‘Not a great sign’: Premiership Dog Toby McLean stretchered off with serious knee injury fears

The Western Bulldogs will be sweating on scans for premiership player Toby McLean with fears of a serious knee injury suffered against Hawthorn.

Just a minute after kicking the game’s opening goal on Sunday afternoon, McLean was tackled by Hawthorn’s Jon Ceglar, with the ruckman falling on him and forcing an awkward landing.

Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge came down from the coaches box to ground level as play was stopped to allow McLean to be stretchered off.

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“When they grab the outside of the knee, it’s not a great sign. That’s often around the ACL,” Geelong great Jimmy Bartel said on Seven.

The timing of the injury is awful for McLean. Not only could he miss a potential Bulldogs finals run, but a 12-month recovery - if he did injure his ACL - would likely see him miss the entire 2021 season as well.

He has played 12 matches this season, working his way back into the senior side and back into form over the last two months after a difficult start to the year.

Fingers crossed it’s not as bad as it looks.