Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith is ready to overlook all the 2024 AFL season after sustaining a critical knee damage at coaching.
Key factors:
- Scans confirmed Bailey Smith had injured his ACL after an incident at coaching on Wednesday
- Smith is out of contract after 2024 with a lot hypothesis surrounding his future
- Fremantle ruck Sean Darcy penned a recent six-year contract with the Dockers, fending off curiosity from rival golf equipment
The 23-year-old midfielder was harm halfway by means of a coaching session on Wednesday, with scans confirming injury to an anterior cruciate ligament.
“We’re all extraordinarily disenchanted for Bailey and empathise with him enormously,” Bulldogs soccer director Chris Grant mentioned.
“All the membership will rally round him throughout this troublesome time as he begins his rehab journey.”
Smith is out of contract on the finish of 2024 and has been the topic of hypothesis a couple of transfer away from the Bulldogs.
Hawthorn and Geelong have been most strongly linked to the midfielder, who endured a troublesome run of type halfway by means of 2023.
It sparked fierce exterior criticism and a powerful defence from Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge.
Smith had struggled to interrupt right into a star-studded midfield boasting prolific ball-winners Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore, Adam Treloar and Jack Macrae.
Smith not too long ago linked up with Collingwood star Nick Daicos in the USA and is likely one of the most marketable figures within the AFL, boasting an Instagram following of greater than 340,000.
He has a powerful connection to youthful followers, having beforehand spoken about his psychological well being battles within the highlight.
Darcy commits long-term to Freo
In the meantime in WA, Fremantle have fought off sturdy curiosity in Sean Darcy from rival AFL golf equipment, signing the ruck star to a six-year contract extension.
Victorian product Darcy had been within the sights of golf equipment in his dwelling state, most notably Geelong, and would have been a free agent on the finish of subsequent 12 months.
However the 25-year-old has dedicated his long-term future to the Dockers with a deal that runs by means of till the top of 2030.
Fremantle missed the finals final season — a poor consequence contemplating their semi-final look a 12 months earlier — however Darcy is worked up by the membership’s future.
“We simply have to get caught into it and I am unable to look ahead to the season to start out,” he mentioned.
“I’ve bought full perception in our staff, our listing and what we’re constructing and every little thing going ahead.
“We had a little bit of a disappointing 12 months final season and we’re not shying away from it.
“Everyone seems to be on board that we should be higher, we have to enhance and we have to enhance shortly.
“We’re making an attempt to get one of the best out of one another and we’re working laborious day-after-day to push one another, so it is actually thrilling.”
AAP
