Kangaroo Flat's Tyrone Downie.
KANGAROO Flat coach Tyrone Downie will miss the Roos’ Bendigo Football League season-opener against Golden Square after injuring his knee at training.
Downie, in his second year as coach of the Roos, has suffered a grade two medial tear in his right knee.
“Round one is in a fair bit of doubt... I don’t think I will be getting up for that one,” Downie said yesterday.
“As much as I’ll be hoping and trying to play that first game, I don’t think it will be in the timeframe.
“But I’ll be hoping to play in round two after the week off.”
Kangaroo Flat and defending premiers Golden Square will kick off the 2013 BFL season when they meet at MyJet Oval on Good Friday, March 29.
The Roos then have the following week off before playing Maryborough at Beck Legal Oval in round two.
Downie, who has been restricted to just 32 of a possible 54 games over the past three seasons because of various injuries, hurt his knee doing competitive work at training.
“One of the boys fell across it and it just went the wrong way,” Downie said.
“I’ve had an MRI on it to get it checked out, and I’ll be in a knee brace for five more weeks.
“Then it will be a case of building up strength, getting into some sideways movement and changing direction, and once it feels strong again I’ll have a crack again.”
Downie was beginning to step up his pre-season training before suffering his latest setback.
“I didn’t do a heap of work leading into Christmas. My body was still fairly sore after last season, so I took it fairly easy leading into Christmas,” Downie said.
“But I hadn’t missed a night for three or four weeks and the body was starting to feel better, but unfortunately, these things happen.”
