Luckless St Kilda defender Hunter Clark has suffered one other severe facial hurt after a sickening collision with Saints teammate Dan Butler.
The 23-three hundred and sixty five days-dilapidated broke his nose on Friday evening, taking some of the gloss off a foremost plan shut for St Kilda in opposition to Carlton.
Clark turned into as soon as taken off on a stretcher with lawful seven minutes last, with the Saints grinding out a 14.9 (93) to 10.18 (78) victory in a classic contest at Marvel Stadium.
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The broken-down No.7 draft do away with has persevered a sad trot with hurt and potentially the most up-to-date setback might perchance well sideline him for one other foremost length.
It turned into as soon as lawful Clark’s third sport aid after suffering a shoulder hurt throughout the pre-season series.
He suffered a broken jaw in June 2021 after being on the end of a bump from retired Adelaide midfielder David Mackay, sidelining him for six weeks.
Clark managed to plan shut half in the crew song nonetheless Saints coach Brett Ratten expects him to miss a necessity of weeks.
“Hunter’s purchased a broken nose, have of a compound rupture advance by, it be reasonably grotesque,” Ratten stated.
“He’s had a gruesome trot.
“He’s set his head in some gruesome spots and been cleaned up and it doesn’t in most cases occur in the sport.
“He’s audacious, tricky, he’s finished all the pieces and he’s potentially a player who turned into as soon as down slightly bit (in opposition to Carlton) nonetheless chanced on a approach.
“He’ll accept as true with to rep some X-rays and detect what’s subsequent for him and if there is a transform of the nose, because it be not in gargantuan shape.”
Butler turned into as soon as assessed for concussion following the incident nonetheless escaped any severe hurt and might perchance well play in opposition to Fremantle subsequent Saturday evening.
But key defender Dougal Howard might perchance well join Clark on the sidelines after being subbed out in the third quarter with a knee hurt.
Ratten fears Howard might perchance need suffered some cartilage hurt and the 26-three hundred and sixty five days-dilapidated can accept as true with scans to discover the extent of the hurt.
It turned into as soon as a memorable victory for the Saints, after getting into the match following three-straight defeats to drop open air of the pinnacle-eight.
However the victory over one other finals contender affords St Kilda a do away with in their probabilities of that contains in the put up-season for lawful the 2d time since 2011.