Gun Demons recruit Ben Brown is set to undergo knee surgery having consulted a specialist after experiencing swelling in the area.
The forward missed the second half of the 2020 season for the Kangaroos with a knee injury, which flared up again this week.
Melbourne confirmed in a statement on Thursday morning that Brown would have a arthroscope in the coming days due to cartilage damage in his left knee.
There is no time frame for his return, however, the club expects him to be back in the "early rounds of the season".
โGiven Benโs knee history we will be taking a conservative approach to his recovery,โ Demons general Manager of football performance Alan Richardson told Melbourne Media.
โBenโs availability for selection will be determined on how well he responds to the rehab program. We are very confident though that we can build Ben back to full fitness and we will see him in action during the early rounds of the season.
โWe anticipate Ben will be in a position to commence running four weeks following surgery.
โHe is in very good shape and his training standards since joining the club have been outstanding.
โWe recruited Ben as a long-term player for the club and are very confident that his best football is ahead of him.โ
Brown underwent minor knee surgery in September after injuring it the previous month.
The 28-year old was traded from North Melbourneย to Melbourne last trade period along with Pick 28 in exchange for Picks 26, 33 and a future fourth rounder.
He has booted 287 goals from 130 AFL games since making his debut in 2014.
Ben Brown will require knee surgery, following consultation with a specialist yesterday afternoon.
๐: https://t.co/sBvG2xPiKs
— Melbourne Demons (@melbournefc) February 3, 2021
