ANGUS Brayshaw's pre-season has taken a hit with the Melbourne midfielder straining a ligament in his left elbow.
The 24-year-old injured his arm while attempting to smother a kick at training last week and will be confined to an elbow brace for at least the next week
That is a stack of padding on the left arm for Angus Brayshaw pic.twitter.com/PQ4F88FRpd
— Pete (@aflratingsPete) January 26, 2020
Brayshaw was able to run at Demons training on Monday morning but will be away from the main group for several weeks as he builds strength in his arm.
It is a blow for Brayshaw as he attempts to improve on a quiet 2019 season where he finished eighth in the Demons' best and fairest after a third-place finish in the 2018 Brownlow Medal.
He is set to miss the Demons' Marsh Community Series opener against Adelaide on February 22 at Casey Fields but is still expected to depart with the rest of his teammates for the club's pre-season camp in Maroochydore later this week.
"Angus attempted to smother a kick during a match simulation drill on Friday, and scans have showed there is some moderate ligament damage to his left elbow," Melbourne's football manager Josh Mahoney told Melbourne Media.
"Angus will be wearing a protective device on his left arm, which is part of the management of the injury. We anticipate he will resume full training in approximately four weeks but will be able to continue his running program during this time.
"We are confident this is only a minor setback in his overall program."
Defender Steven May trained away from the main group on Monday as he continues to recover from the knee surgery he had earlier this month.
The Demons have two list spots available in the Pre-Season Supplemental Period (SSP) after Aaron Nietschke's latest ACL setback.
One spot had been slated for former Docker and Sun Harley Bennell, however his position remains unconfirmed after he suffered a calf setback last week.
"Last week, Harley strained his left calf while completing a rehab session," Mahoney said.
"We were well aware of the challenges that Harley was going to face being introduced back into an AFL program and whilst this is disappointing news, we were prepared that there would be hurdles along the journey.
"This was always a long-term process and Harley's program will be modified accordingly."
