Three more injuries for Barellan as Two Blues search for first win of the Farrer League season

The Two Blues' first home game last Saturday did not go to script as they fell to a 79-point defeat at the hands of Charles Sturt University (CSU).

Barellan played the second half without any bench with Sean Browning (shoulder), Aidan Walsh (broken wrist) and John Evans (hamstring) all failing to finish the game.

The latest injuries are added to a list that already boasts Barellan's star midfielder, Sean Ellis, who is out indefinitely with a shoulder injury.

Lawder said the early prognosis for Browning, Barellan's former coach, does not look good.

"It looks bad. We'll find out more on Thursday when he sees the surgeon to understand what he needs to do but at this stage it's looking bad," Lawder said.

"We're hoping for the best obviously. He ended up staying on the ground to help us with rotations but he was just playing with one arm. Tough of him to try and stick it out but after half-time, he was just a sitting duck."

The loss of Browning, on top of Ellis, denies Barellan two of their bigger bodies through the midfield and also strong leadership.

Lawder revealed Ellis is at least a month away from a return.

"The word is they've got to wait three or four weeks to understand how it's going to heal. Whether it's going to heal itself or he's going to need an operation," he said.

It has been a tough initiation to the Barellan job for Lawder, but he refuses to use the injuries as an excuse.

"It's tough going. We're losing men but it is what it is. Everyone has injuries," he said.

"The frustrating part is most of them have been impact injuries, so that just shows the physicality of the couple of games that we've played. We've been up for the fight, we know we're good enough to match it, it's just getting the four quarters in there. We've just got to keep working at it.

"Injuries are always going to happen, we know that, it's just when you're getting three or four a game. It just crushes you. Especially when they're key players. It's not ideal. I don't want to make excuses so we've just got to keep on keeping on. We always knew it was going to be a tough road."

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After losses against Northern Jets and CSU to start the season, things don't get any easier for Barellan as they prepare to travel to Victoria Park to take on The Rock-Yerong Creek, who will be smarting from their first loss of the season to Marrar last Saturday.

Barellan may get some relief however with a few notable inclusions.

Experienced pair James McCabe and Will Overs are set to return, while Lawder hopes to bring in teenager Emerson Cody, who crossed over from Leeton-Whitton, for his senior debut.

"We'll discuss the blokes we've got available, pick ourselves up and go again," Lawder said.

Barellan's Jack Brumby also escaped with a reprimand after being reported for attempting to strike in the loss to CSU.

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