Tatura coach Paul Barnard is almost at a loss for words regarding his club’s rotten injury run this season.
Photo by
Holly Daniel
“It’s like nothing I’ve seen before.”
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Tatura coach Paul Barnard isn’t mincing his words, nor is he exaggerating when referencing the freakish injury crisis that has razed his list this season.
Take this Saturday, for example.
According to Barnard, the Bulldogs’ outs almost match their ins, missing 18 players from their senior pool for the round 11 Goulburn Valley League clash with Benalla.
They aren’t minor knocks, either.
Following the ecstasy of an after-the-siren win against Seymour in the season opener, Tatura was cruelled with a double dose of disappointment in round two when boom recruits Aidyn Johnson and Matt Ryan hobbled off with season-ending ACL injuries.
From then on, the curse continued with the likes of Jacob Simpson, Tyle Williams, Chaz Sargeant and others ruled out for the rest of the Bulldogs’ campaign.
Jake Warren’s incident was more severe, with the electrifying midfielder airlifted to Melbourne due to fears he may lose his kidney to a gruesome knock.
And so, though many tipped Tatura as a bolter for finals in 2024, bar a miracle, this will not happen.
It’s by no fault of its own — and Barnard isn’t looking for a sympathy vote.
“It’s a freak sort of year, but I have to give it to our players ... they’ve shown a hell of a lot of courage,” he said.
“We’ve basically got kids in there, we’re getting games into them and giving them a line of sight to what GVL footy looks like.
“It really started in round two when we lost two blokes against Euroa in the third quarter when we were in the second.
“We lost two ACLs in Johnson and Ryan and it’s just been downhill (since). We’ve been averaging three injuries every week from then I think.”
The Bulldogs are yet to taste victory since the fabled day at Tatura Park in round one.
Mass injury to Barnard’s boys has seen a year packed with promise completely tailspin out of control as they now sit flat bottom of the ladder.
Xavier Hutchison is one of the latest Tatura players to be added to a growing injury list at the club.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
However, you’d be a fool to think they’ve thrown in the towel.
“It’s just something I’ve never seen before. I’ve been playing footy since I was four-and-a-half or five, and I’ve never seen this,” Barnard said.
“That’s why I’m really supporting our players, because they embrace the challenge every week.
“They understand the landscape and we’re not talking our 35th, 36th, 37th on the list out injured — we’re talking our premium players.
“They need to be rewarded, our players.
“Our leaders on the paddock: Mitch Elliott, Ethan Penrith, Andrew Ciavarella, these guys are getting whacked about each week purely because they just don’t think we have the quality on the park.
“They are fronting up every week and showing great courage and I admire them for that as their coach.”
Tatura’s average age would sit among the youngest in the competition at current standing and, through guidance through a sturdy leadership group, the Bulldogs aren’t balking — they’re barking.
Barnard indicated he’s not interested in recruiting, but is keen to blood youth who otherwise would not have featured in the Bulldogs’ senior ranks this season.
“They now get a baptism of fire against some quality opposition each week and they’re relishing that,” he said.
“They are enjoying the challenge — it’s no fun losing by the margins we’re losing — but by the end of the season, these guys may end up with 10, 12, 15 games under their belt and they are going to be players for the future of the Tatura Football Netball Club.
“We’ll embrace every game, we’ll walk forward, but for the remainder of the year we’ve got some internal goals we want to achieve.
“Our younger players will be exposed to footy and that can only be a good thing from a learning and development perspective and the future of our club.”
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