St Kilda’s prized AFL draft pick Max King feared the worst when he landed heavily on his reconstructed right knee.
But the news is good for King and the Saints, with scans confirming he has not ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament again.
While King also has a sore ankle and his AFL debut will be delayed, the outcome is much better than originally feared at Sunday’s VFL match.
“Hopefully I get back out there soon,” King said on Monday.
“It didn’t feel great – I just landed on it really poorly.
“But I guess it’s a good sign that the knee held up structurally.
“It was a bit of a scary moment though.”
King’s parents were at the game and were emotional after the incident.
The No.4 draft pick landed awkwardly in a marking contest during the first quarter of Sandringham’s clash with Werribee on Sunday afternoon at Trevor Barker Oval.
He left the field for assessment and was quickly sent for scans, which ruled out a fresh ACL tear.
King was playing his fifth VFL game back from the knee reconstruction and there was speculation before this setback that he would make his AFL debut in Saturday’s clash with Brisbane at Marvel Stadium.
“Obviously, we were concerned, based on his history, but it looks like it was more a jarred knee with no disruption to the previous graft,” Saints football chief Simon Lethlean told reporters.
“His parents were a bit concerned and emotional, as you would be.
“He’s a talented kid who’s had a strong 14 months of rehabbing to get himself right so, to get a bit of positive for the Saints, is good.
Star recruit Dan Hannebery had a solid hitout for Sandringham and should make his Saints debut against the Lions.
Western Bulldogs star Tom Liberatore has also escaped an ACL tear but will require exploratory surgery to determine the extent of cartilage damage from an incident in Saturday night’s thrilling win over Carlton.
Liberatore has undergone two knee reconstructions.