Geelong forward Gary Rohan has been ruled out of the club's AFL Preliminary Final after sustaining a serious injury during a VFL semi-final on Saturday.
The 33-year-old veteran suffered a fractured skull following an accidental elbow to the head in the first quarter of the match against Southport at GMHBA Stadium.
Rohan, who has been battling injuries throughout the 2024 season, immediately left the field after the incident and was taken to the hospital for further assessment.
Subsequent scans confirmed the severity of the injury, prompting the need for surgery, which is scheduled for Monday.
Geelong's Assistant General Manager of Football, Brett Johnson, confirmed the news in a statement.
"Gary will have surgery today and will be unavailable for our AFL Preliminary Final. We will provide the support required to Gary and his family as he recovers," Johnson said.
The injury comes as a devastating inconvenience for Rohan, who had been pushing to rejoin Geelong's AFL side ahead of their finals campaign.
He had only just returned to competitive football after missing several weeks due to a concussion earlier in the season.
Rohan shared an update from his hospital bed on social media, expressing gratitude for the support he's received.
"Scans have confirmed a fractured skull, but I am doing well and in the best hands. Now just waiting on surgery" he wrote on Instagram.
Rohan's absence won't leave too much of a gap in Geelong's forward line, the team heading into the preliminary final weekend confident after a qualifying final belting over Port Adelaide.
With the Cats now eyeing a spot in the Grand Final, they may be relying on key forwards Shannon Neale, Tom Hawkins, pending his selection status, as well as newfound goalkicker Shaun Mannagh.
The injury leaves Rohan's future uncertain, coming out of contract at the end of the 2024 season at 33 years old.