CLUB doctor Andrew Daff says Jack Grimes’ foot injury was totally unexpected.
Speaking at AAMI Park on Tuesday, the day after it was revealed Grimes had suffered a navicular stress fracture in his foot, Daff said the injury came “completely out of the blue”.
“It was pretty innocuous unfortunately,” Daff said.
“He just took off and it was a push and acceleration and something he’s done hundreds of thousands of times before.
“Unfortunately at that point in time, it was enough to present him with the injury.”
Daff said Grimes’ injury was not dissimilar to what teammate Colin Garland suffered in 2009, which kept the defender to just one match. Garland has since returned to play some fine football.
“Jack’s navicular fracture is not a lot different to many others that AFL players have suffered and have made good comebacks from,” he said.
“Most recently in our experience Colin Garland, is doing very well and in a Melbourne Football Club experience, Shane Woewodin played great footy after his.
“Probably the most noticeable in the past has been Hirdy (James Hird). So there are a lot of footballers who have suffered Jack’s injury doing very well and that’s what we’d expect the outcome to be for Jack.”
As expected, Daff all but ruled of Grimes for the rest of the season, saying it is “probably a three to four month” injury.
“That’s a fair injury and if we work on the more consecutive side, and take the pressure off Jack from that point of view, we don’t have to set that [timeframe] in concrete,” he said.
“We can review that as he rehabs to either slow or make it a bit quicker.
“But we won’t be certainly doing anything more quickly that would jeopardise him on a premature return.”
Daff said the Demon leader will undergo standard surgery on Tuesday.
“The aim of that is to give him a lot of security across the fracture and able him to return to a high load sport,” he said.
“But that has to be complemented with an adequate recovery time and bone takes time to heal. On that basis, we won’t be putting Jack under any time pressures at all.
“He just has to tick of the boxes and fulfill his rehab requirements.”
Daff said Grimes was naturally pretty flat following the injury.
“He’s had a few injuries since he’s been with us and he’s stringing games together and he’s had a great pre-season and he was looking forward to a good season,” he said.
“He wasn’t predicting this to happen to him, but understandably he’s a fantastic character and he’ll recover well and he’ll have good people, surgeons included, looking after him.
“What we’re able to do is make him optimistic about his recovery, based on those who have had this injury before and have made good comebacks.”
Speaking at AAMI Park on Tuesday, the day after it was revealed Grimes had suffered a navicular stress fracture in his foot, Daff said the injury came “completely out of the blue”.
“It was pretty innocuous unfortunately,” Daff said.
“He just took off and it was a push and acceleration and something he’s done hundreds of thousands of times before.
“Unfortunately at that point in time, it was enough to present him with the injury.”
Daff said Grimes’ injury was not dissimilar to what teammate Colin Garland suffered in 2009, which kept the defender to just one match. Garland has since returned to play some fine football.
“Jack’s navicular fracture is not a lot different to many others that AFL players have suffered and have made good comebacks from,” he said.
“Most recently in our experience Colin Garland, is doing very well and in a Melbourne Football Club experience, Shane Woewodin played great footy after his.
“Probably the most noticeable in the past has been Hirdy (James Hird). So there are a lot of footballers who have suffered Jack’s injury doing very well and that’s what we’d expect the outcome to be for Jack.”
As expected, Daff all but ruled of Grimes for the rest of the season, saying it is “probably a three to four month” injury.
“That’s a fair injury and if we work on the more consecutive side, and take the pressure off Jack from that point of view, we don’t have to set that [timeframe] in concrete,” he said.
“We can review that as he rehabs to either slow or make it a bit quicker.
“But we won’t be certainly doing anything more quickly that would jeopardise him on a premature return.”
Daff said the Demon leader will undergo standard surgery on Tuesday.
“The aim of that is to give him a lot of security across the fracture and able him to return to a high load sport,” he said.
“But that has to be complemented with an adequate recovery time and bone takes time to heal. On that basis, we won’t be putting Jack under any time pressures at all.
“He just has to tick of the boxes and fulfill his rehab requirements.”
Daff said Grimes was naturally pretty flat following the injury.
“He’s had a few injuries since he’s been with us and he’s stringing games together and he’s had a great pre-season and he was looking forward to a good season,” he said.
“He wasn’t predicting this to happen to him, but understandably he’s a fantastic character and he’ll recover well and he’ll have good people, surgeons included, looking after him.
“What we’re able to do is make him optimistic about his recovery, based on those who have had this injury before and have made good comebacks.”
