Nick Riewoldt puzzled by Essendon star Joe Daniher's 'bizarre' training injury
When news filtered out about Essendon star Joe Daniher's calf injury late last week, many simply bemoaned the 2017 All-Australian forward's poor luck with injury.
However, St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt suggests that there may be something amiss as it pertains to the Bombers star's latest setback.
According to Friday's media release from the Bombers, Daniher sustained the injury after receiving a kick to his calf in a training drill, but Riewoldt said he had never heard of such an injury during his career.
“The Joe Daniher press release that came through from the Bombers, just really piqued my interest," Riewoldt told SEN Breakfast.
"He received a kick to the calf at training and has suffered a calf strain. That’s what the release said.
According to Essendon's media release, Daniher suffered the calf injury after a kick during training AAP
“I can’t recall anyone ever straining their calf because it was kicked.”
After getting through both of Essendon's JLT Community Series fixtures unscathed, Daniher was set to play on modified minutes to start the season after missing the bulk of 2018 with osteitis pubis.
Riewoldt questioned Essendon's "bizarre" press release and wondered whether the injury had anything to do with Daniher's groin problem.
“To say that it’s going to be a six week calf, that’s an extraordinary long calf injury. So all I’m saying, that just sounds bizarre,” he said.
“Without really explaining the detail to us, we are now in a position where we sit around and speculate on has he re-injured his groin injury?
AFL great Garry Lyon questioned why Daniher was on hand at the AFL's captain's day on Friday afternoon AAP
"Is he getting a mini pre-season into him for six weeks? That was a bizarre press release.”
After the Bombers' release confirming Daniher's injury, the 25-year-old appeared at the AFL's captain's day media event later in the day, a move which was questioned by AFL great Garry Lyon.
“If you’ve done a calf, you don’t go around standing at a captain’s day,” Lyon told SEN.
“That was strange when I saw that. I’ve done a lot of calves, if you’ve done a six-week calf … my experience is that you’re at home.”
The Bombers will open their 2019 season with a trip to Sydney to take on the GWS Giants at the Sydney Showground Stadium on Sunday, March 24.
