I think the backline next year should be
B bradbury weston heard
Hb Foulds Walsh Duckworth
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How is his rehab going? Will he be starting PS with the rest of the boys or will he be in the modified group at the start?
Reflecting on the prospect of trading in Scully, our own Marty has had a longer than expected period in a moon boot.
He is in a good place and is running again after being treated very conservatively, for 26 weeks. Maybe they tried to bring Scully back too early?
Essendon footballer Martin Gleeson reflects on season-ending leg injury
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[
Justine McCullagh-Beasy
](https://www.standard.net.au/profile/288/justine-mccullagh-beasy)
UPBEAT: Koroit export Marty Gleeson remained involved at Essendon despite a serious injury wiping out his 2018 AFL season. Picture: AAP
Essendon footballer Marty Gleeson says he’s taken inspiration from successful comeback stories as he overcomes an injury which wiped out his entire 2018 season.
The Koroit export started running two weeks ago – some six months after suffering a serious lower leg injury during an AFL pre-season game in March.
Gleeson, 24, initially thought he’d rolled his ankle. The adrenaline numbed the pain despite breaking his foot and dislocating his ankle.
An initial 12-week timeline proved optimistic.
The running half-back flanker spent four months in a moon boot and is only now feeling comfortable running.
Gleeson said he “underestimated” the injury but was determined to take all precautions.
He knew a season on the sidelines would ultimately be the best result for his career.
“I wanted to make sure it healed because with your feet you hear a lot of horror stories about people not getting it right,” Gleeson told The Standard.
“I talked to a few people around the club and there’s a lot of guys – you probably wouldn’t realise (how many) – that have missed a season of footy. James Kelly when he was younger broke his leg playing for Geelong, ‘BJ’ (Brendon Goddard) did his knee one year and missed a whole year of footy.
“I also watched a lot of documentaries. I love US sports so I watched ones on guys from there that have had significant injuries or had different things happen to them on how they’ve come back. Watching them gives you a lot of hope.”
THE GAME: Essendon footballer Marty Gleeson hurt himself in a JLT Community Series match against Geelong in Colac in March. Picture: Wayne Ludbey
Gleeson, who has played 69 matches since he was drafted in 2012, remained upbeat despite the slow progress, hitting the gym and adding strength to his lean 191-centimetre frame.
“It was pretty slow. I probably underestimated the injury,” he said.
“The surgeon said to me I’d be in a boot for at least 12 weeks. I ended up being in the boot for close to 18 weeks.
“It was a pretty long time but I guess I had to get it right. It felt so weird walking around for the first time without the boot on. My leg felt so heavy…I almost kept falling over.”
“You have to get used to walking again and a big thing is getting your strength back in your calf.”
Gleeson admitted he had times where he lamented “woe is me” but the support of his Essendon teammates helped him.
HOME SWEET HOME: Marty Gleeson playing for Hampden league club Koroit in 2012.
“They gave me the opportunity to get away but I wanted to stay at the club,” he said.
“The boys started to play some good footy and I wanted to be there to support them.
“A lot of my good mates are at the footy club, so being around them everyday, there’s not many workplaces where you can do that.
“I still had a great year, a fun year, so I was pretty happy to stay around.”
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Good onya Marty.
100% Pure Bomber, and top bloke.
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Does anyone know if he has put some work into his guns during his layoff?
I farking love Marty
I’m so glad you arranged the words in that order.
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I reckon he will struggle to get back into the side.
Hooker, Francis, Saad, Mckenna, Hurley.
Pick 1 more out of McGrath, Dea, Ambrose, Brown, Guelfi, Ridley, Gleeson.
It’s gonna be tough for him to get fit, prove he’s up to the pace of the game and that he’s in good form.
And if we are running the midfield with TBell, Sheil, Merret, Heppel, Langford, Zaharakis, Smith, Myers, Parish then the bench is already looking pretty full.
