Collingwood rocked by double season-ending blow amid Richmond's new revelation about Dustin Martin

Collingwood have lost both Jordan De Goey and Tom Mitchell for the rest of the AFL season in a huge double blow for the premiers. Scans confirmed on Sunday night de Goey sustained a high-grade hamstring strain in Collingwood's heart-stopping three-point victory over Carlton on Saturday.

The win saw the Magpies keep their flimsy AFL premiership defence alive but it came at a massive cost after de Goey was subbed off in the third quarter, in what turned out to be a season-ending moment. De Goey has been battling groin soreness for weeks and was again struggling with injury on Saturday night before leaving the ground.

And the club said on Sunday that scans revealed the midfield gun had suffered a hamstring injury that involved tendon damage, meaning the 28-year-old is facing a recovery period of about three months. "A hamstring, high-grade," Magpies coach Craig McRae said after Saturday's match. "I would have thought that's going to be difficult for him to play in the short-to-medium term. I've just been told it's high grade and obviously it's not great for him."

The injury soured what was an incredible night for Collingwood and veteran Scott Pendlebury, who celebrated his 400th game with a thrilling victory. And it got even worse on Monday when it was revealed that Mitchell will also miss the rest of the season.

Mitchell had his appendix out in recent days, after he was also hospitalised in May with appendicitis. The veteran midfielder hasn't played since Anzac Day when he was substituted out with a foot injury, and the club has now put a line through his name for the rest of 2024 amid ongoing struggles.

The Magpies led by 32 points early in the final term against Carlton but conceded the last five goals to give Carlton a shot to win it. Carlton defender Mitch McGovern had a chance to snatch a famous victory for the Blues but missed a shot at goal after the siren. The win leaves Collingwood just outside the top eight in 10th place with just three games to play - starting with Friday night's clash against fading ladder-leaders Sydney at the SCG.

Richmond coach still unclear on Dustin Martin's future

Meantime, Richmond coach Adam Yze admits a massive cloud still hangs over the future of three-time Norm Smith Medallist Dustin Martin, who returned for his first game in five weeks in the 23-point loss to North Melbourne on Saturday. The 33-year-old has been battling a back complaint and has failed to have much of an influence this season for the Tigers, who are on track to claim the wooden spoon after the loss to the Kangaroos.

Speculation around Martin's future has been rumbling on for weeks, amid numerous reports he could retire or join former coach Damien Hardwick at the Suns in 2025. Dusty's massive nine-year deal comes to an end after this season and Yze concedes he does not yet know what the veteran's future holds, beyond his side's final three games of the season.

“We’re in constant dialogue about how his body is feeling and how he’s going to finish off the season,” Yze said. “He’s committed to finishing off the season and whatever happens after that, will happen.” The Richmond coach says while he does not have a gauge about what Martin's future holds, it remains a regular topic of conversation at Punt Road.

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“(We are) always in ongoing talks (about Martin’s future). It was great to have him back (against North Melbourne) for some of our younger players to play beside him,” Yze said. “(The discussion is mainly) just around the fact that he’s got some energy to finish off the season. That’s all I can ask.

“There were some of the old Dusty moves today and he was a bit frustrated that he couldn’t finish off some of his work. He has had an interrupted couple of months so he got a little bit tired by the end. He’ll be better for the run. We’ve got an eight-day break leading into the St Kilda game so really looking forward to him playing his best.”

Richmond will need Martin and some of his premiership teammates to be at their best in the remaining weeks if they're to climb off the bottom of the ladder and avoid the dreaded wooden spoon. The Tigers have a favourable draw to see out the season, with games against St Kilda, Hawthorn and the Gold Coast still to come.

with agencies