Saint Faces Long Recovery from Serious Injury; Eagle Undergoes Scans

Lalor eyes call up for a round one spot | 00:56

A St Kilda midfielder has recalled a traumatic injury experience over the Christmas period, with his timeline for return unclear. Meanwhile, scans will determine the extent of a West Coast veteran’s injury suffered during match simulation.

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Elsewhere, a Port Adelaide midfielder has undergone surgery to repair a troublesome foot, while Hawthorn have sent a key defensive duo to the US to consult with a knee rehab guru. A fringe Bulldog is also set for a stint on the sidelines after a training incident, while the Suns have an update on a new recruit who has had a disrupted pre-season.

Stay up to date with all the latest injury news in Foxfooty.com.au’s Casualty Ward.

‘KNEE BLEW UP’: SAINT RECALLS HORRID INJURY AMID UNCERTAIN TIMELINE

St Kilda ball-getter Paddy Dow’s return to play is indefinite following a ‘traumatic’ injury experience over the Christmas period.

Dow required arthroscopic surgery for a swelled knee — the same one that gave him bone-bruising trouble in early 2024 — and wound up needing to spend almost three weeks in hospital, with AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich reporting the Saints midfielder ultimately required three bouts of surgery.

The knee had to be drained the day after Dow reported symptoms to a club doctor on December 19, with that drainage producing ‘greenish brown liquid’ in what posed a worrying sign.

The 25-year-old wasn’t discharged from hospital until January 6, and Gabelich reports his full recovery timeline is ‘unclear’.

“I had blisters like every player, but that night after our last session they were pretty bad. On the Thursday I started getting a bit sick, felt feverish and the knee then blew up that night,” Dow recalled to AFL Media.

“It was good knowing that (fluid had to be drained) because it explained why I felt so crook. I didn’t know what was going on.”

But despite the severity and uncertainty of his injuries, Dow said St Kilda had been “incredible” with its support of him, including football boss David Misson, high-performance guru Alex Sakadjian and senior coach Ross Lyon.

“He knows he has a reasonably long road ahead. He’s got his head around that, (and) so have we as a football club and coaching staff. It is going to be an extended period in rehab for him,” Misson said of Dow’s recovery.

“There are going to be milestones along the way for him to try and tick off and all things going well, we expect him to play in the first half of the year. But it’s hard to provide real clarity at this time.”

CONCERN FOR EAGLES VETERAN AFTER ‘AWKWARD’ FALL

Eagles midfielder Elliot Yeo will await scan results on his right knee and ankle after an awkward landing during match simulation on Friday.

Code Sports’ Eliza Reilly reports Yeo was wrapped up in a tackle and his leg got ‘caught awkwardly’, with play at Mineral Resources Park stopping for a period.

The 31-year-old Yeo, who signed a three-year contract extension in the middle of last season, was sent for scans, with the Eagles not back at training until the middle of next week.

HAWKS SEND DUO TO US

Injured Hawthorn duo Mitch Lewis and James Blanck will travel to the United States next week to complete a rehabilitation block with internationally renowned reconditioning guru Bill Knowles.

AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich reported this week that the Hawks are sending the pair to Philadelphia as they continue their recoveries from respective ACL issues.

Knowles is one of the world’s most renowned knee specialists having worked alongside global superstars like Tiger Woods and Andy Murray, plus AFL guns in Christian Petracca and Nic Naitanui.

Lewis has shown that he can be one of the most dangerous key forwards in the competition when fit and firing and remains integral to Hawthorn’s plans in 2025, even if he only features in the second half of the campaign.

Blanck is a part of a stacked Hawthorn backline that welcomed Tom Barrass and Josh Battle to the club over the off-season.

The Hawks will take on Geelong in a scratch match at GMHBA Stadium on February 17.

SETBACK FOR POWER GUN

Port Adelaide midfielder Willem Drew has undergone foot surgery, but is expected to still be available for the Power’s official pre-season games.

Drew is hoping to be back in full training within a month after having a plantar fascia release on Tuesday to help with ongoing discomfort in the arch of his foot.

The 26-year-old has become a key cog in Port Adelaide’s midfield unit, playing 26 games last season.

While the likes of Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis usually draw the attention, Drew’s two-way running and work around the stoppage is crucial to Port Adelaide’s style of play.

The Power take on the Crows in a match simulation on February 21 and will then play St Kilda on March 1 in an official pre-season game.

DOG’S TRAINING MISHAP

Western Bulldogs utility Anthony Scott is set for a stint on the sidelines after hurting his knee at training this week.

AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich reports that Scott is set to miss at least the next five weeks after subluxing his knee during match simulation on Monday.

The 24-year-old was limited to just two senior games under Luke Beveridge in 2024 as he dealt with injury and form woes.

Given round one is only about 50 days away, it appears as though Scott will begin his 2025 season in the VFL with Footscray and have to earn his place in the senior side.

BOOM SUNS RECRUIT GETTING CLOSER TO RETURN

New Gold Coast Sun Daniel Rioli is getting closer to a return to full fitness after a knee injury derailed his pre-season so far.

Rioli was seen running laps during the Suns’ training this week but joined in late in the main session and showed off his explosive speed in some unopposed drills, according to AFL Media’s Michael Whiting.

Alongside ex-Pie John Noble, Rioli will add plenty of dare and dash off the Suns’ half-back line in 2025, something that Damien Hardwick’s side lacked all season last year.