AFL 2023: Collingwood star Nick Daicos says he’s hopeful of playing again in 2023

Nick Daicos has thrown doubt over his season, giving a grim assessment of his knee injury and recovery period. Here’s the latest.

Nick Daicos has revealed he was suffering from bone bruising before his fractured knee was “smashed to smithereens”.

The cruel blow has spelled the end of the wunderkind Magpie’s home-and-away season and his hot Brownlow hopes, with the 20-year-old hopeful of returning in Collingwood’s September campaign.

The star midfielder was crunched in a marking contest in the team’s shock loss to Hawthorn on Saturday and revealed that he had feared an issue earlier in the match.

“In the first quarter, I felt something in my knee a little bit when I went on the ground and it was pretty sore and then in the third quarter on the impact of the Hawthorn player I straight away knew that something wasn’t right and tried to run it out a little bit,” Daicos said.

“I was hoping it was just a corky but obviously it was something worse.

“I knew pretty much straight away. I’d usually have a shot at goal from 40m out but passed it off.”

Nick Daicos on crutches on Monday. Picture: Michael Klein.

The Collingwood star told reporters he’s hopeful of a return this season. Picture: Michael Klein

Daicos, 20, said he had gone into the game with some soreness which he believed stemmed from sustained in Round 18 against Port Adelaide — which he thinks was bone bruising.

“I was a little bit sore then. In the first quarter I got on my knees to get a ground ball and sort of felt it, and then in the third quarter I think I sort of smashed it to smithereens,” he said.

The Magpie said he had received a call from the club’s doctor late on Saturday evening to reveal the result of scans that indicated a hairline fracture to his right knee.

On crutches at the club on Monday, Daicos was set to meet with club medical staff to plot his rehabilitation and eventual return, though he conceded that the initial six-week timeline — which would see him miss at least Collingwood’s first final and maybe two — remained uncertain.

Daicos was crunched during loss to Hawthorn on Saturday. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Having never sustained such an injury before, he said he expected the process to begin with regular ice baths to reduce inflammation.

“Bone healing is different for everyone, so there’s no certainty around when I’ll return,” he said.

“We’re going to do our best to get the swelling down as soon as we can and get moving again, as to a return date … it’s going to be something we’re going to have to play by ear.

“I’ll be doing everything I can to return as soon as possible.”

One thing Daicos is sure of is that he will return to the game a better player.

“Absolutely. I think I’ll take a lot of learnings from this and I hope that I come back fitter and stronger in the finals and I’m just really excited to watch my teammates now hopefully go to work and win a few games,” he said.