Saints young gun suffers suspected ACL tear during match sim
ST KILDA young gun Nick Coffield has suffered a suspected ACL tear during match simulation at Mars Stadium on Friday morning.
The 22-year-old went down early in the session and immediately appeared in distress, clutching his right knee before being attended to by medical staff.
Play was brought to a standstill for five minutes while the young defender was helped off the ground in Ballarat.
Coffield is set undergo scans in Melbourne on Saturday morning, but there are grave concerns the defender will require a knee reconstruction, wiping out all of 2022.
"Early assessments from our medical team suggest it’s an ACL, but we’ll need to wait for scans to confirm the injury," chief operating officer Simon Lethlean said.
"This is obviously a really disappointing blow for Nick who has been showing positive signs all pre-season.
"Whatever the outcome, we know that Nick will attack his rehab with complete professionalism and the club will be supporting him every step of the way."
It is a devastating blow for the 2017 No. 8 pick who has been one of St Kilda's most impressive performers on the track this pre-season.
After finishing fifth in the 2020 Trevor Barker Award following a breakout season, Coffield struggled for consistency last year but impressed many inside RSEA Park with his dedication and looked set to take the next step in 2022.
https://www.afl.com.au/news/700864/saints-young-gun-suffers-suspected-acl-tear-during-match-sim