One of the West Coast Eagles' four remaining premiership heroes from their 2018 triumph has suffered an ACL injury in the club's 61-point loss at the hands of South Fremantle on Saturday.
Jamie Cripps went down clutching his left knee in the final quarter of the blowout loss, with concerns abounding that it could spell the end of the veteran's colourful 277-game career.
Cripps will undergo scans to confirm the extent of the injury, with a glimmer of hope that it is a much less sinister hyperextension, as opposed to a tear or rupture.
Lucca Grego, who lived with Cripps after he was drafted in 2024, spoke of the upset associated with Cripps' injury post-match.
"Crippa's well-loved around the group and everyone loves him," Grego told The West Australian.
"He's an uncle figure and a father figure for most of the boys, especially for me, who lived with him for my first three weeks.
"No idea what the injury is, but all we can do is get our arms around him and make sure we support him as much as we can."
Cripps staved off retirement last year, signing a one-year deal to stay with the club, but has been toiling in the reserves after five matches and four majors at the top level this season.
The severity of the injury will likely determine whether or not he is given the chance to earn another one-year deal before season's end.
