The Western Bulldogs have avoided a major injury scare after key forward Aaron Naughton was hurt during their AFL loss to Sydney.
Naughton is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks due to a moderate medial ligament injury in his right knee, but fortunately, there is no damage to his anterior cruciate ligament.
An ACL tear would have ended his season, but the Bulldogs anticipate his return within four to six weeks.
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs showed resilience against the ladder leaders at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night, coming back from a five-goal deficit in the final quarter to lose by only 14 points.
Additionally, the team faced setbacks with Anthony Scott and Ed Richards both suffering concussions, as well as Naughton’s knee injury. Scott and Richards will miss next Friday’s game against Collingwood due to the 12-day concussion protocol.
Coach Luke Beveridge expressed cautious optimism about Naughton’s injury post-match.
“The indications are that hopefully, it’s not as severe as an ACL, but you never can tell … fingers crossed,” he said.
Scott’s season debut was cut short after just three minutes due to a head clash. Richards, who was performing exceptionally well in the first half, sustained a concussion early in the third quarter, which was a significant blow for the team.
Both Scott and Richards, similar to teammate Tom Liberatore, who is expected to return soon from his own concussion, have a history of head injuries.
Beveridge commended his team for their effort against the Swans, although he lamented their missed opportunities.
The Bulldogs kicked an inaccurate 12.16 compared to Sydney’s 16.6, after a similarly inaccurate 8.22 in last week’s win over GWS.
“There was great integrity in what the boys did, especially against the top side. It’s just a shame we had some bad luck,” Beveridge said.
“You never lose and feel like a winner, but in my book, our players are winners tonight.
“Our system and game style looked good. We just made some monumental mistakes and missed crucial chances to give ourselves a real chance to win.
“So what do you take out of that? We’ll be encouraged by it, but we need to capitalize on it.”
Beveridge avoided commenting on the contentious 50m penalty against Latham Vandermeer that led to Hayden McLean’s late goal, sealing Sydney’s victory.
“What can you say? I will always make sure I don’t comment on the umpiring,” Beveridge said post-match.
“Whether it was the right call or not, we have to live with the decision.”
Beveridge also praised the young players Rhylee West, Riley Garcia, and Ryley Sanders for their dynamic performance in the midfield during the final term.
“It was like a Triple R radio station in there … (plus) the experienced one in Adam Treloar, holding his end up. They did an enormous job,” he remarked.
