West Coast sends three injured players to Philadelphia rehab expert
Three West Coast players have serious knee injuries. They will train with rehab specialist Bill Knowles in Philadelphia.
West Coast will send three injured players to Philadelphia. Noah Long, Deven Robertson and Sam Allen will work with rehab specialist Bill Knowles during the off-season.
All three have serious knee injuries needing specialist help. The club was encouraged by Nic Naitanui's success with Knowles.
Naitanui had two ACL injuries in a row and worked with Knowles. He came back and won club champion awards and All-Australian selections twice.
Carlton's Jagga Smith also got better with Knowles. He returned in 2026 and won the Rising Star Award.
Long dislocated his left knee in February and had ligament and cartilage repairs. Robertson suffered an ACL injury at Gather Round.
Allen arrived in 2026 with an existing ACL injury. He then suffered a hamstring injury during his debut season.
- 3
- Players sent to Philadelphia
- Bill Knowles
- Specialist
- February
- Long's injury month
- No. 29
- Allen's draft pick
Why it mattersHow well these players recover will affect West Coast's rebuild timeline. It will also shape their chances to compete in the 2027 season.
AustraliaIf successful, West Coast's investment may prompt other AFL clubs to send injured players overseas for specialist rehabilitation support.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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