Border Mail |
WOUNDED Wodonga Raiders’ skipper Mark Doolan is optimistic he has avoided rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament after suffering a potentially serious knee injury against North Albury on Saturday.
However, Doolan is the first to admit it’s a guessing game until he gets that knee scanned.
The Raiders, who suffered one of their darkest day in years at the weekend, will sweat on medical results this week after Doolan sat out the second half of their 117-point hiding at the hands of the Hoppers.
Doolan, a five-time best and fairest winner at Birallee Park, went down when an opponent fell across his leg in the second quarter.
He didn’t return.
“It’s pretty sore,” Doolan said yesterday.
“But we don’t really know anything yet.
“It was a pretty average day, all-round.
“I’m pretty sure it won’t be an ACL but I’m guessing, really.
“It’s hard to tell.”
Because of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, Doolan is unlikely to get in for scans until tomorrow at the earliest.
Raiders’ coach Ken Stevenson said there was no hiding from the fact the club was “battling” and that its loss to Corowa-Rutherglen last week had further damaged their confidence.
“I think that really knocked us about,” Stevenson said.
“I think a few of our guys maybe thought we’d rock up and win that day but Corowa, to their credit, was fantastic.
“Losing Mark on Saturday obviously didn’t help.
“Look, we’re battling, but we just need to keep soldiering on.”
North Albury, meanwhile, recorded yet another hefty win over a competition struggler at the weekend.
Kade Brown went forward with great effect and booted six goals in a pinch-hitting performance in attack.
Adam Prior kicked five goals opposed mainly to Jack Melrose, while North Albury’s Jason Gram got through unscathed. He last played on May 12, thanks to a lingering hamstring injury.
Matt McDonald, meanwhile, led the Hoppers’ midfield from the front on Saturday as they had little trouble dispatching of the fast-firming wooden-spoon favourite.
Jesse Wellington and Liam Butler, both playing their first senior games for the Hoppers, did not look out of place.
