Player Watch #33: Brayden 'Sausage' George - re-signed until end of 2026

[Makeshift Park]

Yep, surgeon clearance about 9 months then 2 months of increasing contact and conditioning work. Presuming no setbacks.

So the carrot would be "do everything the medicos say and inshallah, you'll be back right after the bye".

 

[Themanbun]

So the carrot would be "do everything the medicos say and inshallah, you'll be back right after the bye".

Yep, unless they want to take a more conservative route to give the graft and any tenodesis a chance to mature further.

Underage and multiple ACLs are a high risk grouping and he hits both of those, so we may find they stretch it out a few more months.

 

[Sphynx]

Still the #1 ticket holder.

It will be a sight to behold if he develops into the player he promised to be.

Don't give up on him.

Anything now is a bonus, it still grinds me we wasted those games on him in defence, he was going to debut and that was prevented because he had a niggle, moved forward and looked instantly more dangerous and then blew out his knee almost straight away.


I hope they let him just play his natural game this time around. Instead of having him learn a new role AND integrate back into football games and be confident in his body.

 

[AnEmptyChair]

Closer to 11

You'd definitely know more than me. One thing that I always found curious is that in soccer they always talk about ACLs being a 9 month injury, and some players even come back earlier. Yet in footy it's just a given it's a 12+ month injury. Is that just because if the different physical requirements of the sport?

 

[Themanbun]

You'd definitely know more than me. One thing that I always found curious is that in soccer they always talk about ACLs being a 9 month injury, and some players even come back earlier. Yet in footy it's just a given it's a 12+ month injury. Is that just because if the different physical requirements of the sport?

Most people could probably go and run out a game at six months. Camplin competed in the Olympics after three months. But there is a severely high risk of re rupture in doing so. That rate of re rupture starts to drop severely after nine months (which is when your surgeon tests you for clearance) and continues to drop all the way down to about 24 months. There's also a higher rate of graft laxity if you start doing too much too early.

It's mostly to do with how the tendon they graft into your leg ligamentises over time.

A lot of sports where the contracts are more insecure they push them to come back earlier, but it's definitely not in the best interests of the athlete. I think we have struck a pretty good balance in AFL. The only guys who come back earlier are generally when a finals series depends on it and they go in knowing the risks.

 

[AnEmptyChair]

Most people could probably go and run out a game at six months. Camplin competed in the Olympics after three months. But there is a severely high risk of re rupture in doing so. That rate of re rupture starts to drop severely after nine months (which is when your surgeon tests you for clearance) and continues to drop all the way down to about 24 months. There's also a higher rate of graft laxity if you start doing too much too early.

It's mostly to do with how the tendon they graft into your leg ligamentises over time.

A lot of sports where the contracts are more insecure they push them to come back earlier, but it's definitely not in the best interests of the athlete. I think we have struck a pretty good balance in AFL. The only guys who come back earlier are generally when a finals series depends on it and they go in knowing the risks.

Thanks. That's really interesting.

 

[amaz199]

Most people could probably go and run out a game at six months. Camplin competed in the Olympics after three months. But there is a severely high risk of re rupture in doing so. That rate of re rupture starts to drop severely after nine months (which is when your surgeon tests you for clearance) and continues to drop all the way down to about 24 months. There's also a higher rate of graft laxity if you start doing too much too early.

It's mostly to do with how the tendon they graft into your leg ligamentises over time.

A lot of sports where the contracts are more insecure they push them to come back earlier, but it's definitely not in the best interests of the athlete. I think we have struck a pretty good balance in AFL. The only guys who come back earlier are generally when a finals series depends on it and they go in knowing the risks.

fuaark imagine going back in earlier than expected just because the team needs you risking that excruciating pain again.

That's tough.

 

[Themanbun]

fuaark imagine going back in earlier than expected just because the team needs you risking that excruciating pain again.

That's tough.

The psychological element takes soooooo long to get over

 

[Blightys Barrel]

Sam Docherty

15

Sam Docherty

Age

31

Ht

187cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.3

5star

K

15.1

5star

HB

7.2

4star

M

6.6

5star

T

2.4

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

22.6

5star

K

16.0

5star

HB

6.6

4star

M

7.0

5star

T

0.6

1star

CL

0.4

3star

D

11.2

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

1.4

4star

CL

0.6

3star

came back at the 6 month mark to play in that awful final where the Lions had 61 points on them before they scored. This was his 3rd ACL. Along with his surgeon and support crew, they would have this mapped out and factored in all the risks.

I would like to think by the end of 2025 he has played 6-8 VFL games + Made his debut in the seniors and is having his head doused with Gatorade in August while singing the team song for his 1st AFL game and win. IMHO I think he would be tortured having to go thru 2 more pre-seasons before getting out on the park. Like many here, I can’t wait for his first game in the blue and white.