Surgery slows Fogarty

GEELONG small forward Lachie Fogarty will be sidelined for at least six weeks following surgery earlier this week.

The 19-year-old, who played 15 games in 2018, underwent a hip arthroscope on Tuesday after battling ongoing groin issues during pre-season.

Football boss Simon Lloyd says they won’t rush Fogarty’s return.

“We’re taking the long-term approach with Lachie,” Lloyd said.

“We expect him to be back running in around 6-8 weeks.

“We’ll wait until then to put a timeframe on his return to playing.”

Drafted with the Cats first pick in the 2017 National Draft, Fogarty debuted in the Round 1 win over Melbourne.

However a he missed number of matches with groin soreness, with his season coming to an end after Round 21.

Twitter: @tom_king79