Top SA draft prospect Darcy Fogarty’s season over after knee surgery
TOP SA draft prospect Darcy Fogarty’s season has ended early after knee surgery, casting doubt over his No. 1 draft hopes.
DARCY Fogarty struggles to hide his disappointment.
“It’s fair to say this season didn’t go to plan,’’ he said after last week having season-ending knee surgery.
“It has been a pretty disappointing year because I started with a lot of hopes and expectations and people talking about my draft possibilities. But I never really got going and now I’m in rehab.’’
The powerfully-built Glenelg teenager started the year as one of the leading contenders to be the No. 1 pick at this year’s AFL national draft and the first Croweater selected first since Tigers product Bryce Gibbs joined Carlton in 2006.
But he started experiencing knee soreness late in the pre-season and while he battled through the first half of the year and forced his way into Glenelg’s league team for four games, he failed to fire at the AFL under-18 championships.
Fogarty averaged just 11.5 disposals.
Then his season was ended prematurely when the pain in his right knee worsened and he was sent in for surgery to repair a small meniscus tear.
Fogarty, a 192cm, 92kg key forward-turned midfielder built in the mould of Carlton’s Patrick Cripps, refuses to blame his form struggles on the injury.
“I wasn’t as free in my movement as I would have liked to have been but I don’t want to make excuses, so I’ve got to live with that,’’ he said.
“The bottom line is I didn’t influence games as much as I should have.’’
But Fogarty, who grew 4cm and added 4kg of muscle in the off-season, admits it stopped him from ever feeling comfortable in his draft year.
And he questions how much it will affect his draft standing.
“It’s hard to know,’’ said the 17-year-old Year 12 Rostrevor College student, a graduate of the AFL Academy.
“It will probably cost me a few spots but that doesn’t bother me too much. I don’t really look at the draft order anymore and who’s projected to go how high.
“I just want to find an AFL home somewhere.’’
Fogarty’s below-par season and early end to his year makes him a difficult draft prospect to now assess, although astute judges expect him to still go in the top 10.
The surgery to his knee is not expected to affect him long term and he hopes to be fit to attend the National AFL Draft Combine at Etihad Stadium in October.
Glenelg coach Matt Lokan says the Lucindale product — part of the Tigers’ rich southeast recruiting zone — is a future star.
“He's big and strong and hits the contest flat-out,’’ Lokan said.
“I’ve got a lot of time for Darcy and the way he plays and he will play a lot of good AFL footy in the future.’’