Channel 7 commentator Kane Cornes has raised questions around Adelaide’s handling of Izak Rankine’s calf injury.
Rankine suffered a calf strain during the third quarter of last week’s loss to Hawthorn in Tasmania.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Questions raised after Izak Rankine given deep heat on calf
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The superstar had dominated in the first half before his night was cut short when he pulled up short in obvious discomfort.
Despite Rankine appearing to suffer a strain, the Crows’ medical staff applied deep heat to his calf in the hope of getting him back on the field.
But he was eventually iced up and ruled out of the remainder of the match.
The following day the club confirmed Rankine had suffered a “moderate” calf strain, but are yet to put a timeframe on his time out.
Cornes said he couldn’t believe it when he saw Rankine receiving treatment on the bench.
“Rubbing deep heat on a calf strain is a recipe for disaster? Dale Thomas asked Cornes on the Agenda Setters.
“Oh yes, I couldn’t believe it,” Cornes replied.
“He’s torn his calf. You see it there. He’s clearly pulled up with a soft tissue injury.
“And then I’m seeing him on the bench and we’re going, ‘OK, he’s hobbled off’. He gets on the rubdown table and they start getting the deep heat out to rub it into his torn calf.
“I just wonder whether if they had their time again, they wouldn’t have cooked him as much as they had considering his history with soft tissue and how important he is to them.
“So a big blow for Izak Rankine. If you’ve torn a calf and you rubbed deep heat into it, not good recovery, I don’t think.”
Rankine has also been used as a full-time midfielder over the past month, which may have contributed to his latest injury setback.
The 26-year-old spent a whopping 97 per cent in the midfield between Rounds 8 and 11, after just 25 per cent in his first six games of the season.
The Crows are on the bye this week before they host Geelong in a blockbuster next Thursday night.
Riley Thilthorpe will also be sidelined for that clash after copping a one-match ban for striking.
Taylor Walker, left in the SANFL last week, is the obvious replacement for Thilthorpe, who has also been dealing with a back injury.
