WARNING: GRAPHIC
Gold Coast Suns youngster Will Powell was stretchered off the field after suffering a sickening leg injury in a tackle against Adelaide.
Powell’s night came to an end in the third quarter of the Suns’ 18. 8. (116) to 10. 13. (73) win over the Crows at Metricon Stadium when his right leg was trapped under him in a tackle.
The 22-year-old screamed in agony immediately after the tackle, with cameras catching his right foot at right angles from where it usually is due to his leg being twisted.
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The unfortunate incident left the commentators covering the match as well as the players stunned, with the match stopped for more than seven minutes as Powell was carted off the ground.
“That is horrific! They’re going to have to stop play for that, surely. They need to get the stretcher out there and stop play,” Fox Footy’s lead commentator Dwayne Russell said immediately after noticing the injury as the play developed.
“Someone from the umpires’ department should radio through to them to stop play. That’s an awful injury,” Hawks great Dermott Brereton added.
“A tremendous fellow, a lovely young man, he’s developed into a terrific player for this team. That is horrific.
“We can still see the sole of the foot there, even from a distance, turned at right angles from where it should be. It’s a horrible sight. We all winced and gasped when we first saw it.”
Suns captain Jarrod Witts admitted the team went through a “lull” in the minutes that followed the shocking injury.
“It’s hard. Will’s such a good clubman (and) brings such good energy to our footy club and we love him,” Witts told Fox Footy after the match.
“Hopefully it’s not too bad, but it didn’t look too good. It was probably a lull there for a little bit after the injury, but we were able to get it back on our terms.”
Powell was one of two Suns injured in the match, with Connor Budarick suffering a hamstring injury in the third quarter.
The Suns remain in 11th position on the ladder with a 7-6 record after the win, just four points adrift of a maiden top-eight finish.