Fremantle star Brandon Walker suffers horrific knee injury against Collingwood as Dockers coach John Longmuir reveals his season may be over: ‘He’s done something pretty serious’
- Fremantle lost Brandon Walker and Sean Darcy to injuries
- Walker’s knee appeared to give out when he landed from an aerial contest
- Dockers lost to Collingwood by 46 points in the MCG on Saturday
Fremantle are charging the cost of their heavy defeat to AFL flag favorites Collingwood after losing first-choice ruckman Sean Darcy and Brandon Walker to injuries.
Both were injured during the third quarter in the MCG on Saturday, with the game already out of reach, as the Dockers endured a 46-point hammer that all but ended their fading Finals hopes.
Darcy finished the game on crutches after an ankle injury and Walker had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after hurting his right knee in an awkward landing.
The 20-year-old defender appeared to be in extreme pain as teammates and medical staff rushed to his side.
“He’s done something pretty serious,” said Dockers coach Justin Longmuir.
Brandon Walker suffered a serious looking injury in the defeat to Collingwood
The Fremantle star’s knee gave way under him as he landed from an aerial contest
“He’s going to miss quite a bit of footy, I suppose.
It’s too early to say, but [a return this season] is very unlikely.’
Darcy and Walker will both get scans on Sunday when they return to Perth.
Fremantle took the field in front of 61,157 fans – the largest home and away crowd in the club’s history – and were torn apart by a slick home side who enjoyed the bulk of the following.
Collingwood dominated the game in the second quarter, piling up 10.1 to 2.1 for the duration, putting the result beyond doubt by half time.
Longmuir hopes his young midfielders – including Neil Erasmus, Matt Johnson, Nathan O’Driscoll and Liam Henry – will grow from the experience.
“The energy and speed they played around midfield in that second quarter was top notch and we want to get to that level,” said Longmuir.
‘[Our players] have all seen an elite midfield today, so we have to learn from that.”
Walker had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after assistance
The Dockers also lost Sean Darcy to an ankle injury in the third quarter on Saturday
Fremantle (7-10) reached the second week of the finals last season, but will need a dramatic turnaround to get there again this year, having lost five of their last six games.
“It’s disappointing, but we still have a lot to get out of the season,” said Longmuir.
“We have to make sure that we play football the right way, that we learn from all these experiences and that we build on what we are doing at the moment.”
Fremantle will host the Swans next week, while the Magpies travel to Adelaide to take on Port.