In contrast to Coleman Medal leader Harry McKay, who has only a “outside chance” of playing this aweek, Zac Williams and Eddie Betts have been ruled out of Carlton’s crucial AFL match against St. Kild.
The announcement comes as a shock to the Blues’ football programme, which is currently the target of an extensive external assessment that started this month.
With four rounds remaining, Carlton is only six points off of the top eight, leaving their chances of making the finals on the verge of extinction.
Williams (hamstring) and Betts (ankle) sustained injuries in the dreadful loss to bottom-place North Melbourne last Saturday, which McKay missed due to a toe ailment.
Zac Williams suffered a hamstring injury during the weekend, right before halftime, according to Andrew Russell, director of Carlton High Performance.
We anticipate him missing two or three games due to a relatively minor hamstring injury, so there’s a decent chance we’ll see him again towards the conclusion of the season.
Eddie’s ankle was initially painful, but he eventually felt better.
He had some limitations during the game, but he came off looking pretty uncomfortable and bloated.
Without a doubt, Eddie won’t be seen for a couple of weeks.
Given that Betts, who has played in 347 games, is out of contract at the end of the season, his injury might likely spell the end of his illustrious career.
Although he has scored 637 goals between stints with Carlton and Adelaide, a fresh contract may not be extended to him when he turns 35 in November.
The Blues have been optimistic about Charlie Curnow’s development lately, but it’s still unclear whether the important forward will play against St. Kilda after a string of knee ailments.
Curnow hasn’t participated in a senior match in more than two years, but this month, he has excelled in two scrimmages.
“We were pleased with the way he moved and more so with the way he has pulled up,” Russell said. “He had an increase in game minutes (last week).”
His knee is excellent. He is making excellent improvement.
Mitch McGovern, who has only participated in three games this year—most recently in round seven—will play this week at a lower level after recovering from a hamstring ailmentinjury
As the medi-sub against North Melbourne, former captain Marc Murphy has “pulled up well” following his recovery from a calf injury.
The seasoned midfielder, who needs three more games to reach the 300-game mark, is a candidate for this week’s match against St. Kilda.
Tarryn Thomas, a budding star for the Kangaroos, will miss Saturday’s game against Geelong in Tasmania due to a delayed concussion.
Thomas was hit in the head during the victory over Carlton, but symptoms didn’t appear until after the game. He will now go through the 12-day concussion protocol required by the AFL.
Leave a Reply