Unfortunate Collingwood forward Nathan Kreuger faces an extended spell on the sidelines this season following confirmation from scans that he has sustained a moderate-grade hamstring strain. The 24-year-old experienced the injury during a VFL scratch match against Richmond at Punt Road on Tuesday and promptly underwent scans.
This setback adds to Kreuger’s challenges, as he had undergone shoulder surgery at the start of the 2023 season due to an injury sustained toward the end of his 2022 campaign. Since joining Collingwood from Geelong at the end of the 2021 season, Kreuger has only managed seven senior games.
It seems unlikely that he will increase this tally in the early stages of the season, with reports from AFL Media’s Josh Gabelich suggesting he could be sidelined for up to six weeks.
Since his senior debut for Geelong in 2021, Kreuger has only featured in nine AFL matches, scoring four goals throughout his career, which has been consistently disrupted. Following the completion of their two pre-season matches, Collingwood will soon travel north to take on GWS in the league’s first Opening Round.