Geelong rules out Joel Selwood until finals with ankle injury

GEELONG worst fears have been confirmed with skipper Joel Selwood needing surgery on his injured ankle that will have him racing the clock to be fit in time for finals.

GEELONG’S premiership aspirations have been rocked by ankle surgery to Joel Selwood that could see him miss the entire finals series.

Cats premiership player Cameron Mooney said he doubted if the Cats could win the premiership without their inspirational captain.

Selwood will have surgery on the high ankle sprain this week and the Cats say he will be back in four weeks for the first final.

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But his syndesmosis injury to the left ankle is a notoriously slow-healing injury that affects stability and is prone to recurrence if rushed.

Western Bulldog Tom Liberatore was seen to have performed a medical miracle to return for the Dogs first final after a Round 19 injury that took six weeks’ recovery.

But Marc Murphy didn’t return after the Round 10 injury last year and Ryan Griffen’s Round 3 syndesmosis flared again and still has him four weeks away.

An awkward Buddy Franklin tackle was the second time Joel Selwood hurt his ankle on Friday night. Photo: Getty Images

On Sunday the Cats were leapfrogged on the ladder by next week’s opponent Richmond, with match review panel issues for Tom Hawkins and Mitch Duncan.

Mooney told the Herald Sun the only chance of the Cats reprising 2011’s premiership was a core of mid-tier players playing out of their skins.

Asked if they could win the flag without Selwood, he said: “You take your best player out of any team and you are going to struggle.”

“There is a lot of talk about Selwood and (Patrick) Dangerfield but they are the same as Sydney without Buddy (Lance Franklin) or (Josh) Kennedy.

“You will be worse off. Are they a top-two or top-four side when those players aren’t in the side? I have my doubts.

“There are not enough guys stepping up to the plate. It is time for a lot of players to step up. If they can’t its going to be another finals series of bang, bang and out.

Joel Selwood is helped from the ground after hurting his ankle for the first time.

“It is a stat right now a lot of Geelong people would be very well aware of.”

Players with the injury cannot simply play through the pain given until it heals they struggle to push off with any power.

Geelong is now at the centre of an injury crisis, with first-choice players Selwood, Nakia Cockatoo, Mark Blicavs, Darcy Lang, Corey Gregson, Daniel Motlop and Lincoln McCarthy unavailable.

The Cats have lost six of their finals since the 2011 premiership, saved by Isaac Smith’s off-target shot in last year’s qualifying final.

The club hopes Daniel Menzel (knee) and Steven Motlop (groin) will be back against Richmond but Mooney says their injuries are biting hard.

“They are missing Nakia, McCarthy and Gregson. Those three boys are tough and put enormous pressure on in the forward line and they miss them badly.

“When you throw Selwood in or Dangerfield this week, they just don’t have the depth so far. It just shows Selwood needed surgery or he would have played on with it.

“He would have seen the year out and then had surgery.”

The Cats said in a statement Selwood would miss the next three games but he is “expected to be able to return for the finals series”.

Originally published as Geelong rules out Joel Selwood until finals with ankle injury