Knee tendinitis leaves Owusu on sidelines for rest of season
VETERAN Supercat Nick Owusu will not return this season after failing to overcome knee tendinitis.
The 32-year-old said last month he was confident he could play a part in Geelong’s push towards the SEABL men’s title this season.
But coach Leon O’Neill has confirmed Owusu would not make it back this year, putting a line through his comeback ambitions.
“Nick’s done for the season; he won’t play, which is disappointing for him and for us,” O’Neill said.
“His knee hasn’t responded the way he would have liked. We need to sit down at the end of the year and have a chat and hopefully we’ll see him back bigger and better in 2018.”
While Owusu would be in the Supercats’ starting five when fully fit, O’Neill said a return would have added complexity to his side’s run home.
“We’ve come this far without him this season, and in some ways, it doesn’t make it better because you always want your best players playing, but it makes it a little bit easier not having to reintroduce Nick into the team,” he said.
“Hopefully he’ll get a preseason in under his belt, starting October or November, and that will lead towards 2018.”
The injury first flared up in the 2016 pre-season and after playing three matches early in the campaign he was sidelined for three months, before returning to the court for the last seven matches last year.
“Then I had surgery to try and remove some of the scar tissue and stuff, and an arthroscope, in December,” Owusu said last month.
He said he had ambitions to continue playing in 2018.
“There are other people that have had career-ending injuries, but I’ve got plenty of fire to play at least a few more seasons,” he said.
“I still think my best basketball is ahead of me.
“And I still plan on going and winning another championship with the Supercats.”
The veteran point guard has not played since last year’s campaign-ending semi-final defeat to Albury Wodonga.