Fremantle spearhead Jesse Hogan on track to play Round 1 after navicular stress fracture
Fremantle hopes its massive investment in former Melbourne spearhead Jesse Hogan is about to pay off in 2020, with the power forward finally resuming running after a debut Dockers season cruelled by injury.
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Fremantle spearhead Jesse Hogan is on track for a Round 1 return after making excellent progress from his latest foot problem.
In a massive relief for new coach Justin Longmuir, Hogan has already resumed running on the anti-gravity treadmill less than three months after having surgery on his right foot.
There were fears Hogan’s second navicular injury — suffered in his first game against his former Melbourne teammates in July this year — could jeopardise his career.
But Fremantle has been delighted with his recovery from the stress fracture, with Hogan set to ramp up his training loads in the lead-up to Christmas.
Hogan, 24, is crucial to the club’s aspirations of climbing up the ladder next season even though the Dockers appear set to once again hit the draft with the top-end picks they snare for gun wingmen Brad Hill and Ed Langdon.
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Without any setbacks, Hogan is on track to play in Round 1 when Longmire helps usher in a new era for Fremantle after taking the reins from Ross Lyon.
The positive signs are a huge boost for the Dockers given their considerable investment in the prized spearhead in last year’s trade period.
The Dockers handed over pick No. 6 and No. 23 to secure the former Melbourne forward on the back of his first season-ending navicular injury in late 2018.
The swap allowed Melbourne to poach former Gold Coast Suns’ captain Steven May who also struck major injury trouble and was limited to just eight games in his first season in red and blue.
Hogan, from Western Australia, looked distraught on the bench after re-injuring his foot in his first clash against the Demons in Round 14.
The 195cm forward snagged 13 goals from 12 games before he went down at the MCG but was coming off a limited pre-season in his first year in the west.
