O’Keefe unlikely
THE long wait to see Portarlington midfielder Guy O’Keefe back in the BFL looks set to stretch into 2018.
The Demons yesterday revealed O’Keefe, the 2014 GFL Mathieson medallist, was unlikely to return this season as he battled a chronic back injury.
He has not played since Anzac Day against Drysdale when he suffered a hamstring tear. It has been a bitter blow for Port, which has won only one match in 15 rounds.
“He did his hamstring and then he hurt his back, so that’s what’s happened,” Demons president Steve Maul said.
“He’s tried a couple of times to come back and re-injured it straight away, so it might be a tall order to get him to play again this year, I would expect.
“We’ve tried to get him back, but he just hasn’t been able to get on the track, which is a shame.
“It makes it hard, but it’s one of those things. He was starting to get a bit of touch as we neared Anzac Day and then he hurt his hamstring and it’s been a battle from there.”
A premiership player at Leopold, O’Keefe has played only four matches at his new club.
He was one of the Demons’ best in Round 3 against Newcomb, before breaking down against the Hawks in Round 4.
It is unclear whether O’Keefe’s back injury is hamstring related.
Meanwhile, Portarlington has confirmed first-year coach Jesse Smith will remain at the helm next season.
“He signed for two (years),” Maul said. “I know we’ve had a s--- season so far, but he’s definitely contracted, he’ll definitely be coaching next year, for sure.”