GDFL: Bell Post Hill injury list increases with recruit’s broken leg

Bell Post Hill is in the midst of an injury crisis but coach Justin Tarr says the club’s improved depth was keeping the Panthers competitive in the early part of the season.

Football GDFL: Bell Post Hill v Geelong West. Bell Post Hill coach Justin Tarr Picture: Mark Wilson

Bell Post Hill is in the midst of an injury crisis but coach Justin Tarr says the club’s improved depth was keeping the Panthers competitive in the early part of the season.

The Panthers sit 3-1 after four rounds and will come up against Bannockburn in an important game in the GDFL, with the Tigers also on 12 points after four weeks.

Tarr said the club was suffering from “seven to eight injuries each week”.

“We’re not playing our best football at the moment, three wins we’ll take it though, part of it is not having much consistency with our team picked each week,” he said.

Football GDFL: East Geelong v Bell Post Hill.Bell Post Hill 15 Nick Costello kicks a goal and celebrates Picture: Mark Wilson

“With seven or eight injuries each week our depth has been tested, but luckily for us we improved our depth over the off-season and the guys coming in have been good so far.

“Jordy (Jordan Schrader-Sabell) is one of our best on-ballers, he’s been out since round one with a syndesmosis injury, he’s another three or four weeks away.

“Matt James played his first game of the year, he played a half in the twos on the weekend and is still building up his fitness.

“We’ve got a few on the sidelines, but we’ve got some good depth, so hopefully we can start getting some back.”

The injury issues were compounded in the round 4 win over North Geelong when new recruit Harry McIntyre breaking his tibia, requiring midweek surgery and ruling him out for the rest of the season.

Tarr said the Panthers would have some relief with Nick Costello and Will Ford to return.

GDFL football : Bell Post Hill hosting Belmont Lions at Myers Reserve.Bell Post Hill 17 Will Ford kicks a goalPicture: Mark Wilson

“It was pretty bad, it was lower in his leg and it was bending around a bit,” he said.

“He had some surgery a couple of days ago to get some screws and plates back in, but his year is over which is disappointing, he had played every game so far this season in the seniors.

“It wasn’t bad in the sense that bone was poking through the skin, it wasn’t graphic but it was a pretty badly broken leg.

“His season is over, he’s only a young fella, 23 years old, so I’m sure he’ll come back from it but we’ll wrap our arms around him and help him out.

“Nick missed last week for the birth of his son, so he’ll come back in, and Will Ford didn’t play last week so he’ll come back in as well, they’re a couple of good ins for an important game against Bannockburn.

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Originally published as GDFL: Bell Post Hill injury list increases with recruit’s broken leg