Clause 12.1 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement states:
Quote:
Each AFL Club may apply to the AFL General Manager – Football Operations to transfer a Player suffering a long term injury from its Primary List to its Long Term Injury List. A long term injury means an injury or illness suffered by a Player which, in the opinion of the AFL Medical Officer, after consultation with the AFL Club Medical Officer, will prevent or is likely to prevent a Player, having due regard to his health and safety, from participating in a Match for a period of not less than eight weeks from the date the injury or illness is diagnosed.
Other relevant provisions are that:
a player cannot be placed on the LTI list unless he consents (cl. 12.2(a))
a player who is on the LTI list cannot play any AFL or VFL football match while he is on that list or for 8 weeks, whichever is the greater (cl. 12.2(b))
So, don't assume that Carlton will be able to engineer a spot for Setanta by foxing the AFL Medical Officer.
Thornton (or indeed Fisher) might not be willing to agree to an effective 8 week playing ban given that he would be looking forward to Rounds 6 and 7 against Hawthorn and Richmond, or at least playing in the VFL to regain match fitness during those rounds.
And even if he consents, we still need the approval of Adrian Anderson.
On a previous occasion, I rang Carlton and I was told that a decision on LTI listings could not be made until immediately before the start of the season. At that time, Carlton will need to persuade the AFL Medical Officer that Thornton or Fisher will not be likely to be able to play an AFL or VFL match for a further 8 Matches (and we can't claim credit for the games Fisher missed last year).