The Western Bulldogs’ campaign ended without finals football – and within two days of Gold Coast’s win, sealing their fate, three of the club’s biggest names were in hospital.
Ed Richards, Sam Darcy and Aaron Naughton all underwent shoulder reconstructions on Friday, drawing a line under a season in which they carried injuries for months.
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The club confirmed all three are expected to make full recoveries before Christmas, though the rehab period could stretch to 16 weeks. Richards, who was named All-Australian for the first time this week, required a Latarjet procedure barely 24 hours after collecting his blazer.
A year of highs and pain
For Richards, the operation capped a remarkable individual year. The 26-year-old signed a five-year extension mid-season and finished as Champion Data’s No.2-rated player in the competition. His All-Australian nod came alongside teammates Marcus Bontempelli and Bailey Dale, the latter also going under the knife earlier this week for a broken wrist.
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Darcy’s surgery followed a campaign disrupted by a knee fracture, yet the 21-year-old still managed to impress enough for selection in the extended All-Australian squad.
Naughton, meanwhile, fell just short of that recognition despite booting a career-best 60 goals, a tally that underlined his importance even while nursing a damaged shoulder.
Dale now faces up to three months out, denying him his usual off-season golf, while Cody Weightman has jetted off to Europe as he continues his own recovery from a complex knee injury. Out-of-contract midfielder Adam Treloar will line up for Footscray in the VFL this weekend, chasing an extension after a year wrecked by calf strains.