AFL Finals injuries: Dogs, Pies, Cats sweat on stars Naughton, De Goey, Duncan
Jordan De Goey has jetted to Germany to see the hamstring guru who healed Jamie Elliot and Darcy Moore in a last-ditch bid to return for the Grand Final. Plus the latest on Cats injuries and Aaron Naughton’s knee.
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Jordan De Goey believes he can make a stunning return for the Grand Final after jetting off to Germany on Sunday night for treatment with the hamstring doctor who helped Darcy Moore and Jamie Elliott.
The Herald Sun understands De Goey lasted just 48 seconds into Friday night’s qualifying final as he felt his injured leg in his first tackle of the night.
He told teammates after the game he was aware of his hamstring after dragging down Geelong’s Tom Atkins in the first minute of the clash.
De Goey will visit Bayern Munich’s veteran head doctor Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, who helped Elliott and Moore this off-season.
The pair have recommended the star doctor, who not only diagnoses the specific problem with hamstrings but also hands patients training programs to fast-track their returns.
Elliott and Moore have told him that the doctor’s methods are transformational, and while they have both had issues since their consultations they played star roles in the qualifying final.
De Goey played on after his first-minute awareness but had only two possessions, a tentative kick off the ground and a checkside kick to the top of the Collingwood goalsquare.
His initial injury in Round 19 was to the hamstring near the tendon, which saw him rested for six weeks as he eased back aware the Pies had already booked a finals spot.
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Moore had hesitations about playing after pulling up sore in Round 23, but the Herald Sun understands he was told to “red-line” during training sessions to show he had no issues.
By going at 100 per cent at training sessions he was able to convince himself that his concerns over his hamstring were mental rather than structural, with Moore taking six contested marks in a brilliant performance against Geelong.
There is no timeline for de Goey’s return to the club, with the Pies hopeful he can get a program together that might allow him to at least push for a Grand Final if Collingwood wins a preliminary final.
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Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wolhfahrt has been able to help some star European soccer players return from hamstring injuries playing three games a week to return with a week.
In Australia the customary return from hamstring strains and tears are three weeks.
Teammate Taylor Adams told Channel 7 yesterday the club felt for both De Goey and Levi Greenwood, who went down with an ACL tear after an innocuous incident in a marking contest.
Greenwood has shown the kind of versatility that allows him to play as a small defender or tagger, restricting Elliott Yeo to 11 possessions at half time in the Grand Final.
“It hurt after the game,” Adams said.
“We have all been through games of footy where you lose teammates and you don’t expect to come out of a game unscathed but to see Jordy go down early and reinjured his hamstring is devastating for him and Levi’s injury. He is the heart and soul of our footy club.
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“He is a guy who you can’t replace with the way he plays on the footy field and the aura he brings.
“it will be really tough for us to deal with but he will help us make sure we get to where we want to get through.”
The Pies could recall Matt Scharenberg for Greenwood and Travis Varcoe for De Goey, with James Aish also available after shoulder surgery.
He played well in the Friday night scratch match against Geelong’s players.
Adams said Dayne Beams, who was in hospital this week after issues with pain medication, was making solid progress.
“From what we have heard from the footy club, he’s doing well. He is back at home and dealing with a lot of stuff outside of footy.
“He has great support around him, he has a beautiful young family he would do anything for.
“He has external help as well so we just wish he can get himself back to a position where he can play footy but most of all be a happy man.”
BULLDOG CLEARED OF ACL INJURY
Bulldogs emerging star Aaron Naughton has avoided damage to his anterior cruciate ligament after scans confirmed he has suffered some damage to his lateral ligament in his left knee.
The young forward sent a scare through the Bulldogs camp yesterday when he landed awkwardly on his left leg in a marking contest in his side’s devastating loss to the Giants and was helped from the ground.
Scans today allayed fears that the 19-year-old would miss a chunk of the 2019 season, with the club’s website confirming Naughton suffered damage to his lateral ligament.
“Naughton will consult with a specialist in the coming days to help determine his best course of management and rehabilitation plan,” said the club’s website.
WILL HURT CATS PLAY IN PRELIM?
The Cats were also left counting the cost with midfield star Mitch Duncan (knee) in severe doubt for Friday night’s cut-throat semi-final against reigning premier West Coast.
Duncan limped from the MCG in the second quarter and sat out the rest of the blockbuster with ice on his medial ligament injury.
Dr Rohan White told Triple M that a limping Duncan faced a month on the sidelines with a “moderate grade” medial strain.
Goalkicker Gary Rohan also finished the game nursing a sore knee on a night where a jumper clash frustrated the crowd of 93,436.
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Cats coach Chris Scott admitted pre-game he erred in dropping ruck Rhys Stanley for Sam Menegola with the late change pulled in anticipation of a wet night.
The switch forced fullback Mark Blicavs into the ruck against dual All-Australian Brodie Grundy. Menegola (16 disposals) was rarely sighted.
“We just mucked up the weather again,” Scott said pre-game.
“We thought it was a better balanced team in the slippery conditions forecast. It hasn’t turned out that way. We’re still taller than Collingwood so we don’t think it will be critical to the game.”
Scott’s finals record slumped to 3-10 since the 2011 flag.
Brownlow Medallist Patrick Dangerfield said the Cats “can’t afford to start like that next week” after the Pies jumped to a 20-0 lead.
Originally published as AFL Finals injuries: Dogs, Pies, Cats sweat on stars Naughton, De Goey, Duncan