Giants star Tim Taranto is set to have shoulder surgery this week, sidelining him for the first half of the AFL season.
The young gun hurt his shoulder in the opening minutes of Saturday's Marsh Community Series clash with Sydney and sat out the rest of the game.
Giants general manager of football Jason McCartney confirmed the bad news to gwsgiants.com.au.
“This is no doubt disappointing individually for Tim, particularly after the stellar season he had last year," he said.
“We could have gone a non-surgical route but considering he hasn’t had any history of shoulder injuries and his young age, it was decided that surgery was the best option to ensure a full recovery.
“Tim will apply himself to his rehab as diligently as he does his football and we expect to see him back on the field in the latter half of the season.
“While disappointing for Tim, it does provide an opportunity to our young midfield group that are coming through and hungry to show what they can do at AFL level.”
