Western Bulldogs star forward Sam Darcy will spend an indefinite period on the sidelines, after the club confirmed he had sustained a significant knee injury during their 71-point thrashing of St Kilda.
However, the 21-year old has avoided a dreaded ruptured ACL, leading to hope his season might not be over.
The Bulldogs, with Marcus Bontempelli outstanding in his first game of the season, controlled proceedings after quarter-time in a convincing 18.19 (127) to 8.8 (56) victory at Marvel Stadium on Sunday night.
But the win has come at a massive cost after budding superstar Darcy’s awkward landing in a first-quarter marking contest.
Darcy hyperextended his left leg in the incident and was substituted out of the match within minutes.
Bulldogs football manager Matt Egan said club medical staff were “fearing the worst” ahead of Darcy’s scans on Monday, but the club released a statement saying he had dodged the biggest bullet.
“Scans have cleared the ACL of damage but confirmed that he has suffered a significant knee injury with an impaction fracture at the front of his knee and associated ligament damage at the back of his knee,” Bulldogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell said in a statement.
“The Club is expecting that surgical management is required to repair this injury, with a definitive timeline to be set in coming weeks.”
Coach Luke Beveridge was “a bit concerned” but noted his young star was in the team huddle singing the song after the match.
“It just shows what sort of character he is,” Beveridge said.
“But if we lose him for a while we’ve just got to do it a different way and look after him.”
It is just less than 20 years to the day since Darcy’s father – 226-game Bulldogs great Luke – suffered the first of two serious knee injuries that sidelined him for most of 2005-06.
Broadcast vision in the second quarter showed Darcy’s upset family, including his father, in the dressing room.
The 205cm forward had changed out of his playing kit when he returned to the Bulldogs’ bench before half time.
Bontempelli, who missed the first five rounds with a calf injury, started at half-back but quickly shifted into his customary midfield role as St Kilda got an early jump with four of the first five goals.
The Bulldogs wrested momentum and trailed by two points at quarter-time, having dominated clearances (12-6) and inside-50s (15-7) to that point.
It began to tell after the first break as Bontempelli kicked two of five unanswered Dogs goals in a one-sided second term.
The margin blew out in the second half and Tom Liberatore (28 disposals) provided a late highlight with a stunning rundown tackle on Saints speedster Brad Hill.
Ryley Sanders (32 disposals) and Bailey Williams (32) were busy, while Aaron Naughton and Ryley West (three goals each) took chances in attack.
Matt Kennedy also impressed with 22 disposals, 10 clearances and two goals.
Jack Macrae was one of St Kilda’s better performers against his former side with 19 disposals and seven clearances.
Mitch Owens and Jack Higgins (three each) kicked multiple goals for the Saints, who collectively managed just four majors after their 15-minute burst at the start of the match.
Coach Ross Lyon conceded St Kilda lacked composure and were “annihilated” at stoppages, losing centre clearances 20-6 in an overall clearance count of 44-23.
It gave the Bulldogs a huge advantage in territory, illustrated by a 69-31 inside-50 count.
“It’s a big responsibility in there and they prepare really well,” Lyon said.
“Has it been a pattern for us this year? No, but today it was a big, disappointing event that we all need to own.
“That made it really difficult all night.”
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