Giants star Lachie Whitfield ruled out of 2019 preliminary final

The GWS Giants have suffered a “huge blow” after star midfielder Lachie Whitfield was taken to hospital for emergency surgery.

Lachie Whitfield is out.

Greater Western Sydney have been dealt another massive blow before Saturday’s AFL preliminary final against Collingwood, with star Lachie Whitfield ruled out after being hospitalised with appendicitis.

Giants coach Leon Cameron confirmed on Wednesday that the 25-year-old midfield ace would be sidelined for at least one week.

But Cameron was hopeful that Whitfield — who had emergency surgery to have his appendix out on Wednesday morning — would be able to return for the grand final if the Giants were to beat the Magpies.

It’s the second major setback for GWS in less than 24 hours, coming after Toby Greene was controversially suspended for one match for making unreasonable contact to Brisbane onballer Lachie Neale’s eye region.

The Giants have challenged Greene’s ban with the appeal to be heard on Thursday. Cameron told reporters that Whitfield was hospitalised on Tuesday after complaining of stomach pain.

“We’re confident it will just be one week,” Cameron told reporters. “He obviously can’t play this weekend but we’ll be doing everything in our power to win this weekend and give him the opportunity to return if we progress. “It is what it is; these things happen.

“His health is more important than any game of footy.

Lachie Whitfield would return if the Giants make the grand final.

“You can’t replace Lachie Whitfield and Toby Greene but it does provide opportunities to guys who are itching to get out there and play their role.

“This group is very adaptable and we’ve learned to deal with lots of setbacks over the years.”

The huge blow for the Giants swings the preliminary final heavily towards the Pies.

It had already swung towards Collingwood after Tuesday night’s shock tribunal verdict to suspend Greene came despite favourable testimony from Neale,

The Lions star said he couldn’t recall feeling any contact to his eyes. Greene’s enormous importance to the Giants was emphasised during the semi-final victory at the Gabba, where he gathered 30 disposals and booted two goals.

The firebrand Giant had been at risk of missing that game but escaped with a $7500 fine for misconduct against Western Bulldogs star Marcus Bontempelli — a charge that also centred on Greene making contact with an opponent’s face.

The Giants wasted little time deciding to appeal the Neale infraction but the odds are stacked against them given only two out of 16 players have successfully challenged tribunal verdicts, the last being Melbourne midfielder Jack Viney in 2014.

More recent appeals have come from the AFL rather than clubs. Richmond’s Bachar Houli notably had a two-week striking ban doubled by the appeals board in 2017 after the AFL mounted an unprecedented challenge against his initial sanction.

The AFL also went to the appeals board last season to seek harsher penalties against Carlton brothers Charlie and Ed Curnow for making contact with umpires. Ed Curnow’s charge was upgraded from careless to intentional contact and his penalty changed from a fine to a suspension.

Originally published as Giants star Lachie Whitfield ruled out of 2019 preliminary final