Adelaide Crows utility Dan Curtin is facing a significant period on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury during a pre-season training session. The club has confirmed that the 20-year-old will undergo surgery this week following the incident.
Injury Details and Surgical Decision
The injury occurred on Monday during a wrestling drill at training, where Curtin dislocated his left kneecap. While subsequent scans revealed that the young player avoided serious bone or ligament damage, medical assessments determined that surgery was the best course of action.
Adelaide's high performance manager Ian McKeown expressed relief that the injury wasn't more severe, particularly noting it wasn't an ACL tear which typically sidelines players for about twelve months. However, he explained the reasoning behind the surgical approach.
"We are thankful Dan has avoided any bone or ligament damage in the dislocation," McKeown stated. "However, Dan has had several partial dislocations previously, dating back to his junior basketball days."
"Given this history, it's been determined the best course of action is to undertake a procedure which will provide more support and stability around the patella," he added.
Recovery Timeline and Season Impact
The club expects to have a clearer understanding of Curtin's rehabilitation timeframe following the surgery, but initial projections suggest he could return between Rounds 7 and 9 of the AFL season. This timeline would see him missing approximately the first third of the competition.
This represents a substantial setback for both Curtin and the Crows. The defender played all 25 games for Adelaide last season as the team finished top of the ladder before their disappointing straight-sets finals exit. Curtin, who was runner-up in last year's Rising Star award, had been training intensively to feature as an inside midfielder this season.
Controversy Over Training Methods
The circumstances of Curtin's injury have sparked debate about training practices in the AFL. Channel 7 commentator and former Port Adelaide player Kane Cornes has been particularly vocal in his criticism of wrestling drills during pre-season training.
"I shake my head sometimes at the ridiculous things footy clubs do mainly during pre-season," Cornes said on SEN radio earlier this week. "You wouldn't see clubs doing this during the season when players are recovering. But a lot of stupid clubs do it to be honest."
Cornes revealed he had personal experience with similar training methods during his playing career, saying "I used to fight a lot with the high performance staff at Port Adelaide when they tried to put us through similar things."
The commentator described the footage of Curtin's injury as "pretty horrific" and questioned the necessity of such drills. "You can see the distress that he is in," Cornes continued. "And I go 'why are you doing this?'"
Cornes went further in his criticism, suggesting that coaching staff sometimes push players unnecessarily during these sessions. "Usually there's an overweight assistant coach on the sidelines barking orders, trying to fire up the players, telling them they're not going hard enough," he said. "They walk around with smiles on their faces and laughing at the punishment they're putting their players through."
Looking Forward
For Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks, Curtin's absence creates a significant gap in the team's lineup as they prepare for the upcoming season. The young utility had become an important part of the Crows' structure and his development into a midfield role was seen as a key element of the team's strategy for improvement.
The incident raises broader questions about balancing rigorous pre-season preparation with player safety, particularly regarding the use of contact drills that carry inherent injury risks. As Curtin begins his recovery journey, the Crows will need to adjust their plans for the early part of the season while hoping for his successful return to the field around the middle of the campaign.
