DEMONS, SWANS HIT
Injuries spell trouble for contenders
AFL: Premiership aspirants Sydney and Melbourne have been dealt major blows as they continue to jostle for positions in the final eight.
Scans have confirmed Swans defender Alex Johnson will require a sixth knee reconstruction and that hamstrung teammate Nick Smith will miss the rest of the season.
Demons spearhead Jesse Hogan won’t play against this year after he injured his right foot during Sunday’s loss to Sydney.
Scans have revealed he has suffered a partial stress fracture in the navicular bone.
The Demons sit seventh on the ladder and are no certainties to make the top eight with tough games against West Coast (away) and GWS (home) to close out their season.
Hogan will not require surgery but the Demons are taking no risks with an injury that is notoriously difficult to heal.
Former Melbourne captain Jack Trengove’s career was ruined by a navicular injury, the same issue that sidelined Essendon great James Hird for the better part of three seasons and forced GWS ruckman Shane Mumford into an early retirement.
“It can develop into a serious injury and we feel we’ve got it quite early,” Demons fitness boss Dave Misson said yesterday.
“It’s not going to require surgery and we’re looking at a positive outcome for his preparation going into 2019.
“We think he’s going to be right to go for the start of preseason, but unfortunately for the rest of this season that’ll be it for Jesse.”
In more bad news for Melbourne, rebounding defender Jayden Hunt will miss up to a month with an ankle injury sustained in the loss to the Swans and Bernie Vince will miss six weeks after injuring his shoulder and co-captain Jack Viney (toe) won’t play unless the Demons make the finals.
Johnson, who ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his “good” knee for the first time, is yet to decide whether he will attempt another comeback.
The 26-year-old’s left ACL has already been the subject of five reconstructions and serious infections that derailed his career. He waited 2136 days after the 2012 grand final to make his AFL return in round 20 this season.
The club will consult knee specialists next week before mapping out a plan.
“It’s devastating news,” Swans football manger Tom Harley said. “Clearly this is a really disappointing outcome.
“Alex has worked so hard over the past six years to get back to playing football.”