The 2019 AFL season hasn’t even begun, yet there are already a few big names on the AFL’s injury list. Alex Fasolo, a new Carlton recruit from Collingwood, injured his arm on Australia Day on Saturday. According to Carlton management, Fasolo was at an Australian Day party in Richmond before he tripped over at some stage. In trying to brace his fall, he broke his left arm.
The incident, which occurred just after midnight, means Fasolo will join Port Adelaide’s, Ollie Wines, on the sidelines for early stages of the 2019 season. While Fasolo was drinking with mates at the house party, Wines was water-skiing near Mannum, South Australia before he injured his shoulder.
Cornes ignites debate
While it may seem harsh to be judging the players for inadvertently injuring themselves, it has certainly opened a dialogue into the risk-taking behaviour demonstrated by some players. In particular, former Port Adelaide player, Kane Cornes was livid with Wines’ decision to be water-skiing so close to the start of the season.
Furthermore, Cornes went on to criticise the amount of power players have in the game. He also suggested that if the players want to put their team in the best position to win premierships, they have to be making smarter decisions.
Recovery time
Unfortunately, Fasolo is expected to miss approximately 6-8 weeks with the injury, with the season starting March 21 with the Carlton vs Richmond Thursday night fixture. Ollie Wines, on the other hand, is expected to need 8-10 weeks recovery time. However, what’s more damaging are the consequences of Wines’ injury and his importance to the Power midfield.
Even if Wines manages to be fit for the first round, he’ll be coming into the squad off the back of very little contact work. It’s expected that he’ll need at least two months to get back to his best match condition. Clearly, the 2019 season looms as an important one for the Port Adelaide Power. Moreover, it’s certainly a disappointing way to start the 2019 season, considering the nail-biting conclusion to last season.