Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew says early indications suggest star midfielder Matt Rowell has avoided major damage to his injured left knee.
Rowell injured his left knee in the opening quarter of Sunday’s clash with West Coast when he was tackled from behind by Zac Langdon.
The force and momentum of the tackle meant Rowell’s left knee bore the full brunt of his fall, and he immediately headed to the change rooms for further assessment.
Rowell was subbed out of the game at quarter time, and he was later seen on crutches and wearing a big knee brace.
But Dew said the injury doesn’t appear as bad as first thought.
“It’s not serious, serious,” Dew told Fox Sports at halftime.
‘But it’s serious enough (that) it will keep him out, from what we can tell right now, for a few weeks. But we don’t think it’s anything too major.”
Scans will determine the exact nature of the injury and the extent of the damage.
The No.1 pick from the 2019 national draft was playing his first AFL match since suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in round five last year.
Rowell’s first four games of his AFL career had been so stunning that he was even being talked up as a possible Brownlow medal contender before the shoulder injury ended his debut campaign.