West Coast is banking on key ahead Jack Darling’s recuperative powers to beat an ankle damage in time for the Eagles spherical one conflict with North Melbourne on March 18.
The Eagles have been relieved on Tuesday when scans revealed Darling had averted surgical procedure on the broken ankle.
“He will be touch and go for round one but knowing the way he is I think he might be OK,” Simpson mentioned.
“No surgery. Just an ankle. And we’ll see how he recovers over the next couple of weeks.”
But the news was tempered when one other ahead prospect Jack Williams was despatched to hospital after taking a heavy knock on the ribs at pre-season observe yesterday.
The Eagles are hopeful he has averted cracked ribs or a punctured lung.
“He has gone off to hospital as a precaution with his lung. It might have deflated a tiny bit. We didn’t want to take any risks. Hopefully it’s not as serious as it sounds,” Simpson mentioned.
Simpson mentioned the Eagles “feared for the worst” when Darling injured his ankle final Friday however had some “pretty good news, I don’t think it is too severe”.
“It just took us a bit of time to get to where we needed to with some scans and extra scans and we will take it pretty easy with him but hopefully we have dodged a bullet,” he mentioned.
“We have had a couple of these. This time last year we had Dom (Sheed) and Campbell Chesser at the same time, Oscar Allen, and none of those guys played.
“The bruising we got from last year, those fleeting thoughts come into your mind, but we have to stay resilient, injuries are going to happen.
“We had our share last year and hopefully we get a better run at it, which we have.
“When you get one of those, you do worry a little bit.”
West Coast feared Darling would miss a big chunk of the season with a syndesmosis damage. He was screaming in ache when his ankle was trapped below his physique in a Jeremy McGovern deal with in match simulation final Friday.
But Simpson mentioned it was not a results of a floor baked onerous in the summertime solar, simply dangerous luck.
“You can’t avoid it. It’s not ground hardness, it’s not fitness, it’s just football and you have to put yourself through those situations to get ready,” Simpson mentioned.
Darling received’t participate within the Eagles’ intra-club hitout on Friday, or pre-season video games in opposition to Port Adelaide and Adelaide.
“He is a pretty hard player to replace. We haven’t had a really good look with our best 22 out there – we haven’t been close to it really in terms of experience and he is a part of that,” he mentioned.
“Good opportunity for some other players, but hopefully he won’t be too far out and come round one he is there.”
Simpson mentioned there was no splendid time to overlook a piece of pre-season.
“No because this is what happened last year. Jack missed pretty much this time last year missed seven weeks through different reasons. He does come back pretty fresh though, he is a good healer, he will be fit and ready to go when he is right.
“But it is a long year.”
He mentioned Darling had additional scans for absolute proof the damage was no more severe.
“Just making that decision and in the end it was a pretty good decision, but we just wanted to take our time with it all, get the scans back, get the right reports and make the decision today,” Simpson mentioned.
“Jack is really clear with it and we move forward.”
Darling was noticed leaving West Coast’s coaching base at Mineral Resources Park on Tuesday along with his leg elevated as a passenger in his automotive.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
