Mounting injuries leave Dogs with defensive headache
Luke Beveridge’s defensive options have been stretched by two more injuries during Sunday’s loss to North Melbourne
LUKE Beveridge has more headaches to ponder down back across the next fortnight with the Western Bulldogs heading to the bye with a handful of defenders on the injury list.
Liam Jones is set to miss at least a month after fracturing his radius in Sunday night’s win over North Melbourne, with the 32-year-old to consult specialists on Monday before undergoing surgery.
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The club expects Jones, who was substituted out of the game inside the first ten minutes after Paul Curtis kicked his forearm while trying to soccer a ball off the ground, to be available by August, with a timeline to become clearer after he goes under the knife.
Jones has been one of the recruits of the 2023, returning from a season playing for Palm Beach Currumbin in the QAFL to emerge as an All-Australian contender at the halfway point of the season.
Tim O’Brien is also set for another stint on the sidelines after he injured his hamstring again in the first half on Sunday. The injury should rule him out the clash against Fremantle after the bye and the game against Collingwood in round 17.
The injuries to Jones and O’Brien follow the hamstring issues suffered by key playmakers Jason Johannisen and Ed Richards in the middle part of the season.
With Jones and O’Brien ruled out before half-time on Sunday, Beveridge was forced to send Aaron Naughton behind the ball in the second half to plug a hole in defence. But Beveridge said on Sunday night he doesn’t expect that switch to continue unless more injuries occur, with Ryan Gardner, Josh Bruce and James O’Donnell all options to cover the loss of Jones and O’Brien.
Gardner was a permanent fixture in 2022 but has fallen out of favour this year and managed only five senior appearances. The 26-year-old played alongside Bruce and O’Donnell in defence in Footscray’s win over Williamstown on Saturday.
Bruce played the first five games of the year in defence before he suffered sternum and rib injuries against Port Adelaide in Gather Round. He has played only one game since, last week against the Power, before he was dropped.
The injuries at the kennel aren’t restricted to the defensive unit. Sam Darcy is still sidelined with a fractured jaw and has only managed two senior games this year due to form and a lung issue, but the 2021 No. 2 pick could be available shortly after the bye.
Hayden Crozier was included in the 26-man squad against the Kangaroos and looked to be on the cusp of playing his first AFL game since round four, but now looks set for another stint on the sidelines after straining his hamstring in the VFL.
Harvey Gallagher‘s frustrating start to life at the Dogs continued with the 2022 draftee breaking his finger in the VFL.
Just three weeks after returning from a long-term foot injury, Roarke Smith is dealing with plantar fasciitis again after suffering a setback on the weekend.
The Bulldogs will spend most of this week away from the club before getting back to business for the final two months of the home and away season.
The Dogs head to the bye a game and a half inside the eight and just a win behind fourth-placed Brisbane, although most of the clubs ahead of them have a game in hand.
