The GIANTS’ key defensive stocks could face yet another test in the next month after co-captain Phil Davis injured his calf in his side’s 62-point win over Carlton at Spotless Stadium on Saturday.
The 25-year-old played no part in the second half against the Blues after pulling up sore in the second quarter, with key forward Jon Patton forced to replace him in defence.
Davis has been in terrific form in 2016 but has missed three games with a hamstring injury.
The GIANTS already have tall backmen Caleb Marchbank (ankle), Aidan Corr (ankle) and Tim Mohr (hamstring) on their injury list, although Marchbank and Mohr should be fit to return after next week’s mid-season bye.
The pair will have to work their way back through the NEAFL, and coach Leon Cameron said post-match that the results of scans taken in the next day or two will determine his game plan ahead of the GIANTS’ round 16 clash with Collingwood at home.
“It’s disappointing because in the last month or so Phil’s been up and down in terms of his injuries,” he said.
“We’ve probably got a bit of thinking to do, it all depends, I mean Phil (Davis) might be fine.
“Touch wood hopefully he is.
“I thought Jon (Patton) was really good when he went back there, he’s done that probably three times this year already as a key position back.
“That’s part of his development is being able to play two positions; key forward and key back.”
Star defender Heath Shaw had a tough game against the Blues for a different reason to Davis, with last year’s club champion shut out of the match by Carlton utility Simon White.
The usual backman played a defensive forward role on Shaw and limited him to just one kick in the first quarter, and 12 touches for the night.
It was the 2015 All Australian’s lowest possessions tally since round 15, 2014, but Cameron said he was still happy with the veteran’s contribution to the big win.
“I thought (Simon) White played some good footy, but I was really pleased that Heath (Shaw) stayed composed,” he said.
“The easy part is to move him straight away and roll him from the forward line to the backline, or come up with something else.
“Did he have as much of the ball as what he has in the past? No he didn’t, but I thought he had some really good, crucial moments.
“The good thing about it was that Zac Williams bobs up, Nick Haynes bobs up, Jon Patton bobs up, and I thought Heath dealt with it really well.
“It happened a couple of times this year and it hasn’t deterred Heath.
“You’re not always going to get it on your own terms, and that’s the challenge of fighting through those issues when they do come our way.”
In some better injury news for Cameron’s side, exciting forward Devon Smith got through his first game back from knee surgery in the NEAFL.
Smith played the second half of the GIANTS’ reserves win over Sydney University in Saturday’s curtain raiser and finished with 17 possessions.
