West Coast recruit Matilda Sergeant has suffered a cruel blow after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at training and will miss the upcoming 2024 AFLW season.
Sergeant's injury occurred last week during training and she will undergo surgery on her knee.
The 25-year-old was recruited to the Eagles in the off-season with pick No.42 in last year's draft from Claremont Football Club. She was previously at the Fremantle Dockers from 2019-2022 playing 19 games, before being delisted at the end of the 2022 season.
West Coast AFLW coach Daisy Pearce emphasises losing Sergeant for season 9 of the women's competition is a "devastating" blow for the whole team.
โWe're heartbroken for Matilda, it's devastating news for her and for our team,โ Pearce said.
โThe club will wrap their arms around her and support her through this difficult time.
โWe will be by her side and look forward to her continuing to play an active part in our program.โ
