Port Adelaide veteran Esava Ratugolea has suffered a ruptured patella tendon in the midst of one of his best AFL games.
The 27-year-old’s right knee gave way as he moved to leap into a marking contest in the third quarter of Saturday night’s 6.15 (51) to 11.12 (78) defeat to Collingwood at the MCG.
Watch the video above: Port Adelaide rally around Esava Ratugolea after serious knee injury
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Ratugolea was immediately in clear distress while teammates Todd Marshall and Ewan Mackinlay were also down with ankle injuries.
But the most serious concerns surrounded Ratugolea, who had been crucial in repelling the Magpies throughout the contest.
“This is a disaster for Port Adelaide,” Mark Howard said on Fox Sports.
Esava Ratugolea left the MCG on a medicab. Credit: Getty Jack Riewoldt lamented the “heartbreaking scenes” amid “one of the best games of Ratugolea’s career”.
“He’s still writhing in pain,” the Richmond great said.
As the replays rolled it became apparent Ratugolea’s knee gave way on his way up into the contest.
“This is awful, he’s in terrific form at the moment,” David King said.
“It is so sad. Unfortunately it looks like a severe knee injury.”
Ratugolea left the field on a medicab to support from his teammates and a warm applause from the crowd.
He was later seen using a green whistle and wearing a brace on his knee as paramedics prepared to transport him to hospital.
The devastating injury comes after Ratugolea missed six weeks earlier this season following an arthroscopy to repair meniscus damage in the same knee.
Port trailed by 17 points at the time of his injury on Saturday night but play had only stopped after Collingwood’s Lachie Schultz won a free kick in the goal square.
He converted to extend what was quickly becoming an insurmountable lead for the visitors, with Mackinlay also ruled out for the rest of the game alongside Ratugolea.
Port had already lost Jack Lukosius to a calf injury earlier in the quarter.
The 25-year-old was playing his first AFL game since April after overcoming a groin injury.
Lukosius had been a key player as Port built an early lead over Collingwood but the visitors did not register another goal after kicking their sixth for the night at the 15-minute mark of the second quarter.
Port’s in-demand free agent Zak Butters was brilliant early, slotting a crucial goal from the pocket, but Nick Daicos and Jordan De Goey had him covered later.
Daicos was at his influential best with a game-high 41 disposals and nine clearances.
Stand-in captain with Darcy Moore and Brayden Maynard missing, Daicos also nailed a goal of the year contender when he soccered a Jordan Sweet spoil off the ground to inspire the Magpies.
Daicos and De Goey kicked three of Collingwood’s four goals in a surge late in the second quarter to ensure they only trailed by a point at half-time.
Veteran Tim Membrey kicked three goals for Collingwood in a welcome return to form, because the Magpies have struggled to fill the inside-50 void left by Jamie Elliott’s season-ending injury.
Collingwood will spend the night sitting 10th, but could have been stranded in 14th place had they been upset by the Power.
In Josh Carr’s first season as coach after succeeding the long-serving Ken Hinkley, Port have slumped to 15th with a 4-10 win-loss record.
— with AAP