Former Lions champion Jonathan Brown has expressed his worries regarding the duration of the AFL pre-season, as injury rosters across all 18 teams continue to swell.
Each club is grappling with an increasing number of injuries, and Brown has now joined the chorus urging the league to contemplate a condensed pre-season.
Typically, teams commence their preparations for the upcoming season in October or November, breaking briefly for Christmas before reconvening in mid-January.
“The game is tough, and the pre-seasons are getting longer. I’m not convinced it’s necessary to kick off training in November,” Brown stated on The Fox’s Fifi, Fev & Nick.
Brown noted that the extended pre-season has persisted since his playing career, which ended over 15 years ago.
He reminisced about his experience, highlighting one particularly challenging pre-season that left him injured even before the season had commenced.
In reference to the 2010 pre-season when former Carlton goalkicker Brendan Fevola joined Brisbane for a single season, Brown remarked, “Do you know what sidelined Fev (Brendan Fevola)?”
“He arrived in Brisbane and started training in November, which led to osteitis pubis. We both experienced it.”
Fevola played one season with Brisbane in 2010. Getty
“So how does one get osteitis pubis when essentially sitting in the goal square as a full-forward? It’s simply too much running! Fev wasn’t built for marathons; he was meant to kick goals.”
Injuries are piling up across all 18 clubs, with Essendon currently the most affected, having 12 players on the sidelines, followed by Melbourne with 11, St Kilda with 10, and Richmond, which is four players down with long-term knee problems.
However, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has urged for taking a measured approach, encouraging stakeholders to await the conclusion of the pre-season before thoroughly examining the injury situation.
“We’d prefer to avoid injuries altogether,” Dillon remarked.
“Before jumping to conclusions, I think it’s important to gather the data.
“Will the data reveal an increase in injuries? If it does, then we will certainly assess it.
“I wouldn’t want to make any premature decisions before we complete the pre-season and see what the data reflects.”
Andrew Dillon alongside AFL Executive General Manager of Football Laura Kane. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Dillon did not confirm whether the current injury lists appear more severe than previous years.
“Anecdotally, it seems that some clubs are enjoying good fortune with injuries while others are not, which is unfortunate for those teams. Nevertheless, it’s a long season, and I can’t wait for it to commence,” he added.
The opening round is slated to begin with Brisbane matching up against Geelong at the Gabba on March 6.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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