Nicholls faces long stretch on sideline
TOM Nicholls’ season has been all but wiped out after he had shoulder surgery.
The Gold Coast ruckman went under the knife in Melbourne on Monday, the same day teammate Pearce Hanley had his shoulder operation, as he prepares for what could be a four-month recovery.
Hanley is expected to miss 12 weeks.
“Both the boys had surgery on their respective shoulders and both went really well, which is pleasing,” Suns football manager Jon Haines said.
“They’ll obviously commence their rehabilitation pretty much straight away.”
It could mean Nicholls isn’t fit to play until Round 20, should he avoid any setbacks during his rehabilitation.
It makes his quest to break back into the senior side even more challenging given Jarrod Witts has cemented himself in the role since arriving at the start of 2017.
Nicholls’ latest injury will mean his absence from the AFL will extend to over 700 days.
In a twist of fate, his 16week recovery will come on August 6, two years to the day since his last AFL game in Round 16 of the 2016 season against GWS.
Nicholls met with renowned surgeon Greg Hoy, who fixed Gary Ablett’s shoulder and worked on Hanley’s, before the club decided to operate.
The 26-year-old is contracted until the end of 2019, giving him the chance to work back later this season before attempting to complete a strong preseason ahead of next year.
Gold Coast product Brayden Crossley could now be one game away from an AFL debut.
Crossley, taken with pick 52
of last year’s draft, is a vastly different ruck to the 209cm Witts. At 198cm, Crossley is considered an undersized ruckman but has built a reputation for his tough bodywork.
Gold Coast forward Ben Ainsworth suffered a concussion in the club’s loss to West Coast last weekend and Haines said he was no certainty to play in Sunday’s QClash against Brisbane.
“We’ll have to wait and see how he progresses through those particular tests as to whether he’s going to play this week or not,” Haines said.
Young defender Jack Scrimshaw could also miss up to six weeks after fracturing his cheekbone in Gold Coast’s NEAFL win over GWS last weekend while winger Josh Schoenfeld will have to prove his fitness after suffering some hamstring tightness.