Massive blow to Collingwood with Nick Daicos ruled out for six weeks with knee injury

Collingwood has been dealt a huge blow with the extent of the knee injury to key playmaker Nick Daicos revealed putting the once Brownlow favourite’s odds into freefall.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – August 5, 2023. AFL. Injured Pies Taylor Adams, Brody Mihocek, Nick Daicos, Nathan Murphy and Tom Mitchell back row on the bench last qtr during the round 21 match between the Hawthorn and Collingwood at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Photo by Michael Klein.

Collingwood star Nick Daicos has been ruled out for six weeks with a hairline fracture of his knee joint in a massive development for the Pies finals hopes and his Brownlow Medal chances.

Daicos limped off against Hawthorn in the club’s loss and the Pies had been hopeful he might have suffered only bone bruising.

But scans revealed a hairline fracture in the lateral tibial plateau of the right knee joint and while he will not need surgery for, he seems certain to miss the club’s first final.

If he missed six weeks he would miss the club’s qualifying final in the first week of the finals campaign given there is a league-wide bye at the end of the regular season.

Respected sports medico Peter Larkins told the Herald Sun on Sunday that the six-week timeframe was at the quicker end of the scale.

The Collingwood doctor slips and cleans up Nick Daicos as he arrives to check out his wellbeing. Picture: Michael Klein.

He said while Daicos could be back for week one of finals he would do very little running in the next four weeks to allow the knee joint to heal.

“It’s a fracture caused by impact. You can get a jarred knee and bone bruising or you can get a badly broken tibia or you can get an undisplaced fracture like this,” he said.

“A hairline fracture means it doesn’t need surgery but you can’t put any weight on it. It’s an unusual injury which we see in the world of skiers but six weeks is the most optimistic prediction.

“It is realistic but he won’t be moving it too much, he might do some hydrotherapy in the pool and spa and then run in the water and then get on the Alter-G treadmill (which lessens the impact on a player’s body).

“So it could easily be four weeks before he jogs a lap. Six weeks is an optimistic but also realistic projection. You have six weeks before you are training properly. It’s a big call to play someone who has been injured that long in a final. He won’t be at risk of re-injury but it will be interesting to see how much he is able to do in four weeks’ time.”

Nathan Murphy was also diagnosed with a low-level syndesmosis issue but will only miss two or three weeks with the high-ankle sprain.

It means even if he missed the next trio of Collingwood games he will be available after a full fortnight of training for that qualifying final.

Billy Frampton was pulled out of the Collingwood VFL game on Sunday and is set to replace Murphy this week.

Nathan Murphy of the Magpies in the hands of medical staff. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Daicos has now lost Brownlow favouritism after being as short as $1.55 post-round 18, wound out to $5 with TAB as the extent of his injury was revealed.

Marcus Bontempelli is now the $2.10 favourite after another spectacular performance on Friday night, with Christian Petracca the second favourite at $3.75.

“Nick Daicos opened at $51, was at $21 at the start of the season and then came right in to peak at $1.55 favourite at the end of Round 18,” TAB spokesperson Nick Smart said.

“All the money had been for Nick, but now the Brownlow has been turned on its head.

“The question is does Nick have enough of a lead with three rounds remaining?

“It has been Round 2 since someone other than Nick was our Brownlow favourite, and that then was Marcus Bontempelli.

“Now Bontempelli is favourite once again.”

While Daicos will still play a role in the finals he has been the game’s best player for much of the season until a quieter few weeks with rivals putting attention into him.

He had only five possessions when tagged by Finn Maginness against Hawthorn, although the low possession count has more context given the update on his injury.

Collingwood football boss Graham Wright said on Sunday both Murphy and Daicos would miss an extended period.

“We are disappointed for both Nathan and Nick who will unfortunately miss games through injury for an extended period,” Wright said.

Nick Daicos peaked in his Brownlow favouritism at $1.55 at the end of Round 18. Picture: Michael Klein.

“Both players underwent scans after our game last night which confirmed Nathan suffered a low-grade syndesmosis injury in his right ankle and is expected to miss the next two to three weeks, while Nick has a hairline fracture in the lateral tibial plateau of the right knee joint.

“Nick has been seen by a specialist knee surgeon this morning and, while fortunately this does not require an operation, it will need time to heal before he returns to football. At this stage, the expected timeframe for Nick is six weeks.

“Both Nathan and Nick have played important roles this season, they are consummate professionals and will do all they can to progress though their rehab to make themselves available and we will support them through that recovery.”

Fox Footy commentator David King said the loss of Daicos was a “disaster” for the Pies.

“It is a huge blow for the Collingwood football club and their premiership aspirations,” he said.

“Firstly to hold onto the top position which they have worked so hard for. But to lose the Brownlow Medal favourite for six weeks at this stage of the year is a disaster and I guess it falls back on system. There is no bigger story in football right now than the form of Nick Daicos and to lose him, is it a speed bump or a road block?”

Originally published as Massive blow to Collingwood with Nick Daicos ruled out for six weeks with knee injury