groin) test
Peter Burgoyne (hamstring) test
Matt Thomas (ankle) test
Toby Thurstans (knee) test
Robbie Gray (ankle) 2 weeks
Damon White (hamstring) 2 weeks
Nathan Krakouer (hamstring) 3 weeks
Chad Cornes (knee) season
  
RICHMOND
Jake King (back) available
Andrew Raines (leg) available
Matthew Richardson (hamstring) test
Daniel Connors (hamstring) 2 weeks
Travis Casserly (hamstring) indefinite
Graham Polak (acquired brain injury) indefinite
Kayne Pettifer (knee) season
  
ST KILDA
Jayden Attard (knee) 1 week
Glenn Chivers (foot) 1 week
Xavier Clarke (hamstring) test
Eljay Connors (shoulder) season
Matt Maguire (foot) season
Luke van Rheenen (foot) season
  
SYDNEY
Ed Barlow (hamstring) test
Leo Barry (hamstring) test
Nic Fosdike (hamstring) test
Nick Malceski (calf) test
Matthew Laidlaw (hamstring) test
Ryan O’Keefe (ankle) test
Michael O’Loughlin (ankle) TBA
Nick Davis (knee) season
Daniel O’Keefe (groin) season
Brett Meredith (shoulder) test
Tim Schmidt (knee) season
Kristin Thornton (knee) season
  
WEST COAST
Shannon Hurn (leg) 3-4 weeks
Matt Rosa (ankle) 3-4 weeks
Mitchell Brown (knee) season
Adam Hunter (shoulder, knee) season
Brett Jones (knee) season
Chris Masten (groin) season
Beau Waters (elbow) season
  
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Brad Johnson (ankle) likely
Tom Williams (shoulder) test
Tim Callan (hamstring) 1 week
Scott West (knee) 2 weeks
Wayde Skipper (knee) 3 weeks
Jarrad Grant (osteitis pubis) season