Essendon have confirmed ruckman Nick Bryan will miss the remainder of the 2025 season after suffering an ACL injury.
Bryan was unable to finish Saturday's clash with Melbourne due to the injury, with Bombers coach Brad Scott revealing the club's initial fears of a long-term setback post-game.
Scans have since confirmed those fears, with Bryan to be sidelined for an extended period.
“This is obviously a disappointing setback for Nick, who'd been in good form for us,” Bombers football boss Daniel McPherson said in a club update.
“While it's frustrating for him given how hard he's worked to earn consistent opportunities at senior level, we have no doubt that Nick will attack his rehab just as strongly and put himself in a great position to return in good shape next season.
“From a team perspective, we'll wrap our arms around Nick and support him through this period."
Bryan had featured in all four games under Scott to start the season, averaging 24.3 hitouts and 12.0 disposals per game.
The emerging ruckman has played a total of 23 AFL games across five seasons in the red and black.
The 23-year-old joins pre-season recruit Tom Edwards in being sidelined with an ACL injury, with both players able to be moved to the inactive list, allowing the Bombers to have open list spots for next month's Mid-Season Draft.
Essendon also have Kyle Langford (hamstring), Nik Cox (concussion), Jye Caldwell (hamstring), Matt Guelfi (hamstring) and Angus Clarke (collarbone) in their casualty ward.
