Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says debutant Will Kelly has likely suffered a dislocated elbow but was hopeful he’s avoided sustaining a fracture.
Kelly, son of Pies premiership player Craig and brother of Adelaide defender Jake, kicked a goal with his first kick in AFL football but later fell heavily on his hand during a marking contest.
Despite what Buckley describes as a “bittersweet” night for the teenager, he confirmed Kelly would join his teammates in Perth next week ahead of their clash against Geelong.
“It is bittersweet (for Kelly),” Buckley told reporters post-match.
“He looked like he was enjoying himself and he was a part of a solid team performance…I think the early diagnosis is a dislocated elbow and we don’t know if we can rule out a fracture at this point but it seems like he may have escaped that.
“We’ll get a scan on (Saturday) morning and then we plan to fly him over to Perth and get whatever assistance we need over there.”
Collingwood are now three wins from six matches in 2020 ahead of next Thursday night’s blockbuster against Geelong at Optus Stadium, which will be played in front of up to 30,000 fans in Perth.