The Adelaide Crows are anxiously anticipating the outcomes of medical scans for forward Josh Rachele, who suffered a concerning knee injury in the clash against the Demons.
During a contest for a mark against Demons standout Jake Bowey, Rachele landed awkwardly and seemingly hyperextended his left knee just before half-time.
Initial fears suggested that the 22-year-old could be facing an anterior cruciate ligament injury, a scenario that remains a possibility.
However, in a hopeful sign for the club, Rachele was able to jog off the field with assistance from trainers to undergo medical evaluation.
“We’re being cautious about making any sweeping statements because we simply don’t know,” Crows coach Matthew Nicks stated in the post-match conference.
“We won’t have clarity until he has a scan, but it raised enough concern for us to substitute him out.
“Without giving away any further details, we’re all hoping for the best.”
Josh Rachele of the Crows is being assisted by a trainer following his knee injury. Getty
Nicks admitted he had yet to speak to Rachele at the time of his press briefing but anticipated the young talent would be “rather disappointed”.
“We’ll stay optimistic and keep our fingers crossed,” he added.
The injury concern marked one of the few negative aspects for the Crows, who secured a 13.12 (90) to 11.11 (70) victory over their Melbourne rivals.
A steady start to the match saw the Crows take a three-point lead at quarter time, but an impressive 10-minute spell from the Demons quickly had the hosts trailing by 28 points within 10 minutes of the second term.
Adelaide rallied back thanks to sensational performances from Izak Rankine, who finished the game with five goals, and Taylor Walker, narrowing the deficit to just five points by half-time.
Despite their efforts to regain the lead twice in the second half, the Demons were unable to overcome their higher-ranked opponents.
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