Geelong Cats players Lachie Henderson, Harry Taylor no closer to return; better news for Cory Gregson; Gary Ablett, Nakia Cockatoo uncertain

Ben Jensen 18 April 2018 Geelong’s injury hit season isn’t getting any better with Lachie Henderson the latest to have a downgrade after having further surgery. The club stubbornly won’t put so much as a range on most of the injuries such as Gary Ablett, Nakia Cockatoo and Harry Taylor but has indicated that Henderson, who had an operation this week, won’t be playing until ‘later in the season’. In better news Zach Tuohy will play his 150th game against Port Adelaide on Saturday night at the Adelaide Oval. The Irishman was recruited from Carlton at the end of 2016 and immediately made an impression for his work as a defender and also as a goalsneak, taking that mantle from retired Andrew Mackie.

On the weekend Cory Gregson injured his left foot, diagnosed as a ‘midfoot sprain’ with no prognosis publicised yet for a return though the club did say he will be able to resume weight bearing within the week. Gregson missed all of season 2017 with a different injury, a navicular bone, that he picked up in 2016. Cats football boss Simon Lloyd: “Cory is in good spirits with a positive mindset, he will begin weight bearing on the foot over the coming days which is a great outcome.”

On Henderson, Lloyd had this to say: “Lachie’s knee surgery went as expected. We believe this will allow him to return to football later this year. Lachie continues to remain focussed on doing all he can to get back to football and will work closely with the club’s medical team on the next steps in his rehab.” Last Friday Cats Coach Chris Scott admitted he and the club got it wrong on Henderson, saying he had turned the corner: “I’m not sure I got that right that he’d turned the corner.” Henderson originally had an operation on his knee last year, not a reconstruction, and has had a roller-coaster time trying to get back.

Without the injured talls Taylor and Henderson the Cats backline, already adjusting to life without retired Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan, is very undermanned and that’s set to continue. Their absence is giving Jake Koladjashnij, now with 51 games under his belt, along with utility Mark Blicavs opportunities to hold down the key defender roles. It is also at times really exposing younger defenders such as Zach Guthrie who memorably had to man up on Jarryd Roughead at key moments of the round 2 Easter Monday clash with Hawthorn. Against St Kilda on the weekend it wasn’t a worry.

In the VFL Timm House has been playing down back and may be brought into the AFL side soon enough. Meanwhile it’s Tom Stewart, Tuohy, Blicavs, Koladjashnij, Jed Bews, Zach Guthrie, Jack Henry holding the fort, with Jackson Thurlow remaining on the outer in the VFL though he has been on the emergency list of late.

Taylor appears to be facing up to a couple months on the sidelines but there’s nothing official – at this stage he’s only able to ‘walk laps’. Ablett’s recovery from his hamstring injury in Perth is on its way but we don’t expect him to play for a few weeks given his recent history. Cockatoo similarly has no prognosis published with his knee (PCL) complaint – but might be back before Ablett – unless he’s also got a non-reported hamstring issue.

St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton who collapsed on the field on Sunday against the Cats will miss one or two weeks, according to the ABC after undergoing heart tests. Saints footy boss (and former AFL footy boss before the sex scandal last season) Simon Lethlean said they still weren’t sure what had happened but they were looking into it: “It could be a viral issue, it could be anything but obviously the heart is what is going to be looked at.”

Latest official Geelong injury list (Also see here):

Gary Ablett Hamstring 2-5 weeks
Aaron Black Shoulder TBC
Nakia Cockatoo Knee (PCL) TBC
Cory Gregson Foot TBC
Cam Guthrie Ankle 6-8 weeks
Lachie Henderson Knee Indefinite
Lincoln McCarthy Quad 1-2 weeks
Quinton Narkle* Knee 4-6 weeks
Sam Simpson Knee Test
Harry Taylor Foot Indefinite

Dylan Roberton has been helped from the ground after collapsing on the field.

He’s being assessed by the doctors now.#AFLCatsSaints pic.twitter.com/Ud9FPQ1kwq

— AFL (@AFL) April 15, 2018