Collingwood midfielder Patrick Lipinski has succumbed to a calf injury in the latest blow to the black and white's September assault.
He joins Harry Perryman (hamstring) and Jeremy Howe (arm) as the casualties out of Round 21's loss to Geelong - the club's first in seven matches.
Howe's arm has already been surgically repaired, with a timeline for his return to be communicated in the coming days.
Lipinski is slated to miss at a minimum the first two of the club's final three matches of the home and away season - clashes with West Coast, in Perth, and Hawthorn and Brisbane, at the MCG.
The rehab room on Olympic Boulevard is almost at breaking point, with Howe, Perryman and Lipinski's fellow walk-up starter Brayden Maynard (knee) currently under a cloud. Jamie Elliott, Darcy Moore, breakout ruckman Oscar Steene, and Reef McInnes already have an eye on next season, as opposed to this one, given the severe nature of their respective injuries.
Fringe player Tew Jiath succumbed to a hamstring injury of his own in the VFL on the weekend, ruling him out for the season, too.
The loss of Lipinski will have grave consequences for the side's already sputtering offence, with the former Bulldog boasting the side's (and one of the AFL's) best retention percentage for kicks inside forward 50.
Lipinski has been averaging over 20 disposals a game this season for only the third time in his career, taking on more responsibility for a Collingwood engine room in transition.
Perryman is expected to be welcomed back in a month's time, such is the 'moderate' nature of his hamstring strain. His versatility has been instrumental in Collingwood's competitiveness this season, when his magnet has been at McRae's disposal.
Sam Swadling was likely to earn a recall this week anyway, such was his VFL dominance on the weekend, but the absence of Lipinski - a player who plays in a similar vein - all but confirms another opportunity for the emerging West Australian.
The Victorian powerhouse have, as is their custom, hogged headlines in recent days, with Bobby Hill's departure, Lachie Neale's touring of the club's facilities, their CEO's comments on Zak Butters' impending free agency decision and their wildcard prospects all taking turns garnering clicks online.
