St Kilda's Daniel Hannebery suffered a broken foot while holidaying in Perth last month, with the injury keeping him out of Monday's 3km time trial.
Hannebery sustained the injury in unusual circumstances, and is set to resume running in two weeks as he continues to recover.
The 28-year-old played five games in his debut season after a number of injuries set him back, and just when he was getting healthy once again, another injury saw him sidelined.
Although this one was much more innocuous.
"(I was) at my sister's fiance's place, he's renovating his backyard and there's a big, large step," Hannebery told reporters on Monday.
"As I went to step off the balcony onto the asphalt, I did a pretty simple ankle roll, my weight shifted forward and straight away felt a crack.
"I tried to walk on it I and I knew I was in a little bit of trouble.
"It was really flattening, especially given last year's injury troubles."
Ed Phillips took out the Saints' time trial, while new recruit Dougal Howard was lapped by Phillips and came in last.
