Melbourne have lost veteran forward Aaron Davey for the rest of the AFL season with a foot fracture.

Davey felt soreness after playing with the Demons’ VFL affiliate Casey last round, before scans revealed the stress fracture, ending the 29-year-old speedster’s horror season.

He had been returning through the VFL after being forced out of the AFL side by a hamstring injury.

That followed two stints out of the senior team due to poor form, with Davey dropped for one game early in the season, then for another three games after round eight.

He played only one more AFL match, against Greater Western Sydney last month, before the back-to-back injury blows.

Davey also endured off-field controversy, inadvertently caught up in a perceived racism furore early in the season.

AFL community engagement manager Jason Mifsud misinterpreted Davey as having suggested Demons coach Mark Neeld treated the club’s indigenous players differently to others.

Mifsud was forced to apologise after the baseless allegation became public.

Demons football manager Josh Mahoney said it was disappointing that Davey’s season had finished prematurely, after he had worked hard to recover from an interrupted pre-season.

“Given the timing of the injury, Aaron will recover and start what will be a big pre-season campaign for him, as he prepares for the 2013 season,” Mahoney said.