Collingwood rising star Reef McInnes has suffered another major setback in his AFL career, tearing the ACL in his left knee just months after recovering from the same injury to his right knee.
The 23-year-old went down in the first quarter of Collingwood's VFL clash against Essendon on Friday, with scans later confirming the devastating diagnosis. This comes after he spent the past year rehabilitating a right ACL injury sustained in March last year.
Collingwood football boss Charlie Gardiner expressed the club's disappointment, stating: "Reef's injury is incredibly disappointing news, particularly given the commitment and hard work he has put in over the past 12 months to return from his right ACL. He's an outstanding character and has shown enormous resilience and positivity to get back to playing. While this is undoubtedly a difficult setback, our entire program will be behind Reef every step of the way during his recovery."
Before his first ACL injury, McInnes was poised to become a key pillar of Collingwood's defence alongside captain Darcy Moore. At the time of his initial injury, he was in the final year of his contract, but the club swiftly offered him a new deal that extended his stay until the end of 2027. That contract now provides some financial and career certainty as he embarks on another lengthy rehabilitation journey.
McInnes will now undergo surgery and begin the long road to recovery, with the support of the entire Collingwood organisation. The club has not yet provided a timeline for his return, but ACL recoveries typically take 12 to 18 months.
