Geelong Cats 2020: Hip surgery holds up Mitch Duncan
Geelong is confident star midfielder Mitch Duncan will be ready for Round 1 despite undergoing hip surgery – his third injury battle since September.
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GEELONG is confident star midfielder Mitch Duncan will be ready for Round 1 despite undergoing hip surgery – his third injury battle since September.
The smooth-moving 28-year-old is recovering from arthroscopic surgery after experiencing discomfort at pre-season training.
It is the latest injury hurdle for Duncan, who injured a medial ligament in his knee in the qualifying final loss to Collingwood before having post-season shoulder surgery.
The Cats hope Duncan, who recently re-signed until the end of 2024, will be back running next month, confident his base fitness over a 203-game career will still allow him to target Round 1 with confidence.
“A couple of weeks ago he pulled up sore post a training session, and so we basically had him looked at,” Geelong football manager Simon Lloyd said.
“It was a minor procedure, but that will set him back a little bit.
“But we still feel that he’s got a lot of time to get himself right for Round 1.
“He has had a bit going on, but Mitch is in a great frame of mind, and he’s looked at how much time he needs.
“Both Mitch Duncan and Joel Selwood have got great bases behind them over many pre-seasons, so watch this space for Mitch, but we’re comfortable at the moment.”
While Duncan faces a delayed start to the new year, Geelong is bullish about Selwood, who is nearing a return to full training after surgery to repair a hamstring tendon.
“We had a medical meeting (Wednesday) and the medical team said they’re practically holding Joel back at the minute,” Lloyd said.
“He’s very close to running. He will part-train in January and I would say full-train early February, so he’s tracking along really well.
“Speaking to Joel (Wednesday) morning, he had a big conditioning session and he said, ‘I’m gassed’.
“He’s working hard, so he’s doing a lot of cardiovascular work and he’s tracking well. We’ve got no issues.”
Geelong will wait until Selwood returns to full training before deciding whether he will play any pre-season matches in the Marsh Community Series.
Defender Jake Kolodjashnij remains grounded by groin soreness, with the Cats yet to fully get on top of the issue that has delayed his summer.
“Jake has been sore and he’s started doing some straight-line running and it’s been a little bit slow and a little bit frustrating for us at times,” Lloyd said.
“But you’ve got to be mindful we’ve got time – we’ve got a lot of time.
“Again, he will resume, he will start part-training in January and our medical team will work closely on Jake. He’s had a groin issue and they should get him right, come January-February.”
Originally published as Geelong Cats 2020: Hip surgery holds up Mitch Duncan
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