The Lions’ backline has been struck down by injury at different times this season, but Adcock’s likely season-long lay-off is a huge blow for the coach.
The defender twisted awkwardly in the opening minutes of Saturday night’s win over Geelong and left the field in pain after injuring his right knee.
Voss said while Adcock was still to undergo the “normal scans”, he wasn’t holding out hope of a miracle return, with the Lions almost certain the 23-year-old has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
“The prognosis is the season,” Voss said on Monday.
“What type of procedure and who it’s done by will all get spoken about in the next 24 hours … obviously the prognosis straight away was that he was likely to be out for the year, and there’s been nothing in the last sort of 24 hours that would suggest that that’s changed."
The Lions have endured – and coped – with absences to key defenders Josh Drummond and Daniel Merrett this season.
Now, with Adcock’s spot vacant, he says a younger Lion can seize his chance.
“Obviously the other guys haven’t been as severe as this one, but we’re just going to have to make sure we get someone else to step up, as we’ve been able to do for most of the year,” Voss said.
“Guys have taken on that responsibility, and [now] another person gets his opportunity. We hope that it’s going to be a Tom Collier or a Pearce Hanley … that’s the opportunity that they now have.”
Voss said the Lions would miss Adcock’s “direction and leadership” in the back half.
“Jed, individually, he’s been in fantastic form,” Voss said.
“So to be able to have another rebounding defender when you’ve already got a few that are doing that role pretty well just adds another dimension … his leadership attributes that he’s also displayed over the first half of the year have been outstanding.”
