Sydney forward Tom Papley could miss the early parts of the AFL season after scans came back worse than first feared on a hamstring strain.
He’s now expected to miss 4-6 weeks after suffering the injury in Sydney’s practice game against GWS last week.
In the aftermath of Papley withdrawing from the clash in the first quarter, the Swans confirmed they would take a “precautionary approach” with their star small.
Sydney’s Round 1 clash against the Giants falls on March 19, meaning Papley will likely miss at least one game.
Sydney GM of football Charlie Gardiner said the club is hopeful Papley will feature early in the season.
“Tom has had a terrific pre-season, and while this is clearly a setback, he sets high standards in the way he trains and plays, so we know he will do everything he can to minimise the disruption to his season,” Gardiner said.
“We will see what sort of progress Tom makes over the next few weeks but we’re still hopeful of having Tom available early in the season.”
The 25-year-old played a strong season in 2021, racking up career-highs in goals (43) and goal assists (22) as Sydney charged into a finals series.
The year was capped off by his first All Australian selection.