St Kilda midfielder Paddy Dow faces a delayed start to his 2025 campaign after his knee became infected, resulting in the 25-year-old staying in hospital for three weeks.
Dow suffered severe bone bruising in his knee before the 2024 season, resulting in the fresh Saints recruit missing multiple months of action at his new club.
Dow recovered and played 10 matches in 2024, where he averaged 16.2 disposals -and 3.5 tackles per game - both career-highs.
However, on December 19, the knee that had troubled Dow previously swelled up again, and was drained the following morning at St Kilda's training facilities at RSEA Park.
An alarming 120ml of a "greenish brown" liquid was removed, with Dow visiting the Epworth hospital later that day.
The former Blue admitted toย AFL.com.au that his health went downhill rapidly on December 20.
"I had blisters like every player, but that night after our last session they were pretty bad. On the Thursday I started getting a bit sick, felt feverish and the knee then blew up that night," Dow said.
"I got a scan the next morning. 'Barbs' (club doctor Tim Barbour) wanted to have a look and when he drained it the fluid was greenish brown. Usually if you drain a knee that's had an injury it is light blood or clear fluid - this was brown and he drained 120ml.
"It was good knowing that because it explained why I felt so crook. I didn't know what was going on.
"I started to decline pretty quick that day. That afternoon I got taken to emergency and it went from there."
The 25-year-old then underwent arthroscopic surgery but had to have two more conducted during his stint at the Epworth, hospitalised throughout the entire Christmas and New Year period.
"On the Friday night, I had the first washout to try and get rid of all the bacteria and started the antibiotics," Dow said.
"I thought I was leaving on the 24th and then I thought I was leaving on the 27th and they just ended up keeping me.
"After the third washout on the 28th, things started to get better. They weren't getting any worse, it started to plateau and then three or four days later it started to feel good.
"I was in hospital for three or four days at the end where I felt fine and thought I could have left."
Dow was ultimately discharged from the hospital on January 6 but has had a gradual return to his workload due to the traumatic nature of the infection.
The club have indicated his start to 2025 will be delayed, aiming to ease Pow back into action shortly before the Saints' Round 13 bye, however the exact date of his return is unclear.
"We will take a really patient view (with Dow's return to play timeline). It has been a significant and serious thing for him to go through," general manager David Misson said.
"He is improving nearly every day from the IV and oral antibiotics. The range in his knee is the key thing and that's getting better every day. We are just waiting until the doctors give the green light to increase the load.
"He knows he has a reasonably long road ahead. He's got his head around that, so have we as a football club and coaching staff.
"It is going to be an extended period in rehab for him. There are going to be milestones along the way for him to try and tick off and all things going well, we expect him to play in the first half of the year.
"But it's hard to provide real clarity at this time."
The setback is frustrating for Dow who was on track to complete a strong pre-season training block pre-Christmas, with aims to carry his form into the new year.
The Saints midfielder will now have to watch from the sidelines as his club journeys to South Australia to take on the Crows in Round 1.
