The Sydney Swans have confirmed that one of the code's elite in Errol Gulden will miss approximately four months of football, with the club opting to send the 23-year-old down the surgical route.
The classy midfielder dislocated his shoulder in his side's convincing victory over reigning premiers, the Brisbane Lions on Saturday night, and is scheduled for surgery later this week.
Similar injuries have been navigated without surgery in recent years, with Joe Daniher memorably opting against surgery in 2022, but the Swans have decided to bite the bullet with their tyro, as opposed to kicking the proverbial can down the road.
It's bleak news for the Swans, who have started the year in exemplary fashion. The side's record without the academy product makes for grim reading, with Dean Cox's men sluggish out of the blocks in his absence last season. The Harbour City natives limped to 5-8 without Gulden, before salvaging something of Cox's first year at the helm, finishing 12-11 upon Gulden's return.
An update on Gulden's linemate Isaac Heeney has not yet been forthcoming, after the 29-year-old limped to the bench mere minutes after Gulden, with a hamstring complaint. The Swans will be hoping it's better news for their vice-captain, with a Thursday night rendezvous with a resurgent Hawthorn side firmly in their sights.
