Port Adelaide forward Jack Watts has surgery after carrying ankle injury all season
THE assessment of Port Adelaide’s recruits may have to be reconsidered with former Demon Jack Watts joining former Lions captain Tom Rockliff in having post-season surgery with star Robbie Gray.
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PORT Adelaide forward Jack Watts has gone under the knife after Port Adelaide revealed he has carried an ankle injury for the entire season.
The former Melbourne No. 1 draft pick joined fellow recruit Tom Rockliff — who came across from Brisbane — Riley Bonner (foot), Robbie Gray (knee cleanout) and full-forward Charlie Dixon (broken leg) to have operations to be ready for next season.
Three-time club champion, Gray will have an operation on his right knee the one he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in 2012.
Football manager Chris Davies said most of them should be ready for the start of the season with the players now on holidays.
“Wattsy had some ankle surgery earlier this week, unfortunately,” Davies said. “He hurt himself in Round 1 so he carried something through the whole year and just had some minor ankle surgery.
“’Rocky’ is obviously having his shoulder done and I think Riley Bonner will have some minor foot surgery.
“But Rocky is the only one we think will be impacted at the start of the pre-season.”
There has been much debate over whether Port Adelaide’s three high-profile recruits from other clubs — Watts, Rockliff and ex-Cat Steven Motlop — added the value the club had hoped.
But Davies said more time was needed before a clear assessment could be made.
“A think we need to see over a larger body,” Davies said. “And I’m mindful also that we’re all in this together.
“Those guys came in, they showed glimpses of why we brought them in.
“Would we have liked more consistency? Absolutely, but that’s across the group.
“Again, things broke at the end of the year and it wasn’t just down to two or three players.
“It was down to the group as a whole.
“So we’ll have to look at all of that and make sure that next year our players are better prepared to stick at it longer.”
Port Adelaide fitness coach Ian McKeown said on Wednesday, Gray would have a clean-out of his right knee.
“It is expected that Robbie’s surgery is unlikely to have a significant impact on his off-season program and he will be able to resume pre-season training with the rest of the team in November,” he said
Gray averaged 21 disposals this season and kicked 36 goals but more significantly — was the X-factor that continued to open up games at crucial moments.
He is set to become a member of the 200-game club in Round 1 next year.