Port Adelaide veteran Esava Ratugolea has suffered a serious knee injury during what was shaping up to be one of his finest AFL performances. The 27-year-old's right knee buckled as he attempted to leap into a marking contest during the third quarter of Saturday night's clash against Collingwood at the MCG.
Immediate distress on the field
Ratugolea was clearly in significant pain immediately after the incident. Teammate Ewan Mackinlay also sustained an ankle injury in the same play, but the most serious concerns centered on Ratugolea, who had been instrumental in repelling Collingwood's attacks throughout the match.
Commentator Mark Howard described the situation as "a disaster for Port Adelaide" on Fox Sports. Jack Riewoldt lamented the "heartbreaking scenes," noting that Ratugolea was in the midst of "one of the best games of his career."
"He's still writhing in pain," the Richmond great added.
As replays aired, it became evident that Ratugolea's knee had given way as he rose for the contest. David King remarked, "This is awful, he's in terrific form at the moment. It is so sad. Unfortunately it looks like a severe knee injury."
Earlier injury blow for Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide had already been dealt a blow earlier in the game, with Jack Lukosius sidelined due to a calf injury. The loss of Ratugolea compounds the team's injury concerns as they assess the extent of the damage.
