AFL injury news: Western Bulldogs recruit Nick Coffield needs shoulder reconstruction
A luckless Western Bulldogs recruit is set for another long stint on the sidelines as his former St Kilda teammate also goes under the knife.
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Luckless Western Bulldogs recruit Nick Coffield will miss three months of football after scans confirmed he needs a shoulder reconstruction.
The 24-year-old defender will undergo surgery on Wednesday after he was hurt early in his second AFL game in more than two years on Sunday.
The damaged shoulder is the same one Coffield had surgery on as a Saint in 2019, before he ruptured his ACL early in 2022 and missed all of last season due to repeat calf injuries.
Bulldogs head physio Chris Bell said the club would know more about Coffield’s return date after his surgery but expected him to be out for 12 to 14 weeks.
“This is the same shoulder Nick injured five years ago while he was at the Saints,” Bell said.
“This is devastating for Coff, who has been incredibly diligent and professional in working hard to build some continuity in his training after having an injury interrupted couple of years before arriving at the Dogs.
“Nick will require a shoulder reconstruction surgery to repair the damage to his shoulder.”
The Bulldogs also need to find a defensive replacement for Ed Richards (concussion), with Taylor Duryea and James O’Donnell looming as the likely inclusions.
Duryea had 25 disposals in the VFL on Sunday, while O’Donnell has been cleared to return after moving through the concussion protocols.
Prized father-son recruit Jordan Croft could play his first VFL game this weekend as he recovers from shin soreness which derailed his pre-season, while key defender Ryan Gardner remains at least three weeks away with a foot injury.
No. 55 pick Aiden O’Driscoll remains in the Bulldogs’ rehab group after he was concussed and taken to hospital following a sickening training collision with Bailey Williams in January.
Knee clean-out for senior Saint
St Kilda will send experienced midfielder Brad Crouch for knee surgery following a VFL injury that could sideline him for up to two months.
After he was dropped to Sandringham following the Saints’ round 1 loss to Geelong, Crouch hurt his knee just before halftime of the reserves clash and didn’t return to the field.
Scans this week led the Saints to send the 30-year-old for arthroscopic surgery, joining Liam Henry (hamstring) and Mason Wood (collarbone) on the sidelines for an extended period.
St Kilda football boss David Misson said the club was still positive about its depth despite having 10 players unavailable, pointing to small forward Dan Butler’s successful return through the VFL.
“Brad had surgery on his knee yesterday to address the issue, which will take about six to eight weeks to rehab,” Misson said.
“We do have some players closing in on a return though, so through list depth and injury returns, we’ll look to fill the gaps with a next-man-up mentality.”
Carlton recruit Paddy Dow (knee) remains one to two weeks away from a return, while Hunter Clark won’t play until at least round 6 as he recovers from a calf injury.
The Saints hope to have luckless tall forward Jack Hayes playing VFL again within the next fortnight as he overcomes his latest knee setback.
Geelong confirmed captain Patrick Dangerfield would miss a fortnight with the hamstring strain he suffered late in the win over Adelaide on Friday night.
Cats assistant football boss Ben Johnson said the “low-grade injury” was only expected to sideline the 33-year-old for the games against Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs.
Midfielders Tom Atkins (adductor) and Jack Bowes (calf) have been cleared to return, while Tanner Bruhn still needs to prove his fitness after a foot injury he suffered in round 1.
“Tanner is looking good. He’s had that mid-foot sprain, so we’re being cautious with that,” Johnson said.
“He was a test late last week and didn’t get up, so he’ll be the same again for this week.”
Originally published as AFL injury news: Western Bulldogs recruit Nick Coffield needs shoulder reconstruction
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