St Kilda youngster Nathan Freeman has suffered yet another injury setback, with confirmation he will be sidelined for at least a month with an ankle injury.
Freeman, joined St Kilda from Collingwood at the end of 2015 after two injury ravaged seasons at the Holden Centre.
Freeman was a highly rated junior, recruited with pick No.10 in the 2013 National Draft.
However, hamstring issues have plagued him during his four seasons at AFL level and he is yet to make his senior debut.
The 22-year-old had thus far had a positive 2017, playing 13 games for St Kilda's VFL affiliate side, Sandringham.
However, Freeman injured his ankle at Simonds Stadium on Saturday, when a teammate fell on his leg in the opening quarter.
Saints football manager Jamie Cox said Freeman will miss four to six weeks, meaning his season may well be over, with just five rounds remaining in the VFL and the Zebras currently in ninth place, one spot out of the finals.
"Nathan hurt his ankle in a tackle early in the VFL game on Saturday. He doesn't require surgery, but is likely to miss the next four to six weeks with the injury," Cox said.
"It's been a really positive year for 'Freezer'. He's played 13 games in the VFL plus a few in the pre-season, so it's been a big step forward for him."
Sandringham face Box Hill at Trevor Barker at 2pm on Saturday afternoon.
