Luckless Essendon defender Lewis Hayes has suffered another ACL injury.
He suffered the injury playing his first game back in the VFL on Saturday, having suffered the same injury on AFL debut last year.
Hayes played through after hyper-extending his knee, with scans revealing ACL damage.
He had 14 disposals and took four marks in that return game.
“This is incredibly tough news for Lewis, who has put in a mountain of work and shown incredible commitment and resilience over the past 12 months, following his original ACL injury which occurred during his AFL debut early last season,” Essendon AFL General Manager Daniel McPherson said.
“Lewis is an outstanding individual and a highly valued member of our football club, so to suffer another ACL injury after everything he has put into his rehab and recovery is shattering.
“He has attacked every challenge placed in front of him with professionalism and determination, and we have no doubt he will approach this setback the same way.”
It deepens Essendon's injury crisis, with 16 players already on the club's official list.
The 199cm youngster in contracted until the end of next season and looked proficient in his only AFL game to date, finishing with 16 disposals in a confident display.
