Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
· collected 2026-09-04 · by Andrew Wu
Western Bulldogs midfielder Ryley Sanders describes the mood within the team as "traumatic" after star player Sam Darcy suffered an ACL tear, forcing them to adapt and learn how to play without him. The Bulldogs had a four-game losing streak after the injury, with several key players also injured during this period. Despite these setbacks, the team has since shown improvement and may have found a way to thrive in Darcy's absence. Sanders notes that while having Darcy on the field would make winning a premiership more likely, the team can still contend without him.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Ryley Sanders’ first emotion when he realised Sam Darcy had wrecked his knee was sadness.
asserted
Darcy → realise → knee
Once that initial heartache dulled, it soon became apparent to the third-season midfielder how much tougher this season would become for the Western Bulldogs.
asserted
season → dull → Bulldogs
“When you lose someone of Darce’s calibre, you know that it’s got to be harder to win a premiership,” Sanders told this masthead this week.
asserted
Sanders → lose → premiership
“We can definitely still contend without him.
asserted
We → contend → him
Obviously, having him would make it more likely.”
As far as injuries go, few hit a club harder than an ACL tear to a star key forward.
asserted
few → have → forward
Unlike midfielders, their scarcity makes them nigh on impossible to replace.
asserted
them → make → midfielders
In the weeks after Darcy’s injury, the Bulldogs had the look of a team that was learning how to play the game again.
asserted
that → have → game
The Bulldogs may finally have unlocked the formula to not only cope without Darcy but, at times, thrive.
uncertain
Bulldogs → unlock → times
It has come in the nick of time.
asserted
It → come → time
Luke Beveridge’s men were the flavour of the month in the heady days of March after beating three of last year’s finalists in their first three games.
asserted
men → beat → games
Just weeks later, their season was spiralling amid a four-game losing streak where heavy defeat was compounded by injuries to their spine.
asserted
defeat → spiral → spine
Ruckman Tim English hurt his knee on Easter Sunday against Essendon.
asserted
English → hurt → Essendon
Then came the disaster in Geelong when Darcy ruptured his ACL, skipper Marcus Bontempelli hyperextended his knee, midfield heartbeat Tom Liberatore was concussed and key defenders Rory Lobb and James O’Donnell strained hamstrings.
asserted
Lobb → come → hamstrings
The following week, key forward Aaron Naughton landed on his head attempting a speccy.
asserted
Naughton → land → speccy
He was fortunate to escape without any structural damage to his neck.
asserted
He → escape → neck
“We went through a pretty traumatic period after the Geelong game,” Dogs coach Luke Beveridge said this week.
asserted
Beveridge → go → game
While fans in the stands mourned the loss of a star player for the year, the human element was felt inside the locker room.
asserted
element → mourn → room
“Losing him as a player is very sad, it’s more the person he is,” Sanders said.
asserted
Sanders → lose → player
“He’s such a great guy.
asserted
He → ’ → ?
He’s such a loving teammate for everyone.
asserted
He → ’ → everyone
He gives the time of day for everyone.
asserted
He → give → everyone
He’s such a presence around the club.
asserted
He → ’ → club
“Everyone was a bit just devastated for him because he puts so much work into his craft, and he’s such a competitor.
asserted
he → devastate → craft
I think the way he was training in the preseason, everyone was like ‘Oh, this bloke’s ready to absolutely explode’.
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bloke → think → preseason
“To lose him was pretty devastating, but it’s good that he’s on the road back now.”
asserted
he → lose → road
Darcy’s absence on the field was just as keenly felt.
asserted
absence → feel → field
From rounds one to six, the 208 centimetre forward was the most targeted Bulldog inside 50m – by a considerable margin – with 26.8 per cent of all entries aimed at him, ahead of Naughton at 17.1 per cent.
asserted
cent → target → cent
“Losing Darce up forward was a big one, just because he’s such a presence, and a lot of our entries go to him.
asserted
lot → lose → him
So we were kind of learning how to play without him.
asserted
we → learn → him
We had to learn a few different things,”Sanders said.
asserted
We → have → ?
Naughton sent shockwaves through the Bulldogs camp after his frightening fall against Sydney in late April.
asserted
Naughton → send → April
Fans had their hands to their head in shock as Naughton lay motionless on Marvel Stadium while medical staff carefully loaded him onto a stretcher.
asserted
staff → have → stretcher
“I think most of the boys were a bit rattled,” Sanders said.
asserted
Sanders → think → boys
“You always think the worst.
asserted
You → think → worst
I remember being right there.
asserted
I → remember → ?
I was like, “F---, you just hope he’s OK.
asserted
he → hope → ?
Remarkably, Naughton lined up the following week.
asserted
Naughton → line → ?
It has not affected how he plays.
asserted
he → affect → ?
He still throws himself into marking contests.
asserted
He → throw → contests
Months down the track, he can see the funny side.
asserted
he → see → side
…and 27 more, not listed.
