LEADING sports medico Dr Peter Larkins expects Hawthorn defender James Frawley to spend at least six weeks on the sidelines with a pectoral injury.
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Frawley underwent scans on Monday and although results are not expected until Tuesday, Larkins forecast a lengthy time out of the game for the Ballarat export.
The scans will show whether Frawley requires surgery, but Larkins said the defender would be out of action for a while either way.
“I think we’ll learn that James has a high-grade tear of the pec major, which is the big muscle through the chest,” Larkins told AFL.com.au.
“The question will be what percentage the tear is, because that will determine whether he needs surgery.
“Most surgeons would decide to repair it if the tear is more than about 50 per cent of the tendon, so they will need to determine from the scan how much tendon he has left.
“But from the look on his face, I think he knew it was a pretty significant injury.
“You’re looking at six to eight weeks as the best-case scenario without surgery, while the recovery after surgery is usually in the 10-weeks-plus range.”
