Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge says he isn’t sure veteran Dale Morris will play on next season after the defender’s recent wretched run with injury continued with a broken forearm against Gold Coast in Cairns.
Opposed to Suns’ skipper Tom Lynch in a marking contest during the second quarter, the 34-year-old fell awkwardly and immediately signalled to the bench in pain.
He ran straight off the ground, and took no further part in the game.
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Beveridge was visibly disappointed that luck had once again deserted his backline general, and he was wasn’t sure the 34-year-old would play on next year.
“It’s unfortunate, he’s been such a sensational player for a long time,” Beveridge said post-match.
“It’s a pretty serious injury, and obviously we doubt we’ll get him back for the rest of the year.
“Maybe (he’ll go on next year), we’ll have to work through that with Dale, and work out whether it’s right for him and for the club.
“We’ll get him right with his arm over the next few weeks and talk about those things a bit later.”
Watching on from the opposition coaching box was Rodney Eade, and the veteran mentor gave the highest praise to a player he valued highly in his time at the helm of the Western Bulldogs.
“He’s as good a player as I’ve coached, he’s been a superstar,” Eade said post-match.
“He’s beaten them tall, small, (shown) courage for his teammates.
“He’s a fantastic player, he’s got a lot of mental strength, really tough, so hopefully for his sake he’s got the will to go on next year.”
Morris’ latest mishap comes after he missed seven weeks with a broken leg sustained in round one against Collingwood.
He also missed the round 12 loss to Sydney with an ankle concern.
Those setbacks are minor compared to a broken right tibia Morris received in round 21, 2011. That horrific injury forced him to miss the whole of the 2012 season.
LB: It's pretty disappointing to lose Moz tonight, its a pretty serious type of injury. It's unlikely that we'll see him again this season.
— Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) July 22, 2017