Lavington forward Adam Flagg is likely to miss the rest of the season after it was revealed he’s been playing with a broken thumb for years.
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Flagg has damaged the ulnar collateral ligament and is almost certain to require a reconstruction.
“The bone’s actually off the joint, so the ligament’s pulled the bone off,” Flagg said of the left thumb injury.
“So there’s nothing from holding my thumb from falling outwards.
“I broke my thumb in 2013 and I always thought it was never the same when I first did it, but I thought that’s just how it was.
“It’s been broken for a couple of years and I just didn’t realise it.
“They (medical staff) reckoned it probably never healed since then and I’ve just been playing through it.”
The nasty injury could well explain Flagg’s sometimes patchy form as he’s struggled to be a consistent force.
Flagg was one of the few Lavington recruits to boast a profile after earlier stints at the Panthers and Wodonga Raiders.
He has played five seniors and one reserves games.
It’s been broken for a couple of years and I just didn’t realise it ... just been playing through it.
- Adam Flagg
The 23-year-old is hoping to speak to a surgeon in Melbourne next week.
“If the operation was to re-attach the bone, it would have been a simple one,” he said.
“But because the bone’s that old, now that the ligament’s shrunk, it’s been off for a while, I’ll probably have to get the bone removed, almost like a thumb reconstruction.”
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Flagg is adamant he will play again.
And Lavington would love to have the crafty forward’s services for Saturday’s crucial away clash against Albury.
It’s first against third, but the Panthers will field a severely understrength line-up.
However, if they can post an upset, they’ll join the Tigers on six wins.
