University Blues grand final hero Thomas Mackenzie to miss 2015 VAFA season after suffering serious knee injury in practice match

UNIVERSITY Blues’ grand final hero Thomas Mackenzie will miss the entire 2015 Victorian Amateur Football Association season after sustaining a serious knee injury in a practice match.

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UNIVERSITY Blues’ grand final hero Thomas Mackenzie will miss the entire 2015 Victorian Amateur Football Association season after sustaining a serious knee injury in a practice match.

Mackenzie was injured during the club’s recent round robin of fixtures against Kangaroo Flat and Melton South and is expected to have surgery this week to repair his anterior cruciate ligament.

Uni Blues coach Quinton Gleeson said the injury was a cruel blow for the forward, who was set to be the club’s focal point in attack.

“He was the one who kicked six in the granny last year in his first year back in footy,” Gleeson said.

“The worst thing for him and for us was that he’d had an unbelievable pre-season where he’d put on two or three kilos and was working with our fitness guy.

“That put us on the back foot a bit.”

Gleeson said the incident in which Mackenzie was injured was fairly innocuous.

“It’s always the way. We were trying to protect him a bit playing him at centre half back and getting him running at the ball,” he said.

“He beat his opponent to the ball, the bloke jumped on his back and his knee locked out.”

Mackenzie kicked six goals as Uni Blues romped to a 75-point victory over Old Carey in last year’s Premier B decider.

“It will change the dynamic somewhat, we’re not overly blessed with talls,” Gleeson said.

“We’ll play a bit more of a running game I’d suggest.

“We’ve got an abundance of players through the midfield that will that will probably rotate forward.”

Former Gold Coast player Piers Flanagan and Richmond VFL captain Ross Young headline Uni Blues’ signings as it prepares to return to Premier Division.

George Cameron, Shaw Kitchen and Eastlake pair Sam Smith and Xavier McMahon have also joined the club for 2015.

Ryan Eade and Angus Nice will remain in the club’s planning despite travelling overseas, while Josh Caldow has not been ruled out as he tries to juggle football and work commitments in Queensland.

Uni Blues faces De La Salle away from home in the opening round of 2015 on Saturday, April 11.