Melbourne have confirmed cruel injury blows to senior pair Jake Melksham and Luke Dunstan, with the duo both suffering ACL injuries over the weekend.
Melksham hurt his left knee during the third term of Sunday's win over Sydney, with the Demons attacker subbed out of the match after an innocuous incident forced him from the ground.
Dustan's setback occurred during Casey's VFL final win over North Melbourne on Sunday, with the former Saint suffering the injury in the opening half of the game.
The pair both underwent scans on Monday, with the club revealing the pair have both suffered ACL injuries.
“Unfortunately, scans confirmed the worst for Jake and Luke this afternoon,” Melbourne performance boss Alan Richardson said in a club update.
“It is incredibly disappointing news for both players, particularly on the eve of an AFL and VFL Finals Series. It really is a cruel part of our game.
“Jake and Luke have played very important roles for us in recent weeks and have done so with class and character. It is devastating to lose them at this point, but I have no doubt they will apply the same attitude and commitment to their respective rehabs.
“Both players mean a lot to our football club, and we will be doing everything we can to support them through this difficult time.”
The recovery timeframe for an ACL injury is approximately 12 months, meaning both Melksham and Dunstan could be unavailable for the entirety of the 2024 season.
The pair both remain unsigned for next season, with Melksham having managed 13 games this year, while Dunstan wasn't able to break into Simon Goodwin's side.
Dunstan played five games for Melbourne last year in his first season with the club since swapping from St Kilda.
Melksham has played 107 of his 221 career games in the red and blue after starting his career with Essendon.
