The Dubbo Demons’ loss to the Bathurst Bushranger Outlaws has been compounded further with Greg Sutton injured and potentially missing the rest of the season.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sutton went down in the second half of the match with an injured ankle and reports from the ground stated he heard a loud “crack” noise as he fell to the turf.
The ambulance was called and was at his side for a healthy portion of time before taking him away.
“I don’t think we’ll see him back for the year,” was co-coach Will Bunt’s early report immediately after the game.
“The ambulance is still here so that’s not a good sign but it will be a chance for someone else to step up.”
The Demons, who were without a host of players, were going for a seventh straight win but lost to the Central West AFL leading Outlaws by 61 points.
Despite the heavy loss, Bunt was still confident about his side’s chances in 2016.
“If we can get our strongest side on the paddock and have a good preparation we can turn this around and beat these fellas,” he said.
The Demons slipped to fifth on the CWAFL ladder following the loss but will start next weekend’s match against the Young Saints as heavy favourites.
The Saints had the bye last weekend but they remain second from bottom with just one win to their name.
The Orange Tigers also suffered a potentially huge blow in round 11, with their loss to the Bathurst Bushranger Rebels made even worse by a serious injury to captain Mick Rothnie.
Rothnie was forced from the field in the first quarter of Saturday’s 65-point thumping at the hands of the Bathurst Bushrangers Rebels and will have scans on his knee on Thursday to determine the extent of the damage but early report state it could be a medial cruciate ligament tear.
In that first term, the Tigers could only muster two points compared to the Rebels’ 30 and the Bathurst side kicked another 69 throughout the game to claim a 13-21-99 to 5-4-34 victory.
“It looks like it’s an MCL tear, but the scans will let me know how bad it is,” Rothnie said.
“We were just outclassed on Saturday. We were slow out of the blocks again and couldn’t match it with Bathurst in terms of skills or fitness.”
Michael Phillips, Scott Jablonkis and and Gareth Sutton all kicked multiple majors for the Rebels in Saturday’s win, which keeps the Bathurst side in third spot.
The Tigers are still sitting sixth but are 12 points adrift of the top four and with just seven regular season rounds remaining they’re in danger of falling of finals contention should they not string several wins together soon.