News is good for Carlton midfielder
CARLTON midfielder Andrew Walker has escaped the surgeon's knife after scans today found no major damage to his injured shoulder.
Walker sustained an injury to the joint at Blues training on Friday afternoon but the news was good after scans earlier today revealed no serious damage. It means Walker will now follow a rehabilitation program easing him back into full training.
There were fears that Walker would require another shoulder reconstruction after copping a similar injury in last year's pre-season. Walker, 22, missed the first 15 rounds last year but his return in Round 16 saw him play a leading role for the remainder of the season where he averaged a shade under 20 disposals per game.
Carlton's general manager of football operations Steven Icke revealed the good news earlier today.
"It was deemed that Andrew's shoulder is pretty strong and therefore we decided to go down the path of rehabilitation and we will reassess his shoulder in a week or so when he is ready to return to training," Icke told
CarltonFC.com.au. "Andrew, his surgeon and our medical team are comfortable with this decision and we will monitor Andrew's progress carefully.
"At this stage it was determined that surgery would not be part of Andrew's rehabilitation and we are confident that the program put in place will address the injury."
The setback, however, continues an unlucky run with injuries for Walker, from Echuca in Victoria's north, who has played 81 games for Carlton since his 2004 debut in Round 5. He was the second pick overall at the 2003 AFL national draft.
All-Stars squad of around 40 players
MEANWHILE, the AFL will announce a squad of around 40 Indigenous players for the All-Stars match 'within a week'.
The final team, believed to be around 30 players, won't be known fully known until close to the match, which will pit the composite team against Adelaide in Darwin on Saturday, February 7.
Most of the league's Indigenous players will be in Darwin in the lead-up to the game as part of the AFL's Community Camp.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Last Modified on 28/01/2009 01:08