Cats sweat on Jack Henry’s fitness as round 1 countdown looms

A Queensland specialist has not handed down good news to an important key position player, who will go under the knife on a worrying foot injury.

A pensive Jack Henry leaves the field with an injury after facing Hawthorn. Kelly Defina/Getty Images)

Jack Henry will miss the early rounds of Geelong’s season as he recovers from foot surgery.

The premiership defender spent Monday meeting a specialist in Queensland, with the club’s fears that surgery was the best method for his setback confirmed later that afternoon.

The injury is to the same left foot that troubled Henry last year, with the high leaper undergoing surgery on a bone stress issue in pre-season before rolling the foot against Hawthorn early in the season.

Jack Henry was subbed out with a foot injury against Hawthorn in 2022. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

He missed 10 rounds with that injury before returning to play a key role in Geelong’s flag run.

Henry injured the same foot in a marking contest early in Thursday’s match simulation against Hawthorn and gingerly left the field.

Geelong has labelled his injury as “medium term” and he will miss multiple rounds to start the season, including a blockbuster opening against Collingwood on March 17.

Signs not positive for Jack Henry foot injury

Geelong swingman Jack Henry appears unlikely to face Collingwood in round 1, with a foot injury picked up in Thursday’s match simulation against Hawthorn labelled “not that positive”.

The experienced defender started at full-forward against the Hawks as a replacement for veteran Tom Hawkins (foot) but limped off after kicking two goals in two quarters.

Recruit Jack Bowes also played limited time and went down to the rooms multiple times in the opening two quarters of the match but his absence from the remainder of the clash was deemed a precaution.

Jack Henry steps off the field with discomfort. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

Henry battled a foot issue in the early stages of 2022, limiting him to 17 appearances, his lowest tally since going gameless in his first year at Geelong in 2017.

The high-leaper formed a formidable attacking triumvirate with younger brother Ollie and superstar Jeremy Cameron early in Geelong’s thumping of Hawthorn, with the athletic group troubling the Hawks in the air and at ground level.

With less than 20 days to go until Geelong’s round 1 blockbuster against Collingwood, Cats coach Chris Scott said Henry was ruled out of Thursday’s practice match against Brisbane.

“It is still a little uncertain at the moment, I always try not to predict how these things are going to go but it’s clearly complicated enough to be a problem,” Scott told SEN on Monday.

“Just how bad it is, I think we will know a little bit more in the next 48 hours.

“He is clearly not playing in the next couple of weeks.

“I think I have tried to say we shouldn’t read the tea leaves but if you can detect the tone in my voice, I’m not that positive.”

Henry was absent from Geelong’s training session on Monday, as the Cats began preparations for the trip to Queensland to face the Lions.

Hawkins completed a solid running block before most players entered the field and ran without any impediments.

Brett Goodes in action in 2015. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith.

Missing from the squad that played against Hawthorn, each of Mitch Duncan, Gary Rohan and Sam Simpson were on track for Geelong under cloudy skies.

A full contingent of coaches jumped into the session, including Daisy Pearce, while former Western Bulldog defender Brett Goodes was also on field.

Goodes joined Geelong last week as an indigenous player development manager.

The left-footer played 22 games with the Dogs from 2013-15 before stepping into off-field roles with the club.

Originally published as Cats sweat on Jack Henry’s fitness as round 1 countdown looms