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Two-time AFL premiership ruckman Beau McDonald's nightmare injury run reached a painful new low today when he was booked in for a season-ending knee reconstruction.
However the Brisbane Lions did breathe a sigh of relief that Blake Caracella would not join him in having surgery after receiving a positive report from scans on an injured shoulder.
Instead of missing the rest of the season after badly dislocating the joint in backing into a marking contest in Saturday's three-point loss to the West Coast, Caracella will be sidelined for six weeks.
The year-long scratching of McDonald compounds the round two injury to veteran ruckman Clark Keating (shoulder) who remains another two to four weeks away from returning.
McDonald, who also suffered shoulder, foot and chest problems in 2003, has not played since round 14 last year when he strained his posterior cruciate ligament against Fremantle.
But the gamble not to have immediate surgery in the hope of playing in a third straight grand final backfired with the 24-year-old set to be sidelined for close to 18 months in total.
Young ruckmen Jamie Charman and Dylan McLaren have performed solidly in the absence of the club's main two big men and both have the opportunity to cement themselves in the premiership line-up.
As well as Caracella, Brisbane received positive reports on Justin Leppitsch and Daniel Bradshaw joining Alastair Lynch in returning to AFL action against Hawthorn at the Gabba on Sunday.
The Lions were severely hamstrung in Saturday's defeat when Bradshaw suffered a back spasm in the warm-up and Leppitsch strained his groin 10 minutes in.
With full-forward Lynch opting against taking the long trip west, it left the three-time premiers short of another strong-marking forward to take the heat off Jonathan Brown on the long Subiaco Oval.
Both will be tested during the week and coach Leigh Matthews is optimistic they will play to turn a famine into a feast of potential forward targets.
Although the Lions had seven more scoring shots than the Eagles, and kicked seven behinds through in the final term, Matthews felt the dual loss of Bradshaw and Leppitsch was a key factor in the loss.
"We kicked 10.16 but we didn't miss a lot of set shots," he said.
"The part of the game we didn't do this week was mark the ball in the forward 50."
Matthews denied that ignorance of a loophole which would have allowed him to replace Bradshaw with emergency Richard Hadley cost his team victory.
Hadley had been flown back to Brisbane before the game to play in a reserves match but the AFL today confirmed the Lions could have made a switch if they produced a medical certificate to prove Bradshaw was injured.
AAP
However the Brisbane Lions did breathe a sigh of relief that Blake Caracella would not join him in having surgery after receiving a positive report from scans on an injured shoulder.
Instead of missing the rest of the season after badly dislocating the joint in backing into a marking contest in Saturday's three-point loss to the West Coast, Caracella will be sidelined for six weeks.
The year-long scratching of McDonald compounds the round two injury to veteran ruckman Clark Keating (shoulder) who remains another two to four weeks away from returning.
McDonald, who also suffered shoulder, foot and chest problems in 2003, has not played since round 14 last year when he strained his posterior cruciate ligament against Fremantle.
But the gamble not to have immediate surgery in the hope of playing in a third straight grand final backfired with the 24-year-old set to be sidelined for close to 18 months in total.
Young ruckmen Jamie Charman and Dylan McLaren have performed solidly in the absence of the club's main two big men and both have the opportunity to cement themselves in the premiership line-up.
As well as Caracella, Brisbane received positive reports on Justin Leppitsch and Daniel Bradshaw joining Alastair Lynch in returning to AFL action against Hawthorn at the Gabba on Sunday.
The Lions were severely hamstrung in Saturday's defeat when Bradshaw suffered a back spasm in the warm-up and Leppitsch strained his groin 10 minutes in.
With full-forward Lynch opting against taking the long trip west, it left the three-time premiers short of another strong-marking forward to take the heat off Jonathan Brown on the long Subiaco Oval.
Both will be tested during the week and coach Leigh Matthews is optimistic they will play to turn a famine into a feast of potential forward targets.
Although the Lions had seven more scoring shots than the Eagles, and kicked seven behinds through in the final term, Matthews felt the dual loss of Bradshaw and Leppitsch was a key factor in the loss.
"We kicked 10.16 but we didn't miss a lot of set shots," he said.
"The part of the game we didn't do this week was mark the ball in the forward 50."
Matthews denied that ignorance of a loophole which would have allowed him to replace Bradshaw with emergency Richard Hadley cost his team victory.
Hadley had been flown back to Brisbane before the game to play in a reserves match but the AFL today confirmed the Lions could have made a switch if they produced a medical certificate to prove Bradshaw was injured.
AAP