DUBBO CYMS winger John Grey has all but ruled himself out of playing again this season after undergoing knee surgery in Sydney last week.
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Renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr David Wood operated on the Group 11 and Western Division representative last Wednesday, removing a large section of articular cartilage that had become split behind the kneecap.
The post-surgery prognosis was that Grey, who has already missed three matches due to the injury, will require a minimum of another eight weeks out of the game, and with nine weeks remaining until the ladder-leading Fishies are potentially playing in a grand final, he knows he faces an uphill battle to play again in 2015.
“Even if we make the grand final it would be a big ask to be playing after having almost three months off. And I’m not sure I’d want a repeat of what happened in 2012,” Grey said, referring to his playing days at Macquarie when he carried a hamstring complaint into the Raiders’ grand final win over CYMS.
“I was touch-and-go to play that day and had to do two weeks of really full-on rehab to be there and the hammy went after five minutes.
“This is an injury where the only way it’s going to heal post-surgery is to give it time so there will be no miracle early comebacks. If we made the grand final I’d love to be out there obviously, and while I won’t say it can’t happen it’s fair to say I’m not likely to play again this year.
“If we don’t make the grand final then I’m no chance because the eight weeks ends on preliminary final weekend.
“The good thing is I’m only 26 and it’s not a destabilising injury like an ACL, but as it is now I need to look after it otherwise I run the risk of having bone rubbing on bone and needing a knee replacement down the track.”
Meanwhile Dubbo Macquarie also have one of their top players battling a nagging injury, with second-rower Perry Meredith again struggling with a shoulder complaint during Saturday’s 46-30 loss to Dubbo CYMS.
For the second straight game, Meredith failed to finish the match and was seen icing the injury prior to the full-time whistle being blown.
It’s a blow for the youngster, who has made a terrific comeback from a knee reconstruction that derailed his 2013 season and had been back to his hard-hitting and hard-running best prior to his latest injury.
