Pre-season training session claims key big man for the year.
The Geelong Cats pre-season injury woes have continued with news ruckman Nathan Vardy will not play any part in the 2014 season after a practice accident.
Spectators say Vardy flew for a mark and landed on a straightened leg with scans later confirming on the worst possible outcome, with a torn ACL.
While Vardy is yet to see a specialist the fact the worst outcome is expected the 22-year-old will likely to be sat out for the entire season.
Vardy’s injury comes after Allen Christensen (back) and Steven Motlop (knee) were both ruled out long-term. The star pair’s potential replacement, George Burbury, had his jaw shattered in last week’s NAB Challenge opener against Collingwood.
A player of enormous promise, Vardy had only recently overcome a chronic hip injury that sidelined him for much of 2012 and the first half of 2013. One surgeon told him he might never be able to play again.
Because he is just starting his AFL career, Cats’ football manager Neil Balme was confident Vardy could bounce back no matter how serious the outcome is.
“He is still a very young man and with how it works these days it’s not terminal, as they say,” Balme said.
“He should still be feeling pretty positive, but it’s obviously hard for him to deal with initially. Nathan had enjoyed a really good pre-season and has shown that he can compete and play well at AFL level.”
COMMENTS