Dangerfield, Horne-Francis part of extraordinary injury toll in Cats’ big win over Port

Hamstrings were pinging all over Adelaide Oval in an extraordinary injury count during Geelong’s dominant win over Port.

Two of the AFL’s biggest names were ruled out by quarter-time in an afternoon of absolute carnage at Adelaide Oval in Geelong’s 76-point thrashing of Port Adelaide.

Port Adelaide’s Jason Horne-Francis and Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield both succumbed to hamstring injuries well before the quarter-time siren in a match the Cats would win 17.13 (115) to 5.9 (39).

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Those knocks came after the Power’s Josh Sinn (hip) was ruled out earlier in the term, with Geelong’s Jack Bowes and Port Adelaide’s Lachie Jones (both hamstring) also sustaining injuries in an extraordinary first half.

The biggest name causing havoc on the two benches was veteran Dangerfield, who leads Geelong with 17 goals from his 10 matches to date and had emerged as a smokey Brownlow Medal chance.

Patrick Dangerfield on the bench after being ruled out of the game. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Among all the injuries, the Fox Footy team initially thought Dangerfield had injured a quad as his leg was heavily strapped by a trainer.

“Just with Geelong down here, you can see Patty Dangerfield right quaddie getting strapped,” Ben Dixon said.

“We’ve got two hamstrings and it looks like a quaddie too in the first quarter.

“He hasn’t really iced it yet but obviously has been ruled out of this game.

“It is a hamstring so three hamstrings in a quarter-and-a-bit of football. Extraordinary scenes down here.

“We know Geelong (already) activated their sub, we’re looking at three on the interchange for both teams.”

Jason Horne-Francis (third from right) also picked up a hamstring injury. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Dwayne Russell commented: “Huge though to have Dangerfield out of this game and how long will that injury keep him out?

“That’s enormous. He’s their No. 1 goalkicker this season in game 347 for him. He was due to play his 350th in a few weeks and that might be on hold now.

“They need him big time and he’s an exhilarating player as well, he’s such a burst player.

“It has been carnage here this afternoon.”

Barely two minutes of play later, Jeremy Cameron smashed into Zak Butters and appeared to hurt his knee.

But the big key forward was able to run out the game.

Jeremy Cameron dominated for the Cats. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“That’s going to be the story of the game, the injuries to key players from both teams so far,” Shaun Burgoyne added on Fox Footy.

Speaking at the halftime break, Dixon quipped: “It’s probably ‘oh my hamstring’ in that first half. We had four.

“An unprecedented first half for injuries.”

Geelong only led by three points at the first break and pushed that to nine at the long break, before the flood gates opened in the third quarter.

The dominant Cats kicked five goals in the third term and another seven in the fourth to turn a close game into a bloodbath.

Cameron finished with seven goals and had fun at Dangerfield’s expense after the game.

“I didn’t know he went down, but as soon as he did it and I saw him next, he asked me to kick six,” Cameron said on Fox Footy.

“So apologies, I didn’t quite get that done for him.

“He’s due, he has one hamstring a year, he’ll be right and there were quite a few (injuries).”

Originally published as Dangerfield, Horne-Francis part of extraordinary injury toll in Cats’ big win over Port