Pies eye star’s return

Finals door not closed on Moore after hamstring strain

COLLINGWOOD star Darcy Moore is likely to return from his fourth hamstring scare this season in the first week of finals.

The reborn fullback strained his right hamstring during Saturday night’s narrow loss to Sydney at the SCG, with his previous hamstring injuries occurring on his left side.

The Magpies were last night confident that Moore could still play a part in 2018 because he had hurt his “good leg”.

But the swingman is likely to miss the final three homeand-away rounds given his tender soft-tissue history.

The pre-finals bye will help ensure Moore is ready for an expected return to September.

“The significance of the injury being in the right leg is that it is not related to Darcy’s recent history,” Magpies football boss Geoff Walsh said.

“It is a new injury, to the opposite leg Darcy has recently had issues with, which means that it can be treated as a standard hamstring strain.

“Darcy will now get into his rehabilitation program and look to be back before our season concludes.”

Moore falls out of contract at the end of the season and has attracted interest from Sydney and North Melbourne.

Moore would need to recover in 21 days to be fit for the Round 23 clash against Fremantle.

He would have around 34 days to prove his fitness for the Magpies’ first final.

Moore, 22, missed four games after tearing his left hamstring in Round 2.

Moore tore the left hamstring again in Round 8, which was his second game back, and made his next appearance in Round 17.

The father-son gun was then a late withdrawal in Round 18 after suffering tightness in the warm-up.

He strained his right hamstring in Round 20.

Moore recently said he had prioritised strengthening his troublesome body over contract talks.

“To be honest, my focus has just been on getting back,” Moore said. “I’ve been pretty desperate to get back and play, so that’s been my main focus. I’m just going to enjoy playing for the moment.

“There’s not really (a timeline). I’m just sort of enjoying my footy and it’s good to be back and get my body in order.”