Joel Amartey breaks down in tears with apparent hamstring injury

A brutal hamstring injury has left one of footy’s brightest stars and fans around the country in tears, dampening a huge win in Gather Round.

Joel Amartey after suffering an apparent hamstring injury in Sydney's Gather Round clash against Richmond.

The footy world has wrapped its arms around breakout star Swan Joel Amartey after the young forward suffered an apparent hamstring injury midway through Sydney’s Gather Round clash against Richmond.

It was a brutal dampener on the Swans’ 18.14 (122) to 11.12 (78) win over the Richmond Tigers at the Adelaide Oval.

Watch every match of AFL Gather Round LIVE & ad-break free in play on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Amartey was tracking back to set up a lead for a surging Swans forward entry when his hamstring appeared to give way just as he built up a stride, limping off the ground in tears.

Teammate Errol Gulden was seen shortly afterwards on the bench giving the breakout star a hug.

Amartey had kicked two in a bright first quarter at Adelaide Oval and looked to be making the key forward spot his own alongside fellow key tall Logan McDonald in a transitional year for the Swans at the position, making the injury all the more brutal.

Errol Gulden comforting Joel Amartey after suffering an apparent hamstring injury in Sydney's Gather Round clash against Richmond. Photo: Fox Footy

Social media lit up with well-wishes and sympathy for the former Sandringham Dragon, with one Twitter user describing the injury as “absolutely brutal”.

“Fingers crossed for a speedy recovery,” they wrote.

“Absolutely gutted for him,” another wrote.
“Had such a great first quarter and now he’s out.”

Amartey has been a revelation for the Swans early in the year, with star forward Lance Franklin coming into the season underdone and his subsequent underperformance leaving a hole in Sydney’s forward line that needed filling.

Amartey looks like he's done a hamstring 😞 #AFLTigersSwanspic.twitter.com/kXdxl2C6dl

— 7AFL (@7AFL) April 14, 2023

Cometh the moment, cometh the man, and Amartey had a party against Hawthorn in round two, booting four to sink the Hawks in a demolition not seen for decades.

Still a tender 23 years old, Amartey was initially drafted with the 28th pick in the 2018 rookie draft by the Swans, but has only 17 games to his name in five seasons.

News Corp’s Jon Ralph wrote on Twitter that Amartey has “suffered a long list of hamstring strains, some at the serious end of the scale.

“The most recent in January. Would be surprised if he is back inside a month,” he wrote.

“Swans expect Tom McCartin and (Dane) Rampe back against Geelong but Buddy (Franklin) is no certainty with knee swelling.”

The Swans injury list blew out after their thrilling loss to Port Adelaide in Round 4, with Ollie Florent’s after-the-siren set shot knocked down on the line by a dominant Aliir Aliir.

Amartey left the game just before halftime, where the Swans led 7.5 (47) to Richmond 3.8 (26).

An extraordinary second half performance from small forward Tom Papley with six second half goals would lead the Swans to a resurgent win over the Tigers, with the former Gippsland Power product surging to a new career high in the rain.

Originally published as Joel Amartey breaks down in tears with apparent hamstring injury