The West Coast Eagles will likely be without Luke Shuey for the last three qualifying games after the skipper suffered a double hamstring strain during the club’s 15-point win over Essendon, according to Craig Vozzo.
The general manager of football told SEN’s Dwayne’s World program that the club’s medical staff had been advised that Shuey incurred minor strains to his left and right hamstrings at the Gabba on Tuesday night.
Vozzo said Shuey cited “hamstring awareness” in his left leg before three quarter time but suffered a minor hamstring strain in his right leg during the fourth quarter.
“We got the scans back today and I spoke to the doctor about 45 minutes ago,” Vozzo said.
“It’s looking like it will be a 14 to 21-day recovery period, which will probably, given our fixture and Luke’s previous hamstring problems, it’s probably more leaning towards the 21-day mark which takes him out of the rest of the minor rounds but gives us enough time to get him fully ready for, hopefully, finals footy assuming we qualify.
“He had left hamstring awareness before three quarter time and we’ve had a few of these over the journey where we had the assessment whereby if needed he could play and it wouldn’t make the condition any worse. So we decided throughout the course of the game to put him back out there and it was just our luck he ended up having another minor strain but on the right side.
“He’s nursing low grade strains on the left and right side, but the silver lining to all of that is they’re both 21-day processes all up at the higher end.
“We’ve had a few of these that have gone our way around the last five or six weeks with different players and this one didn’t.
“We live and learn and move forward. In hindsight we would have made a different decision, that’s for sure.”
In more positive news, Vozzo was hopeful that dual all-Australian midfielder Elliot Yeo might be available for selection ahead of the finals.
He said the 26-year-old was on the mend from a groin injury and recently resumed a running program.
“I actually just came back from a session with the guys who weren’t selected for the senior game and Elliot took part with our rehab group and ran really well,” Vozzo said.
“He’s doing a cardio session now, so we’re building him now. Our aim is probably not (Sunday’s game versus the Western Bulldogs), more likely the North Melbourne game, which is round 18.”
The footy boss also provided a brief update regarding premiership forward Willie Rioli, revealing that West Coast’s legal team was in the process of preparing documentation for a hearing.
However, he said the club was yet to be advised when that hearing might be.
“We’re expecting that there’ll be a hearing later in the year and we are just working through the pre-hearing document side of things where you lodge the appropriate position and response,” he said.
“QC David Grace is handling that for us and for Willie. They are just in the middle of that paper trail and hopefully we’ll have a hearing date later in the year.”