QUEANBEYAN Kangaroos captain/coach Aaron Gorrell may have played his last game for the club after succumbing to a season-ending knee injury.
Gorrell told The Queanbeyan Age earlier this week he has yet to decide on his playing future after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
The injury occurred as Gorrell attempted to make a tackle during the opening exchanges of the Kangaroos 31-18 loss to the Belconnen United Scholars last Saturday.
The 31-year-old also suffered torn lateral and medial cartilage and scans on Monday confirmed the versatile five-eighth will miss the remainder of the Kangaroos 2012 campaign.
It’s a bitter blow for Gorrell who had been hoping to captain the club to an historic third-straight Canberra Raiders Cup title this season.
“It’s pretty devastating but I guess it’s just another part of the game and I’ve just got to deal with it,” Gorrell said. “Rugby league is a contact sport and things like this are going to happen unfortunately.”
The injury could also bring down the curtain on the former NRL representative’s playing career although Gorrell said it was still too early to make a definitive call either way at this stage.
“I’ve got to get the operation first and then get stuck into the rehab but my main priority is getting the boys together to win the competition this year,” he said.
“I’m going to have plenty of time after the season to get ready to play again next year if I decide I want to so I’ll just take this year as it comes.”
Heading into this season, Gorrell was already undecided as to whether he would turn out again for the Kangaroos in 2013 and there seems little doubt this latest injury setback will weigh heavily in his final decision.
Gorrell has been plagued with knee injuries during his decorated career but had appeared to have gotten the better of them after playing every game for the Kangaroos last season.
The former Brisbane Broncos, St George Illawarra and Catalans Dragons hooker will remain in his role as coach but a new club captain is yet to be named.
Utility Jordan Macey, Trent Schubach youngster Zach Smith and Josh Toohey meanwhile, are all candidates to fill the number six jersey alongside representative halfback Clint Wright.
