Collingwood's Josh Daicos says the club won't need to search far for a key defensive replacement following Reef McInnes' anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear from Friday's clash.
McInnes - who penned a one-year extension late last year and was in talks of a new deal - was recently deployed in the back half to help fill the void left by Nathan Murphy.
But as the footy Gods didn't work in his favour, that experiment came to a crashing halt, as minutes into the Round 2 contest against the Western Bulldogs, the 22-year-old landed awkwardly, with subsequent scans confirming the worst.
"It's really sad to see, Reef has put in a power of work and been playing some good football this year," Daicos said.
"It's so unfortunate for himself and the team because he's such a pivotal player.
"We'll miss him, right now we understand the importance of getting around him, in the long term supporting him as the rehab journey can be quite lonely.
"He's in really good spirits."
Daicos went on to say that multiple players will put their hand up in McInnes' absence, noting that Billy Frampton and one-gamer Jakob Ryan are firmly in the mix.
"I think that's one of the great parts of our squad, we've got really good depth back there, some boys playing really well in the VFL," he said.
"Jakob Ryan has put together a great pre-season, played really awesome on the weekend and then someone really experienced like Billy Frampton could fill in.
"He's played obviously plenty of AFL football and been in really strong form."
Jack Crisp joined Daicos on Tuesday at the media opportunity, announcing the partnership with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) for 2025.
Crisp found himself in potentially hot water following a dangerous tackle on Rhylee West, but was ultimately dismissed from any suspension, keeping his consecutive games record in tact.
"I did think about it a bit in that first quarter but, to be honest, I think it was a good tackle," Crisp said.
"You never really know what's going to happen, they're going to look at it regardless of everything.
"I am happy I got off obviously, I just move on, it's a hard game to officiate these days.
The former Lion has played 240 matches in a row, nearing Melbourne legend Jim Stynes' 244.
"To play some consistent football for a number of years I just thought 'How good's this?'
"Now to be on the verge of something no one has ever done is pretty cool to think about."
Collingwood has a bye this weekend before Carlton, Sydney, Brisbane and Essendon throughout April.
