Gary Rohan stretched off with knee injury, big casualty ward after brutal Sydney-Adelaide second term

UPDATE: BEN McGlynn says a number of players will be lining up to replace injured Swans Jarrad McVeigh and Gary Rohan if neither are available for next week’s preliminary final.

Sydney's Gary Rohan has been taken off the ground with a knee injury against the Crows.

SYDNEY midfielder Ben McGlynn says a number of players will be lining up to replace injured Swans Jarrad McVeigh and Gary Rohan if neither are available for next Friday night’s preliminary final against Geelong, but it will be hard to replace the latter’s speed.

The Swans’ casualty ward swelled at an alarming rate last night with Rohan and captain McVeigh looking highly unlikely for next week’s showdown with the Cats.

The Swans blitzing win over Adelaide has thrust them firmly back into the premiership race, but it has come at a major cost with Kurt Tippett and Callum Mills already on the sidelines and no certainties to return against the Cats either.

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Tippett trained last week with a hairline fracture to his jaw and is the biggest chance to make a shock return, but Mills, McVeigh and Rohan appear long odds.

McGlynn said he would like to see Zac Jones back in the side, but he suffered concussion last week.

“With Gary’s speed, it’s pretty hard to replace that,” McGlynn said on Channel 7 this morning.

“He was pretty positive afterwards (after the injury). I think he obviously didn’t feel too much pain, which is great.

“But the boys obviously have seen what Gary has been through over the last few years with his broken leg and the hard ups and downs he has been through.

“Hopefully the scans are nice and clear.

“We will wait and see.”

Gary Rohan went down with a knee injury. Picture: Sarah Reed

McVeigh is in doubt for the MCG clash after injuring his calf and missing the majority of the second half despite his best efforts to play on.

But by far the cruellest blow was dealt to Rohan, the speedy forward stretchered from the field in what appeared to be a devastating knee injury.

Rohan’s career has been plagued by fitness dramas, including a horrific broken leg suffered in 2012, and he is now facing a long time on the sidelines, although coach John Longmire said initial indications were it was the injury was impact related and not necessarily structural.

“It looks like (Jarrad’s) done a calf,” said Longmire, who defended his decision to try and get McVeigh back on the paddock early in the third quarter, despite the Swans being firmly in control on the scoreboard.

“Gary’s is a knock on the side, we don’t know if it’s structural. We’ll see how bad it’s.

“Kurt did some training with us two days ago, and I’m sure he’ll train this week.”

The 25-year-old went down in agony just before halftime when he launched himself into a contest – taking a blow to the knee before landing awkwardly.

Teammates tried to console him as he left the field and gave the speedster a round of applause.

There appears little doubt Rohan’s season is over, but it would be a heartbreaking setback if he was to miss a large chunk of 2017 as well.

It will be a week of intensive rehab at Swans HQ, with Longmire remaining cagey about his plans.

Tippett could risk further serious damage if he plays.

But Tippett is a key ruckman for Sydney and ran strongly at training last week in a sign he’s desperate to return.

Precedent has been set at the Swans for these type of injuries, with Leo Barry playing the 2005 grand final with fractures in his cheekbone.

Mills has a grade one hamstring strain, but despite it being relatively minor, it will be touch and go to return in just two weeks.

Originally published as Gary Rohan stretched off with knee injury, big casualty ward after brutal Sydney-Adelaide second term