Fremantle have confirmed defender Alex Silvagni will undergo hamstring surgery and could be out for up to three months.
Silvagni originally injured the hamstring ahead of their final NAB Challenge match and then re-injured it in his return in the WAFL, playing for Peel Thunder at the weekend.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said on Tuesday night that the defender would require surgery.
“He tore his hamstring down at Peel and it’s turned out to be worse than we thought,” Lyon told Channel Seven.
“He’ll fly out to Melbourne to have surgery this week. He’ll miss a period of 12 weeks.”
Silvagni is not the only injury concern for the Dockers, with Anthony Morabito still under an injury cloud.
Morabito’s troublesome knee again proving a problem, with Lyon unsure how well the club can manage it.
“He’s had knee soreness. He really hasn’t trained all summer and we’re working hard behind the scenes to try and find a solution and we’re exploring the whole world, really, to try and get the best treatment for Anthony,” Lyon said.
“It’s not the end of the road yet but he’s got some work in front of him.
“He’s still a very young man with enormous talent. It’s not over ’till it’s over and we’re exploring solutions and it’s just some knee joint soreness that people work through.”