Launceston skipper breaks leg, separate third quarter incident under microscope in loss to Demons

Launceston will be without their skipper and prime midfielder for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken leg against North Hobart. An earlier incident where sand was allegedly thrown in another player’s face may also come under scrutiny from the match review panel. Watch the video.

Launceston coach Mitch Thorp says co-captain Brodie Palfreyman will leave a “huge hole” after confirming he will require surgery on a broken leg suffered against North Hobart on Saturday.

Midfielder Palfreyman has been superb in his first year as Blues captain, but will play no further part this year after his leg got caught in an awkward position during a contest late in the third quarter.

An incident earlier in the third term involving Palfreyman – where he allegedly threw sand at North Hobart opponent Angus Norton at a stoppage in the centre of the ground – could come under the microscope of the match review panel.

The Mercury understands it was included in the umpire match report.

It’s understood the report also recommends an alleged incident where Launceston’s Jayden Hinds makes contact with an injured Norton be assessed.

TSL. Clarence V Launceston. Sam Green Clarence and Brodie Palfreyman Launceston. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

The loss to the Demons puts the Blues in fourth, a game behind third-placed Clarence with two rounds to play.

The defending premiers must win their last two games against bottom two sides Lauderdale and Glenorchy, both at Windsor Park, to give them a chance of returning to their home ground for an elimination final against the Roos.

“Brodie had X-rays done last night (Saturday), there’s a fracture in his leg. He’ll have surgery and get a plate put in there,” Thorp said.

“His leg got caught, an opponent slid in and it went crack.

“It’s really disappointing, he’s a great human first and foremost and also our captain. It’s challenging to replace a player like that.

“He’ll definitely be back for the start of next season. It’s a good thing it was a clean break, you can get a plate in it and get back on your feet fairly quickly.”

The injury is a massive blow to the Blues’ hopes of a fourth straight TSL flag.

They were already facing an uphill task to bridge the gap between them and top two sides Kingborough and Launceston, with Palfreyman’s fellow co-captain out indefinitely through personal reasons and the departure of a big number of senior players after last year’s premiership.

Launceston co-captain Brodie Palfreyman gets a kick away during Saturday's win over Glenorchy at Windsor Park. Picture: Jon Tuxworth

“As a first year captain he really does lead by example, he never misses training and his training standards are very high.

“He’s highly respected in the playing group, hence why he was made captain. He’s been super.”

Launceston forward Jake Hinds missed the Demons clash through suspension, and looks the likely option to move into the midfield to replace Palfreyman.

“We’re just going to have to shuffle the decks. That’s footy, you lose quality players and you have to adapt and adjust,” Thorp said.

“The likely replacement would be Jake Hinds, it’s probably Brodie out and Jake in.”

Blues director of football Scott Stephens is confident they have enough leaders left in the group to continue to show the way for their young side.

“There’s still some leaders who can step up and fill that leadership void that ‘Palf’ leaves,” Stephens said.

“We’re not going to be able to replace him, that’s a given, but someone will get a chance to come in and replace him. Those sorts of players you can’t replace, you just manage it the best you can.

“His form over the last 18 months is one of the reasons we’ve been in the position we’ve been in. It’s a huge hole that can’t be replaced, we just have to share the load.

“Someone like ‘Tiz’ (vice captain Ryan Tyrrell) might fill that (captaincy) role.

“To lose the amount of players we did over the off season and still be challenging for third spot, it’s a testament to the processes Mitch and his team has, and the leaders around the place to maintain that standard and get those young fellas up to speed quickly.

“We’re still looking to go into finals and make a mark, we won’t shy away from that.”