Essendon's Jayden Laverde will miss at least two months of football as he recovers from recent ankle surgery.
The 20-year-old suffered the injury late in Essendon's JLT Series loss to Geelong last weekend, and will have surgery this week.
"It’s obviously disappointing for Jayden to have this setback on the eve of the season," Essendon high performance manager Justin Crow said.
"After seeking a specialist opinion we have decided that surgical repair is the best long-term option for Jayden in this instance.
"All going well, we will be hoping to see Jayden back playing football soon after the mid-season bye."