Port Adelaide defender Matthew Broadbent has another round of surgery to ease ankle pain

FOR the second time in five months, Port Adelaide half-back Matthew Broadbent has needed surgery to seek relief from ankle pain that will delay his start to the AFL season

DELAYED START. Port Adelaide half-back Matthew Broadbent’s start to his AFL season is on delay after another round of surgery on his sore ankle this week. Picture: Sarah Reed.

PORT Adelaide defender Matthew Broadbent has resorted to the surgeon’s knife for the second time in five months to ease an ankle injury that threatens his AFL season.

The Power on Tuesday night declared the surgery to overcome the long-running ankle problem was successful. But there is still no definitive return date to training or playing for Broadbent.

Broadbent’s inability to get any relief from the ligament injury during the pre-season prompted Port Adelaide’s medical team to seek an answer in the operating theatre rather than with more rest of the ankle.

“After still experiencing some discomfort from an injury sustained (last season), we decided surgery was the best option for Matt,” said Power high performance chief Ian McKeown in a club statement on Tuesday night.

“The surgeon is very happy with how it went and we look forward to getting Matt back on the track as soon as possible.”

Broadbent played 15 AFL games last season, but just four in the second half of the home-and-away series. His last AFL match was on July 29 against St Kilda. He did play out the season in SANFL ranks, but with obvious limitations created by stop-start training as Broadbent dealt with what was first referred to as bone bruising around the irritated ankle.

The 27-year-old half-back had surgery in October when the complaint was diagnosed as an ankle syndesmosis strain.

Port Adelaide is unlikely to have use of Broadbent’s valued rebound - and experience chalked up in 161 AFL games - for at least the first month of the AFL premiership season that starts for the Power at Adelaide Oval on March 24 against Fremantle.