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Fremantle captain Alex Pearce will avoid surgery and return to pre-season training after scans confirmed a partial Achilles tear and calf strain from the grand final loss to Brisbane.
Fremantle Dockers captain Alex Pearce will avoid surgery and is expected to return to training in the pre-season after scans confirmed a partial tear of his right Achilles tendon and a significant calf strain.
Pearce Avoids Surgery After Injury Scans
The injury occurred in Saturday's dramatic AFL grand final loss to Brisbane. Pearce was forced off in the third quarter after going down while chasing the ball, limping from the field in pain before quickly being ruled out for the remainder of the match. The Dockers went on to suffer a seven-point defeat.
There had been fears a full tear could have ended the 31-year-old's career, with a complete rupture and extended time on the sidelines likely raising questions about his future. Initial fears suggested Pearce could miss the majority of next season. Fremantle football manager Joe Brierty said Pearce's prognosis was promising.
"Thankfully Alex has not had a complete rupture of his Achilles tendon and he will not require surgery," Brierty said. "Scans have revealed a partial tear of his Achilles tendon and also a significant calf strain. " Brierty added that the club's performance health team will continue to consult specialist advice and assess the timeline for Pearce's rehabilitation program.
Pearce tried to remain upbeat on the bench during the match, but cut a dejected figure after the final siren as the Dockers missed out on their maiden premiership. The positive news comes after a heartbreaking week in which Fremantle fell devastatingly short of its first flag, giving up a 17-point lead in the final four minutes as the Lions claimed three straight premierships for the second time in club history.
Nathan Broad Linked To Fremantle Opportunity
The good news for Pearce could be bad news for retired premiership hero Nathan Broad, who has been linked to the Dockers. Broad has not closed the door on continuing his career and would listen to offers from the Dockers or Eagles.
"He did retire from Richmond, but he is open at the right opportunity to playing on," 7NEWS chief AFL reporter Mitch Cleary said on The Agenda Setters. "I just wonder whether if Fremantle's scans come back worse than first expected for Alex Pearce, whether he sits by the phone and waits for a call from the Dockers as a ready-made replacement at Fremantle.
" Tom Morris added: "Surely it's exactly what the Fremantle Dockers need, particularly if Alex Pearce is out for next year. If you're a team contending, you need depth in every single position. So Nathan Broad, he's been around successful environments, three-time Premiership player. Depth probably wouldn't cost him a lot.
It'd be a no-brainer.
Dockers Fans Await Post Grand Final Response
" It also comes as the Dockers confirmed they would not be holding any public events to thank fans for their support, with Brierty defending the decision on 102.5 ABC Perth. "From our perspective we'll still celebrate the year and I'm sure all our members and fans will," Brierty said.
"But right here and now our focus is on making sure that we exit the right way and prepare ourselves to have a really strong pre-season, and that starts with making sure we've set the players up for the off-season. " Fans took to 102.5 ABC Perth to voice their disappointment about the loss while also praising the team for its stellar season. "We've got to thank them for the wonderful season they've had," one supporter said.
Another supporter fondly recalled greeting the players in 2013 at Subiaco Oval after their grand final loss that season, saying "it was really joyous.
" Four-time grand finalist and ABC football expert Sharrod Wellingham said greeting the fans after Saturday's loss would have been a nice gesture. "It's a little thing, but it would've meant a lot to so many, don't you think? " Wellingham said. The Fremantle Dockers return to Western Australia to cheers and love from a small group of fans, as supporters ponder the grand final loss.
7NewsSydney
abcnews:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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