Cats skipper to miss key upcoming games

PATRICK Dangerfield is likely staring at a few weeks on the sidelines but could be out for more than a month with a partially collapsed lung and a cracked rib, according to a leading sports medico.

Dr Peter Larkins expects the Geelong captain to miss anywhere between three and six weeks, saying to return in less than a month would be the “best case scenario”.

Dangerfield copped a heavy knock in marking contest in the second quarter of the Cats’ loss to Port Adelaide last week.

Despite playing out the clash, the 33-year-old couldn’t impose himself on the game as he did in the first quarter, with Chris Scott suggesting the Brownlow Medallist progressively seized up.

“It’s not unusual to miss anything up to six weeks. Three weeks would be a short recovery, some people with a very small amount of collapse in the lung [could return then],” Larkins told SEN.com.au.

“The sore rib is sore for four to six weeks, so the opposition will know that. The cracked rib, even without a collapsed lung, is an issue for a player playing who’s tackling and getting hit for a three to six-week period, but the collapsed lung adds the danger of another hit causing it to get collapsed.

“The fact he played on means it’s not a big collapse, but they can actually deflate a little bit more if he’d flown. Obviously the club knew that, hence the road trip back.”

Geelong had already ruled Dangerfield out for Thursday’s clash against Melbourne, but the club is yet to place their own timeframe on his return.

“The collapsed lung, it’s remarkable he played with that,” Larkins said.

“It’s a pretty tough effort. Obviously they needed him on the night and he did well.”

Dangerfield finished the game with 15 disposals, three clearances and a goal but was hospitalised in the aftermath.

But with the Cats’ season hanging by a thread, the skipper would have loved to deliver his side four points against the now ladders leaders.

Teammate Isaac Smith told SEN’s Crunch Time Dangerfield is, “as tough as I’ve ever played with.”

If Dangerfield misses three games, he won’t line up against Sydney or North Melbourne in the coming weeks.

Geelong plays Essendon, Brisbane and Fremantle in the weeks following.

The match against Port Adelaide marked Dangerfield’s first game in more than a month after taking six weeks off with a hamstring injury.

– SEB MOTTRAM/ SEN