AFL Player # 5: Elijah Tsatas

[TheGrizz]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2026
2024 My Boy Draft: Pick 14, Lore

 

[ant555]

How close does an 8 week meniscus get to writing the season off?

Wrapping players in cotton wool isn't inherently good but we're in this for the long term.

Maybe give it to mid year after building him through a full pre season.

Personally I would not care if he started playing VFL in may.

 

[BrunoV]

8 weeks takes us to start of the season. Nowhere near writing off the season.

I'd say a guy 8 to 10 months into an acl is in a better position for 2023 than someone who has just torn a meniscus, at least as a general rule.

Tsatas had a bad year last year with injury. As I said, surely we take a conservative approach getting him fully conditioned to play (i.e. the preseason) which takes us to mid year.

You're then looking at how something with serious potential for long term structural problems, unlike a blown up ankle, for an 18 year old we just dropped pick 5 on.

Don't be surprised if this plays out over the really long term. I wouldn't deactivate him now, not by any stretch. But Tsatas has a bad recent injury history. The initial diagnosis will not have account of these factors because they are not relevant to the healing of the injury at this point in time (for now it's severity of the tear and history healing that type of injury).

 

[ant555]

I'd say a guy 8 to 10 months into an acl is in a better position for 2023 than someone who has just torn a meniscus, at least as a general rule.

Tsatas had a bad year last year with injury. As I said, surely we take a conservative approach getting him fully conditioned to play (i.e. the preseason) which takes us to mid year.

You're then looking at how something with serious potential for long term structural problems, unlike a blown up ankle, for an 18 year old we just dropped pick 5 on.

Don't be surprised if this plays out over the really long term. I wouldn't deactivate him now, not by any stretch. But Tsatas has a bad recent injury history. The initial diagnosis will not have account of these factors because they are not relevant to the healing of the injury at this point in time (for now it's severity of the tear and history healing that type of injury).

Strategically it would work . Hold him back and build the fitness base . Keep him out until July and take an extra SSP . Then he comes back and plays 3 or 4 VFL games and maybe a couple AFL games at the back end of the season.

 

[yaco55]

Strategically it would work . Hold him back and build the fitness base . Keep him out until July and take an extra SSP . Then he comes back and plays 3 or 4 VFL games and maybe a couple AFL games at the back end of the season.

You place Tsatas on the Inactive list then he's out for the year if you replace him with a SSP - It's bad enough they place J.Davey on the inactive list when he's nearly 12 months from an ACL list - J.Davey should remain on the rookie list and play some games during the season or otherwise its a 2 year recovery from an ACL which is ridiculous.

 

[ant555]

You place Tsatas on the Inactive list then he's out for the year if you replace him with a SSP - It's bad enough they place J.Davey on the inactive list when he's nearly 12 months from an ACL list - J.Davey should remain on the rookie list and play some games during the season or otherwise its a 2 year recovery from an ACL which is ridiculous.

Is that the actual rule ?

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2022/03/03/71900040-2710-4c0c-a0f3-3da9760cf197/Amended-AFL-Rules-effective-2-March-2022.pdf

LTI starts on page on page 99.

Have not found a lot about the specific SSP rules other than they can be rookie spots and spots can open up via players being put on the Inactive list or LTI list. The LTI allows players to come back on the primary list once they are cleared to play but what I can not find info on is what happens to the player picked up during SSP pre season as far as what goes when the player on the LTI list returns which they can once cleared.

Pretty sure Davey is on the LTI and not Inactive.

 

[yaco55]

Is that the actual rule ?

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2022/03/03/71900040-2710-4c0c-a0f3-3da9760cf197/Amended-AFL-Rules-effective-2-March-2022.pdf

LTI starts on page on page 99.

Have not found a lot about the specific SSP rules other than they can be rookie spots and spots can open up via players being put on the Inactive list or LTI list. The LTI allows players to come back on the primary list once they are cleared to play but what I can not find info on is what happens to the player picked up during SSP pre season as far as what goes when the player on the LTI list returns which they can once cleared.

Pretty sure Davey is on the LTI and not Inactive.

J.Davey did his ACL in March 2022 and according to track watchers is moving OK and doing lots of running and some light skills work - I doubt he would need another 6 or 7 months recovery, unless he's reinjured the knee.

 

[ant555]

J.Davey did his ACL in March 2022 and according to track watchers is moving OK and doing lots of running and some light skills work - I doubt he would need another 6 or 7 months recovery, unless he's reinjured the knee.

That was not really my point but it is true. He would likely have been able to play around week 4 to 5 of the VFL in normal circumstances
Not that it matters as he is on the LTI so he can come back onto the main list once he has missed 6 games if they want to do it.
They did the same with Baldwin. He did an extra 6 months of rehab. It is not that bad for Davey given he has missed a lot of fitness base work anyway.

 

[Lore]

Is that the actual rule ?

https://resources.afl.com.au/afl/document/2022/03/03/71900040-2710-4c0c-a0f3-3da9760cf197/Amended-AFL-Rules-effective-2-March-2022.pdf

LTI starts on page on page 99.

Have not found a lot about the specific SSP rules other than they can be rookie spots and spots can open up via players being put on the Inactive list or LTI list. The LTI allows players to come back on the primary list once they are cleared to play but what I can not find info on is what happens to the player picked up during SSP pre season as far as what goes when the player on the LTI list returns which they can once cleared.

Pretty sure Davey is on the LTI and not Inactive.

