At the rate the training camp injuries are mounting, the AFL, or some of the clubs at least, should be taking a look at their pre-season regimens.
Gold Coast recruit Harrison (Harry) Wigg, who used to play in Adelaide, fractured his ankle and will miss an extended period of time. Wigg was selected with the 35th pick in 2014 and was progressing nicely as an inside midfielder in the SANFL, with an impressive 25 disposal average and five tackles, more than enough to earn a place in the SANFL Team of the Year.
Given the sorry state in which Gold Coast currently finds itself, Wigg would have proved a valuable addition after being traded to the Suns in October and he most likely would have made the Suns’ senior list as a midfielder.
The Suns statement regarding the situation read, in part, “The medical team will review the injury with specialists in the coming days where the most appropriate course of action to repair the injury will be determined.”
Getting hurt in pre-season is one of the worst possible outcomes, far worse than being erased in baseball by a mild foul-out to first base, or being caught looking for strike three on an obviously outside pitch.
Further to the south, Port Adelaide Power Captain Travis Boak injured his hand in training. It might look worse than it is and Boak resumed training with the hand heavily strapped and stabilized by a metal plate between his fingers.
Boak’s prognosis seems to be much better than Wigg’s. The injury did not require scans and he quipped to new teammate Jack Watts, “He has said the worst thing is he can’t play golf for a couple of weeks,” Watts told reporters.
Watts himself is fine for the time being and hopes to lock down a full-time job with the Power at forward, after playing various positions over the course of nine seasons and 153 games for the Melbourne Dees.
