Western Bulldogs duo Lin Jong and Easton Wood suffer pre-season hamstring setbacks

Western Bulldogs have been hit by a double blow on the eve of the pre-season series, with Easton Wood and Lin Jong suffering hamstring injuries.

Western Bulldogs hope Easton Wood will still feature in the Marsh Community Series despite a hamstring strain. Picture: Michael Klein.

Luckless Western Bulldogs utility Lin Jong has been dealt another crushing injury blow, with a high-grade hamstring injury set to sideline him for the early part of the season.

Jong sustained the injury during match simulation at training yesterday after a 2019 season that saw him sidelined with appendicitis, take mental health leave and miss games late in the year with a low-grade hamstring injury.

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“It was during a match simulation and he pulled up after accelerating,” Western Bulldogs medical services manager Chris Bell said of Jong’s latest injury.

“We’re going to work through a process with Lin over the next few days to determine the extent of his injury and his return-to-play plan.”

Western Bulldogs hope Easton Wood will still feature in the Marsh Community Series despite a hamstring strain. Picture: Michael Klein.

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Defender Easton Wood has also suffered a setback, suffering what the club has described as “low-grade hamstring tightness” while training on Monday.

Wood will be put on a limited training program for the next fortnight but the club is hopeful he will be available for its second Marsh Community Series match against Port Adelaide on Saturday, March 7.

“Being this time of year we don’t want to take any risks with Easton so we’re going to back off his training for a couple of weeks,” Bell said.

“At this stage, we are going to plan that Easton resumes availability in the second Marsh series game.”

Tom Liberatore (knee) is expected to miss the early rounds of the home-and-away season, but has returned to training.

Defender Taylor Duryea (hip) is “progressing really well” but is some way off after missing most of pre-season.

Draftee Riley Garcia has started running as he recovers from a knee reconstruction.