A chronic sufferer and a physiotherapist himself, Olarenshaw must feel the pain even more acutely. When the AFL injury report is released later this month, it will show that injuries overall are down. Hamstrings, however, stubbornly defy the trend. Hamstring recurrences are down, but even this bit of silver lines a substantial black cloud. In other words, unable to prevent or cure the injury, clubs take a more conservative approach, sidelining players an extra week.
Some clubs do better with hamstrings than others.
With, on average, one player a club missing one game every week with a hamstring injury, even clubs with a good record are loath to boast about it because they know they are only a twinge or a twang away from having egg on their hamstrings. Bradshaw is Richmond's medical officer. So far this year, the Tigers have done pretty well with hamstrings. Brendon Gale, in the pre-season, was a notable exception. It wasn't always the case.