Dockers star Jesse Hogan has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a foot injury.
The 24-year old has not played since round 14 after he reaggravaed a navicular bone issue that sidelined him for the last few games of 2018.
Hogan is set to go under the knife and is facing an approximate four month recovery time frame.
"He will undergo surgery and then undertake a recovery and rehabilitation program with an estimated time frame โ at this stage โ of 16 weeks," Fremantle general manager of football Peter Bell told the club website.
"It was initially believed that Jesse had suffered an unrelated sprain in his right foot in our round 14 game against Melbourne, but subsequent scans and further examination by a specialist confirmed a recurrence of the injury to the navicular bone."
The loss of Hogan is a major bow to the Dockers, as Ross Lyon's side was sitting in the top eight earlier in the season with a healthy list.
"Jesse was important for our forward structure early in the season, and he was really starting to hit his straps and gel with our restructured forward line, so it is very disappointing for him and the club," Bell said.
"However, based on medical advice, we are confident that with a cautiously mapped out rehabilitation program, Jesse should be available in round one of the 2020 season.
"In the meantime, we will wrap our arms around Jesse and provide all the necessary support required for him to successfully complete the rehabilitation phase."
