Holbrook spearhead Luke Gestier not expected to play again before round 15

He has already missed the Brookers' past two matches against Lockhart and Murray Magpies after suffering the injury in round six against Henty.

Gestier said he expects to miss another six weeks and hoped to be back a month before finals.

"I've done my hamstring as well as a bit of tendon damage and will be out for more than two months," Gestier said.

"I am aiming to be back a month before finals and I'll see how I go.

"I also tore the tendon which is why it will take so long to heal.

"Including byes, I've already missed a month but I still can't even jog at the moment.

"So it will be another five or six weeks before I can even contemplate playing again."

Gestier won the league goalkicking title last season with 79 majors including finals and played an instrumental role throughout the season in the Brookers' flag tilt.

He had started this season in solid fashion with 17 goals including bags of eight and five against Brock-Burrum and Howlong respectively.

Gestier said he knew he had done something more than the standard hamstring injury when he hobbled off the ground during the second term against the Swampies.

"I've done a few hammies previously but this is definitely the most painful one I have suffered," he said.

"I was trying to be optimistic that it would be just three weeks.

"Usually you can start moving a couple of days after doing a hammy but I was still flat out walking a week later and knew it was a lot more serious.

"The physio said from the time that I did it, it's sort of an eight to 12-week process to get back playing again."

Gestier said he would take inspiration from Michael Rampal who missed a large chunk of last season with a broken hand before returning on the eve of the finals series.

"I've still got plenty of time to get back and be fit and firing before finals," Gestier said.

"You only have to look at what 'Ramma' did last year and was able to get back late and have an impact for the last six weeks.

"I've already spoken to him a lot about how he coped with it.

"I was planning on having another big season and being a real leader for the group but obviously things have changed.

"Now my focus is getting myself cherry ripe for that last month before finals."

Gestier revealed he had started the season at centre half-forward after the off season departure of Kolby Heiner-Hennessy to Albury.

But the emergence of Logan Hamilton as key forward after rucking last year had allowed him to play closer to goal in recent weeks.

"I got myself a lot fitter than last year over the pre-season because I thought I would have to play a lot more across half-forward compared to playing deep last year," Gestier said.

"Then Logan went to centre half-forward and I went back to playing out of the square and there seemed to be a bit more rhythm and structure in attack.

"AB (Mackinlay) will play out of the square now and is another dangerous attacking option, so we will be fine in that regard."

ALSO IN SPORT

Gestier is already a huge fan of Raven Jolliffe who joined Holbrook this year after winning Wangaratta Rovers' best and fairest.

"Raven has slotted in seamlessly and I don't think I've seen too many better kicks than him in the O&M or the Hume league," he said.

"It's just elite.

"He has been great for the group and I haven't really spoken to him about it personally but I feel he has got another two or three levels that he can go to.

"Raven just oozes class and is one of those type of players who can find another couple of gears at the business end."

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