Morabito career hanging by thread
Injury ravaged Fremantle young gun Anthony Morabito’s career hangs in the balance after he was ruled out for the rest of the season as a result of severe bone bruising in his troublesome left knee.
And key defender Zac Dawson has suffered a blow in his bid to win a recall, breaking his right thumb for Peel against Claremont on Saturday, his first match of 2015 after recovering from a groin injury.
Morabito, 23, has had three knee reconstructions since his outstanding debut season in 2010 and is yet to play this year.
Fremantle have persevered with the luckless midfielder, who is out of contract at the end of the season, scouring the world for a solution to his injury woes. Coach Ross Lyon last night confirmed Morabito would not play in 2015, casting doubts over his future.
“I can talk about this year and that would be no,” Lyon told 3AW.
“I had lunch with him last Friday … He’s got some severe bone bruising as the result of everything that’s gone on, which I understand. (Melbourne-based knee surgeon) Julian Feller, who’s been superb with all our players, has said it will take time to settle.
“So when that settles he’ll get moving again and that’s really just where it sits at the minute. He won’t play this year.”
Morabito was a first-round draft pick in 2009, taken at No.4 overall, and played 23 matches in 2010 as the Dockers reached the second week of the finals.
He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December that year and has since had a long list of setbacks.
Morabito made a feel-good AFL comeback in round 16 last year and played two more matches at senior level. But he had his season ended by a cartilage injury picked up in a training mishap.
Morabito has had two lots of surgery on his left knee since then.
Dawson, 29, will have a pin inserted in his right thumb.
A similar injury sidelined West Coast ruckman Callum Sinclair for nearly two months earlier this year.
