West Coast coach Adam Simpson fears the worst for Jai Culley after the younger midfielder went down with a suspected torn anterior cruciate ligament in the course of the loss to Richmond.
Culley injured his proper knee in a marking contest with Tigers defender Nathan Broad simply 12 minutes into the primary quarter on the MCG on Saturday and slumped to the turf.
The 20-year-old stayed down for a while earlier than ultimately hobbling off the sector with the help of trainers.
Culley and coach Adam Simpson reduce emotional figures on the quarter-time huddle earlier than the Eagles fell to a 15.14 (104) to eight.10 (58) defeat – their sixth loss in a row.
“It’s potentially an ACL. We’ll wait and see,” Simpson instructed reporters post-match.
“It doesn’t look great but nothing’s been confirmed. Until we get that we can’t tell you but it’s not looking good.”
It was Culley’s ninth senior look since he joined West Coast via final yr’s mid-season rookie draft.
The Dandenong Stingrays product loved a breakout efficiency two weeks earlier, kicking 4 targets in opposition to Port Adelaide in a show that earned him a Rising Star nomination.
“He’s done so much to get to where he is and he’s at the start of his career so if it is to be (an ACL), it’s going to be a pretty big setback for him,” Simpson mentioned.
“It’s the brutality of our game unfortunately. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way.”
Culley joins a protracted Eagles damage listing that options stars equivalent to Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Jamie Cripps, Jeremy McGovern and Liam Ryan.
Simpson is uncertain whether or not he’ll get any gamers again for the round-nine conflict with Gold Coast, although Campbell Chesser could possibly be able to return from a knee damage.
“We’ve just got to be careful,” Simpson mentioned.
“These kids have missed five weeks of football and just to throw them back in because they’re available … we’ve got to work through that.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
