Mattaes Phillipou will miss the start of the season, with scans revealing a stress fracture in his right femur.
The 20-year-old had been enjoying his best pre-season to date before being struck down by the injury.
“This is an extremely disappointing development for Mattaes,” EGM Football David Misson said.
“It was clear he’d taken the lessons he learned last year into his off-season and came back ready to attack 2025.
“Mattaes pulled up a bit sore on Friday, so we monitored his recovery over the weekend. His pain was still present on Monday, so we sent him off for scans that confirmed the diagnosis.
“He’ll be on crutches for the next couple of weeks, then we’re looking at 10-12 weeks of rehabilitation and re-loading after that.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but Mattaes’ maturity and commitment is far beyond his years, and we’re sure he’ll tackle this period with the professionalism we’ve come to expect from him.”
Dougal Howard will join Phillipou on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder during training yesterday.
The 28-year-old left the ground after receiving the injury in a standard marking contest during the session.
“Dougal is going for scans this morning, so we’ll await those results before assigning a return-to-play timeline,” Misson said.
“Recovery from an injury like this can really range from days to weeks, so we won’t speculate until we have that clarity.”
Rowan Marshall will also be on light duties in the lead up to Round 1, managing a back issue.
“Rowan’s going for a CT scan tomorrow to assess the extent of a stress fracture in his pelvis,” Misson said.
“He’s been on modified duties since last week to assist with the management of the injury, but we’ll have a better idea of his recovery after the scan tomorrow.
“We’re hopeful that Rowan will be available for Round 1 or soon thereafter.”
Additionally, as reported earlier this week, Paddy Dow is progressively adding to his load as he seeks to return from a knee infection.
In some pleasing news, several players who started 2025 in the rehab group are tracking positively.
Hunter Clark (groin) is making strides, while Liam Henry (knee) has resumed portions of training, closing in on a return to full training in the coming weeks.
Draftee Alix Tauru is now running as his program builds, while Liam Stocker and Max King are both back in full training.
INJURY LIST:
Hunter Clark | Groin | 2-3 weeks
Liam Henry | Knee | 4-6 weeks
Alix Tauru | Back | 4-8 weeks
Rowan Marshall | Pelvis | 5-8 weeks
Mattaes Phillipou | Leg | 10-14 weeks
Dougal Howard | Shoulder | TBC
Paddy Dow | Knee | TBC
