If Melican does well and finds a permanent spot in the side we might wait until the bye round 11 to take AJ off the LTIL. I think there is an option to add one rookie player to the senior list at this point, so we would be able to leave Melican on the senior list and get AJ back on the list as well. I would think that he would spend June and most of July getting back to some kind of match form. I wouldn't expect too much this year. Late July looks the earliest for a senior game.
We should just let him play. If his comeback works, he regains full confidence in the knee to the point where using it becomes second nature again and his play is up to 1st team level, then look to bring him in. Otherwise, let's give him a relatively low profile season in the NEAFL with a view to bringing him in next year. The game has changed a lot since he's been out.
Today's a draft of your epitaph
Michael Gleeson in the SMAge just wrote:
"Meanwhile Alex Johnson will this week play a reserves game for the Swans"
Daniel Menzel, the untapped Cat
Could be complete nonsense misreading of info from Swans or ...
That's not consistent with the messages coming from the Swans. They have made it clear that he's shortly to start training with the main group, which will be his first training with contact for several years (ie since reco no 3). They are not going to throw him into a competitive game with barely any full training under his belt.
Does anyone know the date that AJ was placed on the LTIL. He needs to be on the list for a minimum of 8 weeks. The rules say nothing about when the LTIL can be submitted only that the 8 weeks starts from when it is approved. He could have gone on the LTIL possibly before the JLT series in which case he could come back any time. If he does come back then Melican will go back to the rookie list which would be a bit of a shame as he is one of the few that deserves to keep his place in the team. I don't doubt that AJ is busting a gut to get out on the park but I hope that they do not let him play before he is really ready.
Do we have one spot on our list for a rookie to be upgraded?
We will have a spot available after round 11 when all clubs are allowed to upgrade one rookie. That I think is Saturday June 10 when in the NEAFL we play the Giants at Henson Park and on the Sunday in AFL host the Dogs at the SCG. Would be a convenient date for the club for AJ to play as we could use the upgrade to keep Melican in the AFL but Henson Park is not the ideal location for AJ to make his comeback.
I'm hoping that AJ gets moved off the long-term injury list at that time, perhaps with a small asterisk-burning ceremony. (asterisk = long-term injury list on the AFL website).
When he does make it back, I'm hoping it's a home game. If it has to be an away game, the best away game would be at Geelong, with AJ on Menzel.
"Unbelievable!" -- Nick Davis leaves his mark on the 2005 semi final
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