Melbourne skipper Max Gawn predicts he will miss Saturday night’s crunch clash with Essendon due to a painful ankle injury.
Gawn hurt his right ankle late in the second quarter of Sunday’s 54-point win over West Coast and was substituted out of the game during the final quarter.
The injury occurred when Gawn went to kick the ball out of the centre and his foot instead cannoned into the body of West Coast young gun Harley Reid.
Demons coach Simon Goodwin played down concerns over Gawn in his post-match press conference.
But Gawn was on crutches at AAMI Park on Monday, wearing a moon boot on his right foot.
The 32-year-old has undergone scans to determine the extent of the damage.
Max Gawn gets his ankle treated during the win over West Coast.Credit: AFL Photos via Getty Images
“It’s pretty sore, I must admit. I woke up very sore. Obviously played the second half in a bit of distress,” Gawn told reporters.
“At this stage, I’m thinking that [I will miss], just because of how sore it is, but I’ve seen some stuff that the human body can do and it can certainly turn around pretty quickly.