Geelong midfielder Billie Smedts will face at least four months on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder at training on Monday.
The 23-year-old will require a full shoulder reconstruction after scans revealed the extent of the damage.
“This is a setback for Billie, who had been training strongly over the summer,” Cats' general manager of football Steve Hocking said.
“Injuries are never easy particularly during this time of the year. Billie will be resilient and work through this, as he has done before when he has suffered setbacks.
“He will miss the remainder of the pre-season but is likely to be available in May. We are confident that the surgery and rehab will strengthen Billie’s shoulder and allow him to play without this being an on-going issue.”
David Anselmi Glenn Tuckwell