Carlton’s AFL finals hopes have taken a cruel early hit, with dashing defender Zac Williams ruled out for the entire season because of a knee injury.
Williams suffered the injury at training on Friday and scans have confirmed a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
The 28-year-old will undergo surgery in the next few days before starting his rehabilitation.
“These incidents are so unfortunate and we are all feeling for Zac,” Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd said.
“He could not have done any more this pre-season to get himself ready for the year.
“He will undergo surgery to repair his ACL and from there we will put a rehabilitation program in place for him over the next 12 months.”
Williams has managed just 23 games in two seasons with the Blues since his high-profile move from GWS.
“He has had more than his fair share of bad luck with injury, Zac,” Lloyd said.
“But in that time he has built up a lot of resilience, which he will no doubt tap into as we all support him on his road to recovery from here.”
Williams’ latest setback hurts Carlton’s chances of ending a nine-year finals drought after they missed out by the barest of margins last season – their first under Michael Voss.
Unlucky forward Sam Philp also suffered an injury blow, undergoing surgery after experiencing a stress fracture to the second metatarsal in a foot.
The 21-year-old played two games midway through 2020 but has not been seen again at senior level.
A timeline on his recovery is uncertain at this stage.
“We are all really disappointed for Sam, given how hard he has worked to get his body right over the last 18 months,” Lloyd said.
“He has faced some significant challenges during that time, and while this latest one is frustrating, we’ll continue to make sure as a club we are with Sam every step of the way.”
Carlton open their 2023 campaign against Richmond at the MCG on March 16.
Macca
Roar Rookie
AFL injury ladder 2022 Table with 3 columns and 18 rows. Currently displaying rows 1 to 18. Club Games lost to injury Brisbane Lions 32 Sydney 39 Melbourne 53 Fremantle 69 Collingwood 71 Richmond 71 Adelaide 74 St Kilda 83 Port Adelaide 85 Gold Coast 92 Western Bulldogs 93 North Melbourne 97 Geelong 98 Carlton 109 Essendon 114 Hawthorn 134 GWS 155 West Coast 176 Source: Champion Data
Macca
Roar Rookie
West Coast and Greater Western Sydney lost 176 and 155 games, respectively, to injury last home-and-away season, according to Champion Data, while Hawthorn (134), Essendon (114) and Carlton (109) also had a tough time with setbacks
Charlie
Roar Rookie
Who were the first four?
Macca
Roar Rookie
Really - I think they can more than cover Williams in defence - the issue is how his absence might impact the midfield. The Blues could play Newman, Docherty, & Saad as their small defenders, Weitering and Young as their tall defenders with Mitch McGovern as the third tall and Marchbank, Kemp or Cowan (or possibly Markov if the rumours are correct) as the 7th defender - that is a pretty decent defenisve unit - the issue becomes that it will rob the BLues mid-field of Docherty.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Champion Data figures reveal the Blues lost the fifth-most games from their best team to injury last year (2022), after ranking an undesirable second the season prior (2021), in a nightmare period that has extended to their 2023 pre-season.
Realist
Roar Rookie
Oh dear. Their defence was always their biggest weakness already so that is going to really hurt Carlton’s chance for 2023. Carlton have hadn’t luck with high priced big name recruits in recent years. A lot of money wasted.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
They were sucked in by the highlights package playing for the orange freaks!
Elmer Higgins
Guest
We bought ourselves an overpriced SPUD! :thumbdown:
Chum
Roar Rookie
I thought Dan Hanneberry's deal with the Saints was the worst
Cat
Roar Guru
No one has ever been able to provide a logical reason why the count should end up even every game yet that’s what the majority carry on about.
JudgeMental
Roar Rookie
You got me. There are always outliers, but I'm not sure the actual numbers back up the perception of #freekickhawthorn and the supposed favouritism to the Bulldogs anyway. The one I like most is if you have blue in your strip and you play Sydney (possibly at home?), you win the free kick count - regardless of umpire. Figure that out, without tinfoil.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Silly.
Cat
Roar Guru
Factually incorrect Don. Three reconstructions on the same knee is still 3 seperate injuries. That doesn’t even account for the concussion, calf and thigh injuries as well as further knee injuries while playing for Claremont after his AFL days were over.
Cat
Roar Guru
Free kick count
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Just one injury, Cat. Not injury prone. My goodness, you'll try to gainsay anything, even if it means you look dumb doing it.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
They are just a chronic injury...not prone to injury after injury.
JudgeMental
Roar Rookie
OK, I'll bite. Second most meaningless - what's first?
Cat
Roar Guru
Can add Freo’s own Anthony Morabitto to the list also.
JudgeMental
Roar Rookie
Probably right, but Scott Gumbleton and Daniel Menzel say "Hi". Did Alex Johnson for the Swans have 6 knee rebuilds? Not to be unfeeling, but that knee wasn't valid. Actually, I think it was always one knee, until that comeback after like 6 years, then he did the other knee? One of the Swan's supporters will know.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Lots of pressure on your coaching staff, Voss the Boss better deliver in 23’. More than a decade since a final’s courtesy of Hird’s Bombers. Last year l suggested you would finish Top 4, cause of Pete pleading with me not to subject my kiss of death l won’t predict where your lads will finish this year. stoked: Top 8 in 23’ Cats, Pies, Lions, Demons,…….,Freo, Dogs,Swans