Knee injury ends the season for Bulldogs defender Ben Cummins

TEAMS: CENTRAL District defender Ben Cummings is the latest SANFL player to be forced out of action for 12 months because of ACL damage.

CENTRAL District defender Ben Cummings is the latest SANFL player to be forced out of action for 12 months because of ACL damage.

Cummings hurt his knee in the opening quarter of the 13-point loss to Port Adelaide at Alberton on Sunday and scans confirmed the club’s fears. As well as an ACL rupture, Cummings partly tore the posterior cruciate ligament.

Surgery will be necessary to reconstruct the knee but it has been delayed until the swelling subsides.

“I’m pretty upset about it - I was just starting to get a few (league) games together,’’ Cummings said.

“I thought my pressure had been OK and if I kept that up I could get some more games.

“It’s not too swollen but they won’t operate for a week or two.’’

Cummings injured the knee when he was tackled while kicking the ball on the outer wing.

His heel stuck into the ground and he knew immediately the damage was significant.

“The doctor had a look at the knee as soon as I came off and he thought I had done the ACL,’’ Cummings said.

Cummings, who turned 20 on Thursday, joined the Bulldogs from Williamstown in the Barossa and played junior football at Elizabeth. The contest against the Magpies was just his eighth league match.

The Bulldogs are already without Corey Reichert after he ruptured his ACL in the elimination final defeat to North Adelaide last year and Jamie McIntyre, who will miss the season after hurting his knee in the first trial match against Glenelg.

It was McIntyre’s first appearance for the Bulldogs after joining the club from the Magpies.

South Adelaide and the Magpies have also been hit hard with serious knee injuries this season.

The Panthers lost Sam Richman in the pre-season when he had his third reconstruction on his left knee while Tarak Redigolo and Lewis Makepeace will not return to action until next year.

Power-listed trio Sam Colquhoun, Campbell Heath and Brent Renouf are also spectators after knee surgery.

Colquhoun damaged his ACL in round four while Heath and Renouf were injured against North Adelaide in round eight. Heath had LARS surgery and is optimistic he will be back in the Magpies jumper this season.

Norwood will be without Ed Smart for several weeks after taking a heavy knock late in the win over West Adelaide at Richmond last Friday night.

Smart has back soreness and his absence starts on Sunday when the Redlegs take on Sturt at Unley.

The Redlegs will be seeking revenge after going down to the Double Blues by 18 points at The Parade in round three.

Last year’s best and fairest, Ben Jefferies, returns to the Redlegs line-up after serving a three-match suspension.