West Coast Eagles AFLW star defender Sophie McDonald suffers another concussion blow in horror season

Injury-ravaged West Coast Eagles defender Sophie McDonald’s interrupted season suffered another major setback after the star defender suffered another concussion in the loss to Brisbane on Sunday. The Great Southern product has endured a rough start to the 2024 season, missing the first three games due to concussion and a minor wrist injury. McDonald finally made a return to the side at the weekend before failing a head injury assessment during the second quarter of their heavy 2.4 (16) to 8.13 (61) loss to the Lions and took no further part in the game. The Royals junior was tackled heavily twice in the opening term. Eagles coach Daisy Pearce said McDonald was in high spirits after the nasty injury but admitted it was concerning for the 24-year-old. “Soph (McDonald) is okay, but she has entered concussion protocols,” Pearce said. “It’s a bit more of a concern because she has had an issue with that early this season already. “It’s a shame when anyone gets concussion but given that she’s missed a bit of the season so far with the same concern, we’re hopeful she will be OK. “The good thing is that she’s walking around and doing OK now, but we will get more information on it during the week.” Great Southern teammate Belinda Smith, who hails from Pingrup, played her 50th game for the club amassing 10 disposals in an under siege defence.