Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Nat Fyfe will not be returning anytime soon, with the Fremantle veteran suffering a massive setback as the extent of his hamstring injury was revealed, which could leave him short of an AFL milestone.
Fyfe limped off during Peel’s round two WAFL loss to South Fremantle, with the club confirming he had suffered a ‘moderate-grade’ hamstring strain.
While the 33-year-old avoided surgery, the Dockers confirmed on Tuesday it would still be a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
“Fyfey is going well. He’s begun his on-field running progressions, so he’s looking at about five to seven weeks,” high performance manager Merriman said.
It’s a huge blow to continue a frustrating year in what could be Fyfe’s final season in the AFL.
Having missed just one game last year, knee surgery in January saw Fyfe have to build up his fitness through the WAFL, while this latest setback will not see him return until at least after the round 13 bye.
It likely means Fyfe will miss out on becoming a 250-game AFL player with just 11 rounds left for a potential return, not accounting for a lack of match fitness.
Adding to the frustration is that Fyfe would have been in the frame for an AFL return this week with midfielder Jaeger O’Meara ruled out for an indefinite period with hamstring and foot issues.
“It was a bit of a difficult one for Jaeger — he’s had a little tweak of his hamstring and in the same incident he’s actually hurt his foot,” Merriman said.
“We are working through the scans and going through that process at the moment.
“We’ll know more in the next few days.”
Will Brodie is also missing with a calf strain, while veteran forward Michael Walters struggles to recover from a knee injury.
“Sonny (Walters) hasn’t quite made it on-field yet,” Merriman said.
“We’re hoping to get him there later in the week.”
