Brisbane Lions skipper Jonathan Brown will undergo surgery on Wednesday night after fracturing his cheekbone in a collision with a team-mate at training.
The champion AFL full forward, who has had two previous serious facial injuries, will be sidelined for six weeks, according to the Lions.
Lions general manager football operations, Dean Warren, said Brown was disappointed with the news.
“He’s had a very good pre-season and was in excellent shape heading into 2012,” said Warren.
“Fortunately, the fracture is unrelated to the injuries he sustained last year.
“He’ll have surgery tonight and our focus as a club is clearly on his health and wellbeing.
“He’ll be determined to return as soon as possible but we’ll ensure he receives the appropriate clearances when the time is right.”