Matt De Boer’s fractured shoulder will keep him out of GWS Giants side for two months

The GWS Giants have received some unwelcome news about star tagger Matt De Boer.

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Matt de Boer’s fractured shoulder is a shattering blow for the Giants with one of the competition’s premier taggers looking at two months on the sidelines – the setback coming on the day he was hailed as one of the top two performers in his specialist role.

The 29-year-old was injured in a contest with North Melbourne’s Ben Cunnington in the third quarter of Sunday’s win in Hobart.

He has since been diagnosed with a fractured shoulder but after consultation with a surgeon, he will not require surgery.

Giants star Matt De Boer is out for two months with a broken shoulder. Picture: Getty Images

“This is obviously disappointing for both Matt and the club, particularly after his stellar first half of the year,” Giants General Manager of Football Wayne Campbell said.

“Matt will no doubt attack his rehab with the same dedication and diligence he shows towards all aspects of his football and we look forward to welcoming him back in the second half of the season.”

Coach Leon Cameron and co-captain Phil Davis have both hailed de Boer’s tagging excellence this season – his ‘victims’ including Dustin Martin and Patrick Cripps - and according to the AFL’s official website a glance at Champion Data points to a race between De Boer and West Coast Eagles’ Mark Hutchings as the best tagger in the 2019 competition.

Thankfully for the Giants, there were no other injuries from the senior side’s win over the Kangaroos or the NEAFL team’s victory against Redland in Brisbane.