Brisbane Lions defender Jack Payne suffered a significant knee injury while playing against the GWS Giants in Round 20 at the Gabba. In the process, fans suddenly feared that his season might be over. Payne’s first key moment was a challenged mark late in Q1. Unfortunately, it was his left leg that he landed on awkwardly, and he fell to the ground in agony, clutching his knee.
Medical personnel ran onto the field to take care of Payne, with the game being stopped while he held his knee. He left the field on a medi-cab as fans looked on in stunned silence. The early prognosis is that Payne has a ruptured patellar tendon. This life-threatening injury may force him off the field for the entire season.
In the wake of the incident, Brisbane released a public statement. Specifically, they agreed to the seriousness of the injury and agreed that additional testing is needed.
“He’s hurt his knee! Oh my goodness … He’s extremely concerned,” – Dwayne Russell.
Just as Payne’s injury played out, Brisbane could see the effects on their play. Aaron Cadman had a standout match, netting five goals and securing 13 marks, while Jesse Hogan capitalized on Brisbane’s situation by scoring six goals.
In addition to Payne’s injury, Darcy Gardiner is expected to withdraw from Sunday’s VFL game but is anticipated to return next week in light of Payne’s absence. Brisbane has already had a rough season, with Brandon Starcevich going down with a concussion injury in Round 1.
“We’ll keep our fingers crossed … but he does not look confident it’s a minor injury, Jack Payne, the way he’s reacted from that,” – Dwayne Russell.
The team is in second place overall in their league standings, with four matches remaining on their schedule. They could be displaced by Geelong later tonight.
Alastair Lynch commented on the nature of the injury, stating, “Oh it springs up. That mechanism is not one we like to see … that’s not good at all.” The Lions will need to quickly adapt to playing without one of their most dependable defenders as they navigate the rest of the season.
