Macedon concedes injury list a ‘real worry’ heading towards RDFL finals

MACEDON has conceded its injury list is a “real worry” as the pre-season premiership fancy limps toward the pointy end of the season in the Riddell District Football League.

RDFL footy: Macedon V Romsey. Phil Lobb from Romsey struggles to pick up a wet ball. Picture: Adam Elwood

MACEDON has conceded its injury list is a “real worry” as the pre-season premiership fancy limps toward the pointy end of the season in the Riddell District Football League.

Crutches and bandages have been an all- too familiar sight at Tony Clarke Oval over recent weeks, with more than a dozen players currently sidelined due to injuries.

Just a month from finals, the predicament is made worse by the fact many of those injured players are not expected to return to the field this year.

Full-forward Marcus Kenny (knee) and centre-half forward Jack Kernan (quad) headline the list of unavailabilities.

Kernan kicked six goals in the opening four rounds but has not played since, while star recruit Kenny booted 42 goals from 10 matches but has missed the past two weeks.

“He’s struggling at the moment­ and possibly we won’t get him back,” Macedon president Terry Kernan said of Kenny.

“He’s got a knee. He’s played on it but he’s hurt the other one so he’s struggling.”

Kernan said the situation meant the fifth-placed Cats faced a battle to make finals after starting the season with a 6-1 record.

“We’ve got a lot of long-term injuries,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get one or two back in the next couple of weeks, but it decimates you.

“It happens to everyone. I’m sure everyone would be saying this, but we’re a much better side if we had those players in.

“If we can pull it together, on our day we can match it with these top sides. I know Romsey thought that up until they played Riddell we were the best side they’d played and we could have got across the line.

“We haven’t been beaten by a lot but we just haven’t been able to get everyone on the paddock.”

Jason Cooke (five goals) was named Macedon’s best in a 18.9 (117) to 8.6 (54) win over Kilmore on Saturday. Todd Grbac and Darren­ Goodwin also impressed­.

Elsewhere, Riddell edged out Broadford by 14 points, Romsey thumped Rockbank by 99 points, Woodend-Hesket registered back-to-back wins with a 15-point triumph over Melton Centrals and Diggers Rest hammered Wallan by 131 points.