PROMISING young Carlton forward Tom De Koning will visit a specialist on Tuesday after suffering a knee injury in a VFL practice match earlier this week.
De Koning, 19, had been among the standouts for the Northern Blues in Thursday afternoon’s clash against Richmond at Punt Road, before limping from the field just prior to three-quarter time.
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He had undergone structural checks to his ACL with medics immediately after the incident, though the club’s worst fears were eased following scans on Friday morning.
They instead determined a moderate grade lateral ligament injury, with the athletic 201cm youngster to visit a specialist early next week to determine a timeframe for his return.
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De Koning had dominated the early stages of the practice match, winning eight disposals and taking three contested marks playing as a ruck in the first term alone.
He finished with two goals for the match, though didn’t return to the game in the final quarter.
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The 30th pick in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft, De Koning had impressed Carlton coaches over the summer after earning his senior AFL debut late last season.
His encouraging development across the club’s pre-season followed an impressive maiden campaign that was rewarded with a two-year contract extension.
