Adam Treloar requires hamstring surgery, season could be over

COLLINGWOOD has confirmed Adam Treloar will need surgery to his left hamstring but sports medico Peter Larkins says the club’s recovery assessment was extremely optimistic.

Adam Treloar writhed in pain after suffering a hamstring injury during the Pies’ clash with the Blues. Picture: AAP

ADAM Treloar’s best chance of a return this year might be in Collingwood’s first final as Jordan De Goey shapes as a Pies midfield saviour.

Collingwood’s has confirmed the Herald Sun’s report that Treloar would need left hamstring surgery after also suffering a grade two right hamstring strain.

Respected sports medico Peter Larkins said the club’s assessment of an 8-10 week recovery was extremely optimistic.

He says Treloar’s season could be over, with the first round of finals 11 weeks on from Collingwood’s win over Carlton.

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Larkins said Nick Riewoldt, Josh Gibson and Daniel Kerr all recovered from hamstring surgery around the 11-week mark.

It would mean the Pies would have to play Treloar off no match practice in a high-stakes final.

Treloar was in exceptional touch for the in-form Pies, averaging the fourth-most disposals of any midfielder (31) and seventh-most inside 50s (five per game).

His eight score involvements per game puts him fifth behind only AFL stars Dustin Martin, Nathan Fyfe, Josh Kelly and Gary Ablett.

But the Pies could throw De Goey into the midfield after playing 68 per cent forward this year given his explosive potential as an onballer.

Adam Treloar writhed in pain after suffering a hamstring injury during the Pies’ clash with the Blues. Picture: AAP

His midfield work is so pure he ranks fifth in the entire competition for clearance-to-score ratio, behind the likes of Shane Edwards and Jy Simpkin.

Ben Crocker kicked five goals in the VFL so could take his spot in the forward line against Gold Coast, with Travis Varcoe (hamstring) to come back through the VFL.

Larkins told the Herald Sun that he had never seen an AFL player damage both hamstrings in the one incident.

“Eight to 10 weeks is the short end. Most clubs are optimistic in their recovery times. Nick Riewoldt was 11 weeks, Josh Gibson was around 11 weeks, Daniel Kerr was 11-12 weeks, so 10-12 weeks recovery is more common,” Larkins said.

“You have to give it 6-8 weeks and then you load it progressively so even if he is training in 8-10 weeks he won’t be playing in 8-10 weeks.

“I have only ever seen the double rip in a women trying to learn how to water ski who flipped forward, but in footy terms, no.”

Pies football boss Geoff Walsh described the double injury as a “freakish occurrence”.

“It is certainly highly unusual, to injure both hamstrings at once. No one can recall it happening before in football,” he said.

Walsh said as Treloar tried to sprint past Carlton’s Lochie O’Brien on Sunday, he stumbled, “left leg locked and before he tumbled to the ground his left leg stretched beyond its limit. It seems that he strained his right leg on the way down as he tried to compensate for the force pushing his through his left.”

Treloar had scans on Monday but said immediately afterwards he still wasn’t sure about the damage.

“I got a scan just before on the hammies and (will) get a couple more opinions from a few people,” Treloar said on Monday.

“It just felt like a cramp, that’s why we’re trying to suss out what’s going on. I’ve never done a soft tissue or anything so I don’t really know what’s happened.”

“I’ll find out in the next 24 hours, I guess.”

The gun midfielder’s absence would be a huge blow to the Pies’ premiership hopes. Picture: AAP

Walsh said Ben Reid’s return from calf issues had been delayed by knee soreness.

It means he is still several weeks away, with Moore and Elliott not too far away from VFL returns after six weeks out with recurrent hamstring issues.

Brayden Sier, 20, is averaging 24 possessions in the VFL as a big-bodied 191cm midfielder, while Rupert Wills, 25, is averaging 25 possessions.

“It’s bilateral hamstring damage, which is quite unusual. Many of our staff have been around footy for a while and have never seen one like this,” Walsh said.

Meanwhile, De Goey’s manager Ben Niall will soon continue talks with Collingwood’s list manager Ned Guy.

Niall had identified Round 15 as when he would recommence talks with the Pies, but those discussions have been ramping up for several weeks.

Niall confirmed the parties were talking but said he didn’t want to conduct them through the media.

“There are a lot of balls in the air so we will keep that conversation going and see where we end up with it. I don’t want to negotiate in the media,’’ he said.

“We are having cordial conversations as we planned.”

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Originally published as Adam Treloar requires hamstring surgery, season could be over