Untried St Kilda utility Matthew Allison will spend time on the sidelines with a stress fracture in his foot.
Allison will undergo surgery next week and is set for a recovery time pushing five months.
The Saints say Allison had been enjoying his most promising pre-season yet. He joined the club as a first round pick in 2020 but is yet to make his AFL debut.
Matt Allison will miss an extended period after scans revealed a stress fracture in his foot.
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“Matt had really been impressing on the track, so for this to happen is very disappointing,” fitness and medical boss David Misson told the club’s website.
“Following consultations with specialists we elected to send Matt in for surgery to have the foot stabilised.
“While the recovery time is 16 – 20 weeks, which is significant, Matt’s a really positive and professional young man.
“He goes into this period of rehabilitation with the whole club behind him.”
Trackwatcher David King recently noted Allison’s prowess in impressing at RSEA Park to start the year.
“He reared up and took a couple of really strong pack marks in their match sim work and I thought ‘Gee, that’s something that Saints fans will love to see’,” King told SEN last week.
“He’s about 195cm and is still putting on size but he’s made some inroads this off-season, he hasn’t been exposed to senior football just yet but they’ll be itching to have a look at early in 2023.”
Allison, standing at 195cms could have provided a similar replacement for star forward Max King, who will miss the start of the season after shoulder surgery in recent weeks.