AFL 2025: Western Bulldogs superstar Sam Darcy is closing in on a return date

The Western Bulldogs are set for a major boost after one of the competition’s brightest young talents continues his remarkable recovery.

The Western Bulldogs could welcome prodigal forward Sam Darcy back from injury as soon as next week.

Darcy sustained a knee injury in round 6 against St Kilda after kicking 14 goals in five matches to start the year.

He narrowly avoided a seemingly certain ACL tear and has made a remarkably rapid recovery to be available for the Saints again in round 14.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge confirmed Darcy’s imminent availability on Wednesday morning.

“It seems like Sam will probably be available next week, he’s trained with the group (and) got through most of the sessions the last two,” he said.

“He’s been a real pro in his rehab, so it seems like he’ll be ready for selection in next week’s game at this point in time.

“I think Sam has probably exploded this year with his growth and his impact on the competition.

“Our fan base I think has been impressed with what he’s been able to do and are looking forward to seeing him play again.

“Obviously, we are (too) and I think it’s a real credit to our players and coaches to be able to change it, move it in a different direction and spread the load a bit.”

Beveridge said Darcy had set the standard for recovering players in rehab by finding alternative ways to stay fit.

“I think the thing with Sam is he’s an unbelievable swimmer and he can ride a bike, so even when he shouldn’t run he’s able to tick over the heart rate,” he said.

“You can imagine he doesn’t need many strokes to swim the length of our 25m pool.

“He’s really applied himself and sets a tremendous example for a really young player.”

He’s back … almost. Sam Darcy could play for the Bulldogs as soon as next week. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

Darcy’s return will follow that of midfielder Adam Treloar.

Treloar has had a difficult season with injury but will feature against Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

Beveridge said the Bulldogs had to take “a very different approach to Adam’s career”.

“Adam is a really different proposition for us now, even for him to get his head around,” he said.

“We believe he probably won’t always have continuity with game after game, he might not play three or four games in a row.

“It might not be because we by design are managing him to make sure he needs a rest, it’ll be essentially what he’s telling us, how he’s recovered from a game, how his training week’s been.

“It’s a very different approach to Adam’s career at the moment. We’re hoping he’s got a future beyond this year, that will take care of itself, we’ll work through that.

“Adam is going to play, he’ll be in the selected team … we’ll pick him when he’s fit and healthy and strong.”

The Bulldogs enter round 13 out of the top eight but have a game in hand and a Marvel Stadium-heavy run home.

— NCA NewsWire

Originally published as AFL 2025: Western Bulldogs superstar Sam Darcy is closing in on a return date