13 Apr 2002: Neale Daniher coach of the Demons instructs David Schwarz #5 for Melobourne at quarter time, during the Round 3 AFL match between the Richmond Tigers and the Melbourne Demons, played at the MCG, Melbourne, Australia. DIGITAL IMAGE. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images
AFL legend Matthew Lloyd has revealed his top seven list of players whose careers were interrupted or ended by injury, barring them from reaching their potential.
Speaking to Sportsday Radio, Lloyd explained that some of these players could have reached stardom in the VFL/AFL if they never encountered their career-defining injuries.
7. Stephen Tingay
"A player I love from Melbourne, back injuries, hamstring injuries, [he] could have been anything."
6. Matthew Egan
"59 games in his career, was an All-Australian and had his career cut short by a foot injury."
5. David Schwarz
"Before he did his first knee, he moved like a gazelle, become a built full forward after that and could have been anything."
4. Barry Stoneham
Dwayne Russell: "He slipped on the cricket pitch, I reckon and broke his leg"
Lloyd: "Broken his leg, yes and was never the same after that."
3. Peter Hudson
"I wasn't aware of one - he's kicked 100 goals four consecutive years, then didn't play for five on-and-off then kicked a ton after that."
2. Neale Daniher
"Obviously did his knee, one of the greats."
1.John Coleman
Russell: "537 goals in 98 games!"
"They say he would have missed four weeks [with career-ending knee injury] if he was a modern day player currently."