Roos lose Larkey for season, confirm two AFL debutants
But as Larkey's season ended, the Kangaroos confirmed Geordie Payne and Cooper Trembath would make their AFL debuts against the Saints.
The brilliant goalkicker has had several PCL troubles this year and was in a brace as his side trained on Friday.
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson said Larkey's latest setback had shifted his focus towards next season.
'That's why I was so disappointed post game with the attention he got in that marking contest,' he said.
'He'll miss the rest of the season unfortunately. PCLs are difficult injuries to manage but when you crunch your knee into the ground like he did in that marking contest, there was only going to be damage.
'We've just got to look after that now, put him in a brace which you would've seen him in today and get himself right for next year.'
Clarkson defended Larkey post-game on Sunday, suggesting he was not protected enough in the marking contest.
'You get hit in the middle of the back like that, we're meant to be there to protect the ballplayer, aren't we? Struth,' Clarkson said.
Nick Larkey leaves the ground in visible pain last week. Picture:But on Friday, a much more measured Clarkson retracted his comment, saying the emotion and care for his star forward got the better of him.
'I reflected afterwards, I was just so disappointed for him and disappointed for us knowing full well as soon as he hobbled I knew what had happened,' he said.
'I was sort of disappointed in myself a little bit … that I didn't let him know that leading at flat-out pace with defenders chasing was going to put him at the most risk.
'We deal with these sorts of things all the time in terms of players who have to combat injury or put themselves at risk or not in games.
'I don't think he necessarily had to run flat out, full on, someone else could've ran into that space.
'Afterwards, you just feel so much emotion that your captain of the day and one of your leading players … it just got the better of me in the post-match.'
The Kangaroos will unveil Payne, the top selection in the 2024 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft who has kicked 10 goals in his past two games in the VFL, including six against Sandringham last weekend.
Trembath, 19, was picked up from the club's VFL program with the 10th overall selection in this year's Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
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