Brisbane Lions defender Marco Paparone will have a delayed start to the season, after undergoing surgery to release pressure on his sciatic nerve.
“Marco has been training really well this pre-season, but after consultation with the medical staff we believe that for him to have his best year possible, we should do the surgery now,” General Manager of Football David Noble told lions.com.au.
“He is already up and about after surgery, and we expect him to miss approximately eight to ten weeks.”
Paparone would likely miss the start of the season given a lack of fitness from the injury, which is unlucky for the 23-year-old, given he's already on the fringes of selection.
The defender played just six games in 2017, averaging 16.8 disposals and 5.5 marks per contest.
He played six straight games from rounds 7-13, before dropping back out of the side and never returning.
Paparone made his debut for the Lions in round four, 2013, and has since played 55 games for Brisbane.
