Luke Beveridge is leaving the door ever-so-slightly ajar for a miracle, but the Western Bulldogs’ coach knows deep down that scans will almost certainly confirm celebrated veteran Dale Morris has played his last AFL game.

In his first senior match since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the pre-season, Morris limped from the ground in the third quarter of Sunday’s 47-point win over Fremantle at Marvel Stadium.

The 36-year-old crumpled to the turf after his left leg buckled under him as he attempted to change direction chasing a loose ball.

He immediately motioned for help and hobbled to the bench under his own steam after being helped to his feet.

Scans on Monday are expected to reveal the respected defender has ruptured the ligament again, most likely ending his 253-game career.

Morris’ toughness, both physical and mental, and his amazing powers of recovery are the stuff of legend.

He famously played in the 2016 grand final win over Sydney with a fractured bone in his back and made it back into the AFL line-up, without surgery, after suffering ACL tears in the past two pre-seasons.

Morris has pulled off some stunning comebacks but a third ACL injury in 18 months will surely prove insurmountable.

“You just really hope that it’s all right, but the odds of that seem pretty slim,” Beveridge said.

Morris helped set the tone for the win in the first quarter before disappearing down the race to have his knee assessed after he experienced “clicking” that he hadn’t felt before.

He was cleared to return and was a key figure before he limped from the game.

“That’s the sad thing about it,” Beveridge said when asked about his on-field influence.

“You look at his appearance and you see the way that he moves. You know you’ve got all of that stored experience and what he can contribute on-field … it’s really bad luck when you think that he’s done either side (knees) this late in his career.”

The Dogs aren’t the only side licking their wounds after round 19, with Collingwood’s shocking injury run continuing.

The club confirmed on Sunday Jordan De Goey (hamstring) and Isaac Quaynor (foot) had joined a lengthy injury list and would miss next week’s clash with Gold Coast.

Richmond skipper Trent Cotchin’s immediate future is unclear after suffering his third hamstring injury of the season in Friday night’s win over the Pies.