Injury heartbreak for AFL Cats’ Holmes

Geelong young gun Max Holmes shapes as the Cats’ AFL heartbreak story after injuring his hamstring in their preliminary final against Brisbane.

The Cats were leading by 45 points late in the third quarter at the MCG on Friday night and seemingly cruising towards a grand final berth when Holmes kicked inboard and pulled up sore in his right hamstring.

Holmes was helped from the ground by trainers.

The distraught 20-year-old lay down on the sidelines and slammed his head into the ground several times.

In tears, Holmes was then taken down to Geelong’s rooms and substituted out for Mark O’Connor.

The Cats kicked out to a 63-point lead at three-quarter time.

They appear likely to take on a grand final without speedster Holmes, who has played 18 games this season.

Earlier in the quarter, Brisbane dynamo Cameron Rayner was substituted out with an ankle injury.

Rayner copped a knock as he was attempting to take a mark early in the third quarter, with the Lions trailing Geelong 55-19 and landed awkwardly on his right ankle.

The 22-year-old was immediately in pain and required assistance off the ground.

The Lions’ medical staff taped up Rayner and he completed run-throughs and testing on the sidelines before returning to the field.

But he only lasted a few minutes before he returned to the bench and was substituted out for Rhys Mathieson.