Relief for North Melbourne’s Majak Daw at news on muscle injury

North Melbourne’s Majak Daw will not require surgery on his torn pectoral muscle and could be playing in three weeks.

Majak Daw, left, at training last Friday. The North Melbourne defender has been boosted by the news that a muscle tear he suffered in the gym won’t require surgery. Picture: Michael Klein

North Melbourne’s Majak Daw will not require surgery on his torn pectoral muscle and is aiming to make his long-awaited return to AFL action within three weeks.

Daw suffered the injury during a gym session on Friday but on Monday the Kangaroos confirmed he would not need to go under the knife, with the 29-year-old defender returning to the club to commence his recovery.

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“I saw the surgeon this morning (Greg Hoy) he told me I can avoid surgery, which is great,” Daw told North Melbourne’s website on Monday.

“I can play a lot earlier than expected – they’re saying it’s about three weeks before I can play but I’m obviously going to try really hard and push myself to get back quicker.”

Daw had been on the verge of making his first AFL appearance since suffering serious hip and pelvic injuries in a fall from Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge in December 2018.

He was originally scheduled to return in Round 1 this year but had to pull out of the clash with St Kilda due to a minor cold.

Daw had been tracking towards North Melbourne’s Round 2 game against GWS when he felt a sharp pain on his right side during a chest exercise in the gym on Friday, with scans revealing a tear.

“(The main feeling is) relief – obviously it’s pretty well known that I haven’t played for a long time,” Daw said.

“I just miss playing footy so (the recovery will) be done a lot quicker than the … eight weeks (recovery time from surgery) which could have been the path I was going to go down.”

Daw has played 50 AFL games for the Kangaroos since making his debut in 2013, with his best season coming in 2018 when he played 18 games as a key defender.

His most recent AFL game was in 2018 but he returned to action at VFL level last year.

AAP