Lions hopeful Daniher will avoid shoulder surgery

A public holiday in Queensland means the Brisbane Lions have to wait an extra 24 hours to confirm the extent of damage to Joe Daniher’s shoulder, but the club is hopeful he will only miss between four and six weeks.

Lions football manager Danny Daly said he was hopeful the star key forward would avoid surgery on the shoulder, which popped out twice during Sunday night’s win over the Sydney Swans.

“With the public holiday up here he won’t get scans until tomorrow [Tuesday] but we are hopeful and slightly confident it’s not too bad and doesn’t need surgery. Hopefully with strength work it might be four to six weeks, but we won’t know until we get the scans,” Daly said.

Joe Daniher is hoping to avoid surgery on his shoulder.Credit:Getty Images

He added there was some uncertainty whether the shoulder actually dislocated twice or only once. The first time it came out, or “subluxed”, Daniher came off and was treated by doctors, had his shoulder strapped up again and went back on the field.

He then felt it pop a second time but by the time he was seen by doctors it was back in again. Daly said the Lions decided with the game already in hand they would keep him off the ground as a precaution, but if the match had been more critical – a final – he could have gone back on after an injection.

Collingwood forward Nathan Kreuger popped his shoulder out in his first game for the club this season and missed two weeks, during which he did intensive strength work of the type Daniher would undertake if he avoids surgery. Kreuger returned and, in his second game back, the shoulder popped again. He has now had surgery and is out for the season.

Collingwood said at the time there was always a high probability he would re-injure his shoulder, but it was worth trying to avoid this scenario, and get by with strength work. The logic was that if the shoulder popped again it would just mean he then underwent the same surgery.

Other players have successfully been able to put off surgery until the end of a season with strength work on the muscles around the joint.

Daniher has been in good form for the second-placed Lions this year, kicking 19 goals in six games after a 46 goal season last year.

Youngster Jaxon Prior, whowas initially feared to have ruptured his ACL, appears to have suffered no structural damage to the knee and may only have suffered a corked muscle.

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