Sydney co-captain Dane Rampe will miss the rest of the AFL season after breaking his right hand again.

Rampe has been one of the Swans’ most important and influential players during an injury-marred campaign, both in terms of his leadership and reliability in defence.

But the key defender will now join fellow prime movers Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy, Isaac Heeney and Sam Naismith on the sidelines.

Rampe had a metal plate inserted as part of an operation to fix the fracture he suffered in the Swans’ round-eight win over Hawthorn.

The gutsy backman tackled St Kilda the following weekend then got through clashes with Collingwood and Greater Western Sydney.

But scans after the Swans’ derby victory revealed Rampe had broken his hand again and required further surgery.

“As tough as what he is – he even indicated that he’d like to play again this week, even knowing that news – we just couldn’t go ahead with that,” Swans coach John Longmire said.

“Because we had to make sure we protect him.

“We weren’t going to take any more risks with Dane, he’s just too important.”

Longmire didn’t attempt to downplay the void that has been created by the absence of the club’s reigning best and fairest.

“I believe he was in All-Australian form this year,” Longmire said.

“You don’t replace him, you work around that.

“Dane’s quality, not only on the field but off the field, is A1. You miss that, but that’s the reality of it – you’ve got to deal with it.”

Aliir Aliir could return from injury in Saturday’s clash with Fremantle in Perth as Longmire mulls how best to reshuffle his magnets yet again.