Breaking: Sam Walsh has his pre-season interrupted again
A big January blow for Carlton as Sam Walsh injures his hamstring at training. Out for a month
Sometimes as football fans, we should really refrain from speaking things into existence.
Instead, it's probably better to keep the mouth shut, cross the fingers, and not do anything to tempt fate.
As Carlton thought they might have dodged the curveball of what seemed like the annual pre-season injury to a big-name player, It was confirmed today that vice-captain Sam Walsh suffered a hamstring strain at training on Monday and will be sidelined for a month.
With 58 days until the season opener against Richmond, the club remains hopeful that Walsh will be fit for round 1.
While there's never a good time to injure a hamstring, you would much rather he injure the hamstring now, still well over two months from the season beginning than in the immediate run-up.
It's another significant blow for Walsh who will now endure his fourth injury-interrupted season in a row.
A syndesmosis injury in 2022 forced Walsh into a delayed start to the season before pre-season back surgery on a bulging disc, which saw Walsh miss the first month of the 2023 season.
He was a standout for the Blues on the training track in 2024 before a flare-up of the back injury again forced a delayed start to the home and away season.
It must be frustrating for a competitive beast such as the 2023 Gary Ayres Medallist, as these setbacks keep piling up at inopportune times.
“I think the biggest thing for me is getting that full pre-season under my belt,” Walsh said in December.
“I do that by putting in the work and listening to my body, which I have been. And from there I really want to get after my power running.”
The Blues are in their first pre-season under new fitness boss Rob Innes after the highly respected Andrew Russell announced he was stepping away from football last season.
This looks like his first big project and the first test of patience for the fans who have seen this same movie before.
Image Sources: Carlton Media / Jonothan DiMaggio