Carlton’s Michael Voss Calm about Sam Walsh’s Injury Absence, Anticipates Return of Zac Williams for Opening Round
Carlton coach Michael Voss reassures that Sam Walsh’s absence due to a back injury is not a cause for alarm, even though the influential midfielder will miss at least the initial two games of the AFL season.
Walsh, known for his tireless work ethic, had concerns arise after tweaking his back, a recurring issue, back in February, casting doubt on his availability for the opening-round clash against Brisbane this Friday.
Having faced a similar setback that impacted the end of his 2022 season and the beginning of the 2023 campaign, Walsh had been undergoing separate training sessions away from Carlton’s main group. The Blues provided an injury update on Monday, confirming Walsh’s participation in “modified training” with plans to monitor his progress following the round-two bye.
Coach Voss, speaking to Fox Footy, explained the cautious approach: “After the intra-club, he pulled up fairly sore, so we’ve established some benchmarks. There’s no fixed timeline; we evaluate his progress at each stage.”
While acknowledging the situation, Voss emphasized, “No, He’s progressing as needed, but we’d just like it to be going clearly a little faster than what it actually is.”
Regarding other injury updates, Voss confirmed the return of Zac Williams from his ACL tear, describing it as “a brilliant story,” and expressed optimism despite Jesse Motlop’s absence due to a jarred toe suffered in a practice match against Melbourne. Furthermore, the post-round two bye period will allow reassessment of key defenders Jacob Weitering (calf) and Caleb Marchbank (illness).
