Blues can cope without Kreuzer: Ratten
Carlton coach Brett Ratten says the Blues have the ruck depth to cope after losing No.1 ruckman Matthew Kreuzer for the rest of the AFL season.
Scans on Sunday confirmed the in-form 21-year-old had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during Saturday night's 14.12 (96) to 12.15 (87) loss to Fremantle at Etihad Stadium.
The club will decide this week how best to treat the injury, and are expected to weigh up the LARS option - involving a synthetic graft - which has worked for Sydney's Nick Malceski, Port Adelaide's David Rodan and the Blues' own Brad Fisher.
"We will look at all options available and make a decision in conjunction with Matthew and the medical team on the best treatment for Matthew's long term recovery," football operations manager Steven Icke said.
But Ratten said Kreuzer's absence would not stop Carlton, who fell to a 7-6 record after a second straight defeat, making something of their season.
"We'll just bring another ruckman in, we've got (Robert) Warnock and (Shaun) Hampson sitting there, who are in good form, so they'll get the opportunity," he said.
"In a perfect world it would be great to have Matty for the rest of the year, but ... it will give one of those young men the chance to really stamp themselves back into the senior team."
Ratten said Sam Jacobs had also performed admirably, shouldering the load against towering Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands once Kreuzer went down.
"I know we got beaten at hit-outs by around 30, but I think we won the clearances by about five, so I thought just his effort (was good) to compete against probably the best ruckman in the competition."
Ratten said Kreuzer, the 2007 No.1 AFL draft pick, had the temperament to cope as well as anyone with the setback.
"He's a great kid ... if anyone has to go through it and come out the other side, with the workrate, and not really (have it) affect him going forward this kid will do it," the coach said.
"He's a quality individual and he's a pleasure to coach and he's got the right attributes to bounce back very quickly and I expect him to do it."
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