West Coast Eagles rookie Reuben Ginbey has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2023 season after scans revealed the extent of a hamstring injury he suffered last weekend.
The first-year midfielder succumbed to the soft-tissue ailment during West Coast's Round 18 loss to Richmond at Optus Stadium, as Ginbey landed awkwardly from a contest and immediately left the field.
Scans on Monday revealed the need for the youngster to undergo minor surgery.
Due to the uncompetitive nature of the Eagles' 2023 campaign, the club has elected to rule Ginbey out of the rest of West Coast's games this year.
West Coast GM Gavin Bell spoke on the matter when he addressed the media on Monday.
"Following investigations into the nature of Reuben's injury, the medical advice was to send him for surgery, with the aim of minimising the risk of future recurrences in that specific area of his hamstring," Bell said as part of a club release.
"It's a disappointing end to Reuben's first season but he has a long career ahead of him, and everyone at the club has been impressed with his positive attitude, work ethic, and eagerness to learn since we drafted him last November."
The Eagles, who play North Melbourne at home this Sunday in what presents as a rare winnable fixture, will be without Luke Shuey (hamstring) and Sam Petrevski-Seton (suspension) in addition to Ginbey, as they seek just their second victory of the season.