Joey’s season over
Kershaw set for surgery
THREE-TIME St Joseph’s premiership player Riley Kershaw concedes he is “devastated” after scans confirmed he had ruptured his ACL.
Kershaw, who went down in Saturday’s 45-point win over Leopold, had scans at the Epworth Hospital on Monday that revealed his 2019 season was over.
But the champion defender is determined to remain upbeat as Joeys charge towards a third-straight premiership.
“I am devastated but it’s a little blemish in the scheme of things,” Kershaw said yesterday. “It’s obviously disappointing on a footy side, but there’s a lot of worse off people than myself.
“I have been relatively fortunate enough already with footy, and it is disappointing to not be part of the final experience this year, but at the same time I am fortunate enough to have tasted success and it gives another kid a chance to have a crack at it.”
A key player in St Joseph’s 2015, 2017 and 2018 flags, 24year-old Kershaw’s knee buckled when he attempted to apply pressure on a Lions’ opponent at Drew Oval.
“There wasn’t too much to it,” Kershaw said. “The player was coming through the middle of the ground and I just had to change direction and apply some pressure or go for a tackle and my knee just buckled on me and gave way.
“When I changed direction it was like my whole body went over my leg and I heard a big pop and crack and I went down. It was innocuous, as they say.
“At that point I knew it wasn’t good. I knew as soon as I did it that it wasn’t going to be good (news). Not to be pessimistic, but as soon as I did it I had a good feeling it was the ACL.”
Stretchered from the field, Kershaw felt it was only a matter of time before he received the news that he had sustained a season-ending injury.
“I went straight into the rooms and the club doctor came in and told it was a bit hard to diagnose at that stage, which is what I wanted to hear, I didn’t want a diagnosis then and there,” he said.
“Then I spoke to ( teammate) Jordy Keras, who is a physio at Corio Bay, and he gave me some advice on what to expect in the coming days and not get my hopes up.”
With the possibility of a 12month rehab, Kershaw could be out of action for the 2020 season in a further blow.
“If you look at the worstcase scenario, potentially (I will miss most of next season), but it’s too early to say,” he said. “You’d like to be optimistic and get back early but I don’t know at this stage.”
Ironically, Kershaw’s father and former champion local footballer Matt is also awaiting surgery for a ruptured ACL.
“Maybe we can get a twofor-one deal,” joked Riley.