Giants weigh the risk Top doc Peter Larkins can’t see Coniglio being picked
line and been passed fit structurally to attempt a miraculous return, but specialist sports physician Dr Peter Larkins believes the risk may outweigh the rewards.
“He put a hole in his femur and they had to clean up the cartilage, which takes a few months to settle down,” Dr Larkins said.
“Now he has been cleared to have a go. It’s more about conditioning and do you play him on the back of no match conditioning and that’s why I don’t expect him to play.
“Who was the person in history who has played in a grand final after missing 12 weeks?
“They may have attempted it 20 years ago, even 15, but not in recent history. The unknown of bringing someone in, no matter how good they are, is normally deemed too great.”
As for Whitfield – who completed a jog yesterday, before a light skills session today – Larkins was confident he would play.
“He is more likely to play than not play, even if he won’t have been pushed to date because they won’t want to risk a setback,” Larkins said.
“It will be up to you media persons to find out exactly where his fitness test will be held this Friday.”
Which leaves banged-up captain Phil Davis, who copped three separate injuries last Saturday before playing out the preliminary final in a reduced capacity up forward.
“Davis was amazing with what he went through, dislocating his knee, then dislocating his shoulder before he pinched a nerve in his back that sent pain everywhere, to his calf, to his hamstring, to his knee. He did a fantastic captain’s job,” Larkins said.
“He will play so, of the three, Coniglio is clearly the biggest risk. In some ways Richmond’s Jack Graham is a bigger risk than Whitfield will be.
“If Richmond selects him then they are taking in a player with an injury that can take months to get better, whereas an appendix is going to get better and it’s just a matter of how much pain he gets when he stretches or bends. Graham could do his shoulder again with his first tackle.”