Coach James Hird admits his AFL club is still adapting to a new fitness regime as the squad’s injury toll keeps rising.
Hird took no chances with defender Courtenay Dempsey, subbing him off at quarter-time of Saturday night’s win over Gold Coast after he complained of hamstring soreness.
The Bombers are hopeful Dempsey will be ready for Saturday’s blockbuster against Carlton, while Jake Carlisle (calf) and Tayte Pears (hamstring tightness) might also be casualties from the win over the Suns.
This is always a heavy period early in the season, with the traditional Anzac Day clash against Collingwood usually following the Carlton game.
This year, the Bombers only have a five-day break.
“We didn’t want to take the risk of blowing him, as we have (with) a couple of blokes this week,” Hird said of Dempsey on 3AW.
“The next 10 days for us are very important, with Carlton and then Collingwood in the space of five days.”
Hird said if Dempsey has a hamstring strain, he will be sidelined for a couple of games.
David Hille, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Mark McVeigh, David Myers and Jason Winderlich were all unavailable this weekend because of soft tissue injuries.
Hird has again strongly defended the club’s increased emphasis on the weights room through the pre-season.
“Whenever you change the philosophy in the way you prepare your players, there is a risk in the first little bit of time,” he said.
“If that adaptation doesn’t happen in the right way, sometimes you do set yourself up for some injuries – that’s probably what has happened.
“We’re very confident (that) the path we’re (on) is the right one and we’ll be able to handle those injuries.
“There are only three or four of them – they’re quite minor … we’ll keep following that path.”
The Magpies have even greater injury problems, with key midfielder Luke Ball joining Brent Macaffer and Andrew Krakouer as knee reconstruction casualties.
Ben Reid also has a quad muscle injury following Friday night’s big loss to Carlton.
Former coach Mick Malthouse said the only potential benefit in Ball’s injury is that he will spur Macaffer and Krakouer in their recoveries.
“He’ll be good for Krakouer and Macaffer … I know he’s starting behind them, but I dare say he will go past them at a million miles an hour, because of his great want to be a good footballer,” Malthouse said on Channel Seven’s Game Day.
“But you don’t lose good players like that and replace them overnight.”
In some good news for the ‘Pies, Nathan Brown, Alan Didak and Ben Johnson all had solid runs in the VFL.
Other notable injuries out of the weekend included Fremantle midfielder Nathan Fyfe (shoulder) and Brisbane ruckman Matthew Leuenberger (calf or Achilles).
St Kilda defender Sam Gilbert was subbed off with back soreness, but coach Scott Watters was confident he will not miss any games.