‘Monster blow’: Superstars to miss start of AFL season in full blown ‘crisis’

The AFL has a full-blown crisis on its hands after a trio of superstar players were struck down and will miss the start of the season.

An injury to the AFL’s best player might have derailed a club’s season before it has even begun, while one of the Sydney Swans’ best players went down with injury in some pre-season carnage.

The Western Bulldogs confirmed on Friday night captain Marcus Bontempelli had sustained a “complex calf injury” in Thursday’s match against Hawthorn.

The 29-year-old came from the field in the first quarter with calf tightness and scans revealed the injury was more serious than first thought.

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“While the Club was optimistic of a positive result overnight, scans have revealed a complex injury with tendon involvement,” Chris Bell, Bulldogs Head of Sports Medicine, said.

“Unfortunately, the structures involved with this particular injury are prone to having recurrent issues so we will need to follow a conservative management timeline to give Marcus the best chance of a successful season.”

Bontempelli is expected to miss at least the next six weeks, which would rule him out for at least the first few rounds of the season.

Marcus Bontempelli will miss the start of the AFL season. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Bontempelli leaves the field injured during the AFL Community Series match against Hawthorn. (Photo by Steve Bell/Getty Images)

Bontempelli has been universally viewed as the AFL’s best player in recent seasons, coming awfully close to winning the Brownlow Medal on several occasions.

But the injury to the Bulldogs captain is the latest in a spate of injuries at the Bulldogs that could cruel their hopes of making finals before the season even kicks off.

The Bulldogs’ injury list doesn’t make for easy reading for fans.

Defender Liam Jones is out for a high grade hamstring injury that has him out for 8-10 weeks.

Adam Treloar has a calf injury that has him sidelined for the said period.

2016 Norm Smith medallist Jason Johannisen’s hamstring injury is expected to keep him out of action for 8-12 weeks.

Livewire small forward Cody Weightman is set to undergo knee surgery and will miss the start of the season. He could be out for three months.

Seven’s AFL reporter Mitch Cleary described Bontempelli’s injury as a “monster blow for the Dogs”.

“Soft tissue crisis at the Kennel,” Cleary wrote on X.

“They’ve tried to lift the standards this pre-season and it’s backfired badly.

“Bontempelli (calf) joins Treloar (calf), Jones (hamstring) and Johannisen (hamstring) ruled out of R1.”

Cleary said midfielder Ed Richards (calf) and half back flanker Bailey Dale (quad) were also no certainties to play in the Bulldogs’ round 1 game against North Melbourne on March 15.

Star Sydney Swans midfielder Errol Gulden was sent for scans on Friday night after suffering what appeared to be a serious ankle injury in a pre-season game against the Gold Coast.

Gulden’s left ankle got caught under a tackle from Gold Coast’s Will Graham and he was in obvious pain as he was helped from the field.

Errol Gulden is helped from the field after injuring his ankle.

The Swans host Hawthorn at the SCG next Friday in Opening Round, but Gulden is in serious doubt for that match.

The Swans expect Errol Gulden to be sidelined for months, not weeks. The midfielder was last night taken to a Gold Coast hospital for scans on his left ankle. Shapes as another huge blow in a pre-season of injury carnage.
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Swans assistant Marc McVeigh said: “We don’t know a lot yet. When a player comes off like that, your concerns are heightened.

“He’ll get scans and we’ll get those reports in the next 24 hours. It didn’t look good but we’ve got to wait on the results.”

Earlier this week the Swans confirmed captain Callum Mills will miss the start of the season with a calf injury.

Port Adelaide star Zak Butters is also going to miss the start of the season. The Power confirmed he would be sidelined for six to eight weeks after having knee surgery this week.

GWS Giants midfielder Tom Green has also suffered a calf strain and isn’t expected to feature until after the club’s round 2 bye.

Meanwhile, Brisbane Lions premiership defender Brandon Starcevich will miss his side’s season opener against Geelong next Thursday after suffering a nasty concussion in a pre-season game against Adelaide on Thursday.

Originally published as ‘Monster blow’: Superstars to miss start of AFL season in full blown ‘crisis’