Garrick Ibbotson’s hopes of winning the AFL premiership with Fremantle this season are over after he was forced to undergo surgery on his Achilles tendon.
Ibbotson was initially expected to miss just one week after experiencing soreness in his Achilles tendon following the club’s round 18 win over Adelaide.
But the injury soon turned into a worrying one, with Ibbotson finally opting to undergo surgery on Thursday in a bid to fix the problem.
The setback is a bitter blow to the 25-year-old, who had been in career-best form this season.
Teammate Clancee Pearce also had his season ended by an Achilles tendon injury.
The pair will have to watch on as Fremantle attempt to win their maiden flag.
The Dockers are favourites to beat Sydney in Saturday night’s preliminary final in Perth.
Should Fremantle win, they’ll face either Geelong or Hawthorn in next week’s grand final.