- Footage emerges of Sam Darcy’s shattered family
- Footy star suffered serious knee injury on Sunday
Heartbreaking footage has emerged of Sam Darcy’s family following a potentially season-ending injury to the Western Bulldogs star on Sunday.
Darcy faces a lengthy stint on the sidelines after suffering a suspected anterior cruciate ligament rupture during the Bulldogs’ 71-point thrashing of St Kilda.
The 21-year-old key forward hyperextended his left leg in the incident and was substituted out of the match within minutes.
Medical staff at the club are ‘fearing the worst’ ahead of Darcy’s scans on Monday.
Darcy’s dad, AFL great Luke, suffered a similar injury two decades ago that ended his season.
The youngster’s family was captured in the dressing rooms after the match looking shattered in what commentators described as ’emotional scenes’.
Sam Darcy’s family were visibly upset following the youngster suffering a potentially season-ending injury
It is just less than 20 years to the day since Darcy’s father – 226-game Bulldogs great Luke – suffered the first of two serious knee injuries that sidelined him for most of 2005-06
Coach Luke Beveridge was careful not to paint too grim a picture on Darcy before the budding superstar’s scan results are known, but conceded he was ‘a bit concerned’.
Bulldogs football manager Matt Egan didn’t mince his words.
‘The medical staff are pretty concerned at this stage and they’re fearing the worst,’ Egan told the Seven Network at halftime in the Saints clash.
‘It looks like a possible ACL but we’re just going to have to wait until tomorrow to get scans to confirm.
‘At this stage we’re fearing the worst, which is unfortunate because he’s an incredible person and we’ll obviously miss him.
‘But until we get scans it’s pretty hard to say too much.’
Darcy kicked 38 goals in a breakout campaign last year and added 14 as the Bulldogs’ most prolific forward through their first five games this season.
Widely regarded as a generational talent, the 205cm target signed a four-year contract extension with the Bulldogs last December, which ties him to the club until the end of 2029.
The 21-year-old key forward hyperextended his left leg in the incident and was substituted
Sam Darcy and his dad embraced after the match on Sunday
The 21-year-old had been the Dogs’ main target in attack this season and now leaves a massive hole in their bid to play finals.
Beveridge will turn to his ‘role-player options’ to fill the void and hinted he could also use a smaller line-up going forward, starting with the round-seven meeting with GWS in Canberra.
‘Buku (Khamis) can play either end of the ground, as James (O’Donnell) can,’ Beveridge said.
‘We think long-term James is probably more of a key back for us.
‘It’s not in the Plan A approach to the game to play Rory (Lobb) forward at the start of a game, but it is an option.
‘He’ll do anything for the team – he’s a great team man like that.
‘And the other option is to just play a bit smaller at times.’
Troubled star Ugle-Hagan remains unavailable for selection as he deals with personal issues.
The 23-year-old was the Bulldogs’ top goal-kicker with 43 majors last year – ahead of Darcy with 38 – but has not played at all this season.
Beveridge said last week Ugle-Hagan’s playing future is in the hands of the AFL, and on Sunday night he insisted Darcy’s injury hadn’t raised the chances of a recall for the former No.1 draft pick.
‘That’s obviously not going to happen in the immediate term so it’s probably not worth discussing at the moment,’ Beveridge said.
‘As far as any replacements go, we really can’t consider ‘Marra.’
