We're soft if we can't cop a jab
01 August 2006 Herald-Sun
Michael Stevens
RICHMOND coach Terry Wallace says society is getting soft if it is querying the use of pain-killing injections in AFL football.
Wallace made the statement when asked if gun forward Matthew Richardson required an injection for an injured hand to play against St Kilda on Saturday.
Wallace said he could not understand the repeated questioning of the use of pain-killers.
"Have we, in society, became that soft that all of a sudden a guy's got a bruised heel -- and . . . you can put a little bit of pain-killer in there so that he can get out (and play) and there's no dramas going on -- that we won't put a little bit of pain-killer on a bruised heel?" Wallace said.
"I reckon we are getting so soft and clinical in our approach to life that it's ridiculous."
Wallace said he had no idea if Richardson had an injection.
"I would have no idea whether he's had an injection on his injured hand, wrist or anything, you would never know," he said.
"You just don't get in the medical rooms and say, 'Gee, we've got six blokes this week or four blokes this week' (that need injections).
"If you've been around footy clubs long enough, that's just not how they operate. It's a doctor/player privilege sort of situation and they'll go through that process themselves."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,19977475%255E19742,00.html
