Colac co-coach Seb Ross has conceded he is unlikely to play again in 2026 after suffering a lower leg injury earlier this month.
The 33-year-old former St Kilda says he was walking backwards out of a contest during the Tigers’ win over the Dragons on June 6 when the injury occurred.
Scans have revealed Ross ruptured his medial gastrocnemius aponeurosis, the thick, broad connective tissue that connects the medial calf muscle belly to the Achilles tendon.
“It was very innocuous,” he said.
“It was actually funny because I think the week prior, someone threw a lemon on the ground at Optus Stadium at (West Coast defender) Reuben Ginbey, and I thought someone threw something from the crowd and it hit me in the back of the leg.
“One of the physios I spoke to, I showed him the video of it, and he said that’s how he would expect a 70-year-old mowing the lawns to potentially do an injury like that.
“There’s a little four-centimetre gap there, so now I’m just in the boot and waiting for that to heal up.
The latest setback continues a frustrating run for Ross since arriving at Central Reserve ahead of the 2025.
Soft-tissue issues limited the two-time St Kilda best-and-fairest to 11 of a possible 19 matches last year.
While a calf strain suffered in the warm-up before Colac’s Round 1 meeting with St Mary’s sidelined Ross until Round 5.
“It’s been a pretty challenging two years… I think the most games I’ve played in a row (without injury) is four, and then something happened again,” he said.
“They’ve all been all different calves, all different hamstrings, some at training, some in games, some in warm-ups.
“It’s hard to put my finger on it, too, because I’ve spent a lot of time in the gym the last six months, in terms of trying to get my body in better shape.
“Last year, it was a significant change to my usual way of doing things with travelling, sitting down, office work, (and) training at night time.
“There’s so many different things last year that I think my body was just trying to adjust to.”
“This year I was really working on just getting some consistency back in my program, really, which I think was working to a point where my hammies were feeling great.”
Despite the latest setback and being near the end of his career, Ross says whether he plays on in 2027 hasn’t crossed his mind.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead, to be honest,” he said.
“I’ve switched my focus pretty quickly, moving from knowing that I won’t be back this year to how we can help the boys go from sitting around that fifth position or staying in it or moving up the ladder.
“How this recovery goes will probably form the basis of my decision going forward.”
Also to be decided is whether Ross and coaching partner Jason Armistead continue in 2017.
“There’s no real angst or stress from our end,” Ross said.
“The beauty of having the joint role with Jason has meant that we both can pick up the slack in some areas and really just focus on the coaching aspect.
“Same as playing, it isn’t really the forefront of our minds because the season’s wide open.”
Colac (5th 5-4) should maintain its spot in fifth spot, travelling to North Shore (11th 0-9) to start the second half of the season.
The Tigers have recalled enigmatic forward Luke Hillman for a double milestone. His 200th open-age match also doubles as his 150th at senior level.
Leigh Gorwell, Jack Slater and Zac McCarthy also come into the team, replacing the suspended Ethan Liddle, injured duo Ben McCarthy and Max Buchanan, and veteran Jonathan Simpkin, who is being managed.
After a tough week off the field, in which coach Mark Hounslow was suspended for six weeks for umpire abuse, former player Nathan Peoples has stepped in to work with the current coaching staff.
The Seagulls have made two changes, with the experienced Lachie Hayes to play his first senior match of the season and Lachie Vivian returning for injured duo Luca Mamone and Bryce Smith.
Hunter Lewis will play his first senior match since returning from a short stint in Queensland as St Joseph’s (3rd, 7-3) prepares to face Bell Park (6th, 5-4) for the second time in less than a month.
Lewis, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, started the season with Queensland club Noosa Tigers, but returned to Geelong last month.
After six goals in two games in the reserves, he’s been included for the clash with the Dragons.
Big man Eddy McCoy returns after missing the win over St Albans, while Jai Adams has been recalled from the reserves.
Round 10 debutant Archer Chamberlain returns to Geelong Falcons duty, with Harry Muir and Lachie McCallum omitted.
The Dragons, who are coming off their second win of the season over South Barwon, have lost captain Lachie Patten, Zac Mirkovic and Tom Montgomery to injury.
They’ve been replaced by Ollie Hicks, Jonty Scott and Charlie Trezise.
St Albans (10th, 1-8) has named debutant Ethan Hobbs among four inclusions for the clash with Grovedale (8th, 4-5) at St Albans Reserve.
A graduate of the club’s under-18s, he’s played six games in the Supersaints reserves this year.
Bailey Coutts, Will Lane, and former North Shore big man Andrew Taylor have been recalled from the reserves.
They replace Hamish Andrews (Geelong Falcons), Zac Larkins (calf), Koby Harris and Lachie Foster.
More to come
X: @krockfootball
