You've got to feel for Connor Rozee. Port Adelaide's captain will require surgery after scans revealed a high-grade hamstring tendon rupture, and there's no getting around it: this is a devastating blow to both player and club.
The Power skipper was hurt in Sunday's win over Essendon, and the club has not yet put a timeframe on the 26-year-old but flagged he would be sidelined for "an extended period". That's code for months on the sidelines. Surgery would rule Rozee out until at least midway through the season.
Look, what made this injury particularly nasty was how it unfolded. Rozee reported numbness in his leg following the incident, with the club revealing the sensation was due to forceful traction of the nerve. When a player can't feel his own leg, you know something serious has happened. "It sort of went numb, my leg, and I couldn't walk on it," Rozee said. "I was hoping it was some sort of nerve thing, but once that wore off, it became a lot sorer and a bit more isolated. I'm not exactly sure of what it is, but I don't think it is going to be minor."
Port coach Josh Carr painted the picture plainly after the game. The pain was raw, not just because of the injury itself, but because the Power had just dismantled Essendon with a 63-point victory. "It sours (the win) because our skipper has what could be a significant injury, and we don't want that for anyone in our football club. We're flat about that, but someone else gets an opportunity to come in and fill that role."
Here's the thing about missing your captain mid-season: it's not just about the player who goes down. Rozee carries enormous responsibility in the Port Adelaide midfield. He's their engine room, their leader when things get tight. His absence leaves a hole that's hard to fill, no matter who steps into the breach.
At the end of the day, Rozee's keeping his chin up. "The one positive is hopefully I get the second half of the season, if it's not a great result which I am eyeing off at the moment." That's the mentality you want from a captain, even when the news is grim. He's already looking ahead to when he can get back on the park, not dwelling on what he'll miss.
The Hamstring Epidemic
The injury world turned ugly in round two. Rozee was among a spate of big names to suffer hamstring injuries including Gold Coast's gun recruit Christian Petracca, Richmond stalwarts Tom Lynch and skipper Toby Nankervis, Adelaide signing Callum Ah Chee and St Kilda's Anthony Caminiti. That's a lot of damage in one weekend. The Tigers have confirmed Lynch and Nankervis will be unavailable for at least the next month, with the latter facing some six to eight weeks out.
Gold Coast's Tribunal Fight
While Port are dealing with their injury crisis, Gold Coast has confirmed it will challenge the two-match ban handed to gun forward Bailey Humphrey for rough conduct. Humphrey was cited for his sling tackle on Richmond's Maurice Rioli during the third quarter of their Saturday afternoon clash at the MCG.
The Match Review Officer graded the incident as careless, high impact and high contact, leading to the two-game ban. But the Suns aren't backing down. Speaking post-match, Suns coach Damien Hardwick said he didn't believe Humphrey should be sanctioned at all. "No, I wouldn't have thought so. It should have been holding the ball," he said.
Humphrey's got some things working in his favour at the tribunal hearing. One thing in Humphrey's favour in the hearing will be the fact Rioli was not seriously hurt in the sling tackle. "He was fine. He played out the game ... and he was one of our better contributors in the last quarter," Tigers coach Adem Yze said post match. When the player on the receiving end can continue playing without issue, it weakens the argument that the contact was dangerous.
Fair dinkum, though, the Suns can't afford to lose Humphrey. Already without Brownlow Medal winner Matt Rowell (finger), the Suns have lost gun recruit Christian Petracca (hamstring) for the Dees clash and will be desperate to clear Humphrey at the tribunal. Gold Coast's started the season brilliantly, but they're building a casualty ward faster than they'd like.