http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tab...89/default.aspx
MELBOURNE will be without No. 1 draft pick Jack Watts for up to a fortnight after he chipped a bone in his thumb playing for VFL affiliate Casey Scorpions.
The club confirmed on Thursday night that x-rays had revealed the injury sustained last weekend.
Watts has played three games for the Demons this season but has not appeared since the round 13 loss to the Brisbane Lions.
The 18-year-old's injury is among a number that have hit Melbourne's senior side with Jack Grimes (back), Brock McLean (knee), Mark Jamar (quad) and Brad Green (wrist) set to miss this week's clash with the Sydney Swans.
Grimes landed awkwardly after a marking contest during last weekend’s game against Geelong and hyper-extended his lower back. He played out the match but has not been able to train this week and is expected to also miss a week or two.
The news is worse for Jamar, who strained his left quad in the same game and will miss two to three matches.
Green has had wrist soreness for the past month. Unable to train on Thursday, he wasn't considered for this weekend’s game against the Swans.
McLean is also sidelined after an ongoing knee injury flared after the Cats game. The midfielder initially injured his knee in a collision during Melbourne’s round 15 win over Port Adelaide and played in pain last week.
However, rookie midfielder Jordie McKenzie was elevated to Melbourne's senior list on Thursday to cover some of these losses.
The Demons used the new AFL guidelines that allow a rookie to be elevated without the need to place a player on the long-term injury list.
McKenzie was selected with the first pick in the 2009 NAB AFL Rookie Draft and hails from Mortlake in eastern Victoria.
Senior coach Dean Bailey said McKenzie had deserved his promotion.
"This is a good outcome for Jordie," he said. "He has been one of the players who has really impressed us throughout the season playing for the Casey Scorpions, and his elevation is a nice reward for all his hard work this year."