Sam De Koning is facing a month on the sidelines, with the Geelong defender to undergo surgery on an AC joint injury suffered during Saturday’s win over Essendon.
The key defender came from the ground during the second quarter following a shoulder-to-shoulder bump from Bomber Will Setterfield.
De Koning returned to the field in the third term but was subbed out of the match.
In a short statement, the Cats said they expect the 24-year-old to miss 4-5 weeks.
Teammate Zach Guthrie told the media this morning that he was confident Geelong would cover his absence.
“Sam’s obviously a really important player for us, and he’s one that we really depend on every week to play on those taller types, and he’s been doing a really good job for us,” Guthrie said
“But, we’ve got a number of guys who can roll through that position.
‘Blitz’ (Mark Blicavs) played there late last year, and obviously earlier in his career. He’s able to fit in everywhere, which is a nice luxury to have.
“I think even having someone like Connor O’Sullivan come in this year and have that confidence in someone like that to be able to fill the void, (and) play on those taller types, will hold us in good stead as well.”
X: @krockfootball
