DARLEY star Nathan Jackel’s football days might have come to an end.
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Jackel, who came close to gaining a spot on an AFL list via reality television show The Recruit last year, has again dislocated his elbow.
The injury will rule him out for the 2015 Ballarat Football League season, but could also signal the end of his football career, according to Devils coach Jarrod Edwards.
The explosive midfielder missed the second half of last year with the injury, only for him to dislocate his elbow in a practice match this month.
He had been touted as one of the Devils’ key inclusions in the drive towards a maiden BFL premiership this year, but instead will be on the sidelines again.
Edwards said there was a decent chance Jackel would never play football again, but the choice was up to his star midfielder. “He’s self-employed so he has to weigh that up,” he said.
“It’s either he has a reconstruction on his elbow and has six-to-eight months off work so he can play footy again, or he doesn’t have the operation and he never plays footy again.
“It’s disappointing for us but you have to feel sorry for him.”
Jackel finished eighth in the reality television show last year, which saw him miss half of the BFL season. He sustained the injury in his third match last season, making his impact at Darley Park almost non-existent in 2014.
But he set the BFL alight in 2013, finishing third in the Henderson Medal.
Edwards said although Jackel’s loss would hurt, his side was in a better position to cover him than at the same time last year.
Meanwhile, Lake Wendouree will have to do without classy midfielder Ben Hayes for half of the season.
Hayes tore his hamstring off the bone while taking mark of the year against Darley in an elimination final last year, but only recently underwent surgery on the injury.
Lakers coach Gavin Webb said given’s Hayes’ importance in the side, the club would “wrap him in cotton wool” until he was 100 per cent recovered.
patrick.nolan@fairfaxmedia.com.au