Sydney Swans have confirmed that small forward Tom Papley will miss the next six to eight weeks after scans revealed he has suffered a bone fracture in his heel.
Head coach Dean Cox confirmed the injury on Thursday.
"Unfortunately, on the weekend, he cracked his heel," he said in a press conference on Thursday, April 3.
"Looking at maybe six to eight weeks, but we'll get more verification on that in the following days but it's not great news.
"We've just got to get through it and give opportunities to some other players which they've taken.
"I love playing kids or playing players who probably thought they weren't a chance two, three, four weeks ago. That's where the real excitement comes from."
"So they've shown, with the likes of Riley Bice, Tom Hanily, Corey Warner and Angus Sheldrick and Caiden Cleary who will come in at some stage, they can withstand the AFL demands and play the footy we need them to."
The Swans already have a hefty injury list that includes their captain, Callum Mills, whose recovery from a plantar fascia tear is taking longer than expected. while star midfielder Errol Gulden currently does not have a timeline for return as he recovers from a broken ankle that he suffered in the pre-season.
Additional personnel like Robbie Fox, Lewis Melican, Harry Cunningham and Taylor Adams all find themselves on the side lines as well, giving the opportunity for some of Swans young players to show their worth.
Mature-age recruit Riley Bice is making the most of his opportunities in the depleted Swans side impressing with his speed in the first few weeks. Braeden Campbell, who was a regular starting sub in 2024, has also been enjoying more consistent playing time as a result of the extensive Swans injury list.
Key forward Logan McDonald is set for VFL minutes on the weekend after a tumultuous pre-season.
McDonald had off-season surgery on a troubled ankle from last year and has struggled to get going up until now.
"Yeah, it's great, and that's the part - that Logan's had a really tough off-season," Cox said.
"The good part is his ability to be able to play this week.
"He'll be on restrictive minutes, but the part we want from Logan is he's in our best team.
"He'll get a chance now to build through some match play over the coming weeks in the VFL program.
"He's really excited and so are we."
The Swans are currently sitting on one win and two losses as the newly in charge Cox looks to get the 2024 Grand Finalists back on track.
Cox's men return from the bye with a clash against North Melbourne on Saturday at Marvel Stadium.
