St Kilda midfielder David Armitage will sit out the remainder of the 2017 season following two groin operations that has limited his output this year.
The 29-year-old appeared in the Saints' round one and four sides before undergoing surgery.
He returned through the VFL in July in a bid to return to senior football however senior coach Alan Richardson admitted the club had pushed the veteran's recovery in a bid for him to play senior football again in 2017.
“Unfortunately for Dave he’s been fighting the clock to try and get himself healthy at the back end of the season,” St Kilda's General Manager of Football Performance Jamie Cox told saints.com.au on Tuesday afternoon.
“He looks to have lost that battle as well and is his season looks like it might be done.”
The club expects the Armitage to be fit for the start of pre-season.
In more positive news, the club is very confident that Nick Riewoldt will be fit for Sunday's crunch clash against Melbourne at the MCG.
Riewoldt suffered a concussion following a contest with West Coast's Dom Sheed on the weekend.