THE pre-season period has become akin to watching a horror movie.

And the nerve-wracking, nail-biting experience has definitely left scars on some.

Sydney coach Paul Roos would surely be thinking his summer is turning sour with yet-to-debut third-year Swan Kristin Thornton going down with a season-ending knee injury - the second for the club in as many weeks.

In the opening week of the NAB Cup, top-class rebounder Nick Malceski, who finished behind only dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes in last year's Bob Skilton Medal, went down with a similar injury to end his year.

Joining Malceski on the same day, as a casualty for the season, was two-time Fremantle club champion Paul Hasleby, who had his knee wrecked against West Coast.

And on Friday, young Collingwood forward Brad Dick also had his year end prematurely after he too injured his knee against West Coast.

The sight of injuries in our game - particularly season-ending ones - is simply an unfortunate by-product of the sport. And as much as technology and resources advance, injuries will continue to occur, simply because of the physical nature of Australian Football and break-neck speed at which it is now played.

It's all part of the game.

But in an era of attempting to rectify situations and continually improve, the question must be posed; is there anything that can be done to reduce the number of players entering the season as year-long patients?

The simple answer is yes.

Scrap the pre-season period and hit the ground running. Once the season gets under way, it's from round one of the premiership period - not from the pre-season competition.

But is this practical? In reality, probably not.

The thought of players starting in round one with no pre-season hit-out - aside from intra-club matches - is highly unlikely to sit comfortably with coaches and fitness staff alike. Preparation is a key mantra from both parties.

However, many footy fans would love to see their players get straight into the heat of the premiership battle from the off.

This would create greater excitement, as an air of nervous anticipation would stem from seeing your team play for the first time in the season proper. There is a definite allure here for supporters.

But again, here's some food for thought regarding injuries early in the season: Is there any difference between, for example Malceski, injuring his knee in the opening round of the NAB Cup or the first home-and-away clash?

Still, there is support, at least, from one coach in regards to shortening the pre-season period. North Melbourne's Dean Laidley lamented on Friday, once his side had defeated the Brisbane Lions at MC Labour Park, that he still had two weeks of NAB Challenge fixtures to negotiate.

"We have still got another two weeks of it [the pre-season competition]," a frustrated Laidley said.

As an alternative, he called for only two pre-season hit outs, before the 'real' stuff got under way.

Perhaps this is the best compromise - and outcome.

It was also no surprise to see Laidley's counterpart Leigh Matthews sum it up with pragmatic aplomb: "Match practice and no injuries - that is the first thing you want at this time of the year."

But therein lies the problem. Club coaches and fitness staff want to assess their players under match conditions before the premiership season starts, yet don't want to risk their players for fear of injuries.