Dogs star cleared of ACL tear but still faces indefinite recovery as ‘significant’ injury confirmed (2025)

Sam Darcy has avoided the dreaded ACL rupture but will still be sidelined indefinitely following the Bulldogs’ emphatic 71-point win over St Kilda on Sunday night.

Darcy will still miss an indefinite period with what the club says is an ‘impaction fracture’ at the front of the knee, with ‘associated ligament damage’ at the back of the knee.

A definitive timeline will ‘in the coming weeks’ be set for the emerging superstar, who went down early against the Saints as fans across the league held their breath in hopes he avoided the worst.

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“The Western Bulldogs can confirm that scans have cleared Sam Darcy of an ACL rupture,” the club revealed in a statement on Monday.

“The 21-year-old has suffered an impaction fracture in his left knee, with associated ligament damage.”

Bulldogs head of sports medicine Chris Bell said: “Scans have cleared the ACL of damage but confirmed that he has suffered a significant knee injury with an impaction fracture at the front of his knee and associated ligament damage at the back of his knee.”

The club added it is “expecting that surgical management is required to repair this injury, with a definitive timeline to be set in coming weeks.”

The 21-year-old key forward winced in pain after hyperextending his left leg at the back end of the opening quarter at Marvel Stadium, having come down awkwardly from a marking contest inside the Western Bulldogs’ forward 50.

“He was in real pain, real pain,” Melbourne great Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy commentary as Darcy awaited medical assistance.

“Let’s hope for the best here, but just the way he grabbed it… we’re not doctors, of course. Just hope everything’s okay there.

“It’s a hyperextension then when he lands (on) his left knee.

“This is a generational talent, and every one of those Bulldogs players, supporters and footy lovers in general would be hoping for the best for that young man — that’s all we can do.”

Darcy notably struggled when leaving the field of play and was heavily aided by physios before going straight down into the changerooms.

The 208cm tall was subbed out minutes later, and replaced by second-game sub Cooper Hynes.

322-game great Nick Dal Santo provided an update on Darcy at quarter time.

“We’re unclear how bad that knee injury is for Sam Darcy,” Dal Santo told Fox Footy.

“We know how important he has been for this Western Bulldogs team in the early stage of this year, (and) we know what this guy is capable of. This will have a huge ramification for the rest of this game.”

At half time of the clash, Western Bulldogs General Manager of Football Matt Egan told Seven that Darcy and the club were preparing for the worst.

“The medical staff are pretty concerned at this stage, they’re fearing the worst,” Egan said.

“It looks like a possible ACL, but we’re just going to have to wait until tomorrow and get scans to confirm … Until we get scans, it’s hard otherwise say too much.”

Darcy had kicked 14 goals from five games so far this season, asserting himself as one of the competition’s best emerging key forwards alongside Adelaide’s Riley Thilthorpe and Fremantle’s Josh Treacy.