Wangaratta star Daniel Sharrock had his worst fears confirmed on Monday with scans revealing a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus.
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Sharrock injured his right knee in the opening minutes of the final quarter and was stretchered off against Yarrawonga on April 20.
The classy midfielder suffered an ACL injury to his right knee as an emerging youngster in 2018 and underwent a reconstruction.
Given his knowledge of the injury, Sharrock's immediate reaction gave an indication of its seriousness as he put his hands up to his head and team-mates rushed to console him.
Sharrock had a scan last Tuesday, but had not received the result until Monday.
He will speak with a knee surgeon on Tuesday to plan his surgery.
It's a monumental blow to Wangaratta's hopes of playing finals after a 0-4 start.
The Pies snared their first win against Myrtleford on Sunday to sit two wins out of the top five.
Meanwhile, Wodonga big man Michael Driscoll is hoping a scan on Friday will reveal the damage to his bicep.
"I've spoken to the physio and they think the damage is where the bicep attaches up near my shoulder, my pec minor, so not the big one, but they're also worried about the sternoclavicular (joint), where the sternum meets my collarbone, and my first rib might also be fractured, so I've made a mess of it," he explained.
Driscoll suffered the injury in the first quarter against Corowa-Rutherglen on April 20.
"I just went to tackle (Jedd) Longmire and my elbow hit the ground and came up into my neck," he revealed.
The 195cm Driscoll had been the club's 'manufactured' ruckman, a role he also filled on debut in 2022.
"I'm certainly not a ruckman and don't claim to be, you can plaster that as far as the world can see (laughs), but someone's got to do it," he suggested.
Regular defender Tom Johnson filled in against Wodonga Raiders on Anzac Day, and did an admirable job as he does wherever needed, but there's a positive with Zac Nugent returning from injury in reserves last Thursday and claiming the Bulldogs' best.
And Corowa-Rutherglen spearhead Sam Dunstan is hoping he will be fit for the next game against Myrtleford on May 11.
Dunstan, who kicked five goals twice in the opening four rounds against top five contenders Wangaratta Rovers and Wodonga, injured his ankle against Yarrawonga on Sunday.
"I was doing the compression and ice every two hours last night (Sunday) and I can hobble around on it, it looks pretty bad with the bruising and swelling, it looks worse than what it is," he offered.
"I'll give it a couple of days and if it hasn't improved, I'll follow it up."
And in tribunal news, North Albury's Josh Murphy has until midday Tuesday to decider whether he accepts an early guilty plea and a one-match ban to a rough conduct charge against Albury's Tom O'Brien on Anzac Day.
The grading was careless, the contact high (head) and impact medium.
