Five-time Dennis Dunn goalkicking trophy winner Will Farrer unlikely to play again this season

Mixed news on Southern Districts’ Farrer brothers, with Will in serious doubt of finishing the 20-2 season and Josiah keen to play post Christmas following knee surgery

Josiah Farrer in a typical pose ... ball in hand and looking for teammates further down the ground. Picture: Glenn Campbell

BIG leaping Southern Districts premiership forward Will Farrer is in a race against time as he battles a debilitating back injury.

The Premier League’s five-time leading goalkicker, including a return of 112 goals in the 2015-16 season, wants to play for Districts in the post Christmas season where his springheeled leaps have become a signatory of the NTFL competition.

But the 30-year-old has an injured L5 disc in his lower back and is unlikely to add to his two games from earlier in the season.

“I’m hoping to get back after Christmas, but if the body can’t get right I might have the season off,’’ Farrer told the NT News.

“Right now I’m not too sure where I’m at. I’m taking it week by week while I’m doing rehab and spending a bit of time away from footy just to get that spark back.

“But if by some miracle the back comes good, I reckon I’ll be back in full swing.

“The L5 disc near the tailbone is the problem after I took a big knock a few years back going up for one of those big high flyers.’’

Farrer was a key player in Katherine South’s Big Rivers Football League premiership side, booting five goals in the grand final win over the Katherine Camels.

“Playing in the Big Rivers league with Souths allowed me to manage it a bit, but in the end the bigger workload has put me on the back foot,’’ he said.

“They gave me an epidural injection in the Thunder season (2019), but it didn’t really come good and any knock I get now means it just seizes up.’’

There is better news for Farrer’s younger brother Josiah, Districts’ multiskilled midfielder and forward flank.

Josiah had surgery to repair the MCL (medial cruciate ligament) on his left knee last month and is confident he can make it back post Christmas.

“Everything went well with the operation and the rehab is ahead of schedule, so Josiah is trying his best to be back before the end of the season,’’ Will said.