Assuming fwds are:
Raz, Joey, (Smack/Stewart/Brown)
Tippa, Stringer, Laverde,
I like Gleeson, but I can’t find a spot for him until he proves himself again and or others get injured.
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You’re making it look like he’s competing against guys he’s not competing against for spots.
Hmmm. What’s your take on it?
He’s a back man, so he has to fit into the back 6 somehow, and depending on structures, match ups, injuries etc he could be competing against all of those guys for a spot there, and there’s plenty of guys lining up for bench spots too.
I certainly don’t think he offers anything worth shuffling the team around for, and “competition” is only one of his hurdles, he still has to get fit and catch up to the game plan.
Well for starters you’ve listed 5 defenders, 9 in the on-ball brigade and 6 defenders which is 20 players; meaning it will be 2 from that list rather than just 1.
We can assume McGrath is an automatic selection and, given he played a lot up the ground this year, we can also assume we actually need a 6th defender (and therefore won’t select another forward/mid).
With that in mind Gleeson is now ‘competing against Dea, Guelfii, Ridley, Brown and Ambrose.
Brown and Ambrose have completely different skill sets and in reality would be competing against Francis, Hurley and Hooker for the key defensive posts (although Ambrose has had some success going against the medium sized forwards so could conceivably be used in that role).
Guelfi is probably competing against McKenna, McGrath and Saad to go against the likes of Eddie Betts which effectively leaves Dea, Ridley and Gleeson vying for that inbetween size defender.
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I hope Marty gets a full preseason, is fully fit by Round 1 and gets a good run in the VFL side ready to get back to AFL level. He should have undergone an upper body transformation over the 12 months . Lets hope his legs are still thin. MacAvaney loves Martys legs. Cant wait for the Friday night games.
I think many are forgetting that Marty is a very smart footballer. He has never relied on athleticism.
I’d be very surprised if he missed round 1 if he is available for selection.
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The thing is I’m not entirely sure who Gleeson replaces out of the half back line as it stands… Franga secured his spot down there, so he won’t be making way… Who is it that gets the chop for him?
I reckon Gleeson’s a good fkg player, but it’ll be hard for him next year I think
We have majority of the time played 7 defenders for many years as have most clubs, I think he’s a near lock.
I’d say the locks are Hurley Hooker Saad and McKenna. Borderline locks in Francis and Gleeson. Still leaves one more spot which I personally like Redman to occupy.
Goddard retiring and McGrath move to the midfield and trialled forward has opened up a defensive space for the future. Saad coming in allowed us to develop and expand McGrath who is no longer required as a defender.
Redman looks like he can fill the Goddard hole but Gleeson will help with that as he has the experience and maturity.
Gleeson was used deep but sometimes struggled and I think will be allowed to play higher with the possibility of Francis staying deeper or both Hooker and Hurley staying deep.
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Back six
Saad Hurley Gleeson
McKenna Francis Ridley
Forward six
Raz Joey Stringer
Walla Hooker Begley
Gleeson always gets a game if fit.
Why is hooker forward again? Hurley is utterly incapable of taking big men anymore
Begley in the starting 22 also raises major eyebrows.
It’s not 2017 anymore.
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Gleeson prior to injury was a best 22 lock. Was a consistent contributor, had gone up a small notch in 2017 and by all reports was having a ripper pre-season. You could even see in pre-season pictures that he’d finally developed a mature AFL body and I was expecting him to go up a gear in 2018. But now there’s obviously that question mark that he will have to respond to.
Personally I’ve got him in my 22, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he get’s overtaken by Redman or Ridley as being the first choice. For the record I see Francis as a slightly different player and a lock next to Hurley and Hooker down back.
I love Marty but he’ll have to earn back his lock 22 status.
Considering Marty’s qualities as a footballer it’s a good problem to have.
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Lucky for both Gleeson and the Fridge that I am a selector then.
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