The Western Bulldogs expect scans to confirm AFLW young gun Isabel Huntington will require a second knee reconstruction.
Huntington, taken first overall in the draft by the Bulldogs, was sent for scans on her right knee after she left Sunday’s clash against Brisbane on a stretcher.
The 18-year-old, who was on the comeback trail from a knee reconstruction, clutched at her knee after it buckled beneath her in the second quarter of her side’s 5.3 (33) to 3.6 (24) win at South Pine Sports Complex.
The star forward had just set her side on the path to victory with back-to-back goals when disaster struck.
“It’s pretty deflating to have a really good win and to see her do all the rehab (then get injured),” Dogs coach Paul Groves said.
“We don’t know yet (the extent of the injury). We will wait for the scans but I am just exhausted. I feel so much for her.
“Her character and type of person she is, it’s just a blip for her. She will come back from it.”
Huntington missed the 2017 season as she recovered from a knee reconstruction, having also broken her right leg in 2015.
The Bulldogs’ second win of the season sent them to second spot on the ladder, behind first-placed Carlton by percentage.
But the side’s bright start to the campaign has been tempered by injury for the second week in succession after young forward Daria Bannister ruptured an ACL in the season-opening win against Fremantle.
“We’ve got two 18-year-olds who were going really well facing potentially long battles,” Groves said.
“But the plus side to that is they’re not in community footy now. They’re in the AFL system and they’ll get the best support.”
Huntington’s injury came just two days after Carlton star Brianna Davey’s season came to an abrupt halt.
The Blues confirmed on Saturday that Davey’s season is over after she ruptured an ACL in Friday night’s win over Greater Western Sydney.
Davey was hurt in the last quarter of the 3.12 (30) to 1.3 (9) at Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.
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