West Coast Eagles co-captain Oscar Allen suffered a non-contact lower leg injury. The 28-year-old departed the field in the last term of the Dockers’ clash with Carlton at Perth Stadium. An announcer’s repeating questioning of a player’s condition caught audience members’ attention when Allen collapsed unexpectedly, falling to the ground. With no defenders around, he wasn’t able to step down on his left side. Sadly for the Eagles, it was not to be, with Carlton winning 12.14 (86) to 7.10 (52).
Early indications point to Allen suffering a plantaris muscle injury. West Coast’s new coach Andrew McQualter is hopeful Allen will be fine. Whatever the case, O’Malley has reason for optimism, as he doesn’t believe that this injury is serious.
He’ll be doing all right getting through the next two weeks, McQualter said. The coach cautioned against lax oversight in these circumstances. Then he shared what seemed to be the primary concern, saying, “It’s always troubling when someone goes down like that off the ball. Our medical team just said we’ve avoided all the worst case scenarios and we’ll work through what’s next.
Match Recap and Performance Highlights
In the game against Carlton, Oscar Allen was heavily involved before his injury and looked really good. He was instrumental in improving the entire team’s play as they faced their most daunting opponent. Harley Reid was making news, going to war for West Coast, collecting 28 disposals and laying five clearances in what was a dominant performance. Reid’s performance may come under scrutiny due to a swinging elbow that connected with Carlton’s Lachie Fogarty in the first half.
In the end, West Coast and Carlton traded punches like heavyweight champs. Injuries to important players for both teams quickly turned the tide of the game. In addition to Allen, Carlton’s Charlie Curnow went down with injury – a calf complaint – that saw him miss the second half.
“It’s not a calf or a hammy. It might be a plantaris, that’s what we think at the moment.” – Oscar Allen
Future Outlook for Allen and the Team
Even as the West Coast begins to face its new reality and next obstacles, McQualter is optimistic about Allen’s recovery and timeline. The coach’s comments suggest that prudence is warranted. Still, despite this most unfortunate of circumstances, he says he expects Allen back in training and game action very soon.
Curnow’s faith in his recovery is impressive and unshakeable. He remains excited to get back on the field for more competitive matches, despite his recent injury.
“We’ll see how we go, but it looks like it’ll be pretty fine going through the next couple of weeks.” – Charlie Curnow
