Magpies and Dogs stars suffer ACL tears
Roger Vaughan and Anna Harrington |
Western Bulldogs star Isabel Huntington and Collingwood co-captain Brianna Davey will miss the remainder of the AFLW season after scans revealed they have both suffered an ACL tear.
Huntington had reconstructions on both knees, in 2018 and 2019, and her right knee buckled on Saturday as she changed direction in the Bulldogs’ loss to Melbourne.
Scans confirmed Huntington had ruptured her right ACL graft while also suffering damage to her lateral meniscus.
“We are absolutely devastated for Izzy – she is a much-loved figure at the kennel, and everyone is well aware of her injury battles, so we’re just heartbroken for her,” Bulldogs women’s football boss Debbie Lee said.
“She worked extremely hard this pre-season to get herself ready for this year, so it’s a real shame her 2022 campaign has been cut short.
“Izzy is a true professional though, and having been through this twice before she will know what’s required of her.
“As a club, we’ll continue to support her and the family in any way we can.”
Collingwood confirmed the bad news that Davey has suffered a rupture to the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee, as well as tearing her medial collateral ligament.
The 26-year-old sustained the injury late in the fourth term of Sunday’s victory over Carlton.
It will be the second reconstruction Davey will undergo on her right knee, after also having surgery on it in 2018, and she will miss the rest of the season.
“We are all heartbroken for Bri,” Collingwood’s head of women’s football Jess Burger said.
“It’s very hard to see our captain go down with such a cruel injury, let alone someone who is at the top of their game. There is no doubt her injury has been felt not just within our team, but across the entire AFLW community.
“Bri is an incredibly strong, hard-working athlete, she is fiercely determined and cares deeply for her teammates. These attributes will give her great confidence to overcome the upcoming challenge she faces.
“She’s recovered from this injury before and knows what it takes to get herself back to being regarded as one of the competition’s best.”
Brisbane gun Kate Lutkins is nervously awaiting the results of her scans after hurting a knee early in the Lions’ loss to Adelaide on Sunday.
Lutkins’ teammate Dakota Davidson also went down with an ankle concern, while GWS star Chloe Dalton appeared to suffer a serious shoulder injury in Sunday’s win over Gold Coast.
Knee reconstructions have been a major issue in the AFLW throughout its five-year history.
But the latest injury report showed ACL injuries were at their lowest in the league last year.
AAP