Dragons’ run home slowed by persistent injuries
THE injury curse that has hampered Bell Park for much of the season shows no sign of easing as the Dragons enter a season-defining run home.
“We’re still a bit stretched with regard the number of injuries we’ve got,” Bell Park co-coach Luke Rayner said.
“Over the next month we should see a few guys filter back into the side.
“A couple of them are longer term — Mitch Cuthill and Ben Johnson — and (Luke) Rounds is still out with his AC joint and it’s coming along a bit slower than we’d hoped for.”
Pat Bright is likely to return against South Barwon tomorrow, but Tom O’Leary is set to miss another week with an adductor complaint.
Johnson is likely to miss another three weeks with a knee injury, while Cuthill will spend another month on the sidelines as he recovers from surgery on a meniscus tear.
“He (Cuthill) has been really diligent in his recovery, but a meniscus is somewhere between six and eight weeks, so we’re hoping to see him back in Round 17,” Rayner said.
“(Matt) Iannelli is overseas at the moment and he returns in a couple of weeks. We’ve got six or seven out at the moment, but hopefully we see a few back in the next month or so.
“We hope to get them up and firing at the pointy end, but we’ve got some crucial games coming up through that period as well.
“I guess it provides a good challenge for the current group in terms of their output and we’ll challenge them to play more consistent footy than they have been.”
The Dragons meet St Joseph’s (first), Leopold (fifth), St Mary’s (second), North Shore (sixth) and Colac (fourth) in a run home that will decide whether they can seriously challenge for the premiership.
But the perennial finalist continues to impress, winning 10 of 12 matches to sit in third, and Rayner has backed side to cover the loss of key personnel.
“We’ve had our fair share (of injuries) but Leopold’s had their fair share and I’m sure every club has had injuries at certain times,” Rayner said.
“Sometimes you get them in waves and sometimes you might get them here and then. We’ve had a wave, I suppose, and we’ve copped a few at once and it’s a matter of the current group staying healthy and getting some of these players back in the next month.
“Hopefully our bad luck’s done and we get a bit of Lady Luck for the rest of the season.”