There's nothing more deflating for an AFL fan base than news of an ACL injury.
The injury, particularly for young players, has robbed the footballing world of some of its most exciting talents.
With Carlton's prized draftee, Jagga Smith, rupturing his ACL, we decided to compile a list of some of the AFL's best young prospects who successfully recovered from season-ending injuries to forge great careers.
The following players should (hopefully) give Carlton fans a small glimmer of hope.
2. Max Gawn
Another key player in the Demons' core, Gawn struggled with persistent knee injuries in the early part of his footballing career.
Prior to being drafted, he ruptured his ACL as a junior player with the Sandringham Dragons. Although he was taken at Pick 34 in the 2009 AFL Draft, Gawn missed the entire 2010 season due to his knee injury.
Subsequent knee issues continued to plague the early part of his career, with a second ACL rupture forcing the ruckman to miss the 2012 season.
What followed was the emergence of arguably the most complete ruckman of this century, with a staggering seven All-Australian selections - the most for a player in his position. He has also remained incredibly durable, even after successive ACL injuries, playing every game of the Demons' finals campaign in 2018 and missing just one game during their 2021 premiership season.
