Reid surgery headlines Bombers’ ongoing injury crisis
Roger Vaughan |
Just when Zach Reid appeared to be finally having a good AFL run, his season has been cut short again because of injury.
The key defender hurt his hamstring at Wednesday training last week and the Bombers have confirmed he will have surgery. He will not play against this year.
The Bombers have lost midfielder Jye Caldwell indefinitely after he suffered a syndesmosis injury in Saturday’s loss to Gold Coast. Caldwell will also undergo surgery.
Essendon have slumped to 13th on the back of a five-game losing streak and have been plagued by injuries.
Nik Cox will not play this season after meeting with the AFL’s concussion panel last month, but has been given a pathway to resume his AFL career next year.
Reid managed only nine games from 2021-24, but the No.10 draft pick had played 10 games at the start of this season.
He then injured his hamstring in the round-12 win over Richmond and had a recurrence last week, leading to the operation.
“It’s a tough blow for ‘Reidy’ to be ruled out for the year. However, we believe the surgical option offers him the best chance for a full recovery,” club football boss Daniel McPherson said.
“He’s demonstrated exactly why he’s so highly rated during the first 11 games this season. He remains a key part of our future.”
The Bombers’ injury plight was highlighted last last month during their bye round, when Darcy Parish, Kyle Langford and Mason Redman all had soft-tissue problems at a weekend training session.
Third-placed Adelaide also suffered a blow on Sunday, losing forward Josh Rachele to a knee injury when he landed awkwardly during the win over Melbourne.
While Rachele has avoided ligament damage, he still needs an operation and it’s unclear when he will return.
Likewise, Richmond’s No.1 draft pick, Sam Lalor, is out for the season and could need surgery after another injury to his left hamstring.
Sydney most likely have lost forward Joel Amartey for the rest of the season with a high-grade adductor strain and Tom Papley is out for a couple of weeks because of a hamstring strain.
AAP
