AFL injury list 2023: Jeremy Howe leads carnage at MCG during Collingwood-Geelong round one clash
The round one clash between Geelong and Collingwood at the MCG had everything, including a high injury count.
Tom Stewart was subbed out of the match during the first quarter with a suspected knee injury.
The 2022 premiers could be without their four-time All-Australian for some weeks, as Stewart was seen with a knee brace walking along the boundary.
Brandon Parfitt replaced the vice-captain as the tactical sub.
Bad news didn’t end there for Geelong, as key defender Sam de Koning went straight down to the race after an innocuous stumble all by himself.
De Koning has since come back onto the field with a heavily strapped knee and doesn’t look 100 per cent.
As the Cats experienced some misfortune, the Pies lost one of their key cogs in the backline to a nasty injury during the third quarter.
Jeremy Howe looks to have suffered a broken arm in a heavy collision with Tyson Stengle and was immediately stretchered off.
Post-match, vice-captain Taylor Adams spoke on how much Howe means to the club.
“Yeah, it is shattering. He literally is the heart and soul of our football club. Yeah, we are clearly going to miss him. He is irreplaceable,” Adams said.
“We do what we do. We will get around him. Make him feel as loved as he possibly can. Yeah, we will hopefully get him back for the sec half of the year.”
Whilst Howe was taken from the ground and straight to the hospital, Stengle was also brought from the field for concussion testing.
The 2022 All-Australian did pass the necessary evaluations and is back on the field.
The injuries to Stewart and de Koning puts the quality of the ground back into question, as the MCG was recently put back together in a hurry following an Ed Sheeran concert.
Following an injury-free opening night between Richmond and Carlton, the high number of casualties is unusual and former Western Bulldogs star Brad Johnson said it (injuries) “had absolutely nothing to do with the turf.”
