PATRICK Cross and Changkuoth Jiath have been sidelined after sustaining injuries during Melbourne’s Round 3 win against Carlton.
The club’s AFL High Performance Manager Selwyn Griffith provided an update on the duo on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, CJ experienced some soreness in his calf during the game and was subsequently removed from play,” Griffith said.
“Scans have confirmed that he has suffered a low-grade soleus strain. He’ll now enter our rehab program, and we’ll further assess his availability in the coming days.
“Paddy had an incident involving his thumb late in the game and scans have unfortunately shown that he dislocated his thumb, which resulted in ligament tears.
“He consulted with a specialist and underwent surgery today. We’ll assess his return to play plan following wound clearance and further consultation with the surgeon.”
Melbourne’s forward group will receive a boost this week with Aidan Johnson (knee), Luker Kentfield (knee) and Matt Jefferson (foot) all likely to make their return to footy.
“AJ, Luker and Matt will all return to full training and will look to be available for selection at the end of this week,” Griffith said.
Daniel Turner could also be a chance to make an early return following surgery on his broken hand last week.
“Daniel’s wound has been cleared, and he has progressed back into ball work and running,” Griffith said.
“We’ll look to increase his contact and contest work across the week to assess his availability following our main training session.”
Kalani White, who has been building up his training loads following his stint on the sidelines due to Glandular fever, is closing in on a return next week.
“Kalani has returned to full training and now he’ll complete a full week of conditioning to be available the following week,” Griffith said.
Shane McAdam (Achilles), Jake Bowey (foot), Tom Campbell (neck) and Jack Viney (Achilles) all continue to progress through their respective rehab programs.
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| Player | Injury | Estimated Return |
|---|---|---|
6. Caleb Windsor |
Toe |
Test
“Caleb sustained a toe injury during the game,” Griffith said. “He was able to continue to play for a brief period but with the short turn around, the best decision was to remove him from the game. “He ‘ll be assessed this week to determine his availability.” |
|
42. Aidan Johnson |
Hip and groin |
Test
“Aidan continues to manage hip and groin soreness,” Griffith said. “We want to ensure he’s ready for a return when he’s able to successfully integrate into main training.” |
|
39. Ricky Mentha |
Ankle |
Test
“Ricky had a really good week following the ankle sprain,” Griffith said. “He’ll look to integrate into training this week and if he progresses well he’ll look to be available this weekend.” |
|
18. Jake Melksham |
Ankle |
1 week
“Jake has progress really well in the last week,” Griffith said. “He’ll integrate into training this week with the main group, and then the aim will be for him to be available next week.” Read Article |
|
28. Brody Mihocek |
Hamstring |
2 - 3 weeks
“Brody has progressed well from his hamstring strain and has returned to high-speed running,” Griffith said. “He’ll integrate into some skills-based work this and then we’ll determine his availability following this week.” |
|
3. Christian Salem |
Foot |
2 - 3 weeks
“Christian continues to work diligently on his return from that foot fracture,” Griffith said. “Unfortunately, he’s still unable to complete any high-intensity work at the moment so he’ll be a couple weeks away from a return.” Read Article |
|
20. Xavier Lindsay |
Hip and groin |
2 - 4 weeks
“We’re working with Xavier on the management of his hip and groin pain,” Griffith said. “Similarly to Christian, he’s been unable to progress through any form of high intensity, but we’ll look to progress him when he’s ready.” |
|
23. Shane McAdam |
Achilles |
TBC
“Shane continues to work hard recovering from that Achilles rupture,” Griffith said. “He’s just looking to build his training integration and high intensity running before we see him return to play in the coming weeks.” Read Article |
|
29. Tom Campbell |
Neck |
TBC
“Tom was involved in an innocuous collision at training and has suffered a neck injury,” Richardson said. “He’s torn a ligament and will remain in a neck brace for the next month. He’ll see a neurosurgeon this week to determine the path forward for him.” |
|
7. Jack Viney |
Achilles |
TBC
“Jack has progressed to light running duties as we continue to build his calf and Achillies strength.” Read Article |
|
13. Jai Culley |
Knee |
Season
“Unfortunately for Jai, scans have confirmed that he has ruptured his ACL, which will require a knee reconstruction,” Richardson said. “It’s a really tough blow for him, particularly given the way he has been going about his footy and the consistency he has been able to build this year.” “We have no doubt Jai will attack his rehab with the same professionalism he brings to his footy and we will ensure that he gets all the support he needs from our people through the recovery period.” |
6. Caleb Windsor
“Caleb sustained a toe injury during the game,” Griffith said. “He was able to continue to play for a brief period but with the short turn around, the best decision was to remove him from the game. “He ‘ll be assessed this week to determine his availability.”
42. Aidan Johnson
“Aidan continues to manage hip and groin soreness,” Griffith said. “We want to ensure he’s ready for a return when he’s able to successfully integrate into main training.”
39. Ricky Mentha
“Ricky had a really good week following the ankle sprain,” Griffith said. “He’ll look to integrate into training this week and if he progresses well he’ll look to be available this weekend.”
18. Jake Melksham
“Jake has progress really well in the last week,” Griffith said. “He’ll integrate into training this week with the main group, and then the aim will be for him to be available next week.”
Read Article
28. Brody Mihocek
“Brody has progressed well from his hamstring strain and has returned to high-speed running,” Griffith said. “He’ll integrate into some skills-based work this and then we’ll determine his availability following this week.”
3. Christian Salem
“Christian continues to work diligently on his return from that foot fracture,” Griffith said. “Unfortunately, he’s still unable to complete any high-intensity work at the moment so he’ll be a couple weeks away from a return.”
Read Article
20. Xavier Lindsay
“We’re working with Xavier on the management of his hip and groin pain,” Griffith said. “Similarly to Christian, he’s been unable to progress through any form of high intensity, but we’ll look to progress him when he’s ready.”
23. Shane McAdam
“Shane continues to work hard recovering from that Achilles rupture,” Griffith said. “He’s just looking to build his training integration and high intensity running before we see him return to play in the coming weeks.”
Read Article
29. Tom Campbell
“Tom was involved in an innocuous collision at training and has suffered a neck injury,” Richardson said. “He’s torn a ligament and will remain in a neck brace for the next month. He’ll see a neurosurgeon this week to determine the path forward for him.”
7. Jack Viney
“Jack has progressed to light running duties as we continue to build his calf and Achillies strength.”
Read Article
13. Jai Culley
“Unfortunately for Jai, scans have confirmed that he has ruptured his ACL, which will require a knee reconstruction,” Richardson said. “It’s a really tough blow for him, particularly given the way he has been going about his footy and the consistency he has been able to build this year.” “We have no doubt Jai will attack his rehab with the same professionalism he brings to his footy and we will ensure that he gets all the support he needs from our people through the recovery period.”
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