The LTI list allows for a category B rookie to be upgraded as a temporary replacement for the senior player. It used to also be category A rookies but they are now allowed to play without upgrading (which may also have been extended to cat Bs but my memory is fuzzy). I think if you’re on the LTI list you’re not allowed to play in the VFL either, because you’re supposed to be injured

The “inactive” list is the one that creates a whole season vacancy that can be filled through the preseason SSP rookie or midseason rookie draft. Can be long term injuries or early retirements. I think an inactive player can still play VFL as part of an injury recovery program though

It’s one of those things that isn’t fully detailed in the CBA as it was introduced as a new measure since the last CBA was signed. Usually clubs get guidance and then some journo will write it up for the age or the AFL website so you’d find more details that way potentially. eth-dog might be able to remember/confirm the details.

 

[BrunoV]

J.Davey did his ACL in March 2022 and according to track watchers is moving OK and doing lots of running and some light skills work - I doubt he would need another 6 or 7 months recovery, unless he's reinjured the knee.

The interesting thing about Jayden was the difference between his apparent physical condition and the supposed vigour with which he applied himself to his rehab.

 

[yaco55]

That was not really my point but it is true. He would likely have been able to play around week 4 to 5 of the VFL in normal circumstances
Not that it matters as he is on the LTI so he can come back onto the main list once he has missed 6 games if they want to do it.
They did the same with Baldwin. He did an extra 6 months of rehab. It is not that bad for Davey given he has missed a lot of fitness base work anyway.

Think you'll find that J.Davey is on the Inactive list which means he's out to 2024 - We do the same thing with Chris Johnson's son when he was drafted, but the difference was he did his ACL in August of the previous year.

 

[ant555]

Think you'll find that J.Davey is on the Inactive list which means he's out to 2024 - We do the same thing with Chris Johnson's son when he was drafted, but the difference was he did his ACL in August of the previous year.

If that is the case I still do not think it matters with Jayden. A year getting his rehab 100% and his fitness base up to speed is not a bad thing.

 

[faible]

Think you'll find that J.Davey is on the Inactive list which means he's out to 2024 - We do the same thing with Chris Johnson's son when he was drafted, but the difference was he did his ACL in August of the previous year.

Do we know how it works to move a player off the inactive list during the season - is that possible?

 

[Keystone agony]

You can be moved off the inactive list later in the year as long as your replaced

 

[andleanback]

How close does an 8 week meniscus get to writing the season off?

Wrapping players in cotton wool isn't inherently good but we're in this for the long term.

Maybe give it to mid year after building him through a full pre season.

Ah He’ll be over the injury by round 1. It’s just how slow that decide to easy him back into the program and then into vfl minutes. Writing the season off come on, settle settle.

 

[Old Campaigner]

If that is the case I still do not think it matters with Jayden. A year getting his rehab 100% and his fitness base up to speed is not a bad thing.

Maybe a game at season end similar to Baldwin just to get the confidence in his knee back

 

[carnthedons]

You can be moved off the inactive list later in the year as long as your replaced

Yeah but for that to happen we’d have to have someone with a season ending…. Oh, nevermind

 

[Lore]

If it's eight weeks from 20/1 like Watson said then the eighth week is the same week as round 1. So I'd say that rules him out of round 1... and then if it's 12 weeks as otherwise apparently speculated on a Blitz training report, that'd be return to play in about round 6.

Really just guessing about time frames at this point though, as the club hasn't put an ETA on it and won't until after he's had surgery. Until they do, we're really just guessing.

 

[faible]

If it's eight weeks from 20/1 like Watson said then the eighth week is the same week as round 1. So I'd say that rules him out of round 1... and then if it's 12 weeks as otherwise apparently speculated on a Blitz training report, that'd be return to play in about round 6.

Really just guessing about time frames at this point though, as the club hasn't put an ETA on it and won't until after he's had surgery. Until they do, we're really just guessing.

Play it safe and aim for AFL game-time after the Bye IMO.

Get him 100% right, play some VFL games to get up to pace, then form permitting, he goes up to the AFL.

No rush, the kid is talented and has a turn of speed we desperately need. Why stuff his knees up.

 

[Maxabillions]

For anyone who knows, is there likely to be any long term impact from a minor meniscus tear?

 

[Maddogm]

Play it safe and aim for AFL game-time after the Bye IMO.

Get him 100% right, play some VFL games to get up to pace, then form permitting, he goes up to the AFL.

No rush, the kid is talented and has a turn of speed we desperately need. Why stuff his knees up.

by bigfooty standards, the first game back is always rushed, no matter how much extra time is allowed.

 

[Lore]

For anyone who knows, is there likely to be any long term impact from a minor meniscus tear?

It's a cartilage injury so depending on whether they remove it or repair it... osteoarthritis

 

[Maxabillions]

It's a cartilage injury so depending on whether they remove it or repair it... osteoarthritis

Hopefully it’s a repair…

 

[andleanback]

For anyone who knows, is there likely to be any long term impact from a minor meniscus tear?

Depends how much they removed. If it’s only minor he’ll be fine. When it gets up to the point where they’re taking large % of your meniscus out you’re knee will never be the same, with the amount of load you can put through it.

 

[Maxabillions]

Depends how much they removed. If it’s only minor he’ll be fine. When it gets up to the point where they’re taking large % of your meniscus out you’re knee will never be the same, with the amount of load you can put through it.

It does sound like it’s quite minor and they’re being super careful at least

 

[andleanback]

Why are the media reporting today on tsatas like it’s new news. We knew last week.