Sydney defender Will Edwards has suffered a serious ankle injury in a horrific incident during the last quarter of Saturday’s win over St Kilda.
On a day of carnage, the Swans earlier lost James Rowbottom to a suspected fractured hand, Jack Silvagni suffered a dislocated shoulder and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera also came from the field with a leg issue.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Wil Edwards stretchered off after horrific injury
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The second-placed Swans trailed at every break in their clash at Marvel Stadium before mowing the Saints down 16.11 (107) to 13.10 (88), but their victory was overshadowed by Edwards’ shocking injury.
The key defender flew high for a mark but landed awkwardly on his leg. He also had blood pouring out the side of his head, but his right ankle had gone “sideways” in gruesome scenes.
“That’s gone sideways, that’s broken,” Jason Dunstall said on Fox Footy.
“That is a nasty one.”
Sydney defender Will Edwards’ lower leg injury marred the Swans’ fightback win over St Kilda. Credit: AAP
The crowd went silent as medical staff rushed onto the field to assist Edwards. He was given the green whistle for immediate pain relief.
Play was stopped for close to 10 minutes while he was loaded onto the motorised stretcher before he received a standing ovation from the everyone at the ground.
Edwards, 23, didn’t make his debut until this year after fighting his way back from a broken leg and a serious infection that threatened his career.
“I saw it on the screen, it was disgusting. I think in those moments you just come together and we wanted to do it for him in the end, and he got us over the line,” Chad Warner told Fox Footy after the stirring win.
Isaac Heeney added: “That’s one of the grossest ones I’ve seen.”
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera limped off the field and went down to the room during the lengthy break, but he was able to return to play out the match.
Silvagni came off late in the last quarter in all sorts of pain after dislocating his shoulder. He was later seen in the rooms speaking to his parents with his arm in a sling and the green whistle.
The injuries took the gloss off a solid win for the Swans, who kicked seven goals in the final term to overrun the Saints by 19 points.
Errol Gulden racked up 34 disposals and a goal for the Swans, while Logan McDonald booted four majors.
Charlie Curnow was blanketed for much of the day by Silvagni but finished with three goals, the last two coming after Silvagni’s injury.
Wanganeen-Milera shook off a hip concern from that Edwards collision to finish the match with 24 touches and three goals, while Max Hall also impressed with 23 disposals and three majors.
He was in everything early as the home side controlled proceedings to lead by nine points at quarter-time and 13 at halftime.
Turnovers were an issue for Sydney, who couldn’t lay a glove on St Kilda on the outside.
Swans superstar Isaac Heeney had just seven touches at the half, tagged effectively by Hugh Boxshall.
Heeney goaled either side of the main break with a pair of one-on-one wins against Boxshall to close the gap to five points, before the Saints responded with the next three, highlighted by Wanganeen-Milera’s classy snap out of congestion.
The Swans hit back and trimmed the deficit to 12 points when Gulden converted a free after the three-quarter-time siren.
From that point it was all Sydney, who won the final term 7.3 to 2.2.
McDonald jagged his fourth, Billy Cootee added another one, then Tom Papley put the Swans in front with a wonderful groundball gather and goal.
Heeney finally got off Boxshall’s chain late, while fellow big guns Curnow and Chad Warner lifted in the crunch.
Earlier, Rowbottom came from the field midway through the first term after an innocuous incident in the middle of the ground.
The tackling machine spent time with medical staff on the bench before being ruled out for the remainder of the match.
Rowbottom was left shattered on the sidelines.
“James Rowbottom is clearly not happy with a hand injury down on the boundary. He spent a lot of time talking to the doctors and trainers,” Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones shared.
“James Rowbottom is so dejected down here.
“He’s had a cuddle from Errol Gulden; he’s really struggling. He looks quite upset. Clearly in a lot of discomfort, and pretty frustrated.”
Rowbottom has played every games this season, playing an important role through the midfield and recently up forward.
He was coming off a brilliant performance against the Giants when he racked up 23 touches, 11 tackles and two goals.
— With AAP
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