Collingwood Magpies star’s career thrown into doubt due to severe injury
Collingwood Magpies star Jamie Elliott was on a 2-4 week timeline to return from a foot injury since Round 8. However, a recent update by the club has extended that timeline to six to eight weeks and announced that Elliott was on a modified training program as a result of his vascular issue.
This came after Channel 9’s Tom Morris reported on Footy Furnace that the 31-year-old was considering his future with the Collingwood Magpies.
“Collingwood are playing their cards very close to their chest, but there are people around Jamie Elliott at the moment who are doubtful whether he’ll be able to play football in the short term, the mid term or even again at all,” Morris said.
“They hope this is not the case. He’s contracted to the end of next year, but there are doubts around this vascular issue that appears to be affecting him.”
Former Collingwood Magpies gaffer gives update on Jamie Elliott's injury
Jamie Elliott played 24 matches for the Pies last year, kicking a career-high 39 goals to help the club pick the flag. But this season, the small forward has struggled with an injury that was later diagnosed as a vascular issue. His former coach, Nathan Buckley, was on SEN and spoke on the extent of the player's injury.
“The only thing I know about his injury is that he was coming off for a couple of weeks midway through a second quarter and couldn’t feel his foot,” Buckley said on SEN.
“He’d take his boot off and it (his foot) was black. That’s a concern, you know something’s not right. They were able to find the vascular issue, which is basically blood flow into and out of his foot.”
Buckley also said Elliott was not a stranger to long-term injuries and he alone remains the one who can decide whether or not it's time to hang his boots.
“He has had long-term injuries at different stages of his career and he’s withstood a great deal. He’s gone through that and become a premiership player … He’s been here before and he’s dug himself out ... Only time will tell with that, they need a bit more time than they’ve had.”
Despite being out of action since round eight, Elliott's 14 goals remains third most for his team this season. They face Melbourne next in the King's Birthday Clash next Monday without Elliott but will hope he returns as early as round 18, which is in line with Collingwood's projected date for him.