Belmont Lions will be without Corey Jarrad for the remainder of the season after scans confirmed the key defender has suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Jarrad, who has previously undergone a reconstruction on the same knee, was forced from Winter Reserve during the Lions’ loss to Anakie on May 31.
Co-coach Andy Walsgott says the absence of Jarrad, who has been with the club since arriving from Geelong Amateur ahead of the 2023 season, will be hard to cover.
“It’s pretty shattering, to be honest,” Walsgott said. “Corey’s been with us since we (Walsgott and co-coach Brent Vermeulen) started.
“It’s shattering for him… (and) it leaves a huge hole in the back line.”
Jarrad isn’t the only knee worry for the second-placed Lions, with the club waiting for scans on a knee injury suffered by Jake Wood in Saturday’s victory over Winchelsea.
“We’re a bit more hopeful on that one,” Walsgott said. “But the doctor said there’s a potential for that (ruptured ACL) after doing some tests.
“But he did finish the game.”
If Wood is confirmed as having a ruptured ACL, he’ll join Jarrad and Nathan Jennings in suffering the injury.
Belmont Lions also lost recruit James Beasley to a hamstring injury, with hopes he will return either on or before the split round.
“There’ll be no rush,” Walsgott said. “He’s going to see his physio tomorrow night to get the grading correct.
“I think three is the minimum… so we’ll just see what the go is there.”
Lachie Slorach is also battling a hamstring injury.
After missing the loss to the Roos, the Barwon Heads recruit pushed his case for a return against Winchelsea before breaking down at training last Thursday.
“We probably should have held him back, to be honest,” Walsgott said. “But he was going quite well after an interrupted year at Heads last year with his hammies.
“But, this one was worse than a bit of awareness before Anakie.
“So this will be a good stint on the sidelines, I’d say.”
Also sidelined ahead of a challenging month of football, which starts with Bannockburn on Saturday, are big man Noah Houtsma (hamstring) and Nick Sherriff (collarbone).
That will be followed by meetings with North Geelong and Werribee Centrals, before meetings with Thomson and East Geelong, on either side of the split-round bye.
“There’ll be a five, six, seven that’ll get an opportunity to show us if they can they can play against the best sides,” Walsgott said.
“And there’s no better audition for putting their hand up at the business end of the year by showing us that they can compete against your Norths and all the other good sides, starting with Bannockburn this week.”
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