CARLTON expects co-captains Patrick Cripps and Sam Docherty to be in full contact training in the new year.
With fifth-year players due to return on Wednesday 6 January, Director of High Performance Andrew Russell provided an update on some recovering Blues.
Currently undergoing his rehabilitation program back home in Perth, Russell said Cripps was ticking all the boxes for his return to the training track.
The co-captain underwent shoulder surgery after coming from the ground in the final game of the season against Brisbane.
“Patrick Cripps is going really well with his shoulder. He’s been doing his rehabilitation in Perth, he’s got a really high-quality physio working with him,” Russell said.
“He’s doing a full conditioning program with running and ball work, he’s kicking the footy and his strength is getting there.
“We expect him back in January doing ball work with the boys and probably in late January, he’ll be doing full contact work and getting ready for the year. We expect him to be in really good shape.”
Russell also confirmed that Docherty was back running and would return to the skills program in January after health issues and a minor ankle procedure in the off-season.
The Blues will continue to play the long game with Brodie Kemp, with the draftee returning from a stress reaction in his back.
The second-year Blue has returned on a modified program for the first two weeks of pre-season, but is expected to return to the full program in the early stages of next year.
“He trained pretty hard and then he had an issue in his back, some stress in his back. He had 3-4 months of downtime and he’s back running, he’s doing strength work and we’re building him back up again,” Russell said.
“We’re reconditioning his back, we’ve got to recondition his knee — both of those are really important.
“We’ll see him doing ball work in January and probably in the full program in late January or early February.”
Russell also shed some light on who had returned to pre-season training early and were impressing club officials. For his full comments, watch the video in the player above.
| Player | Injury | Update |
| Patrick Cripps | Shoulder | "He's going really well. He's doing a full conditioning program... probably in late January he'll be doing full contact work." |
| Charlie Curnow | Knee |
"He's been in at the Club doing his rehabilitation... he's doing everything asked of him. Given the latest interruption, we're happy with how he's progressing." |
| Sam Docherty | Ankle/Health | "Both are going really well. He's back at the Club, he's back running, he's back doing strength work." |
| Brodie Kemp | Back | On a modified program. "He'll probably be in the full program in late January or early February.' |
| Caleb Marchbank | "He's been back at the Club and his attitude has been fantastic. He just needs to do a good block of work and he's been doing that." | |
| Nic Newman | Knee | "He's doing some really high-quality running, change-of-direction work and a strength program. I'd say mid-to-late January we'll see him on the track." |
| Jack Silvagni | Knee | Returned early and in full training. |
