AFL Giants' injury cloud starting to clear
Jun 15, 2017 - 4:15 AM There's finally a little light at the end of a long injury tunnel for AFL flag-chasers Greater Western Sydney.GWS have had a horror run through the first half of their campaign.
Entrenched in the top four in their bye week with a 9-3 record, they have already used 33 players this season and at one stage last month had 14 on their injury list.
But it's also been the duration of the injuries that have been a concern.
At least 11 players have spent four weeks on the sideline, while midfielder Lachie Whitfield couldn't play until round round eight because of suspension.
Prize recruit Brett Deledio is yet to debut due to ongoing calf issues, with the club reluctant to speculate on his return.
Defenders Adam Kennedy and Matt Buntine have suffered season-ending knee injuries.
Three players sustained syndesmosis ankle damage, with key midfielders Stephen Coniglio and Ryan Griffen twice going down with the issue and missing most of the season.
"I haven't seen it early in the season like we've had it and they were all really collision injuries," Giants' general manager, football Wayne Campbell told AAP.
"The shortest ones we had were the concussions that either went out during a game and played the next week or only missed a game but we've obviously had the serious ankles and the two knees as well.
"If they were soft tissue injuries, we would have been looking at the program but we've looked at those injuries pretty thoroughly and think they can only be put down to bad luck."
Key defender Nick Haynes and midfielders Jacob Hopper and Will Setterfield are scheduled to return in the next couple of weeks.
Given the club's horrendous injury toll, Campbell is pretty happy with their position.
"We've played reasonably consistently without ever hitting our straps fully," he said.
The big off-field question mark over the Giants is their battle to keep off-contract midfielder Josh Kelly.
"Josh is still pretty young, so he's got plenty of time and the only thing we can do is provide the best possible environment we can, so that players want to stay together," Campbell said.
Source: AAP
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