Ben Paton's 2021 season could be over before it began after suffering a suspected broken leg during St Kilda's intraclub match at Moorabbin on Thursday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Medical staff rushed to the scene to attend to Paton and hold his lower left leg in place.
The 22-year-old is said to have been brought down in a tackle by club staffer Jarryd Roughead, with the Hawthorn premiership player filling in for extra numbers with the Saints carrying a host of injuries.
ALSO IN SPORT:
Players departed the field shortly after with an ambulance called.
Paton was placed on pain assistance and his left leg strapped before he was taken from the field on a stretcher.
The former Murray Bushranger enjoyed a breakout season in 2020, playing all 19 games as a first-choice option against some of the game's premier small forwards.