Aaron Bruce breaks his arm as Canberra Demons' NEAFL finals hopes hang by a thread

Bruce left the field in the third term and was being assessed at Northwest Hospital as Canberra fell to an 11-point defeat at the hands of Sydney University at Blacktown International Sportspark on Saturday.

The Demons captain smothered a shot on goal and swung around in agony before bringing himself straight off the field in the ninth minute of the quarter.

The Students would go on to secure a 13.10 (88) to 11.11 (77) triumph and move four points clear of the Demons on the NEAFL ladder heading into the final three rounds.

Canberra had already lost Josh Maynard to a syndesmosis injury in the opening quarter and finished the game without Donny Roberts due to a cork.

"We think [Maynard] might be done [for the season ] as well, he landed heavily on and it doesn't look great, he couldn't walk on it," Canberra coach Kade Klemke said.

"We've been really good with injuries but today was one of those days. Full credit, they fought it out.

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"We were always playing catch up, they got ahead of us in the third and we brought it back, and we did the same thing in the last.

"We had our opportunities to kick more goals in the first quarter when we were going really well, and we didn't take those opportunities.

"In a game like today when it is so tight, it's the team that makes the most of opportunities and Sydney Uni did that."

The result makes finals almost unattainable for the Demons but Klemke will push his side to polish off what has been an otherwise "disappointing year for us" with a bang.

Canberra now have a bye before hosting finals-bound Aspley and rounding out the regular season on the road against lowly Redland.

"We're relying on other results and we can't lose. It's very unlikely, but I'd still like to see the guys finish off the year and not go into our shell," Klemke said.

"We'll do everything we can after the bye to win the last two games. It's a disappointing year for us, but hopefully we can finish off with some good footy."

AT A GLANCE

NEAFL round 18

SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 1.1 5.3 9.5 13.10 (88) bt CANBERRA DEMONS 3.4 5.6 8.8 11.11 (77)

Best: Sydney Uni: B Stewart, N Reinhard, L Stevenson, S Tagliabue, J Bartholomaeus. Canberra: K Evans, A Baker, T Highmore, B Halse, T Highmore.

Goals: Sydney Uni: T.Davies 2, H.Morrison 2, J.Stern 1, L.Stevenson 1, B.Stewart 1, J.Veale 1, N.Foster 1, A.Gulden 1, J.Hiscox 1, M.Krochmal 1, J.Bartholomaeus 1. Canberra: J.Harper 3, L.Meline 1, A.Paech 1, R.Pollock 1, J.Powell 1, A.Smout 1, A.Swan 1, H.Carr 1, T.Faul 1.