Collingwood defender Lynden Dunn suffers ACL injury

Lynden Dunn was handing out high fives at halftime against Richmond with his upbeat demeanour leaving teammates clueless the luckless defender had once again ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.

Dunn had a strong preseason and was making his return to footy when disaster struck. Picture: David Crosling

Lynden Dunn was handing out high fives at halftime of Collingwood’s crushing win against Richmond with his upbeat demeanour leaving teammates clueless the luckless defender had once again ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.

Dunn’s return after nine months of rehabilitation in Thursday’s VFL curtain-raiser at Punt Rd ended in heartbreak when his left knee buckled just as it did in Round 15 last year.

Magpie medicos immediately feared the worst and while the news was kept from the AFL players until after their 44-point win against the Tigers, coach Nathan Buckley said it did filter to some before they ran out.

CRACK?: HOW BAD IS JACK’S INJURY?

RE-CAP: HOW THE PIES SMACKED THE TIGERS

ROUND 2 TEAMS: SCULLY IN FOR HAWKS

Scans today confirmed the tear.

Skipper Scott Pendlebury was shocked to learn the 31-year-old’s likely diagnosis as it spread through the locker room minutes after they had sung the club song.

“Yeah, I’ve heard, I’ve heard. We literally only just found out and it’s shattering,” Pendlebury told the Herald Sun.

“I actually can’t fathom that, because at halftime when I walked back out he was out there giving me high fives. You wouldn’t have known at all that that he hurt himself.

“That’s just the character of the bloke. You’re shattered for him because he doesn’t deserve it.

“It’s unbelievable that he doesn’t show a thing to the boys and he’s there for us as a team.”

Dunn had a strong preseason and was making his return to footy when disaster struck. Picture: David Crosling

Dunn’s future is now in jeopardy with the out-of-contract veteran almost certain to miss the rest of 2019.

The popular clubman – who has not played a single final from 196 games – is in Pendlebury’s five-man leadership group while Buckley predicted on Tuesday he could return to the AFL team within a month.

“We’ve just got to wrap our arms around him. We know Dunny’s not the sort of guy that will sook and mope, he’ll just get on with it,” Pendlebury said.

Bucks gets around Dunn who injured his knee in the VFL earlier today. 🙏#AFLTigersPies pic.twitter.com/TAKgU1ksWa

— 7AFL (@7AFL) March 28, 2019

“Now it’s our job as all his teammates to be like him and wrap our arms around him and support him.”

Pendlebury tweeted before Dunn’s match: “Welcome back Dunny today. Hardwork (and) dedication pays off”.

Dunn was added to the Collingwood leadership group this season. Picture: Michael Klein

Meanwhile, Buckley welcomed the Pies’ improved performance after a scratchy Round 1 loss to Geelong, and said the “sky was the limit” for five-goal hero Jordan De Goey.

De Goey starred bagged five goals from 15 possessions and six marks, including a second-quarter screamer.

The matchwinner has was in hot water with the club for indiscretions in 2017 and 2018, but Buckley said he could be anything if he remained committed to his footy.

Jordan De Goey soared for the Magpies in the win over Richmond. Picture: AFL Photos

De Goey rips down a spectacular mark over Tiger Oleg Markov. Picture: AFL Photos

“Everyone expects him to become a midfielder at some point, but he’s just so powerful and is a very ballistic player,” Buckley said.

“He wins the ball in the air and the on the ground and knows where the goals are.

“So to have him at the pointy end in front of the ball is actually serving us really well at the moment.

“He’s good already, but he will be as good as he wants to be, really.

“It depends on how committed he stays to his footy, because the sky is the limit and that’s because of the work he does.”